Prove It!

The heavens declare the glory of God;

   the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
   night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
   no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
   their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
   like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens
   and makes its circuit to the other;
   nothing is deprived of its warmth.

Psalm 19:1-6

I am an inquisitive person. I rarely take things at face value; I almost always demand proof. I investigate. I interrogate. It seems like I’m arguing, but I’m actually testing. I want to know if the things people say are true and I want to know why they’re true. A lot of Christians shy away from talking about God because they’re intimidated by people like me. God has never been intimidated in the least.

I questioned the existence of God once. Not out of frustration or bitterness, but on a calm, rational, deeply intellectual level. I dismissed as opinion everything I’d been told was fact about God, and I opened my mind to every possibility. I studied the major world religions, read tomes of philosophy, and took many long, reflective walks in the park.

It took seven years of God revealing his many disputed characteristics to me before I became a Christian again, but God almost immediately answered my core question: Does God exist? 

I often used to walk out on a bridge in the park and stare down at a stream and look up at the sky and listen to the water fall over the rocks and contemplate the heavens and … I think I always knew that God exists in some form because the proof of the creator is in the creation.

As it is written in Romans 1:20, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

Only One Choice

I sometimes think that shopping is too complicated. There are too many choices!

 

Take toothpaste, for example. I can get it to whiten teeth, or to freshen my breath. They sell it for sensitive teeth and for soft enamels. Too many choices! I just need toothpaste!

 

Paper towel is another example. Some are the strongest, some the most absorbent. Still others come with soap already in them. Too many choices! I just need a disposable towel!

 

Today’s reading is 1Timothy 1:18-2:7. St. Paul, on a mission trip, was giving instructions to Timothy, the delegate leader of the Church at Ephesus.

 

Specifically, Paul is providing instructions regarding worship. As part of his instructions on prayers, Paul reminds Timothy, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom …” To the point, the only reason Timothy can pray to God is because he has faith in Jesus, who enables believers to approach God directly with requests.

 

In Paul’s day there were many religions claiming to have a path to God. Of course, there were numerous pagan religions, with priests encouraging people to worship creation, such as an alligator, a river or the Sun, instead of the creator. There also were Gnostics who claimed knowledge (the Greek word gnosis means knowledge) was necessary to reach God, not Christ’s crucifixion. Finally, Judaism had become a religion of Good Works.

 

Guess what? Things have not changed much in 2000 years. Pagan religions and Devil Worship exist today. The New Age Movement tells us we have what it takes to save ourselves. And there are many, many other religions that teach Good Works are required to reach God.

 

The only way to Heaven is through Jesus. The only reason we can approach God is because of Jesus.

 

What a blessing it is to approach God through prayer. He hears them all and answers them all. Of course, he does not always grant our request, but he does provide an answer.

 

Jesus is our mediator! Unlike shopping, Jesus is the only choice!

Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” John 1:1-2

Many people around the world will read or hear this Scripture for the first time today. And regardless of nation, race, culture or tongue, most will respond in the same profound way: there will arise above their heads a collective question mark. Someone will have to explain it to them.

To the Jews and Greeks of John's day, however, “the Word” had meaning. To the Greeks, it denoted a divine reason or plan. To the Jews, God’s word was the means by which he executed his will. And into these partial understandings, John spoke revelation and clarity, for “the Word” was more than means to an end and much more than a notion.

Perhaps you’ve heard it said that “The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed, and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.” In this sense, John was perfectly consistent in building his gospel on a familiar foundational phrase: “In the beginning.” The difference was only a matter of revelation ...

For in the beginning, God created by speaking a word: “Let there be ...” And John revealed that this creating Word was a person – a “he,” not an “it” – and that he existed in the beginning.

In the beginning, God said “Let us make man in our image.” And John confirmed that the Word, this person, was with God and that all was created through him.

In the Genesis creation story, the Hebrew word translated “God” was “Elohim,” which is a plural noun, yet mainly used with singular verb forms, adjectives and pronouns. And John clarified for all time that the Word who was with God, actually was God.

The Word has a name; his name is Jesus. It is the Greek translation of the Hebrew name, Joshua, which means “the Lord saves.” For, just as the world was created through the Word in the beginning, so it would be saved by him in the end. And as the Word who was unseen created all that is seen, so he also became flesh, so we would be restored in spirit.

God is a marvelous God. His wisdom is unsearchable. His ways are beyond our comprehension. Yet he reveals them to us.

Ours is simply to worship him, for he is good. He is good to us.

Yea, Lord, we greet thee,
Born this happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be glory given!
Word of the Father,
Now in flesh appearing!
O, come, let us adore him,
O, come, let us adore him,
O, come, let us adore him,
Christ, the Lord.

From "O, come, all ye faithful"
John F. Wade

Eeyore & Tigger

Psalm 148 - 150

　
　
We live in a world of positives and negatives. In chemistry you have protons and electrons. In golf you have over par and under par. In "Winnie the Pooh" you have Eeyore and Tigger. Eeyore with his sad and monotone voice always seems depressed. Tigger on the other hand, is always positive, bouncing around on his tail, smiling and very self-confident.
In math, my wife tells me, there is a teaching tool called a "number line". With zero at the center, there are increasing negative numbers to the left and increasing positive numbers to the right. Eeyore would fall at the far end of the negative side and Tigger on the positive. You probably know real people that are very positive and others that are very negative. Truth be known, we all fit somewhere on this line. In these Psalms we are not being called to be happy, but to praise the Lord for who He is and what He has done.

Psalm 148 emphasizes His creation. The beauty of God’s creation brings praise to our heart. For me, a sunset on Lake Michigan, the northern lights in the Upper Peninsula, the white sand beaches of Punta Cana, the power of Niagara Falls and the beauty of the Grand Tetons top my list. What’s on your list?

I’m not the most creative guy in the world. What I have created are mostly inanimate objects, except for my daughter. She turned 33 this year, and although she has a family of her own, I would still do anything for her. In Psalm 149 we see God who is our creator. He would do anything for us, and really He has. Therefore, let us "sing to the Lord a new song, rejoice in our Maker and be glad in our King and He will delight in His people".

And finally, think of the Buckeyes in the Shoe as you read Psalm 150. The only difference is the sanctuary is the Shoe, acts of power are the Buckeyes slamming into their opponents and the musical instruments are TBDBITL marching and proudly playing praises to the Buckeyes. Buckeye fans are passionate! How much more should we be when we serve and worship the Living God?

No matter where you think you fall on the number line, no matter whether you are more like Eeyore or Tigger - praise the Lord today in all you say and do.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%20148-150&version=NIV;MSG
http://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/niv/Ps.148-Ps.150

It's All Good Genesis 1

Then God said, "Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened. Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! (Genesis 1:29-31)

Do you have a passion? Is there something that you just love to do? Maybe you love to cook, creating yummy treats or meals for others to enjoy. Perhaps you love to decorate, creating a comfortable and inviting living space for people to live in. I love to write. I have a passion for creating images through words weather it’s a poem, story or song.

So often our passions in life involve creating. Well, we come by it honestly. We got this trait from our Heavenly Father. We often create out of things that we love, God created because He is love. It was his love that set everything into being.

God did not create the fallen world we live in today. If you look at Genesis chapter 1 you will see that after God created light, plants, animals, and humans he said it was good. Like a chef tasting his delicacy and saying, “Yum that is good.” God created everything with his love and said, “It is very good.”

Read today's passage at Biblegateway.com Genesis 1

No Lone Rangers, Genesis 2:4-25

As I write this devotion, I am watching my husband play with our son in the swimming pool. Steve is patiently teaching our three year old how to kick in order to move and not just splash. I am having one of those moments were I see how blessed I am. God in his infinite knowledge took me, my needs, dreams and desires into consideration when matching me with Steve. I feel so undeserving.

We have wonderful balance. On days where I am tired and in need of a break, Steve will be ready to wrestle or run around the backyard with Evan. We compliment each other’s weaknesses, or rather struggles for that day.

We see in our scripture today that God didn’t want Adam to be alone. He created someone Adam could share his life with. God still does that today. Don’t get me wrong, it’s hard being married. All relationships have their struggles. There are days when I wonder why we put ourselves through so much. That doesn’t mean that it’s not worth it. Steve and I talk frequently about how God’s was active in putting the two of us together.

Whether it’s your spouse, best friend or maybe like me you have an adopted child. I believe God’s puts us in each other’s lives for a reason. He does not want us to be alone. We were created to complement each other.

Read today's entire scripture on Biblegateway Genesis 2:4-25

You are invited to leave a comment. Please share with us your thoughts.

Creation -- Genesis 1:1-2:3

I once made a banana cream pie from scratch. Even the crust was prepared in this manner, which was quite a feat for this domestically challenged individual. While I love to eat, cooking is not my gift. But, once this project was completed, I felt that it was good. It looked good, it smelled good, it tasted good; therefore it was good. Did I mention that I forgot to add the bananas?

It is always amazing to read Genesis, starting with the first page. God created the heavens and the earth and proclaimed them to be good. He moved on to creating light, then sky, and seas, and vegetation. God made the sun to govern by day and a lesser light, the moon, to govern by night. We again read, “And God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:10)

We are told in scripture, God created living creatures in the water and upon the land. Then God created mankind. There is much more to this story, but what it boils down to is God didn’t forget a thing. God knew exactly what He was doing then, and He knows exactly what He is doing now. “God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31)

If you, like me, are trying to get God’s recipe for life, you would do well to remember God made us and He saw His creation was good. Our confidence, if not our faith comes from statements of love like these;  “In the beginning…”

Read the entire creation story at Biblegateway in Genesis 1:1-2:3

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