The Beginning

For the last few days another conversation I had a few years ago has been on my mind. Not sure why, because with this one I haven't really wished I'd said something else.

At one point when I was a youth/young adult pastor in Michigan a discussion began at our young adult Bible study over young earth/old earth. There is scientific evidence for both, and I could make an argument for both if I had to. But in my mind it doesn't really matter all that much to my walk with Christ. I return to my adapted version of a quote from my college Church History professor, "The Bible contains everything you need to know to become like Christ, it does not contain the answers to everything you are curious about."

I don't need to know how old or young the earth/universe is. It really doesn't matter, if it did, the Bible would tell me a specific date. All I need to know to become like Christ is what the Bible tells me.

Genesis 1.1, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

Genesis 1.3, "Then God said...and there was..."

Genesis 1.6-7, 9, 11, 14-15, 24, "Then God said...and it was so..."

Genesis 1.20-21, 26-27, "Then God said...God created..."

At the end of each day the Bible tells us "and God saw that it was good."

We can then jump ahead to John 1.1-3, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being."

That is what we need to know in regards to the beginning of the world. Does it matter to salvation and holiness how old the earth is? No, if it did then God would have told us. Are we curious about it? Of course, and so God gave us science to learn and explore as we try to figure things out. But for me and you to become like Christ, everything we need to know is in the Bible.

In terms of creation, all I need to know is that whenever the beginning was, it was then that God made everything. He created everything that exists by speaking, and when He made it, everything was good.

While science is fascinating, let's not get caught up on the things that we really can't prove and let's not let them become dividing walls among the Church. Let us instead unite around the Truth given to us in the Bible as we strive to become like Christ.

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you

What do I know of Holy?

There has been a song that has played on my pandora list off and on for the last several months. I've listened to it a lot. I clicked the "like" button so I normally hear it on there once a week. I've listened to it over and over, but I never really noticed the words. One day earlier this year when it came on something in the lyrics got my attention in a new way, and I stopped to read the lyrics as the song played.

I made You promises a thousand times
I tried to hear from Heaven
But I talked the whole time
I think I made You too small
I never feared You at all No
If You touched my face would I know You?
Looked into my eyes could I behold You?

What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
So what do I know? What do I know of Holy?

I guess I thought that I had figured You out
I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about
How You were mighty to save
But those were only empty words on a page
Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be
The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees

So what do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
So what do I know? What do I know of Holy?

What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame?
And a God who gave life its name?
What do I know of Holy?
Of the One who the angels praise?
All creation knows Your name
On earth and heaven above
What do I know of this love?

So what do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
Lord what do I know? What do I know of Holy?

What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of Holy?

Every time I hear the song the reality of it hits me. What do I know of Holy? What do I really know of God? Each time I hear it I'm like, "I have to write about this." And every time I try I can never find the words. Honestly, what do I know of Holy?

I think that maybe that's the point of all of this. We can't fully explain God. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13.12, "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known." We cannot fully comprehend God now, our minds are limited by the fall. I believe that's why Jesus came as a man, to show us what God was like in a way we could understand. Notice how even then people didn't fully get it. Today people still don't get Jesus.

God desires for us to know Him. He's done so much for us to know Him. He sent Jesus to Earth to show us what He is like. He has given us the written word of Scripture for us to study and learn about Him. We are able to communicate directly with Him through prayer. He's given us the beauty of creation, as it says in Romans 1.20, "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." Psalm 19.1 says, "The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands."

God is great, He is beyond our comprehension, and yet He desires for us to know Him, and has given us so much to aid us in that. Why do we neglect Him? On the other hand why do we get so arrogant to think that we have figured Him out? What do we know of Holy?

To God alone be the glory!

Peace be with you

Random Simplicity at 2:30 am

Whenever I'm tired and talking, either to myself or other people, strange random things come out of my mouth.

Last week I was driving home around 2:30 am, and I was replaying a conversation in my mind. During the conversation I had said something to the effect of "And that's why God made sharpies." Like I said, random things come out of my mouth. From there I just started talking to myself about other random things God had made: Zip lock bags, duct tape, orangutans, purple. And then a profound thought hit me, God made purple!

God made purple, more than that, God made color, He invented it. In His infinitely creative mind God thought up color and made it exist. Then I thought of other things, sounds, God made sound, things make noise, and each thing sounds a little different. God made scents, and each thing has its own unique fragrance. God made flavor, and then He gave texture to things. And all of these weren't things He discovered, He made them.

That thought just amazes me. But something even more incredible than that is this; God did not simply make these incredible things, He also gave us the ability to experience and enjoy them.

He made eyes to see the amazing assortment of colors that fill the world. Each individual hue and shade, the slight variations in blues and reds, greens and yellows, oranges and purples, they are all incredible.

He made ears to hear the incredible sounds of creation. The wind moving through the branches, birds singing, water falling over rocks, laughter, music.

He made a nose to smell. The fragrance of flowers, the scent of rain in the air, food cooking, herbs and spices, fruit, all of it is incredible.

He made a tongue to taste. Thanksgiving is the thing that comes to mind here, and Christmas. Breakfast.

He made skin with the ability to feel. The warmth of the sun on your face, the coolness of water flowing around your feet, grass as you walk barefoot.

These are just a few, the ones that immediately come to mind, and each one of us would have something different, but they are all incredible. I'm amazed by the creativity of God, but also by His love. He didn't create a dull black and white silent movie of a world, He filled it with these incredible sensations. But more than that, He gave us the ability to experience and enjoy them.

I'm grateful for 2:30 am random simplicity, it really makes me appreciate so much.