Listening

Reason calls within the sky;
“Hey, stop and wait and listen nigh!
I have these stars and planets here;
I have these galaxies so clear.”

Think as you walk about me so vast;
And ask yourself if in time’s past
I could have developed on my own;
I could have derived myself alone.”

Reason calls within the tree,
“Hey, stop and wait and look at me!
I have these branches, but why it so?
I have these leaves, which yearly grow?

Think as you walk about my form;
And ask yourself, ‘Should be the norm?’
To have what seems such odd design,
And find within me more than time.”

Reason calls within my boy;
"Hey, stop and wait and find your joy!
I have these arms and feet and hands;
I have these fingers, perhaps by chance?

Think as you walk about me now;
And ask yourself both “Why?” and “How?”
These things are so and long have been,
And listen now to what’s within.

Joshua

The Bookends of Life

"Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him." - Matthew 2:2 (NASB)

Simple observation. Simple application. Simple question.

First, the observation. Matthew chapter 2 is the story of the birth of Jesus. In this story "magi" come from the east traveling westward toward Judah to discover a new king that has been born. Magi were a caste of wise men specializing in astronomy, astrology, and natural science. These men were Gentile star gazers who had been staring up at the sky and had predicted a forthcoming king, the Messiah, the King of the Jews. This story is familiar to many but what struck me was the simple phrase "King of the Jews".

I had been studying Mark 15 at the time. In Mark 15:26 Jesus is crucified with an inscription written above His head. Do you remember what it said? "The King of the Jews." Thus, Jesus life was marked by this unique identity. This simple phrase represented a bookend to both the beginning and end of His life, His birth and His death, His entire life.

Second, the application. Jesus remained true to His purpose in life. The question is, "Have we?" When we were born we were created with a purpose in mind. We were designed for a specific reason. Conception occurs first within the mind of God (Jer 1:5). Therefore, at the beginning of our lives a bookend was placed. It represented a beginning that for our lives and was conceived first in the mind of God. When we die, our lives will also conclude with a final bookend. Thus, we will have to ask ourselves "Did my life fulfill its original purpose?". Did I achieve what God had planned for me? Did I fulfill my purpose and come into a relationship with Jesus? Did I make Him Lord? Did I serve Him as I should have? Or did I turn from Him never to return?

Third, the question. Fortunately, our lives are not over. Therefore, we have a simple question to answer: "How will your life be book-ended?" As a life of tragedy and a lifetime spent away from God? Or will you fulfill God's plan for your life and accept Jesus as Lord?

An ancient Indian proverb once said, "When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a way that when you die the world cries and you rejoice."

Live your life for Jesus and bookend your life with Him.

All Things Work Together

In the eighth chapter of the book of Romans, Paul writes in verse 28:

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love God, those who have been called according to His purpose." (NASB)

The NIV states it this way: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

There is a difference in manuscripts. One of the earliest states it as "we know that in all things God works for the good" and in another "we know that God causes all things to work together". Does God "cause all things to work together" or does He simply use what happens to work them together for good? What is God's real role in this verse? Are these two translations contradicting one another?

The answer really is no. Whether your version reads it as "God causes" or simply that "in all things God works" does not matter. Whether we see God as causing things to happen here or reacting to them should not concern us. God is the supreme Creator and Sustainer of all things. He is more than capable of both causing and reacting to all things that are brought about by mankind. He can both cause good to work and produce good out of the evil desires and consequences of man's actions.

Now that we've addressed that difference in translation, let's now examine the meaning of this often quoted and studied verse.

The verse begins by stating "And we know". The Greek word here is OIDAMEN. It is a Perfect Active Plural verb. The Perfect tense is one that simply refers to a "completed" action. More specifically, it usually refers to an event that was completed in the past and has ongoing ramifications. Thus, "we know" could be better translated "we have perceived". It is referring to events in the past which have been completed but now are showing the results.

We have all witnessed this phenomena in our own lives. Something awful will happen but God will somehow use it for good. God is amazing in His ability to take something awful and use it for something good. The word for "works together" is SUNEPREI which is a Present Active verb meaning "is working together". In other words, God is doing this right now. It is a present tense meaning that it is on-going. The completed past actions that we have made, those mistakes that we regret that we have done or have been done to us, are all being worked together to produce for God the desired results He wants within us.

This promise though comes with two conditions. It is only those who "love God" and who "have been called according to His purpose" who can expect to receive this blessing.

God asks all to follow but few do. He offers the free gift of salvation but it will require submission to the Lordship of Christ. When we accept Jesus as Lord, the master and ruler of our lives, we voluntarily give Him the authority to do with us as He pleases.

Therefore, let us say with Paul that we too have perceived or seen past completed events to be used together for good. We also love God and serve Him. We have been called and are following His calling to accomplish His purpose both in our own lives and in this world.

All things work together for good. It is a promise to remember and recite often to those who also meet these same two qualifications.

Really Useful Engines

"They're two they're four they're six they're eight
Shunting trucks and hauling freight
red and green and brown and blue
they're the really useful crew

All with different roles to play
Round Tidmouth sheds or far away,
Down the hills and round the bends
Thomas and friends"

I wish I knew how many times I've heard that theme song. Thomas and his friends. Thomas is a train or "tank engine" that lives on the island of Sodor. He and his "friends", other tank engines, are my oldest boy Will's favorite toys. Thomas is blue while his other friends are different colors. For example, Percy is green and Salty is red.

Thomas the Train was a creation of a minister from Great Britain named W.V. Awdry. The British children's television show was first broadcasted in 1984. However, what I want to focus on is the key component to the chorus listed above. It states that "they're the really useful crew, all with different roles to play".

I think that there is a Spiritual truth found here. Usefulness. What does it mean to be useful? Does it mean that we must be athletic, intelligent, or possess an uncanny giftedness in a particular field? Does it mean that we must all have the same sorts of gifts and abilities? I dont think so and I dont think God intended it to be that way. We all have "different roles to play." Not all of us are called to vocational ministry just as not all of us are called to teach preschoolers. Yet, all of us have been given a gift to be useful in the kingdom of God.

And I think for the most part we all want to be useful to God. We are constantly seeking out and determining what Spiritual Gifts that God has given to us. We get frustrated when we don't understand where we fit in and where we can be "useful." I know I do. I am in the pursuit of such usefulness too.

Fortunately, God knows this and desires for you and I to be useful. He designed each one of us to be useful for Him. In other words, you and I were designed for a purpose. Our lives are not mere mistakes of random probability. They are instead ordained by God and important to Him. You are important and useful to Him. However, it is only within the confines of a life spent with Him that we can come to understand what the concept of usefulness to God really means.

In Romans 9:17, Paul writes "For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, 'For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power within you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole Earth.'"

This is a quote from Exodus 9:16 where God spoke to Moses and told him to tell the Pharoah these words. Thus, even a person who is evil can be used by God for His purpose.

How much more, then can a person who has accepted Jesus as Lord be used by God to demonstrate God's power within his or her life and to proclaim His name throughout the entire Earth?

Give your life to Jesus and accept Him as Lord. In doing so, you will serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

You will also become one really useful engine for God's "island of Sodor", His kingdom here on Earth.

Objective Moral Values

On CNN's website today, there was an interview between a married couple and a woman who was representing the organization FRC (Family Research Council). The topic of discussion was the issue of "swinging". Swingers are those couples, married, who engage in sexual activity with other couples while remaining married to one another. In other words, adultery is unknown sexual activity outside of the marriage bed and "swinging" is known sexual activity outside of the marriage bed.

Arguments made in favor of swinging were that the "freedom" experienced enabled the couple to enjoy fantasies outside of the home that somehow strengthened their marriage. How this works, I have no idea. The argument made against such actions, however, was in favor of marriage being an institution that out to be held up, revered, and committed to by two people who have stood before God and chosen a monogomous relationship.

While I do not disagree with the points made by the FRC representative I think she missed the greater issue. Those in favor of swinging are similar to those in favor of homosexuality. They will often say, "Hey, it's not right for you but it is for me." In making such a statement, the person is arguing for a form of relativism. It's a postmodern view point that describes how all moral values are relative.

The point that should have been made to this couple is the exact opposite. Morality is not subjective to one's conditions, environments, or culture. It's not relative. There is such thing as absolute truth and there is such a thing as objective moral values. Anyone who denies this principle cannot live within such a belief system. For as soon as this person has been robbed, beaten, or raped they will immediately claim to have been harmed. Yet, if objective moral values do not exist then although it might have been wrong to them it would not have been wrong to their assailant.

So it goes with all forms of immorality. Claiming that morals are dependant upon a person is a copout to the real issue that the person is looking for a loophole in their own definition of morality to permit the type of behavior that they desire to perform. It's been said that "a man's morality dictates his theology." Do you want to practice homosexuality? If so, you'd better find a way to eliminate the truth within the Bible or attempt to re-interpret passages that have been understood in the exact same way for over 2,000 years.

Paul said it this way in Romans 1:18 "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them."

In other words, Paul is saying that objective moral values do exist and those who do not want to live by them will attempt to suppress this truth by creating foolish speculations and re-defining terms in order to fit their immoral behaviors. There are moral absolutes. They are understood by all. They were given to us by God Himself.

The next time someone attempts to rationalize relativism, simply ask them where the source of their moral truths lie. Once confirmed that it originated with themselves, simply point out that morality cannot originate with the individual. It must originate with something greater than us.

That "something" or "someone" is Almighty God and the Moral Argument for God's existence is based entirely upon such a conclusion.

Origins of a Kingdom

In Exodus 19, we read about the origin of a kingdom, the Kingdom of God.  The context of this passage is the exiting of Egypt as Moses leads the Israelites towards the Promise Land.  Situated at the foot of Mt. Sinai, he proceeds to climb the mountain in order to meet God.  He will enter into a conversation with God and in verses 5-6 God speaks to him about the future of this roaming nomadic people:

"Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel."

God has chosen to separate this people for a distinct purpose.  They will become His people.  The rejected people without a king, the wandering people who had been mere servants and slaves in Egypt are suddenly and dramatically given a divine purpose and calling.  In defining this kingdom, God establishes three qualities.

First, the Kingdom of God will be defined by its Conditions.  The kingdom was conditional.  It was not for everyone.  It was only for those who listen and obeyed.  God said that if they listen and "obey His voice" and "keep His Covenant" that they will be His people.  In verse 6, it states "to Me" and therefore indicates that He will be the possessor of it. 

Second, the Kingdom of God will be defined by its Conduct.  The kingdom was to contain only those people who lived out what they believed.  They were expected to act upon their decision to make God their king.  How were they supposed to do this?  Serve Him.  They were to be priests.  A priest is a mediator between people and a particular deity.  All religions including pagan religions had them.  The prophets of gods like Baal and Ashterah also had their own priests.  A priest was to serve their god by representing him to the people and serving him in their temple.This had serious consequences for the people.  As a kingdom of priests God expected the people to serve Him through their lives. 

Third, the Kingdom of God will be defined by its Character.  They were to become a "holy nation".  The term "holy" means to be separated for divine purposes.  God gave them a purpose and calling in life.  He also established a pattern of behavior that He expected.  He desired holiness because He Himself was holy. 

More important, and perhaps more profoundly, God demonstrated a desire to call this select people group His own.  By offering a kingdom to the people with Him as king, God demonstrated a love for these people.  He willfully sought them out and chose them out of all the peoples of the world to become His own.  In the process, He established a kingdom. 

Maybe more amazingly still, God desired to identify Himself with His creation.  He longed to be known by a select group of people who would be His representatives to the entire world.  He longed to establish the origins of a kingdom, a kingdom that would ultimately be ruled by a forth-coming Messiah.

God desired to be identified with those He loved.  The question for each of us just might be "Do we long to be identified with Him?"

Joshua