Exploring Biblical Mysteries with Modern Technology PAGE 106

As Christians, we long to understand our invisible God; the unseen always leaves us with a desire to know more. Our mysterious God is referenced as “The Ancient of Days” in Daniel 7:9; yet, He is relatable as we are encouraged to call Him Abba, Father in Romans 8:15.  His names purposely give us divine insight into who He is!

In Biblical texts, we can read of literal mysteries regarding Almighty God which include the story of creation, the exodus of God’s chosen people, the parting of the Red Sea, the first flood, prophecies regarding the future, and, of course, the birth of a divine child for which we celebrate this Christmas Season. 

The mysteries of the Bible purposely inspire us to practice faith but with modern technology we can now seek explanations of the histories that are mysteries in the Bible by exploring our universe like never before.  With space telescopes we can view things out beyond our imagination... or simply scan the unreachable heights of earthly mountaintops.  With modern mechanics we plunge and peer into the depths of the seas in ways that men of the 1^st century never could have imagined.  What I love about this is that it’s as if God is saying “Mysteries always leave clues so I’m giving you a way to go take a look. Hope it strengthens your faith.”  He knows every technological step we take, as we seek to know Him better, empowers!

For example, explorers have searched for Noah’s Ark using scripture and satellite imaging and have documented their exploration in the movie Finding Noah. The Ark appears to be buried in hostile territory, deep in ice caps, way up on Mount Ararat in Eastern Turkey.  I find it interesting that the Lord has hidden this physical vessel, till this day, to keep it a mystery in order that we continue to practice faith in “things we cannot see.”  Because of detailed specifications noted in the Bible, we actually have a physical model of Noah’s Ark in Kentucky, to go marvel over. That the actual Ark was built without modern tools is astounding.  It seems human advancements are a gift from God that allows us to appreciate ancient man!

The Replica in Williamstown, Kentucky

The parting of the Red Sea-which is detailed in the book of Exodus, is one of those mysteries of the Bible that intrigues me! I came upon the video link, below, and it is a profound example of modern technology allowing us to take a look into things that seem other-worldly and study the mysteries therein. I watched the video with fascination and that part of me who enjoys explanations was astounded!  I encourage you to watch it with the belief that God allows us to peek into the mysterious past with curiosity and modern technology so that we get a glimpse of The Ancient of Days.

YouTube Video:

Chariot Wheels at Bottom of Red Sea

(27 minutes but worth every second!)

“Emanuel” God with us!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfHZ-wfrJvA

 Song Recommendation:

Breakthrough

By:   Red Rocks Worship

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhyVW6sbZeA

“By your power the oceans open wide

Your fire falls down

Heaven and earth collide

King Jesus, forever by my side!”

Trailer to the documentary Finding Noah

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/strange-dangerous-journey-finding-noah-820380

Today is a Present Page 105

  

“Yesterday is history.

The tomorrow is a mystery
Today is a gift-

that is why it's called the present.”

I have absolutely no idea what tomorrow may bring!  But today is sitting before me like a gift-wrapped package! I simply need to open up the present and be surprised with what's inside!

 I have a bad habit of looking back and wishing the past had brought something different.  Sometimes, I look towards the future and wonder if life will turn out as it “should”. I think we could all admit to possessing those two habits.  With that being said… maybe the elementary truth of life is in the simple conclusion that we need to focus on TODAY!

Here is what the Bible says about the future:

“Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.

Each today has enough trouble of it’s own.”

Matthew 6:34

Today is steeped in importance and is gifting us with something finite.  “What?” you may ask.  TIME! Take this time to know and acknowledge that the Lord has His eyes on you; He has a plan for you that is innate and eternal.  Are you wondering where to begin or how to find God? The Bible teaches this:

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart!”
Jeremiah 29:13

Song Recommendation:
What Love is This

By:  Kari Jobe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzLRyZMKbb0

Things That Prowl: PAGE 104

To add to my list of ‘Things to Do’, I enrolled in a theology class at my church.  Week One is rolling along nicely.  At my age it is interesting to be back in a classroom environment and I am reminded of my good-ole college days. Being that wisdom comes with age, this time around I’m going to try to be a bit more studious. 

I have two college kids so, in class, I envisioned myself in their shoes and imagined being  surrounded with academia, and the pressures to learn, and I am grateful that I won’t be subjected to “making the grade”.  Being an avid reader, I was thrilled to receive four books and a new Study Bible as part of my tuition.  I’ve received my syllabus, an official binder and I’m study-bound. 

To begin, we students have a weekly reading list that I’m working on. I’ve come across many in-depth topics that have already piqued my interest.  Here is one:

“Then the Lord said to Cain,

Why are you so furious?”

And why do you look so despondent?”
If you do what is right, won’t you be accepted?

But if you do not do what is right,
sin is crouching at the door.

Its desire is for you,

But you must rule over it.”

Genesis 4:7 CSB

The entire reason I’m taking this class is to find segments of scripture, like this one, that deepen my understanding of God.  The footnote for this verse “suggests that sin wishes to be as intimate with humanity as a woman is with her husband. The only way to avoid this is to be its master, not its companion.”Wow! Do we ever really think about sin this way; that it lurks and loiters around corners, like a dangerous animal, waiting for us to meet its eye.  When we do we become susceptible to becoming intimate with its ways.  It wants to be our closest companion, like a spouse. This was such an interesting way of describing sin that it gave me pause. 

 The premise of the verse, above, is about the obedience of doing “what is right”.  It then likens sin as something on the hunt, ready to pounce.  The very last sentence gives us a directive: “…you must rule over it.”  There is another scripture, from the New Testament, that also gives us a warning about things that prowl:

“Be alert and of sober mind. 

Your enemy the devil prowls around 

Like a roaring lion

Looking for someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:8

From the Old Testament to the New, we are warned about sin and its habit of prowling around us, like bad company. But, our loving Father steps in, as He did with Cain and gives us straight-forward advice on how to put sin in its place: “You must rule over it".  It’s as simple as that.

Read Genesis 4:7 again and envision the words being spoken, in a real-time, between a loving father and his son.  On that day with Cain, and again today, those Words were indeed spoken from our Heavenly Father to His Child.  

Song Recommendation:

Nothing Else
By: Cody Carnes

“I’m caught up in this holy moment

I don’t ever want to leave.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BhTAJ49MQ0&list=RD4BhTAJ49MQ0&start_radio=1

Soli Deo Gloria: Page 103

Recently, I was prepping for a lesson I was going to teach and I came across the phrase Soli Deo Gloria.  I looked it up and found that it is truly a banner statement that means, “All things for the glory of God.” What a straight-forward life-goal. 

Doing all things for the glory of God is a huge calling. I wondered if we humans were even capable of implementing such a tremendous task. How in the world would one go about doing that.  I found it somewhat overwhelming to even consider that I would have what it takes, inside of me, to do something so monumental.  What if I failed? I decided to look for counsel. 

I began looking up scripture for guidance and I found a beauty:

 “The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart
 and with all your soul and with all your strength.
These commandments that I give you today
are to be on your hearts.
 Impress them on your children.
 Talk about them when you sit at home
 and when you walk along the road,
 when you lie down and when you get up.
  Tie them as symbols on your hands
and bind them on your foreheads.
 Write them on the doorframes of your houses
 and on your gates.”
Deuteronomy 6: 4-11

With this scripture I realized that I had already begun to implement Soli Deo Gloria.  I was happy for the moment…but what was next. I wanted a deeper understanding of how to fully achieve this in my life; so, I peered further into scripture and found this:  

Honor the Lord
 for the glory of his name.

Worship the Lord
in the splendor of his holiness.

PSALMS 29:2

All for the glory of God is the goal. This scripture says, “Honor the Lord for the glory of his name.” This pivotal scripture clued me in that God’s name is critical. I could write a book, and people have, on God’s names; yet, only get a glimpse of what it means to honor Him because of who He is.  

What are some of God’s names?  Here is the first scripture that comes to mind;

“And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God,
Everlasting Father
Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9: 6

And another:

“Our help is in the name of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.”
Psalm124:8

Within these two scriptures we get a glimpse of God’s names:  Mighty God, Eternal Father, Ruler of Peace, Creator of Heaven and Earth.  Sounds so other-worldly and it is! This is "who" we are to glorify...but how?  I came upon an article that touched on the subject of honoring God through worship and it defined worship as follows: 

“To express honor to God through
extravagant respect,
reverence and devotion.”

This description is full of gorgeous words that fill me with awe.  In human terms this is the closest we can come to understanding how to honor and worship God.

Where are all these scriptures and directives leading us? To the point! They are teaching us to live the creed “Soli deo Gloria”. They are showing us that it is humanly possible to do so by simply following the lead of scripture. Step by step we are learning how to live, who to honor, and what is important.  The very first scripture above told us there is one God and we are to love Him. In the large picture, the point of our lives is to glorify the One, Lord God and do All for the glory of God; Soli Deo Gloria!

In His image we were created, in His footsteps we are to follow.  There is one God that we are to worship.... and, like Him, with love and faithfulness, we are to build our lives and develop our good name:  

“Let love and faithfulness
Never leave you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.”
Proverbs 3:3-4

“The name of the Lord is a strong Tower
and the righteous run to it and are safe.”
Proverbs 18:10

Song Recommendation:
Throne Room
By:  Kim Walker Smith

"My heart can't contain the weight of your name
and all I can say is Holy, holy, Holy are you Lord!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1Ljl32SqRc

Written in honor of Coach Hutch-
who lives the Creed! 

  

Why Have You Forsaken Me? Page 102

“The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,

a stronghold in times of trouble.

Those who know your name trust in you,

for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.”

Psalm 9: 9-10

Let’s begin by defining the word forsaken: It is an adjective which means abandoned or deserted. The online dictionary used it in a sentence as follows: “A journey into forgotten and forsaken places."  What an epic sentence!  Ironically, I recently took one such journey through my own thoughts.  They were wandering lost as I wondered about my purpose; am I fulfilling it?  My calling; am I answering it?  My gifting; am I sharing it?  My love; am I giving it?  I could go on and should say that I was feeling a bit forgotten and even a little forsaken; not by anyone specifically; perhaps by myself in general.  

As I was sitting there thinking and, frankly, falling into remorse, I received a text from a phone App that stated that “Jesus endured the loneliness of the Cross so that I could have a relationship with him”.  This was two bits of striking information at an apropos moment.  The text rang so true it pulled my thoughts back into the realm of curiosity. I had been taught the basic premise that Jesus died on the cross so that I would “not perish but have everlasting life”. That is the exact quote from scripture in John 3:16 Now, that is certainly true; but, I’d missed the parallel truth that Jesus’ sacrifice had the additional purpose of opening spiritual channels so that I build a relationship with him. 

Beyond the relational point, the phone app text stated, “Jesus endured the loneliness of the cross….”, That got me to wondering about His mental state that day! Did He, indeed, feel loneliness in those moments.  Never, and I mean never, had I associated the human feeling of loneliness to Christ’s crucifixion.  But then I recalled Jesus’ statement, just before his death: 

“My God, my God,

why have you forsaken me?”

Matthew 27: 46

It’s so straight-forwarded I missed it:  Jesus felt forsaken!

Talk about striking! Using the definition above and Jesus' exact words; He was feeling abandoned, deserted; dare I say, lonely! He cried out to his God, “My God. My God. WHY have you forsaken me?”  HE felt the emotional heartbreak of one being isolated, the neglect of one being abandoned, the physical pain of corporal punishment, and the spiritual weight of the world as death approached. I can’t imagine the pain of this scourging as his feelings were soaring. Many things must have been going through his mind as he sacrificed his human life for great spiritual purposes.

I remember how my thoughts were wandering over simple things like my calling, my gifting and my ability to love….and it dawned on me that I was really wondering about relationship; am I fellowshipping with others as God wants me to. A more purposed question is “Am I honoring the Lord with the heart that was saved for the very purpose of fellowship and relationship”; first with Him and then with others.  

Jesus Christ, my brother, died so that I could have a relationship with Him.  He would do anything, including laying down His life for me…so that I could learn to be like him and love others, like him, in the most generous way possible; with pure love that covers a multitude of sin. The profound truth is this:  God, our Heavenly Father and Jesus, our brother want a relationship with us. This world spins on that truth.  In fact, ancient scripture states that we are family and heirs with Christ:  

“Now if we are children,

then we are heirs—

Heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ,

If indeed we share in his sufferings

In order that we may also share in his glory.”

Romans 8:17

There is nothing more holy than a spiritual awakening. This is now our spiritual quest; to be set apart, sanctified for a sacred task. The calling is to Love the Lord, your God with all our heart, soul, and mind and to love others as you love yourself.  That, my friend, is God’s mighty power at work building eternal relationships; ones that will never feel the sting of death or the abandonment of the forsakened. 

“Where, O death, is your victory?

Where, O death, is your sting?”

1 Corinthians 15:55

Jesus said….

“My command is this: 

Love each other as I have loved you.

Greater love has no one than this:

to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

John 15:12-13

“Jesus replied:

  ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart

And with all your soul

And with all your mind.’

This is the first and greatest commandment.

And the second is like it: 

‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Matthew 22:37-39

Jesus said….

“I no longer call you servants,

Because a servant does not know his mater’s business.

Instead, I have called you friends, 

For everything that I have learned from my father

I have made known to you.”

John 15:15

The New Testament teaches:

Therefore, there is now no longer

condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

Because through Christ Jesus

 the law of the Spirit who gives life

 has set you free

From the law of sin and death.

For what the law was powerless to do

Because it was weakened by the flesh,

God did by sending his own Son 

In the likeness of sinful flesh

To be a sin offering.

Romans 8: 1-4  

Song Recommendation:

Jesus Loves Me

By:  Chris Tomlin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80Ue0w45oGs

Confounding the Wise: PAGE 101

God uses His wisdom to confound the wise, parables to test knowledge of our insight and discernment to differentiate between all the above.  Here is an amazing scripture that discusses this:

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,

But to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;

The intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

Where is the wise person?

Where is the teacher of the law?

Where is the philosopher of this age?”

Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

For since in the wisdom of God the world 

through its wisdom did not know him,

God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached

To save those who believe.

Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 

But we preach Christ crucified:

a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,

but to those whom God has called,

both Jews and Greeks,

Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,

And the weakness of God is stronger

Than human strength.

Brothers and sisters,

Think of what you were when you were called.  

Not many of you were wise by human standards;

Not many were influential;

Not many were of noble birth.

But God chose the foolish things of the world 

To shame the wise;

God chose the weak things of the world

To shame the strong.

God chose the lowly things of this world 

And the despised things—

And the things that are not—

To nullify the things that are,

So that no one may boast before him.  

1 Corinthians 1: 18-29

This scripture points to exactly why some people miss out on the saving grace of the cross.  To use human understanding to seek out an invisible God is, as the above scripture says, a stumbling block.  Some folks can’t get through the natural barriers of earth-bound knowledge and move into the spiritual. Here is a pretty blunt scripture that states why that is:

“For you know that you were not redeemed

from your useless (spiritually unproductive) way of life

Inherited (by tradition) from your forefathers

With perishable things like silver and gold,

1 Peter 1:18

Family beliefs and traditions from our forefathers can be a stumbling block to finding the one true God.  Indeed, the wisdom of this world says that Christianity is foolishness; scientists of this world say “prove it” and the philosophers of this world say it is nonsense.  But for those who have been saved it is the Power and wisdom of God.  

“But the natural (unbelieving) man

Does not accept the things
(the teachings and revelations)

Of the Spirit of God,

For they are foolishness to him;

And he is incapable of understanding them

Because they are spiritually discerned.”

1 Corinthians 2:14

“Whoever is (spiritually) wise,

Let him understand these things;

Whoever is (spiritually) discerning and understanding,

Let him know them.

For the ways of the Lord are right,

and the righteous will walk in them,

But transgressors will stumble and fall in them.”

Hosea 14:9

Song Recommendation:

Til the End of Time

By: Cody Carnes 

Featuring Kari Jobe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zvNWCb7JEA