You Have a Creator – Lessons in Genesis, part 1

Thankfully, when I swung my legs out of bed this morning they touched solid ground, and when I turned on the bathroom faucet water came out. When I let the dogs out, the moon and stars were still shining in the night sky. Susie walked out of the bedroom, kissed me, and joined me for a first cup of coffee and reading the Bible while the sun was giving the night the boot.

Solid ground, water, animals, night and day, sun, moon, and stars, Susie – all of them are because of God. All of them are creations of God, have their beginning and existence in the mind and power of God. Every day is full of reminders that our entire existence and being, our senses and all we perceive, our bodies and minds, are not the product of random chance, but rather the work of God.

• “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” Genesis 1:1 (NASB). Those are the first important truths God wants everyone to know. The universe finds its existence in Him, the singular, eternal, living, self-existent, almighty, personal Creator God. He is the only reason you and I exist, have life and breath, have today. Our lives come from God, we are His creations. Knowing this should cause us to acknowledge and honor Him.

• “The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters” Genesis 1:2 (NASB). God is responsible for the order in the universe and on earth. He is the source of matter, nature (its laws, variety, and beauty), and life. Without the Spirit of God, there is no escaping darkness, formlessness, emptiness, and chaos. Our lives depend on God, the activity of the Spirit of God, apart from Him we return to chaos. Knowing this should cause us to seek Him and thank Him.

•  “Then God said, “Let there be light … firmament … sea and land … vegetation … sun, moon and stars … birds and creatures of the sea, … animals on land … men and women formed in my image”  – “… and it was so” Genesis 1:3-27. A word, just a few words spoken by God is responsible for all the galaxies, every star, and our planet. Just a word from God formed the land we live on, the seas, the sky, and the cycles and seasons. Just a word uttered by God brought to life every living thing, including us, on the face of the earth. That is power we cannot imagine; God was not taxed in creating the heavens and the earth. Knowing this should cause us to fear and worship God, taking every word of God seriously.

• “… God saw that it was good.” … “God saw all that he had made, and behold, it was very good” Genesis 1:4,10,12,18,21,25,31 (NASB). God has a lot of critics, the devil being first in line, but all of creation testifies not only to the existence and power of God but also to His wisdom and goodness. God has far more exacting standards than you and me (another thing His critics don’t like). The truth is He knows more about what is good, how to make things good, and how to be good through and through than anyone of us. Knowing this should cause us to trust God and order our lives according to what He calls good.

After acknowledging the truths about God, the Creator, Genesis chapter one teaches us, the most obvious questions to ask ourselves are, “Where do stand regarding my Creator? Critic or subject?” “What is my relationship with my creator? Adversary or worshipper?” “Do I trust in the wisdom, order, and goodness of God? Rebel or believer?”

Life, goodness, and eternity are in the Creator’s hands, that’s why putting our lives in our Creator’s hands is the best and wisest thing we will ever do.

            To God be all glory. Love you, Pastor Hans

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Revelation – Speculation – Preparation, part 3, The Value of Being Prepared

Revelation – Speculation – Preparation

I can testify, there was life before cell phones, and it wasn’t as terrifying and terrible as that might sound to some. Living in those pre-cellular, Neanderthalic times was different, you had to do more than make sure your phone is charged so you can google solutions or call for help, you had to be prepared. For example, living an hour from the nearest town, I learned the importance of being prepared for possible car emergencies, which involved three basic things.

• Checking. Checking the oil and other fluid levels regularly. Checking the tire pressure, especially in your spare tire because, FYI, a spare is worthless without air in it. You only need to have a flat and a flat spare once halfway home in the middle of the night to learn that lesson.

• Fueling. You made sure had at least half a tank of gas before the Don Pedro Market closed, enough to make it to town and back. You only needed to run out of gas once halfway home … to learn that lesson.

• Emergency supplies. A can of oil, a spare engine belt, a container of water, baling wire and duct tape, some basic tools, points and a matchbook for any car without electronic ignition, fuses, a working flashlight (which meant you added it to your check regularly list), jumper cables, car jack and lug nut wrench, toilet paper, a blanket, first aid stuff, and some drinking water. All of these got stored under the seat, in the glove compartment, and an empty cardboard box in the trunk. You only needed to have an emergency once halfway … to appreciate the value of having these items on board.

Also, without a smartphone, OnStar, or some other satellite emergency communication, you remembered to pray a lot sooner, because that has been the one sure connection since the dawn of mankind.

Jesus, preparing His disciples for both His absence and difficult things to come kept telling them, “Look to yourselves,” “Watch out,” “Be on your guard,” “Anticipate,” and “Stay alert, awake, and vigilant” (Mark 13:5, 9, 33, 35, 37). He knew they and we would face the challenges of being misled, being wronged and persecuted, and facing difficult and terrible times. All of these are easier to navigate and endure if we are prepared and vigilant.

I’ve lost count of how many times I was able to help someone who was broken down on the road somewhere halfway between … and home (although not always in the middle of the night). The same has been true in other ways. It is a lot easier to care for someone else when your own tank isn’t empty, to help someone when you have some emergency supplies (the Good Samaritan comes to mind, Luke 10), and you have paid attention to your own maintenance, especially your spiritual maintenance, your heart, mind, attitude, habits, and relationship with God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

There is a big difference between “I think I have enough gas to make it to town,” and “I know I have enough gas to make it to town because I filled the tank before I came home for dinner.” Speculation generally isn’t very helpful but preparation is, Jesus certainly thinks so.

Be prepared, it brings God glory. Love you, Pastor Hans

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9-11-2001 A Reflection on Evil

9/11/2001 – A Reflection – Faces of Evil

Evil has many faces, but they are not always easy to spot. Nineteen men had volunteered themselves to execute a plan to highjack four commercial planes filled with passengers and fly them into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and possibly the White House. They had their passports checked, were looked at by security, airline personnel, and people who boarded the planes with them, none of whom thought they were looking into faces of evil.

Much later, after they had carried out their evil attack that killed almost 3,000 unsuspecting people who had done them no wrong, we saw their faces lined up in the news. Along with them we saw the faces of those who put them up to it, recruited them, forged the plan, and financed the wicked operation.

The subsequent war on terror has taken over 900,000 lives around the world, and extracted costs counted in trillions of dollars. Over the past 22 years, it has succeeded in preventing another major terrorist attack on American soil.

There are other faces of evil, who at the same time the twenty-two-year war on terror has raged have left a staggering trail of carnage. 20,000,000 aborted babies in the United States alone, opioid deaths more than quadrupled to over 80,000 a year, mass shootings have become the order of the day, and … None of these happen without someone perpetrating the evil, someone with a face, maybe even a smile.

Evil, more often than not, creates evil, and at the very least tempts us to evil ourselves, to strike back in kind, to normalize it, even justify it. It does so because evil causes pain, loss, death, frustration, injustice, anger, and hatred. Knowing this, and because none of us are completely innocent when it comes to evil, God has given us some very clear instructions when it comes to dealing with evil.

• Pray that God will help you and deliver you from evil (our own evil, the evil of others, and the Evil One), “Our Father who is in heaven … do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil, …” Matthew 6:9, 13). In the face of evil, the best and first thing to do is to seek God’s help, not revenge.  “O LORD, rescue me from evil people. Protect me from those who are violent, those who plot evil in their hearts and stir up trouble all day long”
  Psalm 140:1-2 (NLT2).

• Do not respond in kind, it will add to the evil. “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men” Romans 12:17 (NASB). “Do not say, “I will repay evil”; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you” Proverbs 20:22 (NASB).  

• Don’t keep evil company, it will affect you, and it won’t benefit you. “Do not enter the path of the wicked and do not proceed in the way of evil men” Proverbs 4:14 (NASB). “Don’t envy evil people or desire their company” Proverbs 24:1 (NLT2).

• Draw a line in the sand when it comes to evil, doing evil, regarding all that God calls evil, “Abstain from every form of evil” 1 Thessalonians 5:22 (NASB).

• Do good, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good”
  Romans 12:21 (NASB). That sounds and feels like an oxymoron, but it is most practical. In doing good we fight the temptations evil exposes us to, and we take a stand against it. “See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people” 1 Thessalonians 5:15 (NASB).

Let’s give the Apostle Peter the final word, “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” 1 Peter 3:8-12 (ESV).

            To God be all glory. Love you, Pastor Hans

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Revelation – Speculation – Preparation, part 2, Share what’s in your pockets

If your sharing capacity depended on what’s in your pockets right now, what would be the verdict? Well, I turned my pockets inside out and laid out their contents, one pocketknife, a guitar pick, one used and one unused paper napkin, and a very corroded penny.

If I put the knife, pick, napkins, and penny back into pockets and set out into today what else could I possibly share that would bless, help, benefit others, and bring glory to God?

• Me. My presence, being present, and God’s presence within me. The Apostle Paul was rotting alone in a Roman jail cell, and pretty much everyone had checked out on him, he writes, “But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, …” (2 Timothy 4:17). He doesn’t say how Jesus strengthened him, but does note his presence, sometimes that’s the most important thing. Both Martha and Mary, grieving the death of their brother Lazarus, said to Jesus, who came to see them after the funeral, “Lord, if you had been here, …” (John 11:21, 32). Few things I can share are more valuable than my time and presence.

• Faith, Hope, and Love. When it comes to the Christian treasure chest, my spiritual pockets, these three are abundant and eternally valuable. According to 1 Corinthians 13:13, they are also marks of true spiritual maturity. I might not be the most gifted person, but I have equal access to faith, hope, and love. Those three words are far more than just spiritual jargon, they are immensely practical and are meant to be shared. My faith, hope in Jesus, and my knowledge and experience of God’s love are the bedrock of my life, the source of my peace, joy, and confident outlook when it comes to the future. I might run out of money but I get to start each new day with my pockets full of faith, hope, and love. They are meant to be shared, they lift people’s spirits, encourage their hearts, make a difference in any setting. We don’t know how long and how deeply the man had been discouraged, most likely since he lost the use of his legs. His good fortune was that he had some friends who had faith in Jesus. One day, they picked up on his stretcher and carried him to Jesus’ house. Unable to get in, they found the backstairs to the roof, dug a hole in the roof, and lowered him down right in front of Jesus. The Bible records, “And Jesus seeing their faith …” (Mark 2:5), not the paralytic’s faith, but his friends’ faith. It is a life-giving thing when you feel like you’ve run out of faith, hope, love, or all three, and someone shares, gives you some of theirs.

• Some more things I can share that I found in my “pocket” this morning: Prayer, God’s word and promises, Holy Spirit power, encouraging words, praises, thanksgivings, patience, goodness, kindness, and truth. And that’s just my left pocket, I haven’t even checked the others.

Not a week goes by I don’t hear a Christian brother (sometimes myself) or sister talk about how bad things are getting and that surely Jesus will have to come back soon. He might, but if He waits, that’s actually very good news for the billions (think about that, billions!) of people who are lost, not saved, heading straight for the judgment of God and eternal hell, “The Lord is not slow about His promise to return, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” 2 Peter 3:9 (NASB, italics mine). However, regardless of when Jesus will return, He expects all believers to make a kingdom difference now. The only way we can do that is by being Holy Spirit-filled, godly, Gospel-sharing, kingdom-building, sold-out, followers of Jesus who continually share all God daily puts in our pockets. We must warn the world not to be caught with their pants down when Jesus returns, but we must be equally diligent not to be caught with our pockets full.

      To God be all glory. Love you, Pastor Hans

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