Ch6 – Identity/Construction worker Peter

So I am still struggling to see where Dowd stands, theologically. He is an ordained minister under the United Church of Christ, yet makes comments such as this:

“The ancients could not have known these facts, nor could Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, Confucius, or the Buddha. Indeed, had any such prophet been capable of discerning this understanding…”

Before I worry about Dowd’s understanding that Jesus knew Himself to be God, something more apparent distracts me. He lumps Jesus with other prophets and some idols.

I can’t comprehend how a minister could make this careless mistake. Granted, construction worker Peter did it at the transfiguration, but we should learn from Jesus’ rebuke right?

Jesus, be so alive in me that there is no mistake to those around me as to Who I worship. I love, adore, and boldly live for You because You died for me. -Amen

Bad Hair Cut

So I went to get a hair cut today (not the one in the photo). When she was through, the barber asked me what I thought. My hair was wet and, therefore, long.  I mistakingly asked her to cut the front shorter. When she was about %75 done, she informed me that my bangs will shrink as they dry.

When my hair dried, it was obviously too short.

I thought, now why couldn’t you have told me that as soon as I suggested it. Then I realized; I do the same thing with God…

For example, I pray, “Lord, give me this, this, this and that in my wife.” Instead, my prayer should be, “Lord, what do You see in my wife? How do you see her acting? How will we glorify you?” When He answers these prayers, my wife will be much better than my utmost dreams…because that is simply the God we serve. Isaiah 55:9

Jesus, thank You for pointing out my foolish attitude when it comes to my dreams and aspirations. You truly are a God who is much bigger than me. I ask that You continue to reveal Yourself to me. That You would draw close to me as I pursue You. -Amen

Supernova: Life through Death

So I was watching national geographic’s Hubble’s Amazing Universe, and watched an astonishing fact. All the elements necessary for life: oxygen, carbon dioxide, calcium, iron, etc; are all created during a Supernova.

A supernova is when a very large star (larger than our sun. Our sun will create a nova) runs out of fuel to survive. When this happens, the pressure created from the fussion created from the core is overwhelmed by the gravity of the core itself. The stare then collapses on itself until it explodes.

The red strands inside the supernova shown above are these life elements being created.

So the fact is this: When a star dies, it creates the crucial elements necessary for life.

And the Gospel is this: When the Light of the world John 8:12 died to pay the penalty of sin that we owed to God 1 Peter 1:17-21, we received abundant life in Christ John 10:10.

Jesus, thank you so much that creation screams Your gospel! You are amazing and only in You do we live, move, and have our being. -Amen

Look at me when you talk!

Guys, we have a huge problem with this. Although I could consider it more a habit than a problem. Point is, we never look at each other when we talk (Ladies, I apologize). This is hilarious to watch though. Next time you are in public, watch the difference in guy’s and girl’s conversation habits. Girls will overly try to make eye contact while guys look at anything except the recipient of their discussion (think about when guys talk while watching a football game).

But is this just a habit that can be excused?

This phrase, “intently looking”, kept jumping out to me as I read through Acts today. So what can we learn from looking with intent?

1) Acts 13:8-10 Isolating the Gospel

Making crooked a straight path. Just want to bring it to your attention what this looks like. Imagine taking a rubber band and breaking it. Then you tack it loosely into a straight line on a table. Next you began to pull a section to the right and tacked it down. Then you tacked a different section off to the left. Now your loose and straight line is a tight zig zag. If an ant was walking on this rubber band, you have essentially added to the distance he would have to travel. We have done the same thing with the Gospel.

Today, many, “gospels” are being preached. These include health, wealth, and prosperity to name a few. Often times as disciples, we add to the Gospel that brought us Salvation. The most common way we do this is by adding and removing laws and freedoms. However, the magician straight up opposed Paul and Barnabas. We may think of this as extreme, but I don’t think we realize how much we oppose the Gospel through our lives and actions. This wasn’t more real to me than when I began to form close relationships with unrepentant sinners.

But Paul’s, and our, answer to this is looking with intent and proclaiming Truth.

2) Acts 14:8-10 Showing the Gospel

Folks, we serve a practical God! This is amazing. People were hungry, so Jesus fed them. People were blind, deaf, lame, mute, and dead; and Jesus healed them. People were possessed by demons, and Jesus freed them. Jesus took care of the physical, often times to show the spiritual. Paul follows his Savior in this section. A man that was deformed from birth was healed in an instant…and his immediate actions were what followed.

(Paul and Barnabas later on in this chapter resorted back to point 1 when the crowds made crooked the Straight Path.)

3) Acts 23:1-3 Proclaiming the Gospel

This is a bold and interesting statement. Do you see the irony in it? Paul says his life to this day. If you don’t remember, go back to Acts 8 where Paul (Saul) ravages and murders men and women. How can he say, “to this day” with that kind of past? The answer is this: Jesus saves.

Look with intent to Jesus! James 1:22-25

So I read the first part of this passage and was disheartened because I thought it completely contradicted the above three passages. But then I read verse 25. Wow. This passage is reconciled in this; your eyes lead your heart. Isaiah 8 19-22

When we look to the creation instead of Creator (spouse, children, coworkers, boss, pastor, president, nature, self), we are doomed to destruction and dispair…even if we look with intent.

But when we look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith Hebrews 12:1-2, who fulfilled the law Matthew 5:17, and doesn’t lose His children John 17:12; we become not seeing and forgetful, but rather acting and mindful.

Jesus, I smile as I pray this. Thank you so much for dying in our place on the cross and living in our place before the throne. Live through us so that we become doers of your word. Help us as we turn from sin and repent. Let us not look to the shiny idols of this world. But instead, let us look at the brilliant radiance of your face. Let us seek you for relationship instead of blessing and for Salvation instead of fire insurance. We love you because you first loved us. -Amen

Ch. 3 – [U]niverse

So in chapter 3, Dowd begins to coallesce the existance of a, “god” and the Universe. He attributes this divine presence not to the God of Israel, but the Universe as a creative being.

According to Dowd, the Universe strives to create a greater intamacy with itself. He illustrates this point by stating that when the first eye evolved, it was the Universe looking back at itself.

To begin with, this is idolatry. Dowd claims that good (the eye) and bad (catastrophe) things happen to people and nature so that the Universe can grow greater in all aspects.

However, we know that all things work together for the glory of God! Not His creation. And also, “all things were created through him and for him.” Col 1:16

Dowd also explains how religion arose out of the evolution of the Universe to give humans answers to questions when they looked up at the stars, thus edifying the Universe all the more. He claims that, “Different religions are like different flowers. Each one has its own special fragrance and beauty.”

I claim that there are many different nice looking and smelling flowers, but only one gives Life. There are also fragrances that are repulsive to the one true God.

But there is hope!

“…looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Heb. 12:2

Dowd states:

“As it turns out, every evolutionary advance and every creative breakthrough in the history of the Universe, as best as we can tell, was preceded by some difficulty, often of great severity.” (52)

Praise God! Dowd can see the gospel, even if he cannot acknowledge it yet.

Romans proclaims:

“For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly percieved, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” 1:20

Jesus, thank you that we ask questions. You asked questions to the Father, your diciples asked questions to You, and we often question the Holy Spirit today. Thank you for Michael Dowd and his passion for truth and discovery. I ask that you reveal Truth to him as he gazes at your creation. Help us not to worship creation, but the Creator. I love You because You first loved me. – Amen

Isaiah 5 – Vineyard

Isaiah 5

The vineyard is destroyed because the keeper ignored it.

v. 7b “…he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed;

for righteousness,

but behold, an outcry.”

–>

Mark 12: 1-12

God looks for justice within His people and sees bloodshed. He looks for righteousness, but hears the outcry. I believe He hears two:

1) “It is finished” (John 19:30)

2) “This is the day that the Lord has made;let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Ps. 118: 24….the verse following the one referenced in Mark 12)

—>

John 15: 1-17

Jesus is not only the Son and Sacrifice, but also the Vine itself; and our identity is found in our connection with Him! This is truly glorious news!

“...he prunes that it may bear more fruit…By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” (15: 2 & 8 )

How great is this! Through Jesus and the cross, God cuts away from our lives so that we can bring Him more glory! This is an easy truth to be sad about. After all, God is taking away from us. But it is what He replaces it with that is so vital.

He removes lust, replacing it with relationship.

He removes adesire for drunkenness, replacing it with a desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

He removes our sin and guilt, replacing it with hope and confidence in Jesus through the cross.

Jesus, thank you for the cross and the salvation you bring. God, look on your broken people and see the bloodshed at the cross and the outcry of your Son. Thank you for continually working on us, bringing further glory to your Name. -Amen

Introduction – Credability

So in deciding whether or not to purchase this book, I tried to decide the credibility of the author in the book store.

I read, “This book is dedicated to the glory of God” on the title page and said, okay sounds good. I then read of how the author was born again and baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. Growing up with a pentecostal background, I thought, okay this guy checks out.

After the Introduction, I have already thrown this man’s credibility out the window.

1) Although a professing “christian”, in discussing the marriage of science and faith, Dowd discusses how his wife is an Atheist. What! You married an Atheist? Do you even know Who marriage points to? p. 3

2) Dowd sealed his discreditably when he made the comment that,

“There is, of course, no one right way to express our relationship to Ultimate Reality.” p.15

Ummm…Jesus!?

So I am now reading this book for the facts it presents along with the alternate worldviews offered by Dowd and other respected scientist and theologians.

If Jesus is Truth, then He cannot be made false. I stand on this conviction.

Jesus, give me patience and endurance as I read this book. Paul was indwelt with the culture around him. Let me be the same. But let me be indwelt, like Paul, not to embrace a sinful culture or belief, but to embrace You from within the culture. God, be a Light in the darkness around me I pray. Thank you for Your sacrifice of the cross and remind me of it daily. – Amen

Isaiah 1 – Marriage

Isaiah 1:21

^“How the faithful city
has become a whore,
she who was full of justice!
Righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers. “

Scripture is not a fairytale.

I love the boldness and clarity of God’s word.

Jesus, forgive us, your people, for replacing you with idols in our culture. Lord, help us as we repent of our sin and turn to you as our only Hope and Salvation. -Amen