Category: theology

God made everything. He created us as open, blank canvases, each with a free will. Our very will to love or hate God is among the things He created. He also created the stars and everything in the universe, all through His Word.

Plants, animals, and even landscapes were not manufactured, they were crafted. Just as a painter expresses emotion on the canvas, so does God continue to weave His thoughts, personality traits, and emotions into Creation. In many ways, though not all, we can learn about God’s nature by looking at the nature He crafted. For the rest, we must study His Word.

The intricate, fine artistry throughout Creation—from the galactic level to the microscopic—all reflects God’s handiwork. The identifiable yet unique properties of species also show His artistry. No two leaves in all of history are ever identical, yet we can clearly identify a tree by its leaves. Leaves grow today, then whither; God continues crafting, so can we.

We as God’s Image reflect His nature as the great Craftsman. We find Creation to be beautiful because in Creation we find an archetype of ourselves on some level. By looking at Creation, we read messages of love and hope from a Creative Craftsman God who is very present even when we cannot feel Him.

Few things are as inspiring for our own innovation as Creation. God is the source of all innovation and diligent craft. Inspiration is one reason some people enjoy individual sports like motorcycle riding, light aircraft piloting, sailing, surfing, skiing, wake boarding, skate boarding, show boarding, hunting, fishing, running, hiking, and golf. Harnessing the forces of nature while enjoying nature on a grand scale inspires us.

Craftsmanship originated with our Creator. By having any craft of our own, we understand more about God because craftsmanship is the mastery of yet one more attribute of God reflected in our own immutable character. By understanding nature through the Bible’s explanation of God, and by understanding God through His own craftsmanship, we gain the best insight as good craftsmen ourselves. Even mundane diligence in craftsmanship helps us to touch His heart.

Among God’s many fitting titles, He is our Master Craftsman.

Proverbs 3:19-20, John 1:1-3, Ephesians 2:10

The Bible is much easier to accept when we understand it as a guide. It is not a book to read once and then leave on the shelf. It must be read daily with the intention of it providing some kind of guidance in your life.

Half-hardheartedness is not among the instructions for proper, effective Bible study.

Many so-called “experts” try to discredit the Bible without examining its main strength, which is guidance for those seeking guidance. To discredit the Bible, one would need to read it daily, believe it is the paramount authority on every ethical topic, study the Bible more whenever life doesn’t make sense, obey the Bible with a whole heart, not harbor a hidden agenda of doing a half-done job of anything—including so as to “discredit” the Bible—, yet live an unsatisfactory life of seventy years. But, such are not the arguments of Bible critics. Bible critics complain about other things, not the Bible as a moral guide.

If the Bible can prove itself as your moral guide, that’s great for your life. It can then help you help others. But, don’t misunderstand what it means for the Bible to be your guide.

Memorizing chapter-verse reference does little good. Writers in the Bible refer to other parts of the Bible, not by citing chapter and verse, but by partially quoting from the passage they refer to. When Jesus said, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?” he was not asking the Father a question; he was citing Psalm 22 which begins with that sentence. He referred to the entire psalm through verse 31, ending with, “they will proclaim his righteousness to people yet unborn that he has done it,” then Jesus said, “It is done,” and died.

When you use the Bible as your guide, don’t make it “Bible-ish”. Don’t come across like a Bible-thumper and don’t pepper your friends with chapters and verses. Simply understand the teaching in the Bible, rephrase it as fitting without twisting it, and share its wisdom among your family, friends, and colleagues.

When you quote the Bible, make sure no one knows you are quoting from it unless they read it themselves.

Psalm 22; 119:105

As the Sustainer of Creation, God also provides for our needs. As part of providing for our needs, He gave us moral laws to live by. He gives us whatever we need—even many of our wants—all in a way designed to cooperate with our obedience to His moral laws.

Don’t divorce God’s provision of supply, food, and shelter from His instruction on how to find, enjoy, and even multiply what He provides.

Jesus’s command to love our neighbors as we also love ourselves was part of His provision.

You may need something, your neighbor has what you need, but you may never know unless you pay attention and find out what your neighbor needs.

Jesus may expect you to go to your neighbor’s house, knock on the door, explain that you are obeying the “golden rule” (no need to seem overly ‘Bible-ish’), and ask to communicate as friendly neighbors. After years of friendship, your neighbor might suddenly remember something in the cellar that is the very keystone you have been looking for to complete your work.

God’s gifts are well disguised, discoverable only by those who obey Him.

The need to survive another day isn’t that different from the need to meet a challenge. If you struggle to get through each day, perhaps you should set your eyes on a greater goal God might have for you. God not only meets our needs every day, He exceeds them every day. We just don’t always see it.

God does, indeed, provide all of our needs, including the instructions on how to receive His provision. But, when we act like we already understand more than the Creator who existed decillions of years before we were born, we might never recognize what He provides, even though it is right under our noses.

Jewel weed is a natural counter-agent for poison ivy’s oil and they usually grow within a few feet of each other. Many weeds that gardeners kill in their lawns are actually among the most nourishing vegetation on Earth. God reveals Himself through Creation, do you listen?

We can’t see what God gives us without learning how. So, our greatest need He meets is Scripture.

Genesis 22:8, Leviticus 26:46, Deuteronomy 31:26, Job 38:41, Psalm 65; 78:5-8; 145:16; 147:8-9, Matthew 4:4; 6:25-34, Luke 12:22-34, Philippians 4:19, 1 Peter 5:7

We cannot derive our morals from our comforts or definitions. They easily sneaks up on us, our own self-made morals.

The Pharisees of Jesus’s day had legitimate fear that God would punish them. Israel had already been punished because they didn’t care for the wisdom of the Old Testament laws, morals, and teaching, particularly about the Sabbath.

But, rather than loving the Spirit of the Mosaic Law, they took the approach of building “fence laws”. By following these extra, man-made lists of rules—so they thought—they would never come close to breaking God’s Laws. These were the rules they often debated with Jesus.

But, “fence laws” have one problem: God doesn’t need help. Perfection cannot be improved upon. Don’t “improve” Heaven’s morals.

As important as speed limits are, never craft any moral formula where speed limits on the highway end equate to “Biblical morals” on the other. Don’t let secular government define your moral code. God’s commands rotate on an axis of their own and, however useful, no government is in full alignment with the God-given morals that shape your Eternity.

Things by which God will judge each of us are laid out in the moral code He gave, the morals that came from above. Human rules aren’t always bad, but they can’t best God. If you can’t find a clear argument for a moral value in the Bible then at least tell yourself that it is a moral from humankind; don’t put that on God.

“Mess up” your thinking so that you take your P’s and Q’s from the Bible above all.

When you set your watch to Heaven’s rhythm, people around you won’t understand you anymore. Realigning yourself to their confused worldview won’t help them.

Stick to your guns, stay at your post, keep your watch. Stand.

Continue to inject yourself with a worldview that no human could have thought up. You’ll see the results in your life.

When people argue with you, brush it off, be friendly, and keep doing what you know is right. In time, your results will captivate and inspire others to join you. Nothing is as persuasive as loud results from morals far above our creative imaginations.

Joshua 1:7; 23:6, Proverbs 4:27, Romans 12:1-2

Since the Beginning, God has always been the Great Redeemer.

Adam and Eve were tempted by the Serpent—the rebellious angel, Satan, also known as the Dragon. When they ate the forbidden fruit, the very next event in the story was the sound of the Lord walking in the Garden of Eden. God was right there to deal with their situation and help them through the mess they made.

Through the Flood and Noah’s Ark, God saved all Humanity from the disaster caused by rebellious angels and wicked Men. God saved us again from an evil, worldwide empire when Babylon united in rebellion and God changed our languages. He brought Abraham out of the Chaldeans, then sent him to rescue Lot. He was with Jacob to save his relationship with his brother Esau, guided Israel to Egypt, then delivered Israel through Moses. He redeemed Ruth who became the great grandmother of King David. God protected Israel through judges, kings, and counselors in Babylon like Esther, Daniel, and Nehemiah. In the New Testament, God saved all of humanity through Jesus Christ.

In the End, humanity will judge and condemn the rebellious angels at the Great White Throne Judgment. This means that humans—before we were made—were always part of God’s plan to eradicate evil, not only from Earth, but from Heaven as well.

Whenever God saves people from a dark situation, He could just throw them away, but he doesn’t.

At the Flood, God did not merely punish evil—He redeemed humanity.

God brings people out of darkness and despair. He doesn’t leave us there and He doesn’t merely punish us for getting ourselves there. He rescues and restores us to a place of strength and importance.

We are and always have been treasured by God.

When we end up in dire straits—almost always from our own idiocy—God helps us, in a sense “salvaging” us, masterfully exploiting our trouble to refine and perfect us.

It is no oxymoronic mystery that God would save us. His redemption is amazing, undeserved, and unfathomable—but God does not contradict logic in redeeming us; logic dictates that His choice to redeem us demonstrates our value to Him.

Genesis 3:8, Deuteronomy 7:8, Job 19:25, Psalm 78:35, Isaiah 47:4, Zechariah 10:8, Luke 21:28, Ephesians 1:7, 1 Peter 1:18-19

About 600 BC, the Babylonian empire took Israel into captivity. God allowed this because Israel kept disobeying the Law He gave through Moses. That Mosaic Law had temple and sacrificial laws for spiritual strength, basic moral laws for a happy society, and other general government laws to help Israel survive in a world without soap.

(God did not teach Israel sciences, such as how to make soap, because we humans must learn science on our own. The fallen angels taught sciences before the Flood, which only empowered murder and made Earth such a terrible place to live that we could not imagine it today.)

One of these laws was the Sabbath. It comes up frequently throughout the Bible. In the Old Testament, Israel often ignored it. In the New Testament, Israel enforced it too much…

…because of the rabbinic “fence laws”.

We don’t know God’s good reason for being so serious about the Sabbath in the Old Testament. It does prevent an oppressive, slave society.  Any dictator could easily slaughter Christians since he knows when and where they go every week. God could have some spectacular event planned to save Christians one day, yet it might only help Christians who rest on Saturday and plan to work on Sunday. That said, we only know that the Sabbath is important to God, that we remember the correct day, and have any one day of rest for ourselves.

Israel obeyed none of this.

By Jesus’s day, not wanting to repeat Babylonian captivity, Jewish rabbis had created extra laws—not from Moses—as a “fence” to keep far away from possibly breaking any Mosaic law. They behaved as if these were equally important to Moses’s Law, but God cared nothing for their “fence laws”.

Many of Jesus’s arguments with the Pharisees were about their fence laws.

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says multiple times, “You have been told…” which reference these fence laws.

Jesus blatantly ignored these fence laws, especially about the Sabbath. Fence laws made it nearly impossible to do anything on the Sabbath, including heal people through miracles!

Jesus’s life teaches us many things, including the priority of Heaven’s morals over our own made-up rules.

Nehemiah 13:15-22, Ezekiel 20:10-13, Matthew 5:17-22, 27, 31, 33, 38, 43; 12:1-8, Mark 8:11-13, Luke 11:37-54, Romans 14:1-12, 1 Corinthians 8:1-13