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There is only one God, and he is eternal!
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In good times and bad times, trust your Creator ✝️
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You are here for a reason!
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I wanted to do something a little different for today's blog. I came across an article in Forbes that really caught my attention:
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Morris, Andréa
“Evolution may be purposeful and it's freaking scientists out.” Forbes, forbes.com.
17 June, 2024
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Here are the main points of the article:
• Evolution through random gene mutations, though accepted in parts of the scientific community, has many problems
• Denis Noble, a prominent biophysicist who created the first model of a working heart in 1960, believes that the billions of dollars spent on continued gene research represents "a scientific confusion that we are our genes"
• Instead, Noble believes there is compelling evidence that purpose may be fundamental to life. In other words, the many different processes that take place within our bodies, down to the cellular level, are driven by a purposeful intent for the organism as a whole, and are not random
• Richard Dawkins, a leading proponent of gene-centrism, would argue that "[w]e are merely vessels for our genes", and that evolution exists for the purpose of the gene, not the organism that the genes make up
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What is the significance of Noble's research in this article? Well, if life processes, specifically at the cellular level, are driven by a purpose, with intention, then we must ask: why? Why would a single cell have a purpose in mind, unless, of course, it was designed that way.
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And if that is true, then it would certainly need a designer!
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So, do you believe we are a random creation, created because of random gene mutations? Do you believe we are merely a vessel for random gene mutations?
Or, do you believe what God says about you? That you are so loved, and so important, that he knew your name long before you were ever born?
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Psalm 139:13–16 (NLT):
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
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Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
- You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
- You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
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Here is the YouTube video of the interview from this article:
https://youtu.be/DT0TP_Ng4gA?si=1kvl57oI-t6teGhj
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God's promises
Tomorrow’s blog will cover evolution. For tonight, a little encouragement.
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No matter what situation you find yourself in, always trust in God.
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Depart from doing evil, be patient, and God promises to help you, and he always keeps his promises!
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Who am I?
What is my identity?
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I am a child of the living God, adopted into his family, and brother and friend of Jesus Christ!
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Use the force!
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Because God is all powerful and all knowing, he does not need to be swayed one way or the other with our prayers. When we pray, we are not trying to convince God to change his mind, or impose our will on him.
So what is prayer exactly? When we pray to God, it is a form of worship. We are acknowledging not only that God hears us, but that he is able to respond to us by answering our prayers. Importantly, he loves us enough to hold certain things back from us that will end up harming us. That is why some prayers are not answered in the way we would like.
Prayer is surrendering whatever is in need of a solution to a power much greater than us. Prayer is bowing our head in humility and saying "I need you God, I cannot do this on my own".
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The way I think of how God sees our lives is similar to a bird's eye view of a map: he is able to see the entire timeline of our lives, from beginning to end.
For example, he sees us as a baby, and as an old adult, as well as all events in between, all at the same time. He can do this because he is outside of time: God created time in the same way he created gravity and other universal "laws", in order to give us structure and boundaries.
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So what does this have to do with prayer?
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God is able to see all events and outcomes of our lives all at once
Does that then mean that our lives are set in stone, and predestined? If so, why bother praying for anything to change?
The answer to this is free will. God certainly knows our destination and the purpose and plans he has for our lives, but he gives us free will to navigate.
For example, if I want to drive to California from Connecticut, there are many ways that I can get there, some better than others. But in the end, I still end up in California.
Prayer works in much the same way.
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Remember, God is not a genie. He does not give us everything that we ask for, but if we spend time with our Creator, and get to know him, our desires will eventually align with God's plan for us.
How do we get to know him? By listening to him.
But how?
By reading the Bible, which are his words and thoughts breathed into life and passed down through generations so that we may know the one true living God!
Psalms 34:14 NLT
Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
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If we reject evil, and pursue God instead, we will develop a close relationship with him, and by doing so, he promises that our prayers will be answered. Our prayers will have so much power that even The Force will pale in comparison!
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Bang!
Where did the universe come from? How did all of the planets and stars come into existence? Where do we come from?
These are questions that have been asked countless times by scholars, philosophers, religious leaders, scientists, and in fact, nearly everyone, since the beginning of our existence.
However, most theories that we come up with to explain the origins of the universe are just that- a theory. Many times, we are just plain wrong:
Romans 1:21–22 (KJV 1900): Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.
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The two most popular answers to the question of where everything came from are either:
1) The Big Bang (which means all matter spontaneously formed from a single event at the atomic level)
2) God
The Big Bang spontaneously forming everything from nothing with no outside influence seems illogical to me.
Since God is all powerful, all knowing, and outside of the restraint of time, he certainly can use the Big Bang to create the universe and everything in it.
But why would he go through all that trouble?
For example, if I can change a lightbulb simply by removing the covering and unscrewing the bulb, would I ever make the job more complicated by creating an entirely separate device which I would then use to unscrew the lightbulb for me?
Of course not!
Then why would God do that?
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In a passage about Jesus, the Bible says:
Colossians 1:16 (KJV 1900): For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible
God doesn't need another mechanism, or even billions of years, to create. He speaks into existence his creation. And we, you and I, are uniquely created for a divine purpose, and have a very special role in this world.
To discover your role, simply ask God to show you. He may not reveal it to you all at once, but will certainly guide you on the correct path. In the same way that we teach our children step by step, giving them more knowledge and responsibility over time, so God does with us.
You were not created as a result of a random bang in the distant universe. You are a child of God, are loved by him, and have a special purpose!
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Your past has passed!
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... So start living in the present:
Lamentations 3:22–23 (NLT): The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
23 Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
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No matter what awful or embarrassing or shameful things we did in the past, as long as we are truly sorry for them, and truly confess them before God, he will forgive us: his mercy endures with each new day.
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Have you ever upset someone? Like a friend, family member, or a spouse? Have you noticed that they will not let you forget that you have wronged them, and will give you the silent treatment as punishment, until they feel you have paid the appropriate price?
God does not do that. God is merciful, forgiving, loving, and understanding.
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But, God also has rules and sets boundaries, for our protection. When we willingly reject God's rules, there has to be consequences, because God is also just.
I remember when my kids were little and would wander too close to the road where traffic was. Did I just let them do what they wanted because I was being nice?
No!
For their own safety, and as a good parent who loves his children, I made sure that getting too close to the road had a consequence; in this case, my loud voice alerting them to stop.
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God is the same way. He wants what is best for us, and because he is omniscient, and created all things, I trust God with everything, including the boundaries he sets.
Why?
Because he loves me, and he loves you too.
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>>> Let go of the past, accept God's merciful forgiveness, and live in the present letting God lead the way.
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Call a doctor!
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.. because this world is broken:
Romans 8:22 (NKJV): For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.
When Adam disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, the curse of sin spread not only through human beings, but through all of creation: a shift took place from a perfect world of innocence, closeness to God, without death and decay, to a world of guilt, separation from God, and with death and decay.
This is important to understand because, even after all this time, we still feel the effects of sin in our daily lives.
For example, many of us expect this world to make us happy: a wife might look to her husband for happiness, the husband looks to his job for happiness, and their children look to their friends for happiness.
But they will all be let down.
Why? Because all human beings are inherently flawed; they carry the weight of sin with them, and are therefore unable to meet the demands of other people for very long:
Psalm 14:3 (NLT): But no, all have turned away;
all have become corrupt.
No one does good,
not a single one!
For a short while, people can do good deeds, treat people with respect and love, and can certainly come across as a nice person.
However, pride, selfishness, lack of patience, fear, and anger will eventually expose themselves.
So what are we to do? Is all hope lost?
No!
God, in his neverending mercy and love, made a way out of this mess through his son Jesus. By seeking out a relationship with Him, we not only are made new from the inside out, but are promised eternal life in heaven with him.
As another example of how much God loves us, even in a broken world, our Creator has promised to never abandon us! He provides for all of our needs, even as sinners, if we let him:
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Thank you!
Here is a summary of a day in the life of Joe, an average American:
Joe wakes up, gets ready for work, makes his favorite breakfast of eggs, toast and coffee, hops in his Toyota, spends his day at the office, comes home, greets his wife and kids, eats dinner, relaxes, then goes to bed.
In the morning, Joe wakes up and does it all over again, five days a week.
At first glance, the description above sounds like a scene from the movie Groundhog Day.
But, let's look a little closer. What does Joe have to be thankful for?
First, Joe has the gift of another day:
Psalm 118:24 (NKJV): This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Next, Joe has clothes for his job, and food:
Luke 12:28 (NIV): If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!
Joe also has a car, a job, a home, a family, free time to relax, and a bed in which to sleep.
In fact, Joe has much more than most people in the world: Joe is rich! Although Joe's typical day sounds like a nightmare to some of us, he has much to be thankful for, as God has truly blessed him and taken care of his needs:
Philippians 4:19 (KJV 1900): But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
What are you thankful for? How has God provided for you? Take a moment to meditate on this and give thanks to God for his mercy and goodness!
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We are family!
When I was in college, my science professor explained how the Big Bang caused something to suddenly explode and create all life as we know it, including the solar system, planets, stars, and all governing laws such as gravity, thermodynamics, and so forth.
At the time, I was also reading A Brief History of Time, as I was hungry for knowledge, specifically regarding the origins of the universe.
I remember driving down Genesee Street in Utica, NY after one of my classes. I was very deep in thought, really meditating on the Big Bang. It seemed to make sense, and was logical in its explanation, but something was missing. A question kept popping up, and I couldn't make it go away: what created the "thing" that created the Big Bang?
It was this deep meditation that caused a breakthrough which defined the rest of my life: there positively, without a doubt, has to be a god. Of this I was certain.
But it took a few more years to understand that the god who must have created everything was God, the same God of Moses, Abraham and Jacob: Jehovah. He is our father in heaven (a real place) who loves us, wants a relationship with us, and even knew us before we were born!
Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV): Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.
Isn't that amazing? The same God who, in his power and glory created the entire universe and everything in it, also created you and me for a specific, divine purpose.
But that's not all!
He also adopts us into his family, and gives us all the rights and privileges of his children:
Ephesians 1:5 (NIV): 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will
So, by believing in Jesus Christ and the resurrection, we not only get to spend eternity in heaven with our Creator, but are also adopted into his family. That is really something to meditate on ✝️
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Don't worry, be happy!
When trouble, stress, problems, or hardships come our way, it is common for us to react quickly, sometimes irrationally, and most times out of fear.
But, is that the best way to respond? Is there a better way?
God's word says that we should in fact be joyful when troubles arise. Here is what James, the brother of Jesus, has to say:
James 1:2–4 (NIV): Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
So, when things don't quite go as we had planned or expected, we should not only trust that God will use those trials to grow us and make us stronger, but we should be joyful!
This is not intuitive at first, but think about it. If a parent always protected their child from every harmful thing that came their way, the child would grow up weak, insecure, and ill-prepared for the world.
In the same way, if God prevented all "bad" things from happening to us, we would be spiritually weak, insecure, and ill-prepared for the daily spiritual battles in this world
God, as a loving father, allows certain trials and troubles for the same reason that any good parent does: we want to see our children thrive. God wants the same for us.
It is comforting to also remember that God walks with us through everything: he will never forsake nor abandon us.
So the next time you experience troubles or difficult situations, be calm, be joyful, call out to God, and know that he is with you!
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Choose your path!
Have you picked a side? What I mean is, have you decided to fully and completely choose the"good" path, or the"bad" path in your life? I realize this question comes very abruptly, and might put you on the defensive, but that's not the intent.
In the same way that a grocery store temporarily pauses operations to take inventory of their merchandise, it is important that each of us take a pause to honestly assess the inventory of life choices we have been making, and where those decisions will lead us.
Are they pointing to something harmful, or to something good?
More importantly, ask yourself if the choices you are making are pleasing to God. Ultimately, we are held accountable for everything we do, so that's a reasonable question.
The good news is, because Jesus died in our place, all the burdens of trying to be "good" have been taken away:
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2)
God does not hold our past against us, promises to walk with us in the present, and holds the future in his capable hands. I trust God, who created everything, to make better decisions than I can!
Have you chosen a side? No matter your past, if you call out to Jesus with your heart, he will answer.
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Be free!
As an American, I was brought up believing that doing things on my own, for myself, by myself, with the end goal of individual success, was the right way to live. I believed that it was the only way to freedom. After all, individualism is as American as apple pie.
However, individualism is actually a prison cell: you are confined to your own little world, with little to no input from other people, and everything you do is centered solely on yourself.
But God has a different, radical plan for us: dependency! We were made to joyfully submit to a loving, omniscient, merciful God:
Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day (Psalm 25:5)
Because of sin, we simply do not have the ability to live a fruitful life centered on the two most important commandments: 1) Love the Lord you God with all your heart, mind and soul, and 2) Love your neighbor as yourself.
Without God's grace, we are not able to do these two things all the time. But, when we become a new person through faith in Jesus, all of our thoughts and actions become focused on loving God and serving others:
Our sin nature gets replaced with our divine purpose- to love!
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