July 8, 2010

Joshua 10

Every once in a while I get an old e-mail hoax forwarded to me. It usually has something to do with how NASA scientists have mathematically proven that there is a day missing in time. The e-mail usually associates the day with Joshua’s battle where the Sun stood still and with Isaiah”s miracle of the sun going backward. Without being a scientist, I know that NASA scientists could not have mathematically proven this. But I won’t bore you with the details. Although, it is interesting to consider how this miracle could possibly have taken place. After all, the laws of motion seem to indicate that if the Lord all-of-a-sudden stopped the earth, then everything not attached to the surface would have kept traveling and, relatively speaking, have been hurled eastward and perhaps off of the planet. There have been a few suggestions as to how the Lord may have arranged this mechanically without devastating the earth with massive tidal waves. Personally, while I find this interesting, I ultimately don’t care. After all, if my God is big enough to speak the universe into existence with all of its galactic and planetary motions, then He is able to stop the rotation of one little planet for one day and start it again and control all the laws of motion without doing harm to it. I mean, that is the point, isn’t it? He is after all, God. Do I have to be able to analyze it to believe it? I don’t think so. Sometimes we just need to let God be God, rather than trying to analyze everything.

In his book Life on the Mississippi, Mark Twain compares and contrasts two views of the river. One view is when he was a boy, and the river just awed him on a daily basis. The other view is after he had become a river boat pilot. He had so analyzed the river and knew it so well that it no longer held any wonder for him. Do I sometimes I approach the glory of my Lord in the same way? Do I have to use my western analytical mind so much that I cease to be truly awed by His glory? Can I not just sit back and be awed by the God of the Universe, who will enter time and space and reorder it, if need be, just to provide for my need and glorify Himself? Granted, making the sun stand still is probably a once-in-a-creation event, but still it causes me to reflect that our Lord is able to reorder all the daily events combining His sovereign design with the billions of free will decisions of His creatures in order to reveal His glory. From time to time He enters time and space and does something to order those events so that I know He did it. Wow! Now there is something that I just have to let awe me! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor john

Acts 15:22-41

It feels like dissension could never bring glory to Jesus. And it is probably true that Jesus prefers that His glory be increased through routes other than dissension. But, even people who are normally Spirit-filled sometimes miss the mark and sin. The dissension at Antioch brought the landmark decision from the "home" church in Jerusalem. James writing for the majority (actually among the apostles it was probably unanimous) phrased it as, "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us." Dissension led to a unanimous decision, which led to a blessing upon the Gentile church.

The dissension now healed, Paul and Barnabas return their attention on planting churches among the Gentiles. Woops, dissension arises again. Barnabas wants to take his nephew John Mark with them again. Paul is dead set against it. After all John Mark had revealed that he didn't have what it takes in Perga of Pamphylia--he deserted them and went home. Barnabas ever the 'Son of Encouragement' insists John Mark has repented and is ready for the task. The dissension is too strong. Barnabas departs to go a different direction with John Mark and Paul chooses Silas who accompanied them from the Jerusalem Council. How can this dissension glorify Jesus? In the long run, there are now two missionary teams instead of one and John Mark is restored. At the end of Paul's life he requests the ministry of John Mark.

Did the dissension bring glory to the Lord? What came out of the dissension brought glory to the Lord. That is just like our Lord. He takes what we make bad and if we trust Him, He will bring glory to Himself. Indeed, we serve a glorious king! Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor John