Spiritual Reality

2 Corinthians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Well, there will be no time to write a Lunch-Time thought today, so I will write a coffee-break thought! Actually, I have the privilege of preaching at Northstar's chapel today, which for some reason is one of the hardest venues wherein I have had to preach.

The topic of the message for NCA today is trying to establish a biblical reality as opposed to the reality that is presented to people today. My opening illustration has to do with "Reality TV" and how that is not reality at all, yet so many people in our society think that TV is what real life is supposed to be like.

Isaiah 6 is my text, and the first four verses have to do with God seated on His throne, and the seraphims and all of this spiritual activity going on. The point there is that there really is a spiritual world, and that according to 2 Corinthians 4:18, the spiritual world is more real, or more important, at least, than the physical world.

Then there's God... Holy, Holy, Holy, the LORD of hosts! The whole earth is full of His glory! If we could live our lives daily with that perception, recognizing the Holiness of the Lord, seeing His glory in the whole of the earth, what a difference that would have on our day and on our Christian walk.

Just a thought...

Get a Job

Proverbs 24:27 Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.

Help me out with the application of this verse. It seems to me that God is saying for the man to get his work established, make it "fit for thyself" ("thyself" is singular, fit just for him), and then once it has been established, he goes and builds his house.

Sounds like the single man that is looking to build his home ought to establish his career first. He ought to work on being able to support himself before he considers getting married and having children, building his house.

I think the problem is that our society doesn't have our kids building their careers until after high school, or even not until after college. I think it would be better to start working with our boys on their careers when they are young - 11? 12? 13? Start getting them established in the career that they want to do. They, of course, will listen to your guidance in picking a career, since you've trained them right since birth!

It seems to me that the best career in the world would be one in which you could devote your time to the study of God's word and to prayer (of course, not to the neglect of the rest of life, but simply being compensated with carnal things for the spiritual ministry. See Rom. 15:27). All Christians should know how to study the Bible, how to evangelize, etc., so that should be a part of all of their educations!

Anyway, just a thought...

The Whole Earth

Isaiah 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

The scene in Isaiah 6 is the temple of God. (A side thought: Since when was there a throne in the temple? Is that one of the differences between the OT Temple and the Heavenly? Or, is the mercy seat God's throne? Any thoughts?) Isaiah hears a seraphim cry unto another, and we all are very familiar with the "Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts," but how much do we think about the last phrase, "The whole earth is full of his glory"?

I thought on that verse for a little while and realized that I do not see God's glory in the whole earth. That is, I do not see the glory of God in a pile of dirt. So, there are a few possible explanations:

1) The seraphims were wrong, and God's glory isn't really in the whole earth, just parts of it. Ok, that one's unlikely.

2) God's glory can be found in the whole earth, but it's not really found in everything in the whole earth, just parts of it. I guess you could stretch it that far if you want or need to. Maybe that's right.

3) Here's what I think is right: I am just failing to see it!

God should get glory from a pile of dirt. It just goes to show His creative power. He made the dirt. It reminds me of the scientist that challenged God to a life-making contest. The scientist said that he would have a contest against God and see who could make a better living being. So, God accepted, and the next day they got together and as the scientist reached down to grab some dirt to make his "life," God said, "No, you have to use your own dirt!"

The whole earth is full of the glory of God. Do you see it?

Just a thought...

Sending Missionaries

(Act 13:3) And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

Alright, I have a question.

Why don't churches send missionaries any more? I mean, why doesn't First Bible send missionaries?

{dramatic pause here, while everyone gasps, and says, "What do you mean?!"}

I know that First Bible has many missionaries that have gone out from the church. I actually know a couple of them very well. But, I am not talking about the common day connotation of "Sending." My question is why does it not happen like it happened in Acts 13 any more? The Holy Spirit told the church to separate Paul and Barnabas to go out. It does not say that Paul and Barnabas felt the call on their lives, and then came to the church leadership and told them that they were going to go somewhere.

Why don't our churches, and why doesn't my church, instead just send misionaries out. It's easy, we walk up to someone that has shown himself faithful in the ministry, possessing the necessary gifts and abilities, and has a willingness to serve God wherever He desires, and (after we are certin that we are being directed by the Holy Spirit) we tell him that God wants him to go some place where there is a specific need.

Oh, and another missions thought... I wonder if God wants His people to tithe on the church members. That is, 1 out of every 10 families is supposed to be given up to God.

Just a thought...

What's this?

This is not a thesis topic...

This is not a fictitious declaration of independence...

This is not going to be about Jonathan Edwards (sorry, Dan)...

This IS... just a thought...

I went to see Expelled in the movie theaters Friday night after Home Bible Study, and I think it is a very worthwhile movie. It is not a Christian movie, so don't go with the expectation of such. It is simply a movie that exposes some of the characteristics of some of the more prominent evolutionists.

Ben Stein did a great job in putting the movie together. Now, from what I understand, he may not have been totally honest with the evolutionists when he approached them for an interview. The story goes that he told them that he was doing a movie on the disconnect in America between religion and science, or something like that. A New York Times article can be found here about it. Well, the evolutionists got a bit upset about that. They would not have taken part in a movie like what was produced! Apparently, they wouldn't say those things if they were going to be presented in a negative light.

But, why not say them? I mean, the purpose of this movie shows that there is a silencing of critics of evolution. By the evolutionists saying that they wouldn't say the same things had they known, just goes to demonstrate the point better that they do have something to hide!

I'm rambling... Here's the thought: Make sure that you mean what you say, and that you can defend what you say. If there is some doubt to what you are saying, then do not say it as if it were fact. Otherwise, you may look silly like Richard Dawkins, and say things like, "No, there can be NO God, of course not! ...but, Yes, maybe aliens seeded life on earth. But, NO GOD!" Or like the other scientist in the movie who suggested that life may have begun on crystals. That's just a theory though :)

Well, it is good to be back. I'm not making promises that it will be daily yet, but I'm here!

Just a thought...