As long as I can remember I’ve wanted to be a husband and Father.  Long before I responded to Jesus’ call this was a burning desire.  As a boy I wanted two things: to play baseball, and to be a husband and father.  The home I grew up in was very much like most in South Orange County.  I didn’t want for much, and I was surrounded with a great deal of love.  As I got older, and my baseball career progressed (I was fortunate enough to play collegiality) I realized I, strictly me, was not capable of having both aspirations.  God in His infinite wisdom, and created order knew this of course, and I would say planted both desires in my heart in the first place.  This is all to say, that we need to understand, in many cases accept, and most importantly rightly respond to the desires of our hearts.  The bible tells us that if we commit ourselves to the Lord He will give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4).  Many people take this to mean that God is like some sort of genie, and if we ask Him, plead from Him, pester Him enough, He will give us what we want.  That is simply not the case.  The verse reads, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”  Our responsibility is to first “delight” ourselves in the Lord, then He, will give us the desires of our heart.  He, that is God, is the author of any right, correct, holy, sin-free desire we have. If a desire does not carry us away from, or further pound in the steak of division caused by sin, in relation to our heavenly father, then it (the desire) is from the Lord.  The bible is very clear that by birth, by nature, everything we are as individuals is unholy, unrighteous, and at enmity with a Holy God.  Fortunately we have a Father who set in motion a rescue plan and sent Jesus for our redemption!

  So, lets look at the created order.  In the beginning was God, God created, said a lot of things were good, said one thing was not good, and that one thing was that man should not be alone.  God created again, a woman, a beautiful woman to Adam, the most beautiful woman he had ever saw, and he literally sang to her.  Yes, no hyperbole, Adams first words in response to Eve were in song!  All you Glee fans are loving that I’m sure.  Moving on.  God tells Adam and Eve the ground rules, that is, enjoy each other, enjoy me, don’t eat here cause it’ll kill ya!  Lo and behold, as we know, they eat, they’re banished, and we are all in this beautiful mess now.  No doubt its a mess, but is certainly is beautiful as we have a Father who from the dawn of time had a plan and is actively fathering, loving, pursuing, and drawing us into His own.  That is indeed something to rejoice about!

  Now, back to fathering.  God created the world in which Adam and Eve lived.  Not only did he create and ordain everything in it, He communed there with them.  What is so easy to overlook, and for some flat out miss, is how monumentally huge the reality of created order and communion the picture of Eden is to the believing parent, particularly the Father.  As a Father, it is solely on me the world in which my child(ren) grow up in.  Evan a father that bails, isn’t around, is physically around yet emotionally absent has created a world in which his children will live in.  This is precisely like the created order God established in Eden.  We are, as Calvin put it, mirrors (at least we should be as believers) of a Holy God and His attributes.  That is to say, we like God, as fathers create a world in which our children will grow, learn, and live in.  From the location in which they grow up, to the food (metaphorically) from the tree to be eaten of, to the friends they play with, to the education they receive, to the values imparted, it is our doing as fathers.  We, as fathers, set the precedence, shape the landscape, and determine the world of these little angels.  As with Adam and Eve, and every parent will attest to this, we as fathers cannot, nor should we, force the will of our children.  It is a fallacy to say we have a omniscient and sovereign God, yet claim that He did not know the fateful decision Adam and Eve would make.  We, however are limited in our foresight, and do not always know, nor can we accurately predict to what degree our children will respond to our creating, directing, and communing with them.  Nevertheless, like our heavenly father we must never lack, never back down, never cease in our pursuit, never change our temperament, or sway in the degree of delight that we have in our children.  It is our responsibility to mirror God in His created order, in our fathering and parenting, and in His love for all of us as we love our children and create their world.  So I urge you, recognize the passions you have, why and where they come from, and pour into your children.  Create for them a world that is full of wonder, awe, excitement, love, and even danger.  No doubt there was danger in the garden, but there was God, who is infinitely bigger than any danger.  I’ll discuss danger in another post.  For now, if you’re a parent, fiercely and unashamedly love your children, create a wonderful world for them, and by all means commune with them.  If you’re not a parent, let this marinate until that day.  

blessings

]]> http://www.depthlight.com/2012/04/14/a-created-world/feed/ 0 http://www.depthlight.com/2012/04/11/praying-for-god-will/ http://www.depthlight.com/2012/04/11/praying-for-god-will/#comments Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:56:46 +0000 Evan Liewer http://www.depthlight.com/?p=349

Always a great topic for debate.  Was it God’s will for all of them to run for office? Could it be God’s will for some to try and fail?  Thoughts in the comments.

I want you to do an experiment next time you are with a person, be it family, a friend, classmate, or a co-workers. When you are among them are your thoughts on the value of personhood or value of personal interest? Is him or her the means to the end or simply the end itself?  It is easy to make people things, as tools to use for our personal need and then move on from them until the next opportunity of use is needed. I believe the prize is not getting what you want from that person but in being with that person in that moment. The reward is doing life together while crossing paths, not using individuals to build your bridge to the path you want to go. God blesses those who see people as the end of themselves, and when you do that you will be exactly where you want and how God planned it. When you are in the presence of another human being, what do you see? Do you see a object? A soul? Or just another element of your surroundings? It is important to see people as who they are. You and I should not just acknowledge them with our eyes, but with our hearts as well. Do you see people as useful or beautiful? How you answer will determine the degree of perspective you have with God’s perspective because God sees people as beautiful first, then useful.

The way you see a person depends on how you define him or her. If you define a person as of something of value, having a soul and character, you will see them as a person with qualities to be appreciated and adored. Bu if you define people as an empty vessel or nothingness you will show them detests. You will judge their attitude and appearance and ultimately you will see them in the light of what they can do or be for you. Value is derived from being created by God and for God. The Bible says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him…” Gen 1:27. God sees us as life-sources, not objects to be ignored or devalued. God is the perfect example to us on how we should treat others. God loves us, knows us, and simply wants to hang out with us just because we are made in His image. God wants us every step of the way, not only when he wants to use us as tools to accomplish his will. God sees the worth of the individual every second of the day. Every person is a new door to a different world. If you simply listen and focus on the present moment with a person you will enter into a world of discovery. This only happens when you seek the worth of someone. God desires us to see all people as He sees them, precious. The availability of the air we breath is proof that God wants our companionship. This is why Jesus was sent to earth, to bridge the gap that separated man from God. This is why we evangelize, to let people know God loves them and so they can have their sins forgiven and be in right relationship with their heavenly creator. The devil is fighting for the soul of every person you see. If you do not reach out and receive them, Satan will. When you realize that people are precious and you stop the inconsideration, self-interestedness and haughtiness, it will change everything about the way you see about them. It has been said that, “winners of souls must first be weepers of souls.” Before you do any service for God that deals with people, you have to have that love for them first. No one should be invisible to a person who is called to love like Christ. So, think about who is invisible to you and let them be invisible no longer.

Everyone you see is valuable to God, thus you and I should take value in all that comes our way. Jesus did not see people as useful, but beautiful and because of the intrinsic worth & beauty he loved, supported, & helped anyone how came his way. Let us, his followers, be of the same work and have the same heart that Jesus had.

Pornography is an epidemic that is not only sweeping the world, but also the church.  I remember years ago reading a statistic that 1 in every 3 pastors have some form of addiction to porn. There have been too many times in my ministry that I have caught people sucked into this world.  I cannot tell you how awkward it is to fix a pastor’s computer only to find what they have most recently searched for on google.  Those follow up questions are never fun.

Most pastors believe that if they sin, they will be fired.  So they are terrified to ask for help.  Since they never admit the initial desire the sin envelopes them and they spin out of control.

I cannot speak for the priest that was caught in a very public way this week.  I have walked into someone looking at porn, something I truly wish to forget.  But this priest had a collection of hardcore porn on a USB stick and was prepared to give a sermon.  He placed the USB stick in the computer and Windows autoplayed the images.  This scars people for life.

We have all sinned, but the question I ask, what should the process of reconciliation be? Do we forgive and forget and wait for his next sermon the following Sunday? Do we “de-frock” and write him off as a heathen?  What is the middle ground. I have gone through the process of reconciliation with a few pastors and to be honest I have not seen a method I am thrilled with, but I know it is possible. Share your thoughts in the comments.

Original Article

I left early in the morning to get there as soon as possible.  I had only fixed our truck the week before.  A friend used it earlier in the week and all was well.  I drove from my house to French Harbor, a trip of about 30 minutes, no problems.  There is not much east of French Harbor, and I still had about 30 minutes to drive.  I saw on the side of the road a man and two young children.  I picked them up and had a good conversation.  His 15 month old daughter was sick, the wound looked like staph infection, and they needed a ride to the clinic that I was going to.  After having them in the car for 2 minutes, the car died.  Not a big problem, I know there is an electric problem in the car, I had already spent 20 minutes early that morning getting the battery situated.  I jumped out of the car and used a portable jumper battery, got the car started, and went on my way.  5 minutes later it died again.  This process continued.  During that 30 minute drive stretch, I had to jump out and start the car over 10 times.  I got to the dock at my final destination in Oak Ridge.  I picked up the man and his wife.  He wanted to lay in my backseat, which wasn’t a problem for me.

We drove 2 minutes and the car died.  2 more minutes and the car died again.  I knew it was a major problem, but I didnt have many options.  There are no mechanics near where I was, no such thing as AAA.  I felt really bad for the patient, I was driving a little erratically trying to squeeze the most amount of time possible between each jump.  I could tell the portable jumper was getting lower on juice, each time starting the car took more and more effort.  I tried calling people to come help, but no one picked up that morning.  Finally we got stranded on the side of the road, no electricity, no nothing.

I had been spending the morning in prayer, hoping that I could get the patient to the hospital, but now the ride was dead.  I thought of calling the island ambulance, but both of them were currently broken.  I didn’t have enough cash in my wallet to pay for a taxi for the man to the hospital, I didn’t ask, but I knew they would have even less cash that I did.

I large flat-bed truck drove by and gave me the gesture if I needed help and I flagged him down.  He was more than willing to take the patient and his wife to the hospital.  A huge blessing, we slowly were able to lift the man onto the back of the truck, and I waved goodbye.  I continued to call some people, but no one would pick up.  Then as I started to text my wife, she picked up the phone.

She had a good friend watch our daughter, Avagail, and she started the 45 minute drive to me.  I was parked at the bottom of a very steep hill, so I had her jump me and I made it over the hill, a minute later, the car died.  At this time we got some rope and tied the back bumper of our minivan to the truck.  I drove the van, and April stayed in the truck, pressing the break every time the truck got too close to the van.

After a very long and slow drive we finally pulled over at a mechanic that I trust and dropped off the truck.  We went home, relieved that this chapter of our life was over.  I stopped by the mechanic and he confirmed what I thought.  Our alternator was dead.  Not just dead, but completely rusted shut.  He couldn’t even rotate it by hand.  With no alternator, there was no new electricity in the car, the portable jumper could power the fuel jump to send gas to the carburetor , but as soon as that gas supply was gone, the car would die.

As many mechanics here go, he told me I needed a new alternator.  That means I need to go find an alternator and then bring it to him to install.  We really don’t want to put more money into this truck, but it is great to have it open to other ministries.  So hopefully I can find a cheap used alternator and get the beast running again.  

Well a pizza company has come up with a new invention, and it is not the mark of the beast, but rather the greatest invention of all time.  Red Tomato Pizza now gives customers a fridge magnet that they can link to their phone.  Pressing a single button on the magnet will automatically order your favorite pizza.  You can always go online and order something specific, but if you open the fridge, can’t decide what to eat, or feel lazy, you can press that 1 button and 20 minutes later have something delicious!

I would get this in a heartbeat, except that my daughter loves fridge magnets, and we would have pizza four times a day.

“Some people call it a ‘pizza emergency button for your belly’,” the company says. “Others say it’s the ‘best thing since sliced bread’. We call it ‘The VIP Fridge Magnet’.

Original Article

Also the Christian in the video writes off science and only focuses on blind faith.  This is one of the things we discussed with the ministry of Eye on Apologetics.  Following the path of science will only bring someone closer to the Creator.  When we brush off science as “we don’t get it, or we don’t need it”, we just look ignorant.

This video reminded me of a scene from the 6th season of Dexter.  That season really delves into religion and has some interesting insights, but there is one scene that stuck with me.  Dexter is seeking information on God, he is an atheist, but searching, trying to find answers.  So he goes to a co-worker he knows is a believer and asks about Jesus death, what was the point and purpose.  His co-worker, butchers the answer.  Just talks in circles, mumbo jumbo.  You can tell he is trying so hard to be helpful, but he cannot explain his faith.  After talking in circles and providing no insight, Dexter looks at him and tells him, “Thank you so much, that really helped”, a complete lie just to exit the conversation.  His co-worker then walks away, satisfied he has done a good job.

As Christians, we need to be prepared for these questions.  We never know when we might be put on the spot, and what better way to serve Christ than to give a clear and understandable response to someone’s question of seeking?  A great Christian website I always recommend to get quality answers to difficult questions is Got Questions.

All of these concepts together is one of the reasons I love the ministry of Eye on Apologetics.  (disclaimer: I am good friends with the creator) The website focuses on Apologetics, Theology, and Evangelism.  It also looks at it through the lens of current events.  In the last few years there has been the unacceptable treatment of evangelists in Dearborn, Michigan.  Eye on Apologetics has provided some of the best coverage of the events, and the site always has a call to arms.  When injustice is done, there is always a list of ways to help and support, whether it be an email, phone call, or mailing specific support.

The site will celebrate its second year next month, and over that course it has been one of the best sites for Christian debates, cult religions, and intriguing videos of the faith.  It also has a great Twitter account that is posted to that gives insights on current events in the Christian faith.  And if you look books, specifically Logos, they are always posting the best deals and even the current free books!

“A young man who wishes to remain a sound atheist cannot be too careful of his reading.” -C.S. Lewis