Happy New Year of Hope

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. - Genesis 1:3-5

From the beginning, God has reminded us of His unfailing providence. Just as we never doubt the sun will rise again in the morning, and we schedule events and set up 401k's for several decades in the future knowing the world will continue to turn. In the same way, we should have eternal hope in God because He's even more reliable than the rising and falling of the sun. Notice a day for Him starts in the darkness and ends in the light. Just like this, the world started in darkness. Yes, we are still there, yet we see the hues of the sky lightening with the coming day. Have faith, because hope will come in the morning, and it surely will, in a blaze of glory like a sunrise.

Genesis states with each new day of creation, "And there was evening, and there was morning." Yet, when he comes upon the seventh day, the sun never rises. We are told the following:

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. - Genesis 3:2-3

Let us look to the sky with anticipation and joy. The morning is coming, and it will be good.

Happy New Year and God bless!

To Fear or To Love God

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." -1 John 4:16-18

Some Christians get the fear of the Lord wrong.

It's obvious that we would fear a being who has our very souls and existence in His hands. He created the spinning worlds beyond our eyesight and realms of physical and spiritual beings with inner lives more complex than we can comprehend. He can calm a storm with a word or create one in the void of space, made of comets and planets tossed one into another during the death of a massive sun.

Fear of God makes sense. We are in in awe of His power, and we fear God in the way that we respect Him and His ways. However, whenever the Bible stated that we were to fear God, it didn't intend a fear that causes separation, one that's caused by anxiety and foreboding. That is a distrust of God.

If you're shaking your head right now because you're thinking to yourself "it's not a distrust of God but a knowledge that I'm not good enough for Him," you might be missing the point. You can never be good enough for Him. Yet, you must trust that His love is so grand, so selfless, so majestic, that you're never beyond His reach. You must have faith that His forgiveness is even more expansive than His universe and deeper than the blackness of space. There's a difference between humility, which is exactly what a reverence for God can create, and hopelessness.

If we know in our hearts that God's love is perfect, we know that, as we continue to move forever toward His presence, He moves forever toward ours. We have no fear of judgement or punishment, not because of our own perfection but because of His. This isn't to say we can give up trying. He always chooses us as His children, always. We must always choose Him as our Father, always. To stop trying and trying is to choose to be one of the world, to disengage from a relationship with Him.

Let's not downplay fearing God. The Bible mentions fear of God hundreds of times in a positive manner:

The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. -Exodus 1:17

When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die." Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning." -Exodus 20:18-20

“‘Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the Lord. -Leviticus 19:14

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. -Matthew 10:28

Maybe the key is in Exodus 20. Back up to where Moses tells people to not be afraid of God's displays of power in the desert, but then says that fear of God will keep them on the straight and narrow path. We should be full of reverence and awe, knowing that God is the only being in existence who we should fear. If we fear anyone else, it can sway us to trying to appease them as if they were our masters, but as it is said,

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? -Romans 8:31.

Only God should be your master, and He controls all other powers in the world. Good thing He's on our side! Just remember to remain on His. Just as a child first learns right from wrong by whether his parent rewards or punishes him, we, as Children of God may start on the path of His wisdom by fearing His punishment. Once mature in our faith and relationship with Him, just as a child grows into an adult, we no longer fear in that manner so long as we are pressing onward toward Him. We know He means good for us, and we take the lessons we've learned with us.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. -Proverbs 9:10

God bless!

You are Genesis

Most of us read Genesis, even the origin story of humanity, and automatically imagine Adam, Eve, and their children as specific individuals. What if I told you that literalism may not be the only intention of this story?

There are as many ways to translate the Bible as there are people in the world. We're all reading the books from our own perspectives, experiences, cultures, and in our own languages. However, it's important to remember that the Bible is made up of several forms of literature, including poetry, wisdom works, parables, history, war stories, and of course origin tales. We should know the writers' intentions for each book and what literature traditions influenced them.

Since creation stories in many cultures were very symbolic, it'd be in keeping with this tradition that the beginning of Genesis would be much the same. This is about people who show up as our first humans: Adam, Eve, Cain, Able, and Seth.

Adam's name is Enosh in Hebrew, which means simply man or mankind. Eve's name is Chavah, which means breath or living. Together, they are humanity and the ability of creation and birth.

There is plenty of Biblical evidence that they were real individuals. Genesis delves into the beginnings of the genealogical tree naming a hundred "begats" and the age of each person when they died. It's not unreasonable, however, to entertain the possibility that, although these may have been real individuals, they also performed the double function of symbolizing humanity.

Adam and Eve have parallels in the New Testament. Jesus is referred to as the last Adam in 1 Corinthians 15:45.

The Scriptures tell us, "The first man, Adam, became a living person." But the last Adam--that is, Christ--is a life-giving Spirit.

Wives, and Eve as the first wife, are referred to as the Church in Ephesians 5:32.

In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. Indeed, no one ever hated his own body, but he nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church. For we are members of His body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is profound, but I am speaking about Christ and the church.

Consider this:

And from the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man, He made a woman and brought her to him. And the man said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of man she was taken. - Genesis 2:22

It states that Eve came from Adam's rib because the church comes from Jesus. When it states that Eve was bone of Adam's bone and flesh of his flesh, that's because the church is the body of Christ. Eve was the mother of all living, spiritual alive, but her childbirth is painful because it's a difficult process to be reborn in Christ.

Finally, in Revelations 12, the woman clothed with the sun is just like Eve.

A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days...

When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus. - Revelations 12:1-17

Eve was cursed with painful childbirth, and she gave birth to the twelve Israelite nations, some who fell from grace. The dragon is reminiscent of the serpent in the garden, and the male child the woman gives birth to is a clear parallel to Jesus who will rule all nations. Obviously, that child was brought back up to heaven for awhile. Yet, the woman (the church) is still pursued by evil (the dragon), but God has protected us. The offspring of the church is all of the Children of God.

Adam and Eve were the original groom and bride. Jesus referred to the church as a bride or virgin/maiden waiting upon His return eagerly (Matthew 25). Even Revelations refers to the woman clothed with the sun and a star crown, which draws several parallels with Eve and the church.

Onward to their children, Cain, Able, and Seth. There's a lot to unpack with all this, most of which we won't be doing today.

Cain in Hebrew is Kayan, which means acquired or possession. Able is Hebhel, which means breath or vanity. Seth is Sheyt, which stands for compensation. Cain's parents acquired him from God, Able was a new life (breath), and Seth was their compensation for what they lost. Some sources state Cain was preoccupied with possessing and acquiring, which very much may be true, but I've found nothing to substantiate it to my satisfaction.

Cain was raised to carry on Adam's livelihood, agriculture, but Able became a herder. We typically assume the first time God handed down rules or ways to worship Him was with Moses, but there's signs to indicate that's just not true. Cain and Able made offerings of grains and lamb, respectively, which indicates some sort of communication about sacrifices. It's abundantly clear that God spoke with them regularly because when God speaks to Cain before and after Able's death, he isn't terrified like most people are in later Bible stories. In fact, he's quite sarcastic with Him.

And the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I do not know!” he answered. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” - Genesis 4:9

So, we have reason to believe God gave them specific instructions, and Cain didn't follow them.

This is my own take on the subject of their symbolism. When his gift was rejected, we know his fury became out of hand.

So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. The Lord said to Cain, 'Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.' Genesis 4:3-8

Cain could be symbolic of trying to gain salvation or approval by works alone while Able is symbolic of gaining salvation through faith. They both appear, on the outside, to be good; obviously, Cain offered from "the fruit of the ground." In the same way, Jesus shames those who display themselves as holy but inside are rotten.

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. - Matthew 23:27-28

Please compare to the Pharisees of Jesus' time who would rely on their own works to bring them into God's favor, believing that following the letter of the law made them superior. In jealousy of Jesus, who lived by faith and the spirit of the law, they murdered Him, also referred to as a type of shepherd. We could also see Cain as the Israelites losing their privileged place as the first born, giving the lineage of Jesus to Seth just as the gentiles were given the ability to join as Children of God. It's a strong parallel and an important lesson about all sins stemming from the heart.

Cain receives the punishment of being a wanderer (which is symbolic, too, of a lost soul). Cain is afraid of being killed due to his new reputation. This, combined with the fact he's being punished, indicates that God not only already told Adam, Eve, and their family that murder is wrong, but everyone else they would come across already knew that law too.

Notice, though, something God does when Cain expresses his fear.

But the Lord said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Genesis 4:15-16

God continues to place Cain in His protection, attempting to express His love. There is a possibly that Cain could be saved. God wishes for no one to perish, not even Cain. Not even the Jews, who would have the chance to be reborn, too.

Every one of these characters is us. We are the humanity who holds promise of creativity and rebirth, we are the humanity that falls like stars from a crown, we are the humanity that is protected by God's graces and willingness to save, we are the humanity who is raised once again to live amongst God in His Kingdom back where we belong.

It's fascinating that a single Bible story could tell of our entire history, present, and future in so few words.


Sources other than Bible. Some are related to this article; some are just interesting:
http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/articles_cainandabel.html
http://evidenceforchristianity.org/could-characters-like-cain-and-abel-be-symbolic-or-presentativer/
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4480857,00.html
http://whatthebiblesays.info/AdamandEve.html
https://biblehub.com/commentaries/genesis/4-26.htm
https://www.chabad.org/theJewishWoman/article_cdo/aid/335943/jewish/Chavah-Mother-of-All-Life.htm
Strong's Concordance
https://biblehub.com/library/bunyan/the_works_of_john_bunyan_volumes_1-3/a_discourse_upon_the_pharisee.htm
http://modeoflife.org/cain-and-abel-and-the-publican-and-the-pharisee-accounts-in-parallel/
https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2954&context=auss

Do you Believe in Magic?

“I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?" - Jeremiah 32:27

The world likes to dismiss magical situations and miracles as happy coincidences or only the product of mundane happenings. I'd like to suggest that real magic isn't Harry Potter, wands, cauldrons, and werewolves gathering with vampires to defeat ancient evils. (Side note: As you can tell, I read too many fantasy novels.)

The fact of the matter is, pre-enlightenment (fairly recent history, started around 1700's) people viewed magic and miracles as commonplace and expected. Part of this is obviously because science, as we know it today, didn't exist, and most common people filled in the gaps of their knowledge with superstition.

Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; - 1 Timothy 4:7

Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. - Colossians 2:18-23

If over-belief in magic and mundane were on two separate ends of a pendulum, the world would've seen a significant swing from magic to mundane during the enlightenment. In my opinion, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Although we have a brain, given by God Himself, to use and experience the world around you, we have a spirit which sees the unseen, not yet perceptible by scientific means.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. - 2 Corinthians 4:18

The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. - 1 Corinthians 2:14

The unseen forces of God move around us always, and we as Children of God, can sometimes see them if God wants. It's unlikely we'll have such a dramatic eye-opening miracle as Elisha's servant:

When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early in the morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. So he asked Elisha, “Oh, my master, what are we to do?”

“Do not be afraid,” Elisha answered, “for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.”

And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. - 2 Kings 6:15-17

Angels and their chariots were there to defend them against the Arameans, who surrounded their city by night and outnumbered them. Almost every book of the Bible speaks of miracles and magical or nearly-magical situations. Yet, do you see them nowadays?

I'll venture to say that few people saw the dramatic miracles that occurred in the Bible, and if anyone saw something like that today, they would dismiss it as either made up or explain it away with hypothetical reasoning.

As an aside, science has explained so much that would have been otherwise feared and cured diseases and injuries that would have otherwise killed millions. There's too much good in science to not see it as a manifestation of God using man to bless the world.

However, it is, like humanity, limited in its abilities to see and explain God and all He does. A few things science is still trying to figure out: The purpose of dreams, the possibility of life on other planets, the human brain, the depths of the oceans and the life that teems there, the true beginning (like pre-big bang) of life as we know it, time itself, and they're still working on discovering and cataloging all the living species of Earth (they made good progress on mammals, though). In reality, science is in it's infancy, and as it advances, we will understand more and more.

However, it will never explain everything concerning God, and it can only reveal what God wants revealed.

Do you know what science has revealed about God, though? Have you ever seen atoms that make up the world? They are like mini-solar systems, complete with a center star composed of protons and neutrons and swirling, circling planets called electrons. We are made of innumerable atoms. They hold small charges of negative and positive, an act of balance and order in the smallest known particle. Have you seen new-born stars or the death of suns? Have you experienced the birth of a child, a small human complete with toes and fingers, a heart, a brain, a soul tucked behind glittering eyes? I need to add something from Job that is beautiful about God's magic.

Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?
On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone—
while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels shouted for joy?

“Who shut up the sea behind doors
when it burst forth from the womb,
when I made the clouds its garment
and wrapped it in thick darkness,
when I fixed limits for it
and set its doors and bars in place,
when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;
here is where your proud waves halt’?

“Have you ever given orders to the morning,
or shown the dawn its place,
that it might take the earth by the edges
and shake the wicked out of it?
The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;
its features stand out like those of a garment.
The wicked are denied their light,
and their upraised arm is broken.

“Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
or walked in the recesses of the deep?
Have the gates of death been shown to you?
Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?
Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?
Tell me, if you know all this.

“What is the way to the abode of light?
And where does darkness reside?
Can you take them to their places?
Do you know the paths to their dwellings?
Surely you know, for you were already born!
You have lived so many years!

“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow
or seen the storehouses of the hail,
which I reserve for times of trouble,
for days of war and battle?
What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,
or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?
Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain,
and a path for the thunderstorm,
to water a land where no one lives,
an uninhabited desert,
to satisfy a desolate wasteland
and make it sprout with grass?
Does the rain have a father?
Who fathers the drops of dew?
From whose womb comes the ice?
Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens
when the waters become hard as stone,
when the surface of the deep is frozen?

“Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades?
Can you loosen Orion’s belt?
Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons
or lead out the Bear with its cubs?
Do you know the laws of the heavens?
Can you set up God’s dominion over the earth?

“Can you raise your voice to the clouds
and cover yourself with a flood of water?
Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?
Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?
Who gives the ibis wisdom
or gives the rooster understanding?
Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens
when the dust becomes hard
and the clods of earth stick together? - Job 38-41

Understand that He exists beyond our imaginations and senses. Equally, understand that He is also your Father and the Spirit within you. Now, understand that you are made limitless through Him.

He is the one you praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. - Deuteronomy 10:21

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” - Matthew 19:26

Do you believe in a God of infinite possibilities, or do you limit Him to only what our human minds can understand?

“But if I were you, I would appeal to God; I would lay my cause before him. He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. - Job 5:8-9

"‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” - Mark 9:23

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” - Matthew 17:20

A lot of what science explains away as rational is also magical and a miracle in and of itself. God is very real. He's not just some puff of smoke that floats above the cloud tops. He sent His son to show us that He can be touched, heard, and smelled. He is more real than we are.

If you know me, you know our large Hackberry tree fell in our yard a week ago. It's been leaning toward the house for awhile, since it grew that way. On the day it fell, there was only a 15 minute period when no one was home and when most of our vehicles were out of the yard, and this is when the tree decided to fall. Somehow, it fell mostly away from the house, only causing minor damage to part of the porch, falling around the car that was there, only denting a grill almost underneath it. The only real damage it caused was tearing down a portion of the electric and cable lines, which was all back up within the next day.

I've been worrying about that tree falling for awhile, but it never was the "right" time to get it cut down. Now, I won't have to worry about that tree anymore, and we'll have more firewood for the winter.

Does this seem like a miracle? Does it seem magical? Does it look like an act of God? To many unbelievers, absolutely not. It was lucky, they might say, that it worked out that way, but pure chance. Yet, the Holy Spirit points out to me the maze of "coincidences" that occurred to make this work out so well. It whispers that although I need to take care of risks in the future, I never need to worry about anything because God holds us all in His hands.

Sometimes, miracles don't look like happy circumstances from the outside.

When Lot and his family were pressured to leave Sodom, they probably weren't overjoyed. This was there life, their livelihood, friends, and they had to leave it all behind. Yet, there was a reason God needed to destroy it, and He saved their lives despite His plans.

Sometimes, miracles don't look dramatic.

It's the slow but steady healing of an ill person, it's a hug when you need it most, and sometimes, it's something so minute, that we don't see the end result that was ordained.

Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." - John 20:29

Magic is simply the unexplainable. Miracles are when the unexplainable works out in our favor. God is the unexplainable.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. - Ephesians 3:20-21

How Do I Know I'm Saved?

How do I know if I'm saved? What if I'm not good? What if I keep on sinning?

Before I was aware of the intricacies of salvation, I was afraid. In an earlier post, I wrote a testimony about my childhood experience of God "speaking" to me. There seem to be so many rules, especially when you focus on the old testament, and it overwhelmed me because I couldn't even remember them all. Forget following them. So, I asked God to give me anything I could remember, so no matter what I faced in life, I would know I was doing the right thing. I wasn't exactly expecting anything, but if I got a summary of His laws, it would probably be at least a paragraph. A single word came to mind:

love.

So, I set upon my Bible immediately, and it fell right to this verse:

"And when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they themselves gathered together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested Him with a question: “Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?”

Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:34-40

Love here is the Greek ἀγαπήσεις, which means have preference for, wish well to, regard the welfare of, welcome with desire, or long for. (strongs)

It seemed impossible for a word to sum everything up, yet it's never proved itself wrong no matter what I've experienced so far in life. God is love, and it makes more and more sense as time passes by. So, what does this have to do with Salvation?

First thing you need to know is that salvation didn't start when Jesus came to Earth as man. If you say it was because he was good man, you're dead wrong.

"What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness . . . . Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. . . . Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all." (Romans 4:1–5, 9–10, 16)

No one has ever in the history of ever been saved because they were good enough, nor because they did enough good works to make up for sins, nor because they were able to completely stop sinning at some point in their life. Case in point: Abraham. Before there were Jews, Christians, or even the Israelite nation, there lived Abraham (aka Abram). We aren't told much about him before God called on him.

"The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

“I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you."

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him." Genesis 12:1-4

God was making Abraham promises before he took a single step. God chose Abraham before he'd done anything righteously noteworthy. Essentially, God was saying, have faith, believe in my promises, and I'll give them to you, and these were Earth-shaking promises. Abraham believed God. The next section, we see Abraham lying to a pharaoh and almost causing his wife to commit adultery or be raped. God saved her from this, but seriously, Abraham. He doesn't seem perfect to me. Then, he started worrying that God wasn't going to follow through with His promises when he and his wife grew old and childless. How would his children grow into a nation if he didn't have children? He started making plans to make a servant an heir. It says,

"Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness." Genesis 15:6

He had momentary doubts and worries, but he decided to continue having faith in God. So, God considered Abraham righteous. Did you see it say that Abraham did this great thing, he had a heart of gold, and stopped making mistakes, so God credited to him as righteousness? Nope. It said God considered Abraham righteous because he believed God. Abraham was saved. He was righteous. Because he had faith in God and His promises.

Let's rewind back to love.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Yep, it's the same word from Greek here. Do you notice that part of loving someone, including God, means you trust them? You can't love God and not trust Him. That is faith. He sees what we don't, and we won't always see the top of the staircase, even if we're called to walk up it. Abraham worried, too, what the next step would be because he couldn't see the top, and the staircase was getting a little lengthy.

Abraham loved God eventually, but it started with trust and faith. That's how he was saved.

I'm going to drag this out a little, forgive me, but I want to illustrate this further so you can fully understand.

God is called our father and we His children. Now, for those of you who have children or even someone you love a whole lot, picture this scenario.

Imagine y'all are walking along, and you see a sharp ravine. In the ravine are railroad tracks. You warn them to not get too close, but nevertheless, they suddenly slip and fall. It's too steep for them to climb themselves out and now there's a train bearing down, whistling a sharp note of warning. The only one who can save them is you. Do you:

1) Consider whether they have been good to you first

2) Reach out a saving hand for them to grab

I'm guessing for most of you with a heart, you'll grab them without a second thought. If you would do this, and you're a mere fallible human, don't you think the King of the Universe, God of love and light, would do at least this?

"What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Luke 11:9-13

When you fall from grace, God is the only one who can save you. He will save you, no questions asked. Also, consider this.

Imagine the same situation as before, and as you reach our your hand, your child/loved one refuses to take it. Imagine they turn their back. Imagine they try to climb up the side to save themselves despite your urgent cries. What do you feel? These are the unsaved. They refuse God. They don't trust Him. They don't believe in Him.

Now, imagine they refused but suddenly the train is at their back and they realize, last minute, they need your help. They finally blessedly take your hand in time for you to pull them to safety. Would you:

1) Consider the fact they refused and distrusted you up to this point and refuse them help for their last minute change of mind

2) Reach out and save them anyway

I've heard of some who believe a death-bed conversion is not a truly saved person. First, that's between the person and God. You can never know a person's heart like God does. Second, if they are converted, they are saved. They are still saved. God will still save them. If you would save your child or loved one in the above situation, more so will God.

Now, let's summarize. We aren't saved because we do good works. We do good works because we're saved. God changes us mind and soul, sends His Holy Spirit to guide us because we believe in Him. When God reaches out a hand, we take it. We trust He will save us. That is salvation. If we fall again into the ravine, God will come save us again and again. He doesn't wear out his forgiveness, and I doubt any of you would allow your loved one to die just because they are constantly falling into the ravine.

Now, is constantly falling a possible sign that someone doesn't actually have faith in God? Yes. He warned them, and they didn't believe Him. Or, they decide to live their life thinking God will forgive them in the end. They obviously don't actually love God.

You return again. None of us are perfect. That's the very reason we need God.

Please believe and love. Have faith in His words. He already loves you. He already believes in you. He already has His hand outstretched waiting to embrace you on the top of the ravine.




Sources other than Bible:
Strong's Concordance

New Year: God's Resolution

"And the One seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.'" Revelation 21:5

A new year promises new beginnings, and urges us all to look to the future with hope and sometimes a little fear of the unknown. We make resolutions to help us create a better life. Did you know God has His own resolutions?

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying:

“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man,
and He will live with them.
They will be His people,
and God Himself will be with them as their God.
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,
and there will be no more death
or mourning or crying or pain,
for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:3-4

"Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.” And He told me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life. The one who is victorious will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son." Revelation 21:5-7

Once upon a time, when I was a child, I took it upon myself to "attempt" to read the Bible all the way through. I half-way succeeded (literally only the Old Testament) and then skipped to Revelations. What a horrible idea! I read things like:

"And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth." Revelations 6:8

And -

"And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places." Revelations 6:12-14

Well then. So, basically Revelations used to be like a horror film to me, full of blood and gore and hopelessness.

I HAD MISSED GOD'S PROMISES AND HOPE. I only caught on to his anger and deep sadness over the darkness of the world.

So, later, armed with greater reading comprehension and knowledge of how to research and dissect literature, I faced the Bible once again. I started at the beginning, when the world held such hope, mourned the loss of innocence, and struggled alongside the prophets, laymen, families, and God as I made my way back through the Old Testament.

Malachi.

This is the last book of the Old Testament, written by the minor prophet... Malachi, of course.

"Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming," says the LORD of hosts." Malachi 3:1

"See, I will send my messenger…For he will be like a refiner’s fire... He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years." Malachi 3:1-4

Malachi spoke of hope. Hope that the Israelites lived on for 400 years.

Then, I finally opened the New Testament.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." John 1:1-5

The darkness has not overcome it. After all the pain, turmoil, doubt, and silence that the Old Testament addressed, it also spoke of unrelenting faith, everlasting love for others and God for His people, and the pinprick of light that still existed far toward the end of the tunnel. Yet, after all this, that spot of light remained and only grew stronger in the world.

Through the books of the New Testament, I walked with Jesus and His disciples speaking of the love of God and His children and the hope that sinners had in Him. The darkness had not overcome the light, but the light would overcome the darkness. Though life was never easy or fair for Jesus or His followers, they grew from a handful to innumerable as the stars. I remember a resolution God had made back in the beginning.

"He took him outside and said, "Look up at the sky and count the stars--if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Genesis 15:5

Did you think God was speaking to Abraham of his future blood relatives back then? Abraham probably did too.

"And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise." Galatians 3:29

You are one of those stars He spoke of so long ago.

When God makes promises and resolutions, He not only follows through but brings them to fruition above our very expectations and dreams.

So, when I finally made it back to Revelations, I read it with different eyes, filled with new hope. There would be terrible things in store for the world. This much was still true. But, did you not realize that we, the beloved children of God, are not the world? We may have to suffer through much, but haven't we already through history? One thing remained the same: God stands by our side and faces it alongside us.

"The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 27:1

"For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you." Isaiah 41:13

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." Romans 5:3-5

"Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Romans 8:17-18

This new year, remember God has His own resolutions, and they involve you.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Happy New Year to all; your future is bright.

***

Other Bible quotes about God making all things new:

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." 2 Corinthians 5:17

"Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert." Isaiah 45:18-19

"For behold, I create new heavens
and a new earth,
and the former things shall not be remembered
or come into mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever
in that which I create;
for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy,
and her people to be a gladness." Isaiah 65:17-18

Why Does God Let Evil Exist?

God is good, all-powerful, all-knowing, creator of all; yet, evil does exist in this reality God created. So, did God create evil? Why does He allow it to exist? How can He be good and yet allow innocent people and animals to suffer and die, even as children?

God gives people over to what they want. Problem is, we all live in this world, including those who only want good and those who don't know the difference. What gives?

First, what is evil? Evil is the absence of God just like darkness is the absence of light. The Philosopher Augustine surmised something similar. He said that evil is not a thing in and of itself but rather a lacking of something. Just as a hole in a sweater is not a thing in and of itself but rather the lacking of fabric. Because evil is a lacking of God, His truth, and love, it always causes pain in the end. You may not see it immediately, but somewhere down the line, it will always unravel the fabric of some piece of this world and cause a void. Sin and evil cause harm.

You can dive deep into the details of theodicy (theocracy on evil), but honestly, it all boils down to the fact that evil = harm/pain and evil = lacking God.

Please consider reading Job. Job was a Godly man, yet the devil threw down all sorts of evil upon his life. At first he was faithful.

"The Lord gave, and Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." Job 1:21

Yet, after all of his children died, his wealth was ripped away, and he contracted a deadly disease, his will was worn down. Most of his acquaintances forsook him because, to the ancient Jews, suffering meant you had sinned and probably deserved it.

As an aside, Jesus corrected those who erroneously believed this about a man born blind:

"As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?' 'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.' John 9:1-5

Back to Job, he was living in misery for months when three of his only friends left in the world came to visit him. They sat with him for a full week without even a word, simply being there for him. Then, after this time, they started to discuss everything you might ever hear if you or someone you know are struggling with meshing both the reality that innocent people suffer and the faith in an omniscient and omnipotent God. Job wrestles with depression and longing for death.

His friends respond by reasoning that no human is perfect before God, so everyone is subject to suffering. They state that if Job hadn't sinned, maybe his children had.

"Can mortal man be righteous before God... Behold, happy is the man whom God reproves; therefore despise not the chastening of the Almighty." Job 4:17

"Does God pervert justice?... If your children have sinned against Him, He has delivered them into he power of their transgression." Job 8:3-4

They are trying and failing to comfort Job by taking up the popular stance that Job's suffering was... his own fault. Hmmm, no wonder this didn't go over well. Job protests his own innocence. He points out that they're really just trying to twist the circumstances in order to confirm their own beliefs.

"It is all one; therefore I say, God destroys both the blameless and the wicked.... Thou dost seek out my iniquity and search for my sin, although thou knowest that I am not guilty." Job 9:22-24 & 10:6-7

He brings up the statement that many say when an innocent has died, that they are now in a better place.

"For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at last He will stand upon the earth; and after my skin has been thus destroyed, then apart from my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see on my side and my eyes shall behold, and not another." Job 19:25-27

This is true, but it doesn't answer the primary question. Why do innocent people suffer? Even Jesus suffers at the hands of His own people, experiencing death though he did no wrong.

God shows up to speak to Job and his friends, shaming them all. This is but a piece of what he had to say:

"Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:

“Who is this that obscures my plans
with words without knowledge?
Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?
On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone—
while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels[a] shouted for joy?

“Who shut up the sea behind doors
when it burst forth from the womb,
when I made the clouds its garment
and wrapped it in thick darkness,
when I fixed limits for it
and set its doors and bars in place,
when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;
here is where your proud waves halt’? ..." Job 38-41

From my understanding, God was basically saying that, if you truly believe in Him and the fact that He is omniscient and omnipotent, then you must concede that He knows more than you. So, if you believe He is also good, then He must be working for our best interests in ways that we don't know and for reasons we may never understand.

Right now, the world is under evil's command.

"We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one." 1 John 5:19

We should know though, that weeds and wheat are separated at the harvest, not before.

"Jesus presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and slipped away. When the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared.

The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

So the servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

‘No,’ he said, ‘if you pull the weeds now, you might uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At the proper time I will tell the harvesters, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat into my barn.'" Matthew 13:24-29

This is my own reading of this verse. If God were to take out all the evil, that would harm those who still hope of salvation. Not all evil in the world is permanent and God wishes for everyone to turn from their sins and become one of His children.

"Beloved, do not let this one thing escape your notice: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be dissolved in the fire, and the earth and its works will not be found..." 2 Peter 3:8:10

It's little consolation to state that God always has a reason for everything that happens, especially if we've hit rock bottom and are living in misery. Yet, it's a fact. No, God doesn't wish for evil to happen, and He will eventually eradicate it for good. He has begged for evil to never enter our lives and world, yet that's what humans chose starting with Adam and Eve. Since then, he's been waiting with arms wide open for everyone to come to Him. Every soul is important to Him; every person He wants to take part in the joy of His kingdom.

Although there's nothing that will take away all of your suffering right now in this life, let's take some comfort in His promises.


1)http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/evil/
2)

Faith with Eyes Wide Open

There's a reason Jesus healed the blind: God wants love and faith with eyes wide open.

Occasional doubt is normal. Humans are unused to the greatness and perfection that is God. Nothing like Him exists elsewhere in our experience. Even when others have the best of intentions, they can still, through internal or external circumstances, let us down. So, complete and utter faith is a rarity that is difficult to obtain.

"After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:

'Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield,
your very great reward.'

But Abram said, 'Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.' Then the word of the Lord came to him: 'This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, 'Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.' Then he said to him, 'So shall your offspring be.' Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness." Genesis 15:1-6

Introducing Abraham and his wife Sarah, in this verse, Abram expresses his doubt that God can reward him, but by the end of the conversation, he decides to believe Him. However, he wasn't done doubting yet and neither was his wife.

"Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram, 'The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.'" Genesis 16:1-2

She still believes God's power is limited. She's barren and elderly, and she's clearly not thinking God will bless her own body with the ability to conceive. Now, pause. There seems to be a time difference between when God made his promise to Abram (already considered old) and when Sarai made this decision as it states she did this "after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years.(16:3). Then, when Hagar gave birth to his son Ishmael, Abram was eighty-six years old. Fast-forward thirteen more years to when Abram is ninety-nine. God speaks once again.

"No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations... God also said to Abraham, 'As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.' Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, 'Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?' And Abraham said to God, 'If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!' Then God said, 'Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.' When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him." Genesis 16:17-22

Abram once again expresses his doubt that his elderly wife will give birth, and she has never had any indication yet that she was indeed the one to bear God's reward. Time is passing, and it's becoming harder and harder to have faith in this already fantastical promise.
Sarah was about ninety years old when she gave birth to Isaac, his name meaning "he will laugh," reflecting the fact both of his parents laughed in disbelief at a miracle child.
One important thing I've gathered from these passages is that God didn't bash anyone for their disbelief or momentary doubt. God gives us a brain to think. He doesn't want blind faith as in sheeple. You can find numerous instances in the Bible where He denounces people being "blind" or how evil people "blind" others into following them. He even states He gave us ears to hear and eyes to see. You may have momentary doubts. Use your head to understand God, try to understand God and not merely fall away.

"Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding." Proverbs 3:13
We need to grow. Some things will never be understood about God's nature. We need to know that we won't always have the answers for everything, but that doesn't mean we should be blind.
"For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil." Hebrews 5:12-14
Even God is evidenced using our senses that God gave us.
"For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." Romans 1:20

He is the light, and that means He loves understanding, wisdom, and the truth. Seek the truth, and He will guide you. Don't wallow in the doubt but use it to strengthen your faith in a God who will surely always follow through on His promises. Trust in Him because He wants you to know Him, eyes wide open.

Science vs Faith

"A bit of science distances one from God, but much science nears one to Him... The more I study nature, the more I stand amazed at the work of the Creator." - Louis Pasteur

Can we look more closely at the terms faith and science?

faith - complete trust or confidence in someone or something; strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.

science - the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment. (Webster)

At first glance, they may seem impossible to coincide. The need for proof and observation contradicts belief without evidence. However, there are many theories in science which are not purely based on observation and experiment such as:

1) The Big Bang
2) Macroevolution
3) Several Physics ideas (i.e. string theory)
4) Several Astronomy ideas (i.e. black-holes)

I believe a better definition of science would be an activity of study arriving at a logical conclusion, based on the available proof. In theory, this means that each person could come up with a different logical conclusion from the same evidence.

Many religions, but especially the Judeo-Christian faith, base their beliefs on faith. We don't need proof to believe. However, what if God wanted us to study Him, not in order to believe but because of our already existent faith?

God formed us with a brain, eyes, and ears that He continually asks us to use:

"Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear?" Mark 8:18

Humanity has a natural, subconscious craving to follow God, whether we actively believe in Him or not. Yet, so many want to take the position that Christianity and science are two distinctly separate modes of thought. What is science but the study of God and His creations?

There are many arguments that advanced science is described in the Bible such as the belief that the Earth is suspended on nothing (Job 26:7), and possibly dinosaurs are described (Job 40:15 & 41:1). Some say that in Genesis 2:21, when God took one of Adam's ribs to form Eve, the word in Hebrew is curve instead of just rib. They say this may be acknowledgement of DNA. All of these are debatable theories.

Then, of course the whole of Leviticus is a study in psychology, sociology, and medicine. Many cultures at the time had little knowledge of sanitation practices and quarantining infectious diseases, unlike the Hebrews. (On how this saved many Jewish people during the Black Death much later on in history will be discussed in another blog post - stay tuned!)

Nevertheless, it is my belief that to separate science and Christianity is a fallacy and a detriment to humanity. We are made to seek God in many ways, and one of those ways is science. The "natural laws" are a testament to the order God brought out of the chaos. You may find it interesting there are many scientists (Christians and non-Christians) who agree that faith and science can and should mutually exist:

"Sometimes people ask if religion and science are not opposed to one another. They are: in the sense that the thumb and fingers of my hand are opposed to one another. It is an opposition by means of which anything can be grasped."- Sir William Bragg (physicist, chemist, mathematician)

"The gift of mental power comes from God, Divine Being, and we concentrate our minds on that truth, we become in tune with this great power." - Nikola Tesla (physicist, inventor, electrical/mechanical engineer)

"Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind." - Einstein (theoretical physicist)

"This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being." - Sir Isaac Newton (mathematician, astronomer, physicist)

"One arrives at the conclusion that biomaterials with their amazing measure of order must be the outcome of intelligent design. No other possibility I have been able to think of..." - Sir Fred Hoyle (astronomer)

"The reason that science works is because God upholds the universe in a consistent and uniform way." - Jason Lisle PHD (astrophysicist)

There is so much that we don't know about the world. We have yet to understand the complexities of the human brain, the depths of the oceans, or the outer limits of the solar system. We have not discovered all the plants, animals, insects, and microorganisms on Earth, and there are new ones all the time. We have not yet invented everything or solved the world's many crises with our limited knowledge. Although we're forever searching and learning, we will never discover everything as some things in this life are beyond our grasp. In those situations, we must live by faith.

Science is like the brain and faith is like the heart. We never say we only need one or the other; we need both to survive. In conclusion, my scientific theory is that God is the most logical reason for everything that exists, and I base that on, not only the many ways God has touched my life and those around me, but also - faith.