From Dust We Came...

Did you ever become aware of a new piece of information without being able to remember exactly how or when you obtained it? I'm having one of those moments. At any rate, There is new information and a new theory about the origin of the universe and life as we know it.



It all came from dust.


That's right.



Dust.



Cosmic dust.



I did a little (ok, very little) research on the subject and found out that this some variations of this theory have been around for a few years now. Fascinating.



For a few years the scientific community has proposed that everything we know comes (one way or another) from dust. Believers have known this for a few thousand years already. God made us from the dust.



Genesis 2:7




Some people are worried that science is killing God. Science isn't killing God. Science can't kill God.




I saw an amusing t-shirt. It read:



God is dead.
-Nietzsche

Nietzsche is dead.
-God



Science is revealing God, little by little, in all His Glory and Majesty.



Science is a gift from God. He created us with questioning minds. We want to understand where we came from, who and what we are. He gave us science so we could learn everything except that which we were never meant to know. That we might learn all there is to know about everything except the one thing we can't ever explain: God Himself.

Years ago, I had an interesting conversation in a coffee shop with a lady several decades my senior. We were talking about modern medicine. I had just finished reading an article about nanobots, tiny little robots small enough to actually travel through the human body and perform surgical repairs on critical areas like the heart and brain. The article also hinted at the possibility that these little robots could be used to create smaller robots which in turn could create smaller robots and so on, down to an unbelievably small size. There is also the hypothesis that these little buggers might someday be programmed with (or scarier still, develop) artificial intelligence and maybe create other little robots spontaneously. As I shared this information with this elderly lady, she seemed to grow a little uneasy with the whole concept. She straightened herself in her chair, looked me in the eye and said in a slow, dignified, confident tone:

"God will stop it."

Well, maybe. God certainly could stop it, but does God have to stop it?

That's what you call one of those rhetorical questions.

Fact is, He doesn't have to. God isn't worried about us finding out what's behind the curtain. The mystery of creation is safe from human understanding unless and until God decides to reveal it to us. Right now, we're just not ready. We may never be. If He decided to show us before we were ready, then we'd probably all end up like the dude in the turban at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark. It's absolutely mind blowing. In this life, we can't possibly understand or handle His glory. God revealed himself ever so slightly to Moses and afterward, Moses' face was so bright that no one could look upon him. We cannot fathom the utter majesty of the Lord's face.

Every mystery science solves in this area, leaves another mystery. The answer to the greatest mysteries is always the greatest mystery of all, God.

Some people believe in the big bang theory, that everything in the entire universe was condensed into one impossibly small speck of 'nothing' that (for no particular reason) exploded and scattered to eventually form all the 'something' that we now "know."

God-fearing believers know that the Lord created everything ex nihilo, out of nothing. Before and the boundless and infinite universe, there was only God, The Great "I Am."

If you contend as I do that these two scenarios are equally plausible, then it comes down to what you believe. It comes down to faith. You can either believe that God created the universe, or that it somehow created itself.

It's a lot like the question of whether God created man or man created God. It's the ultimate 'Which came first the chicken or the egg?' question. (My take on that one, BTW is that God made the first chickens [and roosters] and they got together and laid eggs and made more chickens. The bottom line is that it doesn't matter, because God could just as easily made fertilized chicken eggs which hatched into chickens which bred more chickens.)

I digress.

At the risk of knocking over a straw horse, I'm going to say that it's a no-brainer. If you believe that man created God, then you must believe that the universe created itself and we made up stories about God or gods to explain everything we didn't understand. Humans have done plenty of that. Even "civilized" ancient cultures like those found in Egypt, Greece, South and Central America, the Far East and so on, have or have had (mostly polytheistic, idolatrous) religions to explain why the world is the way it is and how it got that way. It is encouraging to note that many of the peoples in these cultures have found comfort in the Truth about the Living God. It is disheartening to think that many may have been converted under duress. It's also sobering to think of the billions who haven't yet heard or accepted the Truth. Depsite the advance of Christianity, there's still a long long way to go.

Wow. Looking back on this little e-pistle, such as it is, I realize just how rambling it is. That's the risk I run, I suppose, for writing stream-of-consciousness style. It's not exactly James Joyce or T.S. Eliot, but... it is what it is.

When we ponder something as infinite as the universe, we start to question things. I used to think that my questions and doubts were fatal flaws. I know now that God is way bigger than any doubts my feeble little mind can come up with. It's OK to doubt. God can handle it. Just don't let your doubts win in the end. Don't give up on your faith just because you have questions. Jeremiah questioned God. Moses questioned God. God responded. God will answer your questions, too. He's got all the answers. All of God's answers are the right ones, to boot, BTW. Look to Him for the answers.

Peace be with you.

Are you a "man's man."

I have a challenge for all the guys out there.

Don't be a "man's man."

I think the pressure placed on the males in our culture to be "manly" is largely responsible for a great many of our social problems. I think the issue stems from a thorough lack of understanding on our part of what God wants a man to be.

I think we need to set our sights much higher. Instead of trying to be "manly" we should try to be godly. Jesus set the bar. Way up there. He wasn't a "man's man." He was God as a man. He was God's man. That should be our target, too.

God did not intend for us to be a bunch of beer-swilling, tobacco-chewing, foul-mouthed, oversexed, brawling Neanderthals. (My apologies to the GEICO cavemen)

Where I live, this last statement is akin to heresy. Too many men seem to think that this sort of behavior is exactly what makes a man a man. Worse, they are breeding little versions of themselves, passing a perversion of God's vision for us to future generations. Whether they realize it or not.

We are made in the image of God.

God is not a redneck.

I can't understand how some men can use the Lord's name in vain over and over again. It's almost as if they cannot utter a single sentence without saying something blasphemous. It's offensive and absolutely unnecessary. Sadly, most people have become so desensitized to it that it's a non-event in so many conversations. Why do people need to say "God" or "Christ" as if cursing? It bothers me even to hear somebody say "Oh my God." in response to the most trivial of events. Is any of this manly? It sure isn't godly.

Many people seem to think that a "man's man" is also supposed to be some sort of sexual conquistador, too. I think there's an overwhelming amount of biblical evidence (and an even more overwhelming amount of real-world evidence, too, for that matter) that a lack of restraint in this area is a surefire recipe for disaster. When a man sees a woman, he should look at her as Christ would look at her, with respect and genuine love, not lust. A "man's man" is lustful and objectifies women. God's man sees a beloved sister in Christ. A person of worth, fearfully and wonderfully made. The next time you look at a woman the wrong way, ask yourself if you would like some other man ogling your wife or daughter that way.

I think that most men make the excuse that they can't help it. That's just how guys are. They contend that every "real" man has an uncontrollable sex drive. Worse, they try to weasel out of the responsibility for it by saying that's how God made them.

Not so.

God gave us the sex drive, but we're the ones who have made it uncontrollable. It's a monster that grows when you feed it. Stop feeding it. I highly recommend the book Every Man's Battle by Fred Stoeker and Stephen Arterburn. Read this book. Internalize the message. You can starve the monster.

I challenge you to take down those posters in the garage. Burn your magazine and/or video collection, quit drinking, watch your mouth, stop smoking and chewing. If you do, you'll be better than a "man's man." You'll be a few steps closer to being God's man.

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog, Unworthy Prophet.
Bear with me...I'm new at this.

I've been threatening to create a blog for some time now. Those who know me will probably think I'm crazy or just have too much time on my hands, but I do have a good reason for doing this-the best reason in the world, in fact. It was time to take the leap. It is truly a leap of faith. It is my sincere hope that my readers will find this blog interesting, useful, and inspiring. Please read on.

Just what do I think I'm doing?

What exactly is my purpose in creating and maintaining this blog? Well, frankly, It has to do with my conviction to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Several times in the New Testament, Jesus commands those he heals and helps to tell everyone what God has done for them. We should be no different. We owe everything good in our lives, indeed our very lives themselves, to Christ. This is my humble way of trying to give something back for what God and Jesus Christ have done for me. I hope that in these posts someone somewhere will find a reason to come to Christ. Further, I hope that those among you who are already believers will grow in your faith and love as you read these epistles. I hope these little sermons, such as they are, will empower each of you to share your faith with others and help them come to Christ and grow in the Faith. There is no higher purpose in life. In fact, life is without purpose apart from the Lord.

I gotta represent.


Why 'Unworthy Prophet'?

There has only ever been One who never sinned, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came to us to die for our sins and restore our relationship with the Father. Without the Lord's grace, we would still be separated from Him by sin. The Most Holy Place would still be enshrouded by a heavy curtain.

As for me, I side with the apostle Paul, who routinely referred to himself as the least of all the saints. I, too, am the least of all-and hardly a saint. I have sinned greatly and repeatedly in my life, and I pray for the Lord's continued mercy and grace. I also pray for humility and wisdom, so I don't stumble again.

Unworthy?

Definitely.

Prophet?

Well, let's just say that I mean well. I hope my efforts, tiny respective to my sins and need for the Lord's grace, are pleasing to Him. Let the glory be given to God, for He is the only One worthy.

More soon.
Peace to you in Jesus Christ,
Damon