Tag Archives: Space

Daniel: Overcoming Chronophobia

Posted on by
Reply

(Note: This is the 7th in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

Fear Of The Future

Have you ever been afflicted with “chronophobia” at some time in your life? Perhaps, you say, you’d admit it if you knew what it was! “Chronophobia” is the “fear of the future.” It manifests itself in many ways; but, it’s always related, in some way, to time— it might be like an anxiety rush sweeping over you because it feels like time’s moving too fast; or, maybe it’s a sort of “emptiness” you feel at your 40th birthday as the kids start to leave home; or, a paralyzing dread as you wonder what you’ve done with your life; or, an apprehension over a future event. For me, that “fear of the future” used to kick in when I started getting close to a doctor or a dentist appointment— any activity involving a procedure in which needles or drills were used!

The Apprehensions Of Life

All of us live with a certain apprehension as we look down the road of life; and, wonder where it’s going to take us! Daniel’s story encourages anyone suffering from chronophobia. Because God is Sovereign, we don’t need to fear the future! Because He has absolute supreme power & authority over time, space & all of creation, we don’t need to live in fear.  In the Old Testament book of Daniel, we note that King Nebuchadnezzar was suffering, in part, from a bout of chronophobia. Daniel ch. 2, v.1 says he “…had dreams that troubled him, and sleep deserted him.”  And, we find out later that what troubled him were future events. When Daniel came into his presence— after God had given him the dream & the interpretation— he told him, “Your majesty, while you were in your bed, thoughts came to your mind about what will happen in the future” (v.29). 

Contrasting Faith With No Faith

Much of Daniel’s story sheds light on the contrast between someone who has faith in God & someone who does not! Through all the pain, suffering & embarrassment of being dispossessed & exiled from his native land, Daniel had grown in his dependence & trust in God. He lived in the absolute freedom that a belief in the Sovereignty of God brings. The king, however, lived under the constant fear of losing his power & kingdom in the future. That contrasting lifestyle & worldview is what God eventually uses, in the king’s life, to bring him to faith! In Daniel, the king observed a quiet confidence in God’s wisdom & plan. His life showed such disparity from those around him, that the king began to take notice.

One Thing The King Didn’t Have

Daniel’s life & faith will eventually become so compelling to the king because he’ll come to realize it’s the one thing he didn’t have! And, all his power & all his stuff could never satisfy his troubled heart. Let’s remember that as we have the occasion to interact with unbelievers! It doesn’t matter how many of this world’s blessings & goods they have; if they don’t have Jesus there’s dissatisfaction there! For Daniel, however, there was no fear of the future. In the last half of chapter 2, God comes through like He always does. The timing might not be as we’d like it to be, but His ways are higher than ours & He always delivers! Daniel truly believed that God was Sovereign; so, he didn’t need to fear the future! The king, however, suffered from chronophobia & became preoccupied with his own life! That is a poisonous combination! And it’s something God will eventually point out to the king! Something that God will use to deliver him from himself & his chronophobia!

The Word Became Flesh!

Posted on by
Reply

-Jesus: The Word!

The opening verses of John’s Gospel reveal that “The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as of the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). And, even though John doesn’t mention Jesus by name until v.17, it’s quite clear that the “Word” is a person; and, that Person is Jesus! In v.15 he writes that John the Baptizer testified who the “Word” was; and, we know that he testified about Jesus! So, here’s the point; John says in that first phrase, in v.1, “In the beginning was the Word…” So, Jesus, the “Word”, existed in eternity before the beginning of everything!

-In The Beginning!

I think it’s fascinating that the Spirit of God led John, the Apostle, to introduce his Gospel with the same 3 words as opened the book of Genesis— “In the beginning…”  And, the Genesis account went on to say that, “…God created the heavens & the earth…”; and, that becomes even more significant as you get further into John’s 1st chapter. It is no accident that both books begin the same way. So, John locates Jesus, in relation to time; that He was before time. At the “beginning” of everything, including time, Jesus already existed. Jude concludes his short little book like this: “To the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen”  (Jude 1:25).  The Apostle Paul wrote Timothy that God gave us grace, in Jesus, “…before time began…” (2 Tim 1:9).  Before there was time & matter there was Jesus! He’s the eternal One!

-Jesus Was God!

Go back to the 1st chapter of John’s Gospel; and, John also testifies that, “…(Jesus) the Word was with God & was God…” (v.1). And, in the next verse, he continues, “…He (Jesus, the Word) was with God in the beginning…” (v.2).  The essence of His identity is found in that one brief phrase— the Word was God! And, while that phrase is incredibly simple, its weight couldn’t be any heavier! It boggles my mind to think that Jesus— a man; a historical figure that walked on this planet— was GOD! Before He took on the nature of a man; before He became flesh, He existed eternally as God! He fellowshipped with the Father & the Spirit before the universe came to be!

-Before Time & Space!

When time & space began, Jesus was already there. And, if that isn’t enough to hurt your brain, the next thing John says about Jesus, the “Word”, is equally astonishing. Look at the next verse: “All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created” (v.3). And, then look at v.10: “He was in the world, and the world was created through Him” Let the magnitude of that thought just sink in for a bit; that, Jesus, the “Word” who was made flesh, was the Creator of everything! Jesus, the “Word”, who was born in a dirty old manger!

-Jesus: Your Maker!

Jesus, the “Word”, who lived a perfect life; who taught us; and, who died for us because of our sin, is the One who created everything! Jesus, your Savior, your Lord, and, your Friend, is also your Maker! Someone put it like this: “The most obvious and important connection John makes is this: The God who created the universe is the One who was found lying in a Bethlehem manger. John wants us to know that the ‘Jesus’ he introduces is the Messiah promised in the Old Testament. More than this, the Jesus who is the Messiah is the Jesus who is God. Our Lord did not ‘begin to be’ in Bethlehem. He did not even have His origins in Genesis 1 and 2 when God created the world. He was there; He already existed when the world was created. He was there with God. He was there as God.” Now some debate this! The Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Muslim faith; and, all brands of Arianism reject the Deity of Jesus! They reject the Biblical account!

Where Does God Live?

Posted on by
Reply

-Here’s The Sunday School Answer!

So, where does God live? If you go with the Sunday School answer, it’s “heaven” right? But, it’s actually a bit more complicated than you might think! We sometimes speak about the “tension” in Scripture, where it seems like there might be a contradiction! Or, it seems like it communicates that two opposites can both be true! The Psalmist puts it like this:  “The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD’S throne is in heaven” Psalm 11:4.  The Prophet Isaiah prayed:  “Look down from heaven and see from Your holy and glorious habitation” Isaiah 63:15.  And, Psalm 103:19 says, “The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His Sovereignty rules over all.”  So, YES, the Scripture teaches that God lives in heaven, doesn’t it?

-Heaven Cannot Contain Him!

But, at the same time, what do we do with King Solomon’s inspired words in 1 Kings 8:27?  “But will God indeed live on earth? Even heaven, the highest heaven, cannot contain You, much less this temple I have built.” The wisest man, who ever lived, said that heaven cannot contain God! So, heaven isn’t big enough for God to live! He’s BIGGER than heaven! And, he says that the temple he built was also too SMALL for Him; and, yet God is said to dwell in something much smaller than the temple! He dwells inside us:  “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” 1 Cor. 3:16  The Apostle Paul wrote the Church of Ephesus; and, told them that they were, as a local church, “…being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” Ephesians 2:22. It almost seems like a contradiction, doesn’t it? So, what’s the answer?

-God Is Omnipresent!

The answer is that God is OMNIPRESENT! That means He is “All Present”; or, present everywhere at once! King David asked, “Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.  If I live at the eastern horizon or settle at the western limits, even there Your hand will lead me; Your right hand will hold on to me.  If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light around me will be night”— even the darkness is not dark to You. The night shines like the day; darkness and light are alike to You” Psalm 139: 7-12.  Where can I go, where you’re not present, he asks? If I go to heaven…you’re THERE! If I go to hell…you’re THERE! If I move out east; or, out west, you’re THERE! Even if I hide, in the dark, you’re THERE! And, it’s not dark to You, God! Even more amazing? His Omnipresence is more than spatial! He created space & TIME!

-That Hurts My Brain!

That means God is Omnipresent in TIME also; because He’s outside of it! So, from our viewpoint, He is PRESENT in the PAST, PRESENT & the FUTURE all at the same time! Ouch! That hurts my brain to think about it! That’s certainly better & more interesting than any SciFi movie! Now, here’s the significance, of that, in regard to our salvation. For all eternity, God has determined to assemble a people with whom to dwell! From the beginning of Genesis, God has revealed to us the truth of His Gospel; that, He wants us to know the “good news” that He Himself is making a way to restore our relationship, with Him, that our sin had destroyed! Jesus’ atoning work on the cross was God’s final answer! So, one day, in eternity, “God’s dwelling will be with humanity, and He will live with them” Rev 21:3.  He will be Omnipresent with us! Amen!

 

God’s Plan Is Relentless!

Posted on by
Reply

-His Program For Restoration!

Genesis is the book of beginnings or origins; and, that’s an appropriate title because it unpacks the “genesis” of Creation and life! It also reveals mankind’s first sin and how it messed up the perfect world God created. Thankfully, we’re also introduced to the “genesis” of God’s divine program to restore His broken world & our broken lives, to the greatest fullness possible, through Jesus.  Genesis announces God’s relentless plan to restore fellowship with humanity & fulfill His purpose for Creation.

-Objections To God!

One of the most frequent objections— to God— that I hear, is in regard to all the pain & suffering that goes on in the world. “If God is capable of doing something about it,” the argument goes, “Then, why doesn’t He?” And, my answer is that He DID respond & He CONTINUES to respond; and, I can understand your anger over all the injustice & inhumane activity in the world! But, if you’re directing that anger @ God, then it’s misguided! You need to look in a mirror! WE ALL DO! Because, WE are the reason for all the evil, the suffering, the injustices, the wars, the slavery & human trafficking.

-He Is Relentless To Forgive!

It’s the book of Genesis that reveals where it all went wrong! Genesis also reveals God’s anger over all the perversity in the world; and, He’s devised a flawless plan— in eternity “past”— to restore His fellowship with us & His purpose for His Creation.  And, that’s the thread that runs throughout the entire Biblical narrative. From Genesis— the BEGINNING— to the last book of the Bible— the Revelation of the END— God is relentless in His commitment to love every man, woman, boy & girl who’s ever walked this earth; or, ever will walk it! He’s relentless to forgive the sin of every man, woman, boy & girl who will humble themselves before Him! He saves everyone who confesses their sin & unworthiness; and, accepts His plan for their lives!

-An Assumption That God Exists!

The very first verse, of the Bible, says:  “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” So, the Bible begins with the assumption that God exists. It doesn’t try & prove it. It just says, “THERE IS A GOD!” The New Testament book, of Hebrews, says, “Now without faith, it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him” Hebrews 11:6.

-Pleasing God!

According to the author, of Hebrews, the 1st step, in pleasing God, is believing He exists. In the beginning, there was God! There was nothing else. He existed before the universe! He TRANSCENDS the heavens & the earth. He’s OUTSIDE of it! That means He created time & space. He created all the physical laws of the universe; so, He’s not subject to them! Rather, the laws, of the universe, are subject to HIM! That’s what we mean when we say that God TRANSCENDS creation. The 1st verse, in the Bible, also makes it clear that God is the main character in the Bible! That may crush our little human egos; but, we’re NOT the center of the universe! GOD is at the center of it all; and, His infinite worth & value is the ultimate value in all the universe!