Hope

Hope Is A Gift

Praise Jesus that He gives us hope! "May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word" (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).

After I finished high school I came to believe that I was in the most blessed generation in all of history. We were war-time and post-war babies. We had everything in front of us. The terrible devastations of World War I (1914-1918), the Great Depression (which began in 1929), and World War II (1939-1945) were past.

The powerful influences which had made the Western democracies such great places to live were being reinforced:

•  Freedom of speech

•  Freedom of conscience

•  Freedom of association

•  Freedom of religion

•  Freedom to own property and businesses

•  The precious value of every person

•  The equality of every person, and

•  The certainty that the people should always have more power and influence than governments and their officials, "the State" ..

These principles were regarded as cornerstones of our cultures, our national identities, and of our lives.

At the same time economies were coming to life after years of focus on war. New and recent inventions promised unprecedented increases in productivity and standards of living. We saw full employment. Every school leaver could choose his or her occupation and was free to pursue that field. I was able to support myself full-time at university with just my savings from working summer breaks in factories or harvest gangs. There appeared to be no limits.

We knew that there would never be another Holocaust; the lessons of recent history could never be forgotten.

But the record shows that the kinds of cruelty which were needed for the WWII Holocaust were already present before that war, and are with us still, somewhere in the world. Right through the Twentieth Century leaders of nations were ordering the killing of their own people; more that 100,000,000 died in this way. It seems that history continues to repeat itself.

And now we see reverses against our Christianity, our freedoms and our culture. 2000 years ago Jesus warned His disciples: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

Despite the loveliness and power of Christian life, the spirit of the world is vigorously at work in the world as it once was in each of us: "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:1-2, also see John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11).

Today we see many results of the "work of the sons of disobedience" particularly in the Western democracies and the Middle East. But always we can hope when we remember that " .. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8b).

Hope Overcomes Difficulties

And we remember that "God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work" (2 Corinthians 9:8). Doing work with Jesus gives us testimony which helps to sustain and encourage us and build us up; we see miracles, we see people change and grow as we pray for them as we follow Jesus. "Now may the God of peace .. equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen" (Hebrews 13:20-21).

I believe that I hope because I can. To me, hope is a kind of manifestation of Jesus in the world. I look up with my eyes of hope and see Jesus' hands on people and on events. Almost all the people I know are Christian; we share a Christian worldview; we look at the world through Holy Spirit filled eyes. We see love and kindness, indeed all the fruits of the Spirit: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law" (Galatians 5:22).

But Christians are now a minority in many countries where previously they shaped the laws and the culture. We are becoming a remnant; persecution is increasing. Thankfully we have clear Scripture telling us how to live, even if we are attacked or jailed. Paul's letters are so compelling because he writes with clear testimony; he does not mince words. The ministry Jesus gave to him was costly. We may talk about being an overcomer, implying that this will lead to victories and "success", but Paul seems to have overcome one great hardship just in time to be faced with the next one!

"Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this). I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have laboured and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.  Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.  Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?" (2 Corinthians 11:23-29).

As we read Paul's letters it becomes clear that he never lost hope, hope was an essential part of him. I'm beginning to believe that life for active, truth-speaking Christians may soon become like his ..

Bright Future

We may live as a remnant in a lost world, but, like Paul, we know where we are going, and we know who will accompany us on our journey: Jesus says "And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). 

We are eternally safe with Jesus who saved us from death and sin; He paid the full price and justified us: "Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies .. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?" (Romans 8:33,35).

I believe that faith, hope and love are becoming more important than food. Our identifying with Jesus is vital .. as we read accounts of persecuted Christians we see that this is true: it is those who are able to really hold fast to Jesus who will endure to the end and know the peace of the Lord:

" .. Barnabas arrived in Antioch and saw what grace (favour) God was bestowing upon them, he was full of joy; and he continuously exhorted (warned, urged, and encouraged) them all to cleave unto and remain faithful to and devoted to the Lord with resolute and steadfast purpose of heart" (Acts 11:22-23 Amplified).

"These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14).

"And they have conquered [the accuser, Satan], by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death" (Revelation 12:11).

"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7).

As I approach the end of my days I am so grateful for the hope Jesus gives me. The thought of some day living with Him thrills me and keeps me vital ..  I'm able to persevere and to press on because I know by faith that there is something breathtakingly wonderful up ahead. And beyond all of this; Jesus has work on the Earth for me, for each of His people, He has plans for us to share in His work among all humankind ..

"We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 1:3).

"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10).

"Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing .." (John 14:12).

" .. the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.  To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:25-27).

In this biblical context "hope" is about a future certainty; it is not just wishful thinking. "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not yet seen" (Hebrews 11:1).

How do I hope? I have faith. Abba Father, and Jesus, and Holy Spirit have all revealed themselves to me time and time again. Over these past decades they have given me hundreds, perhaps thousands of testimonies of the glorious Creation and their life and work in the Universe. Their Word says "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:13).

I believe that faith, hope and love belong together. Out of the mess that was my life before I was saved, Jesus has grown these qualities in me, slowly but inexorably. I now have a strong faith; for a long time it was Jesus' faith in me that kept me going. Now all those years of His patient effort are bearing much fruit. "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6 NASB).

Hope Builds Heroes

Last year Trish and I were praying for Robert, the husband of one of Trish's teaching colleagues, Grace. Robert was still quite young and led a very healthy lifestyle. I began to pray when I learned that he was rapidly deteriorating from motor neuron disease, a nervous system disease that weakens muscles and impacts physical function, and for which medicine has no cure.

Throughout his illness Robert and Grace prayed, they were filled with faith and the belief that Jesus heals, even today, and that He would heal Robert. They studied the Bible as it discusses healing, and attended Christian healing seminars and meetings. But his body continued to decline and he died.

Robert started to keep a diary and Grace published excerpts from it and gave them out at his funeral. Robert's diary is beautiful; it shows a man who knows his God and fully trusts Him. He was constantly seeking ways to grow in Christ, and to love more .. Here is a man filled with Jesus' hope. Robert has become one of my Christian heroes; his undying hope adds even more certainty to my own hope!

We cannot live without hope, knowing Jesus leads to hope, and hope sustains: "And what is faith? Faith gives substance to our hopes, and makes us certain of realities we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1 NEB).

Praise Jesus  .. Amen.

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Great blessings.

Wildflowers

"The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land" (Song of Solomon 2:12). 

In late Spring Trish, my wife, and I spent a week travelling in our State's mid-west. For me this was a bucket list trip. It was the peak wildflower time ..

I've always loved the outdoors; there is a popular expression: "the great Australian outdoor way of life", and this is me, and Trish, and our children and now, their young and growing families ..

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You can see why we are world famous for wild flowers here, such glory. So reflective of our generous creator God.







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As soon as the soil type changed, or even the way the land slopes towards the sun, or is able to retain the rain's moisture, the varieties change .. a constant parade of never-seen-before delicacy and beauty.









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"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands" (Psalm 19:1).











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Late Winter and Spring were unusually rainy this year. This meant that those parts of our vast State where wildflowers bloom late were especially well blessed. They flourished and we rejoiced in the beauty. We stayed in Moora, Canamah, Jurien, Coomalo.










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"Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord's renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever" (Isaiah 55:13).





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Trish can only get away in school holidays so we had to wait until very late September and early October for our adventure. Where we went, this was the best time to visit this year. Such amazing variety, such awesome beauty.



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"As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes" (Psalm 103:15).













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The hundreds of species were scattered so randomly, casting seed, their babies growing together, even sharing root-space sometimes, stunning ..












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We would stop the car to check out a flower and be delighted to find ten or fifteen different kinds within a few steps. Each uniquely different. So beautiful, planted by God Himself for His own joy. Probably no-one else stopped just there all year long!










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"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands" (Isaiah 55:12).






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We had planned a driving holiday and stayed in four places. But if you knew the best spot for the time of your trip, you could easily spend a whole week in one place, just wandering around. So awesomely variable, such explosive growth.









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"Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy" (Psalm 96:12).










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These meadows and roadsides are not lush or luxuriant like rainforests. I was always aware that these millions of plants are really tough. This is low rainfall country and these lovely, and often delicate looking, plants and shrubs have to fight to establish themselves and to endure. I was just so aware that I was looking at pictures of Christian life .. Beautiful, not always easy, having to push through, to hang on, and to persevere .. But, nevertheless, a glory to Jesus!







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"Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these" (Luke 12:27).











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They were scattered so randomly, casting seed, their babies growing together, even sharing root-space sometimes, stunning ..










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"My beloved is to me a cluster of henna flowers in the vineyards of En-gedi, famed for its fragrant shrubs" (Song of Solomon 1:14).











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Some were so very delicate while others seemed to be tough to survive in our sunburnt country, robust, even spiky like desert plants ..







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"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; without him nothing was made that has been made.   In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind" (John 1:1-4).




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Thank you Jesus. Amen.

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Amen.

It's Hard Being Christian

Shoulder Rotator Cuff Tear

My left shoulder has been troubling me for most of the year. This escalated when a tendon tore badly as I was loading bikes onto the rack on Tricia's car. I now see that it's hard being Christian when you are in pain and your physical abilities are constrained, and you can't get enough good sleep.

It feels as though the steepness of the "hill of life" has increased, and troubles seem harder to deal with. It is definitely harder to stay cheerful and positive, and to be conscious that I am always with Jesus, and always being cared for and favoured by Him.

But there are plenty of good and lovely things which bring encouragement. Our second son, Daniel, (now Frank, a family name), married Anlia, a radiographer; she operates an MRI machine. She arranged for me to have a shoulder ultrasound scan which would be supervised and reported by the really gun doctor at their practice. He told me "your shoulder is a mess, it has done an awful lot of work; one tendon is broken and another is hanging by a thread".

Then Merci, wife of our fourth son, Peter, stepped in. She's a 

physiotherapist. After reading the report she said: "Wow, it really is a mess. But the damage is mostly to your tendons and we can do good things for that! With correct exercise the muscles which are now weak will become strong and your posture will get better. Together these two changes will improve the mechanics of all your arm movements. You'll be operating more as God intended when He designed and made you; things will be much better".

Well, it took some months but we are now at that point; things are much better; I know I'm stronger, and there is now less pain, (but still enough to be a constant reminder and a bother). I still get less done in a day and do not sleep very well; the pain increases when I lie down (nobody can tell me why this is so), and I keep waking up, so do not get those long periods of deep sleep that we need for our body to repair itself.

I find that it is much harder to stay close to Jesus. This makes no sense .. I have so many great testimonies of how He helped me get beyond serious relational problems, and cancers and heart disease and diabetes and even the scourge of envy when my (until then exciting) career fell apart. I remind myself that I know the truth, and that I have seen many lives radically changed by our lovely Lord .. Despite all this it is hard to stay close ..

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak" (Isaiah 40:28-29).

There are so very many places in Scripture where we see Jesus as the most peaceful, kind, gentle and loving guy. (There are also places where He is angry or tough because He is just and He hates injustice). In my heart of hearts I know that if I could just stay snuggled up with Jesus everything would seem easier and my outlook would be brighter.

It's a bit like Martha and Mary in the Bible. Mary wanted to hang out with Jesus and worship Him, and learn about the Kingdom of God; Martha saw all these hospitality and household things that needed doing and pressed into them (Luke 10:40-42). Sure, everybody got fed and had a bed to sleep in, but Jesus is the "bread of life" (John 6:35) and the "light of humankind" (John 1:4) and He helps us with our burdens (Matthew 11:29-30); this is what Mary was seeking. Jesus has promised to meet our needs (Luke 12). Does this mean we'll experience miracles (Matthew 14:20) if we all pour ourselves out to Him? Sometimes "yes", right? But mostly we seem to need to look after the infrastructure and the fabric of our lives or they will quickly unravel .. I've always felt a strong kinship with Martha while admiring Mary's gift for being able to spend those many hours close to Jesus. 

But these days I feel a lot like Martha. At the same time I'm very grateful for the whole-weeks-at-a-time I'm able to head South to the camp by the sea and write. I love Trish and our family very much but those weeks with Jesus are a treasure .. my Mary time .. At home I get caught up in the day-to-day house-husband and Dad  things .. like Martha.

Now, with my shoulder, I find that:

•  I don’t read my Bible as much as I feel I should

•  My prayer life is smaller and with little vision, I'm easily distracted

•  I don’t seek Jesus, or my heavenly Father, enough, I don't hang out as much

•  I feel that I'm not as compassionate or empathetic and am more inward looking

•  It's really hard to help others because I'm tired and less motivated

•  I try to be generous but .. surely ..

•  I'm naturally shy and not good at conversation or “fellowship”.

"I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven" (Psalm 123:1). Israel would sing "psalms of ascent" when they were walking up the steps to the temple; we know that we are in a better (and higher) place when we are consciously in the presence of God. I know this truth and have affirmed it countless times .. why do I now allow the pain and tiredness to get in the way? Jesus is always with us (Matthew 28:20); I just have to acknowledge this truth.

But it's not all darkness; several times each day I'm encouraged .. Jesus is such a good friend (John 15:15), such a good big brother (Romans 8:15) that even when we wallow in our difficulties He will help by moving things along.

"God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1).

Hallelujah! Recent Encouragements:

Family

Our Peter and Merci have been exploring the idea of living and working in New York City. Well, Peter now has a job with a big and prestigious advertising agency in their head office on Sixth Avenue. The couple have a tiny apartment in Chinatown, a delightful part of Manhattan, and they are loving it there. While Peter and Merci waited for their visas to be approved they agreed to come and have dinner with Trish and I one night each week. Our family often get together, even so, we thought this may be a bit over-the-top, but it turned out to be a really special season. I cooked something special each time. So for several weeks we were saturated with family .. It was an outstanding time in our lives. So much love. Many of us spontaneously thanked our heavenly Father for giving us each other. Love, laughter, delightful conversation and wonderful food filled our house. Thank you Jesus for your lovely participation in our lives.

Christian Unity

In Australia we are having a plebiscite, a national survey which will indicate to Government what the people want. The issue is same sex marriage. The Christian churches have really come together to argue and fight for our corner, for God's biblical view on this issue. Over recent years I've been excited about the increasing Christian desire for unity which is reflected in the increase in opportunities to do things together, outside the four walls of our church buildings. But now, during this campaign, our unity has taken on a brilliant new glow. It's really exciting. I have a number of other big projects on-the-go and am often tired, yet I'm motivated to join some of the campaign activities. Jesus' life in His people is amazing and encouraging.

Adventure and Growth

Trish went on a 74 kilometre (46 mile) bush walk with the Bible Society as a fundraiser for Chaplains. We have an internationally famous walk here called the Bibbulmun Track (1003 km or 623 mi), and her team walked part of that. I'm notably older than Trish and we have been walking (still together but) different distances for a year or two. But this was something new, her heading off with others to be truly challenged. (Also it is something I used to do before we met). I stayed home and worked on PsalmsOfJohn.com while she walked. It's spring time so there is an explosion of life in Western Australia. Those days she walked were stormy with strong winds and lots of rain. I was praying that none of the wet fronts would occur exactly where Trish and her colleagues were and that they would stay relatively dry. There is no phone coverage in that part of the bush so I heard nothing; when she got home Trish said that they had only got really wet once, at the end of a day when they would be sleeping in a shelter rather than in tents; answered prayer? Jesus is the great creator (John 1:3) and delights in bringing us into greater light (John 1:4). 

Although I don't feel as healthy and robust as I have been, it is lovely to know that Jesus has not forgotten me. Indeed He never forgets any of us once our name is in His book of life (Revelation 3:5)!

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.  For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,  as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

".. we do not lose heart ..". Thank you Jesus!

Favourite Bible Verses

"But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.  For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:8-9). 

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;  perseverance, character; and character, hope" (Romans 5:3-4).

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" (Hebrews 12:1).

"because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:3).

"And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among humankind by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

"Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.  Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits" (Psalm 103:1-2).

"Simon Peter answered him, 'Lord, who else can we go to? You have the words of eternal life'" (John 6:68).

Amen. Praise Jesus.

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Amen.

Thrilling Creation

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1).

The creation never fails to thrill me. I think I see something new and profound or delightful every day. I'm down South at our favourite camp site by the sea, It's Spring and everything is lush from the Winter rains; "everything" includes mosquitoes which have exploded in number. As soon as I step outdoors I'm surrounded by these little critters. There are tiny ants here too, they have a pathway near where I have my work table; they are only about the size of a mosquito's fore-leg, and mosquito legs are about as thin as the blond hairs on my arm. Mosquitoes are so fragile that when I squash one I have no sense of anything being there even though my fingers are sensitive enough to pick up a few grains of sugar from a bench top.

 

"Ants - frail as they are, they get plenty of food in for the winter" (Proverbs 30:25).

 

Even though they are tiny these creatures are complete in a similar way that we humans are, and elephants and whales. They are completely mobile, have eyes and all the senses and brains they need to find food. They are able to live out their lives in their particular environment and social order. Their unique structures include all that they need to grow and live and to woo a mate, and set about having babies.

 

They have life.

 

"Through Him [Jesus] all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of humankind" (John 1:3-4).

 

It is just awesome when we realise that the creation was made for us to enjoy and to thrive in. God could have given us a digestive system like cows and just had lots of grass for us. But no, He gave us an enormous variety of other species and the vast numbers of foods to eat to give us our energy and keep our bodies healthy .. wonderful foods we use to fellowship with others and to celebrate together!

"How precious is your unfailing love, O God! We take refuge in the shadow of your wings. We feast on the abundance of your house; we drink from your river of delights" (Psalm 36:7-8).

 

What amazes me is that every kind of creature, and all the plants too, are comprised of cells; every cell has life. There are only about two hundred kinds of cells in you and me. The millions of different creatures and plants in the world are all made with similar sets of cells as their building blocks. It's a bit like all the different vehicle manufactures using Lucas electrical components for their cars and trucks, motorcycles, trains and boats, but much more complicated. Far beyond that, cells  reproduce themselves, a mysterious and miraculous process.

"As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things" (Ecclesiastes 11:5  ).

 

Great intricacies of design appear in every species, but only people have a spirit.

 

"The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts" (Proverbs 20:27).

 

How then can my eye be perfect for me, it must have a million cells if I am comprised of trillions, in the same way these tiny, tiny ants' eyes are perfect for them though so infinitely smaller. How can the mosquito proboscis, so miniscule, drill into my skin, or an elephant's tough hide, and suck out our blood? This tells me of the beauty of all God's design; that the mosquito has such a tool, AND that it knows where to find the blood it needs for food, AND it can get at the blood regardless of the victim's skin type, AND that a portion of blood thinner is squirted into the puncture to stop the blood congealing as the mozzie gets her dinner! The mosquito digestive system finds all kinds of mammals' blood to be quite manageable.

Nature, Science And Four Big Questions

 I very much enjoy science and nature magazines and often get them from our local library; I like some of the science shows on TV too. But of all the hundreds of articles and features I've seen, I've never found even one with a satisfying explanation for:

1)  The origin of life, or
2)  The origin of DNA and cells, or
3)  The origin of gender and sex and reproduction, or
4)  How the various species stay discrete from one another.

 

Neither has any article shown a true record of an evolutionary advancement where one species becomes another species by an increase in their complexity. (Though I have seen much in Creation magazine which clearly dis-prove well known claims for evolution).

 

"God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good" (Genesis 1:25).

"So God created humankind in his own image and likeness, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them" (Genesis 1:27).

 

Some science writers will publish an article to define or explain these things, but invariably they reach a point where they must make an enormous assumption. They will present a hypothesis or made-up-idea, a leap-of-faith, which completely includes the essence of what they are trying to explain.

A hypothesis is just a theory, a premise, a supposition, a guess. It may be made by a scientifically trained person, but it is not science, it is just an assumption. So such a hypothesis can never be taken as any kind of true explanation, can it? Why then are we led to understand that these things have been proven and explained? These writers are scientists. How can they accept each other when they claim that ideas or hypotheses are scientific proofs? (They often present their work as "peer reviewed"; what does the lack of true evidence tell us about that process?)

 

When I read my Bible I find really great answers in my four questions where science has none. My God, whom I have known personally for many years, has the power and the genius to design and build our Universe; He keeps it functioning through the days and seasons and years and millennia. He is our Creator God. I find it easy to believe His creation narrative in the Bible, a narrative which makes complete sense as  we observe the world. I have faith in our Creator. I am sure that it takes more faith to believe in evolution than mine to know Jesus and my Abba Father!

 

"You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit" (Job 10:12).

Synchronicity And Abundance Beyond Understanding

All the species in the world co-exist, the microbes and bacteria and the grizzly bear, and mostly, there is enough food to go around for everybody and everything. The seasons cycle year after year and different latitudes have different climates and ecosystems, yet the whole world is in sync; it sometimes may seem chaotic but an amazing degree of balance has been maintained for all the millennia of our shared history. Just watch the many nature shows on TV, so lovely. 

I have often seen supernatural events and know that miracles occur every day and all over the world, these events are seemingly beyond the understanding of many scientists. They are a blessing to those involved and a sign that God is, and that He cares for us.

"The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.  He is before all things, and in him all things hold together" (Colossians 1:15-17).

 

So I thank Jesus for His Creation. It is so very beautiful, so wonderfully complex and full of variety, and it so suits the billions of people who God has put here .. all the nations and expressions of the image and likeness of God Himself, with whom I share this glorious blue planet, set in its safe place in the vast Milky Way! So very grateful.

   

"It is I who made the earth and created humankind on it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshalled their starry hosts" (Isaiah 45:12).

Amen. Praise Jesus.

•  Permalink to web page

https://www.psalmsofjohn.com/2017/10/thrilling-creation.html 

"Thrilling Creation" is now a podcast in Spotify under PsalmsOfJohn

• Public link to podcast

https://open.spotify.com/episode/55cDMsIzrJF1YRgvhowbdX

Bless us, our neighbours and our world.