The Episodic Author

What is the fear of the Lord?

noreply@blogger.com (Harley Pebley) — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 12:00:00 +0000

On June 28th, a couple months after my 8th birthday, my parents gave me my first Bible. Inscribed on the flyleaf was the reference "Proverbs 1:7." In my youthful enthusiasm, I immediately went to the verse:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Reading this, stopped me in my tracks. I'd been taught about the love of God. Why would I fear Him? I asked my Dad "what does it mean to fear God?" (Or something reasonably close to that.) I remember his reply was that "fear" in this case didn't mean "terror" but more like "respect." I remember that the explanation didn't quite click. I understood it and filed it away, but it didn't really fit.

Over the decades since, as I've thought about, studied and prayed over this verse and others like it, I've come to a different conclusion: the "fear of the Lord" does not mean "respect God." It means to be terrified of Him.

The first definition for fear means "knowledge of imminent danger." I think this is the appropriate meaning.

God is holy and righteous. We are sinful. He is light. We are darkness. When light and dark meet, there is no fight. Dark simply vanishes. This should strike terror into our hearts.

Daniel was a prophet of God. He was part of Israel's royal house. He was captured by the Babylonians and made a servant in the foreign king's court for the rest of his life. Daniel grew up and served in an environment where those in authority had the power of life and death over him and those around him. He lived a long life, at least into his 80s, possibly longer. He had extensive first hand knowledge of the authority of the king. He also had a lifetime of serving God. He prayed daily. He interpreted dreams. He was given multiple visions. He saw angels. He had first hand experience of the miraculous. Towards the end of his life, he had a vision of the pre-incarnate Jesus. Even with this lifetime of experience, both in the natural and spiritual, when God shows up he faints in fear.

John was the beloved disciple. He leaned on Jesus at the last supper. He was one of the three closest to Jesus when He was on earth. He was one of the first leaders in the church. He wrote five books of the New Testament. He stood trial before political leaders who tried to kill him. He also lived into his 80s. Towards the end of his life he too had a vision of the resurrected Jesus in all His power. In spite of this lifetime of experience, both in the natural and spiritual, he too faints in fear when Jesus is fully revealed.

I mention these by way of example. I don't think these mighty men of God, who stood boldly before men who held their lives in their hands, fainted out of respect when God showed up.

No. They were shaken to their core. They trembled. They were terrified. If this was their response, how much more so would (or should) we do the same?

God is holy. God is righteous. We should tremble. This is where we need to start. But it's only the beginning.

God is also love. In love He has provided a way for us to be able to stand in His presence and not vanish like shadows when the light is turned on. He touched Daniel and John to give them strength to stand in His presence and receive revelation of what was on His heart. For us He has provided Jesus blood as the way for us to be cleansed of our sins. As a result, we are able to stand in His presence and receive the Holy Spirit to know what is on His heart.

A pastor named Steve Brown frequently says:

If you've stood before God and not been afraid, you've not stood before God. If you've stood before God and only been afraid, you've not stood before God.

And C. S. Lewis puts it succinctly:

He's not a tame lion.

To tremble in fear before God is a good thing. It comes from the knowledge that He is holy and we are common. He is mighty and we are weak. He is just and we are unjust. And it leads us to the understanding that we need salvation and the good news of the cross. Without the fear we cannot know the salvation.

Fear is where we begin.

What is the gospel?

noreply@blogger.com (Harley Pebley) — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 13:00:00 +0000

What is the gospel?

Let me start with what it's not.

The gospel is not "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life."

This statement focuses on the wrong person. It has "you" as the center. "You" is the object in both parts of the phase. The phrase "wonderful plan" also implicitly sets an expectation that, after becoming a Christian, your life will be blessed and without problems.

But the gospel is not about you.

And God's wonderful plan is not to make your life trouble free.

When Jesus uses the word "gospel" it is frequently followed by "of the kingdom." When other New Testament writers use the term, it is followed by "of God" or "of Jesus." The focus is not on personal salvation and eternal life, although these are certainly by-products of it.

The gospel is closer to the line of thought that: This world is badly broken by the effects of sin. God is going to invade it to remove the effects of sin and make things right. If you are living in sin (and everyone is), this means you're part of the problem and are going to be removed too. But God loves you enough to pay for your sins Himself and offers salvation from the removal process as a gift. Once you accept His gift, He also loves you enough not to leave you wallowing in your mess. He will work in your life to remove the things that keep you from wholeheartedly loving Him and being a fit citizen of His kingdom.

The focus is on God and what He has done and will do. It's on His kingdom and Him preparing us to live in it. Because of the effects of being born into a sin filled world, He has a lot of work to do in us to make us ready for His kingdom. This work is frequently associated with pain and hardship. Sanding off our rough edges skins our egos. Cutting out the cancerous sin from our souls leaves scars. The end result is wonderful, but we may not appreciate the result in our mortal life.

Yes, "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life" is part of the gospel. But it's a whole lot bigger than just you and the time-line is from the standpoint of eternity, not today, tomorrow or even your lifetime.

7 things

noreply@blogger.com (Harley Pebley) — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 13:00:00 +0000

He who created light^[1]
      became the light of the world.^[2]
He who separated earth from sky^[3]
      was born onto the earth under a night sky.^[4]
He who formed the land,^[5]
      was tempted in its dusty wilds.^[6]
He who hung the sun, moon and stars^[7]
      was himself hung between heaven and earth.^[8]
He who populated the water with fish^[9]
      directed those fish into the net.^[10]
He who breathed life into the first Adam^[11]
      as the last Adam breathes His Spirit into us.^[12]
He who rested on the seventh day^[13]
      provides rest to all who believe in Him.^[14]

1. Genesis 1:3

2. John 1:4,5

3. Genesis 1:6

4. Luke 2:7,8

5. Genesis 1:9

6. Matthew 4:1-11

7. Genesis 1:14

8. Acts 5:30,31

9. Genesis 1:20

10. John 5:1-11, John 21:3-6

11. Genesis 2:7

12. 1st Corinthians 15:45

13. Genesis 2:2

14. Hebrews 4:1-11

Praying for our enemies

noreply@blogger.com (Harley Pebley) — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Listen to my words, Lord,
    consider my lament.
Hear my cry for help,
    my King and my God,
    for to you I pray.
        -- David (Psalm 5:1,2)

Psalm 5 talks about our enemies. For David, his enemies were obvious. For us, probably not so much. Even those who we may not get along with, they're still not enemies in the same way as Saul was to David. Really. I mean, when was the last time someone tried to pin you to the wall with a spear?

I last read this Psalm during a time when I was also spending time in both Ephesians and The Sermon on the Mount. As I read David's words, I was reminded that, the guy at work who's manipulative and duplicitous isn't my enemy, even though it may seem like it.

You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.
-- Jesus (Matthew 5:43-45)

Jesus actually calls me to love him.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ... And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
-- Paul (Ephesians 6:12,18)

However, the demons jabbing him are my enemy. I don't wrestle with men, my fight is with the spirits manipulating them. My weapons are not physical or even political or intellectual. My weapons are spiritual because that is the realm of the battle. Paul exhorts us to give ourselves wholly to prayer so we may stand when things are at their worst. From a cave in hiding, David gives us an example of what this looks like.

Philosophy of Communication

noreply@blogger.com (Harley Pebley) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 13:00:00 +0000

I touched on this topic briefly in an earlier post talking about the stories we tell ourselves. This post is a short expansion on some of the principles illustrated in that article.

Multiple Creative Commons attributions

Psychology has found people tend to fall into one of three primary ways of processing information: visual, kinesthetic and auditory. Thinking may be in pictures, feeling and physical sensations, or language and sounds. As individuals, we may use more than one of these ways, but typically we each have one that predominates. We perceive reality and conceive thoughts primarily through one of these three modes. It is the means by which we construct in our heads a model of the world. It impacts how we learn, how we create and how we communicate.

Most of what we call Wester Civilization is passed down through just one of these mechanisms: the auditory channel. This is done through oral histories and these abstract symbols called letters and numbers. They are often supplemented by diagrams and drawings, but the primary content is via words. Spoken and written language is the main way information is passed from individual to individual.

Taking these two things together, communication involves converting a rich internal model, in any one of three ways of thinking, into words and transmitting those words to someone else via some mechanism. That mechanism may be voice or hand written or printed or a blog. Then someone has to take those words and convert them to their own internal model, possibly using a different mode of thought than the first person.

In this process, the originator may very well have to take a concept that they feel or visualize and convert it to words. These words have multiple and varied meanings which overlap with different words and their subtle shades of meaning. The speaker (or writer) goes through a process to select what they believe to be the appropriate words to convey their internal model. This is an act of interpretation. The hearer (or reader) then takes those words, with possibly a different set of meanings and tries to construct their own mental model in possibly a different way of thinking. This is also an interpretive act.

There are many things that impact the way individuals may interpret words on both sides of the conversation. A few of the things that may impact it are: different social, economic and cultural backgrounds, different native languages, current emotional state, educational background, political and religious beliefs, time in history and intentional duplicity.

When I think about what goes on in this process, I'm amazed anything resembling communication happens at all.

My Litmus Test

noreply@blogger.com (Harley Pebley) — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 12:00:00 +0000

In this election year, as in every one, we all make our list of issues by which to measure candidates and decide who will receive our vote. Some of the important issues this election cycle, in no particular order, include the overall economy, governmental spending and debt, foreign policy, jobs, national security, energy and personal freedoms. However, my first and foremost criteria when judging a candidate's credentials is their stand on abortion. They must not support killing children in the womb. They must protect life from the point of conception. If they are not unequivocal on this point, then no other policy issues matter. That's not to mean the other issues don't matter, just that this one out-ranks all the other's combined in importance. If there are multiple candidates that are equivalent on this issue, only then do other ones come into play in the selection process.

Some may consider my criteria unreasonable. That's fine. I don't really care. I must answer to God, not them. I believe this issue is more important to His heart than the others and so I must align my beliefs and actions accordingly. He creates life.^[1] He dances with joy over us.^[2] He knows us and forms us in the womb.^[3] He desires the children to come to Him.^[4] Harsh judgement awaits those who cause little ones to stumble.^[5] And He removes societies who destroy their children.^[6]

In the last 39 years, we have killed 54 million American citizens.^[7] Stop a minute and let that number soak in. That's equivalent to the states of California (37m), Oregon (4m), Washington (7m), Nevada (3m) and Utah (3m) combined.^[8] That's over 40 times the U.S. dead from all our wars since 1775 combined (1.3m).^[9] Look what we did when an enemy killed 3,000 on September 11, 2001.^[10] Look what we did when an enemy killed 2,400 on December 7, 1941.^[11] As a nation we rose up and put an end to the perpetrators. And yet we do little when four orders of magnitude more people are slaughtered. And not just people, but infants. The most weak and vulnerable among us. As a nation, we stand condemned before God. All we can do is repent, align ourselves with His kingdom principles and beg for His mercy.^[12]

1. Genesis 1:26ff; Revelation 4:11

2. Proverbs 8:31

3. Psalm 139:13ff

4. Luke 18:16

5. Mark 9:42

6. Leviticus 18:21, 24; Jeremiah 32:26ff

7. LifeSiteNews

8. U.S. states by population

9. United States military casualties of war

10. September 11 attacks

11. Attack on Pearl Harbor

12. 2nd Chronicles 7:14; Psalm 32:5

Our stories

noreply@blogger.com (Harley Pebley) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I recently ran across a brief blog post enumerating some hints at effective leadership. The last two items were:

Entertain more than one interpretation about any situation.
What story are people telling about me?

In an equally brief blog post, here is a minor expansion of the list.

On a human level, I think there are four important stories to think about:

What is the other person's story about me?
What is my story about the other?
What is my story about myself?
What is their story about themselves?

On a spiritual level, I think we also need to think about:

What is God's story about me?
What is God's story about them?

In our relationships, the more 1 and 3 align with 5 and the more 2 and 4 align with 6, the better off we'll be.

A Philosophy of History

noreply@blogger.com (Harley Pebley) — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 12:00:00 +0000

There are multiple ways to understand history. Some cultures view history as a never cycle, continually going around and around. What has happened has happened multiple times in the past and will happen again multiple times in the future. Other societies see history as simply a collection of random events. There's no pattern or reason to what has happened or what will happen in the future. Still others understand history to be linear in nature where things get better and better over time. These views are humanity's attempt to understand its relationship to the rest of the universe. I submit that they are wrong, divorced as they are from the One who has revealed to us His purpose for creating the universe and His plans for its future. Where others see no overriding arch of story, Scripture tells us explicitly where we've come from and where we're going.

There are five classic "W" questions: who? what? when? where? and why? In the first verse, Genesis opens with answers to four of these questions.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. -- Genesis 1:1

When: In the beginning
Who: God
What: created
Where: the heavens and earth.

The rest of the Bible explains "why." Beyond the first first, the entirety of Scripture reveals the arch of the narrative from the beginning to the end of the beginning.

It starts with God creating a perfect place in which to meet on a daily basis the one creature He created in His image. There are at least three reasons He created mankind in His image. First, so He could walk with us in relationship, so we could have fellowship together. Second, so we could join with Him in rulership over the rest of creation; we are uniquely given authority over the rest of the universe to tend it and care for it. And finally, so there would be a frame into which He could place Himself when the time came to redeem us from our fallen state. He needed a creature that He could clothe Himself with when He became incarnate.

Genesis tells how He made a man and transformed him first into a family and then into a nation, Israel. He worked uniquely in this people group to create a culture through which He could reveal Himself. The whole Old Testament is the story of God working in people and nations as they interact with both Him and Israel to show who He is and the type of relationship He desires with people.

Like a fruit on a tree at the end of the growing season, when time was ripe, God took on flesh and came to live with us. Over the course of about 33 years, God, in the form of Jesus, showed us the heart of the Father. He showed us His compassion for the poor, the downtrodden, the hurting, the seeking. And He showed us His anger against those who would place barriers of various kinds for others to access Him. But His primary purpose was to reveal His love for each one of us. And He showed this by paying the ultimate price for us: He laid down His life for us.

However, He also demonstrated His power and authority by taking this life He laid down and picking it up again. Death could not hold Him. The grave had no power over Him. He then returned to His throne with the Father.

We're now in a temporary time where each one of us is given a free choice either to agree with His rule over creation or to reject it. Things will not always be as they are now. Just as there was a time ripe for His coming the first time, there is a season of growing that will culminate in the planet being ripe for His return. As the season progresses, the fruit of our choice to either accept or reject His leadership will mature. In this process, we're going to see an increased polarization between these two groups resulting ultimately in global conflict.

There will be fighting. There will be persecution. There will be war. There will be bloodshed.

When this conflict is at its height, when it's about to destroy everything, He will step in and put an end to it. And what an end it will be! When they see Him, every person will bow their knee. Some willingly as they have done even before that time. Others against their will, forced to acknowledge the powerlessness of their rebellion before Him.

He will restore justice. He will restore righteousness. He will restore creation to the original intent. We will walk with Him in unbroken fellowship, ruling and reigning over the earth with Him, according to His original design.

What is God's primary emotion?

noreply@blogger.com (Harley Pebley) — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I recently read an article that reminded me how important it is to think rightly of God and His relationship with us. If we don't have the proper understanding of how God perceives us, then we'll base our actions and reactions on wrong information and respond incorrectly. One method to analyze our thoughts surrounding our relationship with Him is to honestly ask ourselves:

What is God's primary emotion when He thinks of me?

When you read that question, what was your initial gut reaction before thinking about it? When you think about God, is He up in heaven upset at the last thing you did wrong? Is he merely putting up with you but would rather you weren't around? Is He ready to throw lightning bolts at you with the slightest provocation? Is He mad at you?

Or is He looking down on you, disappointed that you screwed up again? Does he focus on how you don't measure up to His standards? Does He wish you'd act better? Is He sad about you?

When I asked the question originally, I asked about His primary emotion. There are times when He is angry. There are times when He is sad. But I submit that neither of these are His primary emotions. Rather I believe He is mostly glad. Let's look at the reasons I come to this conclusion.

He isn't mad. Jesus' paid the price for your sins, my sins and the sins of the whole world.^[1] God's wrath was poured out on Him on the cross.^[2] He took on the burden of your sin so you don't have to.^[3] There are limited cases where His anger is released, but He is patient and slow to anger.^[4] An example of this is in the future when all the nations are persecuting the church and the armies of the world are descending on Israel. At this point, we're told His jealous rage will cause massive loss of life as He comes to the defense of His people.^[5] But this is a limited event, not a typical occurrence.

He isn't sad. He is in control and will ultimately rule and reign.^[6] He knows the end from the beginning.^[7] He knows how history will turn out and He knows it is good.^[8] There's no reason, long term, for sadness. The things that cause sadness are when people reject Him and His gifts.^[9] He longs for relationship with others and their rejection of that relationship breaks His heart. But not all fall into this category, and He knows that the end for these who accept Him is righteous relationship with Him for eternity.^[10] Any sadness over those who reject Him is temporary, overcome by the joy from those who accept Him.

He is glad. When He formed you, He knew what He was doing^[11] and danced in joy when He created you.^[12] You are the apple of His eye.^[13] Jesus was anointed with joy by the Holy Spirit, more than any other^[14] and He went through what He did knowing the joy that His work would produce.^[15]

So, when you think about God, is He mad, sad or glad? Do you need to change your perspective of Him? How would a change of perspective change your relationship with Him?

1. 1st John 2:2; Hebrews 2:9

2. Romans 5:9; 1st Thessalonians 1:10, 5:9

3. 2nd Corinthians 5:21; 1st Peter 3:18

4. 2nd Peter 3:9

5. Revelation 19:11-21; Isaiah 63:1-6

6. Hebrews 1:8-9, 2:8; 1st Corinthians 15:20-28

7. Isaiah 46:10

8. Philippians 1:6

9. Matthew 23:37

10. Matthew 25:1-46

11. Psalm 139:13

12. Proverbs 8:30-31

13. Psalm 17:7; Zechariah 2:8

14. Hebrews 1:9

15. Hebrews 12:2

Will they come...

noreply@blogger.com (Harley Pebley) — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 12:00:00 +0000

A couple months ago, my attention was brought to a news item^[1] involving the Presbyterian Church USA denomination. It reported about a congregation voting to leave the denomination over an issue they've recently been going through internal turmoil over: homosexuality. Further, this isn't the first denomination to struggle over the last several years with this issue and how to interpret scripture, with similar fractures.

One line in this articles jumped off the page at me:

Will they [gay people] try to come if First Presbyterian Church is considered an anti-gay church?
-- Robin Dailey

When I read this, several similar questions immediate came to mind:

Will adulterers try to come if church is considered an anti-adulterer church?
Will thieves try to come if church is considered an anti-theft church?
Will liars try to come if church is considered an anti-lie church?

I want to address a three issues this quote raises in my thinking.

Is homosexuality is different than other sins?

Society has not viewed homosexuality the same way as other immorality. Going back several decades, homosexuality was considered a mental disorder by the psychiatric community, listed in their official diagnostics literature.^[2] I don't ever remember hearing about adultery or lying or any other activity society would generally consider immoral as being listed. We stigmatized it in its own category of badness, worse than other sins that are probably more mainstream.

However, now there are movements to normalize it. We see this both in society in general and within the church in particular. Certain groups desire to take it out of this special category of badness it has held and reframe it as good and moral. If we allow this, we're going from one extreme to another.

Both positions are out of whack.

It is not a mental disease. It is sin.^[3]

It is not good, moral and to be celebrated. It is sin.

As sin, shame is an appropriate response for those involved in it.

Look at this passage:

Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortioners, will inherit the Kingdom of God.
-- Paul, writing to the Corinthians^[4]

Homosexuality, if unrepented of, excludes one from the God's kingdom. But it's no different than pre- or extra- marital sex. Or stealing. Or drunkenness. Or slander. When was the last time theft was considered a mental disease? When was drunkenness considered something to be celebrated and embraced? When was the last time a church split over the debate as whether slander was a good thing or not?

We need to be balanced in how we categorize this behavior. Yes, it's bad. But let's not stigmatize it worse than other sins. Yes it's bad. Let's not make it acceptable.

Is attendance more important than transformation?

The passage quoted above continues:

Such were some of you, but you were washed. But you were sanctified. But you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God. ... don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
-- Paul^[5]

The quote from the article asked if homosexuals would want to come to church under some given circumstance. Frankly, this is an irrelevant question. The questioner has forgotten that the gathering known as "church" is for believers to come to for the purpose of corporately worshiping God and learning from His word. While unbelievers are certainly welcome, our weekly gatherings should not focus on making unbelievers comfortable. Instead, they should focus on the beautiful One worthy of worship and train those who believe in Jesus and His payment of our sins how to live transformed lives by His resurrection power.

For those who do not hold to this profession of faith, this will naturally be uncomfortable. In fact, in many cases it will be uncomfortable for those who do follow Jesus as the Holy Spirit shines His light on areas of our lives that need transformation. I don't think it's appropriate to water down the message of the cross in order to somehow hope to be more attractive to those engaged in sinful lifestyles. The increased holiness of God's called out ones should be the metric by which we measure success within the church, not attendance of unbelievers.

However, none of this is to imply we should ignore unbelievers. As believers, we are called to be involved in unbelievers' lives. We need to leave the church assembly and be salt and light in a bland, dark world. Just as Jesus set the example for us by being called a friend of sinners, we as His bride should likewise engage with those around us, meeting them where they are, supplying their needs as appropriate and pointing them to where forgiveness and transformation from a shame filled life can be found.

And that place is not a church building. That place is not a church meeting. That place is at the feet of Jesus.

Increased attendance at church should be due to people desiring transformed lives, not because we're making unbelievers comfortable by redefining sin as acceptable.

Is the church known by what it's for or what it's against?

Finally, the original quote framed the question as a negative. It asked if people would come based on what the church is against. There are many, many things to be against. But transformation does not come by being against something. Transformation comes by being for something.

In my study of motorcycle riding, I was taught to not look at an obstacle. If there is something in my path and I focus on it, I will surely hit it. Instead, I was taught to focus on where I want to go and I'll automatically follow that path. This is a transferrable concept. If in our spiritual lives we focus on the obstacles of sin and failure in our lives, we will surely continue in them. However, if we focus on the One who saves and His word, we will be drawn to the path He wants for us.

As the church, we must focus on living lives of increased holiness and sanctification. We must spend time in God's presence and allow the fire of His passionate love to transform our hearts and minds. Our lives should be robed in righteousness as we grow in the knowledge of Jesus and long for the day when we see Him face to face. Our focus should not be on the ills of society. Rather our focus should be on loving Him with all our hearts, minds, souls and strength and from that place before Him, loving those around us as He loves them.

A better question to ask:

Will they [sinners of any type] try to come if church is considered a place to receive love, forgiveness and transformation?

1. Springs congregation votes to divorce Presbyterian sect

2. Wikipedia article on homosexuality and psychology.

3. At least to the extent that sin in general is not a mental disease. An argument could be made that all sin is a type of mental disease (in the non-psychiatric sense), but that's a different discussion.

4. 1st Corinthians 6:9-10

5. 1st Corinthians 6:11,18b-19

Edit: fixed typo

Feel far from God?

noreply@blogger.com (Harley Pebley) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 12:33:00 +0000

I saw a sign outside a church recently: Feel far from God? Guess who moved? There's a popular teaching in Evangelical Christianity that basically says "If you feel far from God, it's you who moved."

This is not only a terrible guilt trip, it's also not always the case. Sometimes, yes, we do walk away from God. Sometimes this is intentional. We get mad at God or the church and decide it's not worth following Him anymore. We willingly, knowingly leave Him. Sometimes through inattention and laziness we simply slowly, quietly drift away from Him.

However, there are other cases.

First, I want to point out that just because we feel far from God, doesn't necessarily mean we are. Feelings are fickle and unreliable. When we feel far from God, we need to look to see if it's just a feeling or if it reflects reality. I'm reminded of the well known poem Footprints. The writer felt far from Jesus, but in fact He was carrying him in those very times he didn't feel His presence.

Next, When we continually, willfully sin He will draw away. This is to protect us. Just as light destroys dark, so will His holiness destroy us if we are dark with sin. In these cases, He will pull back so His glory does not undo our weak frames. He remembers we are dust and takes that into consideration in His dealings with us. There are some schools of thought that believe this is the true manifestation of Hell. The complete and utter lack of God's presence because He has completely withdrawn from a soul due to its repeated and continuous rejection of Him.

Finally, there are times where God pulls away, not due to our sin, but to increase our desire for His presence. This is typified in Song of Solomon 5:2-16 where the Bridegroom knocks on the door but leaves before the Bride has a chance to open the door. She immediately gets up to open the door. She wants and desires His presence with her, but He departs prior to her opening the door; just His scent is left behind on the latch. The purpose of this withdrawal is to increase her desire for Him and cause her to come follow Him. And it works. She leaves the comfort of her chamber and goes out searching for Him. Her search, driven by a deeper desire for Him, takes her to the very places that she refused to go earlier when He simply asked her to come with Him.

Black, White and Shades of Grey

noreply@blogger.com (Harley Pebley) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

I just read a rant (related to testing during software development) where the author presented two options. He then tore down one while building up the other. It was presented as two mutually exclusive positions. The problem with his argument is the situation is much more complex than two mutually exclusive situations. In this particular case, there are a whole range of positions not only between the two presented, but also on either side of them.

As I thought about this article, it occurred to me this is another angle related to what I tried to communicate in my previous ramblings about science and politics. In our society right now, we are so fond of using false dilemas in our arguments that we forget to investigate other methods of discussion. So often we get locked into a black and white discussion of option A or B and forget there are many other options to consider.

Just as an example, the recent debate that raged, and probably will again, over the USA's Federal budget. Everyone talked about raising taxes or lowering spending, as if these are the only two options available. One or the other. But just these two variables give nine combinations, not simply two.

Taxes	Spending
Raise	Leave
Raise	Lower	Mentioned a few times here and there
Raise	Raise	Popular among the more liberally minded
Lower	Leave
Lower	Lower	Popular among the more conservatively minded
Lower	Raise
Leave	Leave
Leave	Lower
Leave	Raise

Of course there are many, many other variables in the whole discussion regarding the economy, both from a national as well as international standpoint.

But the budget and economy is not the point of this article; it's just an example. Just as the software design issue I opened with is an example. I think it would do us well as a society to stop trying to pit one thing against the other in a dualistic, mutually exclusive type of way.

It's a logical fallacy. It gives the appearance of debate and argument, but it's really a means to try to manipulate your opponent. It's a dirty tactic and does not serve to promote dialog and resolution of issues.

It serves to divide us into various waring camps were we try to get our strategy to be the "winner." This simply causes all of us to lose. Rather, we must remember we have common problems, and we do best to focus on all the various ways available to fix them, not just two mutually exclusive possibilities out of the multitude of potential solutions. These different things we get so passionate about are the means to an end, not the end in and of itself.

Are Republicans Anti-Science?

noreply@blogger.com (Harley Pebley) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

I recently read an op-ed piece in the New York Times claiming good odds that the next Republican president will be anti-science and anti-knowledge. The author went on to prove his point by saying both Governor Perry and Mitt Romney, two front runners in the Republican race when this article was written, are both against evolution and the idea of man-caused global climate change. The author finds this "terrifying," a word he used multiple times. This is the latest example of a common meme popping up recently where disagreement on certain topics, particularly evolution and climate change, are anti-science. I want to address this claim.

First, I am not a die-hard Republican. There are many issues upon which I disagree with much of the Republican leadership I see and hear at the national level. I don't really like any of the front-runners. So, I am not trying to defend and support this party over any other. However, I am a technologist who uses the scientific method on a daily basis. I have interests in both the hard and soft sciences.

I find it somewhat interesting this conversation is occurring in the political arena this time. Typically when I see public argument over creation/evolution, it's presented as a battle between Christianity and Science. I'm going to attempt to explain what science is and how being either for or against evolution or human caused climate change, or any one of many other topics, has nothing to do with science. I suppose you could call it the philosophy of science.

Simply stated, science is about what we know about physical objects and processes. Science is what we can, using our five senses, establish facts about. Science is based on what we can see, hear, taste, smell and touch, either directly or through proxy using instrumentation. The scientific method is a means by which we can reason about things we can sense. It involves hypothesis and experiment. And it requires repeatability. If experiments cannot be repeated by different people in different places at different times with consistent results, then the hypothesis is called into question.

However, science is not the only way of knowing. It works really well to discover things about the natural universe: physics, biology, chemistry and other things that we can manipulate in the physical realm. Things that can be directly measured lend themselves to the scientific method. It starts to break down when it's applied to the fringes of our senses in hard sciences and to softer sciences such as sociology, anthropology and psychology. These work less with individual things and more with groups. Measurement is done at the statistical level, rather than directly. Because of this, there is more room for interpretation and bias to enter into the picture. There is at least one level of abstraction through which to obfuscate and introduce error. And typically, there are many more than one.

Finally, there are areas of knowing to which science cannot be applied. History. Literature. Language. Anything that cannot be experimented on. Things that cannot be reproduced. Things that cannot be measured. These are areas where science is agnostic. They are outside its domain. That's not to say they're not unknowable, just that science cannot be used to know them.

The entire argument over origins, whether you stand in the evolution or creation or some other camp, is not science. It falls, in its entirety, into the last category of things we can know. It's history. It's philosophy. It's faith. It might be an interesting thing to think about and debate, and it may turn out to be very critical to your future, but it is not science. There is one simple reason for this assertion: it happened in the past. You cannot create experiments about the past. You cannot see, hear, taste, smell or touch things in the past. All science tells you about is what we can observe in the present, now, today.

Yes, there are quite a few scientists who believe the evolution story. However, that does not make it science. And there are quite a few scientists who do not believe the story of evolution. But that does not make it non-science. What makes it non-science is that it is history. It cannot be repeated. And of course, the same is true of the creation story. Those who want to place creationism in the science curriculum are as misguided as those who want to put (or more accurately, keep) evolution there. Both belong in the humanities along with US History, World History and Philosophy.

Moving to the other topic of the op-ed author: man-made climate change. His assertion that any climate change we see is caused by humans is a statement of belief, not science. Again the reason is based on the problem with establishing repeatable experiments. Because it is a planetary phenomena, experiments also must be of a planetary scale over geologic time periods. In order to do any valid experimentation on this problem, one would need multiple, identical planets, some for controls and some on which to vary experimental parameters. One would also need to either be able to manipulate time or have a very long period over which to run the experiments. Further, there is very good evidence that the planet was much warmer in the past. Humans probably didn't cause it to cool to the present temperature. And we probably can't keep it from warming in the future.

What the author of this NYT editorial does is elevate science to a religion. He puts faith in things that have an air, but lack the substance, of science. He then wants to take action based on that belief. And then anyone who doesn't worship at the same altar he does, he disparages by calling them "anti-science" and "anti-knowledge." They terrify him.

Mr. Op-Ed Author, these people may not be anti-this or anti-that. Rather, perhaps they better grasp the limits of science and, knowing these limits, they are better equipped to evaluate the things science is capable of telling them, integrate the data with other knowledge, and have simply come to different conclusions. That should not make them terrifying. That should make them engaging and interesting.

I hope all those who equate evolution to science and anyone who disagrees with them as anti-science are simply ignorant regarding what science is about. Ignorance is easily dealt with through education. We can discuss and come to an agreement, or we may agree to disagree and still remain civil. However, if they are being disingenuous and intentionally framing the debate in a wrong and inflammatory manner, well, I'll let the reader apply their own description to that behavior.

In summation, the problem comes when things are asserted as true, particularly under the guise of "science," that are not scientific facts but rather conjecture, opinion and untestable hypothesis. As a society, we need to be honest with the frames we use to present arguments or we are going to get more and more polarized and divided. Calling groups "anti-science" or "anti-knowledge" simply alienates and furthers the gap between people, ultimately pulling society apart rather than building it up.

Be Merry! (Why?)

noreply@blogger.com (Harley Pebley) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:00:00 +0000

I don't know if the occurrence is actually increasing, or if I'm just suddenly aware of it, but advertising seems to be exhorting me to Be merry! more and more this Christmas season. The message isn't the traditional Merry Christmas or even the vacuous Seasons Greetings, but simply Be Merry.

My initial, admittedly contrarian, response is Why?

There is no reason to be merry. Unemployment is high. Investments are down. There's turmoil within the United States between those who would steal the fruits of others worked hard and those who would not share the bounty they've been given. There's economic instability and social unrest in Europe. Groups are killing each other in Africa. The middle East seems to be getting more and more radicalized. Parts of Asia are aggressively attacking the computer resources of the West and oppressing their own while other parts of Asia are melting down from natural disasters. Chaos increases around the planet.

What reason is there for merriness? Gaiety? Cheerfulness?

The exhortation needs to come with a purpose. Without context, all that's left is to look around and see what's happening in the world and despair of any incentive. In fact, it would be pretty irrational in the context of the current circumstances. The simplistic Be Merry has no context for the exhortation and therefore lacks any moral imperative.

The original context needs to be restored. The context for this holiday is Christmas. The context is remembering that God wants to be with us. He originally created the earth as a place to meet with us. We are unique: the only part of creation made in His image. This enables us to have fellowship with Him. But, we rebelled and broke fellowship with Him.

However, in spite of our rejecting Him, He still wanted fellowship with us. So much so He became one of us. And that's what we celebrate this season.

We remember His first arrival as an infant. The message to Mary. The travel to Bethlehem. The full inn and the manger. The angels' announcement to the the shepherds. The star guiding wise men with their gifts. The incarnation. Emmanuel. God with us.

We remember how He walked among us, showing us the heart of God. He took upon Himself the debt we couldn't pay and paid it in full by dying on the cross. We celebrate Jesus. Savior. The perfect Lamb of God.

We remember how three days later He picked His life back up. Death could not keep Him down. He is the first of many who will overcome death by what He has done for us. We celebrate His resurrection. The Living One.

We remember that, as bad as things are on the earth now, they will get worse. But they won't stay that way. He will return a second time to bring justice to this planet. All things will be restored in perfect accordance with God's will. He will prevail. We celebrate His return. The King of kings.

God loves us and want's fellowship with us. He wants to walk with us. He wants everything to be made right and has done everything in His power to provide a way for us to be at peace with Him. We simply need to place our faith in Him and in what He's done for us.

When we look at the world from His perspective, we are able to see the beginning and the end and understand the reason for any chaos we have in our circumstances or in the events around the globe. And we understand it is only temporary.

It is only in the context of His story that it makes sense to be merry.

Merry Christmas!

Thoughts on the Incarnation
Why Celebrate Christmas?

Enough Excitement For This Week

noreply@blogger.com (Harley Pebley) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 05:20:00 +0000

The other night my darling wife had gone to bed as I sat next to her to catch up on e-mail. After about 5 minutes, out of the blue, she said "That's a pretty bad. Do you smell it?" A moment later the hair on the back of my neck raised as the acrid smell of burning electronics reached my nose. I raced downstairs headed to the basement, my first thought being I'd left the soldering iron on two nights before and it'd finally had too much. But almost as soon as I thought it, I remembered specifically turning it off and triple checking it.

I reached the bottom of the stairs, turned to head to the basement and flipped on the lights in the kitchen to illumine the way. I didn't make it any further: the kitchen was full of smoke. I quickly scanned everything and didn't see anything obviously pouring out smoke. Next scan was to check if anything was on: nothing. I felt everything that was plugged in. Nothing was hot. Just to be on the safe side, I unplugged each item when I got to it.

Since everything seemed to be in order, I headed to the basement to make sure it wasn't coming up from there. There wasn't any smoke in the stairs and by the time I got to the bottom, the air was clear and odorless. All clear there.

Heading back upstairs I could tell it was definitely strongest in the kitchen. But I could also tell it was already dissipating; undoubtedly the smoke was less than when I first came down. A bit relieved, but still concerned, I started a slower, more methodical check of all the built-in appliances. The dishwasher. The garbage disposal. The stove. The refrigerator. I felt the walls for hot spots. Everything seemed in order.

As I scratched my head trying to figure out where the smell had come from, Diane opened the windows and started the fans. Of course, it was about 30F outside. I turned off the furnace. I realized that of the things plugged in, the only things with automatic switches that could have been on were the furnace and refrigerator. Since the furnace is under the kitchen and has a cold air return right next to it, I thought perhaps it had burned up and vented through the ducts. I went to the basement and found it to be in order.

Next I pulled the refrigerator out from the wall and unplugged it. I grabbed a nut driver and removed the cardboard dust cover on the back. I didn't see anything obviously wrong, but I couldn't see much either. Smelling the dust cover however immediately told me this was the source. It reeked of the magic smoke that makes electronics work.

Now, confident we'd found the source, it was now cold and the house wasn't going to burn down, Diane headed back to bed and I to my e-mail with the windows still open and fans still running to vent the obnoxious odors. When it was too cold to stand anymore, I closed everything up, turned the heater back on and went to bed.

Next day the appliance repair man came out. As he walked through the door, he said, "Ah, I smell a burned out relay."

Twenty minutes later he was done, the fridge was cooling again and we had this souvenir. (Click images for larger view.)

That was enough excitement for this week, and many more too.

Attributes of Jesus from Revelation 1 (4 of 4)

noreply@blogger.com (Harley Pebley) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Today's article is the last in this series on the Attributes of Jesus from Revelation 1. So far, we've covered: Part 1 (verse 5): Jesus Christ, Faithful Witness, Firstborn from the dead, Ruler of the kings; Part 2 (verses 5-10): Lover, Free-er, Maker, Receiver, Coming on the clouds, Visible to all, Alpha and Omega, The Almighty, Voice like a trumpet; and Part 3 (verse 13-15): Among the lamp stands, Son of Man, Robe to feet, Golden sash on chest, Head like wool/Hair like snow, Eyes like blazing fire, Feet like burnished bronze, Voice like many waters. And now for the final verses 16 through 18.

Holds seven stars in His right hand

The right hand is the place of blessing and honor. The right hand wields power and strength. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches (represented by the lamp stands in verse 13) of Asia Minor: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. Each of the letters in Revelation 2 and 3 are written to these angels. An open question about which there is much debate is: Are these angels in the heavenly sense, like Gabriel and Michael? Or is this word used in the "messenger" sense, as in the leader (e.g. pastor, teacher, prophet) over the church in the human sense? In either case, it's Jesus who holds them. Not an angel. Not a mere man. But Jesus. The Shepherd. The one who corrects and disciplines and serves and protects. He is the one who provides leadership to the church. Genesis 48:14,18,19; 1st Kings 2:19; Psalm 45:9, 60:5, 63:8, 108:6, 118:15-16, 110:1; Matthew 20:21,23, 22:44, 25:32-34; Revelation 1:11,20; Ephesians 4:15, 5:23

Out of his mouth comes a sharp, double-edged sword

Jesus is the living, active Word of God, sharper than a double-edged sword, able to divide between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. The Word of God is the sword the Spirit wields. It was by Jesus' word that everything came into being; He spoke and it was. That same power and authority will be released to kill all who would presume to war against Him. John 1:1-5; Ephesians 6:17; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 4:12; Revelation 19:11-21

Face shining like the sun in its strength

This is the same description as used on the mount of transfiguration. Just as the sun comes up every day, so too will David's throne be established forever; David's kingdom endure. This is fulfilled in Jesus, the descendent of David, both in His everlasting kingdom and in His physical appearance. From the rising of the sun until its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised. Here, it will never set, so praise will rise continually. Nothing can hide from the sun's heat. In perfect beauty and holiness, God's fire shines forth as a consuming fire. God's shining face brings salvation to His people and destruction to their enemies. Matthew 17:2; Psalm 19:6, 50:2-3, 80:3,7,19, 94:1, 97:1-12, 113:3; Daniel 7:10

First and Last

He is unique. There is no God before Him, nor will there be one after Him. This is our comfort; we don't have to be afraid of changes in rulership. Regardless of what we go through, He has been there and is there and will be there. He is all sufficient. He was the agent of creation, the originator of all things. In the end, al things will be subject to Him. Evil will be abolished and the righteousness of His kingdom will reign. As Savior, He is the one who starts our life of faith and He is the one wo brings it to completion. Isaiah 41:4, 43:10, 44:6, 46:4, 48:12; John 1:3; 1st Corinthians 15:24-26; Colossians 1:16, 2:9-12; 2nd Peter 3:7; Hebrews 1:2, 2:10, 12:2; Revelation 1:8, 1:17

Living One

This is the title of Jesus used by the angels at the tomb on the first resurrection Sunday. "The" Living One. Not "A" living One. The definite article is used. He is unique, specific. The "Living" One. He's alive by His own life force. Death could not keep Him down. He is the Life-giver. Life flows from His very being. The Living "One". In conjunction with the definite article, emphasizing the uniqueness of His singularity. There is only one source of Life. This echos Jesus' own statement about Himself: I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. The fulfillment of the Feast of First Fruits. He's the source of all life. The one in whom we live and move and have our being. This title is in contrast to all else. All other idols and gods and things people worship are not living, but only exist because He created them whether spiritual beings or physical objects. And as created beings, they are not worthy of worship, even though they may claim and demand worship. Luke 24:5; John 14:6; Acts 2:24, 17:24-29; Romans 6:4,9; 2nd Corinthians 13:4; Revelation 13:2-8

Was dead

How can the Living One become dead? It truly is a mystery. The Infinite becoming a finite human is easier to understand than the Living One dying. But scriptures says it happened. What it means or how it was accomplished I don't know. But here Jesus declares it about Himself, so it must be. Paul also mentions it. I suspect it's related somehow to Jesus becoming master over death. Perhaps it is related to Jesus being baptized. It wasn't because He was in need of repentance, but rather so that we, as part of the bundle of the living wrapped up in Him, might experience baptism with Him. In a similar way to His baptism, He had to die so we, bundled with Him, might die with Him so we could be raised with Him. In His humanity, as a prototype for all human-kind, He died. It's bending. My brain explodes. It's mush trying to wrap itself around this mystery. Romans 6:8-10

Now alive forevermore

The Living One, who was dead, is now alive forever and ever and ever. The Living One could not be held by death; it was impossible. Like darkness has no choice but to flee before light, death had no choice but to flee before the Living One. He did not have to die over and over again but rather His sacrifice is sufficient, once for all people for all time. It is appointed for all to die once and after that face judgement. Since He has now died once, He's now alive forever to bring salvation to those who place their trust in His atoning death. Acts 2:24; Romans 5:6-19, 6:10; Colossians 1:21-23; 1st Peter 3:18; Hebrews 9:21-28, 10:10-12

Hold keys of death and Hades

The one holding the keys is free to enter and leave at will. He has authority over that place. This is what He did. He entered and spent three days in Hell. Then He left of His own accord. He has authority over even death. The last enemy. He is the one who has freed us and we no longer have to live in fear. Death has no substance anymore. It is merely a powerless shadow. Hell and the place of destruction are naked before Him. The gates of death are revealed to Him and He sees the gates of darkness. He will abolish death. There will no longer be any death. Matthew 12:4; Psalm 23:4; Job 26:6, 38:17; 1st Corinthians 15:26; 2nd Timothy 1:10; Hebrews 2:15; Revelation 21:4

And that's it for this series. I hope you were blessed by it. If you have any thoughts, please leave them in the comments below.

Attributes of Jesus from Revelation 1 (3 of 4)

noreply@blogger.com (Harley Pebley) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:00:00 +0000

This is the third installment in my series on the Attributes of Jesus taken from Revelation 1. (Here are part 1 and part 2.) Today's items are found in verses 13 through 15.

Among the lamp stands

The lamp stands represent the church. He walks among His people. He is in our midst. He doesn't leave us. By the Holy Spirit, we burn in love and joy and praise before God with faith and character that have been refined through trials as if by fire. There were lamps in the tabernacle and temple the priests were responsible to tend. They trimmed the wicks and filled the oil to provide a constant, pure light. Jesus too is the final High Priest giving us the oil of His Spirit to burn for Him. Revelation 1:20; Matthew 18:20, 28:20; Hebrews 13:5; Job 23:10; Zechariah 13:9; 1st Peter 1:6-9; Matthew 3:11

Son of Man

In Jesus, God became man so He knows what we are going through and can come to our aid. We don't have a priest who cannot relate to us, but one who knows what we go through. He has, once for all, obtained redemption for us and, because of His sacrifice, as a man, He will rule and reign forever. Hebrews 2:17-18, 4:15, 9:11-12; Revelation 5:9; Daniel 7:13-14; Matthew 24:30, 26:64; Mark 13:26, 14:62; Luke 21:27

Robe to feet

The robe, in conjunction with the sash, are priestly garments, again showing His role as one who mediates between God and mankind. The robe represents the salvation and righteousness by which He rules and which He confers upon His people. Exodus 28:4; Leviticus 8:7; Hebrews 7:25-28; 2nd Chronicles 6:31; Isaiah 61:10; Psalm 132:9,16; Romans 3:21-26, 5:14-21; 1st Corinthians 1:30-31; Philippians 1:9-11

Golden sash on His chest

Like the robe above, the sash indicates His position as priest. This evokes the image Paul gives regarding the armor of God: the robe of truth and breastplate of righteousness. Jesus is the Truth. He is our righteousness. Exodus 28:4; Leviticus 8:7; Isaiah 22:21; Ephesians 6:14; John 14:6; 1st Corinthians 1:30

Head and hair like wool and snow

This passage directly links Jesus of John's vision to the Ancient of Days of Daniel's vision. White hair symbolizes the wisdom of age. There is no one who has more wisdom than Him. This direct link also confirms Jesus' devine nature. He is God just as the Father is God. Daniel 7:9; Job 12:12-13

Eyes like blazing fire

Fire symbolizes judgement. Judgement can bring one of two results. It can condemn or it can reward. It can destroy and purify. Like light destroys darkness, God's presence destroys those who are against Him. But for those who join themselves to Him, it purifies and protects. It provides light and guidance and brings glory to God. Jesus is the light of heaven. Genesis 19:24; Exodus 13:21; Psalm 11:6; Isaiah 43:2, 64:1-2, 66:15; Zechariah 13:9; Malachi 3:2-6; Matthew 5:14-16, 6:22; Luke 3:9, 8:16-17, 11:36; Acts 2:3; 1st Corinthians 3:12-15; Revelation 19:11-12, 21:23, 22:5

Feet like burnished bronze, glowing from a furnace

Feet are the place of subjection. Enemies are trampled underfoot. Bowing at the feet shows respect and submission. Bronze represents judgement. The altar in the tabernacle and temple was of bronze as were all the utensils accompanying it. The altar is where sin was judged and atoned for by sacrifice. Moses lifted up the bronze serpent to bring healing to the people being judged for their sins. In the same way, Jesus was lifted up on the cross to provide healing to all who would look to Him for their salvation. Glowing from a furnace represents purity. Combining these concepts, all judgement is subject to Jesus, or in other words, He is the supreme judge because He was the perfect Lamb of God, sacrificed for the sins of the world. His judgement is correct. There is no impurity in it. Feet: 2nd Samuel 22:38-39; Esther 8:3; Mark 7:25, 22:5; 1st Corinthians 15:27; Hebrews 2:8; Bronze: Exodus 27:1-8; Numbers 21:5-9; John 3:14-15; Furnace: Proverbs 17:3; Isaiah 48:10; Zechariah 13:9; 1st Corinthians 3:11-13; 1st Peter 1:6-8

Voice like many waters

These are the same words that were used to describes the Father's voice. He speaks and things come into existence. It has to be obeyed. Like a tsunami, His voice is irresistible, loud, cleansing, powerful and majestic. It judges and sweeps away impurity. Like rain, it is life giving. Without it nothing would exist. Genesis 1; Exodus 15:26; Deuteronomy 13:4,18; Ezekiel 43:2; Psalm 29:3-9; John 1:1-5; Revelation 16:1-12, 21:1-8

That's it for today. We'll finish the rest next time. As always, if you have any thoughts, please leave them in the comments below.

Attributes of Jesus from Revelation 1 (2 of 4)

noreply@blogger.com (Harley Pebley) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 12:00:00 +0000

The last article covered five attributes of Jesus as presented in Revelation 1:5. This article will continue with the rest found in verse five and continue through verse ten.

Lover

He loves us and demonstrated this by His giving Himself over to death on our behalf. We didn't love Him first. Rather, He loved us before we even thought of Him. Nothing can separate us from His love. Because of His love, He has given us eternal comfort. His love for us should transform us into lovers of others. John 3:16, 13:1, 13:34; 1st John 4:10, 4:16, 4:19; Romans 5:8-10, 8:37, 8:39; Galatians 1:4, 2:20; Ephesians 5:2; 2nd Thessalonians 2:16f

Freer

We are free from bondage to sin and death. We were slaves to unrighteousness. We had no choice. He has freed us from this slavery and we can now live in righteousness. John 8:31-32, 8:34-36; Romans 6:4-18, 6:20, 6:22, 8:1-5

Maker

Jesus is the agent of all creation. He made everything, whether spiritual or physical. Nothing exists that He didn't make. And now, He has made us alive, forgiving our sins and nailing our debt to the cross. He has made us a kingdom and priests to God, a fulfillment of an Old Testament promise. John 1:3, 1:10; Colossians 1:16-17, 2:13-14; 1st Corinthians 8:6; Hebrews 1:2; Revelation 1:6; Exodus 19:5-6

Receiver

He is the one who receives all glory and dominion. He alone is worth. There is only one in both heaven and earth who has been found to be worthy. He received glory and honor from God when He was on the earth; God is well pleased with His Son. Every being in heaven and earth will bend the knee and confess that Jesus is Lord. Some will willingly do it. Some will be compelled to do it. Revelation 5:2-10; 1st Peter 1:16-18; Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35; Philippians 2:9-11

Coming on the clouds

Forty days after His resurrection, He ascended into the sky and disappeared in the clouds. In the same way He will return. Jesus Himself told us He would return in the clouds. When He appears, it will be to establish an everlasting kingdom. Being in the clouds, high and exalted, He is presented with all power and authority over all other powers and authorities on the planet. Returning in this way demonstrates His power and ability to rule. Acts 1:1-11; Matthew 24:29-31, 26:64; Mark 13:24-26, 14:62; Luke 21:27; Daniel 7:13-14

Visible to all

Everyone will see Him. His return will not be hidden or disguised or in secret. As lightning is seen across the whole sky, so too will His return be. There will be no mistaking it. Matthew 24:27, 28:3; Luke 17:24

Alpha and Omega

He is the Beginning and the End; the First and the Last. There was no God before Him and there will not be any after Him. All things are by Him and through Him and for Him. Isaiah 43:10, 44:6; Romans 11:36; 1st Corinthians 8:6; Hebrews 2:10

The Almighty

He is preeminent. There is no one greater than Him. He is not one among equals; rather He is supreme. While we are called to be like Him in character, no one can become like Him in nature. He is a strong protector. He is the righteous judge and king and since there is no one mightier than Him, His ruling will ultimately reign supreme. Psalm 91; Revelation 11:17, 15:3, 16:7, 19:6, 19:15

Voice like a trumpet

Trumpets are clear and loud. Their frequency cuts through and is heard above all the other instruments in the orchestra. Their notes pierce through the clash and din of battle. They cannot be ignored or drowned out. In a similar way, Jesus speaks to His people. He speaks to those who are His in a way they cannot ignore over the din of day to day life. Trumpets are used in the Old Testament to call to war, remind of sin and the provision for atonement. He told us to take heaven by force. In saying this, He calls us to war against sin and our natural, sinful man who is at odds with our spiritual, regenerated man. Exodus 20:1-18; Numbers 10:9-10; Judges 3:27, 6:34, 7:15-22; Matthew 11:12

That's it for this installment. The next post will look at Jesus' attributes as described in verses 13 through 15. If you have any thoughts, please leave them in the comments below.

Attributes of Jesus from Revelation 1 (1 of 4)

noreply@blogger.com (Harley Pebley) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 12:00:00 +0000

The last book of the Bible starts with the words "The revelation of Jesus Christ." This can be read two ways. The first meaning is the revelation is a possession of Jesus. In other words, "Jesus Christ's revelation." It is a revelation He gave to us. I believe this is the first, clear and intended meaning of this phrase. However, I think this phrase can also be understood a different way. Revelation, in addition to being a foretelling of history that Jesus possesses, also reveals more of who Jesus is in His nature and character. In much the same way the gospels tell us both the facts of what happened and the character and heart of Jesus, Revelation shows us both what will happen in the future and more of Jesus heart and character.

Over the last couple months, I have meditated on many of the attributes of Jesus as enumerated in the first chapter of Revelation. Starting with this post, and continuing for three more, I will list them and write a few thoughts on each along with a list of supporting scriptures. In total, I identified 31 different names and descriptions. Depending on how you read the text, one could argue a couple more or less. I don't think the exact count is as relevant as the fact that there are many dimensions to Jesus revealed in this chapter and they are worth meditating on and gazing on the many-faceted beauty of this Man.

All the attributes of Jesus in today's posting are from verse 5 of Revelation 1.

Jesus

First, is His name. It is what would have shown up on a birth certificate had they had them in first century Bethlehem. It is the English version of the common Hebrew name Joshua. There were in fact other Joshuas in Israel's history: Joshua, son of Nun, the leader of Israel after Moses, and Joshua the high priest in the days of the restoration when Israel returned from exile in Babylon. His name, while common, carried a promise, for it means God Saves. It was the name God Himself proscribed for Him through Gabriel's announcement to Mary when she was told she was the one chosen by God to bring forth his Son. He wanted to remind us that every one of us have sinned and need to be saved. And He wanted to tell us that the salvation of humans was the first reason Jesus became a man. It was by the shedding of His blood for us and our acceptance of what He's done on our behalf by which each one of us is reconciled to the Father. No one can have a relationship with God without the salvation Jesus provides. Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:31, 2:11, 2:21, 2:30-32; John 1:29, 1:36; Acts 2:38, 4:12, 5:31, 13:23,38,39; Romans 10:9-10; Colossians 1:20-23

Christ

Next is His best known title. It is what would have been beneath His name had he had a business card. It means Anointed. To be anointed is to be set apart, or consecrated, for a particular purpose. It was typically formalized in a ceremony where oil was poured on the initiate. This is seen at Jesus' baptism. The Spirit, commonly symbolized by oil, came and rested on Him and soon afterward He proclaimed God's anointing to be upon Him to preach the gospel, release the captives, recover the blind's sight, set free the oppressed and proclaim the year of God's favor. Priests in the Old Testament were anointed with oil to show their consecration as priests before God. This title shows us how Jesus is the final high priest between God and mankind. This title goes hand in hand with his role as savior. First He saves us, then He brings us into relationship with the Father. Matthew 11:5, 12:18; Luke 4:18; Acts 10:28; Hebrews 3:1-2, 4:14-16

Faithful witness

Jesus was a witness to us of God's character and heart. He revealed God to us. He said "He who has seen Me has seen the Father." Jesus did and said the things the Father told Him. One way "faithful" can be applied: He was faithful in this task. He did not waver from what was before Him. He was faithful in the face of opposition, even to His own detriment, death on the cross. Another way to understand His faithfulness: it's the nature of Jesus. He was the image we could see showing us the invisible Father who we could not see. Jesus is the exact representation of God's nature. The witness He bore was a true revelation of God's character. John 1:14, 12:44-50, 14:8-10; Philippians 2:8; Colossians 1:15; 1st John 5:20; Hebrews 1:3

Firstborn from the dead

Jesus' resurrection from the dead was the fulfillment of the Feast of First Fruits. He is the first of many more to come. Since He was resurrected, we can have confidence that we too will be raised from the dead. Our salvation is not just from our sins to have relationship with God now in this life, but also from the everlasting effects of sin, physical death. 1st Corinthians 15:20-26

Ruler of the kings

He is the King of all kings. Everyone will be subject to Him. He will rule over everything. All authority starts with Him and no authority exists apart from Him. He will rule over everything forever. Every knee, whether demonic, angelic or human will bow before Him and confess that He is Lord. All enemies will be subject to Him, including the last enemy, death. Deuteronomy 10:17; Revelation 17:14, 19:16; Matthew 11:27, 28:18; Ephesians 1:20-23; Colossians 1:16-18, 2:10; Daniel 7:13-14; Philippians 2:9-11; 1st Corinthians 15:25-26

That's the first five attributes, all from a single verse. There are more to come from this verse as well as many more from the rest of the chapter. If you have any thoughts, please leave them in the comments below.

Yummy Hummus

noreply@blogger.com (Harley Pebley) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:00:00 +0000

This post is way off-topic, but I wanted to record it for future reference and easy searching.

I make hummus on occasion and, like most of my cooking, I never really follow a recipe. So when I do make a batch, it's pretty much based on what I have on hand and however inspiration hits me. This means it's never the same twice. Which is good for variety, but poor for repeatability. Tonight I made some that I think is my favorite so far. Thus, in order to reproduce it in the future, here's what I did.

2 15.5 cans (drained) garbanzo beans (a.k.a. chickpeas)
Scant 1/4 cup of liquid from beans
Scant 1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup lemon juice
1/8 cup Bragg's Amino Acids
1/2 t. or so of ground ginger
1/4 t. or so of ground mustard
1/4 t. or so of ground turmeric
Dash of cayenne pepper
5-6 cloves of fresh garlic
2 clementine oranges (minus a couple sections for the chef)

Combine and blend until smooth. Enjoy.

Two Brothers and Their Dad

noreply@blogger.com (Harley Pebley) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 12:00:00 +0000

There's a familiar story told by Jesus, as related by Luke^[1], paraphrased here:

There once were two brothers in business with their dad. The younger one wanted to leave home and so asked his father for his half of the family estate. When he received it, he left, traveled far away and partied with everyone he could convince to join him.

In time the money ran out and everyone left for the next rave. He was left alone with no friends and no means of support. Finally he got a menial, part-time job in order to have a place to stay. He fed himself by dumpster diving behind eating establishments. Eventually he realized his father's employee's ate better and decided to return to see if his father would employ him.

After a long and arduous trek back home, his father saw him in the distance and ran to embrace him. The son started his prepared speech, "Father, I am not worthy to be called your son..." whereupon his father interrupted him and, calling to his general manager, said "Put his name back on the checking account, put clothes on his back and call the caterer for a big feast. My son has returned."

When the older son returned from a business meeting, he saw all the festivities and asked the nearest employee what was happening. "Your brother has returned and your father is treating us all to a feast." The brother was angry, stalked to his office, slammed the door and sat down for a sulk. His father heard he was back and went to talk with him, "Your brother has returned. Come. Eat. Rejoice."

"But I've worked for you all these years and never asked for anything. You never had a feast for me."

"Oh, son, all I have belongs to you. But today, we must celebrate because your brother who was lost has been found."

Both these sons had their individual failings and short-comings. I don't think the father was ignorant of their problems. He knew the younger would waste his inheritance. He knew the older had a chip on his shoulder. Neither one's issues took him by surprise. But in both cases, he embraced them and reminded them of his love. To one he had to remind him that he was his child, and all he had to do was return to be restored to relationship. To the other, he had to remind him that he was his child and all he had belonged to him.

This parable is the third of a series. The first talked about a lost sheep.^[2] The second talked about a lost coin.^[3] And this one talked about a lost son.^[1] The end of all of them is a celebration of the lost thing being found.

One of Jesus' really mind blowing statements is similar to these stories.^[4] He has just met the woman by the well in Samaria and has engaged her in conversation. She asks Him a question about the proper place to worship. In an almost non sequitur response He replies with "A time is coming, and in fact is now here, when the true worshippers will worship in spirit and reality, for such worshipers the Father seeks out." The idea of almighty, self-sufficient God seeking, being on the look out for, searching out, weak, broken people for relationship is amazing.

As we celebrate Father's Day here in a week, remember the One who wants to be the Father of each one of us. If you're in a far country, out of fellowship with Him, take the risky step toward Him. He will run to you and embrace you. If you're in fellowship with Him and living by His side, remember He loves you in spite of your short-comings. You may be dark, but He finds you lovely. In any case, focus on His overwhelming love, return His embrace and let it be what produces the change to make you into the child He wants you to be.

1. Luke 15:11-32

2. Luke 15:3-7

3. Luke 15:8-10

4. John 4:7-26

The Rapture

noreply@blogger.com (Harley Pebley) — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 12:00:00 +0000

I found it fascinating how the pop culture picked up on the Rapture theme a couple weeks ago. People have set dates for this event for since at least the beginning of last century. I remember it happening a number of times just in the last couple decades. So why did the setting a date this time capture the attention of the general public?

I don't have an answer for that but I do have a couple thoughts on the matter in general. The principle points are: I believe the rapture will happen^[1] and I believe no one knows when^[2], but I also believe we can have a general ideal of its relative timeliness.^[3] The following general overview of events surrounding the Rapture is based on how I understand the various passages in Scripture surrounding this topic.

At some point, a global government with a single charismatic leader will emerge.

For some this will be the best of times. Wars and conflict will cease. Global peace will appear to have been achieved. The middle east will no longer be a hotbed of conflict. The Jews will again have a temple in Jerusalem and will re-establish their daily sacrifices. There will be a single world-wide currency. Commerce will be regulated. People will prosper.

For others this will be the worse of times. If they don't conform to the system, they will be pursued, prosecuted and punished with the death penalty.

After approximately three and a half years, public opinion will turn against Israel. Over the course of several years, the conflict will increase to the point where the world's armies will surround this small strip of land.

It is in this context that the Rapture will occur. The sky will split open, Jesus will return in bodily form. Believers still alive at that point will be physically transformed, dead believers will raise from the dead and both groups will meet Him in the air. Jesus, along with all those with Him, will come to wage war against the global powers. At that point Jesus will establish His kingdom on the earth and rule over the planet from Jerusalem.

Yes, the Rapture will happen. There will be many signs preceding it for those paying attention. They will be aware of what's happening and be ready for it. The thing is, most of the population will either ignore the signs or openly scoff at them. For them, it will seem to happen suddenly and without warning.

I encourage everyone to study this for themselves. Jesus' second coming and the events surrounding it are some of the most written about topics in scripture. I believe they're there for a reason and we need to pay attention to them.

Footnotes

1. 1st Corinthians 15:51ff

2. Matthew 24:36-37

3. 1st Thessalonians 5:1-5; Luke 21:29-36

Geocentrism vs. Heliocentrism and the Gospel

noreply@blogger.com (Harley Pebley) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0000

From the times of the ancient Greeks, the best minds thought the earth was the center of the universe. Ptolemy formalized much of this thinking, providing tables that, with moderate accuracy, predicted astronomical events. Elaborate machines were made to model the solar system with everything circling the earth.

In the 1500s, Copernicus proposed a model placing the sun at the center of the universe. Following him, Kepler took the idea, combined it with detailed observational data, and mathematically discovered that elliptical orbits of the planets around the sun precisely described the observed data.

Much controversy ensued as proponents for both models debated back and forth. Galileo's trials are probably some of the best known examples of the turmoil caused by these ideas. One of Kepler's contemporaries by the name of Tycho, while disagreeing with him on theoretical models, employed him for his brilliant mathematical skills and observational abilities. Tycho's hybrid system had the earth at the center with the sun and outer planets orbiting it, while the inner planets orbited the sun.

I recently Stumbled upon a pretty cool web site. Like the elaborate armillaries of old, this site shows the positions of the planets relative to each other. Among its features, it will animate the solar system to show how the movements vary relative one to the other. Also, it has two modes, one to show the Tychonian geocentric model and one to show the Copernicean heliocentric model.

Below are two short videos. Each one is approximately eight earth-years of planetary movement compressed down to thirteen seconds.

The first shows how the planets trace crazy paths as they rotate around the earth. Everything is pretty chaotic. If you watch closely, you can see planets going around in spirograph-like swirls and swoops, doubling back on themselves and then crossing across their previous path as the observed motion in the sky is modeled with the earth at the center.

The second shows very neat and orderly motion with each planet rotating around the sun in an elliptical path. There are no crazy changes in direction. Each object traces a predictable, stable orbit with the sun at the center.

It's easy to see why the new model eventually replaced the old one in the way most people think about planetary motion. It reflected in a much simpler way the way things work. Yes, there was turmoil making the change, but the change eventually did come.

As I experimented with the controls for this virtual armillary, I realized these two models visually demonstrate very nicely the difference we have in our lives depending on who is at the center. You see, we have center upon which all our decisions, actions, thoughts and emotions are based. We are born at the center. To put it bluntly, we are self-centered. We believe everything revolves around us. Things and people around us have to move in crazy directions to keep this model working. We can watch the evening news or read the morning paper or look at our own lives to see the effects of these paths. Bombings. Coupes. Murders. Anger. Divorce. Mayhem. Chaos.

The problem is we weren't originally designed to be the center. All the problems come from the fact that this model doesn't match the reality we were created for. However, there is One who was created to be the center, God. When we shift our perspective and place Jesus at the center of our universe, all of a sudden things start moving into a better orbit. If we seek His will, His decisions and His direction for our lives, the patterns in our life will improve. He has always intended to be the center of all things, including our lives. When things revolve around Him, rather than us, paths that were crazy, chaotic and unpredictable become calm, smooth and routine.

Like the shift from the geocentric model to the heliocentric model, there will be turmoil. There will be turmoil in our own inner being. Self is used to being central and will soon enough want to move back to that place. When we realize it happening, we need to again shift focus and re-establish the rightful King to His place.

Additionally, there will be turmoil in relationships with others as changes in ourselves change the way we interact with them. This requires learning new ways of seeing and new ways of being as we submit our will, along with everything that flows from that action, to Jesus. Unfortunately, not everyone will like or agree with these changes. Many will desire to stay at the center of their own lives. When we refuse to walk the needed chaotic path to match their model but continue to follow the path around the Son, turmoil will ensue.

Eventually, this turmoil on the personal level will escalate to the global level. There is coming a time when two forces will collide. One will desire human will and the other will desire God's will. However, just like the heliocentric model eventually overcame the geocentric model, so too will the Christ-centered model replace the human centered one.

Where will your center be?

The Prince

noreply@blogger.com (Harley Pebley) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Several times, one of my favorite radio preachers, Steve Brown, has related this sermon illustration. I haven't heard it anywhere else, but each time he relates it, I think to myself, "I should write that down and share it." Rather than transcribing it, which is a lot of work, I will simply retell it here in my own words. I hope you enjoy it.

There once was a king who had a young son. Like any parent, he loved his son dearly. Every evening, after concluding the business of the realm, he'd find the small prince and they'd play together until bed time. However, one fateful night the king could not find the prince. He searched high and low. The palace staff spent the night scouring the grounds, looking for the youth. He was not found. The next morning, the king dispatched the royal guard to look for him. A reward was posted.

Meanwhile, the prince, wandered off by himself and got lost in the woods outside the castle walls. He floundered through the forest. His clothes tore on brambles and branches. He fell in some mud. Finally, after days of wandering, scared, tired, hungry, dirty and disheveled, he stumbled into a village. Tugging on the coat tails of the first adult he came upon, he told them he was the prince. They laughed at him. He certainly didn't look or sound princely. He went from one person to another. Each one reacted with scoffing, laughing or scolding. Finally, he began begging for scraps of food to feed his hunger.

Days turned to weeks, to months, to years. The young beggar grew and the memory of living in the castle faded into a distant memory and then became a fable in his mind. He fell in with a rough crowd. His natural leadership abilities caused him to rise through the ranks of the underground until he became the most wanted criminal in the kingdom. In his hardened cynicism he rebelled against all authority. The memory of his former life erased by the harsh realities of growing up on the streets.

One day the law finally caught him. He was tried, convicted and rightly sentenced to death. Through a long series of events, too long for this brief synopsis, the king found out this convicted criminal in his dungeon was his beloved son. He went down many flights of twisting stairs, descending from the royal chambers to the dark, dank sub-basement cells. He went in and sat on the cot opposite the sullen condemned man.

The king talked with the prince about their days long ago, playing together in the warm summer evenings, their mock sword battles in the lengthening spring afternoons, the stories told around the fire during dark winter months. The king described his great love for his son. The hard heart of the younger man was unmoved. Finally, the king told him he was free to go; he would not be executed the next morning.

With tears streaming down the age lines of his face, the now elderly king climbed the stairs back to his chambers.

A while after the king left, the younger man tested the cell door and found it open. He cautiously crept up the stairs. There was no guard. He left through the courtyard and gates, unchallenged. "The old fool is more daft than I imagined," he thought to himself as he left.

It wasn't until a few weeks later that the one-time prince found out the king, in order to satisfy justice, had been executed in his place.

That's not the end. The ending hasn't been written yet. You see, you and I are the former prince. Jesus is the king. The story's conclusion is written as we, as individuals, decide what we are going to do with this great sacrifice that was made on our behalf.

This is obviously an allegory. If you are interested in more detailed, historical information about Jesus and what His love drove Him to do for you, I recommend reading the gospel of Luke. It was written by a Greek physician for a Greek audience and so is probably easier for those of us from a Western culture to understand than the other gospels, written to people with more of an Eastern cultural background.

A Geek's Guide to Sports

noreply@blogger.com (Harley Pebley) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 13:00:00 +0000

I understand there is a big sports competition coming up this weekend. I don't know much about sports, but thought I'd share what I do know with my fellow geeks so they can be more informed around the office for water cooler conversations.

American Football

This is where two smart guys are mad at each other. They each have recruited two groups of really big supports. By "really big," I mean physically huge. Each group is trying to kill the other group's smart guy while at the same time trying to keep their smart guy from getting murdered by the opposing side's hit squad. They do this in a strange, alternating dance, where one team tries to kill the other's smart guy for a while and then they trade off and the second team tries to do in the first team's smart guy. To make their homicidal intents socially acceptable, they hide their true, life-ending goal behind a facade of moving an oblong ball from one end of a grassy expanse to the other.

Rugby

This is a variation of American Football, just without the smart guys.

Australian Football

This was developed in the southern hemisphere where everyone is upside down. I think the blood rushes to their heads since they've confused the rules. Like American Football and Rugby, there are two teams. However, half of each team plays American Football while the other half of each team plays Rugby.

Basketball

This is a track and field sport for tall people during the winter months when it's too cold to go outside. It involves a lot of running back and forth and back and forth (the track part) and jumping and heaving heavy objects (the field part) over their heads attempting to get it into a basket about the same size as the ball. All the while the other side is trying to stop the person with the ball. There are a couple guys running around dressed like zebras who randomly stop the action. Everyone gets angry at them. I think this has something to do with some hunting ritual that has slipped into the game. It's probably to remind us that sustenance is more important than games and we need to stop once in a while, come together and remember to focus on the hunt. Does zebra taste good? Seems like an odd animal to incorporate into the game.

Soccer

(This is known as Football in the rest of the world which actually makes more sense than what Americans call Football since it actually uses the feet whereas American Football uses the hands. Perhaps we should rename American Football to Handball. It'd certainly be more logical.) Anyway, soccer is just the same as Basketball except it's for short people who can't use their hands.

Hockey

This is soccer for people living in Canada where it's too cold for grass to grow. Since it's icy all the time, they play on frozen ponds while wearing skates. Other than that it's just like soccer. I think they must be really mad they have to play on ice since score is kept based on how much blood is shed.

Baseball

The strategy of this game is to play it so slow that you bore the other team into forfeiting. It's played with a small ball that, one by one, each team member tries to hit with a thin, long stick. Since these two items are both so small, they only come into contact randomly, thus prolonging the game. This is a great strategy to make the other team think they really are trying to move the game along when in fact it's simply a delaying tactic.

Cricket

The English have taken Baseball and really perfected the underlying goal of boring everyone. They obviously have much more patience that Americans though and have adapted the game to prolong it even further than the short-attention spans we have here in the colonies.

Well, now that you're better informed, I hope that helps you the next time the topic of sports comes up in the lunch room or during hallway conversations.