So that is where the sudden interest in geometry came from!!! :)

God has such a great way of making me smile and bringing moments of pure joy to my life. 

 

I just love seeing God's hand in things, after the fact.  Looking back and seeing how seemingly random and unrelated things fit together…again after the fact. Thinking to myself "oh, that's where that interest suddenly came from. Cool!".  It just makes me smile!

Here's the short version of the story.  Several weeks ago I started a class offered by Hillsdale College called "Math and Logic: from Euclid to modern geometry".  Where did this sudden interest in geometry come from?  I avoided geometry in high school because I heard the teacher was really hard so why, almost 50 years later, an interest in geometry?

 

But it gets weirder. 

 

From there it occurs to me that it would be fun to take a high school geometry class.  I go over to Khanacademy.org and start taking high school geometry.  It's fun.  I can see how it is really helpful.  I love the logic of it.

 

Which brings me back around to the class I am taking.  Geometry had been around for a couple thousand years when Euclid revolutionized it.  Before Euclid, geometry had a practical basis.  What I mean by that is that it was used in measuring and laying out foundations of buildings, etc.

 

Euclid changed that.  He turned geometry into a theoretical discipline.  And that theoretical disciple became the basis for logic.

 

So to wrap this up,  I am always looking for new ways to see things.  I love to go back and challenge already held beliefs to see if I can defend them. 

So today God said "hey, why don't you go back to the beginning and offer proofs of your deeply held beliefs?  I'll bet you could use some of that geometric logic stuff here.  (As He smiles a sly smile)! " 

So that's where the sudden interest in geometry came from!!!!

PS.  Euclid's Elements was taught for hundreds of years.  It is second only to the Bible in number of printings over the years.  You can learn more about Euclid here.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euclid

What does God say about meritocracy?

 

I try not to get political on this blog but I have to comment on this.

 

There seems to be a war on meritocracy in some circles.  That it is somehow bad to extol the virtues of excellence and striving to be the best.   They think instead that we should celebrate and hold up those who are average as the example of what we should all strive to be. 

So what does God say?  I can think of many example in the Bible such as this one in the New Testament.  

 

When Paul tells us to run the race, does he tell us to run the race to finish in the middle of the pack?  No!  Paul tells us to run the race to win!

You know my belief that whenever possible I like to find example from both the Old and New Testaments when I make a point.  So here is an example from the Old Testament.  

 

Numbers 13:1-2(NKJV)

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 

“Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them.”

 

So when God told Moses to send out men to spy out the land that God was giving them, did God say send the most average people you have?  No He did not!  God said send "leaders of men"! 

 

So there you have examples from both the Old and New Testaments that indicate, at least in my opinion, that the Bible supports meritocracy!

Notice what Jesus didn't do for Simon!

Here is an interesting verse.  Jesus is warning Simon (Peter) that Satan is going to attack him (Simon Peter).  Take a look and then I will share a thought. 

 

Luke 22:31-33(NKJV)

And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 

But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.”

 

Notice what Jesus does for Simon.  Jesus prays for him. 

 

Notice what Jesus doesn't do for Simon.  Jesus doesn't stop Satan from attacking Simon.  One might wonder why.  After all, one of the things Jesus promises to do is protect us.  How is not stopping Satan from attacking Simon, protecting Simon?

Here are my thoughts.  Sometimes you have to let people struggle to find their hidden strengths.  Jesus knew that if Simon drew on the name of Jesus in his battle with Satan, then Simon would be OK.  However, the only real way for Simon to learn that lesson as completely as Jesus needed him to learn it, was to put Simon in a "do or die" type situation where he was truly forced to do it. 

 

Dr. Shuler wrote a book years ago called "Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?".  That is a question people have been asking since the beginning.  I believe one of the reasons  is that there are just some life lessons that we only seem to be able to learn "the hard way".   

Our parents and grand parents can warn us till they are blue in the face, but we don't listen.  We insist on learning those lessons for ourselves. 

Seems to be human nature.  Funny how Jesus already knew that!

Do we take Heaven for granted?

Life is always interesting with God!

 

This morning I have a pressing issue and so I wanted to skip my time with God.  I just felt a bit distracted and wanted to give Him my best…at least that is what I told myself.  So I decided to hit the shower and start my day. 

 

As I was getting ready to shower God was like, "dude, you got time to shower, you got time to spend a few minutes with me.". 

 

Damn, sucks to be called out by God!  :)

 

He was right so I headed back to my desk and dug into the Word.  Here is a passage that caught my eye. 

 

Luke 20:35(NKJV)

But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; 

 

"those who are counted worthy"

 

Interesting phrase.  As I started thinking about it my mind was going in one direction with what I was going to write.  As is my practice, I pray and ask God what points He would like me to make.  Actually it is more like, "alright God, where would you like me to go with this?". 

What is cool is that after I asked Him that question…He answered.  How do I know He answered?  Because thoughts started popping into my head seemingly out of nowhere that took me in a different direction.  A direction that I had not even foreseen.  Pretty cool!

So here is where God took me on this one!

 

Do we take Heaven for granted?  As Christians we are saved and we go on about our merry way, comfortable in the knowledge that we are going to Heaven.  But how many of us reflect on what an honor that is? 

What do I mean honor?  Jesus used the words "counted worthy".  Generally to receive an honor one has to be worthy of that honor!

Everyday I thank God for the blessing He has given me in life but you know what?  I never thank Him for the honor of going to Heaven. 

I will from now on!!!  :)

 

 

 

 

Lessons in child like faith!

I had a wonderful experience with my Grandson Rico this past weekend.  I have two new beagles and Rico was helping me train them out in the woods and fields.  As we were getting ready to head into the woods one of the dogs got loose and took off down the road with his leash trailing behind him. 

 

Rico stayed with Marco while I went after Polo who had disappeared down and around the curve.  Just around the curve, Polo for some reason left the road and went into the deep snow on the side of the road where his leash had gotten tangled up in some brush. 

 

When I got back to Rico he said "I knew you'd find him Grandpa because I was praying to Jesus the whole time!".

 

Wow, in time of crisis what was my grandson's (age 8) first instinct?  He went to Jesus!!!!  Yeah baby, that is child like faith in action!!!

So here is a test.  When things go to hell in your life where do your instincts take you?  Do you still have that child like faith?

I can't begin to tell you what a proud grandpa I was at that moment!  Well done Rico!

 

 

 

A great word from Pastor Beth @ Valley Family Church yesterday!

 

Pastor Beth shared a great message yesterday. (https://www.valleyfamilychurch.org/)  One thing in particular caught my eye.  The reason it caught my eye was that it gave direction on a question that I often ask myself. 

I have been writing this blog for 9 1/2 years now.  There are times when I read something in Scripture and although it is good stuff I think to myself "I've blogged about that before" and I am hesitant to blog on it again because I don't want to "just recycle old material" as it were.  So unless I get a new insight into something I have blogged about before I move on.   

 

So here is the verse that Pastor Beth shared that caught my eye.

 

2 Peter 1:12-13(NKJV)

For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. 

Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, 

 

This is Peter talking.  Pastor Beth used this Scripture and then made the transition to a sports analogy.  In sports there are certain fundamentals that you focus on and practice over and over.  Even when you go to an advanced sports camp, where do they start?  The fundamentals!  Tell me I'm wrong.  :)

 

So the way I see it, there should be no hesitation in blogging about something even if I have covered it before if I think it is something fundamental.  Does that make sense?  I will try to remember that in the future.  Thanks Pastor Beth!!!

Pastor Beth made another great point yesterday that I will save for another time.  If you would like to get a head start and discover the other point then head on over to Valley Family Church and check it out for yourself!  https://www.valleyfamilychurch.org/

People are always looking for other proofs.

Many times people say things like "if I just saw "X", then I would believe.  That "X" being some sort of additional evidence or proof than what they already have to go on.

 

So what does Jesus say about that approach?

 

Luke 16:24-31(NKJV)

“Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ 

But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 

And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’

“Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 

for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ 

Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 

And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 

But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’”

 

This is Jesus telling the story of what Abraham would say.  The guy in hell asks that a warning be sent to his 5 brothers.  Abraham says a warning has already been sent through the prophets and Scripture.  Then the guy in hell says 'yeah but if you raise someone from the dead to warn my brothers, they will listen."

And you can see Abrahams response.  Notice the subtle prophecy in his response.  "If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.". 

Was that really Jesus predicting that even though He was about to be crucified and raised from the dead, Jesus knew that even that would not persuade everyone.  Hmm.