Maker’s Mark

While researching some family heirlooms this week I came across the term maker’s mark (the whiskey was in the news a bunch too). It’s the personal mark a fine craftsman puts on the creations he wants everyone to know are his. I hope a magnifying glass isn’t needed to see our Maker’s marks.

Capacities

“The capacities that distinguish us as human beings from all other creations were given to us so we could connect with each other the way the three divine persons connect. We have the capacity to enjoy the wonder of a relationship built on grace that no angel has ever personally experienced. Combine that capacity with the capacities to think, imagine, aspire, choose and feel, and you have people built for trinity-like community.” – Larry Crabb

But too often –

“I’ve got AM, FM, XM, iPod, iPhone, Internet…and we’re all closer together, just an e-mail or a text away, but we’ve all retreated into our niches, we’ve lost our cohesiveness. We’re no longer all in it together, we’re doing our own thing. And when you take a break and look up and realize no one’s around you wonder…are we better off?” – Bob Lefsetz

Love Does VII

The quote that begins chapter 7:

“I used to think Jesus motivated us with ultimatums, but now I know He pursues us in love.”

Oh how He pursues you. All of creation is a result of His love. He will go to any length to draw you into an intimate relationship with Him. Slow down, let Him love you.

I Love You

I Love You

One thing you can be sure God is always saying is that He loves you. There is nothing more consistent than His love for you. There is nothing deeper than His love for you. And He has no higher purpose than loving you. Too often you think of yourself as a tiny cog in the grand scheme of God’s mysterious plan. Loving you is God’s plan. It has been from the very start. You were not an after thought on day six. You were the reason for everything He created on days one through five.

Reason

Here we take another look at the deist’s view of God and how we can connect with them. Reason is a huge part of this outlook on God. The deist has reasoned from his observation of nature that there is a Creator but that He is not involved in what goes on here any longer. This creates a big question for me, “Why did He make us? What was (is) His reason?” And as I have asked this over the years, the only explanation that makes any sense is that He wants to interact with us. Not just through scripture or in tough times but everyday, even in the littlest things. Each of us that know Him have stories to tell that can’t be dismissed and through our experience others get to be introduced to or encouraged to better know God. Motive is a really big deal in understanding the people in the world around us. It’s an even bigger deal in understanding the One that made us.

He Made Us, Then Left Us Alone

This is also known as deism. Deists hold that reason and the observation of nature indicate that the universe is a product of the all-powerful creator. They typically reject the supernatural and don’t believe God involves Himself in human affairs. Essentially, their take is that God set the world in motion and is letting it play out however it may. This is also known as the “Clockwork Universe Theory”. You would think that scripture would be a good tool for discussion with deists, especially as it relates to prophecy and historically documented miracles. However it’s the apparent inconsistencies in the writings that have led many deists to their position. Tomorrow we’ll continue looking at the deist point of view and from there to some reasoning ourselves.

Providence

The providence of God refers to His activeness in creation. There’s His general providence, which describes the way He upholds the natural order of the universe. And there’s His special providence, which is His incredible involvement in our everyday lives. The important thing to keep in mind about God’s special providence is that we have a part in it. It’s our choice as to how much we allow God to be involved. Isn’t it peculiar the gigantic things we take for granted everyday like the air we breathe, and yet we don’t trust Him with the little stuff?

Attributes

God wants more than anything for us to know Him. The relationship He desires with us must go both directions. He reveals Himself to us through His Word, creation, prayer and everyday interaction and one of the best ways to know when it’s Him is to be familiar with what we call His attributes or characteristics, those things about Him that are certain and have already been discovered. So let’s take a few days and explore some of the attributes of God.

Creation

All of the earth and all of the heavens were created for us. The first 5 days were all to set the stage for day six. We were not an after thought but the focus of God’s every affection. His only desire for us is that we know Him, not for His benefit but for ours, as He truly is all that we need.

But what about the person…

That never heard about Jesus? I’ve never met anyone that that is the case for. It always seems that those that want to use this as a reason not to seek Him are those that have had every opportunity. The Bible says that “the heavens declare the glory of God”, in fact all of creation reveals Him, so none of us have an excuse. But if you happen to come across someone that hasn’t heard of Jesus just let one of us know and we’ll go to them.