Patience- It's Not Just Being Still

Today I began preparing for my next message in the series, Watch for the Light, and in my studying began looking more specifically at Romans 8:24-25. I want to share some of the things I was impacted by as I read Dr Martin Lloyd-Jones commentary on the passage.

The Scripture reads, "For in this hope we are saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." (ESV) This is a passage which you are probably familiar with to some degree. It addresses the matter of hope consisting of that which is not seen, for if it were seen then it would be actual and not something in the future. Hope is about the promise of something coming to fruition. This means that hope is sustained by employing patience.

Most followers of Jesus don't like talking about patience because we think that some test will be quickly upon us. However, I think we are missing the best lesson from the topic. So, allow me to attempt to reshape your thinking.

First here is a definition of impatience. Impatience is expecting the real thing to happen somewhere else - therefore it means to go somewhere else to have that expectation fulfilled. I like this because it reminds me that God has given a multitude of promises in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, yet I often rely on some other means (usually my own plans or schemes) to see that those promises are fulfilled. That can be observed in the lives of Abraham and Sarah as they acted impatiently for God to provide the promised offspring, Isaac, by Abraham procreating with Hagar, the Egyptian servant.

Here is a definition of patience. Patience is nurturing the moment because it is the moment. When referring to Rom. 8:25, Lloyd-Jones says, "If we hope for what we do not see then we eagerly wait for it." What impressed me is that the outlook of patience is not a mere bored waiting, but an active eager anticipation of the promised to be fulfilled. It is finding that moment we are in and making the most of it with eager expectation.

Lloyd-Jones points to the consistency of patience being exemplified by Paul's statements in Philippians. In chapter 1:21ff Paul writes, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain (the battle is clear between impatience and patience). If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor form me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the tow. My desire is to depart and be with Christ , for that is far better
(hope), But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account (patience). Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again (THE moment).

Now when you read chapter 3:12-16 let this formative thought on patience help you understand that patience is the pressing toward the mark (the upward call of God in Christ Jesus) while refraining from being captivated by the world. Remember that patience is aligning your affections on the things of the Lord and living out those affections to change the world when the moment presents itself.

I trust that as believers we will practice patience instead of just talking about it as a virtue of our faith. For it is far more than a virtue, it is an aspect of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which means we should be engaged in the living of it.

I encourage you to be patient, not bored, not simply waiting, but eagerly pressing toward the hope of who you are in Christ Jesus to make it your own.

Radical - Reading That Challenges

It has been a long time since I last posted, you know life gets busy and I have always said that I can't allow my blog to something that wags my life. But now I have a few minutes extra and want to write on a book I am reading, titled, Radical, by David Platt.

I must admit that overall the majority of what he writes are things that I have considered before. However, there are definitely some things that he remarks on that are poignant for the church of America today. One such statement is found at the end of chapter three.

He writes, "Think about it. Would you say that your life is marked right now by desperation for the Spirit of God? Would you say that the church you are par of is characterized by a sense of desperation? Why would we ever want to settle for Christianity according to our ability or settle for church according to our resources?"

This resonated with me when I read it. I have been in ministry for 20 years in some manner, most being full-time vocational ministry; and I must confess that too many times we (both believers individually and churches corporately) are not marked by desperation for the Spirit of God. Instead we are marked by despondency, debasement, distortion, deception, and denial.

Platt writes, "Our great need is to fall before an almighty Father day and night and to plead for him to show his radical power in and through us, enabling us to accomplish for his glory what we could never imagine in our own strength."

In John 15:5, the Apostle John recorded Jesus saying, "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." You are probably familiar with that, but sometimes our familiarity leads us to passivity. Instead this familiarity ought to lead us to radical faith in the one who abides and empowers us.

I encourage you to join me in praying. Pray that those who claim Jesus as Savior and Lord will live abandoned to God's purposes; and in that abandon, they will be open to permanent change because of the obedience of faith (Romans 16:26).

6 Principles to be More Effective Fathers

Sunday we looked at Genesis 16 and 21 considering the transformation that had occurred in Abraham's life as he grew in his faithful obedience to God. From this message I want to remind you about 6 principles from Gordon MacDonald's book, The Effective Father.

1. Sharpen your sensitivity to your family’s needs by committing your inner being to God’s laws, fixing a foresightful eye on opportunities and hazards ahead. Doing so, enables you to make sure that every experience builds up your family and matures them.

2. Be devoted to become an instrument and model of the redemptive experience to your family.

3. Fill your families lives with perspectives and patterns that produce wisdom. Exemplify this by lovingly purging your lives (and theirs) of unwholesome influences and tendencies that impede their progress toward maturity.

4. Deliberately set as one of your life’s highest priorities the creation of conditions in your home that will stimulate the growth of your family to their full potential.

5. Accept and affirm your family for who they are while appreciating them for what they are accomplishing, all the while covering them with affection because they are yours.

6. Always be aware that you live on the edge of ineffectiveness and must continually reach out to God for wisdom and skill to accomplish His purposes.

I pray that Fathers and mothers as well will apply these principles to the parenting and relationships that godliness will increase now and in future generations.

Melchizedek, Jesus of that order

One of the thoughts entering my mind as I have contemplated writing this blog on Melchizedek is, “Why do we need to carefully consider something in Scripture that gets just a small amount of attention? The name only occurs 10 times afterall.” My answer is that though there is relatively little information on Melchizedek, and though he is mentioned only 2 times in the Old Testament, his person relates to Jesus. Assuming we all want to know Jesus more intimately, understanding more about this Melchizedek who Jesus is connected with, will only help us know Jesus more intimately.

Let’s begin by examining the man Melchizedek as he is introduced in Genesis 14. First we discover that he is the King of Salem. We cannot be sure that his personal name was actually Melchizedek, it may have been a descriptive title given to him. We do know that the name is formed from two Hebrew words, “melek” meaning kings and “zedek” meaning righteousness. Second we find, Melchizedek recognized as a priest of God Most High. Note as well, that this is the first mention in Scripture of anyone being a priest, and in particular the priest of God.

Martin Luther suggests that the blessing given by Melchizedek recorded in the Scripture is only a short record of a much greater message. Luther believes the audience was reminded of the false inferior gods they served and then they were challenged to consider the God Most High, who alone does great wonders (in this instance the wonder was the victory secured for Abram and his 318 men over 4 kings joined in a military alliance).

So as a priest we find Melchizedek performing a blessing, emphasizing the superior nature of God, initiating worship, providing peace by his righteousness. James Montgomery Boice writes, “The trouble with so many people is that they want peace without righteousness. That is they want their sin, but they do not want to be troubled by its consequences.” It must be that peace can only occur when righteous offering is made. When we consider the offering Melchizedek brings, an offering of bread and wine, we ought to begin to understand the great provision that comes from this priestly order. Jesus identified these same elements as he instituted the Lord’s Supper. He told his disciples that the bread represented his body and the wine represented the blood that established a new covenant. Therefore we have in this priestly order a continued offering based on righteousness.

Now Melchizedek’s priestly order is clarified when we read Hebrews 7. The writer of Hebrews identifies similarities found in Jesus and the Melchizedek priesthood. First any priest from the Levitical priesthood is inadequate. It is inadequate because it was inferior to the priestly order of Melchizedek. By Abram, recognizing Melchizedek as priest of God Most High, acknowledges his inferiority. By Aaron and the Levites being offspring of Abram, they by nature are inferior to Melchizedek as well. Second, the Levitical priesthood is inadequate because it was perpetuated by “bodily descent” (Heb. 7:16). Jesus is superior in the line of Melchizedek because he is established as a priest in this order by the promised word of the Lord as recorded in Psalm 110, quoted here in Hebrews 7. The Levitical priesthood was inadequate as the priests were prevented from continuing in their office because of death. Jesus holds the priesthood permanently because he continues forever. Finally, because he is able to continue forever performing his priestly duties, those who draw near to God through him will find that Jesus, as Priest, continually makes intercession for them. Jesus, being without sin, was able to offer himself as a sacrifice once and for all. Through his holy, unstained, innocent and sanctified offering that sacrifice of his life was made, distinguishing him from the Levitical sacrifices and establishing that which is superior.

Finally, I want you to see ways in which Christ ministers like Melchizedek that impact us as believers. First Christ comes to us when we are weary. Can you imagine how weary Abram must have felt after the pursuit and battle with the kings. We too should remember that Christ comes to us and says that his yoke is easy and his burden light. I believe Melchizedek also appeared to encourage Abram to remember the victory is the Lord’s not his (Abram’s) own. We often cry out to the Lord in the midst of the chaos and then when the victory is realized we may forget that he was the source. Paul possessed a thorn in the flesh that was a reminder of his weakness and constant need to depend on Jesus for his strength. For every one of us, there is also more temptation and trial that we will face. Just like Melchizedek fed Abram the bread, Jesus should be our sustenance daily, for without him, we will surely fail. By Abram taking the bread and being strengthened, he was prepared to withstand the temptation in Bera’s offer of worldly success. Finally, Melchizedek offered peace to Abram. Jesus, being of the same order, offers us the same peace.

Grasping a bit of this rich background, we ought to worship differently, and live differently. The priesthood of Christ impacts our salvation primarily, because he secures it. It impacts our prayers, establishing effectual prayer because Jesus is the mediator of those prayers, enabling us to approach God with boldness. Jesus priesthood changes us, because we are now in line with him as his followers to be of a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9ff). As Abram was impacted in his encounter with Melchizedek, we too should be impacted to worship with renewed fervor glorifying God.

I pray that you consider Melchizedek and the wonderful principles that can be gleaned as we study the Scripture and gain understanding to the beauty and full measure with which God reveals his nature, character, purpose, and power. For this are most definitely principles here that give us encouragement, peace, and daily provision allowing us to draw near to our God through Jesus our Lord.

Call Upon the Name of the Lord

As I pointed out briefly on Sunday, In Genesis 4:26 there is this hopeful and redemptive statement that should secure our attention. The Scripture reads, “To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD.”

As I was sharing some of my preliminary thoughts on what God is communicating in this passage with a friend he asked an interesting question and began a dialogue that was really exciting, and one I have been most eager to share with you. It began with a comment about the significance of “firsts” in the Bible. And we need to identify that this is the first place it is ever mentioned in Scripture of men’s recognition for the Lord’s intervention in their life.

First let’s notice something about the names of the two characters involved. Seth, the third born of Adam and Eve, means “set in place of.” It affirms the recognition of his parents of the Lord’s sovereign provision for a son to renew the lineage that would provide a lineage of godliness. Then we see that Seth gave his son the name Enosh, which means “frail one,” or “mortal.” This indicates that Seth recognized the weaknesses of humanity. And unlike his distant cousin Lamech, who grew in his pride, arrogance, and self-sufficiency, Seth wanted to emphasize his deep understanding of the insufficiency of man and the all-sufficiency of the Lord. Boice writes, “The line of Seth had recognized that sin was no mere imperfection of human nature but something destined to destroy both the individual and culture unless it should be overcome by the grace and power of almighty God. So these new individuals now threw themselves on God and trusted him wholly for their physical and spiritual salvation.” (James M. Boice – Genesis Vol. 1 pg 275.)

Martin Luther and John Calvin both recognized this as the initiation of the church. Calvin calls it “a miracle, that there was at that time a single family in which the worship of God arose.” (John Calvin, Commentary on Genesis pg. 144.) He further describes it by saying, “the face of the Church began distinctly to appear, and that worship of God was set up which might continue to posterity.” (Ibid) And Luther remarks, in this was “a small church . . . in which Adam, as high priest, rules everything by the Word and sound doctrine.” (Luther’s Works Vol. 1 pg. 327) So we might consider a very unique matter introduced in Genesis 4, the church of the living God is established when people call upon the name of the Lord.

The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, employs a word here for the word “called,” which is epikaleisthai. This word occurs in the New Testament only one time in this exact construct. It is in Hebrews 11:16, which says, “Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” If you remember Hebrews chapter 11 is often called the “Faith Chapter,” for in it the writer identifies the heroes of faith from the Old Testament accounts who followed after God in faith and obedience. I find it very interesting that this same construct is used to describe the promise of a prepared place for these faithful people.

So let’s do a little word study on the root of epikaleisthai. It comes from the root word e˙pikale÷w – epikaleo, which means to call on; to attach or connect a name, Acts 15:17; James 2:7; to attach an additional name, to surname, Matt 10:3; pass. to receive an appellation or surname, Heb 11:16; mid. to call upon, invoke, 2 Cor 1:23; to appeal to, Acts 25:11, 12, 21 – taken from The Analytical Lexicon to the Greek New Testament, n.p.

The root word in the Greek is the word kaleo. This word is also the root for the word ekklessia, which is translated “church.” If we were to consider a few instances where this word is used in Scripture we would find the following. The word is used in Acts 15:17, a quote of Amos 9:11-12. It describes people who are identified as being the Lord’s. And in 1 Corinthians 1:2 we see the root used in three formations, once for the church, once for the gospel call, and the other to emphasize the calling on the Lord. Let’s look at this passage a bit more carefully. It reads, “To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours.” (italics mine)

When we see this word utilized in three different ways in this passage we can begin to get a sense of a comprehensive work of God in redemption. First, let’s deal with the word “church.” We know this to be a group of people believing in and trusting on Jesus death, burial and resurrection for the redemption of their lives. The church is a body of people who have responded in repentance and faith to the redemptive work he accomplished. This is clarified by the terms sanctified and saints, words that are derived from the root word, hagios, which literally means holy or set apart. The use emphasizes people set apart for God’s purposes. God is accomplishing his effectual work in the lives of those who are called to respond.

Do you remember what Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30? It reads, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Wayne Grudem summarizes it this way, “When the New Testament talks about people coming to salvation it speaks in terms of a personal response to an invitation from Christ himself. That invitation is beautifully expressed . . . in the words of Jesus.” Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology pg 694.) Can there be any greater “call” than that extended by Jesus? Can there be for us any greater privilege than to extend that call to any man to “come unto Jesus.”?

So we have seen that calling refers to the church, and calling refers an invitation to respond in repentance and faith to Jesus. Let’s look at the final aspect of calling. This is the calling that extends from men to the Lord. In Romans 10:14 Paul asks a few rhetorical questions, “But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?” The answer is he gives is “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

It is important to consider the greater context of these questions and the final answer. If we look back at verses Romans 9-13 we gain that. The Scripture reads, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”” (Rom 10:9–13 ESV)

The last verse is a quote of Joel 2:32, which emphasizes the Old Testament view that calling upon the Lord would bring salvation to men. So we can understand this in summary by seeing that the called out ones are the ones who called out. What an amazing truth that saturates all of Scripture! So will you extend the message and call for men to be saved, echoing the words found in Revelation 22:17, “The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.” (Rev 22:17 ESV)

And if you are that one, who has never responded to the call of Jesus to come, should you desire to do so now, come, turn from your sin, your self-sufficiency, and your pride and doing so instead turn to God (this is repentance). In repenting, then call upon the name of the Lord Jesus, confessing your belief in him as Lord, Savior, Redeemer, Friend, thus acknowledging his life, death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). When you do, you will be saved, and he will bestow his riches upon you.

Therefore, may it be our legacy, that in our time, and because of our influence, men called upon the name of the LORD.

Genesis 4

Studying Genesis continues be a rich challenge. It is challenging for a number of reasons, the most significant being the implications for our lives that are evident in the text. These practical lessons are often discovered in obvious ways, at other times they come in some of the most subtle ways through meditation and thorough research (which I really wish I was better at doing).

In the teaching I have prepared this week I noted a progression of sin’s pattern in the generations of men. If you read Genesis 4:17-22 you will find the generations of Cain. In this text there are some subtle, yet important lessons for us to grasp.
If you recall, in Genesis 4:12, the LORD curses Cain for the sinful act of murder. In that Curse he tells Cain, “You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” I have always imagined that Cain wandered throughout the land, a nomad, having no place to call home, having no permanent place that his children could be raised.

However, as I have realized, my understanding was incorrect. The wandering that Cain experienced was one of spiritual wandering, in which the emotional and physical impact emphasized the alienation he experienced when he rebelled against God’s earlier warning (see Gen. 4:6-8). Upon examination of Cain’s dialogue with the LORD we find that Cain admitted understanding that he would never again see the face of the LORD. This may have been an admission of his enmity with God and his continued unwillingness to repent. Logically, if one is at enmity with God, there is a removal of His protective care. Thus, Cain’s concern for his safety was as much a result of his spiritual condition as the physical living conditions he would face.

When we carefully examine Cain’s reaction to the curse he earned by his rebellion we should note that he did everything he could to overcome the consequences of the curse. Notice that it wasn’t as if he merely resigned to nomadic living. Instead we find that he attempted to overcome the curse he faced by physical means. First, Cain moved and settled in a land called “Nod,” which literally means, “wandering.” It is almost as if he called the land he settled in “wandering,” as a sarcastic attempt to dismiss the curse. Second, Cain “knew his wife.” By engaging in this physical relationship, it is possible that he was attempting to prove that he was able to circumvent God’s curse. Not that God said he couldn’t marry, but taking a wife and conceiving a child is an attempt to avoid loneliness and isolation. Do you recall that phrase, “misery loves company?” I believe that this summarizes Cain’s attitude as he leverages his family in denial of his curse.

To further understand his attempts to overcome the curse, consider what Cain names his first son. We read that he gives him the name Enoch, which means “consecration.” One commentator suggests that is “because he regarded his birth as a pledge of the renovation of his life.” Thus he names the city after his son. It is the place in which he will “neutralize the curse of banishment” by settling his family and building a unified people attempting to compensate for the loss of God in his life.

Before we judge Cain too harshly, we should be quick to weigh our own thoughts, hearts, and motives, for we aren’t really very different. In an age of technology, where Facebook and Twitter reign (don’t get me wrong each of these have redemptive purposes when used properly), are we really all that different. We want connectivity in relationships. We think busyness will provide community. We want to surround our lives with people. Let’s face it, if you have a Facebook account, you know you keep track of the number of friends you have, it means something to you. So don’t aim at Cain too quickly with any stones, or any finger pointing, because none of us are really all that different. We all want security from the relationships around us and oftentimes we replace God with imitations though we don’t admit to or recognize them as replacements.

You might be saying to yourself, “This assessment is a bit critical of Cain’s spiritual condition.” Please read a little further and allow me a chance to express why I believe my assessment is right on about his continued attempts to overcome the curse, revealing his spiritual condition and enmity with God as his motivation for his actions.

About 5 generations later in Cain’s lineage the Bible tells us about a man named Lamech. The account first identifies him as a bigamist (evidently uncommon at this time for it is noted and must be an exception to what is right norm). Both of his wives, Adah and Zillah, were evidently very beautiful (evidenced by the meaning of their names, Adah – pleasant, ornament, or beauty; Zillah – shade – perhaps for her lovely hair; even his daughter Naamah, means loveliness). It is prideful community focused on vanity of outward beauty, for inwardly they were promoting sin and vain religion.

Lamech commits a crime that he boasts of by writing a song or poem to memorialize the action. I imagine that he had heard the accounts of Cain’s acts, had seen his ancestor, and possibly as a young boy even asked Cain about the unusual mark that kept him safe from harm. When he did he probably heard the account of the cursing followed by Cain’s assessment of his ability to overcome the LORD’s promise of curse. Lamech lived in a city that was an ongoing attempt to establish the goal of Cain’s overcoming life according to a worldly plan.

And so, Lamech, raised to believe himself invulnerable, just as his ancestor, murders a young man who wounded him, possibly as they were wielding the weapons fashioned by Lamech’s own son. And in testament to his lineage, Lamech boasts of his ability in a song, most likely played on the instrument his son fashioned. Do you sense the pride of this man? Can you sense his denial of the sovereign God? Do you understand how he all but establishes himself as a god?
Thus ends the account of the lineage of Cain. The Lord evidently wants us to understand the disparity between ungodliness and godliness. For Scripture introduces us to a new son of Adam, Seth, and a phrase that describes Seth’s heritage, “At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD.” This phrase quickly distinguishes the two men and their progeny.

For us the question remains; do we pattern this same behavior and attitude that Cain possessed? Does pride get the best of us? Or, do we call upon the name of the LORD in humility, acknowledging the point that sin lies in our heart, so that we repent and rely on the cleansing work of God in our lives. As a parent, I sure hope that I train my family in godliness so that the severity of sin’s progress doesn’t impact more generations.

Stay Tuned … the next blog installment will be an examination of the meaning of this phrase and its significance for us today.

Thoughts on Genesis 1

I am currently studying the book of Genesis and teaching through this book on Sunday mornings at Church. I must say, as excited as I am at this opportunity, so am I equally overwhelmed at the incredible responsibility, and intricacies of the book. The greatest solace in my conflict comes in the fact that we serve a sovereign God who knows my inadequacies and I simply trust that in His presence through the person of the Holy Spirit, those inadequacies will not be hindrances to people’s faith and maturity.

That is not a cop-out in any way, rather it is a motivation to pick up my blogging efforts once again, because I believe it necessary to improve my stewardship over the information that I believe necessary for you my church family, and any one else interested in the Word of God.

This week I will be teaching on Genesis 1. As I was studying I turned to Wayne Grudem’s book, Systematic Theology to see what he has written about creation. Interestingly he quoted Francis Schaeffer, a theologian and philosopher of the early 20^th Century. This caught my attention and I believe it will benefit believers to consider his statements (unfortunately I do not yet possess Schaeffer’s work and am trusting the quote from Grudem’s work).

Grudem quotes from Schaeffer’s book, No Final Conflict and says:

Regarding questions about the creation of the universe, Schaeffer lists several areas where, in his judgment, there is room for disagreement among Christians who believe in the total truthfulness of Scripture:

1. There is a possibility that God created a “grown-up” universe.

2. There is a possibility of a break between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 or between 1:2 and 1:3.

3. There is a possibility of a long day in Genesis 1

4. There is a possibility that the flood affected the geological data.

5. The use of the word “kinds” in Genesis 1 may be quite broad.

6. There is a possibility of the death of animals before the fall.

7. Where the Hebrew word bara is not used there is the possibility of sequence form previously existing things.

Now why do I draw attention to this? I believe that Schaeffer has succinctly and effectively identified areas of conflict that confront Christians today when we engage in discussions, study, and comparison to modern science. Unfortunately, I believe that the conflicts are even more tedious to navigate in our day than in Schaeffer’s. Of the possibilities that are identified by Schaeffer there is none that he claims to be his own. And though you may possess reason for your position developing deep convictions, it is important to acknowledge that there is not one of us as humans who will definitively possess the certainty when Scripture is unclear, though we also must come to an interpretation. Grudem concludes, “But we can approach both scientific and biblical study with the confidence that when all the facts are correctly understood, and when we have understood Scripture rightly, our findings will never be in conflict with each other: there will be “no final conflict.”

As Christians we must not fear to investigate creation scientifically, nor fearful that scientific evidence will somehow contradict Scriptural revelation. Let us therefore continue to be people of faith, for “by faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” For, as people of faith, we serve a sovereign, omniscient, ominipotent God who is able to do as he pleases. The wonderful news is that Genesis 1 conveys that he did that very thing and he “saw that it was good . . . And God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good. (Genesis 1:10,13, 18, 25, 31).