Productivity
Productivity! Yes indeed. I want to be productive. I want to be a profitable servant of Christ. The alternative is no alternative for me (Matt 25:30)! Last week was a great week at Highland. This week is beginning well. Though I love to listen to bro. Cornwell’s preaching, the privilege of being able to fill in for him yesterday was great. I taught the teen class for Wilber (our Youth Minister) yesterday, which I’ll say something about again in a moment. Work on the first issue of REACH for 2008 is complete as of today, and I’m happily listening as it rolls of the press (so to speak) (and I’m also trying to figure out how to get the pdf on the website). I’m working on the adult bible classes lineup for Spring and beyond, and I plan on making a couple of ministry visits this afternoon. Oh, and our Summer Series plans are now complete. The feeling of productivity is so fulfilling to me! I hope it is for you also, especially so far as your ministry is concerned.
Well, I said I’d say something about teaching the teens yesterday. Let me say to all you readers that we have a great bunch of teens at Highland. They didn’t really know me, but were very attentive and respectful. I’m proud of them! Wilber asked me to deal with the topic, “Is there really a God?,” so I used the lesson about belief in God that I put together to use in home Bible studies. I made three points, each an argument pefectly worthy of basing one’s belief in God upon. We talked about the “Cosmological Argument” (the fact that “something” has always been, and “it” happens to be the Living God). We also discussed the “Anthropoligical Argument,” also called the “Moral Argument.” It goes like this: Morality exists. That which is moral does not arise from that which is non-moral. Morality belongs to personality. Therefore there has always been a moral personality. Guess who that eternal moral personality is! Finally, we talked about the “Teleological Argument,” or the argument from “design.” Design proves the existence of a designer. The obvious design in the Universe–in ecosystems–in one human body–proves that someone designed it all. It is foolish to deny this. It is quite reasonable to believe in God, and very blind not to.
One thing I didn’t get to yesterday that I’d like to briefly mention here, is that all the evidence for God’s existence proves that he wants us to know him. Paul wrote, “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20 ESV). By considering a few basic scientific facts (namely that something cannot come from nothing, and that life cannot come from nonlife), pondering on the presence of morality, and recognizing the design in the Universe, one can safely draw the conclusion that there is a great being who can do anything, and knows everything who is behind it all. Without even cracking the cover of a Bible one can deduce the existence of an all-knowing, all-powerful Creator. Since he is both all-knowing and all-powerful, he knew how to, and was able to create only such creatures as would never be able to realize the reality of his presence. He chose to create us–mankind–endowed with the power of reason, and with that choice he clearly showed that he wants us to know him. I’m thankful he gave us the prophets, the Savior, the Spirit, and the word so that we can know him–personally.
—JLP
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