Seven Days of Einstein: Day 7

"Sometimes one pays most for the things one gets for nothing." -- Albert Einstein

Seven Days of Einstein: Day 6

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed." -- Albert Einstein

C.S. Lewis on Prayer (from Shadowlands)

This is an excerpt from the dialogue between Harry Harrington and C.S. Lewis from the movie Shadowlands...

“Christopher can scoff, but I know how hard you’ve been praying. And now God is answering your prayer.”

“That’s not why I pray, Harry. I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless. I pray because… I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping... It doesn’t change God. It changes me.”

Seven Days of Einstein: Day 5

"Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school." -- Albert Einstein

Seven Days of Einstein: Day 4

"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity." -- Albert Einstein

Seven Days of Einstein: Day 3

"The most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible." -- Albert Einstein

Seven Days of Einstein: Day 2

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." -- Albert Einstein

Seven Days of Einstein: Day 1

"Two things inspire me to awe -- the starry heavens above and the moral universe within." -- Albert Einstein

Are you creating your own god?

(Hebrews 10:7-10)
THEN I SAID, 'BEHOLD, I HAVE COME (IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME) TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.' After saying above, "SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS AND WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, NOR HAVE YOU TAKEN PLEASURE in them" (which are offered according to the Law), then He said, "BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL." He takes away the first in order to establish the second. By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

The last sentence is the key as it states that no other sacrifice is necessary for our sanctification. That’s what I’d like to talk about…

It is extremely easy for Christians to fall into the trap of offering our sacrifices instead of accepting the perfect one. Do you find yourself thinking that if you only pray more or “do good” or fast more or ______ that God would become to you what you want Him to be? That He would love you more? That He would favor you more?

That’s garbage in its pure form. God is already everything to us that we ever needed. He doesn’t change: He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He loves you unconditionally and His love does not change based on what you do (or don’t do). He cannot change because He cannot become any more or less perfect – He is the perfection itself.

If we find ourselves trying to "change" God, we must repent at once. God never, never needs anything from us as if He lacked something... It is we who need everything from Him. We are to open our mouths wide that He may fill us. We are strictly God's beneficiaries -- never benefactors.

What is God's will for your and my lives?

I might be wrong but it appears to me that the most (or at least one of the most) frequently asked questions by Christians is, "What is God's will for my life?" Even if the question is never voiced, I am certain most Christians want the answer.

There is a lot of literature on the subject but, unfortunately, none seem to give a simple and definitive answer (and it has to be simple because not all of us are intellectuals). From my experience, the answers given usually go like this: "study the Bible, then pray a lot -- you will know God's will for your life." I have nothing against this statement per se but I do doubt its applicability to the question. The answer implies that God's will is something very illusive and only after much study and prayer you may know what His will is. I don't think it is true (although I am all for vigorous Bible study and genuine prayer). Before setting off on a quest to answer this question in the miriad of books and articles, let's ask the Savior Himself. "O Lord, Maker of heavens and earth and all within them, what is the Father's will for my life?" Here's the Lord's reply, "believe in Him [the Son] whom He [the Father] sent" (John 6:29). Indeed, the reply is to a slightly different question, "What shall we do so that we may work the works of God?" However, the difference between our and their question is only superficial. We, too, ask the question so that we may do God's work.

So, the answer is simple, "Believe in and trust Jesus." This is God's will for your and my lives.

Reflection on my visit to Epcot (Disney World)

I was in Epcot yesterday. It was a nice place... However, I came out of it dissatisfied. All the things were great but they only left me longing for more. "Is that it?" was the constant question on my mind. Don't get me wrong, Epcot is a wonderful place. But neither Epcot nor any other worldly joy can satisfy a heart longing to be filled with the magnificent Living Water. Experiencing Epcot was as if I smelled a delicious dinner but the dinner never came. The world is satisfied with the smell, going on for days describing what a joy it was... However, the Christian would become only hungrier to get "the real thing." In his mind, he would be expecting dinner with the smell -- for he has tasted the Lord and nothing less can satisfy. All this notwithstanding, here's a warning to the "Christian pharisee." If he rejects the smell of dinner as being bad, is he likely to partake of the actual meal? I doubt it. The true Christian will delight in all things, small and great, since all of them speak of his first love: "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." (James 1:17) and "For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer." (1 Timothy 4:4-5).

All worldly joys in themselves are not the end, they merely point to the greatest joy: knowing and savoring Jesus. As C.S. Lewis says, "We are far too easily satisfied..."

The power of pleasure...

"If the heart is satisfied with all that God is for us in Jesus, the power of sin to lure us away from the wisdom of Christ is broken." -- John Piper

Dennis is coming

Dennis is on its way into Alabama. It appears the center of the storm will miss Montgomery but we'll still get some strong winds. We won't have power for a day or two -- best case scenario.

"The men were amazed, and said, 'What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?'" (Mark 4:41).

God is sovereign over Dennis. Dennis obeys every word that proceeds from God... In fact, it is the power of God that sustains Dennis: "... in Him all things hold together" (Col. 1:17). He is the power that holds atoms together -- if He lets go, all things will simply cease to be.

What is our response to the author of this storm? Will we curse Him or worship Him? In His wisdom He works all things for good of those who love Him.

O Lord, be merciful upon us. Yes, we do not even deserve to live a single moment for we are all sinners and from our hearts proceed all sorts of vile and evil things. But in Christ, you have spared us from eternal punishment by laying it all on Him. We appeal to Your covenant -- spare the righteous and the unrighteous to demonstrate your patience and steadfast love. Blessed be Your name, O Lord! For You are great! Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. May Your name be proclaimed in all the earth. Amen.

Good Health

I come from a culture that values health almost above all other things. It's very subtle -- no one would probably say that it is the case. But our speech betrays us... When people greet each other, they say "zdravstvuyte" (literally, "be healthy"); when someone sneezes, others quickly affirm, "budte zdorovi" (again, "be healthy"). Even birthday wishes almost always have health as one of the items wished for. In fact, sometimes, people wish good health above all things. Everything else is secondary, they say.

Is it wrong to wish good health? Of course not! But to wish good health as the ultimate end of all pursuits of man is meaningless! Why? Because health is a means to something. Saying that good health (as a means to immortality) is the goal of every man begs the "why" question. Why live long? What's the purpose of living a long healthy life? Everyone agrees that it is a good thing but no one seems to be able to answer this question apart from the Christian worldview.

The Christian worldview states that God created man for Himself and man's ultimate goal is to be happy in God! If good health is a means to be exceedingly happy in God, then by all means pursue good health. Unfortunately, in the Ukrainian and other cultures, pursuit of good health is a way to delay death and the judgement that comes thereafter. Of course, for Christians, death has no power because Christ swallowed up death in victory -- since death could not contain Life. He swallowed it up! We think of death destroying life but the possibility of life destroying death seems like a paradox to us! "O death where is your victory, o death where is your sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:57).

So what's the conclusion then? Pursue God and all His pleasures. All other things will be added to you, including health. Remember that the things He gives are only a means to Him. Don't use them as a means to run away from God. Pursue maximum pleasure -- don't settle for things that mimick it.

Ephesians 3:14-21

I was meditating briefly on Paul's prayer for the saints in Ephesus...
"I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen."

Magnifying God

There are two types of magnfication. First, is when we make tiny objects appear bigger than they are (as with a microscope); second, is when we make huge objects appear as they really are (as with a telescope). Magnifying God is the latter type... This is the theme of this blog: to magnify God that He may be seen as He really is... Let's face it: we have boxed Him in and have denied Him but He simply is... unchangeable, sovereign, mighty...

My Testimony

I grew up studying the principles of communism and had absolutely no regard for spiritual things. After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, I took a Bible class taught by a nun (it was a mandatory class, I should say). I was utterly fascinated by what I heard… The idea of the universe being spoken into existence by the uncreated God and then Him coming to dwell among us and dying on our behalf was astounding. God was wooing me – as I can say by looking back… Although I was aware of His existence and His goodness and faithfulness I was still ignorant of the fact that I was a sinner and needed a Savior. In those days I prayed about everything and believed with the faith of a child. I always began by offering thanks for all that God had done in my life and then went on to make supplication. Not a single prayer went unanswered.

When I was thirteen I began to drift away slowly embracing evolution and atheism. By the time I turned 17 (at which point I came to the U.S. with my family) for all practical purposes I was an atheist. I remember eating lunch at the school cafeteria when one of my buddies asked me if I believed in God. I answered, “I don’t know.” I continued in ignorance… My family went back to Ukraine and I stayed by enrolling in an undergraduate program at Auburn University Montgomery. My family’s friends offered me to stay at their home while I attended school and I gladly capitalized on the offer. While I was with them I attended a church where I was reminded of my childhood days. However, this time it was different… I was beginning to understand that I can come to God only through Jesus Christ – He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and no one can come to the Father except through Him. I observed the couple who taught my Sunday school and noticing how they related to each other I became hungry to know the God of whom they spoke. On January 1, 2000 I gave my life away to Jesus while I was at the lake with some friends. I said something to the effect, “God, I did not surrender my life to You because I had no idea what You may want to do with it. The thought of You messing up my life was unbearable. But now I have tasted Your goodness… Take my life… Mess it up if You wish – as long as I have You – I’m fine.”

Since then I’ve been growing in the knowledge of Christ.
“I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Gal. 2:20)