Angels, Demons and an Engineer

With the coming release of Angels and Demons, the movie, I am anticipating (read bracing) myself for the barrage of TALK that will hit the media streams.

I haven't read Angels and Demons, but I did read its sequel, The Da Vinci Code. Mr. Brown can WRITE. He certainly creates a fabulous read. And his fictional writing certainly creates a stir. But that's just it, it is fiction. As I read The Da Vinci Code, I was amazed at Mr. Brown's ability to intertwine truth and fact with superstition and legend, a bit of angst (okay, maybe a lot of angst), wishes and fabulous fiction. If you don't know history well, and you're a bit rusty on science, and legends get misplaced into the "Actual Event" column, not to mention ignorance on religious beliefs and history of Christianity and pagan cults, well, OOOOFF! You could be one confused soul, especially if you begin sliding into the trap of believing it's a historical novel.

I'm betting that Angels and Demons is no different. From what I hear it contains some fabulous real science. But how many of us know much about sub-atomic particles? Seriously?

I have a sneaking suspicion that Mr. Brown, in Angels and Demons, has attempted to use science to discredit the Christian religion-- the theme will be similar to "Christianity is anti-science." And, most likely, because Christianity is made up of humans, you'll be able to find some, maybe even a lot of Christians who view science with skepticism, even contempt, because they see science as anti-Christian. This will be true past, present and, unfortunately, in the future.

I wonder too, if Mr. Brown has gone after the divinity of Jesus in this book?

Science is used to refute religion, especially the Christian religion and the supernatural, on a regular basis. And, in defense, people of faith, lash out and say silly, unscientific things.

I've never really had a problem with the whole "Science and Religion" debate, because I think first and foremost, my concern is with Yahweh, not religion, not an institutionalized set of tenants. Second, I've never looked at the Bible as a science book. The Bible is not primarily a "how" book, it is a "what" book. It gives us some tantalizing peaks into some "hows" (maybe more on that another time), but it primarily talks about "what." And finally, I think science proves the existence of God.

Yup, I said it.

I love science! I have a natural affinity and ability in some, and have to work really hard to comprehend others-- but they are all fascinating to me. It is the sciences, the study of our world and the universe that assures me, in a concrete way, that God exists!

I am an electrical engineer. Archeology, chemistry, biology, mathematics, physics, astronomy, electromagnetics, thermodynamics-- each discipline is testimony that there is a God that created. Each discipline convinces me that God is a design engineer!

For me, the fossil record is not proof of evolution; it is possible proof of the flood and the myriad of creatures that existed. The periodic table is testimony to the structure and order of our world, mathematics and physics, the same. Biology is testimony to the complexity of life and of everything that must be exactly right for life to exist. The laws of thermodynamics, specifically, the second law (the law of entropy), counters the rhetoric that states that life evolved from simple to complex by chance. In reality, things start out complex and break down-- all foremost scientists agree on this. Recent developments in molecular biology actually prove macroevolution false. Microevolution, or variations in species, are evident visually and at the molecular level. To me, DNA is proof that, God, being an excellent engineer, designed life and used the base design to make different kinds of life. We are only 3% different from the great ape in our DNA; yet, it is amazing the difference 3% makes! The evidence of species perfectly adapted to their environment is not proof of evolution, survival of the fittest; it is testimony to God's great wisdom in designing the earth and its creatures in harmony with each other! How silly to put a polar bear in the Mohave or a gecko in the artic.

Did you know that the earth is perfectly placed relative to the sun? Any difference, and life could not exist. Did you know that string theory (an advanced theory of gravity) solves itself with 11 dimensions? Other theories have to be solved by putting in arbitrary numbers, string theory does not, it comes up with its own answer-- 11 dimensions leave a lot of room for God to interact in ways we call miracles, but are actually perfectly logical, if we were capable of seeing it and understanding it.

This is all AMAZING stuff! Science is testimony to God, and the more we "discover" the more evidence for an intelligent creator. The naked science is out there; it is human's who, in our arrogance, make the science fit our conclusions, instead of drawing conclusions from evidence.

I look at God like He is the ultimate design engineer, perfectly logical, perfectly creative. As a human, I cannot encapsulate Him in entirety (I only sense about 4 dimensions), but, I have an analogy, that I think, though we see through glass darkly, might help shed a very small amount of light on the mystery.

The Analogy

When an engineer designs a system, if he is good, he creates back-up and protective mini-systems within the design. These mini-systems create a way for the system/design to meet its goal, purpose, prescribed outcome, no matter what happens when the system is live. These minis are not alternate plans, they are part of the original design and they exist because the engineer understands the limitations and purposes of the components in his design, and because he always has the end purpose in mind. An engineer that forgets the purpose of the design will create a faulty system that NEVER accomplishes its purpose.

A really talented engineer will create designs for the pure enjoyment of the creation, and its components, and purpose. The design, though it has a prescribed pragmatic purpose, also has an ultimate purpose; joy, interaction, and it will reflect, in certain ways, aspects of the designer. Every engineer leaves images of himself in his design, most people will not notice, but the astute, those sensitive to the designer, will.

God as Engineer

God, when He, His Spirit and Jesus, created the universe and everything in it, He did it for His pleasure and for Jesus. We were created for God and Jesus, and everything else was created for us. He created us so that we could be in relationship with Him. He created us for the joy of interaction and purpose of love in freedom. He created us because He chose to.

What's Jesus Got To Do With It?

Knowing full well who and what we are, knowing our limitations, knowing every part of us, and keeping in mind the ultimate purpose-- us dwelling with Him and Jesus in freedom, God assured that He would meet His purpose by how He created everything. God created everything through Jesus; Jesus is the integral part of the design, necessary whether sin entered the world or not; Jesus holds it all together. Jesus was blessed to be part of the design by his unique participation in its creation. Because the design was created through Jesus (not forcibly created, but with his permission) and he is the one who holds it all together, it is Jesus who chose to come to us as one of us, when it was necessary.

Choice

Jesus, suffering what he did, did not do it out of compulsion or a mandate from his Father; he did it by choice, a choice that was given to him in the beginning when he participated in the creation. Jesus is fully equal to God, they are no different. Jesus came to us with the authority of the one who created us. That is why he can destroy Satan and everything Satan has done, that is why he can rightly call himself God. That is why holding God (or anyone else) accountable for Jesus' choice is incorrect. The Bible says that God sacrificed His son, and He did, but it was a sacrifice of holding Himself back, of allowing His son to accomplish what he set out to do, from the beginning. God could have stopped Jesus, Jesus could have said no. God gave His son the authority to make this choice. God honored Jesus in the most profound way. And, Jesus, by freely participating in his Father's "business", honored his Father in the most profound way.

In his humanity, in a time of great physical and emotional suffering, Jesus beseeched his Father, "Is there another way?" And even when he asked, he knew the answer, because he had chosen and created the solution with God. Jesus knew, intimately, the makeup of the components of the design he and his father had created, and he knew that a point would come when He would become human to overcome, to conquer the limitations of humanity. He would provide the way.

When death and sin had been conquered by Jesus' action, God raised him and gave him, formally, the kingdom. Honor upon honor and rightly so.

I Don't Like This World, It's Screwed Up!

We can be mad about the design, but it is arrogant, and, really silly, for us to be so-- like a ridge pole mad it is part of a barn, or a resister mad that it is part of a complex relay, or a break-pad mad that it is part of a race car, or a wire that is mad because it is part of a fighter jet, or your hand mad that it belongs to your body.

We are part of Their design and we are blessed to be so -- honor upon honor. Our challenge is to take our place in the design and be “us” to the fullest of our purpose, as we are able, through Their power.

Taking my place,
k8t
k8t(at)faceofagirl(dot)com

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Please include the following statement on any distributed or linked copy: By Kaet Johnson. © faceofagirl.com. Website: faceofagirl.com

What Do A Bee And A Mother Have In Common?

There are probably many analogies I could come up with, but the one I'm thinking about is encapsulated in Deborah, a judge over Israel (Judges 4 &5). A few years back, I studied Deborah in depth in preparation for a presentation about her. This Mother's Day brought her to mind again.

In Hebrew, Deborah means "bee."

Through Deborah's steady and inspiring leadership, enabled by her unshakeable faith, Barak, and the men of Israel liberated their land from the Canaanite king, Jabin, and his fierce military commander Sisera.

After the land was liberated, Deborah and Barak sang a song praising Yahweh and recounting the deeds of Yahweh and the people of Israel in battle. Interestingly, Deborah, when describing herself, does not refer to herself as a wife, leader, a warrior, or even a prophet (all of which would've been true). She referred to herself as a mother, a mother in Israel.

I thought her description odd. Mother?

In Hebrew, the word translated as "mother" in Judges 5:7 can also be translated, "a point of departure." Hmmm....

I don't think that the translation used in Judges is incorrect, but I do find it VERY interesting that the same word used for "mother" can also be used when someone means "a crucial point, period in time, when things changed."

During Deborah's leadership, Israel, which was being oppressed, terrorized, and plundered (caused by their choosing the gods of the people around them instead of Yahweh), broke free from the yoke that was on them (the yoke of fear, the yoke of false gods) and turned their hearts to Yahweh. Deborah stirred herself to play her part. She placed, not only her heart into the action, but also her body. She followed Yahweh into the thick of the battle calling Barak and Israel to fight with her. Deborah, with God's spirit upon her, lead her people to rise up and change for the good.

And when it was over, Deborah acknowledged the part the people of Israel played and gave all credit and glory to Yahweh.

So ladies, what did Deborah do?

She chose Yahweh, when those around her were choosing other gods. She listened to Him, trusted Him, believed Him, obeyed Him and praised Him.

She fought for her people; she exhorted and encouraged them, she lead and inspired them, she taught them, she held them accountable.

She allowed Yahweh to use her. She considered herself a mother and allowed God to use her as a prophet, a judge, a military leader.

She placed not only her heart and mind into the fight, but her body too. She was a warrior!

What can she teach us?

FIRST, choose Yahweh, by choosing Jesus: listen, believe, trust, obey, praise and worship him!

On behalf of those around you: exhort and encourage, lead, teach, usher accountability in.

Allow God to use you as a mother wherever you are, no matter your position, your authority, your influence or your power.

Place your heart, mind and body into the fight, be a warrior!

You can do this, you have what she had; the wisdom found in scriptures and the trust in God found in relationship with Him.

You have what she did not have. You have God's spirit in you through belief in His Son. You have Christian brothers and sisters.

You can be like Deborah! You have worth because God created you. You are royalty because you are an adopted daughter, sister to Jesus! You can be a warrior, a mother, a point of departure for the people around you; serving their needs, fighting for their lives, following God in the battle, fighting the good fight!

You are a woman-mother-warrior-princess!

Happy Mother's Day!
k8t
k8t(at)faceofagirl(dot)com

P.S. The bible doesn't give us any information about Deborah's husband except his name, but I'm going to make the assumption that he was a faithful and strong man and a supportive husband. His name means "torches." Men, if you are married to a Deborah, remember, God put you together, you are perfect for her and she for you. As your wife fills her call as a warrior mother, know that you are God's warrior also-- never forget.

P.P.S. :-) If you would like to hear more about Deborah (there is a lot more), I'd love to share what I learned! :-)
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Please include the following statement on any distributed or linked copy: By Kaet Johnson. © faceofagirl.com. Website: faceofagirl.com

What Are You Doing With Your Cross?

Thought provoking...
























Putting away my saw,
k8t
k8t(at)faceofagirl(dot)com
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These pictures arrived in my inbox. If anyone can provide information on their origin, I'd love to credit the artist.

Please include the following statement on any distributed or linked copy: By Kaet Johnson. © faceofagirl.com. Website: faceofagirl.com

He Lives!

The God of My Salvation LIVES!

Praising Yahweh, thanking Y'shua,
k8t
k8t(at)faceofagirl(dot)com
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Please include the following statement on any distributed or linked copy: By Kaet Johnson. © faceofagirl.com. Website: faceofagirl.com

A Long, Lonely, Sabbath

If I were Mary Magdeline, or John, I can't imagine what this day was like-- a never-ending day of silence, bewilderment and anguish. If I were one of Y'shua's followers, friends, who had stayed until the end, this Saturday Sabbath would've found me mostly immobile and going over everything I had seen and heard from the day before, endlessly. The words of my Lord, my Rabbi, would've stuck in my head and played over and over again like a song on an old, scratched, vinyl record.

When he asked, ""Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? (My God, My God, why have you forsaken me)," would I recall the section of the Torah that started that way? Would I know that he was referring to the writings of David when he said those confusing words? Would I recite God's words, written through David, in my mind? Would I put the last few days together with words from ancient times? Would I realize David was prophesying about his distant relative? Would these words bring me comfort?

I hope so.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from the words of my groaning?

O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, and am not silent.

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the praise of Israel.

In you our fathers put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.

They cried to you and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by men and despised by the people.

All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads:

“He trusts in the Lord;
let the Lord rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him.”

Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you
even at my mother's breast.

From birth I was cast upon you;
from my mother's womb you have been my God.

Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.

Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.

Roaring lions tearing their prey
open their mouths wide against me.

I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted away within me.

My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me in the dust of death.

Dogs have surrounded me;
a band of evil men has encircled me,
they have pierced my hands and my feet.

I can count all my bones;
people stare and gloat over me.

They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.

But you, O Lord, be not far off;
O my Strength, come quickly to help me.

Deliver my life from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.

Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save me from the horns of the wild oxen.

I will declare your name to my brothers;
in the congregation I will praise you.

You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!

For he has not despised or disdained
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.

From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows.

The poor will eat and be satisfied;
they who seek the Lord will praise him—
may your hearts live forever!

All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
for dominion belongs to the Lord
and he rules over the nations.

All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive.

Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.

They will proclaim his righteousness
to a people yet unborn—
for he has done it.
Psalm 22, from the New International Version
Emphasis mine.

Trying to imagine,
k8t
k8t(at)faceofagirl(dot)com
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Please include the following statement on any distributed or linked copy: By Kaet Johnson. © faceofagirl.com. Website: faceofagirl.com

Life Changing Pea Soup

Not really, this post is just an excuse to encourage you to read a friend's blog. She's got a good bit to say and, believe it or not, it was pea soup in God's hand that inspired her post. We never know what He will use to open our heart's to Him.

Enjoy this recipe, but more importantly, enjoy her post!

Start with:
1 bag of split peas

*Quick Recipe
Canned Ham (16 oz), cut up, 1/2 inch pieces (I often use Dutch Colony Cooked Ham)
6-8 cups Chicken Broth
1 Bay leaf
3- 5 stalks Celery diced, 1/4 inch
Carrots cut to 1/2 inch: 3 full carrots or equivalent amount of baby carrots chopped
1 med Onion, chopped
1/4 tsp Chinese 5 Spice (Allspice will work)
4 chicken bouillon cubes or 4 tsp of chicken stock base
Salt and Pepper (white) to taste

Place place all ingredients in a stock pot, bring to boil, reduce to simmer. Simmer until split peas have turned to mush. Stir periodically. Salt and pepper to taste. White pepper works best. Should be done in about 2 hours (?).

*Not Quite As Fast Version
Ham bone with ham on bone or saved ham pieces, cut, 1/2 inch
(if no ham, use some canned ham-cut up, 1/2 inch pieces)
6-8 cups Chicken Broth
1 Bay leaf
3- 5 stalks Celery diced, 1/4 inch
Carrots cut to 1/2 inch: 3 full carrots or equivalent amount of baby carrots chopped
1 med Onion, chopped
1/4 tsp Chinese 5 Spice (Allspice will work)
4 chicken bouillon cubes or 4 tsp of chicken stock base
Salt and Pepper (white) to taste

Some people will cook ham bone in water to make stock, you can do this, but I don't. If you do, boil bone in 8 cups water until done, remove bone, pick meat off bone and cut to size, cut any meat that fell off bone, during boiling, to size. Then place the rest of the ingredients in a stock pot, bring to boil, reduce to simmer. Simmer until split peas have turned to mush. Stir periodically. Salt and pepper to taste. White pepper works best.

When I have a ham bone, I place the bone and all the ingredients (except bouillon) in the water, and bring to boil, them simmer. When bone is done, I remove it, make sure the ham is right size, add more ham from can, if needed, and add bouillon and simmer until done. Stir periodically. Salt and pepper to taste. White pepper works best.
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I think pondering about God changing my "taste" is a pretty scary thing; I like my preconceived notions, they fit me well... maybe too well, maybe they fit my flesh perfectly, ouch....

I hated pea soup as a kid, now I really like it. I discovered I liked pea soup when a new way to make pea soup found me-- pea soup made new.

I guess we need intimate settings where we can't escape, where we are forced to confront ourselves.

Wondering what other "taste" of mine, He might change, what else will be made new, AND thanking Mandi for helping me think this way,
k8t
P.S. If you don't understand that last bit, read this!
k8t(at)faceofagirl(dot)com
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Please include the following statement on any distributed or linked copy: By Kaet Johnson. © faceofagirl.com. Website: faceofagirl.com

The Bible is God's Testimony About Himself

For many (many) years, especially as a child, I had great difficulty reading the Old Testament of the Bible. What I saw was a collection of stories (they are stories in the sense of a recording of events-- as a child if you said you were going to read me a story, I immediately categorized it as fiction-- not true) about people who did confusing, strange, some good and many bad things. Between this thought and the fiction underpinning I had, I could not figure how the OT was so important and what I was supposed to be learning. David and Goliath was interesting, a good underdog "story," but that was about it, especially, if you kept reading and came upon David's other stories. In my young mind, David was not a role model, why was there so much about him?

At 40, I finally have come to understand, well enough to actually put into words, that the Bible is God's testimony about Himself. It is through the events recorded and the people and things integral to those events that we learn who God is.

God could have told us that He sees, He is our God Yahweh, the God Who Sees, but like a good documentary, He showed us that He is the God Who Sees when He records for us His interactions with Hagar (Genesis 16).

He could have told us that He is our God Yahweh, the God Who Heals, yet He has shown us through the myriad accounts of physical and spiritual healing throughout His testimony.

He could have told us that He is our God Yahweh, the God Who Is Salvation, The One Who Saves, yet, instead, He sent His son, Yehoshua, Jesus. Yahweh manifested Himself in human form, became human, and is the salvation for every created thing.

The next time you are reading scripture, literally, the testimony of Yahweh, don't look at the people in it too closely, don't try to learn who they are, remember it is His testimony about Himself, focus on Him, learn about Him.

Remembering WHO it's about,
k8t
k8t(at)faceofagirl(dot)com
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Please include the following statement on any distributed or linked copy: By Kaet Johnson. © faceofagirl.com. Website: faceofagirl.com