The Attributes of God - God is Eternal

We humans get caught up in the idea of eternity. It's confusing. We experience time one day after another. When we try to think of eternity, we imagine an endless string of days compounding into millions and billions of years. I don't know about anyone else, but the idea of spending 8 billion years doing anything sounds horrible.

God does not experience time in this manner; the eternality of God means that He is beyond time. Eternity is not something that we as temporal beings can easily come to grips with. We're simply unable to comprehend the nonexistence of time. We are finite beings and as such are incapable of ompletely understanding what is infinite. The fact that we have any comprehension at all of God is evidence of His reaching out to us.

In the book of Isaiah, Gad says that His ways are not our ways; His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.  We can never be completely like God, but we were all created with an eternal component, our soul that will advance to eternity after our time on Earth is complete.  Possessing a proper understanding of and posture toward God will ensure that this eternity is spent with Him rather than apart from Him.

Weekend Fiction - Oracle’s Conversation

Here is chapter 6 of my science-fiction serial Oracle.  I actually finished this chapter ahead of schedule.  Please feel free to offer any comments, suggestions or feedback.  Thanks!

Chapter 6; Oracle’s Conversation

“It’s Cyrus, right?” after a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Melanie decided to break the ice.

“Yes, Cyrus… I'm Cyrus,” unsure what to say next, he continued; “it's nice to see you again.”

The strained conversation was interrupted by the return of the waitress.

“Are y’all about finished with your pie?”

“Yes, and it was great, just like my aunt said.”  Melanie responded.

“Oh, was that your aunt?” asked the waitress, “she's nice; a little bossy though.”

Melanie giggled.  “I guess you could say that.”

“Ya know; I'm awfully sorry about that, sometimes I just call ‘em like I see ‘em and put my foot in my mouth.”

“Don't worry about it; she was being bossy tonight.”  Melanie reassured her.

“I'll just leave the two of you to finish your coffee.” said the waitress, walking away.

Now that the waitress had broken the ice, Cyrus felt more comfortable.  “So, how long have you lived with your aunt?”

“About 2 years now; I moved here for work right after college.”

“She seems nice, sometimes a bit confused though.”

Melanie frowned slightly.  “She had a minor stroke about a year-and-a-half ago; she’s doing really well considering.”

Cyrus was seemingly lost in his thoughts for a moment, and then spoke.  “She’ll be doing better after she starts her new medication.”

“What new medication?”

“The medication her doctor prescribed at her appointment in 6 mon- …” Cyrus’ words trailed to a halt; “I, uh, I shouldn’t say anything else; I’ve said too much already.”

“No, it’s alright; go on, please.” prompted Melanie.

“I really don’t like talking about these types of things…  I just can’t do it; don’t ask me to, please.”

Melanie was beginning to get angry, “Why not?” she demanded.

“Because she’s going to die!”  Heads turned as Cyrus blurted, more loudly than he had intended.

“How could you know that; how could anyone?”

“I’ve seen it! “ Cyrus pointed to his head, “Up here!”

Melanie responded with one word, spoken firmly, “When?”

“I, I don’t know…”  Cyrus paused, “not for another 10 or 15 years.”

“How do you know you’re not wrong?”  Melanie asked.

“I never have been.” Cryus spoke clinically, without emotion.

“How do you do it?”  Melanie still sounded incredulous.

“I don’t know,” Cyrus continued, “but I hate it.”

“How can you say that?  You have a gift, it’s wonderful.”

“No, you don’t understand…” Cyrus searched for the right words, “Everyone is going to die; and I can see it, when, how…”

“What about me?”  Melanie pressed.

“I don’t know…” Cyrus paused, “It different with you; I can’t tell you your future.”

“You can’t, or you won’t?”

“I can’t; I don’t know why.”  Cyrus didn’t know what else to say.  “I just can’t see anything when I look at you; I can’t see anything but… you.”

Melanie was determined to solve the mystery; “Has this ever happened before; with anyone else?”

“No, it’s never happened with anyone else… well; no one else but me.” Cyrus confessed.

Melanie started to respond, but there didn’t seem to be anything else to say.  Cyrus spoke next.  “We should go, it’s about to get pretty crowded in here.”

He got up from the table and Melanie followed his lead.  As they reached the register, Melanie reached for her wallet.  “Let me, please;” Cyrus asked, “I don’t get to spend money very often.”  As he signed his name on the credit card slip, nobody noticed Cyrus adding a $1000 tip.

“Goodnight ya’ll” the waitress said, as yet unaware of her good fortune.

As they walked out, a crowd of around 20 people, freshly emerged from the theatre next door entered the restaurant.  “Can I give you a ride back to your… car?”  Melanie faltered as Cyrus’ car pulled up.  Her confusion grew as he went to the driver’s side door.

“No thanks; it looks like I’ve got a ride already.”

“I guess I’ll see you later then; goodnight.”

“Take care, Melanie.”

Cyrus closed the door.  “Ezra, let’s go home.”

“Very good sir.”

Hold the Line

How often do I feel sad, wishing that I had clear direction from God; that I knew my purpose.  What I really need is God to give me victory over sin.  I don't have a problem with enormous, obvious sins; more the pernicous, less noticeable type.  I am lazy.  I waste so much time playing around on the computer.  I of all people should be aware of my own mortality; in fact, I've been cognizant of my mortality since I was a child.  When I was a child, I expected that I would be dead before the age of 25 at the oldest.  Unfortunately, this expectation did not give me a sense of urgency; quite the opposite, my certainty regarding my future made me reluctant to try too hard.  Why should I bother trying to do well in school or look for a job or do anything that wasn't enjoyable when I would be dead soon?  What a mistake that was!  I became so depressed that I didn't even want to live anymore.  When there is nothing to strive for, nothing to achieve, no goals to look ahead to, what is the point of living at all?  Like Job, I prayed that I could simply die, and move straight to eternity.  Praise God for not granting the unknowingly stupid prayers of His children!

Once I realized that God wasn't going to strike me down and I found myself not quite depressed enough to actually go through with suicide, I knew my life would have to change.  I developed a sense of urgency; I simply didn't have time to waste!  This urgency drove me to return to school and to excel this time.  More than one person commented on my strong work ethic and the unheard of change in my academic performance.  I went from an academically disqualified 1.0 GPA to an honors earning 3.6 before my graduation.  In addition to classroom work, I participated in academic competition, excelling there as well.  In addition, I sought out student employment.  Within a few months, I had impressed my supervisor so much that I was entrusted with remote access to my work computer, making me the only student worker with this access.  In nearly every way, I was a model student.

I do not say any of this intending to build myself up; I freely acknowledge that God was the source of any wisdom I may have exhibited.  Furthermore, it is only through the God's power of healing that I survived a serious illness in 2006.  My point is this; when I felt a clear direction from God, I flourished.

But then; like a fool, I graduated.  I found myself a highly qualified individual with a college degree, a loving wife and a young son.  I had everything I could have asked for; everything but a job.  Now, two years later, I am still unemployed, with my job prospects looking more and more dim as I get further from graduation.

I find myself slipping back to my old habits of being angry, unmotivated and depressed.  I don't know what God wants from me!  I find myself longing that God will give me clear direction and purpose.  Praise God, I no longer have any suicidal bent whatsoever but I have difficulty imagining being very happy or fulfilled in this life.  I suppose rather than encouraging others with this post, I am asking for you to partner with me as I pray for diection.  With God's inspiration I'm intending to ramp up my writing output, so expect more entries soon.

Right Here Waiting

In my previous post, “Take It to the Limit”, I may be guilty of suggesting that finding God is dependent on our effort.  Please do not misunderstand me, our effort is indeed quite important.

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
James 2:26

If Christianity were based purely on our effort, it would be much the same as most other religions in the world.  The primary difference between Christianity and most other religions is the concept of God reaching out to man rather than the other way around.  Though our effort is a necessary and important component of a walk with God, His effort is infinitely more so.  As creator of the universe, God by definition must exist outside of the universe.  Is there any way that we as residents of the universe could interact with anything outside of the universe through our own initiative?  Of course not, that would be absurd.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

By necessity, God made the first move.  Since we were unable to bridge the gap between ourselves and Him, He did so for us.  Beyond simply making the first move, God goes further.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send?  And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
Isaiah 6:8

God asks us to be a partner in reaching others with His message.  In much the same way that Jesus was, we are tasked with going into the world to help those who are lost.  One question remains, why?  Why would the God of the universe desire to have a relationship with us?

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
John 4:23

Consider this for a moment; have you ever done something cool and wish that there had been someone around to see it?  God did too; God made the entire heartbreakingly beautiful, often savage, precise-as-clockwork and incomprehensibly large universe.  How cool is that?  Is it any surprise that He would long to have someone to share it with?  That's where we come in.  God is seeking worshipers.  He is not on some sort of universal ego trip; our worship is simply the result of an accurate acknowledgment of our position in relation to His.  When and if we gain this understanding of our status, worship is a perfectly legitimate and reasonable response.

Weekend Fiction - Oracle the Hero

Here is chapter 5 of my science-fiction serial Oracle.  This was the most difficult chapter so far to write.  Please feel free to offer any comments, suggestions or feedback.  Thanks!


Chapter 5; Oracle the Hero

“Good morning sir.”

“Good morning Ezra, go ahead.”

“Very good sir; your client will arrive in 1 hour; shall I start your shower and coffee?”

“Go ahead, Ezra.”

“Very good sir; your client?”

“Go ahead, Ezra.”

“Senator Jacobson, unspecified business.”

As usual with politicians, the senator's staff was tightlipped about the purpose of his visit, but public officials were typically interested in just one thing, reelection.  Mrs. Meyers had asked for a few days off, ostensibly to get away for a weekend; she was actually at an appointment with an oncologist.  Unfortunately she would pass away 13 months from now but Ezra's arranging for her to become a lottery winner six months from now will ensure that her last days are spent comfortably, in a beach house in Mexico.

After his shower, Cyrus found the note Mrs. Meyers had left directing him to the homemade frozen waffles in the freezer.  Though his meeting with Senator Jacobson was predictably short, Cyrus had more charity clients than usual.  He thought of Melanie very little that day.  After the last charity client had left, Cyrus found himself strangely tired from a long day.  As Cyrus lay down to rest in his noisy room, a strange sensation came over him.  He foresaw a man dressed in dark clothes peering through a window.  Hearing a noise in the bushes behind him, the man turned.  The burglar crouched out of sight and hid.

“This is strange.”  Cyrus thought to himself.  Usually, his visions only involved people he knew or happened to be near at the time.  Then he realized that the burglar was outside of Mrs. Thomason house.

“Ezra, open the garage door.”

“Very good sir.”

Though he was unsure what he would do when he arrived, Cyrus knew he had to get to Mrs. Thomason’s house.

On the way, Cyrus focused, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was happening but without success.  He parked down the street, not wanting to draw attention to himself.  As he stumbled through the bushes in Mrs. Thomason’s yard, Cyrus silently cursed himself for not thinking to bring a flashlight.  With a start, he fell through a gap in the hedge and found himself face-to-face with the man from his vision.

“What do you think you're doing here?”  The thief demanded.

Cyrus started to answer but then he foresaw his opponent leveling a pistol.  Without thinking, he launched himself at the would-be assailant.  Cyrus briefly had the advantage as they tumbled to the ground but the thief was not giving up easily.  Cyrus foresaw a stick being swung a split second before he was struck by the stick itself.  As the thief escaped his grasp, Cyrus foresaw then felt several punches and kicks.  Moments later, Cyrus was on the ground, looking up at the thief who was holding the pistol from his vision.

“See you around, hero.” growled the thief, leveling the pistol at Cyrus.  Before he could fire, there was another loud commotion in the bushes.

“What's going on out there?”  A burly man bellowed as he lumbered across the yard.  The thief dropped his weapon and ran, leaving Cyrus where he lay.

“Hey, I recognize you!  You're that guy that was snooping around here the other day.”  The large man spoke; “I live right next door and I saw you.”

“It's not like that” Cyrus gasped, trying to catch his breath; “I'm trying to help.”

“I suppose that's why you brought a gun, right?”  The man said, stabbing a finger at the pistol on the ground.

“It's not my gun.”  Cyrus tried to reassure the neighbor.

The burly man placed his bulk in between Cyrus and the gun.  “We'll just let the police figure that out, my wife already called them; they're on the way.”

Cyrus spent the next five minutes in awkward silence as the Good Samaritan neighbor paced back and forth, menacingly brandishing a two by four.  Cyrus felt quite relieved when a police cruiser arrived with lights flashing.  A few moments later, he was taken to the police station as a second detective took a statement from the neighbor.

At the police station, Cyrus was ushered into a small, green holding room.  A bored looking officer wearing a faded grey suit questioned him regarding the events of that evening.

“Well, part of your story checks out; your prints aren't on the gun, so we know someone else was there.”

“That's what I tried to tell you,” Cyrus protested, “the other guy was already there; I was trying to help Melanie, er, Mrs. Thomason.”

“Right there, that's the problem;” the officer stopped Cyrus, “how did you know anyone needed help?  You live on the other side of town!”

“That's going to be a little hard to explain.”  Cyrus said.

“Try me; I've got a real active imagination.”  the detective jeered.

Cyrus’ explanation was cut short by the entry of another officer.

“We're ready for the line up, get him out here.”

Cyrus was ushered into a line with five other men and instructed to face a one-way mirror.  A moment later, the procedure was interrupted by a police sergeant.

“This guy is your suspect;” the sergeant protested, “do you have any idea how many cases this guy has helped us solve?”

“What are you talking about Garcia?  The neighbor caught him snooping in this woman's bushes; of course he’s our suspect!” The grey suited officer defended himself.

“I've worked with this guy dozens of times!”  The sergeant continued, “If he says he was there to help, he was there to help.  Send him home right now.”

“Whatever you say, sir.”  The officer said in a derisive tone.

Cyrus exited the police station walking slowly, lost in his thoughts. He looked up when he heard Mrs. Thomason's voice.

“Yoo-hoo; young man!” She called, “That nice sergeant told us all about you trying to help us.”

He turned to see Mrs. Thomason and Melanie near a car.

“Umm, it was nothing.”  Cyrus said, somewhat nervous at seeing Melanie.

“Nonsense,” said Mrs. Thomason “you have to let us buy you a cup of coffee, that's the least we can do; I won't take no for an answer.”

Mrs. Thomason took Cyrus by the arm, and proceeded to lead him to a nearby coffee shop.

“I'll just have a cup of coffee.”  Cyrus suggested.

“Don't be silly,” Mrs. Thomason said, “you simply must try the apple pie.”

Mrs. Thomason proceeded to order three pieces of apple pie from the waitress.  A few minutes later,  the waitress returned with the pie and coffee.  As they started to eat, Sergeant Garcia entered the shop.  Seeing Cyrus, he approached the table.

“I'm really sorry about tonight,” he apologized; “Detective Henderson thought he was doing his job.”

“It's no problem,” Cyrus reassured the Sergeant; “it could have happened to anyone.”

Mrs. Thomason spoke up next.  “Excuse me, officer.  All the excitement of this evening has got me a little tired out; would you mind terribly driving me home?”  Before Sergeant Garcia could answer, she called out to the waitress.  “Miss, may I have this pie and coffee to go please?"

With no apparent alternative, Sergeant Garcia responded; “I'd be happy to ma'am, my car is right outside.”

Mrs. Thomason departed with her new-found chauffeur, leaving Cyrus and Melanie alone.

Take It to the Limit

As I was studying my list of Scriptures that I am trying to memorize, four verses jumped out at me tonight.  The common theme?  Seeking and working to find Gods purpose for me.  As I was praying and writing, these verses seemed to arrange themselves into a plan.

Step one, work!

In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.
2 Chronicles 31:21

Hezekiah was one of the last great kings of Judah before Jerusalem was nearly destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.  When it came to serving God, Hezekiah gave all he had.  Because of his willingness to work for God, Hezekiah is remembered for his accomplishments for God.  Unfortunately, even he got tripped up by pride later in his life, so he was not perfect.

Step two, pray!

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
James 1:5

I do not know what God's plan for my life is and I'll bet that many of you are just as uncertain as me.  I freely admit that I lack wisdom; if I didn't, Max Lucado might be reading my books instead of the other way around.  If you don't know what God's plan for your life is, pray!

Step three, be wholehearted!

I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands.
Psalm 119:10

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13

God does not want you to wander through this world aimlessly, without direction.  On the other hand, the nature of the world we live in ensures that finding God will not be accomplished without effort.  One thing is certain; if you truly desire to find God, you will need to apply all of your abilities, your heart, your intellect, your imagination.  Though it will be difficult, and your search will consume your entire life in this world, the benefits far outweigh the cost.

I personally have been guilty of halfheartedly following God.  I have been willing to follow God as long as He leads me where I want to go.  I have been guilty of turning away when it has been difficult or uncomfortable to hold fast to my Savior.  While I will always bear the spiritual scars of my disobedience, I know that my Savior, my God also bears scars, far greater, far deeper, far more tragic than I will ever comprehend.  I praise the Lord for His mercy and forgiveness, and I pray that you will seek Him wholeheartedly and claim His love for your own.

Weekend Fiction - Oracle’s Confusion

This is chapter 4 of Oracle, my science fiction serial.  Today, we learn a little bit more about Ezra.  Got comments?  I'd love to hear them!


Chapter 4; Oracle’s Confusion


Though his visit to Mrs. Thomason's house had proved unfruitful, Cyrus was no less determined to solve the mystery surrounding Melanie.  Though his power seemed to be useless in this situation, he had access to other resources.

“Ezra, bring your conversation and counseling modules online.”

“Very good, sir.”

Cyrus had obtained  Ezra from an abandoned government project.  Ezra was an artificial intelligence computer system designed to interact with humans using natural language.  Its original purpose was to perform basic psychoanalysis on soldiers and suffering from PTSD.  It was a miserable failure through no fault of its own.  Most people are simply uncomfortable conversing with a computer.  Ezra's hardware consisted of a dozen racks, each holding 10 server class computers.  For most purposes, only a few of the computers were running at any given time.  In response to Cyrus' command, all 120 units lit up.

“Ezra, I think I'm in love.”

“What makes you say that?” Ezra responded.

“I don't know what else to think, this woman confuses me.”

“Go on.”

“I'm not even sure what love is.”  Cyrus said.

“Love is defined as a strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties.  Do you have any personal ties with this woman?”

Cyrus sighed.  “We have something in common if that's what you mean.  She and I have the only futures I can't see.”

Advanced as it was, certain aspects of Cyrus' life continually escaped Ezra.  “The only way to know the future is to experience it.”

“I wish that was true.” Cyrus responded.

Ezra either paused meaningfully or struggled to process Cyrus’ statement.  “If you do not have personal ties with her, you must develop them if love is the intended goal.”

“So you're saying we should spend time together?”

“That seems like a wise course of action.”  Ezra sounded satisfied with itself, if that was possible.

“Thank you, as always, for your help; return to standard operations mode.”

In its climate controlled server room, Ezra's activity level returned to normal.  Cyrus was more determined than ever that he would see Melanie again.