Quantum Mechanics

I have been investigating what light is and that lead me into Quantum Mechanics.  This seems to be the physics at a beyond-microscopic/observable level.  Very weird things that do no follow the norms that exist in the macro world.  We know when we throw a rock into a pond that ripples will be formed and the rock will fall to the bottom.  But now that the elements that make up our world on a level beyond microscopes/observation are able to be measured and experimented with the results are not following the rules that exist in our reality.  Bohr and Einstein argued as to what this meant.  Experiments done recently prove who was right but to explain that would require going into areas too complicated and unimportant.  What is important is that they found a world in which the rules of existence as we know them don't exist.  When you think about it the same is true for the world beyond our reality.  Einsteins Theory of relativity shows that on a plane outside our reality time exists differently. 

God created a reality in which we live.  The rules and laws of our reality are observable and measurable.  But beyond that, in bigger things, and smaller things, the same rules don't apply. He created a world for just us, that we could understand and explain but not limitlessly.  He is so beyond our understanding.  The worlds beyond us (supermacro and micro) exist according to his rules.  He created this world we live in as a separate creation from what exists beyond us.  Man will never understand Quantum Mechanics, if it is possible at all, without an understanding of God.  And what they can discover about Quantum Mechanics will give them an glimpse of the immensity and majesty of God.

Wounded Spirit

Why do I have a crushed spirit?  Cares of my world are getting worse as I get older.  Financial circumstances continue to pile up, health issues increase, relationships get difficult, unsatisfying, church is less fulfilling than ever before.  My spirit is crushed by the circumstances of my life. 

But these circumstances that get me so down are irrelevant and I get down because I focus on them.  They are irrelevant to the life I have been given in Christ.  Paul learned to be content in all circumstances because good or bad his ultimate focus was on Christ and the goal of eternal life with him.  What occurs here is just temporary and a training ground for our faith.  Nothing in this life is ever going to give us the satisfaction we desire because nothing in this life is going to live up to the fullness of life we will find ultimately in the next world.  We want something that can't be had in this world.  Everything you look to to give you satisfaction doesn't and will not.  So be content with what God has given you, orient yourself to the truth of the gospel and what He suffered for you to give you this fullness of life that is coming, you will then find the joy beyond the walls of this world - a foretaste of the tree of eternal life.

New relationship to God

Christ brought to us the right relationship with the Creator that had never been possible in this world before.  Even those before Christ came to this earth had a relationship with God based on what Christ was to do. All we were, all our attempts to reach Him were rubbish but Christ provided us the ways and means to establish the right relationship with God.

You have given us Him that we may know You.

NT replacements for OT rituals

God always has and will deal with his people through covenants. 
God deals with peoples and not individuals.
In the OT we see the Passover celebrated
in the NT we celebrate Easter the resurrection
in the OT we circumcision as the sign of the covenant through families/heads of households
in the NT we see baptism as the sign of the covenant expanded to all
Pentecost - the promise is to you and your children Acts 2:39, 1 Cor. 7:14

God has made a covenant with his people.  Baptism is the sign of the covenant and replaces circumcision (Col. 2:11) Our children have a portion in the covenant and therefore they have the right of baptism.

Saving souls

Evangelizing is often pictured as saving lost souls.  But none who respond were "lost."  They are His that come at his chose time - his chosen ones.  He came to destroy the works of the devil through their faith.  He plants the seed of truth in them, waters it, and allows us to harvest his crop - bringing it into his kingdom.  There are none out in the world that were lost to Him but diverted to heaven.  All who respond are our brothers and sisters who were chosen before the foundation of the world.  We are just there when he calls them so fear not to proclaim the gospel - his chosen people will hear.

He doesn't call us to serve the world (who reject him) but to build up the body of Christ.  Eph. 4:11ff.  We were given apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers to equip the saints...for the building up of the body of Christ.

[the lost - is this a term the bible uses?  Are they really lost?  This term gives us the idea we have to rationalize people into the kingdom when really we are just finding brothers.]

In the acceptance of God's sovereignty in my life I must translate that into my dealings with ____ forgive and forget the damage done.  Can I do this?  No.  The Holy Spirit must empower me to do it and I must not give myself any credit.

The renewal

This world was in its infancy and God worked through Israel alone.  They became an example of the ways of people and the way they would choose to go left to make their own choices.  Then God choose to enter the world he created as Jesus and the world changed. It was filled for the first time with real life, love, hope, justice, mercy, etc.  The renewal had begun.  First his chosen children were being redeemed and renewed through each generation and, then finally creation so that the devil will have will have not conquered any area of the creation as his own.