CreatorWorship

A Song of Salvation History

creatorworship — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 16:40:08 +0000

There are so many good hymns. As with most things we have a tendency to rush over them as if to extract the sweetness without savoring the deeper substance. So as time allows on occasion I try to assimilate a little more of the spiritual nutrients from these poems that we sing. In poetry I like completeness of thought with conciseness of language. Of course that is a challenge. The hymn “One Day” seems to be just such a hymn, surveying the incarnation, crucifixion, burial, resurrection, and second coming of Christ. Emphasizing this idea of these events happening on a certain ‘one day’ each produces a unity of the verses and points to the historicity of the works of Christ. In each of the verses Christ and His work are exalted and personalized to the person singing the song. These are all wonderful elements, but I’m rarely quite satisfied, so I thought that it covers from Christ’s incarnation at Bethlehem to the beginning of eternity, shouldn’t it include eternity past forward to Bethlehem? I sat down and wrote two more verse to “complete” the thought of salvation history conveyed in the song. I was unable to bring in the element of personalizing the work of Christ to the singer and I’m confident that my poetry is not so good as the author, J. Wilbur Chapman, but I enjoyed the effort and contemplation anyway, and so may you.

One day the Godhead took counsel in heaven

One day the Christ was appointed to die

Jesus submitted in full to His Father

While He still sat on His throne up on high

One day Christ Jesus created first Adam

One day He walked in the garden with him

Then Adam sinned and all mankind was fallen

As second Adam He would rescue them

One day when Heaven was filled with His praises,
One day when sin was as black as could be,
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin,
Dwelt among men, my example is He!

Refrain

Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely forever;
One day He’s coming—O glorious day!

One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain,
One day they nailed Him to die on the tree;
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected:
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He!

Refrain

One day they left Him alone in the garden,
One day He rested, from suffering free;
Angels came down o’er His tomb to keep vigil;
Hope of the hopeless, my Savior is He!

Refrain

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer,
One day the stone rolled away from the door;
Then He arose, over death He had conquered;
Now is ascended, my Lord evermore!

Refrain

One day the trumpet will sound for His coming,
One day the skies with His glories will shine;
Wonderful day, my belovèd ones bringing;
Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine!

Refrain

I noticed something after I wrote the first two verses. The refrain repeats and reviews the five themes of incarnation, crucifixion, burial, resurrection, and the second coming of Christ presented one at a time in each of the five verses. I guess the hymn was wonderfully complete and filled out after all. Oh well, I reviewed all the more God’s wonderful grace in the process.

True Science

creatorworship — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 22:51:18 +0000

Logic is good and should be sound when used but no matter how sound the logic if the beginning point is wrong (wrong presuppositions) the end result (understanding of God, man, sin, eternity, reality, the world around us, fundamental forces and particles) must also be wrong at some level. For that reason I endeavor to pursue a study of science that begins with a true beginning and is most supported by evidence. Galileo was restricted because he believed truth both in terms of the Creator and in terms of the revealed evidence the Creator gave (most notably four moons orbiting Jupiter rather than Earth). Eventually the truth of his observations was accepted by all. Sometimes the opposite happens and ideas are accepted that start from the wrong place, making assumptions that are not true and do not hold up under scrutiny, and yet still persist. Evolution is just such a false idea but because of the metaphysical commitments (read, ” secularized ‘beliefs’”) it yet stands under the onslaught of truth. So then true science involves a correct starting place, opened-minded and careful observation, and sound logic. In the last generation it seemed that people gave an unerring allegiance to science and technology for all of the problems of humankind that it solved. But recently there is a growing skepticism toward “scientific theories” because they have led us to dead ends so that the heart is not satisfied, the real problems of society are not solved, there are major gaps in the explanation of the observed, health is treated for symptoms rather than promoting long-term health, and technology deceives by reducing the quality of life when fully embraced (Note that our country spends more on healthcare than any other and yet ranks 37th on the World Health Organization’s list of health systems. Many health enhancing practices are ignored or disdained by much of the world.). The summary of what I am saying is as follows. I applaud the efforts of many practitioners of science for their attempts to explain their various disciplines from the evidence they have based on logic that they work hard at making consistent. But turning a blind eye to influences outside of the natural system that effect all that we see both as to its origin and its progress is stubborn and wrong. God impinges daily on this terrarium we call the universe all the way from holding the forces and particles in check to controlling where it is headed.

Through Storm and Pain

creatorworship — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 16:47:33 +0000

I’m so enamored with the short-term benefits and successes while God sees

eternity along with my utter good and His ultimate glory. Help me, Lord, to

seek what is lasting, to make real breakthroughs through the muck and mire

of life.

Lord, I long for something new

Something with a tremendous view

Perhaps a perch overlooking the heights

So my soul might take its fanciful flights

Life is not lived on that plane

We must first teach the heart and train

That you fully see the view above

Fully know all My holiness and love

I don’t want hardship and pain

I want victory without rain

Love, security, adventure, too

Fun, satisfaction, oh, and something true

You have those more than you know

Through rain and storm there’s more to show

Know Me, you must cease to worship you

Submit to Me and know all that is true

Then you will fly in My strength

Know joy and completeness at length

Thankful for trials and what they have done

Building you up, bringing praise to the Son

All Sufficient Merit

creatorworship — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 02:25:09 +0000

One of my favorite Christmas songs is “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus”. Charles Wesley preaches the gospel clearly in this short song about the first advent of Christ:

Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a king,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

I spent some time contemplating the next to last phrase: “By Thine all sufficient merit”.

We speak of Christ’s all sufficient grace though never frequently enough. It occurred to me that we would never have that grace if it were not for His all sufficient merit. In what respect is it all sufficient? His nature was divine from eternity past, the essence of perfection. His was most certainly an immaculate conception because he did not receive our father Adam’s sin nature but rather possessed His coequal nature with His Heavenly Father. As a man he fulfilled all the law, actually blameless though accused, tempted, and rejected. And you can’t improve on perfection, right? The Scripture teaches that He did, not in essence but in quantity: “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.” (Hebrews 2:10) and “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,…” (Hebrews %:8-9). He added to all of His other perfections this merit also that He obeyed and suffered, purchasing us heaven. His merit is sufficient to raise sinners who trust Him to His glorious throne where He sits at the right hand of the Majesty on High. I am there positionally now and bodily one day to worship and thank Him for His all sufficient merit that bought His all sufficient grace for me.

On You I Depend

creatorworship — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 19:30:22 +0000

It is probably a mistake to try to explain a poem but having read the second verse of this one I think my perspective while writing it might help to show why these thoughts follow from one another. The sister on one side of me prayed for our awareness of His glorious grace which Jesus shone upon us. The brother on the other side of me had just read a verse about our need to diligently pursue righteousness. The immediate thought in my heart was that I could do neither without the guidance and empowering of His Spirit and the need to “be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.” (Hebrews 4:11) Faith rest is simply saying and clinging to God because ‘on You I depend’.

Father of Light on You I depend

Show me Your way my life to defend

When I am restless and given to fear

Give me Your peace and by me be near

On me Your Son shone glorious grace

Eternally comforting embrace

Pursue righteousness fervently You’ve said

Careful to enter Your rest, be led

Given at times to much confusion

Resisting the world’s fond delusion

You give me truth and direction instead

That I might know You, be Spirit-led

Scoffing anticipated

creatorworship — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 19:12:21 +0000

Without a trace of homophobia and not a rant in sight, Rick Perry simply conveyed his beliefs about an example of where this country has gone wrong. The result should have been anticipated. He is not ashamed to call himself a Christian but many others are and more still hate the name of the God they try to live for. If you speak of a God of love but never challenge anyone with what is right or wrong you are not truly showing love. Instead you are condemning people to a hell that exists because they live on in the ignorance and defiance of their wickedness. You are in fact clinging to an idol or your own making, a god quite contrary to the God of the Bible. Are there other sins that secure a place for sinners in hell? Yes, all of them, but such ones as prostitution and murder are still generally recognized as wrong. Mr. Perry is simply pointing out a sin that has been forcibly deemed as acceptable in our society, even desirable. The “viral” response and hatred of such public discussion assures that such wickedness will persist and grow. Our nation is already paying the consequences of this denial of God’s truth along with many others. We are weakened by this and many other hatreds of God and His Law. Unless we repent as a nation and a large number turn to Christ as Savior, our days are numbered. I do not believe Mr. Perry is so ignorant as to not anticipate such a reaction, but he does know and hopes that the many who agree with him will stand up and say so before our nation is overrun with more wickedness than God will tolerate. The time is short.

The Way of Science

creatorworship — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 03:00:32 +0000

The first poem I remember writing as an adult came to me while my students were taking a test. I was struck by their recent questions of why they should know this material, how I got interested in science, and what difference it makes. My thoughts added what truth and true science are. Science succeeded and grew in Western thought because people who believed in a God of order and reason who reveals Himself sought greater understanding of Him through His Creation. That should tint how you read my poem:

I love science

For in it there is compliance

With all of the laws

Upon which this space-time draws

I study science

Because of its reliance

On a complex design

That is beautiful and fine

I teach science

That screams with defiance

Of all that is false

And dearly held without cause

If you pursue science

Prepare for acquiescence

To ways of thinking

Both disturbing and satisfying

Banned vocabulary word

creatorworship — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 04:36:16 +0000

Have you noticed something missing from conversations in all forms of media- personal, electronic, written-about the debacle at Penn State? How about from the discussion of failed politicians, NFL or Hollywood celebrities, or riots or divorces in hometown America? Euphemistically entitled a condition, exceptionality, syndrome, genetic disposition, problem, societal ill, disease, tendency, aberration, failure, inequity, mistake, debacle, addiction, heinous crime against humanity, acting out to name a few, this banned word denies the similarities of the list above. These replacements share two qualities, one for most of the words in the list and a second for all of them. In the smaller group, including terms like genetic disposition, syndrome, and tendency, blame is shifted to a different cause. The similarity of all of the words is a denial of the real cause. Have you guessed the true identity and name of the banned word? Am I allowed to write it? The word is sin. The problem it so clearly points out is rebellion against God perpetrated by the sinner. Because of our pride resulting in selfishness we don’t want to admit to sin. But ignoring and denying the problem does not allow for the recognition of the solution, so we Christians must talk about it. But beware because you may talk about God and that He is love and that He is good and that we should act nice and so on but if you mention sin you will be shunned or worse. But since “through the Law comes the knowledge of sin,” (Romans 3:20) sinners will not recognize their need for a Savior or be saved if they are not taught that there is a righteous standard that all have failed to meet from a righteous God to whom they are responsible.

If you don’t believe me that this word is banned try bringing it up in conversation. You need not be so direct as to mention a particular sin or even a particular person’s sin. Just talk about sin in your community resulting in some ill like family break-up or eventual death or even flowers wilting and see how far it gets you. Why? ”Let no one find fault, and let none offer reproof; for your people are like those who contend….” (Hosea 4:4) But be warned, “Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” Hosea 4:6)

If you can add to my euphemistic list it would be instructive as to the depth of our….. tendency.

Me

creatorworship — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 19:12:53 +0000

Does this sentence seem strange and yet all too common to anyone else besides me?

“Tip: Be the master of your own domain – make this blog creatorworship.me for just $24 per year.”

Thus goes the ad at the top of my Dashboard on this blog. I want to say, “No, please read the subtitle of the blog and comprehend that though I struggle with self-absorption like the rest of the planet, I am fighting the tendency by way of the influence of the Spirit within.”

Pointing to the One who made, saved, and sustains.

When And His I

creatorworship — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 21:17:16 +0000

What do you do on a less than profitable day?

You search for the hidden, more lasting and substantial, intended profit for the day.

When all goes awry

And my spirit wants to fly

His calling on my life

I must recall amidst the strife

When there is stress

And my spirit feels duress

His goodness every day

I want to graciously display

When hard things come

And my spirit would succomb

His strength is my stay

I need each step of the way

When joy comes to me

And my spirit knows it’s free

His all sufficient grace

I am keeping before my face