What in the World am I here for?

Almost every culture has an explanation as to how life on this planet came into being. Throughout history humankind has gazed at the stars and grappled with the difficult question of our origin and our purpose:

“How did we get here?” 

“Why are we here?” 

“Is there more to life than what I see?”

“Am I here for a reason, and if so, what is the reason? 

“Does what I do or how I live my life make any difference?”

“WHAT IS MY PURPOSE?”

The first chapter of the Bible alone is sufficient to answers all of these questions. The story of creation is the story of the CREATOR and does more than simply refute naturalism, but gives us our purpose. It tells our place in the universe as special creatures in a unique and loving relationship with the God of creation.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. Gen 1:1-3

The opening verse shows us that God is all powerful; He existed forever and was not created. The wording in verse 2, about His Spirit “hovering over the waters,” is likened to the imagery of a bird that protects and cares for its young. We can take solace in knowing that we have a benevolent King who cares for His subjects rather than tyrannical fates that force their whims upon humanity as slaves that use threats of pestilence and plagues to control their subjects.

But what I’d like you to do is quickly follow me down to verse 28. I want you to note the evangelistic tone in this chapter that we often overlook.

First God begins by taking what was formless and empty ( vs 2) and begins to form it and fill it over the six days of creation.

Notice how the days are arranged: On day one through day three there is separating and gathering as God added form to that which was formless.  On day four through day six, God’s emphasis shifts to populating the things that had been formed (i.e. filling that which was empty).

Beginning in verse 3 I want to highlight the shift in tone that takes place in the transition into verse 26.    THIS IS WHERE YOU AND I COME IN

And God said, “Let there be light” (vs 3).   

And God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water” (vs 6).   

And God said, “Let the land produce vegetation” (vs 11).

And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above” (vs 14).

And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures” (vs 24).

Now look at verse 26!

“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground” (vs 26).

There is a change ―a shift that takes place from impersonal commands such as “let the land do this” and “Let the water do that” to the use of intimate personal pronouns: “let us,” “our image,” “our likeness” ― this happens three times in one verse!  It is as though the creation story stops and pauses for a moment as the Creator makes a divine decree that humankind is something totally distinct from all that came before. Nothing else in creation is made in the image of God.

As sole image-bearers He gives us humans both elevated privileges and purpose. In regard to privileges, in verse 28 He begins with a blessing- it is unmerited and there was nothing we did to earn this favor. It is a picture of grace. Next, God commands that we rule over all the previous creatures He created. Though the word rule shows up in some translations in verses 16 and 18 in regard to the sun and the moon, it is not the same word that is used in verse 28..  In terms of ruling over the day and night the word is [Memshalah = to rule] which is used to determine their boundaries in terms of jurisdiction. But for humankind it is a different word altogether; [radah =DOMINION!]. The ruling that man and woman is supposed to do is not a limitation of jurisdiction, but the command to subjugate and rule over.  God gave humankind the place of pre-eminence.   As those created in the image of the Ruler of the universe, God made humankind to be like Him, and like Him, He extend us rule over His creation. Humankind has a status not shared by anything else in the universe. We are blessed by God to enjoy His grace and blessed in the privilege He extends to us which no other creature in the universe enjoys.

Putting it altogether:

1)      Animals were not created in the image of God.  They were created according to their kind, meaning that lizards can only produce other lizards –in the image of lizards.

2)      Humans were created in the likeness and image of God, unlike any other created object.

3)      We are unique among God’s creation ―set apart from God’s other created works.

4)      The gender of animals is not mentioned in Genesis chapter 1, but in verse 27 (male and female), both genders of the human race are mentioned. The implication is that the image of God is complete in both the creation of man and woman. Together we are equal partners as His representatives and stewards over this planet.    

Here is the Biggie:  “BEHIND DOOR NUMBER FIVE”  

5)      When the command to “to rule over” is given (in the dominion mandate of vs 28), it is

like the father in scripture who gives his first-born child a blessing.

 

HOLD ON TO THIS THOUGHT.  

Think about it. By the sixth day the earth has been populated: It is filled with sea life, animals and birds, trees and plants. Why then does God need any more creatures to be fruitful and increase in number? Why do you suppose that God believed it was important to tell Adam and Eve to multiply and fill the earth and to take dominion [radah]?  The answer to that has to do with the fact that this is the key to our covenant relationship with God – that explains why you are here!

Before Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they were image bearers of God on earth, totally distinct from any other living thing. Since God is Spirit, our image bearing must have more to do with our spiritual nature than our physical traits. Of all living things, we reflect the glory of God. The entire earth could be filled with animals (as we see in the creation account), but it was only if the earth was filled with humans – that the whole earth could be filled with the glory of God.  That is why He commanded us humans to multiply and fill the earth. The purpose behind that command was to fill the earth with His image-bearers –

“Imago Dei”

His glory was at stake!

It is here in the very first book of the Bible that we learn that ‘filling the earth” is much more than just having biological offspring who share our human characteristics and DNA. Having lots and lots of sinfully fallen children (through mere biological reproduction) after sin entered the world does not spread the glory of God. This is why Paul writes to the church in Rome “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). Therefore, after the fall, God’s glory could only spread through the multiplication of spiritual children of those who enter into a relationship with God through faith and obedience to Him.       (Pictured my Family)

The tone of evangelism fills the creation story of being blessed by God through His grace to proclaim the greatness of God so others might come to experience His grace and know Him (blessed and called to be blessing).

Does God need us to do this?   NO!

The self-sufficient God of the universe has no unmet needs in himself. He didn’t need us! He could have easily done all this by Himself.  Not only does He bless us by allowing us to have intimate relationship with Him, the Almighty also gives us the privilege of joining Him in spreading His glory throughout the world as we bless others by making Him known. It’s all right there in the very first chapter of the very first book of the Bible. God reaches down to His special creatures in a benevolent partnership with Him in spreading His glory into every part of globe.

This covenant idea of “being blessed and called to be a blessing” that we see with Abraham stretches all the way back to the Garden of Eden.    

This is the High Call and PURPOSE for which you were CREATED! –

                                                            “Missio Dei”

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JFK, The Apostles and the Church!

Most of us are familiar with the famous words of John F. Kennedy. Pushing back against a culture of entitlement he challenged the American people to think different when he said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country!”

At his inauguration, Kennedy was celebrating what he thought was the beginning of a renewal. He was trying to inspire a love of country so great that the people of this great nation would (his words), “pay any price, bear any burden, [and] meet any hardship.” Wow, how the value system in America has changed in the last 50 years. 

We feel that the Declaration of Independence guarantees me the right to pursue happiness… therefore (in my subjective reasoning), my happiness must be the most important thing. Paying a price that comes at great personal cost does not make me happy. Bearing any burden suggests work that infringes on my happiness and I certainly do not want to engage in any hardship that causes discomfort in any way.  This culture of entitlement has not produced love for our country; rather it has heightened the love of self over the love of country as we seek how the government can best serve me. Likewise our politics has become subject to this consumer-driven mentality that seeks to please the individual in hopes of inoculating self-serving constituents from pain, suffering, unnecessary burden and the sacrificial commitment of love for country. 

Imagine if the Apostles lived to see this day.  Wow, how the value system of the church has changed just over the last 50 years. Sharing DNA, the church in America today has fallen into the same trap. Hoping to please fickle consumers we have worked hard to please the individual in hopes of inoculation them from any unnecessary suffering, sacrifice or hardship. Consistent with our American values we have pushed down love for self over love for God and love for the institution that Jesus died for – His Church! “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Eph 5:25); purchased at the great cost of His own blood(Acts 20:28).  

The Apostles loved Christ and loved His church. Each of them gave their lives over to it and their lives up for it! Pushing back against a culture of entitlement they might challenge the believers here in the United States to think different like John F. Kennedy did. The beginning of a renewal will require new thinking that challenges the creeping influence of our consumer value-system that continues to elevates self, over love for Christ and His church.

Peter might say, “Ask not what your church can do for you, but what you can sacrificially do for His church!” Being part of the church is a glorious and high calling from God (Eph 3:21). God’s love to us and His mission for us has never change. It is a mission worth dying for – the Apostles did. It is a glorious unchanging mission from Genesis to Revelation of making Him known, Exalting His Name and extending His Glory. We must come together in unity and rally for the gospel and the purposes for which we are called no matter the cost! (Rom 21:5; 1 Cor 12:20).

“Stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel” (Phil 2:27). 

As JFK said, “Divided there is little we can do–for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder.”

Painting above of Peter being crucified upside down in Rome under Nero.  Brancacci Chapel, Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence, Italy

Shipwrecked and Missional Drift

I have been lost at sea, caught in treacherous storms, blown off course and feared dead by loved ones. I have sailed through hurricane strength storms, been in boating accidents and sea sick more times than I care to remember. Through a series of small miscalculations that put our crew hundreds of miles off course, we ended up dangerously lost in thick fog that put us in peril of being shipwrecked in the Channel Islands. It turned out that the greatest danger to our voyage was not the violent storms that tore off the trim of our boat, that tweaked our rigging and that caused leaking in the hull, but was rather the subtle drift that eventually took us way off course that put us in this desperate and dangerous situation. 

I believe this real life experience can serve as a metaphor on how the Church here in America has lost sight of its destination ―lulled by the gentle breezes of our Western culture that has caused us to drift miles off course. In light of Scripture, I hope to identify where we gone off course and will investigate ways that can put us back on track for the glorious purposes of the Church.

From this firsthand experience I can can tell you with certainty, that it only takes being a couple degrees off during a long journey that can cause a ship to be a long way from its intended destination over a period of time.

When contemplating the current position of the church here in United States, I wonder if the same could be said about us. Have we been blown off course by so mild of winds that we have lost our way without being aware of how far and how dangerously we have drifted? It is this subtle “MISSIONAL DRIFT” that I intend to dive into headfirst and explore. My goal is to reclaim and restore the Biblical vision God has for us, as a People, who are called to Himself in order to ignite a Gospel Revolution here in the United States - where the number of believers has suffered radical decline and  has failed to make impact in the culture. 

 The Church really doesn't need any more “how-to-programs," systems or strategies other than what are provided to us in Scripture. 

The Bible gives us everything we need to know about the high calling of God for His People which should be sufficient to ignite the passion in us to engage the context of our present mission field.

DEAD RECKONING might appear to be a depressing title about a book dealing with issues of the Christian Church in North America. I assure you; however, no matter how negative the title may appear to “land lubbers,” it is a very positive word in ocean navigation. Dead Reckoning is the method of calculating one’s current position based on where one has been, given the direction and rate in which one is moving forward. It is only by making a correct assessment of where we, God’s People, are presently, and know where we are headed, that will allow us to identify and make the necessary corrections to get back on course towards God’s intended destination for His Church.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS MINISTRY exist to provide VISION that will help you understand and come to terms with your fit in the Body. It will clarify your call from God, help to illuminate your purpose and will provide the nautical instruments (the tools) for getting your life, your church and God’s People back on track.  

Next time, I want to take you back with me to the very beginning for an very important look at where the journey begins for us as His People in the book of Genesis. I hope to show you how Creation sets the stage for God’s divine purpose for sending the ship out of the port in the first place ―His mission for us!  

As we continue to build this Website - Dead Reckoning Ministries  it is my hope that you will find (downloadable) resources and Bible Study material that will help you RISE UP and live for the Purpose for which God has called us together as a People!                                       

                         For His Glory and for His Name! 

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." 1 Peter 2:9

Facebook is a way for us to build a community of people who simply say, "Yes" to God!   Please join the Gospel Revolution and tell others!  Gospel Formed Living    Click here and Jump in with both feet

Caryl says, "I'm In!"

Reckon Right or be Dead Wrong!

Shot at Twin Harbors Catalina Island 

In nautical terms, Dead Reckoning (ded for deduced reckoning or DR) 

is the process of calculating one's current position by using the past data of direction, elapse time, and speed to estimate where one will eventually end up. 

I have never been so excited that the numbers of decline of those professing to be Christians and church attendance is so grave that there seems to be this universal awareness across denominational lines that we have indeed drifted off course....An Awakening! 

An old sailor's saying is, "The man who does not Reckon Right, can be reckoned dead wrong." 

Now more than ever we need to look back...see where we have been...determine how far off course we have drifted (Dead Reckon), and chart a new course with our eyes firmly fixed on Christ to Rise up in order to carry out the mission He has given to His Ambassadors.  

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."               Col 3:1-2 

Discover your Purpose!

 He has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.                                                2 Peter 1:4