Jump Start # 2538

Romans 1:20 “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”

There has been a lot of reports recently about UFO’s and pilots sighting fast moving unusual objects. Now, a group of scientists are claiming that they not only believe that aliens have visited earth, but that some are among us right now and we don’t realize it. If you had visited my high school class years ago, you might agree. There were some odd people, but they weren’t aliens.

There is a growing and growing segment of society that believes more in the existence of aliens than they do in God. They think God is a myth, but creatures from outer space is very plausible. And, that brings us to our verse today.

Paul was writing to the Roman church. The first chapter addresses the state of the Gentiles. They were living like animals. Decency and rightness was completely missing from their lives. The Gentiles did not have Moses, the Ten Commandments, the promise land, the temple or the prophecies about the coming Messiah. However, as our verse states, they were not left out in the dark. God revealed Himself, not just to the sons of Jacob, but to the whole creation. And, this wasn’t something new. This revelation has been ongoing since the creation. Since day one, God has been showing proof that He is.

Now, some thoughts:

First, the visible points us to the invisible. What has been made shows us God’s power, His nature and His attributes. Those attributes are “invisible.” However, they are known through what was made. The created world is the proof. What a large world we live in. What a complex world we live in. There are so many systems that interact with each other. Weather and soil and farming. Weather, our bodies, and how we feel. What is grown is eaten and that gives us the nourishment to thrive. In school, we learned about the food chain. Disney has a song about the circle of life. All of this points to God. Colors. Textures. Sounds. Smells. Tastes. So diverse. So complex. So much God.

The same scientists that wants us to believe that aliens are walking among us, deny the existence of God and would say time and chance has produced this complex system that we call life. There is no evidence of aliens, especially on earth. The evidence of God is everywhere. Open your eyes and see. The fact that there is a today, is proof of God. Each day is a gift, a gift given by God.

Second, these attributes of God can be understood. They can be understood without a book, without a classroom. They are understood by seeing what was made. The nature of God– holy, eternal, righteous, good, merciful. One can understand that. The power of God, one can understand that. The attributes of God, one can understand that. God is not hidden. God is not playing hide and seek with us. God is not unknown. I can know what God is like. He wants me to know Him.

Third, the world is without excuse. It’s not for a lack of evidence that folks do not know God. The problem is not with God, but with us. There is no desire to know God. Folks aren’t looking for Him. They have the wrong idea about God. Some think God is out to get them. They ought to look around at the goodness of creation and realize that comes from a good God. If there is a God, and He made us, which is all true, then you and I are accountable to Him. We don’t get away with doing whatever we want. We must answer to Him. And, if His nature is revealed through the creation, His will is revealed through His word. That means we need to read our Bibles. We need to know what God is saying.

And, again, from the passage, we are without excuse. In these days, not having a Bible is a matter of choice. It is not an availability issue. God’s word is not locked securely in a vault. Nearly every tablet and every phone can have multiple versions of the Bible, if one wants that. The Bible is recorded and one can listened to it, if that is your choice. Every size, every color, so many translations, so many options. The Bible is affordable, available, and readable. It’s in nearly every known language on the planet. We are without excuse. Too busy to read. Too tired to read. Got “more important” things to do. And, the word of God rings loudly and clearly, “You are Without excuse.”

Aliens or God? Where’s the proof? Where’s the evidence? Some folks can be so smart that they are actually dumb. Right before their noses is all kinds of reasons to believe in God. They will ignore that and spend a lifetime chasing the idea that aliens exist. And, what if they did? Aliens can’t save us. Aliens don’t have the answers to life. Aliens didn’t create us. Aliens won’t take us to Heaven. I don’t believe in aliens. I don’t believe in flying saucers. I do believe in God. I do believe He has left a trail of evidence everywhere. I do believe He wants me to know Him, trust Him, and follow Him.

How about you? Aliens or God? Speculation or proof? The words of scientists or the words of Heaven? What you believe becomes the basis of your choices. Your outlook on life is based upon what you believe. Selfishness and sin are common when one does not believe in God. Respect, decency, and goodness follows those who believe in God.

Your choices in life are wrapped around your belief system. No God? No problem, except this is it. Except we are on our own. Except this is as good as it will ever get. Except there is no hope and no redeemer. Except there is no Heaven.

Believe in God. The reasons are all around you every day.

Roger

Jump Start # 2453

Romans 1:20 “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”

It’s finally fall here in Indiana. The air is cool and the leaves are turning colors and falling to the ground. This year the dominate color seems to be orange. Lots of orange leaves set against a bright blue sky—that’s a scene that only God can make.

Our verse today reminds us of the abundant evidence of God in creation. This is not something new this year. “Since the creation,” is how the verse opens. Every year. Every season. God is showing splendor, beauty, order and power. Our verse continues with, “have been clearly seen,” and ends with, “they are without excuse.” For a guy to say, “I don’t know if there is a God,” he needs to turn off the TV and stick his head outside and look around. We drive by divine evidence all the time. It’s everywhere. It’s in your own backyard.

And, here is what is so shocking. More and more people are getting caught up in the hype about flying sauces and aliens than in the visible evidence for God. Reports come in almost daily now. The Air Force, we are told, has undisputed proof of flying saucers. NASA, another news report claims, has evidence of aliens. Possible life on Mars, we are told. However, this evidence is sketchy, and withheld from the public. Yet, that doesn’t stop the masses from believing that it’s all true. There are getting to be more people who believe in aliens than they do God. Yet, the evidence for God is right there in their backyards. When they go and rake leaves, they are gathering visible and tangible proof of God.

And, what does this divine evidence show us? Take away all the man-made things, such as roads, cities, buildings, fences, billboards, and bridges, and just look at rolling hills, sunsets, oceans, mountains, falling leaves, blue skies, song birds, and what do you see?

First, there is a lot of colors. I think God has more than 64 crayons in His divine box. There isn’t just green. There are shades and shades of green. God mixes colors. A leaf may have traces of green in it, yet have lots of yellow and just a touch of red on the edges. It would take an artist a long time to come up with that, and that’s just one leaf. There are millions of leaves, and that’s just in my back yard. In botany class, they explain why a leaf turns color. There’s science behind it. For the common guy, realizing a wet spring and a very hot September, and the colors turn out the way they do. How boring it would all be if everything was merely black and white. Colors bring excitement, enhancement and joy. Each sports team has their own colors. Every bride spends a long time picking out the right colors for her wedding. And, God has been using colors since Eden.

What does color do with God? First, God is not all one way. He is not only love, but He is just. He is not only merciful, but He can be angered and brings punishment. We tend to want to paint God with just one color. Fear Him only is how some would color God. You best obey Him or else you’ll get it. But in coloring God this way, you’ve left out His kindness, compassion and grace. Many think that’s God’s best color. But God is also the Almighty. His will is accomplished. His law is to be obeyed. His way is the best way. But then there is God who heals the broken and hears the downcast. He’s tender to the contrite heart. God is vast and we can’t just color Him one way.

Leaves also start off small and green. By the fall, they are large, weathered and turning color and eventually, they fall, much like we do. In a season, we see with the leaves, what happens to us. This world is not our home, we sing. Winter comes and everything looks barren and dead. Spring rolls around and somehow everything bursts with life, color and activity. The bees come out. The butterflies flutter around. The flowers open up. And, the outdoors is full of all kinds of colors. Much like us, our time here will end. It will look like we are gone. Empty, barren and cold seems the long winter months. But a resurrection day comes and we will burst forth alive, new and in the presence of God. Isn’t God showing us these lessons every year?

This all comes from just the color of leaves. What about the sounds? Not car horns, radios, and people talking. Not traffic, air planes and bustle of keyboards, phone calls and those things. But God’s sounds. The sound of the wind blowing through trees. The sound of birds singing in the morning. The sound of a river. The sound of waves crashing in. The sound of snow melting and falling. The sound of animals late at night. The roar of thunder, the gentle falling of rain, falling rocks, and even silence. Just as colors point to God, so do sounds. God must like music, just listen to song birds.

Then there is texture. Thorn bushes. Velvet leaves. Soft grass. Sharp rocks. Cool water. The tough skin of a horse. The soft hair of a kitten. A feather tickles your skin. Stepping on a rock hurts your bare feet. Even in our foods, there are a variety of textures. Steak does not have the same texture as cotton candy, or the coolness of ice cream, or the softness of a glass of water. All these different textures, and like colors, like sounds, they point to God.

Then there are smells. The smell of a red rose. The smell of leaves that have fallen. The smell of smoke. The smell of something sweet. The smell of something dead. So many different smells in nature and they all point to God.

Then there is light. Sunlight. Moon light. Star light. Dawn. Sunset. Lightning. Fireflies. There are times when the moon looks orange. Later, it looks white. The sky takes on different colors as light hits it. Lakes and ponds reflect different lights and colors. All of these point to God.

Then there are the created animals. So many different kinds of bugs. There are crunchy bugs, flying bugs, little bugs and big bugs. There are bugs that sting and bugs that stink. Then birds. Then ants. Then frogs and toads. Then snakes, yes, even though I hate them, they make the list. Each unique. Each having different purposes. Each having their own color, sounds and textures. And, they point to God.

Do you see what we have done? Layers and layers of evidence for God. Each of these have their own special study in science. But all of them pointing to God. A creative God. A good God. A God of order. A God of uniqueness. A God of love. A God of resurrection. A God that wants to be known, followed, trusted and loved. God hasn’t hidden Himself. He is not playing hide ‘n seek. Look around. His thumbprints are everywhere, even upon your heart.

We walk all over the evidence of God each day and yet our culture would rather believe in aliens, of which there is no real proof, and of which they have done nothing for us, rather than a God who has loved us, blessed us, and pulled back the curtain to show that He is right here with us.

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. The reasons are obvious. Lift up your eyes and behold…

Roger