REVERSE ENGINEERING GOD!

Who is like Me? Let him step forward and prove to you his power. Let him do as I have done since ancient times when I established a people and explained its future.

Isaiah chapter 44, verse 7; from the New Living Translation (NLT)

Class, today’s lesson is on Reverse Engineering! One of the best definitions of Reverse Engineering I’ve found comes from Wikipedia^©: “Reverse engineering (also known as backwards engineering or back engineering) is a process or method through which one attempts to understand through deductive reasoning how a previously made device, process, system, or piece of software accomplishes a task with very little (if any) insight into exactly how it does so.” Maybe you know it as the government taking apart extraterrestrial flying objects to figure out how they work. The former Soviet Union was notorious for doing this. Some companies have allegedly done this with some of their competitors’ productions.

But today’s lesson isn’t about flying saucers or corporate espionage. It’s about the attempt made by what is now known as Progressive Theology (or my favorite term is Pro-Aggressive Theology) to Reverse Engineer God. In simplest of terms, Reverse Engineering is taking something apart, trying to figure out how it works, and then to reproduce it. I love how Wiki puts it: to understand through deductive reasoning how a previously made device, process, system, or piece of software accomplishes a task with very little (if any) insight into exactly how it does so. Read again at the last part of that sentence: with very little (IF ANY) insight into exactly how it does so. It’s trying to make something without any clues as to Who they are looking at reproducing.

But Progressive Theology (Pro-Aggressive Theology) begins with a False Premise: We are made in the image of God. Therefore, whatever WE look like is what God looks like. So Progressive Thinkers (now there’s an oxymoron if there ever was one) want people to understand God by first understanding themselves. Look no further than their errant conclusions about human sexuality to see this reality. How can I put what I want to say next??? YOU’RE WRONG! YOU’RE WRONG! YOU’RE WRONG!

We do not understand God by looking within; we understand God by looking at God! And just how do we see God? Great question! And it just so happens, I have a great answer. It’s found within The Bible. Bear in mind this fact: Not how humans have defined and used The Bible. Using how “others” used The Bible to justify their views is being just like the Pharisees when Jesus was fully in human form. And we all know how Jesus felt about Pharisees. At the risk of sounding like the famous police detective Sgt. Joe Friday: Just The Bible, please.

Leave the human element of what others, or even yourself, say about The Bible locked in a closet with a steel door and triple locks. Maybe even weld the door shut. And then read. Wow! What a novel idea. Read The Bible for yourself without the clutter of the human element. We cannot understand God by looking within. Yes, we are made in God’s image. No doubt about it. But His Image has been covered over by Sin! Yes, Virginia, there is this thing called sin.

And the best news of all is that Jesus, the Son of God, became an exact human being, born to Joseph and Mary, took OUR SINS upon Himself and died on the Cross to forgive, redeem and transform us; transform us back into HIS Image. His image is not even close to our image of Him. When anyone tries to Reverse Engineer God’s image here is who they end up with: Satan! You can’t Reverse Engineer God. You just can’t!

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HEARD ABOUT ANY MIRACLES LATELY?

The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
    both now and forever.

Psalm 121, verse 8; from the New Living Translation

Have you heard about any miracles lately? In this age of technological developments, many tend to think that miracles don’t happen anymore, if they ever really did. Well, sit right down and let me tell you a true story! Hunter is one of the grandsons of my very good friends, Greg and Pat. Greg is also my double-Brother; first my brother in Christ, and then my Fraternal Brother. Hunter is a great young man. Unlike so many of his generation, Hunter already has his career and is doing great in it.

Well, it was this past Saturday morning, Greg and Pat received a call that no parent or grandparent wanted to receive. Hunter had been in a serious wreck and was in the hospital emergency room. They didn’t know how bad he was injured. So they quickly left for the 45 minute drive. As they were driving they saw emergency vehicles ahead–as they slowed down it was then they saw Hunter’s truck. Honestly, it didn’t even look like a truck. So they started praying harder.

Here’s what happened. The best they can tell, the wreck happened around 3:30 a.m. He fell asleep, went into a ditch, and then proceeded to hit some trees. He was thrown through the windshield into a ditch. Oh, and this was one of those typical Alabama heavy fog mornings. No one could have seen his mangled truck. Hunter lied in that ditch for over 3 hours, best guess estimate, until 6:50 a.m. when someone arrived to open a country store heard him and called emergency personnel.

Doesn’t sound like much of a miracle thus far, does it? Well, let’s get back to this true story. After extensive x-rays and diagnostic testing, Hunter had NO internal injuries or broken bones. He did have a concussion, and lots of cuts and bruises–but before noon that day, Hunter was released and headed home. I don’t know about you–but I would have to classify Hunter’s story as a miracle. I have worked as a first responder and I have been at accident scenes where someone was thrown through the windshield and I can testify that was never a good thing.

See! Miracles still happen and they happen every day. I will close with what Greg had to said about that day. He says it much better than I can because he shared it out of his experience that day: “Praise the Lord! Hunter is going to be OK, a miracle from God. Bruised up. Cut up. No broken bones. He will be able to go home. Tell me we don’t serve a mighty God!” Indeed, Greg, we serve a mighty God!