The Ultimate Purpose of Mathematics

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “...He has put eternity into man’s heart...”

There’s something about us that just knows there is more to this life than this life. We have a divine, inherent fingerprint, if you will. Something lies beyond us. There is something more than us that makes “us” valuable. Even the diehard atheist will entertain speculations at times because, well, he just can’t help himself! He can deny God but he can’t erase the fingerprint. 

Eternity is there, and we are on our way, each day, breath by breath, to entering into it. That can be a very fearful, daunting thought. Eternity for the believer is going to be everlasting bliss in the presence of God! Amazing. We get the “bliss” part and the “presence of God” part. It’s the “everlasting” part that, while we affirm it to be true, is still very far beyond us, very far beyond our reach. We believe in eternity; we just can’t grasp it. We can’t fathom endlessness. We have only known, tasted, touched, felt, seen that which had a beginning, and to accompany its start, had an ending as well. So eternity is part of our faith statement. We believe, based surely and certainly upon revelation, that we will live forever with the Lord because Christ has purchased our salvation. After death, we will not be dead. After death, we will never know death again. We believe it. We just can’t grasp it because we can’t comprehend it.

That is not to say God hasn’t left us with ways to comprehend eternity, for indeed He has. He has not only placed eternity within us, but He has also placed it right before us, right before our eyes. We deal with eternity every day in the form of an everyday application. God has pictured eternity for us through numbers, through mathematics.

Just think. The addition of numbers never, (did you catch that?), never comes to an end! Mathematics is eternal. Now I don’t know who’s adding the latest numbers but I’m sure through technology and the endless pursuit of useless information, someone, somewhere keeps adding “1” to an ever-growing number. Maybe they have reached 1 hundred, cazillion, dubillion, a billion by now. I don’t know. The point is whatever number man has reached at this point in time, there is ALWAYS room for 1 more number! Numbers never end! Mathematics is eternal.

So right there, right in front of us, with what we use every single day, is a picture of eternity. At least now we have some kind of way to wrap our minds around the ability to have the quality of being endless.

And when we are glorified in the presence of God, we will be endless, eternal, forevermore. There will ALWAYS be room for 1 more year! Numbers NEVER end, and neither do we.

Here’s another thought. Numbers go both ways. Numbers can go on for eternity in the negative realm. Ever wonder how God could “be” but never have a “be”ginning? Maybe we can understand something that never has an ending, but what do you do with something that never had a beginning? In other words, what do you do with God?

Well, He has given us numbers, mathematics, to help fathom His eternality. Numbers can go in reverse and never reach the starting number. They just keep going. There is ALWAYS room for 1 more negative number. In the same way, there has ALWAYS been room for God. He has no beginning, no starting point. He has always been and He will always be!

I suggest that the ultimate purpose of mathematics is not to keep financial order, not to increase scientific discovery (although both of those are wonderful gifts of mathematics), etc., etc. The ultimate purpose of mathematics is the glory of God, for as numbers are endless, so God has given us a means to fathom His boundless existence and our unending existence. Mathematics picture eternity. Mathematics is for the glory of God!

39 Years and Holding!....or Clinging?

Last week I turned 39 years old. My wife so lovingly reminded me, “This is the last year you will be in the 30s!” Yikes. 

When you say, I’m “x” number of years old and “holding,” exactly what are you holding? Of course, we all know what that means. It expresses what we come to realize more and more the older we become. Time really does fly, and try as you may, you can’t slow it down. You can’t “hold” time. You can’t “hold” days, months, years. They whiz by. They come. They go. And they are usually in a hurry!

I’m old enough now to be well aware of my own mortality, so when I say “holding” I’m not being delusional. In truth, I’m not referring to time at all. When I say that I am now 39 and holding, I’m holding on to something far more precious and lasting than time on earth.

What am I holding? At 39, I’m holding onto 39 years jammed packed with GRACE! For 39 years the Lord has been overwhelming in His kindness, mercy, goodness, and grace toward me in Christ.

There has not been one single day of my life that I received what I deserved (mercy)! On the other hand, there has not been a single day of my life that I did not receive far more than I deserve (grace)! Life has been good because God is good. I’ve lived. I’ve breathed. I’ve loved. I’ve hurt. I’ve grown. I’ve been kept. I’ve been helped. I’ve been, and I’ve been for 39 years!

The most surprising of all the events in my life, surpassing the unexplainable good gifts and common grace, is that God, in sovereign, holy salvation, opened my eyes to behold His Son, wakened my dead heart out of my sin, and granted me faith to believe and repentance to turn. In short, He lavished me with saving grace, does so each day, and will continue to do so forevermore.

Because of Christ’s work on my behalf and God’s application of His work to me, now there will NEVER be a single day of my everlasting life that I will receive what I deserve, and there will NEVER be a single day of my everlasting life that I will not receive more than I deserve.

39 years and holding...onto 39 years of grace. 

Still better, 39 years and clinging...to Christ!

Book Review: Just Do Something

Just Do Something. By Kevin DeYoung. Chicago: Moody, 2009.

The subtitle to DeYoung’s book is classic: “How to make a decision without dreams, visions, fleeces, impressions, open doors, random Bible verses, casting lots, liver shivers, writing in the sky, etc.” DeYoung makes sure the reader gets the point!

Just Do Something is a call to trust and obey instead of wasting time, being anxious, and/or becoming paralyzed by trying to discover some mysterious, hidden word from God that directly answers such questions as where to live, what job to take, where to go to college, etc.

DeYoung explains that the “will” of God usually fits into one of three categories. First, there is the hidden will of God that refers to His sovereign rule of the universe. We do not always understand or perceive God’s providence over His creation, but we know that He is working all things to His glory and the good of His people. Second, there is the revealed will of God that is the Scripture. In God’s Word we find His will for our lives and our salvation. Third, there is the “will” of God, by which we mean, “What does God want me to do in this particular situation?” What is His will for my life in regards to....?

The Bible is clear that God’s will is our sanctification (1 Thess 4:3, 5:16-18). DeYoung exhorts his readers not to get bogged down in trying to “discover” God’s hidden plan for going Route A or Route B. God is not keeping His will “fuzzy” so that we remain confused and stagnant, never really growing in our faith or maturing in our walk with Him. Rather, He has given us guidelines in His Word on how to approach these decisions in life. We are to walk in wisdom; we are to do something.

Through Scripture, godly counsel, and prayer, we should move forward in decision-making and living, seeking to glorify the Lord with our lives. In addition, DeYoung encourages men not to get caught up in today’s trend of delayed adolescence. His wise advice: get a job and get married. Essentially, grow up.

I really appreciate DeYoung’s work. Many believers fall into this way of thinking because they sincerely are concerned with pleasing the Lord. Many may use this as more of an excuse for their lax approach to faith. Either way, Just Do Something helps clear the fog. God’s purpose for us is that we may glorify Him. It’s not that He doesn’t care where we work. Rather, He is far more concerned with how we work. That’s the major issue with finding God’s will for our lives.

Whether you eat or drink, or go to college, get married, buy a home, settle on a vocation, whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31). Just do something. One of my favorite lines from the book is on page 42. DeYoung concludes the chapter, “So we can stop pleading with God to show us the future, and start living and obeying like we are confident that He holds the future.” Amen.

Great resource for High School and College students and the rest of us who are “stuck” in a crossroads or decision.

Recommendation for 2012 Bible Reading

Are you planning to read through the Bible in 2012? If not, I encourage you to prayerfully consider doing so. What a thrill to take in all of God’s written revelation to us over the course of a year.

In addition, I would highly recommend to you the ESV Study Bible. For 2011 I have been reading through this Bible, following the reading plan found in the Appendices. I have read through the Bible each year since I was 15, but I have actually never read through a study Bible before. It was very informative, encouraging everyday, and challenging some days, but it has been a blessing to me.

I have found the articles, book intros, genre intros, study notes, maps, diagrams, all to be very well-balanced, evangelical scholarship. If you read through this study Bible, taking in all of the helps offered, you will have essentially taken a seminary-level course in Biblical Theology, especially the articles found in the front, middle, and back of the Bible. The notes are very helpful as well. The hard, controversial passages are dealt with fairly and with quality biblical reasoning. 

Don’t let all this talk of theology and seminary scare you away though. All of the helps are accessible to the lay reader. It’s an excellent study for those with biblical knowledge, and I would also suggest it’s an excellent resource for the new believer who is hungry to digest as much about the Bible as possible.

Whether you choose to read a study Bible or not, let us plan now to spend 2012 with God in His precious Word!

Book Recommendation for 2012

I highly recommend Operation World for your 2012 reading list!

OW is a collection on historical, political, missional, and spiritual data on every country in our world. Placing the nations in alphabetical order, the book is arranged according to the calendar year. So for example, on January 1 the reading will be about a nation that begins with the letter “A” and so on until December 31.

By the time you reach the end of the year, you will have become acquainted with every nation. More importantly, you will be informed about the history and current status of Christianity in each nation, the current news of persecution, the ways the Gospel is going forth, and how to pray for the believers, unbelievers, and mission endeavors for that nation. In short, this is an incredible resource. In particular OW was helpful in the following ways to me personally.

1. By reading about other nations, OW helped me gain a global perspective. I became aware of and prayed for countries I never knew existed. 
2. I was encouraged to learn about the many means and organizations being used by God to spread His Gospel and His glory among the nations. On the other hand, I was challenged to pray for the peoples who have less access and more cultural religious barriers to the Good News. I rejoiced in God’s work and I pled for God’s work among the nations.
3. OW became a constant in our family devotions. First, I would announce the particular nation and our kids would find it on the globe. Second, I would share a few facts about the country and the church in that nation. Finally, we would all pray for that nation and people during our family prayer time. It proved to be an enjoyable way to help our family become missions-oriented.

Grab a copy before January 1 and enjoy getting to know about God’s global purposes and getting involved in it!

Search and See Update - Dec '11

Dear Friends:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! This update is going to be brief because it’s Christmas, and just like you, we are busy!!!

1. Sermon Ministry - 352 downloads in 25 States and 12 Nations last month! Our broadcast continues in Liberia.
2. 20 Bibles and 4 Books were mailed to Pastor Joseph and the students last month!
3. I hope to get one of my books to the publisher soon.
4. We are still praying for the Lord to provide a volunteer OR a full-time missionary who would raise support. This individual would be responsible for maintaining our financial records, developing a website, and improving our relationships with our partner-ministries abroad. We are calling this position our Executive Director of Ministries. This not only involves behind-the-scenes, clerical tasks but can be as much hands-on as the person desires. For example, this individual could organize and lead mission teams to our partner destinations. If you would like to work for a ministry that is currently touching the Islam, Hindu, and Buddhist world, please contact us at searchandsee@att.net.

And a personal announcement: We found out we are having a girl!!!!!! My Christmas present came early!

Thank you for standing with us in prayer, friendship, and support.

To God be the Glory!

Merry Christmas!

Wil Owens

President

Search And See

All I Want For Christmas...

I already have my two front teeth. Well almost, one of them is a false tooth. So what do I want for Christmas? My answer this year is not the usual “peace on earth” or “for all the children of the world to be_____.” Those certainly are praiseworthy Christmas wishes. Just because they are spoken often does not make them trite. They are just not what I wanted for Christmas this year.

I have to admit what I wanted for Christmas was much more “selfish?” maybe? than those wishes. And no, by selfish I do not mean that I am wanting some kind of trinket or the latest gadget. A 3D TV is not on my list, at all. Neither is an IPad, IPhone, or whatever else you can put after “I” these days. I’m not necessarily against those things. They are not evil or bad in and of themselves. In fact, I have a MacBook and an IPhone. I’m just saying what I wanted for Christmas this year has nothing to do with a commercial item. I do not want a “thing” for Christmas this year.

Now, I have to confess! I’ve already unwrapped my gift. So I know what it is, and it is just what I wanted!!!!!! Before you charge me with impatience, I didn’t sneak and unwrap this gift while no one was watching. In fact, I didn’t really unwrap the gift at all. Someone else unwrapped it, and I was there and saw it! It was awesome! Perfect. Just like I had wanted. Just like I had prayed for.

Can you guess?

My wife and I went for an ultrasound this morning, and through the gift of modern technology, right before our eyes, we saw the most awesome, precious gift imaginable for Christmas. We saw our little girl! There she was all snug in her little comfortable chamber. Waving, moving, squirming - living. There she was. Healthy. Growing.

Yes, my Christmas present came early this year. All I wanted for Christmas was to know what we were having and if “she” was ok. Thank You Lord for such a precious gift. Thank You for another daughter, another child, another gift, another blessing, another bundle of joy.

Expecting a child during this Christmas season sure helps keep our focus on what Christmas is really all about. The greatest gift ever given was a child, The Child, the Son of God. Glory to God!

Psalm 127:3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given...