Comet Lulin

Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so. Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. So the evening and the morning were the fourth day. Genesis 1:14 - 19





Comet Lulin blew through town last night and I got to see it.

Well, it didn't exactly come to town, it was "in the neighborhood." More specifically, it was 38 million miles away, but what's 38 million miles between friends.

February 24th marked the closest it will have come to our part of the universe. In fact, scientists believe this is it's first trip our way. Of course, they can't really say that for sure, since it could have swung by once or twice before it was observed. What's more, they really don't know where it's heading now.

Astronomers have been tracking Lulin since it was "discovered" in 2007, by a 19 year old Chinaman named Quanzhi Ye.

As I strained to see Lulin ( I was in Fairfax, VA and city lights are not conducive to watching objects 38 million miles away), I had a few thoughts go through my mind. For your reading pleasure, here they are:

1. Scientists may have only "discovered" Lulin in 2007, but God has known where it was the whole time. This is remarkable in itself because -

2. Did I mention that at it's closest it was 38 million miles away? To you and I, that is a mind numbing distance. I have to stop and pee and stretch my legs when I drive to Myrtle Beach. That, to me, is a long drive - and it's only about 8 hours.

To God 38 million miles is really insignificant. It may as well be 38 feet. He not only keeps track of this single comet in that vast amount of space, He keeps track of everyone of those bright shiny objects "up there" and He knows every one of them by name! Not just the really cool ones like Betelgeuse, but the ones we haven't even named "down here." There are so many, they've been given numbers to identify them. Next time you go to the DMV and draw "D-89," think about that.

3. The universe has physical and chemical laws that it obeys. Scientists can track the orbits of planets and comets and could tell us with certainty in 2007 that Lulin would not only NOT collide with earth, thereby NOT literally "blowing through town," but that it's closest approach would be on 2/24/09 at 38 million miles. Pretty impressive, eh? And made possible because the God who created those celestial objects on day 4 of the creation week also created the physical and chemical laws that made those observations possible.

4. When I think about the sheer immensity of it all, it gives me pause. It makes me stop and think of the awesomeness of God. Of His power. Of His authority. Of His enormity. And that's the point of it: "The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard." (Psalm 19:1-3)

Like Job, when we consider ourselves compared to God, we are rather pathetic. Compare our knowledge with His. Compare our achievements with His. Compare our power with His. Compare our abilities with His. And yet, we want to tell Him how things should be? We complain to Him about the way things are? Really?! Start in Job 37 and see what God has to say.

5. But most importantly, the same God that created and maintains the heavens, the all powerful, all knowing, who lacks for nothing because He created and owns everything, cares for you and I. "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?" (Psalm 8:3-4)

He cares more about us than any other aspect of His creation (Matt. 6:26; Luke 12:6-7). He cares about every aspect of our lives (Matt. 6:31-32). He cares about everyone of us (John 3:16).

Why is that? Why would He be mindful of us? What have we done to deserve any more attention than, for example, the comet Lulin? The answer is - nothing. We have done nothing, and can't give anything, to deserve the attention. God gives it simply because He loves us. We are the crown jewels of His creation. And what does He ask of us? Our love. Our devotion. Our obedience.

To me, it seems a small price to pay, a small gift to give, to One so loving, so kind, and so awesome. I hope you think so, too.

What's In A Name?

Have you ever thought about names, their origins, and what, if anything, they mean?

Biblical names were full of meaning. Abram, a very wealthy patriarch, literally meant “high father.” After promising Abram that he would be the father of a great multitude, God changed his name to Abraham which means, oddly enough, “father of a great multitude.” Isaac (laughter) and Ishmael (God that hears), among others, were named after a specific event occurred. Most, if not all, had names that had meaning in and of themselves. Examples would be Abiah (the Lord is my father), Joshua (a deliverer), and Samuel (heard of God).

In the English language names derived from occupations (Miller, Smith, Cooper) and from relationships (example: "Richard’s son" became Richardson).

Names, for individuals and for business, convey a certain image behind the name. Try it. Think of the name Bill Gates, for example. What comes to mind? Money? Fame? Philanthropy? Microsoft? Some image comes to mind. The Bible says it this way, “A GOOD name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.” (Proverbs 22:1)

Businesses get in the act, too. Dollar upon dollar is spent on name selection and name promotion. Big money is spent for name repair and big money is spent to keep a name relevant or to more closely identify what the product does. Who’s familiar with the current ad campaign to change Electrasol to Finish?

Maybe you’re familiar with the origins of two widely known, very popular brand names, Kleenex and Bounty?

Kleenex began as a small, bib-like cloth article. At the end of a meal, it was said that everyone had “clean necks,” hence the name for the bib, Clean Necks; later shortened and modernized to Kleenex.

Who knew that Bounty and Jesse James are historically linked? Yes way! Jesse, shortly after one of his infamous train robberies was in a wash room cleaning up. There were no towels available, but there was an old newspaper lying close by. Jesse grabbed the “paper towel” and dried his head and face. At the same moment Jesse was emerging from the washroom, one of his gang members was coming through the front door with a "Wanted" poster shouting, “There’s a bounty on your head.” Much like the large piece of newspaper plastered to Jesse’s head, the name stuck to the “paper towel” – Bounty.

OK, you got me, the last two are completely bogus, but the point remains valid. Names mean something; always have, always will.

That brings me to the name of this ministry, Great OutDoor Endeavors. “You mean, you meant to do that with 'OutDoor?'” Yeah, I did.

On the surface, our goal is to get people outside of our man-made environments. We live indoors. We drive in our cars to jobs, to stores, and to our friends houses - where we visit inside. Rarely do we spend any time outdoors, and when we do, we barely notice what's going on around us.

God said all of creation is speaking of His glory and that it gives knowledge of Him. We need to take the time to look up at the stars and to contemplate what they say about God and His power. When we look out over the Grand Canyon, we can be reminded of God's ability to inspire awe in, and through, His creation. Or, we can marvel at the intricacies of flight that He's enabled in birds & butterflies. Our desire is to put people in a place to hear creation speaking and understand what it is saying about God. And to hear what God is saying to us through creation.

Like the old Magic Eye (you know - the ones where if you changed your eye's focus you could see a picture-within-a-picture) pictures, there is more to our name than meets the eye. Look alittle deeper.

If you've received e-mail from us you will see that our name is sometimes shortened to GOD Endeavors. There are many, many endeavors we could undertake. There are many, many "fun" things we could do. There are many, many activities we could lead that make us look good or that "pad our pockets." That's not what we desire, however. In the end, it is our desire to do whatever it is that God leads us to do. It is also our strong desire to honor God in whatever we attempt. We want to undertake God endeavors.

So, as you look at our upcoming events know this: we seek only to have God glorified in what we do and to connect people to Him through our activities. It is our desire that God show Himself in these activities and to bless our efforts. Our one driving thought is this: If God isn't in it, it ain't worth doing!

Leviticus & Valentine's Day

"If you love Me, obey My commandments." John 14:15

I'm in the process of reading through the Bible this year in chronological order. Currently, I'm working my way through the ever entertaining book of Leviticus; chapters 8 -10 if you care to know.

In times past I've wondered exactly what it was that God wanted me to learn as I read about the number of bulls that had to be sacrificed for each particular offering and which parts had to be burned, which could be eaten and which had to be taken outside the camp to be disposed of. Don't get me wrong, it's all very fascinating and not the least bit sleep inducing (and that was not the least bit facetious), but in the seemingly endless blur of detail there did not appear to be a lesson to be learned for the modern reader.

Oh sure, I know that the Old Testament is a "picture" of the New, and that all the sacrificing of only perfect animals without blemish is a picture of Jesus's, God's perfect lamb, sacrifice for us. I get that.

I get the fact that it shows God has certain requirements for us to be his priesthood (1Peter 2:9). Just as they had purifying rituals to go through, I think we take too cavalierly our own walk with God. Yes, He is a friend of sinners and He is love, but He is also a holy and just God. As Nadab and Abihu, Aaron's sons learned then, God is still a consuming fire. We need to remember that nothing unholy comes into God's presence. Thank God for the covering of Jesus!

As I was reading through this morning though, I was struck by one particular phrase. In chapter 8 alone, this phrase appears 6 times. I believe that this phrase explains the close relationship that Moses had with God. After all, God says that He spoke with Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend (Ex. 33:11). I believe this phrase is also the key to our, yours and mine, relationship to God, as well as with others. What's the phrase? "... just as the Lord had commanded him."

Moses was careful to do what the Lord asked of him. Moses' obedience was an act of love.

Jesus says that's how we also can show love - through our obedience (John 14:15 for those with short attention spans). What is "obedience?" It's in the "doing."

I suppose it's because Valentine's Day is near, but it strikes me that this is not just a way to show love to God, but to everyone in our lives.

Often, it's an easy pattern to fall into - to say we love, but to do nothing that shows that love. In fact, our actions sometimes prove otherwise. That has been the pattern of people since nearly the beginning. It happens in our relationships with one another and it happens in our relationship to God. God Himself said, "These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me."

Sometimes the "doing" is in the mundane tasks we all face each and every day. Aside from the fact that God tells us to do everything as if it were for Him (Col. 3:23), we should "do" simply because it's a way to show love to those afffected by our lives and actions. Husbands - do the dishes once in a while; wives - bring him a snack and a drink while he watches the ballgame. You get the idea.

We should also "do" regardless of whether the one we love is "doing," or not doing, in return. If she doesn't respond to your dish washing, do it again anyway. If he doesn't thank you for the grub, bring hot wings next time. How often has God done something for you that you failed to thank Him for? In fact, for us it's worse. God loved us before we knew Him, in fact, He loved us while we were His enemies. Hopefully you don't view your spouse as your enemy, but even if you do, need I remind you that we are to love as Christ loved? That's what I thought - OUCH! Remember "love your neighbor as yourself?" Do you have a closer neighbor than your spouse?

One final thought: Jesus said that "Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." (Matt6:21) Why not try investing your treasures on the One, and the ones, that you say you love? Let them feel the worth you say they hold in your heart. If the love has grown cold, investing your treasures in that love is a sure way to get your heart to follow. You have God's Word on it!

Do your words and your deeds match?

Myths, Legends and Noah's Ark

A friend of mine recently sent an e-mail about a man in the Netherlands who had built a model of Noah's Ark. It measures 150 cubits long, 30 cubits high and 20 cubits wide. A cubit is roughly 18 inches making the equivalent measurement 225 ft x 45 ft x 39 ft. That's two-thirds the length of a football field and as high as a three-story house.

As impressive as those dimensions are, it is only a scale model. The actual size is much larger. The Bible records the dimensions God gave Noah in Genesis 6:15: "The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits (450'), its width fifty cubits (75'), and its height thirty cubits (45')." Put in a modern visual context, that is as large as a modern oil tanker. It would have been able to hold 522 modern railroad storage cars! Do you want a perspective on that figure? Next time you are stuck at a railroad crossing - waiting, waiting, waiting - count the number of cars. Usually, you will have to wait for roughly 100 cars to pass. Multiply that number by 5 and that's what could have been loaded on the Ark.

There have been critics who have said that Noah's Ark could not have floated or survived the rigors of the sea. They contend that it would have been prone to capsizing. This would not have been a placid sea by any means. Remember, the "fountains of the deep" of Genesis 7:11 "erupted" (NLT) or "burst forth" (NIV). This would have caused furious, rolling waters.

Now, if God in His wisdom, has put dimensions in His Word, and He says His Word is true (119:160), I would expect that every part is accurate. The ancients, who were not able to build or test a ship of this size, had to take these dimensions on faith. Today, computer models show that the size and shape of the Ark would have been ideal for it's mission. Good thing for God, eh?

One of the quotes from the e-mail I received, was from a Mary Louise Starosciak. She said, "It's past comprehension. I knew the story of Noah, but I had no idea the boat would have been so big!"

As with most people I talk to, there seems to be this picture of the "bathtub" version of Noah's Ark in most people's minds. You know: cute little rounded boat that can barely stay upright and with all the animals sticking their heads out the windows. I wonder: if she, like many people, are familiar with the "story" of Noah's Ark, why do they have such a misconception of what it would have looked like?

If you lean to the "right," it's easy to blame it on the "liberal, left-leaning news media." There must be a conspiracy!

If you lean to the "left," it has to be George W. Bush's fault. Why not? Everything else that's wrong is!

Frankly, I blame the "church." We have a responsibility to teach God's Word. We have a responsibility to show that it can be defended and that it is accurate. In many ways, we have failed miserably. If something as easy as Noah's Ark is not taught correctly, the whole of God's Word is subject to people's "interpretation." If Noah's Ark is an allegory, why is Christ's virgin birth and His resurrection also not allegorical.

Maybe that helps explain why so many "churched" people think there are so many ways to Heaven or that God will let everyone in - "surely God is love and will not keep anyone out of Heaven or judge them!" - they've been taught to think that the Bible is open to interpretation. Or worse, they haven't been taught the whole counsell of God.

Maybe they have not been taught the reason for the flood in the first place: "And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built, but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed." Luke 17:26-30.

God IS love and He is all inclusive, He desires that none should perish. It's really quite simple: the wages of sin is death, we all have sinned, we all desreve the death penalty. But God has made a way, a "lifeboat", for all of us to escape that penalty. The question is, "Will you get in the boat?" It's available to everyone: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:16-17 In even plainer language: "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." John 3:36

Jesus is our Ark! Won't you "climb in" to escape the coming "flood" of judgment? God has provided the way, just as He did in Noah's day. It's your choice whether to get on board ------or not.


Here is a link if you'd like to see a story on the scale model Ark:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4853890.stm