An excerpt from a class summation paper Fall 2012 @ Dallas Theological Seminary.
Introduction
I have written and rewritten this paper several times in an attempt to adequately convey how this course has and will affect my life and my ministry. Each edition yields another sense of inadequacy. The lectures and material amplify the necessity of showing you, DTS, and all those with whom I associate the impact through my ministry of eye to eye, ear to ear, heart to heart dialogue. This includes focusing first on those with whom I communicate. The world needs to hear the message of creation, image, identity and person (Gen. 1:26-27; Ps. 8, 139; Rom. 1), along with the other discussed topics. Prudently conveying the message of their significance mandates commencing with deeply caring about them, their family, career, prizes, awards, hurts, and concerns (Mt. 22:37-39). Effectiveness hinges upon knowing, living and communicating the Word of God, along with familiarity of writings by, about and interests of those with whom I minister. I recently began using flash cards to aid scripture retention and recall.
The passionate, errant beliefs of non-believers illustrate their inner-desire for meaning, fulfillment and happiness. Sin, depravity and demons—directly and indirectly—cause and influence filling these needs with false doctrine. False doctrine includes science without God, lust, uncontrolled hormones, greed, envy, and jealousy (Rom. 1:20-32; Gal. 5:19-21). My ministry through relationships, keynotes and seminars, focuses on leading people to the only one whom fulfills these voids—the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. The keynotes and seminars guide attendees towards the Bible, strong relationships, relying on Christ, and finding and engaging with a biblical mentor.
Succinctly stated, this course illustrates the need for deeply studying for the sake of relationships and deep teaching in the appropriate method for each situation. Know the Word, and personalize the ministry approach.
Creation—Image—Person
Genetics—creation—determines value. Caldwell-Wagner Angus of Harlan, Kansas owned a bull in the 1970s and early 1980s that placed first or second in major cattle shows at Reno, Denver, and Louisville, along with many others in between. Sam and Gyra Wagner's son, John, and I were good friends from kindergarten through high school. Cattlemen across North America revered Colossal's genetics, some paid thousands of dollars for only Colossal's semen, giving them the ability to have calves effectively created by Colossal. While visiting a Nebraska crop-consulting client in the early 1990s—ten years after Colossal's death—he showed me the genetics of a bull he considered purchasing. This bull's listed sires—creators—included Colossal. A bull's creating sire greatly affects real and perceived value.
The 1984 World Champion Quarter Horse standing with the trophy and ribbon in Kansas City's American Royal Arena, hung on the office wall of another Nebraska crop-consulting client in the 1990s. A descendant of that horse sold for $100,000, because of its bloodline—creator—from a world champion. Horsemen highly value genetics created by World Champion horses.
Seed corn prices and genetics in the seed, vary greatly based on the parent company. Sometimes a parent company and one of its subsidiaries each sell seed with the same genetics. The seed from the parent company sells for a two-three fold price increase because of the perceived creator of that seed. The creating genetics of bulls, horses, and seed corn reflects their real and perceived value.
Breaker box with generic paint @ $900, conversely the same breaker box from Caterpillar with their paint and brand @ $2,500. Both boxes contained the same quality of electronic component, yet the brand—the image—increased the value nearly 300 percent. The difference resided in the manufacture's paint color and sticker.
Does knowing our Creator and having His mark—the indwelling Holy Spirit—affect man's real and perceived value? Absolutely! Knowing God—the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit—as our Creator and God of the universe affects every aspect of our lives (Gen. 1:26-28; Ps. 8:3-6; Hebr. 2:5-9). This significantly impacts our relationships, work ethic, tangible and intangible morality, love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, and even our sense of humor. God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created Him; male and female He created them (Gen.1:27). Wow!!! This passage alone sufficiently causes eternal awe when reality partially permeates one's conscience, psyche and soul.
Combining this with the order of creation revealed in Psalm 8:3-6, the proverbial top blows out of the universe. He made us; He made us in His image, His likeness! He created us to rule over His entire earthly business! I ponder these messages while typing this paper in utter awe and humility towards God. Who am I to serve Him? Who am I to rule over anything, much less assist in running His business called Planet Earth (Hebrews 11:3; Job 38; Is. 40:28)? If a bull, horse or seed corn exponentially increases in value based on their creator, how valuable are we, am I, created with the genetics of the God of the universe?
This causes reflection to when as a child on the farm my dad let me drive the tractor by myself and feed the cattle and hogs by myself, he trusted me with a portion of his business. I, like most farm boys, became utterly excited at the responsibility entrusted by my father. Dad checked on me from time to time and provided loving discipline when I erred despite knowing better. Consequences existed for my success and failure, often based upon whether my failures resided in ignorance or laziness. He also assured the proper completion of every necessary task regardless of my efforts. Dad's sovereignty of his farm business provides a microcosm of God's sovereignty of His business of all creation.
Unfortunately, Hawkings, Gould, Solomon, most academics and others like them fail to capture, or acknowledge their Godly genetics. They ignore these powerful truths of whose image they represent, choosing to believe they exist from randomness, in the image of randomness. In denying their creation by and in the image of God, they effectively equate themselves to someone who burns the pedigree papers of a bull calf descending from Colossal, or a colt from the World Champion Quarter horse. Except the pedigree papers distinguishing humanity as God's infinitely exceed those of man ruled creation.
Dear readers, do you recognize your value because of who created you? Amazement astounds those pondering the power and untapped power of neuroscience and genetics. Every discussion of neuroscience must begin the designer and creator of neuroscience genetics. Only in focusing on the originator do we begin to scratch the surface of appreciation of our mind-body relationship. God designed and created us for relationship with Him.
See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!
Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
1 & 2 (Burns 2012)
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