When you read the Bible do you vigorously analyze what it is saying?  Do you actively consider how the thoughts being presented apply to your life?  Do you ever try to summarize the thoughts being presented by making notes in page margins? I do.  In fact, I will often copy the Bible passage(s) that I’m studying into a MS Word document so that I can print it a larger piece of paper and highlight, mark, and note on it without cluttering my leather-bound copy.

Recently, I studied the book of Romans.  Since I’ve been thinking a lot about “the gospel of Jesus Christ” lately, that was the general focus of my highlights and notes.  Last night I scanned it and here are links to the pdf.  PART I ~ PART II

So why am I posting a pdf of Romans?  Two reasons. 

First, I want you to consider what Paul has was communicating to the Christians at Rome. Study the book, read my notes, consider how it should apply to your life.

Second, I want you to vigorously read the Word of God.  It should be more precious to you than food.  It should occupy and rule your thoughts.  How does this happen… through diligent study of the Word of God.  Gather what you can from my example.  I’m a man with like passions as yourself.

Nolan

Here is a link to a PDF of the mathematical solution to the problem:  Interesting-math-problem.pdf

In case you were wondering, the young man was approaching the point the light was reflected off the floor by .94 feet each second. In the next few days I will post a PDF of the mathematical solution.

God and Math
Have you ever considered that God created math? He did.

Because mathematics is a part of God’s creation we know the following things are true.

1. 1. Math is dedicated to the glory and pleasure of God. (Rev. 4:11)
2. 2. Math did not exist before six day creation week. (Heb. 1:10,11; John 1:1,2; Gen. 1:1)
3. 3. On the sixth day, God saw the math that He had created and knew that it was good. (Gen. 1:31)
4. 4. Math exists because Jesus Christ sustains it. The existence of mathematics depends on the pleasure of God. (Colossians 1:16,17; Rev. 4:11)
5. 5. Math works toward the good of those that love God and have been called according to His purposes. (Rom. 8:28)

Many other truths can be stated about mathematics. These were the top five that came to my mind.

In my study for this post I was humbled to discover that I held a humanistic view of math. A humanistic view of math pictures mathematics apart from God. Prior to now, I understood that “God is Sovereign” over the creation that math models. I also understood that “math is a tool” for exercising Biblical Dominion. However, I did not realize that “every mathematical thought must be taken captive in obedience to Christ”. In other words, when we relate our mathematical thoughts to creation, we must go the step further and relate the mathematic thoughts to the Creator: Jesus Christ.

Here’s a quick example using the math problem in my last post.

math conclusion: “.94”

math conclusion + related to creation: “I am approaching the point of the light’s reflection by .94 feet each second as I move down the hall by 2.5 feet each second.”

math conclusion + related to creation + related to Creator: “I realize the precise and consistent nature of the LORD’s works as I walk down a hall with ceiling lights and a waxed floor and see the reflection beneath me move at the rate of .94 feet per second.”

Psalms 111:2
The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.

I wanted to use the example I started with to illustrate my point. However, better examples of relating mathematical thoughts to God include measuring the fruitfulness and multiplication of our dominion work, numbering our days, counting the cost to build a tower, dividing inheritances, and much more.

For the boys that find the discipline of mathematics distasteful I have this rebuke. The mental discipline of mathematics develops our ability to consider the difference between God’s holiness and our sinfulness, and the sum of Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf.  Life without math is a vain imagination.  Consider the five points listed above and reform your view of math.

For those interested in a statement summarizing my understanding of mathematics, it is this: Mathematics is a system of thought comprised of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry and calculus and concerned with God’s handiwork.

This is my “mathematics thesis” for our generation: our mathematical thoughts must taken captive in obedience to Jesus Christ. For us to live should be Christ and to die should be gain.

Do you count all things lost but for the knowledge of God through the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ?

Nolan

My recent studies of mathematics have allowed me to solve some very interesting problems. One type of problem has to deal with multiple rates of change that are related each other through some sort of geometric construct.

In Calculus terminology we call these types of problems “Related Rate Problems”.

The following is a “Related Rate Problem” of my own making.  You can offer guesses / answers in the comments section.

In the near future I’ll post my solution to the problem along with some reasons for why knowing the mathematics behind this problem thrill me.

Until then, ENJOY!

Problem:
A tall young man is walking down a hall with florescent ceiling lights and waxed tile floors. The youth notices that the reflection of each ceiling light moves as he approaches the spot directly beneath the ceiling light’s fixture.

If the light fixtures are 10 feet above the floor, and the young man’s eyes are 6.0 feet above the floor, and the young man is walking at a rate of 2.5 feet per second, then how fast is the distance between the student and the point of reflection changing.

Note: according to Fermat’s Principal it can be deduced that the light will be reflected off the floor at the same angle that it approached the floor. Thus, we are working with two similar triangles. One triangle being between the ceiling light, spot beneath the ceiling light and the point of reflection, and the other being between the young man’s eyes, spot beneath his eyes and the point of reflection.

Today should be a day of reflection, action and anticipation for the young men of the United States. 

We should all reflect on the works of God in our lives and the lives of those around us.  Those who are able should vote for the next president of our nation.  But most importantly, we should all have great anticipation for the future.  Anticipation not for the outcome of the election, plight of the economy or even the future of our nation. 

 Our anticipation should be directed toward our LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ. 

Today, like the prophet Daniel in Daniel 9:3, we should set our faces toward the Lord God and seek Him by prayer and supplication with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.

Young men, seek the LORD and His strength, seek His face continually (1 Chronicles 16:11, Psalm 105:4).  May our hearts be like the heart of David as described in Psalm 27:8

When Thou saidst, seek ye My face; my heart said unto Thee, Thy face LORD will I seek.

If before the throne of God we humble ourselves, pray unto His name, seek His face and turn from our wicked ways putting on the new man which is after God in righteous and holiness then GOD will hear us and answer our prayers. 

1 Chronicles 7:14, Ephesians 4:21-24, Matthew 7:7,  James 4:2,3

Young men, our generation must seek the face of the LORD.  Perhaps like Noah we will find grace in His eyes.

 Amos 5:8

Seek Him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is His Name.

Verses on Seeking the Lord’s Face

Today, five years ago, a handful of workers wielding moving dollies moved the Ten Commandments monument to a small storage room of the Alabama Supreme Court building, away from public view.

Young men, on your watch Alabama’s Chief Justice Roy Moore feared God rather then men by unashamedly acknowledging God as the source and foundation of all law.

May this display of faith in God and manly conviction encourage us as we run the races that are set before us.

Click HERE to learn more about this issue and historical event.

1 Corinthians 16:13

Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
KJV

Nolan

Today, 141 years ago, God called Michael Faraday home to heaven.

Michael Faraday was born to a poor family in London in 1791 and grew up attending a Christian church that largely held to the Westminster Confession. He served as a Deacon for his local congregation during the 1830s and as an Elder from both 1840 to 1844 and 1860 to 1864.

Michael is best known for his many scientific discoveries in chemistry, electricity and magnetism.

According to God’s pleasure, Michael Faraday is likely to never be forgotten for as long as the world remains. Not only because many of his original writings still exist throughout Great Britain, but because the unit of electrical capacitance bears his name: Farad.

Electrical Capacitance (Farad) = Mass of the Electrical Charge (Coulomb) / Potential of the Electrical Charge (Volt)

May God raise up boys today that will be the Faradays of tomorrow.

Men of science, Men of God.

Nolan

What does it mean to “be a man”?  As young men, this is a question that should be on our minds.  Genesis 1:27 tells us that “…God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.”  I have understood that, as creatures created in the image of God, to “be a man” is to “reflect God’s image”.

This leads us to another question.  Do we know God?  Do we know the image we bear.  As creatures created in God’s image, we should desire to know both (a) who He is and (b) what He requires of us.

As a boy, “Biblical Boyhood” begins with your knowledge of God.  You must seek God like David sought after God.  

Those that “seek God” have this comfort in scripture: Deuteronomy 4:29  “But if from [captivity] thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.”

Nolan

The short verses below attempt to capture my thoughts regarding:

1. 1. A son’s responsibilities to his father.

2. 2. A man’s responsibilities to God.

3. 3. A man’s responsibility to engage in life by doing hard things.

4. 4. A man’s responsibility to live in faithfulness to the commands of God.

It contrasts temporal things with eternal things.  Including a few hows and whys surrounding them.

˜“™

DUST OF EARTH, MAN OF GOD 

Dust of Earth

• Son, when faced with a task of great mountings and cloutings…
• Just do it.
•     
• Cast off your grieves, roll up your sleeves;
• Persevere… Persevere… Persevere!
•    
• With conclusive hand, plow your land…
• Well done, Thou good and faithful son.

Man of God

• Son, when faced with a load of internal quills and qualms…
• Know your God.
•    
• Find joy in God, spare not the rod;
• Justified… faithfully live for Christ!
•       
• With confident heart, play your part…
• Well done, Thou good and faithful servant.

˜“™

Nathaniel Darnell recently shared 5 Marks of Leadership from Mr. Howard Phillips.

1. 1. You must be ready to die. Abandon all fear of death and unpopularity.
2. 2. You must find strength in the blessing God brings from humbling difficulties.
3. 3. Once you have determined what your role will be, then determine to play your part.
4. 4. You must always be learning.
5. 5. You must be ever grateful.

These are traits that we should commit to memory and prayer.    

You can read the full post here.