Prove it!

Thanks Everyone!

2008-10-02T13:01:00.000-07:00

Well, this is much later than it should be (probably because I've been putting it off), but I'm going to have to sign off from Blogger. Yeah, I know that's not what anyone wanted to hear, but not only have I not had time to do the changes I have been wanting to make to this blog, but I also don't have enough time to write for it.

Hopefully this will change in the future, but I figured I'd just be up front with everyone about why I haven't been posting. What with college, getting a part-time job, Lord willing going to a wed design seminar, and investigating future career options for when I graduate in January of 2009 (Lord willing!), I just can't devote the time and energy to this blog that I know I need to.

Like I said, my hope is to pick back up with this blog someday, but right now God is directing me elsewhere. My prayer is that the posts made thus far have been a blessing to everyone and that they will continue to be to those who may stumble upon them sometime in the future.

Thanks for all the interaction and thought-provoking comments everyone. God bless as you follow His will for your lives!

Because of Christ,

AMS

I Must do What to be Saved? Prove it! (Part 3)

2008-08-25T12:20:00.001-07:00

I apologize that there was no post for July-maybe I'll get two in one of these months-if not August, maybe September. Just in case anyone is/was concerned about my absence, nothing bad happened to me or anything-actually things have been going very well and are incredibly busy what with college studies and all. I'm thankful I've found a few minutes to share what's God has put on my heart with you thought, and I'm hoping to be able to continue doing this as long as He permits.

Just so everybody knows, I'm looking at doing some changes to the blog, graphic redesign and all that, nothing too fancy, but I want to make this site as user-friendly as possible. Lord willing, you'll be seeing some major improvements here over the next few weeks. No promises about that timeframe though. ;^)

One of the things I've decided to do is allow the body of the blog to be the major focus and use it just for the main post. I'm hoping to put links and other items of interest in the sidebar-we'll see how it goes. Anyway, thank you for taking time to read this and I pray that this month's post will be a blessing and encouragement to you in your personal walk with the Lord.-AMS

I Must do What to be Saved? Prove it! (Part 3)

As we look to the conclusion of our discussion of Paul's words uttered in response to the Philippian Jailer's probing question, "What must I do to be saved?", I think it would be proper for us to take a step back and look at the big picture. After all, we've been considering a very straightforward question to which the Apostle Paul gave a very clear answer, and it would be proper for us to keep that spirit of simplicity as we close out this "mini-series."

To summarize, the jailer in Philippi realized, as we all must in order to have a home in heaven, that he was in danger of eternal judgment because of his sin and needed saved. Paul told him that his personal responsibility was to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and that, as a result of believing, he would obtain the salvation he realized he so desperately needed. Last time, we looked at the fact that, not only was believing on Jesus something the jailer was responsible to do, it was also something that he was able to do.

Once again, some may get snagged here, honestly wondering if there is truly any way an unsaved man, such as the Philippian jailer, could exercise saving faith without some special enabling given to him by God, a raising to "spiritual life" that would graciously allow him to believe. Yet, there are some unavoidable problems with that sort of view.

First of all, if the jailer, or any other unsaved person for that matter, could not believe in Jesus as Savior without some special enabling by God or some "eternal decree" that would make him one of the "elect," then the command to, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ," is meaningless-after all, an individual would require some preceding action on the part of God in order to believe. Yet, Paul didn't say, "Be enabled, and then believe on the Lord Jesus Christ," neither did Jesus, when beginning His earthly ministry, begin to "preach, and to say, Be sovereignly regenerated and then repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Rather, Jesus simply preached, "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand", indicating that the responsibility to exercise the ability to repent was fully within the limits of the possible for His hearers.

Secondly, if there were some action that God needed to take before men and women could believe on Jesus and thus be saved, then those who don't believe and are not saved remain unsaved because of God, and not because of their own stubborn refusal to repent. This is only logical-after all, if I tell you to do something that is impossible for you to do without my aid, yet I don't aid you but still punish you for not doing what I told you to do, am I really being just? Of course not! Anyone who did such a thing would be considered a cruel tyrant, and definitely could not be the God who the Bible tells us is "love" (see 1 John 4:8b, 16b), let alone the God who declares, "As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die…?" (Ezekiel 3:11, emphasis added)

Finally, God, through the words of Jesus, does tell us that, "No man can come to me (Jesus), except the Father which hath sent me (Jesus) draw him." (John 6:44) Yet, the Bible also clearly declares, "If I (Jesus) be lifted up from the earth, (I) will draw all men unto me." (John 12:32) The word for "draw" in both these verses is the same in the original Greek (number 1670 in Strong's, if you're interested). Thus, we have no Biblical reason to conclude that God isn't already doing everything He can to draw "all men" unto Himself. As Christians, are we doing the same thing, doing our utmost to bring men and women to Christ? What a challenging thought to ponder.

Yet, we still have one more important point left to consider-if unsaved men and women can indeed believe on Jesus, then what does it mean to "believe"? After all, hundreds of people you will meet over the course of your life will tell you that they "believe" all sorts of things about Jesus, and some will even go so far as to say that they believe in Him. Yet, are they "saved"?

When considering this, it may be helpful to use an illustration. The story has been told of a man named Blondin who had an act in which he would walk a tight rope that spanned Niagara Falls. He impressed his audience by walking from the American side of the falls over to the Canadian side and back pushing a wheelbarrow. As he finished, and the crowd was cheering enthusiastically, Blondin asked if the crowd thought he could accomplish the same feat with a person riding in the wheelbarrow. Naturally, everyone excitedly voiced their belief that he could indeed perform such a daring deed. However, when Blondin asked for volunteers to ride in the wheelbarrow across the falls, the crowd fell silent as a graveyard. Thus, though these people said they believed in Blondin's abilities, their actions did not match their words.

This story is an excellent illustration of what it means to believe, or have faith in, Jesus-faith takes a step of action based on what it is persuaded is true. That's why Paul's words to the jailer are so important, for the jailer was not only just to "believe." Rather, he was specifically to "believe on the Lord (signifying Christ's authority and ability to save) Jesus (demonstrating that Christ was indeed Savior, which is what the name "Jesus" means) Christ (the prophesied Messiah of Israel, the Promised One God sent to save mankind from sin)." Thus, belief alone could not save the jailer, but the object of his belief could and would save him if he would believe-it's that simple.

Meditating on what God really is looking for from people, and what He truly wants to see from them to prove to Him that they are coming to Him for salvation, I couldn't help but be impressed by the fact that belief in Jesus is a very personal affair. No person can see another person's heart, so what we are left facing us is the question of what is really and truly in our own heart. Do we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? Do we trust Christ, not our church, not our knowledge of Bible facts, not the dogmas, creeds, and codes of established religion we have been taught, but Christ, and Him alone, for salvation?

Believing in Jesus is so simple that it's entirely possible to begin to believe that God requires more of us than faith for salvation. The fact of the matter is though, He doesn't. This simple, child-like faith is the starting point from which all the other aspects of being a Christian flow. From being baptized, to church attendance, to living an honest, moral life, all that we say, all that we do, all that we are ought to be grounded in the Rock of Jesus Christ, rooted there by faith in His holy word and the exceeding precious promises that it gives to us.

This mini-series really is foundational stuff, concepts I'm sure that most readers of this blog are familiar with. However, my prayer and hope is that what has been written here will help realign your focus on Christ and all that He is and wants to be to you. May we all grow in grace and in the knowledge of our marvelous Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever!

I Must do What to be Saved? Prove it! (Part 2)

2008-06-30T22:28:00.000-07:00

Last month, we were discussing the situation involving the Apostle Paul and Philippian jailer, who, through a series of amazing events, asked the apostle, “What must I do to be saved?” We discussed the importance of salvation, its nature, and why it is necessary to be saved in last month’s post. This month, we turn our attention to Paul’s answer to this all-important question. Paul’s unequivocal reply was,

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”

This straightforward answer evokes some searching questions, such as:

· What does it mean to “believe”?

· Is believing really all that is required for salvation?

· How do I know when I have really “believed” and am thus “saved”?

That belief is essential for salvation is one of the clearest teachings of Scripture. For example, John 1:12 tells us, “As many as received him (Jesus), to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” Jesus stated in John 11:25-26, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” He ended this declaration by asking, “Believest thou this?”

Why then, if the Bible makes it so clear that belief is essential for salvation, or eternal life, is there such confusion among professing Christians about “believing”? It would seem to be true that, if we get what it means to “believe” wrong, we automatically set ourselves up for problems in understanding the rest of Scripture.

What are some of the areas where confusion about belief in Jesus arises? Many issues stem from a misunderstanding of the nature of belief. For instance, many professing Christians will tell you that, yes belief is necessary for salvation, but it is not something which an unsaved person is capable of doing. They point to passages such as Ephesians 2:5, which states, “We (before salvation) were dead in sins.” “How then,” they ask, “Can an unsaved person, who the Bible clearly tells us is ‘dead’ in their sins, believe? After all, with dead people it’s not an issue of them being ‘unwilling’ to believe. Rather, they ‘can’t’ believe.” I hope that anyone espousing this viewpoint feels that I have given it a fair treatment.

Through the ages, this has been the opinion of many well-known Christians, such as “church father” Augustine, Reformer John Calvin, Reformer Martin Luther, Jonathan Edwards, a pastor responsible in large part for the Great Awakening, Charles Spurgeon, famous preacher and writer, Oswald Chambers, author of the beloved devotional “My Utmost for His Highest,” and, more recently, well-known teachers and preachers such as John MacArthur, Alistair Begg, John Piper, Doug Phillips, Gary DeMar, James White, and many others. Some even go so far as to say that any Christian who feels he or she is right and these other Christians are wrong has a problem with pride and is elevating him or herself to a position of “superior knowledge.”

Considering this list of Godly Christians, it can be quite intimidating to object to the very foundation on which the doctrines they believe and preach rest. Couple this with the fact that many acquaintances, friends, and spiritual mentors one knows and loves believe this, and raising any objections can be a down-right frightening thought!

However, and I do hasten to add “however,” neither you nor I can let the fact that literally multitudes of other people may disagree with us dissuade us from questioning the accuracy of what we are being taught. After all, isn’t this what the Bereans in Acts 17:11 did? Didn’t they examine the teachings of even that “great hero of the faith” the Apostle Paul in light of the Scriptures to make sure what they were being taught was accurate? And, if they were so careful as to examine Paul, a man inspired to write much of the New Testament, for the soundness of what he was teaching, can we do any less? The answer is, of course, we cannot. This leads us to examine the only authority Christians need consult for direction in life, the Bible.

Though the Bible clearly teaches that unsaved men and women are indeed dead in their trespasses and sins, as the passage from Ephesians unmistakably states, taking such a statement to the lengths some would take it is going too far, as the Bible clearly shows. In Ephesians 2:5, Paul is using death to illustrate what it means to be unsaved-it’s like being dead to God. Yet, what aspects of death does he intend to include in this statement? He certainly could not have been thinking of the idea of inability, for, while it’s true that dead people are not able to do anything that pleases God, neither are they capable of doing anything that displeases Him. Paul clearly means to use the idea of death to convey the idea of separation, which is really what death is.

Anyone who has lost a loved one, whether a close relative or an acquaintance, knows that the agony in death is the fact that we are separated from the one we loved for the duration of our stay on this earth. I know this firsthand-my Mom died when I was fourteen. What made this so hard was the fact that she would not be there when I got my driver’s license, she wouldn’t be with me on the day I graduated from high school, and she wouldn’t get to see my siblings and me grow up and have the joy of discovering God’s will for our lives. The abyssal chasm of death which separates the living from those that have gone on before them is a fissure only the hope of eternal life in Christ Jesus can bridge.

This has always been the message of Christianity-hope in spite of death. This is why Paul, the same man that wrote Ephesians 2:5, could exult, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”, and triumphantly cry, “Death is swallowed up in victory.” (See 1 Cor. 15:54-55) And where does this victory come from? Paul leaves no doubt, for he tells us, “Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 15:57)

Thus, the problem caused by sin is spiritual death, or separation, from God. The Bible speaks of man in this way to illustrate the hopelessness of his situation, not to negate his God-given ability to receive the Gospel and be saved, and that is exactly what believing is-it’s receiving God’s gift of eternal life, a topic which we will have to pick up in next month’s post. Until then, may God bless you.

Link for the Month of June 2008

Hmm…does the 101 things you never knew Google could do sound interesting to you? Maybe I better back up a little-if you’re not a total Google fan, then you need to be (wow, that’s convincing), because there’s no reason not to love Google (even more convincing?). In fact, I think there are, at least, 101 reasons to love Google, and this link will show you some tricks I bet even you Google aficionados aren’t aware of. Don’t believe me? See for yourself:

http://www.google.com/intl/en/help/features.html

Safe surfing!

Item of Interest for June 2008

Seeing as summer’s in full swing, in my part of the country at least, I thought that I’d share some quotes with you about one of God’s greatest gifts to man-nature. Enjoy!

“Does not all nature around me praise God? If I were silent, I should be an exception to the universe. Does not the thunder praise him as it rolls like drums in the march of the God of armies? Do not the mountains praise him when the woods upon their summits wave in adoration? Does not the lightning write his name in letters of fire? Has not the whole earth a voice? And shall I, can I, silent be?”

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834–1892)

“God Almighty first planted a garden; and indeed, it is the purest of human pleasures.”

Francis Bacon (1561–1626)

“I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station through which God speaks to us every hour if we will only tune in.”

George Washington Carver (c. 1864–1943)

“Nature has perfections in order to show that she is the image of God, and defects to show that she is only his image.”

Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)

“Nature is but a name for an effect, Whose cause is God.”

William Cowper (1731–1800)

“The best thing is to go from nature’s God down to nature; and if you once get to nature’s God, and believe him, and love him, it is surprising how easy it is to hear music in the waves, and songs in the wild whisperings of the winds; to see God everywhere in the stones, in the rocks, in the rippling brooks, and hear him everywhere, in the lowing of cattle, in the rolling of thunder, and in the fury of tempests.”

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834–1892)

“Think of the number of trees and blades of grass and flowers, the extravagant wealth of beauty no one ever sees! Think of the sunrises and sunsets we never look at! God is lavish in every degree.”

Oswald Chambers (1874–1917)

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.” (Ps. 19:1-3)

(Quotes taken from Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World by Edythe Draper, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois.)

I Must do What to be Saved? Prove it! (Part 1)

2008-05-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

While evangelizing in the city of Philippi in Asia Minor, Paul and Silas encountered a young woman the Bible tells us was possessed “with a spirit of divination…which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying (fortune telling).” (Acts 16:16) Through the name of Jesus, the Apostle Paul commanded this unclean spirit to leave the girl, and, in so doing, he caused her masters to lose their means of financial gain.

Needless to say, this did not please the girl’s masters, who had Paul and Silas arraigned before the rulers of the town. After beating Paul and Silas, the town rulers delivered them up to a jailer, who had them placed in the inner prison, the securest part of the jail.

Probably every child who has been in Sunday School for any length of time knows that, though harshly treated, unjustly jailed, and cruelly beaten, Paul and Silas sang praises to God in the midst of their trying circumstances. Most children from Sunday School could also tell you that God sent a great earthquake, “so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.” (Acts 16:26) Yet rather than escape, Paul and Silas remained in the prison with the other prisoners.

Why the prisoners remained in the prison is somewhat of a mystery, until we consider what happened next. For, you see, the keeper of the prison, “seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.” (Acts 16:27) It was at this precise moment that the Apostle Paul “cried with a loud voice, saying, do thyself no harm: for we are all here.” (Acts 16:28) It appears that Paul had kept the prisoners from escaping.

What happened next is very interesting. In the Bible’s own inspired words, “then he (the keeper of the prison) called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out, and said,

Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:29-30)

Perhaps there is no greater question in all of life than what this man asked the Apostle Paul, “What must I do to be saved?” It does, however, raise some significant questions:

What does it mean to be “saved”?

From what am I saved?

What part do I play in this process of being saved, namely, what must I do to be saved?

I can’t help but imaging what would have happened had someone other than the Apostle Paul been standing there as this man asked this penetrating question (if Paul hadn’t been there, this man probably would not have even been asking this question, but we’ll lay that point aside for the sake of discussion).

Suppose that, instead of a Bible-believing Christian, this man had stood before Pope John Paul II, who believed in a doctrine of salvation through Christ’s work on the cross and the good works of a penitent sinner. What if this man had asked this question of Pope John Paul II, who believed that the literal body and the literal blood of Christ are present at communion, must be eaten by the one desiring salvation, and that this spiritual ritual is only efficacious until the next sin, which must, in the Roman Catholic tradition, be confessed to an earthly priest? Would the jail keeper have gotten the same answer that the Bible tells us Paul gave him?

Or, let’s suppose that the jail keeper had asked this question of a Calvinist, who believes that the unsaved man must do nothing in order to be saved-meaning that God saves a man without that man’s cooperation, permission, consent, or even his desire. Would the jail keeper have gotten the same answer that Paul gave him?

Supposing this man had asked this question of a person who believes in baptismal regeneration, meaning that one must be baptized (whether immersed or sprinkled, it doesn’t matter) in order to be truly saved. Would the jail keeper have gotten the answer recorded for us in the Bible?

In this day and age, with apostasy rampant, this man could have gotten any number of answers, depending on whether he asked any of the above-mentioned people or many of the others we could mention, such as Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, leaders of the so-called “Emerging Church,” or any other of the myriad of self-professed “Christian” organizations or entities present in our world today. Would the answer that any of these groups would have given the man matched the straightforward, unequivocal, unabashed, Biblical reply given by the Apostle Paul? Sadly, no.

Yet, this discussion begs another question, namely, “From what does the jail keeper feel that he needs to be saved?” After all, you don’t usually feel that you need a lifeboat unless you fear that the ship you are on is sinking, do you? Nor do you feel that you need a parachute unless the airplane is going down. In the same way, this man should not be asking for a way of salvation or escape unless he felt that he was in dire danger of something bad happening to him. What is this “salvation” the jail keeper in Philippi asked about?

The fact that we are all sinners was covered in the last post, but allow me to recap-essentially, the truth from the Bible is that we have all sinned (“For all have sinned” Rom. 3:23). The Bible defines sin as “the transgression of the law.” (1 John 3:4) From lying and lust to anger and a lack of giving God first place in our lives, every human individual has broken the commandments given us by God, which tell us such things as, “Thou shalt not bear false witness (untrue testimony or lies)” (Ex. 20:16), “Thou shalt not covet…anything that is thy neighbor’s” (Ex. 20:17), “Thou shalt have no other gods before me (the One True God)” (Ex. 20:3), and so forth. Thus, all mankind has sinned and is worth of the wages that that sin brings, which the Bible tells us “is death.” (Rom. 6:23)

The good news is that Jesus Christ, Who is God in human flesh, became a man through the virgin birth and died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, which we have already seen is death. The Bible clearly states that, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” (1 Tim. 1:15) Thankfully, the Bible tells us that this salvation not only delivers those that accept it from the penalty of their sin, but also from its power and dominating influence in their lives. The Bible tells us,

“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” (Rom. 6:16-18)

Looking back through history, we see that many people in the past claim to have not only discovered this salvation, but actually to have experienced it for themselves. John Newton, former slave trader and author of the beloved hymn “Amazing Grace,” put it eloquently when he said,

“I remember two things: that I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great Savior.” - John Newton (1725–1807)

Oswald Chambers, Christian author and missionary to Allied soldiers in Egypt during WWI, stated,

“It is impossible for us to be the children of God naturally, to love our enemies, to forgive, to be holy, to be pure, and it is certainly impossible to us to follow God naturally; consequently the fundamental fact to recognize is that we must be born again.” - Oswald Chambers (1874–1917)

John Bunyan, English preacher jailed for nearly 12 years for his refusal to allow the state to control his church, wrote of his character Christian in his beloved classic The Pilgrim’s Progress,

“Just as Christian came up [to] the cross, his burden loosed from off his shoulders and fell from off his back and began to tumble, and so continued to do till it came to the mouth of the sepulcher [where Christ had been buried and arose from on the third day], where it fell in, and I saw it no more.”
- John Bunyan (1628–1688)

In different terms, all these men of the past seem to be saying the same thing: at a particular point in time, people come face to face with the fact that they are in trouble, that there is a problem in their life, and that they need to act on that realization. Whether we realize that, like Newton, we are “great sinners,” or feel like the pilgrim Christian in Bunyan’s allegory that we are loaded down by a great burden of wrongdoing and shame, we are saying the same thing-we need to be saved.

Perhaps this realization has come to you along the line of a failed relationship, a broken family, shattered dreams, or continual heartache and trouble in your life. Regardless of your specific problems, have you felt that you must be saved, really and truly delivered, from your sin and the havoc that it has wreaked in your life? If so, what must you do to be saved?

The Bible makes it very clear, in our passage from Acts as well as numerous other places in the Bible, that we must believe in order to be saved. Yet, the very concept of belief in order to be saved raises many questions about the nature of belief, or faith, and its role in salvation. It’s my prayer to cover this topic, really Paul’s reply to the jailer’s question, in my next post.

p.s. If you have any questions regarding salvation, please let me know by commenting on this post. =^)

Link for the Month of May 2008

The Need for Christian Critical Thinking

The link for this month is to an article that I wrote for my distance learning college program, CollegePlus!. The piece was going to be featured in the February 2008 edition of their e-newsletter, but didn’t make the cut. They were, however, kind enough to post it in their archives, and I have provided the link to the article here: http://www.collegeplus.org/acceleration/2008/02/07/christian-critical-thinking.

I pray that it will be a blessing to you and challenge you to think like a Christian!

Item of Interest for May 2008

Here’s an article that I found to be very enlightening. Hope that it’s an encouragement to you too.

Is There a Large Gap of Time between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2?

“The idea that a vast period of time elapsed between the first two verses of Genesis is known as the gap theory. Most variations of this theory interpret Genesis 1:1 as the first creation, which included the creation of the heavens, the earth, plants and animals, and even a race of humans preceding Adam! Perhaps billions of years then elapsed, during which time Satan and his angels fell and corrupted earth's inhabitants. God then judged and destroyed the earth and all its inhabitants. Thus, the earth became ‘formless and void’ (Genesis 1:2) and remained that way for eons. Genesis 1:3, according to the gap theory, describes the beginning of the second creation with the first day of the (re)creation week--the familiar six-day creation. This series of events is also called the ‘ruin-reconstruction theory’ or ‘the pre-Adamic cataclysm theory.’

“The modern gap theory was proposed in 1814 by Thomas Chalmers, a leading Scottish theologian. Some geologists of his day argued that the earth was much older than Genesis implied. Chalmers, therefore, proposed the gap theory to harmonize Genesis with those demands. No clear record shows anyone prior to 1814 interpreting Genesis 1:1-2 in this way. This is especially significant, because Hebrew scholars 2,000 years ago certainly understood Hebrew writing better than we do today. The gap theory simply accommodated the growing demand for long periods of time.

“What are the problems with the gap theory? Gap theorists generally believe that the fossil record was formed, not in a global flood, but when God destroyed the earth in ‘the gap’ between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. Gappists have not understood how the flood rapidly formed fossils and deposited sedimentary layers with a total average thickness of one mile. For that reason, they believe that Noah's flood was less destructive than the judgment they claim preceded the creation week. No clear biblical passage supports the worldwide destruction they imagine, and they ignore references to Noah's flood by many biblical writers and Christ Himself (Matthew 24:37-39, Luke 17:26-27). The gap theory resulted, to a large extent, from a failure to comprehend the flood.

“Gap theorists also ignore this clear biblical statement that no great time gap preceded the completed creation:

“For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them ...” (Exodus 20:11)

“Gap theorists miss the importance of Christ's words in Mark 10:6, ‘But from the beginning of creation, God made them [Adam and Eve] male and female.’ Christ knew that Adam and Eve were created at the beginning, not after a vast gap of time.

“According to most versions of the gap theory, the death and destruction shown by the fossil record, including the death of supposedly pre-Adamic man, preceded Adam's creation. But the Bible clearly states that death came because of Adam's sin (therefore, after Adam's creation).

“Why then do some believe in the gap theory? As mentioned earlier, they have accepted, perhaps unknowingly, claims that the earth is billions of years old. Therefore, they try to find where a vast period of time might fit into the Bible. They know that long periods of time cannot be inserted after Adam's creation because the various genealogies are tightly linked. Consequently, the only place billions of years can be inserted is before Adam. Because time flowed smoothly and continuously during the creation week, a week that for various reasons is composed of normal 24-hour days, the time gap must be inserted before the first creation day. Rather than start the creation week at Genesis 1:1 as most Bible scholars do, gappists start that week at Genesis 1:3. Therefore, they believe that before Genesis 1:3, a vast length of time existed--as they state, ‘whatever geologists demand.’

“Most people who accept the gap theory have great confidence in the Bible and oppose evolution. However, they accept many evolutionary interpretations of such things as dinosaurs, ice ages, and coal-producing peat bogs. They avoid controversy by placing dinosaurs, ice ages, and coal formation in the ‘gap,’ and thus fail to see their connection with the flood. So, gappists generally take a position of noninvolvement in the origins issue other than saying that they accept creation and oppose evolution. This attitude helped the evolutionary viewpoint go largely unopposed in our schools and media for decades.”

http://www.creationscience.com/onlinebook/FAQ321.html#wp2884126

A shortcut to truth? Prove it! (Shortcut to Truth, Part C)

2008-04-27T21:21:00.000-07:00

Let’s pick up right where we left off last time, and examine the final two of the four criteria that provide us an objective means of evaluating a religion.

3. Stakes the most on being right or wrong

It should be obvious to the thinking person that each and every religion presupposes that it is at least right or true or correct to some degree (a classic example being Hinduism-it claims all religions are equally true and equally false!). However, we do well to ask ourselves this question:

For each of the world’s religions, what is the punishment meted out to those who do not adhere to that religion’s teachings?

The answer is that we all know that it varies from religion to religion. However, one thing is obvious in almost every case: being wrong (not accepting the religion and obeying its teachings) results in some type of loss or punishment of varying degrees of severity (from having to work off bad karma in another life to going to hell for eternity).

However, many, if not all, of the world’s religions offer a sort of “second chance” after one is dead. Some examples would be Mormonism, Hinduism, and even Catholicism with its ability for one to work off sins in Purgatory, and so forth. On the other hand, the Bible offers no second chance. It clearly states, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” (Heb. 9:27) This sobering fact makes the Bible, and thus Christianity, worthy of our careful consideration since the Bible offers no “second chance” after death. Hence, the Bible is unique from most other world religions in this area (remember we said that a particular religion would have to meet all four criteria in order to be worthy of our consideration).

The bottom line is this: the Bible only offers man one chance to turn to Christ for salvation-this life, and this life alone, which leads us to the fourth and final criteria.

4. Demands a Life-Changing Decision

It should be obvious from a cursory reading of history that various cults (such as Heaven’s Gate) have asked their followers to do things that dramatically affect the follower’s lives (i.e., commit suicide). It should also be obvious to the thinking person that this is logical-what good is something to you if it doesn’t affect you in some way? You might as well not have done something, seen something, read something, believed something, etc., if it doesn’t change you somehow; otherwise, you’re just the same as you were before. Of what possible good is that?!

The Bible is no different. In fact, it comes to us along the line of radical change, saying things such as, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD.” (Isa. 55:7) Here, the Bible commands (yes, commands) a certain type of people (i.e., wicked and unrighteous human beings) to do something. What is that something? Forsake their way and their thoughts and return unto the Lord. Essentially, this verse tells mankind that we are heading in the wrong direction, we need to turn around, and return to God and His rules for life as revealed in the Bible.

Well, how can one really know if one falls into this category of people? After all, are you and I truly wicked people who need to forsake their own way? We need to ask ourselves, “Am I an unrighteous person who needs to forsake my own thoughts?” Essentially, the question is, “Am I a sinner?”

The Bible leaves no room for doubt. It tells us plainly that, “all have sinned.” (Rom. 3:23) Helpfully, the Bible also defines sin for us, calling it “the transgression (violation) of the law.” (1 John 3:4) Thus, if you have transgressed or violated God’s law, you have sinned and are thus a sinner. Here’s how to know if you really have violated God’s law:

God’s law says, “Thou shalt not bear false witness (untrue testimony) against thy neighbor,” or simply, “Thou shalt not lie.” (see Ex. 20:16) If you have ever said something untrue, you have lied. What does that make you? Right, a liar.

God’s law says, “Thou shalt not steal.” (Ex. 20:15) If you have ever unlawfully taken something (regardless of its value) that does not belong to you, you have stolen. What does that make you? Right, that makes you a thief.

God’s law says, “Thou shalt not covet…anything that is thy neighbor’s.” (Ex. 20:17) The word covet means to lust after. So, if you have ever lusted after something or someone that belongs to someone else, you have coveted. What does that make you? It makes you a lustful, covetous person.

Thus, we see that we have all sinned (violated God’s law), and are thus worthy of the rewards our sin brings, which the Bible tells us are “death” (Rom. 6:23). Yet God, “who is rich in mercy,” (Eph. 2:4) is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Pet. 3:9) God Himself “was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

After fulfilling every prophecy relating to His birth, childhood, and life, and in further fulfillment of Bible prophecy, Jesus Christ willingly offered Himself as “the lamb of God (God’s perfect sacrifice for sin) which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) Because Jesus Christ is “the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world,” (John 2:2) the Bible tells us that He is “able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (Heb. 7:25)

After rising from the dead on the third day as He promised, Jesus Christ returned to the right hand of the Father. One day, hopefully very soon, He is going to return to take all those who, by faith in His finished work on the cross, have trusted Him as Lord and Savior. He is coming to take them to be with Him forever (see John 14) and to rescue them “from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” (Rev. 3:10) In the interim between His first coming and the rapture, Jesus Christ asks you to make a life-changing decision. He pleads, “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Rev. 22:17) Will you heed His call to “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28-30)

Conclusion

My prayer is that this cursory survey of Biblical Christianity’s reliability and accuracy has caused you to see its validity and thus the seriousness of its claims. What you do with the information presented here is up to you. Weigh your options carefully, ponder the choices that lie before you, and rest assured that one day you will be held accountable for what you do with the absolute truth contained in the Bible.

Link for the Month of April 2008

Well, you all knew that it would happen one of these days-and, yep, that time has finally come.

Drum roll, please…I’m now going to tell you about, ta da, my website! Well, actually, it’s not my website-it’s our family business’s website, but I designed it with the help of our fantastic webmaster (www.sandpointhosting.com) and I’ve been given the duty of keeping it up, so, I’m pretty attached to it. J

Well, what is this mysterious URL that here-to-fore only a select few knew about? Well, while we could play 20 questions or some other ridiculous game to guess it, I’ll skip that for time’s sake and just cut to the chase. The address is: www.masterpiecebookends.com. (Better bookmark that! J)

“Bookends?!” you say. Yep, you got it right. And I’m not going to tell you about our website here. You can read all about the story behind our company when you click the link above and then click the “About us” tab on the banner menu that will be at the top of your screen.

Let me know what you think and check back next month for more unique and helpful links. Safe surfing!

Item of Interest for April 2008

For those of you who've asked the question, “Over the course of my life, how much time will I spend doing…” a poll by Priority Management, Inc., has the astonishing answer. In a lifetime, the average American will spend:

-Six months sitting at stoplights

-Eight months opening junk mail

-One year looking for misplaced objects

-Two years unsuccessfully returning phone calls

-Five years waiting in line.

(Reported in “U.S. News & World Report, 1/20/89. Leadership, Vol. 10, no. 3.”)

No wonder the Bible instructs us to:

“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.” (Col. 4:5)

70 Weeks Begin When??

2008-04-05T21:36:00.000-07:00

This post is in response to a very good point raised by Con (see comments to the post “Sunday School for Atheists [Excerpts]”). Con’s point was that a decree, which seems to fulfill the requirements for marking the beginning of Daniel’s 70 weeks (see the March 2008 post below), is listed in Ezra chapter 1:1-3. I’m thankful that Con checked out the March 2008 post for accuracy-that’s what God would have us do (see Acts 17:11).

In examining this question, I referenced an excellent book by Sir Robert Anderson entitled The Coming Prince. You should be able to find it on Amazon.com or on eBay if you’re interested in reading this worthwhile book for yourself. For this post, I will simply summarize some of its main points.

In Scripture, there are actually three possible candidates for the starting date of Daniel's amazing prophecy regarding the 70 weeks given to us. We will examine each in turn to ascertain which one satisfies the requirements given to us by the Bible.

The book of Daniel clearly states,

“From the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince (the Lord Jesus Christ) shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks (69 weeks [of years]; see the March 2008 post for more info).” (Dan. 9:25)

The options for “the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem” are as follows:

1. Ezra 1:1-4

2. Ezra 5:1-6:12

3. Nehemiah 2:1-18

1. Ezra 1:1-4 - To summarize, this first passage from Ezra states:

"Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,

"Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

"Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.

"And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem."

Does this proclamation, given by Cyrus king of Persia, satisfy the requirements for the decree that the prophet Daniel foretold? Well, notice what Daniel says:

“From the going forth of →the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem← unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks:→the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.←” (Dan. 9:25)

Thus, the commandment that satisfies the requirements for the beginning of the 70 weeks must direct that the city of Jerusalem be rebuilt (this is further emphasized by the phrase, “the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.”).

Notice that the decree by Cyrus directed the Jews to “go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build →the house of the LORD God of Israel. ←” Thus, we must look further in the Bible in order to find the decree that satisfies the requirements for the beginning of the 70 weeks.

2. Ezra 5:1-6:12 – Since this is a rather lengthy passage, I will summarize it and then quote the Scripture that contains the relevant decree.

The Jews, who had been authorized by Cyrus in the decree we last examined to rebuild the Temple, had made little progress. After laying the foundation of the Temple (Ezra 3), the Jews were forced to stop because their adversaries appealed to the king (Ezra 4). Thus, though they were authorized to rebuild the temple by Cyrus, and though they had laid the foundation of the Temple in the second year of Cyrus (Ezra 3:8-11), “no progress was made till the second year of Darius, when the foundation was again laid, for not a stone of the building had yet been placed (Hag. 2:10, 15,18).” (emphasis in the original) (Sir Robert Anderson, The Coming Prince, p. 57, footnote 1 continued from page 56).

However, God would not allow the work on the Temple to cease. He sent “the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo” (Ezra 5:1) who encouraged the people to resume work on the temple. Seeing this, and supposing that it was a seditious act, “Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall?” (Ezra 5:3) After a futile attempt to halt the work on the Temple, the governor and his cohorts wrote a letter and sent it to King Darius (Ezra 5:6-7). After making a diligent search into the matter, Darius decreed:

“Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place.” (Ezra 6:7)

If you examine the rest of the decree, as found in Ezra 6, you will note that, once again, the decree deals with the rebuiliding of the Temple, and no decree is given to “restore and to build Jerusalem.”

3. Nehemiah 2:1-18 – The final candidate for the starting point of Daniel’s prophecy regarding the 70 weeks is found in Nehemiah 2. This passage comes after Nehemiah, cup-bearer to Artaxerxes King of Persia, has learned from some fellow Jews that “The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.” (Neh. 1:3) After praying to God for mercy and for favor with the King, Nehemiah was given an opportunity that only God could have provided: (from Nehemiah 2)

“And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.

“Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,

“And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?

“Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.

Note that Nehemiah’s prayer was what might be called an “arrow prayer”-he shot his request up to God and then made a petition to the King, all in a very short period of time.

“And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it.”

Did the King then make a decree to restore and to build Jerusalem? The Bible leaves no room for doubt:

“And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.”

Thus, the book of Nehemiah records the date for “the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem” (see the March 2008 post), while the other Scriptures from Ezra were building blocks or stepping stones, points that had to be passed before the decree that would fulfill Daniel’s prophecy would finally be given, just as God had foretold.

The bottom line is this: God’s Word is steadfast-you can base your life upon it with absolute certainty.

A Shortcut to Truth? Prove it! (Shortcut to Truth, Part C)

2008-03-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

A shortcut to truth? Prove it! (Shortcut to Truth, Part B)

It’s been too long since the last post in the “Shortcut to Truth” series. I apologize for the major time gap. Between school, work, and church, I have had plenty to keep me busy. However, this blog is a worthwhile investment of my time and I’m glad to be working on it again. Lord willing, I will be able to provide consistent posts. Please pray for me!

Picking up where we left off last time, we were considering the following list of criteria as it related to the authenticity of Biblical Christianity:

1. Makes claims that no other religion makes,
2. 100% historically accurate in every respect,
3. Stakes the most on being right or wrong, and
4. Demands a life-changing decision.

Having examined the first criterion in the October post, we resume the final part in the series as we examine the three final standards by which any “religion” or system of religious beliefs can be evaluated. While this list is by no means exhaustive, it does at least allow us a sort of springboard from which to launch our study, a context in which to evaluate beliefs.

In passing, allow me to state that, for any system of beliefs to be worthy of our consideration, it should meet all of the criteria, not just one or two, as many of the world’s religions do. This is what makes the Bible unique. Christianity stands in stark contrast to all the religions of the world that men have devised, with its foundation firmly planted in the Bible. In no area is the gulf of superiority so fixed between Biblical Christianity and all other religions than in our second criteria, 100% historical accuracy.

2. 100% Historical Accuracy

When considering what to write under this heading, it was immediately apparent that an entire lifetime could be devoted to the subject. Rather than do so, I thought it best to highlight several things of paramount importance.

First, the Bible, on which Christianity is based, is unlink all of the other religious writings of the world in that it has foretold the future hundreds and even thousands of years in advance. While some may claim that, yes, the Bible does have prophecies, but they are vague, and thus of no use, it can be proven that the facts are quite to the contrary.

For example, let’s consider one Biblical prophecy found in the book of Daniel chapter 9:

“Through the writings of Jeremiah, Daniel learned that the Babylonian captivity would last 70 years (Dn. 9:2). God had commanded that each seven years the Hebrew slaves should be set free, debtors forgiven and the land given a one-year Sabbath of rest (Ex. 21:2; Dt. 15:1,2,12; Lv. 25:2-4). For 490 years Israel had disobeyed this precept. As judgment, Jews became slaves of Babylon while their land rested the 70 years of Sabbaths it had been denied.

“While confessing this sin, pondering and praying, Daniel was given the revelation that another period of 490 years (70 weeks of years) lay ahead for his people and for Jerusalem (9:24). At the end of that time all of Israel's sins would be purged, all prophecy fulfilled and ended, and the Messiah would be reigning on David's throne in Jerusalem. These 70 weeks of years (490 years) were to be counted "from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem" (v 25). That crucial date is given to us in Scripture.

“Nehemiah tells us that it was "in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king" (2:1) that he received the authorization to rebuild Jerusalem. When the day of the month was not given the first day was intended. There were several Artaxerxes, but only one, Longimanus, who ruled more than 20 years-from 465-425 B.C. Thus we have the key date from which this incredible prophecy was to be calculated: Nisan 445 B.C.

“At the end of 69 of these "weeks" (7x69 = 483 years) "Messiah the Prince" would be made known to Israel (Dn. 9:25) and then "be cut off [slain], but not for himself" (v 26). Counting 483 years of 360 days each (the Hebrew and Babylonian calendar), a total of 173,880 days from Nisan 1445 B.C., brings us to Sunday, April 6, A.D. 32. On that very day, now celebrated as Palm Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a young donkey and was hailed as Messiah the Prince! (Zechariah 9:9 was fulfilled at the same time.)

“There is, however, an even deeper meaning…April 6, A.D. 32 was, on the Hebrew calendar, tenth of Nisan. On that day the Passover lamb was taken from the flock and placed under observation for four days to make certain that it was "without blemish." During the same four days, Christ, whom John the Baptist had hailed as "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (Jn. 1:29), was likewise on display before Israel. On the fourteenth of Nisan, "the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it [the Passover lamb] in the evening [between 3:00 and 6:00 P.M.]" (Ex 12:6). It was during that precise time period that Jesus died on the cross!” (The original article, by Dave Hunt, is located here)

This is only one of hundreds of verifiable prophecies that we could have considered. In stark contrast to Christianity and the Bible stand the entirety of the world’s other religions. Where are the verifiable prophecies in the Koran, the Hindu Vedas, the writings of Buddha and Confucius? There are none. Furthermore, the Bible’s prophecies are not the vague chortlings of Nostradamus, who, by the way, plagiarized prophecies found in the Bible. No. Instead, the Bible’s prophecy is clear, understandable, and verifiable, as proved above.

Let’s also stand the Bible alongside of atheism’s worldview and see how the two contrast. Atheism states that the world is around 13 billion years old. Human beings and apes “diverged from a common ancestor…about 5-7 million years ago.” (Biology, Sixth Edition, Campbell and Reece, 2002, p.711) However, let’s use even a smaller figure for the time human beings have had to populate the earth. Let’s assume that human beings have been around for 50,000 years. Let’s use a conservative estimate of population growth, beginning with one “fully evolved” human male and one “fully evolved” human female, and double the population every 150 years (a very modest estimate for the doubling of the human population [usually it’s every 40 years {please see the citation at the end of this paragraph}]). Using these modest figures, there should be around 1¹⁰⁰ people on planet earth (that’s 1 followed by 100 zeros!). Exactly how big is that number? Well, it’s more atoms than scientists estimate exist in the entire universe! (“Billions of People in Thousands of Years?”, Answers Magazine, Vol. 1, No. 2, Oct.-Dec. 2006, p. 82.)

In stark contrast, once again, stands the Bible. Given a world populated by eight people (Noah and his family after the flood) around 4,500 years ago, and doubling the population every 150 years, we can easily arrive at the world’s current population (actually a little bit more; see the above cited article). Furthermore, there is no evidence of a mass extinction event that killed billions upon billions of humans sometime in the distant past. Therefore, for evolution to be true there would either have to be,

1. Around 1¹⁰⁰ people living on planet earth (which there obviously are not), or

2. Some evidence in the fossil record of the death of billions upon billions of human beings (there has never been a shred of evidence produced to support such a hypothesis either).

As you can see, atheism, with its theory (and it’s only a theory) of evolution, fails the test of historical accuracy before it even gets off the ground. The Bible passes with flying colors. (We’ll discuss the topic of the historical accuracy of the Bible further in a later post.)

Well, I honestly thought I would finish this in one post, but that's long enough for one post. Check back in April for the conclusion. : )

Link for the Month of March, 2008

Decisions, decisions, decisions…Which website should I tell you about this month? OK, here’s a good one: www.anryhome.com. Yes, it’s kind of a weird name, but you really ought to check this site out. Here’s what you’ll find at anryhome.com:

· Free wallpapers- The person who keeps up this website (he or she told me in an e-mail that their site’s name was a combination of their first and last names, if I remember correctly) has traveled extensively. On this website, you can find many beautiful pictures of exotic places to use as backgrounds on your computer
· Free utilities-Color picker (allows you to use any color you see on your screen in whatever way you want), lossless JPEG rotator, domino game…sound interesting? Check it out!
· Free calendars-That’s right. On this website, you can get free calendars you can customize and print off. What’s better yet, the calendars go through the year 2099!

As with all websites, I can’t endorse 100% of the content, nor can I guarantee that this entire site is edifying. Personally, I haven’t seen anything wrong on this site (and I’ve found it to be a great resource), but, as always, be discerning. Happy surfing!

Item of Interest for March, 2008

Here’s an item from one of my favorite website that I found interesting and thought that I’d share with you-enjoy!

(p.s. I’ll have something really interesting for you here next month, so be sure to check back then.)

“Christ's call is to save the lost, not the stiff-necked; He came not to call scoffers but sinners to repentance; not to build and furnish comfortable chapels, churches, and cathedrals at home in which to rock Christian professors to sleep by means of clever essays, stereotyped prayers, and artistic musical performances, but to capture men from the devil's clutches and the very jaws of Hell. This can be accomplished only by a red-hot, unconventional, unfettered devotion, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to the Lord Jesus Christ.”

--C.T. Studd (1860-1931), Missionary to China and Africa

Sunday School for Atheists [Excerpts]

2008-02-14T15:52:00.000-08:00

Below is an interesting follow-up to the quotes regarding atheists:

Sunday School for Atheists [Excerpts]

On Sunday mornings, most parents who don't believe in the Christian God, or any god at all, are probably making brunch or cheering at their kids' soccer game, or running errands or, with luck, sleeping in. Without religion, there's no need for church, right?

Maybe. But some nonbelievers are beginning to think they might need something for their children. "When you have kids," says Julie Willey, a design engineer, "you start to notice that your co-workers or friends have church groups to help teach their kids values and to be able to lean on." So every week, Willey, who was raised Buddhist and says she has never believed in God, and her husband pack their four kids into their blue minivan and head to the Humanist Community Center in Palo Alto, Calif., for atheist Sunday school.

The growing movement of institutions for kids in atheist families also includes Camp Quest, a group of sleep-away summer camps in five states plus Ontario, and the Carl Sagan Academy in Tampa, Fla., the country's first Humanism-influenced public charter school, which opened with 55 kids in the fall of 2005. Bri Kneisley...sent her son Damian, 10, to Camp Quest Ohio this past summer...

Kneisley, 26, a graduate student at the University of Missouri, says she realized Damian needed to learn about secularism after a neighbor showed him the Bible. "Damian was quite certain this guy was right and was telling him this amazing truth that I had never shared," says Kneisley. In most ways a traditional sleep-away camp--her son loved canoeing--Camp Quest also taught Damian critical thinking, world religions and tales of famous freethinkers (an umbrella term for atheists, agnostics and other rationalists) like the black abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2c9171%2c1686828%2c00.html

(This was e-mailed to me from the Berean Call www.thebereancall.org)

2007-10-13T16:36:00.000-07:00

A shortcut to truth? Prove it! (Shortcut to Truth, Part A)

In last month’s post, we asked whether, in seeking to know what is true, it is necessary for us to examine the claims of every single world religion. As previously mentioned, every human being is given one finite life before he or she steps through the doorway of death into whatever lies beyond the grave, so it would seem only sensible to be sure, absolutely sure beyond the shadow of a reasonable doubt, where it is that we are going after we die.

In this short journey of life, it simply is not possible to complete the task of examining each of the world’s hundreds of religions. No one could thoroughly examine every single major world religion and all the sects that branch off from them as well as all of the less prominent religious movements in one lifetime. There simply isn’t enough time. To rely on the research that others have compiled over a lifetime of studying world religions is not wise either, for who knows what biases they may have held which may have distorted their interpretation of the evidence, for, let us be honest, none of us is truly objective. We all filter what we hear through the gradient of past experiences, already formed beliefs, and our own desire to be right before what we read or hear ever even reaches our mind.

With that confession ringing in our ears, we nonetheless must be willing to face possibly unpleasant facts and proceed. If we are therefore to arrive at the truth, how is it to be done, seeing we are limited in our ability to examine evidence and thoroughly un-objective in our examination of whatever evidence it is that we do uncover?

First, be aware that, whoever you are, you are biased. So am I, and so is every other person on planet earth. How then to proceed? Don’t check your brain at the door, but be honest enough to be willing to admit that, “I may be wrong, but I must first be proved so.” Friends, I may be wrong, but, if I am, you must prove it to me. To do so requires that you first decide what is true, which effectively puts us back where we started.

What if, in our quest to discover the truth, there is a shortcut we could take that will save us years of fruitless searching? My challenge: find the world religion that:

1. 1. Makes claims no other religion makes,

2. 2. Has proved 100% historically accurate in every respect,

3. 3. Stakes the most on its being right or wrong, and

4. 4. Demands a life-changing decision.

That “religion” is, of course, Christianity.

1. CLAIMS MADE BY NO OTHER RELIGION

“All the gods of the nations are idols: (that would include the god Allah of Islam, the gods or god expressions of Hinduism, etc.) but the LORD made the heavens.” (Psalm 96:5) Such a claim as this one is typical of the most controversial book ever written. With statements such as the above, the Bible not only sets itself apart from every other religion, and non-religion, but also casts down a gauntlet that every human being should seriously examine, namely, that the Bible is the only source of absolute truth.

The Bible makes claims that no other religious writing makes. It claims:

· To be inspired by the One True God (hence the some 413 Scriptures that begin, “Thus saith the Lord,” one such being Isaiah 66:1). The Bible states, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God,” and, “The prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2 Peter 1:21)

· To be pure and inerrant. In Psalm 12:6 we read, “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times (i.e. unto perfection, seven being the number of perfection [God creation was finished by the seventh day, etc.]).”

· To be preserved forever from any additions or subtractions. Psalm 12 goes on to say in verse 7, “Thou shalt keep (meaning to watch over, protect, or guard) them (God’s words), O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation forever.”

· To be able to endure forever. “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.” (Psalm 119:89) “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” (Isaiah 40:8) “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” (1 Peter 1:23-25)

We could continue for quite some time listing the amazing claims of the Bible, all of which have proven to be true despite centuries of man’s best efforts to destroy the Bible. (Before you object to such a sweeping statement, please know that irrefutable evidence [yes, I did say “irrefutable evidence”] will be forthcoming; please give me time to lay some groundwork.) However, I think you get the picture: the Bible claims to be, and is, a very unique book.

Does it not therefore seem wise to begin our search for truth at the Bible, and, if its claims prove true, thereby save ourselves from a lifetime of fruitless rummaging through the religions of this world? If your answer is yes, then I invite you to examine the claims of the Bible that I have listed above for yourself. We will examine the historical accuracy of the Bible in the next post. God bless.

Link for the Month of October, 2007

Have you ever wished you could know what a website was like before you visit it? Wouldn’t it be convenient to have all your user names and passwords at hand and to be able to submit them securely with the push of a button or the stroke of a few keys? Would you like to be able to remove annoying advertising from web pages automatically? Well, you can with the best web browser available today: Mozilla Firefox. Firefox is the browser of choice for most web masters and is rapidly growing in popularity with the average person. It is much simpler to use than Internet Explorer, includes tabbed browsing and a built-in pop-up blocker, the best I have seen, and can be customized with free themes and add-ons. You can download Firefox with Google toolbar for Windows here: (http://tools.google.com/firefox/toolbar/bundle/) After you download, check out these recommend add-ons:

· Google toolbar (the power of Google at your fingertips)

· Ad Block Plus (removes ads from web pages you visit; allows you to block specific images; can easily be customized to block all ads or no ads on a particular site; all settings can easily be changed at any time)

· Cool Iris (allows you to preview web sites before ever visiting them [works best on high-speed connections])

· Secure Log-in (securely saves usernames and passwords so you can log in with the push of a button or the stroke of two keys)

Add-ons will be offered to you after you download Firefox. If you already have Firefox, the add-ons are available at https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/browse/type:1.

Know of a great add-on? Let everyone know about it by commenting on this post.

Safer web browsing!

Item of Interest for October, 2007

Recently, discussions with atheists have challenged me to examine what I believe and why. Many, when confronted about their faith in Jesus Christ as the only way to salvation, either shrink back in fear or lash out in anger. Neither response is right. Rather than responding in these ways, Christians are told to, “Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” (1 Peter 3:15)

However, we can’t stop there. Consider this quote from Karl Rahner (1904–1984): “The number one cause of atheism is Christians. Those who proclaim God with their mouths and deny him with their life-styles is what an unbelieving world finds simply unbelievable.”

Thus, Peter goes on to say in verse 16, “Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.” Being right with God and our fellow man allows us to share the truth with boldness.

As believers, we would do well to remember that we are always to follow the steps of Jesus, letting Him live His life through us. If we do, we can always bless those that curse us, do good to those that hate us, and pray for those that despitefully use us and persecute us. That is a testimony to the world that we are indeed the children of our Father which is in heaven.

Perhaps these quotes from Christians of the past may challenge us to love the enemies of God and earnestly pray for and seek their salvation.

“Atheism is rather in the lip than in the heart of man.” Francis Bacon (1561–1626)

“Nobody talks so constantly about God as those who insist there is no God.” Heywood Broun (1888–1939)

“There are no atheists in foxholes.” William Thomas Cummings (1903–1944)

“Were every man on earth to become atheist, it could not affect God in any way. He is what he is in himself without regard to any other. To believe in him add nothing to his perfections; to doubt him takes nothing away.” A. W. Tozer (1897–1963)

“I am an atheist, thank God!” C. S. Lewis (1898–1963)

“I was . . . living, like so many atheists or antitheists, in a whirl of contradictions. I maintained that God did not exist. I was also very angry with God for not existing. I was equally angry with him for creating a world.” C. S. Lewis (1898–1963)

“Really, a young atheist cannot guard his faith too carefully. Dangers lie in wait for him on every side. You must not do, you must not even try to do, the will of the Father unless you are prepared to “know of the doctrine.” . . . For the first time I examined myself with a seriously practical purpose. And there I found what appalled me; a zoo of lusts, a bedlam of ambitions, a nursery of fears, a harem of fondled hatreds. My name was legion.” C. S. Lewis (1898–1963)

“What reason have atheists for saying that we cannot rise again? Which is the more difficult, to be born, or to rise again? That what has never been, should be, or that what has been should be again? Is it more difficult to come into being than to return to it?” Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)

“(God) will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Tim. 2:4-6)

A Woman Rides the Beast - Dave Hunt

2007-10-13T16:30:00.001-07:00

Are you missing half the story about the last days?
Most of the discussion of the end times focuses on the coming Antichrist - but he is only half the story. Many are amazed to discover in Revelation 17 that there is also another mysterious character at the heart of prophecy - a woman who rides the beast. Who is the woman? Tradition says she is connected with the church of Rome. But isn't such a view outdated? After all, today's Vatican is eager to join hands with evangelicals [unchanging Rome has changed again] and all religions worldwide. "The Catholic church has changed." is what we hear. Or has it? In "A Woman Rides the Beast", biblical truth and global events present a well - defined portrait of the woman and her powerful place in the Antichrist's future empire. At least ten remarkable clues in Revelation 17 and 18 prove the woman's identity beyond any reasonable doubt. www.thebereancall.org

Does God exist? Is there such a thing as absolute truth? Prove it!

2007-09-11T17:25:00.000-07:00

Where do we turn to for the answers to life’s most important questions? Perhaps a better question is, “Does it really even matter?” After all, isn’t it more important just to have genuine faith in something, whether yourself, the teachings of some religious figurehead, or in some “higher power,” than to be concerned about the object of that faith?

As well meaning and broadminded as that may sound, it could be tragically misleading. What if it turns out that not all roads do indeed lead to the top of the same mountain? Wouldn’t we do well to examine our beliefs, the teachings we accept, and the path we’re on before we step off planet earth through the doorway of death into whatever lies beyond the grave? It seems that most people don’t think seriously about what death holds until shortly before they die, failing to realize that death is an inevitable fact of life that every human being will face one day. Barring the Biblical event known as the Rapture, which will be discussed in a later post, death is not a question of “if I die,” but “when I die.”

Every day we make decisions, whether “small” or “large.” Yet, most of us are more thorough in preparing a grocery list, checking the condition of a used car we’re considering buying, or planning our next vacation than we are about our eternal destiny. Can we afford to leave planet earth for whatever lies beyond death in anything less than absolute certainty?

No one goes to the airport assuming that they can get a flight because they possess a piece of paper that bears the word “ticket”. Neither should we die with blind faith that somehow, whether through myself or some religious organization, I’ll make it to something better, whatever that may be. No, we owe it to ourselves as beings capable of logically examining evidence and to those we love, who will one day face death just like us, to settle our eternal destiny before we die.

This may seem impossible to some in our day and age. After all, who can take it upon himself or herself to say something dogmatic or absolute? Who are you to say you’re right and I’m wrong! However, it is only logical that if everything man devises about “religion” is true, then nothing is true. For example, Islam declares that there is only one God, Allah, while Hinduism declares that there are more than 3,000,000 gods! Obviously, they can’t both be right. Either one or both of these assertions is wrong. It is not possible to hold two contradictory views at the same time. So, how can we tell what is true and what is a lie? Do we have to rummage through every single world religion, every religious teaching, and every claim to divinity before we can arrive at the truth? Does each claim of every world religion need to be scrutinized before we can decide what to believe?

This will be the topic of the next post, where we will examine “The Shortcut to Truth.” Please check back next month as we Prove it.

Link of the month for September 2007

Every month, I’ll post a sponsored link that you may find helpful. The content of the links will range from some site related to the topic of the month’s post to free clip art and web safety tools. This month’s link is to The Berean Call. [www.thebereancall.org] I am indebted to Dave Hunt for many of the concepts and ideas presented in this month’s post. This website offers access to a large database of newsletters, radio archives, and answers to hundreds of questions about the Bible. Bookmark it and check back often. I also recommend subscribing to their daily e-mail, which contains alerts to issues relevant to every believer, as well as links to their monthly newsletter and weekly radio program. Happy surfing!

Item of Interest for September 2007

This month’s item is from the sponsored site for September, and can be found at [http://www.thebereancall.org/node/5859 ]. Hope you find it challenging.

Speaking of Hell

"...The world speaks more about Hell than the Church. They casually use phrases like all Hell broke loose, like a bat out of Hell, there will be Hell to pay, just for the Hell of it, and someone being as mad as a Hell. When something is hopeless, they say, he doesn't have a hope in Hell. Then there's the road to Hell, which is paved with good intentions, come Hell or high water, until Hell freezes over. They casually speak of how sure Hell is, with as sure as Hell, and of course, when they are angry, they tell each other to go to Hell.

In contrast, most of the contemporary Church (which is commanded to "warn" every man) is afraid to even mention the word, for fear of offending the world." —Ray Comfort

http://www.christianworldviewnetwork.com/article.php/2324/Ray_Comfort