evidence of God in our instincts...

  I was just watching TV and a commercial for a sci-fy show came on with Stephan Hawkings commenting on mankinds search for purpose. That got me to thinking, isn't that evidence of God? Why would every human being have this inner yearning to find purpose in their lives? We don't don't see dogs sitting and pondering their existence, only humans.
  That is becasue God installed in us all an internal "radar" that is designed to pick up God's "transmissions" or call to each of us. He wants us all to seek Him out of our own free will.
  Those of us who are Christians don't question what our purpose is, our purpose is to use the talents and gifts that God has given us to find those who are seeking Him, whether they realize it or not, and lead them to Him.
  So, if your questioning your purpose in life, you're hearing God calling out to you. Seek Him out. Go to a church or message me. I'll be glad to help in any way I can.

Evolution

  I've been thinking a lot about the fallacy of evolution. The theory of evolution has probably done more damage to the human race than any other belief system ever created by man. The Jewish holocaust was a direct result of Darwin's theory of evolution.Hitler's goal was to speed up the process of evolution believing that blond hair, blue eyes and fair skin was the epitome of evolution.
  Today, evolution is directly responsible for the  death of millions of unborn babies and moral degradation in our society. "How is that?" you might ask. Evolution stands in direct contrast to what the Bible teaches. In short, if evolution is true, then the Bible is not. If the Bible is not true, then there are no moral absolutes and the idea of right and wrong becomes relative to the interests of the individual. When that happens, chaos ensues.
  "Hasn't evolution been proven to be true?"  The short answer is "no!"
  In order for evolution to be true, the earth would have to be millions or billions of years old. Now you're thinking, "Wait a minute, I know that the earth is at least millions of years old because I see them talking about it on Discovery and History channel all the time. They've done tests, right?"
  Scientists have developed tests that they claim can reveal the age of various test subjects. The theories they put forth sound great and on the surface are very convincing, but once you look into how the tests are done, what the results really show and most importantly what they don't tell you, you begin to see what a hoax they really are.
  Suppose I asked you to tell me how long it would take to fill my bathtub. I told you that my tub will hold 50 gallons of water and my faucet produces a flow rate of 25 gallons a minute. With that information, you would conclude that the tub would be filled in 2 minutes time. Sounds correct, right? What I didn't tell you is how much water was already in the tub to begin with.
  Let's look at Carbon 14 radiometric dating. That is what you hear about most on those "educational" channels. Carbon 14 degrades by half every 5730  years (+/- 40 years). So given that predictable rate, the test shouldn't be able to date anything older than 50,000 years. So theoretically, if a sample for dating has carbon 14, it can't be millions of years old.
  Even given that information and supposing that radio carbon dating could detect millions of years, you would still need to know how much carbon 14 was in the sample to begin with. Scientists, in order to come up with these dates, have to make certain assumptions. For example, they have to assume that the amount of carbon 14 in the environment then was the same as it is now. They have to assume that nothing in that time frame has effected the deterioration rate of the Carbon 14. We know that the amounts of Carbon 14 has varied over the centuries. Volcanic eruptions, for example, causes an increase of Carbon 14 in the environment.
   When the Carbon 14 is created, it also combines with oxygen to create carbon dioxide which is then absorbed by plant life which is then eaten by animal life. When the subject dies, it no longer absorbs the carbon 14 and the decay begins. Supose that death occurs at a period of time when carbon 14 is depleted relative to what we know today. When tested, that organism would appear older than it truly is because it has less carbon 14 than was expected. Now, scientists will tell you that they can make assumptions to account for that based on how old they think the specimen is. Did you catch the key words there? Assumptions and think. Any time you have to make an assumption when testing something, you can not rely on the results and given that there was no test equipment in place to evaluate the amount of carbon 14 at the time of death, they can only guess at best, and a guess, even an educated guess, is not good enough.
  There are other forms of radiometric dating that in theory should be able to give ages in the millions of years. These tests measure isotope concentrations and can be used to test rocks (unlike carbon 14). If these tests were truly accurate and the assumptions were true (yes, the same assumptions apply), then each of these tests should bear the same results when applied to the same sample, yet they don't. Not only do different tests show different results for the same sample, but even the same test done multiple times to the same subject will give multiple results. So, how can scientist claim that the earth is millions or even billions of years old? When a test result comes back outside the expected date range, they claim an anomoly or contamination of the specimen and throw out the result.
  Why go to all of that trouble? Why not just be honest about the results? Because, in my opinion, their goal is to "prove" that there is no God. At a minimum, they don't want to validate the truthfulness of the Bible. If they admitted that the total of all of the evidence supported the Bible, then the people of every other belief system would be alienated and would revolt. We could actually see wars start over that kind of revolation. Ultimately, though, I don't think they care about whether or not wars start, they're not that noble. My opinion, based on people I have met of that belief system, is that they just can't stand the idea that there is a being greater than they are. That there is a being that will have ultimate say over their future. And ultimately, that they may have to answer to that being for the life that they chose to live.
  I believe that I have laid out enough doubt here to sufficiently discredit, or at least cast some serious doubt on the idea that the earth is millions of years old. So how do we determine the age of the earth? We go back to the only document on earth that has stood the test of time and is being proven every day that it is a truly reliable resource. The Bible. Using the geneological record of the Bible, we can determine the age of the earth to be approx. 6000 to 8000 years. Believe it or not, there is actually evidence to support this claim that I will touch on  in future blogs. This will likely be the first of many on this subject.

Psalm 1:1-6

  "Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither, whatever they do prospers. Not so with the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction."

  This seems pretty self explanatory for those who grew up in the church or has been a Christian for a while. But, what about those who are new to the faith or are exploring the faith? For them, I'll try to break this down a bit for the utmost clarity.
 The first question that I imagine they may have is 'what exactly constitutes wickedness?'. Wickedness in short is a sinful lifestyle, sin of course being rebellion against God. Colossians 3:5-9 gives us a list of  sinful behaviour that we are to turn away from: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed (which is idolatry), anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language, and lies.
  People whose lifestyle is mired in this kind of sin are not to be in our closest circle of friends. Yes, we should be friendly (in a true sense, not just on the outside) so that we can share the gospel with them, but we should not let ourselves get so close that we risk getting sucked into their "wickedness" ourselves.
  Verse 2 reads that we should delight in the law of the Lord and meditate on it day and night. "How do you 'delight' in the law and why should you 'meditate' on it day and night, isn't that a bit much?", you may ask. When one grows to understand the many benefits that God's law brings and how it improves your life, you begin to understand just how much God loves you and how far He's willing to go for you because of that love. To meditate on it day and night is not so much a disciplinary and monotonous, constant recitation of scripture, it's an indication not only that you understand those benefits that come with obeying the law, but at its core it is an indication that you have come to understand God's love and return it back to Him. Think of it this way, When you fall in love with another person, you desperately want to know everything about them. You want to know them intimately. When you begin to return God's love, you also want to know Him intimately and His holy word, the Bible (aka, the law) is how we get to know Him. That is where He is fully revealed and meditating (or reading, or studying) on that teaches you how to please God and bring His blessings on your life which is what is conveyed in verse 3.
    For those who chose to live "wicked" lives, the story is much different. An agrarian analogy is used here to illustrate the end results of those who live Godly lives verses those who live wicked lives. It says that the wicked is like chaff that the wind blows away. So, what is chaff? When grain is picked, the kernels are separated from the hulls. In primitive cultures, it is usually placed on a large disk which is used to gently toss the kernels and hulls into the air where the breeze blows the hulls (chaff) out leaving only the kernels which is then turned into wholesome food. The left over chaff was usually then gathered and thrown into the fire to burn.
  Wicked people will receive a very similar end. The day will come when we all stand before God and answer for the lives that we have led. The wicked will be like chaff, they will be separated out and thrown into the fires of Hell, but those who chose to love God and live their lives for Him will live with Him in His presence for eternity.
  Below are listed a few additional passages from the Bible that relate to this subject. Look them up in your Bible and learn more about how to live a Godly life, and if you don't have a Bible of your own, then go to www.youversion.com which is an online Bible with many different translations to choose from. Just pick the one that is easiest for you to understand.

• Ephesians 5:15
• Phillipians 2:3
• Phillipians 4:13
• Colosians 3:1-17
• Hebrews 4:11-13
• Hebrews 10:16-30

  If you read these and have any questions, feel free to send me an email or leave a comment and I'll be glad to help.

The language we use

We as Christians need to be mindful of the language that we use. We live in a world where "course" language is part of the everday vernacular. We need to be careful not to let it become part of ours. We are to stand apart from the crowd and set an example for others. Colossians 3:8 reads "But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips." Notice that Paul equates filthy language with rage, malice, and slander. It is a big deal! In Epheshians 4:29 Paul again instructs "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." The unchurched take notice of how we speak and we are labeled as either sincere (and are respected) or we are labled as another hypocrite (and are dismissed). Our job, we must remember, is to lead people to Jesus by reflecting Him in our daily lives so that they will want what we have. If they don't see a difference in us, then why would they seek the change that they don't yet know that they need?

A Christmas Parable

  This is a paraphrased story that I heard on the radio titled "If only" by David Crabtree. Some of you may have heard it . For those who haven't, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.



   John approached his wife to break the news to her, "I not going to the Christmas eve service at the church with you this year. You know that I have never really believed all of that Jesus being God and coming to Earth as a man stuff. It would just be hypocritical of me to go."
  John's wife was disappointed, but understood his point. She loaded up the kids and left without him.
  John was sitting in a chair by the fireplace reading a book when he heard a thump behind him. He looked around the room but didn't see anything and turned back to his book. Then there was another thump, and then another.
  John got up and walked over to the large window. Outside the window were several small birds flopping around in the snow after trying to fly through the window in search of warmth and shelter. John couldn't stand to see the birds out there in the cold, he knew that they would die in the cold if he didn't do something. So, he slipped on his boots and his coat and went out into the snow.
  He went to his barn, opened the doors wide and turned on the light, but the birds payed it no mind. He then went into the house and brought out some bread that he crumbled and made a trail into the barn, but the birds ignored the bread. Running out of ideas and desperate to save the lives of the birds, he opened his coat and tried to herd the birds into the barn, but they just fled in different directions.
  John realized that the birds were terrified of him and all of his attempts to reach out to them and save their lives just frightened them even more causing them to run from him.
  "If only I could become a bird and could communicate with the birds, if I could speak their language I could fly down among them and tell them how to be saved. If only I were a bird..." he thought to himself.
  At that very moment, as John helplessly watched the birds flopping around in the snow , the church bells began to ring loud and clear. John heard the bells and realized in that moment that he was one of those birds. He was flopping around in the snow of his life, bound to die with no hope of salvation. But Jesus did what he wanted to do. God came to Earth as a man named Jesus so that we wouldn't be afraid, speaking our language so that we would understand how to get to the salvation that waits in the barn. In that moment, John understood and fell to his knees right there in the snow and prayed for the salvation that Jesus came to provide.

  If you have struggled with the concept of  God taking the form of a man in order to save you, I hope that this story clarifies things for you.  Again, as soon as I find who the writer of the story is and it's original name, I'll post it (and a link if possible) so that you can hear the original.

The Miracle of Christmas

  We are one week away from Christmas, and I have been thinking a lot today about the miracle of Christmas. Then I remembered that not too long ago I was made aware that there are actually people that, due to unusual circumstances (in this particular instance the person was deaf), do not know what Christmas is really all about. So, let's start at the beginning, the very beginning.
  In the garden, Adam and Eve broke the one and only rule that God had given them. From that day forward mankind has been cursed with an inescapable sin nature. That sin nature separated us from God because we were no longer holy. The penalty for that sin is death and separation from God and an eternity in the flames of Hell. The only way to overcome that penalty is by the shedding of blood for sin. It is for that purpose that Jesus had to be born.
  "So, what does all that have to do with Christmas?" Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus. From the prophesies to the virgin birth, everything about His birth is miraculous.
  There are several prophesies that address His lineage. Genesis 22: 18 declares that He will be a descendant of Abraham, Genesis 49: 10 declares that He will be born of the tribe of Judah, Numbers 24 :17 says that He will be a descendant of Jacob, Isaiah 11: 10 puts Him in the line of Jesse, Jeremiah 23: 5-6 shows that he is the heir to the throne of King David. All of these fulfillment's are shown in the book of Matthew 1: 1-16 where His lineage is traced from Abraham all the way through His earthly father, Joseph.
  Micah 5: 2 indicates that He will be born in the town of Bethlehem. Isaiah 7: 14 declares that He will be born of a virgin and that His "name will be Immanuel". The name Immanuel means "God with us". Psalm 2: 7 and Proverbs 30: 4 tell that He will be the son of God; Luke 1: 32 and Matthew 3: 17 declare the fulfillment.
  These are just some of the prophesies that were made and fulfilled. Jesus is the only man in history who has ever fulfilled every prophesy in the Old Testament. To see more, you can follow this link http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/messiah.html
  The miracle goes far beyond the supernatural nature of His birth. It is in the fact that God himself loved His creation enough to come down to earth, take the form of a man, and knowing exactly what he would have to endure, did it anyway to pay the price for our sins so that we would have a way out of our deserved punishment.
  Yes, I did say that Jesus is God. John 1: 1-3 reads "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without Him, nothing was made that has been made." This makes Jesus Himself the creator of the Universe.
  The Deity of Christ was demonstrated many times throughout His life through the healing of diseases, the casting out of demons and raising the dead to life. The finale to all of this was when he suffered disfiguring abuse, allowed Himself to be crucified as a blood sacrifice for our sins, and then resurrected himself from the grave to overcome and defeat death to prove beyond doubt that He is God.
  This is the miracle of Christmas. This is why we celebrate the birth of a baby born 2000 years ago.

 

Ancient Religions

  This is a spontaneous post, like many I will write, that will be inspired by something I see on television; usually on History channel. And these will always be subject to updating.

  Today, I'm watching a show about angels and their origins. I have often noticed a trend in these shows that the History channel produces on religion. They work very hard to minimize Christianity and its root of Judaism.
  They try to say that the Jewish faith, and therefore the Christian faith, originated not from the initial relationship that God has had with mankind beginning with Adam and Eve, but from other "older" religions such as Zoroastrianism which contains a single entirely good god and an entirely evil one who is in serpentine form. That religion also has angelic beings similar to ours and some have similar names (Cherubs vs. Kerubs). I understand that these people don't have a relationship in truth with God and that's why they are so easily led astray. I just wish that they would consider the truth, even if they just portrayed it as an alternate idea that could stand on it's own rather than a religious soup that has pulled from other religions for all of it's central ideas.
  The truth is this; that God created mankind for relationship with Him at the beginning of creation and has walked with mankind throughout history.
  These "intellectuals" have it exactly backward. As the population of the earth expanded and people began to move throughout the world, they took these teachings with them. Before man developed the written word, it was told orally, and anyone who has ever played the rumor game knows how that can turn out.
  So, what makes Jews and ultimately Christians, different? The difference is that through Abraham, Jews sought after truth and a relationship with the one true God, until God Himself gave Moses the first 5 books of the Old Testament to be written down and therefore made firm.
  The writings of Moses and the prophets who followed were verified in truth by the prophesied birth, life and death of Jesus, the Christ. This fact negates who put their belief system in physical writing first, because none other was given to them by the one true God who had the power to back it up!