Stephen Hawking: Any Theory that Excludes God
Isn't it interesting how many scientists will belittle those who, accept by faith the account of creation as described in the Bible. Yet, they will accept by faith any theory on the origins of our universe, as long as that theory excludes a Creator.
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Thursday, September 16, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Intolerance Toward Christianity is on the Rise in America
Intolerance Toward Christianity is on the Rise in America
The rise in intolerance towards Bible believing Christians in America has become a stark reality. Polling data shows that a majority of Americans still claim to be Christians, but the evidence in our society causes one to wonder if that data is accurate.
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The rise in intolerance towards Bible believing Christians in America has become a stark reality. Polling data shows that a majority of Americans still claim to be Christians, but the evidence in our society causes one to wonder if that data is accurate.
Read More
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
The Big Bang Theory: Is it Science or Religion?
The Big Bang Theory: Is it Science or Religion?
There is a thread of inconsistency running through modern science: the world view that declares that there is no God. Because of this belief, The Big Bang Theory takes science through a metamorphosis, turning into an atheistic religion based on faith.
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There is a thread of inconsistency running through modern science: the world view that declares that there is no God. Because of this belief, The Big Bang Theory takes science through a metamorphosis, turning into an atheistic religion based on faith.
Read More
Saturday, August 28, 2010
What is Truth? Two Opposing World Views
What is Truth? Two Opposing World Views
Can mankind the answer the question, What is Truth? The Christian world view stipulates that only through God and His Word can mankind find everlasting truth. But, the Humanist declares that it is mankind, through science, who gets to define truth.
Read More
Can mankind the answer the question, What is Truth? The Christian world view stipulates that only through God and His Word can mankind find everlasting truth. But, the Humanist declares that it is mankind, through science, who gets to define truth.
Read More
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Proposition 8 Ruling by Judge Walker Sparks Debate on State Rights Vs Federal Rights
In Judge Walkers ruling against Prop 8, the U.S. Constitution supersedes state constitutions concerning marriage. But, Federal Judge Tauro overturned the Federal DOMA law in favor of states rights concerning marriage. Which will prevail?
Read More
In Judge Walkers ruling against Prop 8, the U.S. Constitution supersedes state constitutions concerning marriage. But, Federal Judge Tauro overturned the Federal DOMA law in favor of states rights concerning marriage. Which will prevail?
Read More
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Associated Content Article by Michael Walker
Has academic freedom of speech been lost on America's university and college campuses today? Just ask Dr. Kenneth Howell, professor at the University of Illinois. He was fired from his position because of an email accusing him of "hate speech."
Please click the link to read more.
Political Correctness Overrides Freedom of Speech for Professor Howell.
Please click the link to read more.
Political Correctness Overrides Freedom of Speech for Professor Howell.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
How can the World be Transformed?
In Matthew, Jesus tells us, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." Our obedience to Christ Jesus is the key to transforming the world. Over and over, throughout the Bible God tells us that what He really wants from us is our obedience. The story of King Saul and Amalekites in 1 Samuel 15, shows us just how important that being obedient to the Lord is. In this story, we find that being obedient is better than trying to honor God through our own works.
Samuel, God's prophet, is told by God to have King Saul lead an army to destroy the Amalekites. In verse 3, God is very specific, "Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys." The Amalekites had attacked the Israelites as they traveled from Egypt to the Promised Land and God was now going to punish them. So King Saul gathers an army and attacks the city of Amalek. But in verse 9, we find that God's command has not been followed. "But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs—everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed." So, In their minds, the King and the soldiers were bringing back the best of the best to sacrifice to the Lord. They wanted to give to God an offering, they wanted to show God their devotion through these sacrifices.
But God is not pleased with this turn of events. We read in verse 10, "Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel: "I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions." Samuel finds King Saul at Carmel, where Saul is setting up a monument to himself. So Samuel questions Saul about the animals that are there and Saul explains that these animals that were captured are to be sacrificed to the Lord. Then Samuel tells Saul, in verses 18-19, what God had spoken to him the night before, "And he sent you on a mission, saying, 'Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.' Why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the LORD?"
Saul is completely caught off guard by this. His response comes in verse 20, "But I did obey the LORD," and again Saul explains the reasoning behind his actions, "I went on the mission the LORD assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal." Do we not act in the same way sometimes? God's Word is very clear about how we should live, but we decide that this verse or that verse just does not apply to us. We reason that even if we do not do exactly what God's Word says to do, that God will surely understand. Maybe not. Samuel's reply to King Saul is found in verse 22-23, "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king."
Look at the words that are used in the last verse, rebellion, sin, divination, arrogance, evil, idolatry, rejected. These are strong words used to show how serious God is about disobedience. In order to make a difference in this world, we as Christians, must learn to be more like Christ Jesus. He is our Saviour precisely because He was obedient. Philippians 2:8 "He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." In order for the world to be transformed, we must first be transformed through the renewing of our minds. Romans 12:2: "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Let us cast aside the idea that we can in some way, do something for God. Instead let's turn to His Holy Word and apply His teachings to our lives on a daily basis. In Luke 9:23, Jesus is talking to the crowd, "If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me." This is the model that Jesus set before us and only when Christians begin to follow this model will the world be transformed.
Samuel, God's prophet, is told by God to have King Saul lead an army to destroy the Amalekites. In verse 3, God is very specific, "Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys." The Amalekites had attacked the Israelites as they traveled from Egypt to the Promised Land and God was now going to punish them. So King Saul gathers an army and attacks the city of Amalek. But in verse 9, we find that God's command has not been followed. "But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs—everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed." So, In their minds, the King and the soldiers were bringing back the best of the best to sacrifice to the Lord. They wanted to give to God an offering, they wanted to show God their devotion through these sacrifices.
But God is not pleased with this turn of events. We read in verse 10, "Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel: "I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions." Samuel finds King Saul at Carmel, where Saul is setting up a monument to himself. So Samuel questions Saul about the animals that are there and Saul explains that these animals that were captured are to be sacrificed to the Lord. Then Samuel tells Saul, in verses 18-19, what God had spoken to him the night before, "And he sent you on a mission, saying, 'Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.' Why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the LORD?"
Saul is completely caught off guard by this. His response comes in verse 20, "But I did obey the LORD," and again Saul explains the reasoning behind his actions, "I went on the mission the LORD assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal." Do we not act in the same way sometimes? God's Word is very clear about how we should live, but we decide that this verse or that verse just does not apply to us. We reason that even if we do not do exactly what God's Word says to do, that God will surely understand. Maybe not. Samuel's reply to King Saul is found in verse 22-23, "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king."
Look at the words that are used in the last verse, rebellion, sin, divination, arrogance, evil, idolatry, rejected. These are strong words used to show how serious God is about disobedience. In order to make a difference in this world, we as Christians, must learn to be more like Christ Jesus. He is our Saviour precisely because He was obedient. Philippians 2:8 "He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." In order for the world to be transformed, we must first be transformed through the renewing of our minds. Romans 12:2: "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Let us cast aside the idea that we can in some way, do something for God. Instead let's turn to His Holy Word and apply His teachings to our lives on a daily basis. In Luke 9:23, Jesus is talking to the crowd, "If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me." This is the model that Jesus set before us and only when Christians begin to follow this model will the world be transformed.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
The Church Needs to Wake Up!
Christian Smith and other researchers with the National Study of Youth and Religion out of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill conducted more than 3,000 interviews with adolescents. Their findings show that there is a systemic problem in the Church. The youth of America have developed a totally different view of who God is and how we have a relationship with Him. The researchers are calling this new belief system, Moral Therapeutic Deism.
These teens do not consider this to be a new religion, they consider it Christianity, because most of them regard themselves as Christians. But, their beliefs are far from the normal Christian doctrines that have been taught for two millennia. The researchers identified common beliefs held among these teens, when it comes to their beliefs in God. None of these common beliefs include a way of redemption from sin. Indeed, sin is not even included in the dialog. The central core belief of Christianity is that Christ Jesus is the Saviour of all of mankind and without His redemptive blood, we would all be lost. But this is no longer considered a necessary belief to be considered a Christian. This new "christianity" is not just among our youth, but is also becoming the norm in a large section of our society.
The Bible gives a description of peoples attitudes during the last days. “You must realize, however, that in the last days difficult times will come. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unfeeling, uncooperative, slanderous, degenerate, brutal, hateful of what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. They will hold to an outward form of godliness but deny its power. Stay away from such people.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5 - ISV). Don't these verses describe our society pretty well? Notice near the end that some people will seem like Christians, but inwardly, they will not be truly committed to the Word.
How did we get into this position?
It seems that many leaders in the Church have adopted the attitude that the Church needs a kinder and gentler gospel. All this talk of sin and death makes people uncomfortable. So, they changed the focus from Jesus atoning for our sins to God wants us to feel loved. After all, doesn't the Bible tell us that God is love? The "new" gospel is God loves you and wants you to be happy. Too many Churches have become little more than civic organizations. Their emphasis is no longer on making disciples of Christ Jesus, but on making people feel good about themselves and their relationship with God.
What must we do to overcome this problem?
The Bible is the answer. We must get back into the Word, for only within the pages of the Bible lies the Truth and it cannot be found anywhere else. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 - ISV).
Paul told us in 2 Timothy that these people “hold to an outward form of godliness, but deny its power.” We have to change the way the Church reaches out to people. Our first priority must be to make disciples, people who are committed to following the teachings of Jesus. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20 - NET)
We must let go of the fear that some people will reject the Gospel. Jesus was not afraid to take a stand that was so demanding of people that some walked away from Him. Remember the story of the rich young ruler? Luke 18:18-30 (NASB). This young man came seeking, but when Jesus required of him something that he was not willing to depart with, the young man left. Jesus let this young man walk away. Did Jesus not care? Certainly He did, because “He does not want anyone to perish, but wants everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 - ISV). So, why didn't Jesus chase this man down and ease the requirements to make this man stay. Luke 18:28-30 (ISV) tells us, “Then Peter said, “See, we have left everything we have and followed you.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left his home, wife, brothers, parents, or children because of the kingdom of God who will not receive many times as much in this world, as well as eternal life in the age to come.” Jesus had called to these men, "come" and they had dropped everything to follow. He would not lower the standard for the rich young ruler, nor will He lower it for this generation.
The Church must proclaim to the world the standards set by Jesus. Let us not have a spirit of fear, but when someone comes seeking, let the Church boldly proclaim to them the Good News.
These teens do not consider this to be a new religion, they consider it Christianity, because most of them regard themselves as Christians. But, their beliefs are far from the normal Christian doctrines that have been taught for two millennia. The researchers identified common beliefs held among these teens, when it comes to their beliefs in God. None of these common beliefs include a way of redemption from sin. Indeed, sin is not even included in the dialog. The central core belief of Christianity is that Christ Jesus is the Saviour of all of mankind and without His redemptive blood, we would all be lost. But this is no longer considered a necessary belief to be considered a Christian. This new "christianity" is not just among our youth, but is also becoming the norm in a large section of our society.
The Bible gives a description of peoples attitudes during the last days. “You must realize, however, that in the last days difficult times will come. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unfeeling, uncooperative, slanderous, degenerate, brutal, hateful of what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. They will hold to an outward form of godliness but deny its power. Stay away from such people.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5 - ISV). Don't these verses describe our society pretty well? Notice near the end that some people will seem like Christians, but inwardly, they will not be truly committed to the Word.
How did we get into this position?
It seems that many leaders in the Church have adopted the attitude that the Church needs a kinder and gentler gospel. All this talk of sin and death makes people uncomfortable. So, they changed the focus from Jesus atoning for our sins to God wants us to feel loved. After all, doesn't the Bible tell us that God is love? The "new" gospel is God loves you and wants you to be happy. Too many Churches have become little more than civic organizations. Their emphasis is no longer on making disciples of Christ Jesus, but on making people feel good about themselves and their relationship with God.
What must we do to overcome this problem?
The Bible is the answer. We must get back into the Word, for only within the pages of the Bible lies the Truth and it cannot be found anywhere else. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 - ISV).
Paul told us in 2 Timothy that these people “hold to an outward form of godliness, but deny its power.” We have to change the way the Church reaches out to people. Our first priority must be to make disciples, people who are committed to following the teachings of Jesus. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20 - NET)
We must let go of the fear that some people will reject the Gospel. Jesus was not afraid to take a stand that was so demanding of people that some walked away from Him. Remember the story of the rich young ruler? Luke 18:18-30 (NASB). This young man came seeking, but when Jesus required of him something that he was not willing to depart with, the young man left. Jesus let this young man walk away. Did Jesus not care? Certainly He did, because “He does not want anyone to perish, but wants everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 - ISV). So, why didn't Jesus chase this man down and ease the requirements to make this man stay. Luke 18:28-30 (ISV) tells us, “Then Peter said, “See, we have left everything we have and followed you.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left his home, wife, brothers, parents, or children because of the kingdom of God who will not receive many times as much in this world, as well as eternal life in the age to come.” Jesus had called to these men, "come" and they had dropped everything to follow. He would not lower the standard for the rich young ruler, nor will He lower it for this generation.
The Church must proclaim to the world the standards set by Jesus. Let us not have a spirit of fear, but when someone comes seeking, let the Church boldly proclaim to them the Good News.
Monday, June 14, 2010
What is Truth? Two Opposing World Views.
Where is the wise person? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? God has turned the wisdom of the world into nonsense, hasn't he? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know God, God decided through the nonsense of our preaching to save those who believe. Jews ask for signs, and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified. He is a stumbling block to Jews and nonsense to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God's power and God's wisdom. For God's nonsense is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.
(1 Corinthians 1:20-25 - ISV)
"What is truth?" This is the question that Pilate asked, when he was questioning Jesus. It is the same question that many people ask today. We live in a society that seems incapable of deciding whether or not there is any truth. If anyone dares to declare that there is truth, then scorn is cast against them. They are derided for being "judgmental." The source of "truth" for many people in our society comes from self, each and every one of us gets to decide what truth is. It is really quite convenient, no one can challenge you, because your "truth" is yours alone and no one can take it from you. For the wisdom of this age is foolishness with God. As it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness." (1 Corinthians 3:19 - NET)
Is it possible to answer Pilate's question, "What is truth?" I guess it really depends on your world view. Do you have a Biblical world view or a Humanist world view? The Biblical world view professes that what is contained within the pages of the Holy Bible are God's truths. Humanism is a system of thought that rejects religious beliefs and centers on humans and their values, capacities, and worth. So, how does the world define truth? The Princeton wordnetweb website defines truth as: a fact that has been verified. Now this is a perfectly reasonable definition for the Humanist. The Humanist world view demands proof, preferably scientific proof, backed up with statistics and analysis. Their "truths" are not static, they change when "new" knowledge is gained or societies' opinion shifts. The Humanist god is self, and its religion is science. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world's perspective and the world listens to them.
(1 John 4:5 - NET)
But, I would bring forth the proposition that truth is truth whether it has been verified or not. Just because we discover something does not make it true, it was already true. We were just ignorant of that particular truth. When Sir Isaac Newton discovered gravity, wasn't gravity already true? When Galileo discovered that the earth revolved around the sun, did that only become true at the point of discovery or was it already true? If truth can only be ascertained through verification, then mankind will continue to stumble through the darkness without any hope that he will find Truth. Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things that are freely given to us by God. And we speak about these things, not with words taught us by human wisdom, but with those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people. The unbeliever does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2: 12-14 - NET)
(1 Corinthians 1:20-25 - ISV)
"What is truth?" This is the question that Pilate asked, when he was questioning Jesus. It is the same question that many people ask today. We live in a society that seems incapable of deciding whether or not there is any truth. If anyone dares to declare that there is truth, then scorn is cast against them. They are derided for being "judgmental." The source of "truth" for many people in our society comes from self, each and every one of us gets to decide what truth is. It is really quite convenient, no one can challenge you, because your "truth" is yours alone and no one can take it from you. For the wisdom of this age is foolishness with God. As it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness." (1 Corinthians 3:19 - NET)
Is it possible to answer Pilate's question, "What is truth?" I guess it really depends on your world view. Do you have a Biblical world view or a Humanist world view? The Biblical world view professes that what is contained within the pages of the Holy Bible are God's truths. Humanism is a system of thought that rejects religious beliefs and centers on humans and their values, capacities, and worth. So, how does the world define truth? The Princeton wordnetweb website defines truth as: a fact that has been verified. Now this is a perfectly reasonable definition for the Humanist. The Humanist world view demands proof, preferably scientific proof, backed up with statistics and analysis. Their "truths" are not static, they change when "new" knowledge is gained or societies' opinion shifts. The Humanist god is self, and its religion is science. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world's perspective and the world listens to them.
(1 John 4:5 - NET)
But, I would bring forth the proposition that truth is truth whether it has been verified or not. Just because we discover something does not make it true, it was already true. We were just ignorant of that particular truth. When Sir Isaac Newton discovered gravity, wasn't gravity already true? When Galileo discovered that the earth revolved around the sun, did that only become true at the point of discovery or was it already true? If truth can only be ascertained through verification, then mankind will continue to stumble through the darkness without any hope that he will find Truth. Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things that are freely given to us by God. And we speak about these things, not with words taught us by human wisdom, but with those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people. The unbeliever does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2: 12-14 - NET)
Friday, June 11, 2010
NeoGnostics - Modern Day Heretics?
You may have never heard of Gnosticism before, but I am sure that you have heard its teachings. Gnostics are not talking about the God that most Christians refer to. They describe a spiritual being that, according to them, is far above the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. Oprah promotes a teaching that says that God is so big that it is impossible for the human mind to understand anything about him. This is a central view in the Gnostic belief system, but it is quite contrary to what the Bible teaches. The Bible is full of attributes that describe God and how He thinks and feels, giving the reader a very good understanding of who and what God is. (Bible Gateway Link to "God is")
NeoGnosticism, my term, is an insidious belief system that can morph its way into any religion and it has made inroads into modern Christianity. It brings a mythical aspect to Christianity, with claims that you will have a better understanding of the scriptures. Gnosticism has always claimed to be more spiritual. This is the lure that is used by Gnostics, that they can provide you with "deeper" spiritual knowledge. No longer do the scriptures "mean what they say and say what they mean;" no, many Christians now depend on "revelations" from God to interpret the scriptures. Now, experience is just as important as scripture when it comes to rationalizing about how many Christians live their lives. Therein lies the problem. Too many Christians have turned to experience and "revelation" to guide them in their walk instead of obeying the scriptures. (Bible Gateway link to "Obey")
This is the essence of NeoGnosticism, that just following the teachings of the scriptures is no longer enough for the believer, we can have other sources of "truth" that can also help us in our Christian walk. Because of our modern sensibilities, it has become almost impossible to declare that something is true. We are now seeing the result of a whole generation of kids that were raised on the idea that there are no absolutes. "What is wrong for you, may be right for someone else" and visa-versa. Everyone is now entitled to have their own truth, which must not be challenged because you do not have the right to "push" your beliefs onto others.
This is true in the Church also. We are always "agreeing to disagree" even when something is clearly stated in scripture. The doctrine of "I believe" or "What that means to me is..." has become the defacto belief system in the Church. We are willing to believe in the teachings contained in the Bible as long as those teachings conform to our belief system. Modern day Christians are quite willing to jettison Biblical doctrine for a doctrine that is more in line with their own personal sensibilities.
So, what is to be done about this intrusion of doctrine into Christianity? First and foremost, Christians need to start reading the Bible. Romans tells us that through the scripture, we will have hope;"For whatever was written beforehand was written for our instruction, in order that through patient endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope." (Romans 15:4 - LEB).
Secondly, Christians must return to the understanding that only in the scriptures will truth be found. Paul, in his second letter to Timothy, reminds Timothy of the value that the scriptures bring to the man of God; "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17 - ISV)
Third, If we believe that all truth is contained in the scriptures, then we need to find our interpretations of scripture from the scriptures themselves and not from our own interpretations. In Peter's second letter, he writes, "First of all, you must understand this: No prophecy in Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, because no prophecy ever originated through a human decision. Instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." (2 Peter 1:20-21 - ISV)
Jesus gave us the great commission; "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20 - NIV). If we are to teach what Jesus has commanded, then by necessity we must believe that His commandments are true. And if His commandments are true, then by necessity, they must be obeyed.
Have we become a modern day Israel?
"But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us? So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry. Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me. But of Israel he says, All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people." (Romans 10:16-21 - ESV)
NeoGnosticism, my term, is an insidious belief system that can morph its way into any religion and it has made inroads into modern Christianity. It brings a mythical aspect to Christianity, with claims that you will have a better understanding of the scriptures. Gnosticism has always claimed to be more spiritual. This is the lure that is used by Gnostics, that they can provide you with "deeper" spiritual knowledge. No longer do the scriptures "mean what they say and say what they mean;" no, many Christians now depend on "revelations" from God to interpret the scriptures. Now, experience is just as important as scripture when it comes to rationalizing about how many Christians live their lives. Therein lies the problem. Too many Christians have turned to experience and "revelation" to guide them in their walk instead of obeying the scriptures. (Bible Gateway link to "Obey")
This is the essence of NeoGnosticism, that just following the teachings of the scriptures is no longer enough for the believer, we can have other sources of "truth" that can also help us in our Christian walk. Because of our modern sensibilities, it has become almost impossible to declare that something is true. We are now seeing the result of a whole generation of kids that were raised on the idea that there are no absolutes. "What is wrong for you, may be right for someone else" and visa-versa. Everyone is now entitled to have their own truth, which must not be challenged because you do not have the right to "push" your beliefs onto others.
This is true in the Church also. We are always "agreeing to disagree" even when something is clearly stated in scripture. The doctrine of "I believe" or "What that means to me is..." has become the defacto belief system in the Church. We are willing to believe in the teachings contained in the Bible as long as those teachings conform to our belief system. Modern day Christians are quite willing to jettison Biblical doctrine for a doctrine that is more in line with their own personal sensibilities.
So, what is to be done about this intrusion of doctrine into Christianity? First and foremost, Christians need to start reading the Bible. Romans tells us that through the scripture, we will have hope;"For whatever was written beforehand was written for our instruction, in order that through patient endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope." (Romans 15:4 - LEB).
Secondly, Christians must return to the understanding that only in the scriptures will truth be found. Paul, in his second letter to Timothy, reminds Timothy of the value that the scriptures bring to the man of God; "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17 - ISV)
Third, If we believe that all truth is contained in the scriptures, then we need to find our interpretations of scripture from the scriptures themselves and not from our own interpretations. In Peter's second letter, he writes, "First of all, you must understand this: No prophecy in Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, because no prophecy ever originated through a human decision. Instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." (2 Peter 1:20-21 - ISV)
Jesus gave us the great commission; "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20 - NIV). If we are to teach what Jesus has commanded, then by necessity we must believe that His commandments are true. And if His commandments are true, then by necessity, they must be obeyed.
Have we become a modern day Israel?
"But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us? So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry. Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me. But of Israel he says, All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people." (Romans 10:16-21 - ESV)
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Sinking Island or A Biased Press?
Have you heard about the island that disappeared under the sea off of the Indian coast? An article on Wikipedia reports that In 1974, U.S. satellites picked up this tiny island and estimated its size at 27,000 square feet. It grew to about 110,000 square feet in size at low tide and its elevation above sea level was never more than about 2 miters at low tide.
The BBC, Associated Press, LA Times and many others are reporting that this island disappearance has been caused by global warming (oops, I mean climate change). But it is very interesting that this island did not exist until after the Bhola cyclone in 1970. The claim is that the ocean has been rising at a rate of 5mm per year since around the year 2000 and 3mm per year before that.
Now I have a few questions to ask. If it is "global warming" that has caused the ocean to rise and submerge this island, was it not "global cooling" that caused the ocean to lower and therefore expose this island"? This island is located at the mouth of the river Hariabhanga that is the border between India and Bangladesh. This whole region is nothing but deltas and mangroves. Could this possibly be just another delta island, like many around the world, that comes and goes according to the flow of the river and the tides?
What about the math? Reportedly, this island was only 2 miters high at low tide. One miter equals 1000 millimeters, therefore, at most this island was 2000mm high at low tide. It became an island sometime after 1970 and by 1974 could be seen by satellite. The Daily Star reported that in 1981 the Indian government sent a navy ship and raised the Indian flag to claim the island for India. Now, let's just say that the island has been sinking ever since 1981. From 1981 until 2010 would be 29 years. Let's also say that the rate of ocean rise has been 5mm per year since 1981; 29 years times 5mm per year would equal 145mm rise on the island since 1981. If the island was 2000mm at low tide and the ocean has risen 145mm in the 29 years, is it really global warming that has sunk this island?
The problem here is not whether islands are disappearing or not, but that the press is biased in its reporting of the global warming/climate change debate. The media are doing a disservice to the people who read their articles and watch their programs, when they just blindly report these claims of global warming as fact without any investigation into the validity of the science behind these claims. The recent scandals in the meteorological science world should put the media on notice that the information being passed on to them from the scientists needs to be confirmed by independent sources. The very least that the media should do is to provide opposing views of these events and allow the public to make an informed decision.
The BBC, Associated Press, LA Times and many others are reporting that this island disappearance has been caused by global warming (oops, I mean climate change). But it is very interesting that this island did not exist until after the Bhola cyclone in 1970. The claim is that the ocean has been rising at a rate of 5mm per year since around the year 2000 and 3mm per year before that.
Now I have a few questions to ask. If it is "global warming" that has caused the ocean to rise and submerge this island, was it not "global cooling" that caused the ocean to lower and therefore expose this island"? This island is located at the mouth of the river Hariabhanga that is the border between India and Bangladesh. This whole region is nothing but deltas and mangroves. Could this possibly be just another delta island, like many around the world, that comes and goes according to the flow of the river and the tides?
What about the math? Reportedly, this island was only 2 miters high at low tide. One miter equals 1000 millimeters, therefore, at most this island was 2000mm high at low tide. It became an island sometime after 1970 and by 1974 could be seen by satellite. The Daily Star reported that in 1981 the Indian government sent a navy ship and raised the Indian flag to claim the island for India. Now, let's just say that the island has been sinking ever since 1981. From 1981 until 2010 would be 29 years. Let's also say that the rate of ocean rise has been 5mm per year since 1981; 29 years times 5mm per year would equal 145mm rise on the island since 1981. If the island was 2000mm at low tide and the ocean has risen 145mm in the 29 years, is it really global warming that has sunk this island?
The problem here is not whether islands are disappearing or not, but that the press is biased in its reporting of the global warming/climate change debate. The media are doing a disservice to the people who read their articles and watch their programs, when they just blindly report these claims of global warming as fact without any investigation into the validity of the science behind these claims. The recent scandals in the meteorological science world should put the media on notice that the information being passed on to them from the scientists needs to be confirmed by independent sources. The very least that the media should do is to provide opposing views of these events and allow the public to make an informed decision.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
The Healing of a Nation
II Chronicles 7:14: If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (KJV)
Who are His people? This is an O.T. verse, but Christians are the people that are called by HIS name. In this verse, we are commanded to do four things.
Humble ourselves.
Webster defines humble as: "To make humble or lowly in mind; to abase the pride or arrogance of; to reduce the self-sufficiency of; to make meek and submissive." Have we become proud and arrogant? Do we depend on God or have we become self-sufficient? Are we submissive to the Word?
James 4:4-10: Adulterers, do you not know that friendship with the world means hostility toward God? So whoever decides to be the world's friend makes himself God's enemy. Or do you think the scripture means nothing when it says, "The spirit that God caused to live within us has an envious yearning"? But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble." So submit to God. But resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and make your hearts pure, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter into mourning and your joy into despair. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you. (NETfree)
Pray.
How should we pray then?
Matthew 6:1: "Be careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven." (NETfree)
Matthew 6:6: "But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you." (NETfree)
Matthew 6:9-13: "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." (KJV)
Seek my face.
How are we to seek the Lord? Webster defines seek as: 1. To go in search of; to look for; to search for; to try to find. 3. To try to acquire or gain; to strive after. God desires that we pursue Him with our whole being, nothing held back. Although we are not to seek Him in our own way, but through obedience to the Word.
Deuteronomy 4:29-30: But if you seek the LORD your God from there, you will find him, if, indeed, you seek him with all your heart and soul. In your distress when all these things happen to you in the latter days, if you return to the LORD your God and obey him (NETfree)
Mark 12:30: you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. (World English Bible)
I Samuel 15:22: Then Samuel said, "Does the LORD take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as he does in obedience? Certainly, obedience is better than sacrifice; paying attention is better than the fat of rams. (NETfree)
Turn from our wicked ways.
Ephesians 4:22-32: You were taught with reference to your former way of life to lay aside the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and to put on the new man who has been created in God's image - in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth. Therefore, having laid aside falsehood, each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on the cause of your anger. Do not give the devil an opportunity. The one who steals must steal no longer; rather he must labor, doing good with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with the one who has need. You must let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for the building up of the one in need, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. You must put away every kind of bitterness, anger, wrath, quarreling, and evil, slanderous talk. Instead, be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you. (NETfree)
Colossians 3:1-11: Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ (who is your life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him. So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth: sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion, evil desire, and greed which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience. You also lived your lives in this way at one time, when you used to live among them. But now, put off all such things as anger, rage, malice, slander, abusive language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with its practices and have been clothed with the new man that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created it. Here there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all and in all. (NETfree)
God says that if we will humble ourselves, pray, seek Him, and turn from our wicked ways, THEN, He will hear, He will forgive, and He will heal our land. Christianity is not the Shriners or Kiwanis. We have not joined a club, we have joined a way of life! We are in an endurance race to the end of our lives here on this earth. Has Christianity lost its influence over society? If the answer is yes, then is it because the world can no longer see a difference between them and us? Have we made becoming a follower of Christ so easy that it no longer has any real meaning? Jesus said to "count the cost" of becoming a disciple of His. What does it cost us today to be a disciple of Christ Jesus?
Let us strive to be disciples of Christ Jesus and God will bring healing to our land!
Hebrews 10:19-24: Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the fresh and living way that he inaugurated for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in the assurance that faith brings, because we have had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. And let us hold unwaveringly to the hope that we confess, for the one who made the promise is trustworthy. And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works (NETfree)
Who are His people? This is an O.T. verse, but Christians are the people that are called by HIS name. In this verse, we are commanded to do four things.
Humble ourselves.
Webster defines humble as: "To make humble or lowly in mind; to abase the pride or arrogance of; to reduce the self-sufficiency of; to make meek and submissive." Have we become proud and arrogant? Do we depend on God or have we become self-sufficient? Are we submissive to the Word?
James 4:4-10: Adulterers, do you not know that friendship with the world means hostility toward God? So whoever decides to be the world's friend makes himself God's enemy. Or do you think the scripture means nothing when it says, "The spirit that God caused to live within us has an envious yearning"? But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble." So submit to God. But resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and make your hearts pure, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter into mourning and your joy into despair. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you. (NETfree)
Pray.
How should we pray then?
Matthew 6:1: "Be careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven." (NETfree)
Matthew 6:6: "But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you." (NETfree)
Matthew 6:9-13: "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." (KJV)
Seek my face.
How are we to seek the Lord? Webster defines seek as: 1. To go in search of; to look for; to search for; to try to find. 3. To try to acquire or gain; to strive after. God desires that we pursue Him with our whole being, nothing held back. Although we are not to seek Him in our own way, but through obedience to the Word.
Deuteronomy 4:29-30: But if you seek the LORD your God from there, you will find him, if, indeed, you seek him with all your heart and soul. In your distress when all these things happen to you in the latter days, if you return to the LORD your God and obey him (NETfree)
Mark 12:30: you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. (World English Bible)
I Samuel 15:22: Then Samuel said, "Does the LORD take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as he does in obedience? Certainly, obedience is better than sacrifice; paying attention is better than the fat of rams. (NETfree)
Turn from our wicked ways.
Ephesians 4:22-32: You were taught with reference to your former way of life to lay aside the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and to put on the new man who has been created in God's image - in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth. Therefore, having laid aside falsehood, each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on the cause of your anger. Do not give the devil an opportunity. The one who steals must steal no longer; rather he must labor, doing good with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with the one who has need. You must let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for the building up of the one in need, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. You must put away every kind of bitterness, anger, wrath, quarreling, and evil, slanderous talk. Instead, be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you. (NETfree)
Colossians 3:1-11: Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ (who is your life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him. So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth: sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion, evil desire, and greed which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience. You also lived your lives in this way at one time, when you used to live among them. But now, put off all such things as anger, rage, malice, slander, abusive language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with its practices and have been clothed with the new man that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created it. Here there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all and in all. (NETfree)
God says that if we will humble ourselves, pray, seek Him, and turn from our wicked ways, THEN, He will hear, He will forgive, and He will heal our land. Christianity is not the Shriners or Kiwanis. We have not joined a club, we have joined a way of life! We are in an endurance race to the end of our lives here on this earth. Has Christianity lost its influence over society? If the answer is yes, then is it because the world can no longer see a difference between them and us? Have we made becoming a follower of Christ so easy that it no longer has any real meaning? Jesus said to "count the cost" of becoming a disciple of His. What does it cost us today to be a disciple of Christ Jesus?
Let us strive to be disciples of Christ Jesus and God will bring healing to our land!
Hebrews 10:19-24: Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the fresh and living way that he inaugurated for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in the assurance that faith brings, because we have had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. And let us hold unwaveringly to the hope that we confess, for the one who made the promise is trustworthy. And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works (NETfree)
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