I have been unfaithful
unworthy
unrighteous
unmerciful
unreachable
unteachable
unwilling
undesirable
unwise
I’ve been undone by what I’m unsure of
But because of You and I know that You endure
I know that I have never been unloved
I have been unbroken
unmended
uneasy
unapproachable
unemotional
unexceptional
undecided
unqualified
unaware
unfair
unfit
But even I can see the sacrifice you made for me
That shows that I have never been unloved
“For while we were still unable to please God
Jesus died for the ungodly.”
Romans 5:8
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=IgniterMedia#p/u/60/spr9aCNdRbU
Michael W. Smith
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
God is Crazy about You!
The Lord is my Shepherd - that's a Relationship!
I shall not want - that's Supply!
He makes it so I lie down in green pastures - that's Rest!
He leads me beside the still waters -that's Refreshment!
He restores my soul - that's Healing!
He leads me in the paths of righteousness - that's Guidance!
For His name sake - that's Purpose!
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death- that's Testing!
I will fear no evil - that's Protection!
For You are with me - that's Faithfulness!
Your rod and Your staff comfort me - that's Discipline!
You prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies - that's Hope!
You anoint my head with oil - that's Consecration!
My cup runs over - that's Abundance!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life - that's Blessing!
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord - that's Security!
Forever - that's Eternity!
Creator God does all that - for you!
Face it, God is crazy about you!
I shall not want - that's Supply!
He makes it so I lie down in green pastures - that's Rest!
He leads me beside the still waters -that's Refreshment!
He restores my soul - that's Healing!
He leads me in the paths of righteousness - that's Guidance!
For His name sake - that's Purpose!
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death- that's Testing!
I will fear no evil - that's Protection!
For You are with me - that's Faithfulness!
Your rod and Your staff comfort me - that's Discipline!
You prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies - that's Hope!
You anoint my head with oil - that's Consecration!
My cup runs over - that's Abundance!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life - that's Blessing!
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord - that's Security!
Forever - that's Eternity!
Creator God does all that - for you!
Face it, God is crazy about you!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
How Then Should I Live?
I saw a documentary about some convict who decided to follow Islam as a means of staying out of jail. This was his decision because Christianity was "Too easy. All you have to do in Christianity is go to Church and read your Bible and you’re in.”
(((Sigh)))
. Admitting one’s need for forgiveness and admitting that there is nothing that I can do to warrant forgiveness are the most difficult things that a human being can do. “The road is narrow and the gate is small and only a few will ever find it.”
. Finding and following the Will of God, loving what God loves and hating what God hates bends the intellect almost beyond the breaking point.
. Agreeing with God that what the world has to offer is useless for real life and real living is hardly easy.
. Having a relationship with one’s Creator whereby we mean it when we say, “That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong”
(2nd Corinthians 2:10), is not for the faint of heart.
. Romans 8:29 is God’s goal of each and every Christian but oh my what a goal it is.
Hated without cause, mocked, lied to and lied about. Jesus, our example and character goal, came to earth knowing in advance that He would be abused, misunderstood, mistreated, rejected, insulted, betrayed and ultimately have humanity do our absolute worst to Him. Yet He entered into a covenant relationship with us anyway because He loves us. And then Jesus said, “Pick up your cross and follow Me (be like Me, do what I did, act like I did, relate to others like I did).
. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Col. 3:12,13 Try it and tell me how easy it is.
. Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Pray for those who persecute you.
. “Doing no harm,” as fools advocate, is not good enough for the path of Christ. The way of Jesus is proactive and encourages doing good to all. Lessening the needs of others whenever and wherever one can is a spiritual fallout of a Christ seized heart.
. “If you think you stand, be careful lest you fall.” A follower of Jesus will never overestimate h/her ability to withstand the power of temptation. Flirting with evil should be anathema to those who love Jesus.
. A follower of Jesus does good, and not just when officers of the world are watching. Rather, a follower of Jesus does good to please Him who is always present. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
. Christian love sees others as worthy of preferential treatment.
“If you have encouragement from being united with Christ, If you have comfort from His love, If you have any fellowship with the Spirit, If you have any tenderness and compassion then . . . in humility consider others better than yourself. . . Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:3,4,10
Romans 12:10 - “Honour one another above yourselves.”
Gal. 5:13 - “Serve one another in love.”
Eph. 5:21 - “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
1Pt. 5:5 - “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another because the Lord opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
A Christian is someone who believes and acts upon what Jesus Christ taught about Himself, about life, death, sin, forgiveness and the resurrection (His and ours). Jesus taught that a follower of His is a person who depends upon Jesus alone for salvation. He taught that a Christian is someone who depends upon what Jesus calls His Word (The Bible), and upon His Spirit for guidance and strength in daily living.
According to the convict, washing your hands and praying five times a day is a lot tougher to pull off.
Islam - the end result of a spiritual quest that passes through atheism / humanism on the road to self-salvation, the easiest and default path of all who deny their Creator as Lord of their lives.
Oh, and for what it's worth? One year and eight months later he was back in jail.
(((Sigh)))
. Admitting one’s need for forgiveness and admitting that there is nothing that I can do to warrant forgiveness are the most difficult things that a human being can do. “The road is narrow and the gate is small and only a few will ever find it.”
. Finding and following the Will of God, loving what God loves and hating what God hates bends the intellect almost beyond the breaking point.
. Agreeing with God that what the world has to offer is useless for real life and real living is hardly easy.
. Having a relationship with one’s Creator whereby we mean it when we say, “That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong”
(2nd Corinthians 2:10), is not for the faint of heart.
. Romans 8:29 is God’s goal of each and every Christian but oh my what a goal it is.
Hated without cause, mocked, lied to and lied about. Jesus, our example and character goal, came to earth knowing in advance that He would be abused, misunderstood, mistreated, rejected, insulted, betrayed and ultimately have humanity do our absolute worst to Him. Yet He entered into a covenant relationship with us anyway because He loves us. And then Jesus said, “Pick up your cross and follow Me (be like Me, do what I did, act like I did, relate to others like I did).
. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Col. 3:12,13 Try it and tell me how easy it is.
. Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Pray for those who persecute you.
. “Doing no harm,” as fools advocate, is not good enough for the path of Christ. The way of Jesus is proactive and encourages doing good to all. Lessening the needs of others whenever and wherever one can is a spiritual fallout of a Christ seized heart.
. “If you think you stand, be careful lest you fall.” A follower of Jesus will never overestimate h/her ability to withstand the power of temptation. Flirting with evil should be anathema to those who love Jesus.
. A follower of Jesus does good, and not just when officers of the world are watching. Rather, a follower of Jesus does good to please Him who is always present. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
. Christian love sees others as worthy of preferential treatment.
“If you have encouragement from being united with Christ, If you have comfort from His love, If you have any fellowship with the Spirit, If you have any tenderness and compassion then . . . in humility consider others better than yourself. . . Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:3,4,10
Romans 12:10 - “Honour one another above yourselves.”
Gal. 5:13 - “Serve one another in love.”
Eph. 5:21 - “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
1Pt. 5:5 - “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another because the Lord opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
A Christian is someone who believes and acts upon what Jesus Christ taught about Himself, about life, death, sin, forgiveness and the resurrection (His and ours). Jesus taught that a follower of His is a person who depends upon Jesus alone for salvation. He taught that a Christian is someone who depends upon what Jesus calls His Word (The Bible), and upon His Spirit for guidance and strength in daily living.
According to the convict, washing your hands and praying five times a day is a lot tougher to pull off.
Islam - the end result of a spiritual quest that passes through atheism / humanism on the road to self-salvation, the easiest and default path of all who deny their Creator as Lord of their lives.
Oh, and for what it's worth? One year and eight months later he was back in jail.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Christian Militias love Jesus!
“Not everyone who says, “Jesus is my Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will come to me on that day saying, “Lord, did we not kill police officers and bomb government buildings and poison water supplies in Your name?” and I will say to them, “I never knew you, you evil doers. Get away from Me.” And they will say, “Ah crap! I thought that by killing the very people who were in charge of making the country safe was doing Your will. So all those verses telling us to love our enemies and treating others better than ourselves and obeying the laws of the Government didn’t mean destroy the Government? Who knew?”
Matthew 7:21-23
Matthew 7:21-23
Bring It On!
There’s a group of people in the U.S. who are trying, or so I’m told, to bring about Armageddon. They want to manipulate events in the Middle East in such a way as to bring about the final armed conflict and ultimately the return of Jesus.
Most people are repulsed by this and rightly so.
According to the Bible, there will be a final armed conflagration in the Middle East.
According to the Bible, this will precede the Second Coming of Jesus.
According to the Bible, we can hurrying this day along.
According to the Bible, these people are going about it all wrong.
There’s an interesting couple verses in Revelation 6 that help explain what I’m trying to say. The first is verse 10 -
“Then they (those who had been killed because they were Christians) called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until You judge the inhabitants of the earth (those who hate God or deny His existence) and avenge our blood?”” (As a point of interest, the blood of the innocent has been crying out for justice since the murder of Abel (Genesis 4:10)
Regardless, our human focus is, “Hurry up! Bring the end before more are killed.”
Listen to Jesus’ focus. Verse 11 -
“They were told to wait a little longer until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed, as they had been, was completed.”
Us - “Hurry up before more are killed.”
Jesus - “Wait until more are killed.”
There are some who would use that as evidence of God being cruel. If you knew Creator God as His children know Him you’d know,
(a) this actually points to His love, and
(b) God and only God has a right to make a decision like that; to wait even though it means the death of more Christians.
Why? Because it was this same Jesus, the One who says ‘Wait a little longer,’ who Himself came to earth with the expressed purpose of allowing us to reject Him, humiliate Him, torture and ultimately kill Him. We killed Him for no other reason than He represented Creator God. That’s the same reason these martyrs of whom Jesus speaks, are killed.
But why wait until more are killed? Well, the number to be killed is secondary to the main reason for the wait. The main reason for the wait is found in 2nd Peter 3:9-
“He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish.”
Everyone who wants to be saved will have that opportunity.
"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count from every nation, tribe, people and language" (Rev. 7:9).
No one is going to be left behind who doesn't want to be left behind. However, while God is waiting for all who are going to come to Him to receive salvation, a known and finite number of Christians will be killed.
. More people have come to salvation in Christ in the last 150 years than in the previous 1,800 years. Present estimate is that 30,000 / day in China and 15,000 / day in India are giving their lives to Jesus.
. More people have been killed because of their relationship with Christ in the last 150 years than in the previous 1,800 years.
We CAN hurry the coming Day of the Lord.
Not by inciting conflict but by bringing the Good News to all those who are going to hear and accept God’s message of salvation.
None of those who are going to be killed have escaped God’s knowledge or attention.
“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Death is a part of life.
“Do not fear him who can kill the body, but fear Him who can kill both the body and the soul.”
These martyrs are not victims. They are victors.
These martyrs have not been overcome. They are over-comers.
Every soul that is won for Christ is one soul closer to that final day when the glory of God is revealed to all.
Every soul that is won for Christ is one soul closer to the day when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of lords and King of kings.
So, you know. Bring it on!
Most people are repulsed by this and rightly so.
According to the Bible, there will be a final armed conflagration in the Middle East.
According to the Bible, this will precede the Second Coming of Jesus.
According to the Bible, we can hurrying this day along.
According to the Bible, these people are going about it all wrong.
There’s an interesting couple verses in Revelation 6 that help explain what I’m trying to say. The first is verse 10 -
“Then they (those who had been killed because they were Christians) called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until You judge the inhabitants of the earth (those who hate God or deny His existence) and avenge our blood?”” (As a point of interest, the blood of the innocent has been crying out for justice since the murder of Abel (Genesis 4:10)
Regardless, our human focus is, “Hurry up! Bring the end before more are killed.”
Listen to Jesus’ focus. Verse 11 -
“They were told to wait a little longer until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed, as they had been, was completed.”
Us - “Hurry up before more are killed.”
Jesus - “Wait until more are killed.”
There are some who would use that as evidence of God being cruel. If you knew Creator God as His children know Him you’d know,
(a) this actually points to His love, and
(b) God and only God has a right to make a decision like that; to wait even though it means the death of more Christians.
Why? Because it was this same Jesus, the One who says ‘Wait a little longer,’ who Himself came to earth with the expressed purpose of allowing us to reject Him, humiliate Him, torture and ultimately kill Him. We killed Him for no other reason than He represented Creator God. That’s the same reason these martyrs of whom Jesus speaks, are killed.
But why wait until more are killed? Well, the number to be killed is secondary to the main reason for the wait. The main reason for the wait is found in 2nd Peter 3:9-
“He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish.”
Everyone who wants to be saved will have that opportunity.
"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count from every nation, tribe, people and language" (Rev. 7:9).
No one is going to be left behind who doesn't want to be left behind. However, while God is waiting for all who are going to come to Him to receive salvation, a known and finite number of Christians will be killed.
. More people have come to salvation in Christ in the last 150 years than in the previous 1,800 years. Present estimate is that 30,000 / day in China and 15,000 / day in India are giving their lives to Jesus.
. More people have been killed because of their relationship with Christ in the last 150 years than in the previous 1,800 years.
We CAN hurry the coming Day of the Lord.
Not by inciting conflict but by bringing the Good News to all those who are going to hear and accept God’s message of salvation.
None of those who are going to be killed have escaped God’s knowledge or attention.
“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Death is a part of life.
“Do not fear him who can kill the body, but fear Him who can kill both the body and the soul.”
These martyrs are not victims. They are victors.
These martyrs have not been overcome. They are over-comers.
Every soul that is won for Christ is one soul closer to that final day when the glory of God is revealed to all.
Every soul that is won for Christ is one soul closer to the day when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of lords and King of kings.
So, you know. Bring it on!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Atheism / Fascism
Richard Dawkins says that an atheist government based on the principles of darwinism would most assuredly be a Fascist government.
Sam Harris not only agrees. He's all for it.
In the following, Sam thinks it’s the atheist’s place to tell us what we can and cannot think about. If he and other atheists had the power, they'd make it official.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/03/25/ted.sam.harris/index.html?hpt=Mid
Sam Harris not only agrees. He's all for it.
In the following, Sam thinks it’s the atheist’s place to tell us what we can and cannot think about. If he and other atheists had the power, they'd make it official.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/03/25/ted.sam.harris/index.html?hpt=Mid
Good Stuff
My nine-year-old's regular hockey season finished a couple weeks ago. We live in a community of about 1,700 which is about 10 minutes away from a city of 250,000. My kid’s team is pretty good even though in a community this small, anyone who wants to play gets to play. Well, the coach of a girls team in the “city” phoned to see if we wanted a wind-up, year end exhibition game. “Just for fun.” Our coach phoned around. Enough guys for three lines wanted to play (mine included) and so it was set up.
Did I mention that in the city, only the best get to play?
You should have heard the boys in the dressing room. To call it optimistic would be an understatement. Remember, each of our guys still thinks he’s going to play in the NHL.
“Girls! We’re gonna win tonight boys.”
Oh, how wrong they were. Those girls put on a hockey clinic that was beautiful to watch. They just came in wave, after wave, after wave. And check! I’ve never seen so many of our guys picking themselves up off the ice.
I think our guys only had four shots on net and crossed their blue line maybe eight times. In the whole game! The final score was four nothing for the girls but only because we have a really good goalie. If anyone else had been in goal it could have easily been twelve to nothing.
The dressing room was dead quiet after the came.
“Spanked by a bunch of girls,” as one nine-year-old boy put it solemnly.
The future of women’s hockey in Canada looked good tonight.
Did I mention that in the city, only the best get to play?
You should have heard the boys in the dressing room. To call it optimistic would be an understatement. Remember, each of our guys still thinks he’s going to play in the NHL.
“Girls! We’re gonna win tonight boys.”
Oh, how wrong they were. Those girls put on a hockey clinic that was beautiful to watch. They just came in wave, after wave, after wave. And check! I’ve never seen so many of our guys picking themselves up off the ice.
I think our guys only had four shots on net and crossed their blue line maybe eight times. In the whole game! The final score was four nothing for the girls but only because we have a really good goalie. If anyone else had been in goal it could have easily been twelve to nothing.
The dressing room was dead quiet after the came.
“Spanked by a bunch of girls,” as one nine-year-old boy put it solemnly.
The future of women’s hockey in Canada looked good tonight.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
“Fucking Dick Head”
A client called me that once. In a story too long to tell here, this man (a patient) had to be discharged from the treatment centre in which I was working. He was angry - really angry, so that’s what he called me on the way out. In his mind, at that point (probably still) I had little or no value.
There are lots of people in the world like that; people who are deemed to have no value:
Babies in the wombs of mothers who don’t want them. Millions of them are thrown into dumpsters every year.
The poor.
The mentally ill.
Criminals. Especially criminals.
Read the comments after a News Report about someone who has committed a crime and “Lock him up and throw away the key,” is a common sentiment. Few of us see value in those who have spent their lives taking from the rest of us.
I know the feeling. Crime has visited my life as well.
About two thousand years ago, a career criminal made an outlandish request. Without having darkened the door of the temple, without having done anything of value for society, a man who was hanging on a cross uttered what was perhaps the first genuine prayer of his life when he asked of Jesus, “Please let me spend eternity in Your presence.”
And Jesus said, “Sure.” (Luke 23:42-43)
Do you get this? This guy, like you and I and everyone else had nothing to offer in exchange for eternal life in paradise. All he had time for was one prayer and he used his time wisely.
“Would you let me in Jesus?”
“Sure.”
This infuriates some of those who dwell among us. “Where’s the justice in that? God knows nothing about justice.”
Hmm, we think we want justice yet our lives cry out for grace and mercy and love.
To Jesus, you and I and everyone else have value. We have value, not because of how much we make or what we can do. Our value to God is not based on how we look or even how good we are to others. Unlike a number of incredibly shallow people, our value to God is most certainly not based on how intelligent we are or how much education we have.
“Prostitutes are entering heaven before you,” is something Jesus said to the most educated people of His day.
Our value to our Creator is based on the fact that:
He made us.
He formed us.
He knew you before the universe began. (Psalm 139: 13 - 16)
Jesus longs to spend eternity with us and the only thing that can keep that from happening is us. The only thing that can keep that from happening is our neglecting, or worse, our refusing to ask.
For some, it’s simply a case of: Too Proud to ask. Too Angry to accept.
Don’t be a dick head.
Accept Jesus’ offer of forgiveness / salvation.
There are lots of people in the world like that; people who are deemed to have no value:
Babies in the wombs of mothers who don’t want them. Millions of them are thrown into dumpsters every year.
The poor.
The mentally ill.
Criminals. Especially criminals.
Read the comments after a News Report about someone who has committed a crime and “Lock him up and throw away the key,” is a common sentiment. Few of us see value in those who have spent their lives taking from the rest of us.
I know the feeling. Crime has visited my life as well.
About two thousand years ago, a career criminal made an outlandish request. Without having darkened the door of the temple, without having done anything of value for society, a man who was hanging on a cross uttered what was perhaps the first genuine prayer of his life when he asked of Jesus, “Please let me spend eternity in Your presence.”
And Jesus said, “Sure.” (Luke 23:42-43)
Do you get this? This guy, like you and I and everyone else had nothing to offer in exchange for eternal life in paradise. All he had time for was one prayer and he used his time wisely.
“Would you let me in Jesus?”
“Sure.”
This infuriates some of those who dwell among us. “Where’s the justice in that? God knows nothing about justice.”
Hmm, we think we want justice yet our lives cry out for grace and mercy and love.
To Jesus, you and I and everyone else have value. We have value, not because of how much we make or what we can do. Our value to God is not based on how we look or even how good we are to others. Unlike a number of incredibly shallow people, our value to God is most certainly not based on how intelligent we are or how much education we have.
“Prostitutes are entering heaven before you,” is something Jesus said to the most educated people of His day.
Our value to our Creator is based on the fact that:
He made us.
He formed us.
He knew you before the universe began. (Psalm 139: 13 - 16)
Jesus longs to spend eternity with us and the only thing that can keep that from happening is us. The only thing that can keep that from happening is our neglecting, or worse, our refusing to ask.
For some, it’s simply a case of: Too Proud to ask. Too Angry to accept.
Don’t be a dick head.
Accept Jesus’ offer of forgiveness / salvation.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Hmmm,
"Alcorn notes that since Mary "hurried" to see Elizabeth (Luke 1:39) after Gabriel's visit, it's likely that Jesus was not yet fully implanted in Mary's womb when Elizabeth's unborn son, John, "leaped for joy" (1:41-44). That, he suggests, helps to eliminate hairsplitting over when personhood begins."
What a World!
I’ve been on this earth a long time now. I’ve seen some amazing positive changes in how our society operates.
On the other hand:
When I was young some behaviours were called self-indulgence.
Today, those same behaviours are called self-fulfilment.
When I was young some behaviours were called moral irresponsibility.
Today, they’re called being free to find yourself.
When I was young some behaviours were seen by most as disgusting and obscene.
Today, they are not just tolerated but celebrated and taught in SCHOOLS as acceptable lifestyles.
When I was young discipline was seen as necessary.
Today it’s seen as repression.
When I was young some things were seen clearly as depravity.
Today, they’re called creative expression.
When I was young, killing pre-born children was seen as murder.
Today, it’s a choice.
When I was young, adultery was seen as wrong and harmful.
Today, it’s something that takes place freely between consenting adults.
When I was young, to tolerate meant that you disagreed with the behaviour but accepted the person.
Today, tolerance means that you agree with the behaviour.
When I was young, men were irresponsible, screwed around on their wives, smoked and drank and took part in other behaviours that shortened their lives, ended marriages and made their children wonder if they were loved.
I remember thinking that men were stupid and women were smart.
Today, women have fought for and won the right to be just as destructive to themselves, to relationships and their children.
Some people call this progress.
What a world!
On the other hand:
When I was young some behaviours were called self-indulgence.
Today, those same behaviours are called self-fulfilment.
When I was young some behaviours were called moral irresponsibility.
Today, they’re called being free to find yourself.
When I was young some behaviours were seen by most as disgusting and obscene.
Today, they are not just tolerated but celebrated and taught in SCHOOLS as acceptable lifestyles.
When I was young discipline was seen as necessary.
Today it’s seen as repression.
When I was young some things were seen clearly as depravity.
Today, they’re called creative expression.
When I was young, killing pre-born children was seen as murder.
Today, it’s a choice.
When I was young, adultery was seen as wrong and harmful.
Today, it’s something that takes place freely between consenting adults.
When I was young, to tolerate meant that you disagreed with the behaviour but accepted the person.
Today, tolerance means that you agree with the behaviour.
When I was young, men were irresponsible, screwed around on their wives, smoked and drank and took part in other behaviours that shortened their lives, ended marriages and made their children wonder if they were loved.
I remember thinking that men were stupid and women were smart.
Today, women have fought for and won the right to be just as destructive to themselves, to relationships and their children.
Some people call this progress.
What a world!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Why Pain?
I’ve touched on this topic many, many times, but it’s one that seems to come up a lot.
What people don’t seem to realise is that pain and suffering and yes, freewill make possible for us to develop the currency of heaven - love.
I've said many times that we get married because we think we're in love - and in a worldly sense that's true. However, it's marriage itself that teaches how to love; it teaches us the true nature of love - heavenly love. For a marriage to be successful in a Biblical sense, both partners require the ability to die to self and dying to self is the gateway to agape love.
“Store up for yourselves treasure in heaven,” can only be done when we are given the chance to accumulate this treasure. And the only way we accumulate this treasure is when we are in situations that give us the option to NOT love. In fact, we, humans, are part of God’s plan, not to destroy evil but to defeat evil.
“Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.”
Humans alone, out of all the animals on earth possess a unique capacity for evil and for good. We alone out of all the animals on earth possess a unique capacity for discerning right from wrong. This has been with us from day one.
Good is not something that evolved.
Evil is not something that evolved.
Our moral capacity is hardwired and has been this with us since the beginning.
Artifacts and records from the past show this to be true. People from the very beginning of recorded history have been concerned about good and bad behaviour. The Bible tells us that the very first human family experienced the disaster of murder among siblings - over the proper manner of worship no less. Our ability to commit evil is unique to humans. No other animal species possess our desire nor our capacity to destroy others of their kind.
These abilities and capacities for good or for evil were placed in us just as the constants and quantities of nature were placed into the universe at the Singularity. These capacities were placed in us for a reason.
Some people are incapable of seeing or finding any good reason for tragedy. They ask, "How could a loving God allow anything that brings difficulty into our lives?"
The opportunities (tragedy, suffering, pain, loss) to express our capacities for good or for evil were placed in our environment for a purpose to accomplish a plan.
What people don’t seem to realise is that pain and suffering and yes, freewill make possible for us to develop the currency of heaven - love.
I've said many times that we get married because we think we're in love - and in a worldly sense that's true. However, it's marriage itself that teaches how to love; it teaches us the true nature of love - heavenly love. For a marriage to be successful in a Biblical sense, both partners require the ability to die to self and dying to self is the gateway to agape love.
“Store up for yourselves treasure in heaven,” can only be done when we are given the chance to accumulate this treasure. And the only way we accumulate this treasure is when we are in situations that give us the option to NOT love. In fact, we, humans, are part of God’s plan, not to destroy evil but to defeat evil.
“Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.”
Humans alone, out of all the animals on earth possess a unique capacity for evil and for good. We alone out of all the animals on earth possess a unique capacity for discerning right from wrong. This has been with us from day one.
Good is not something that evolved.
Evil is not something that evolved.
Our moral capacity is hardwired and has been this with us since the beginning.
Artifacts and records from the past show this to be true. People from the very beginning of recorded history have been concerned about good and bad behaviour. The Bible tells us that the very first human family experienced the disaster of murder among siblings - over the proper manner of worship no less. Our ability to commit evil is unique to humans. No other animal species possess our desire nor our capacity to destroy others of their kind.
These abilities and capacities for good or for evil were placed in us just as the constants and quantities of nature were placed into the universe at the Singularity. These capacities were placed in us for a reason.
Some people are incapable of seeing or finding any good reason for tragedy. They ask, "How could a loving God allow anything that brings difficulty into our lives?"
The opportunities (tragedy, suffering, pain, loss) to express our capacities for good or for evil were placed in our environment for a purpose to accomplish a plan.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
The Beauty of Disaster
In D. M. Murphy et al., “Influence of Sea-Salt on Aerosol Radiative Properties in the Southern Ocean Marine Boundary Layer,” Nature 392 - 62-65 and Micholar R. Bates, Anthony H. Knap, and Anthony F. Michaels, “Contribution of Hurricanes to Local and Global Estimate of Air-Sea Exchange of C02" Nature 395 - 58-61, we find that what we call natural disasters, Hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, volcanoes, floods, etc., all deliver essential elements that are critical to the survival of humanity.
These are designed to deliver maximum benefit and minimum damage to human civilization. Humans exacerbate and compound the negative effect of these events by building where only idiots would build (eg. New Orleans, San Andreas Fault) and do what only idiots would do (eg. clear cutting of forests). That can’t be helped.
But to blame God for creating a biosphere with essential natural events is also the domain of idiots.
Atheists would like a God who eliminates all such events.
Follow the advice of atheists on this count and life itself would be eliminated.
These are designed to deliver maximum benefit and minimum damage to human civilization. Humans exacerbate and compound the negative effect of these events by building where only idiots would build (eg. New Orleans, San Andreas Fault) and do what only idiots would do (eg. clear cutting of forests). That can’t be helped.
But to blame God for creating a biosphere with essential natural events is also the domain of idiots.
Atheists would like a God who eliminates all such events.
Follow the advice of atheists on this count and life itself would be eliminated.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Who Is Worthy?
In Rev. Chapter 5 we have a situation being described whereby Creator God is holding a scroll. We find out later that undoing the seals to this scroll unleashes tremendous suffering and hardship and heartache upon the people of the earth. It’s a serious deal. Here’s the weird part:
God is holding the scroll.
John weeps because no one is worthy to open the scroll.
Did you get that?
Creator God is holding the scroll.
No one is worthy to open the scroll.
If Creator God isn’t worthy who would be?
Well, as it turns out, Jesus, God the Son, the Lamb who was slain is worthy. Why? Well, my guess is the answer is tied to the results of opening the seals to the scroll. Suffering like the world has not seen before is about to take place. It’s going to be horrific. It’s going to be gruesome. It is not unleashed casually, arbitrarily, or capriciously. Who can possibly take the responsibility to unleash such suffering upon the earth? How about the only innocent person to have ever lived on earth? How about an innocent person who has suffered grievously at the hands of the people who live on the earth. An innocent person who was and is hated by those who live upon the earth.
Jesus, the innocent Lamb who was slain is worthy to unleash punishment upon those who caused not only Him to suffer but also those who love and follow Him.
That’s who is worthy!
That’s why He is worthy!
God is holding the scroll.
John weeps because no one is worthy to open the scroll.
Did you get that?
Creator God is holding the scroll.
No one is worthy to open the scroll.
If Creator God isn’t worthy who would be?
Well, as it turns out, Jesus, God the Son, the Lamb who was slain is worthy. Why? Well, my guess is the answer is tied to the results of opening the seals to the scroll. Suffering like the world has not seen before is about to take place. It’s going to be horrific. It’s going to be gruesome. It is not unleashed casually, arbitrarily, or capriciously. Who can possibly take the responsibility to unleash such suffering upon the earth? How about the only innocent person to have ever lived on earth? How about an innocent person who has suffered grievously at the hands of the people who live on the earth. An innocent person who was and is hated by those who live upon the earth.
Jesus, the innocent Lamb who was slain is worthy to unleash punishment upon those who caused not only Him to suffer but also those who love and follow Him.
That’s who is worthy!
That’s why He is worthy!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Only One Universe?
Emphatically - No!
Most people define the universe as everything that exists. Well, this universe may be everything MATERIAL that exists but it is certainly not EVERYTHING that exists.
There are some people who imagine that there are an infinite number of universes in existence. These are the same people who tell us that they live and die by the scientific method of knowing - i.e., they only believe something if it is detectable, measurable, testable yaddah, yaddah, yaddah. Well these people have no proof of an infinite number of universes.
Nothing like that has been detected.
Nothing measured.
Nothing tested.
Yet they believe.
Such is the desperate faith of these people.
On the other hand, we do know of ONE other universe that is distinct from our own. In the thin spots of our journey, we can almost but not quite see into this other dimension. Some, Paul, Stephen, John and perhaps a few others not recorded have been allowed glimpses of it.
Jesus demonstrated some of its qualities for us.
Near the end of His time on earth, Jesus moved back and forth between the two universes or dimensions. Sitting on the shore of a lake after His resurrection, Jesus ate lunch with his disciples in THIS universe of space, time, matter and energy. Just prior to this, as Jesus returned to the other dimension, He passed completely through grave clothes, held together like cement with 75lbs. of embalming spices. He moved unimpeded through the stone walls of the tomb with a body as visible as yours and mine. He appeared to hundreds of people, ate with them, spoke with them, visible to them but no longer bound by the space / time dimension and the laws of physics. In fact, at His ascension, Jesus proved that the laws of physics, such as gravity no longer had any hold on Him as He moved from this universe into the ONLY other universe / dimension that we know of.
We know that one other dimension exists because:
. the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics,
. the expansion of the universe,
. background radiation, and
. the Borde-Guth-Vilenkin Theorem* all demand that any universe with a definitive space / time boundary, a beginning, a Singularity, a Creation event demands the existence of a Supreme Causal Agent from the other realm.
=================
* The conclusion they reached is that any model of an expanding universe, be it theoretical like "atheist origin of the universe mythologies," or real, such as our own, is geodesically incomplete, or past-incomplete without a past finite space / time boundary.
It used to be the case that those atheists who were rightly terrified of the implications of a universe with a beginning could hide behind our ignorance of pre Planck time events. In fact, those who remain ignorant regarding this theorem continue to say, “We just don’t know,” as though that somehow absolves them of their ignorance. It does not.
The Borde-Guth-Vilenkin Theorem does not depend upon any physical description or knowledge of the pre Plank time era. This theorem rids atheists of any hope of avoiding a singularity, a beginning, a Big Bang Creation Event. This is true PARTICULARLY for Dawkins’ favourite myth, the eternal inflationary multi-verse. What we know of Dark Matter also rids us of any hope for oscillating models.
I leave you with the words of Vilenkin himself.
“It is said that an Argument is what convinces reasonable men, and a Proof is what it takes to convince an unreasonable man. With the proof now in place, cosmologists can no longer hide behind the possibility of a past-eternal universe. There is no escape, they have to face the problem of the cosmic beginning.”
Alex Vilenkin, “Many Worlds In One - The Search for Other Universes,” 11
Most people define the universe as everything that exists. Well, this universe may be everything MATERIAL that exists but it is certainly not EVERYTHING that exists.
There are some people who imagine that there are an infinite number of universes in existence. These are the same people who tell us that they live and die by the scientific method of knowing - i.e., they only believe something if it is detectable, measurable, testable yaddah, yaddah, yaddah. Well these people have no proof of an infinite number of universes.
Nothing like that has been detected.
Nothing measured.
Nothing tested.
Yet they believe.
Such is the desperate faith of these people.
On the other hand, we do know of ONE other universe that is distinct from our own. In the thin spots of our journey, we can almost but not quite see into this other dimension. Some, Paul, Stephen, John and perhaps a few others not recorded have been allowed glimpses of it.
Jesus demonstrated some of its qualities for us.
Near the end of His time on earth, Jesus moved back and forth between the two universes or dimensions. Sitting on the shore of a lake after His resurrection, Jesus ate lunch with his disciples in THIS universe of space, time, matter and energy. Just prior to this, as Jesus returned to the other dimension, He passed completely through grave clothes, held together like cement with 75lbs. of embalming spices. He moved unimpeded through the stone walls of the tomb with a body as visible as yours and mine. He appeared to hundreds of people, ate with them, spoke with them, visible to them but no longer bound by the space / time dimension and the laws of physics. In fact, at His ascension, Jesus proved that the laws of physics, such as gravity no longer had any hold on Him as He moved from this universe into the ONLY other universe / dimension that we know of.
We know that one other dimension exists because:
. the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics,
. the expansion of the universe,
. background radiation, and
. the Borde-Guth-Vilenkin Theorem* all demand that any universe with a definitive space / time boundary, a beginning, a Singularity, a Creation event demands the existence of a Supreme Causal Agent from the other realm.
=================
* The conclusion they reached is that any model of an expanding universe, be it theoretical like "atheist origin of the universe mythologies," or real, such as our own, is geodesically incomplete, or past-incomplete without a past finite space / time boundary.
It used to be the case that those atheists who were rightly terrified of the implications of a universe with a beginning could hide behind our ignorance of pre Planck time events. In fact, those who remain ignorant regarding this theorem continue to say, “We just don’t know,” as though that somehow absolves them of their ignorance. It does not.
The Borde-Guth-Vilenkin Theorem does not depend upon any physical description or knowledge of the pre Plank time era. This theorem rids atheists of any hope of avoiding a singularity, a beginning, a Big Bang Creation Event. This is true PARTICULARLY for Dawkins’ favourite myth, the eternal inflationary multi-verse. What we know of Dark Matter also rids us of any hope for oscillating models.
I leave you with the words of Vilenkin himself.
“It is said that an Argument is what convinces reasonable men, and a Proof is what it takes to convince an unreasonable man. With the proof now in place, cosmologists can no longer hide behind the possibility of a past-eternal universe. There is no escape, they have to face the problem of the cosmic beginning.”
Alex Vilenkin, “Many Worlds In One - The Search for Other Universes,” 11
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Pope Protects Pedophiles
That's true, but not in the way you are thinking. Or, at least, not ONLY in the way that you're thinking. Let me back up a bit.
There are few things as disturbing as evil mixed with religion. That's why the enormous problem of pedophiles in the Roman Catholic Clergy will serve to hide the fact that pedophiles exist in every strata of humanity, every socio economic class, every race, every occupation - most certainly the occupations that grant adults "secret" and / or common access to children.
Evil lurks in all areas of life and the evil of pedophilia + religion will overshadow and run cover for pedophilia that exists next door and perhaps in your own home.
Pedophiles everywhere, especially those who are not in the Catholic Church are lucky. For now, all eyes are on the Pope and not on them.
There are few things as disturbing as evil mixed with religion. That's why the enormous problem of pedophiles in the Roman Catholic Clergy will serve to hide the fact that pedophiles exist in every strata of humanity, every socio economic class, every race, every occupation - most certainly the occupations that grant adults "secret" and / or common access to children.
Evil lurks in all areas of life and the evil of pedophilia + religion will overshadow and run cover for pedophilia that exists next door and perhaps in your own home.
Pedophiles everywhere, especially those who are not in the Catholic Church are lucky. For now, all eyes are on the Pope and not on them.
Jessie and Sandra
I couldn’t help it. Everyone is commenting on Sandra Bullock’s husband screwing around on her and the thought seems to be how awful he is for doing such a thing.
Folks, Jessie isn’t any worse than he was when she married him. I get so tired of people thinking they can marry a “bad” person and then fully expect h/him to treat them good.
And people seem to think that he is the “bad” one in the relationship and she is a good person.
A reality of relationships is: Health attracts health and sickness attracts sickness. If Sandra Bullock was a healthy woman, she wouldn’t have been attracted to this guy in the first place. If she was a good woman he wouldn't have shown any interest in her. In regard to emotional health, these two people’s characters are virtually identical.
She might not like what he did but it certainly shouldn’t have surprised her. If you want a partner who will treat you good, then you have to pick a partner whose character is good.
Folks, Jessie isn’t any worse than he was when she married him. I get so tired of people thinking they can marry a “bad” person and then fully expect h/him to treat them good.
And people seem to think that he is the “bad” one in the relationship and she is a good person.
A reality of relationships is: Health attracts health and sickness attracts sickness. If Sandra Bullock was a healthy woman, she wouldn’t have been attracted to this guy in the first place. If she was a good woman he wouldn't have shown any interest in her. In regard to emotional health, these two people’s characters are virtually identical.
She might not like what he did but it certainly shouldn’t have surprised her. If you want a partner who will treat you good, then you have to pick a partner whose character is good.
A Blank Check?
There are two kinds of blank checks. The first kind is when you are given a check with your name on the line that says, “Payable To” or “Pay To The Order Of.” The check has been signed by the account holder and the “Amount” line is left empty. EMPTY! You can put into that little box and write on that line any amount that you want.
I’ve never been in a situation like that but it sounds like a sweet deal - if you can get it.
I HAVE been given the second kind of blank check. Actually, so have you. In fact every person who has ever lived or ever will live has been given by their Creator a check where the line and little box reserved for the “Amount” have been filled in with “All that I have.” The riches of God’s mercy and grace and forgiveness and love is ready and waiting to be transferred into your account. The check has been signed by the Creator Himself. No greater guarantee exists.
Unlike the first type of blank check, the line that is empty on THIS check is the line that requires your name; the “Payable To” line.
The question of the hour is, Do you want your name on that line or don’t you?
And if not, why not?
The choice is entirely yours. Your Creator will not force you to accept His generosity. On the other hand, if you’re thinking of rejecting this offer, may I suggest that you think again. Here’s why.
Because of our rebellion against Creator God, we owe an unpayable debt. If you have any thoughts of paying this off by, for example, trying to be “good enough,” forget about it. We’ve invited evil into the universal space / time continuum and that has caused incalculable damage. Billions upon billions of people have suffered and will continue to suffer because of it.
We did it.
We’re guilty.
We owe - Big Time!
There is no way that we can fix what we’ve damaged.
There is no way that we can afford to repay what we owe.
In fact, compared to what we owe, our account may as well be empty. There is nowhere near sufficient funds to cover the damage that we’ve caused.
Because of God’s Justice, the damage must be repaired and the debt must be paid.
Because of God’s Love, damage is being repaired and our debt is as good as paid.
God has said that if you are willing to let Him, He will pay from His own account, the debt that you owe for the damage that you have caused. All you have to do is write your name on the “Payable To” line and sufficient funds will be transferred to your account. All you have to do is agree that a debt is owing and God will arrange for the debt to be cancelled.
Sounds like a good deal. Doesn’t it?
Amazingly, some people refuse to do that. Like little children, for these people to admit that they’ve done something wrong, to admit that they need forgiveness is too hard, too scary, too - mature.
These people call themselves “Brights.”
Even knowing in advance that the alternative to having their debt paid is horrific beyond description (someone is going to pay, either God or you), these Brights refuse to allow the transaction of forgiveness to be completed. What’s more, atheists actively evangelise other people to refuse this gift as well. They are working especially hard to convince your children and mine that this is a deal that should be rejected, ignored, denied.
There’s no ignorance at work here.
This is a free will decision that they’re making.
These people know full well what’s at stake.
Yet they refuse to accept the offer placed before them.
As it is with satan, these people know full well where they’re headed and they want to take as many other people as possible with them.
Atheists say that the offer, “Let Me pay your debt for you or you’ll pay in hell,” is coercive.
They don’t see it as a warning.
They don’t see it as a rescue.
They don’t even see it as a good deal.
“How dare you make me choose between eternity in paradise or eternity in hell!”
Atheists would rather spend eternity in hell than have their Creator pay their debt, from His account, on their behalf.
Atheists teach their children to do the same thing.
It’s like a man forcing his wife and children to starve to death because he is too proud to accept the “Free Groceries For Life” offer from the billionaire who lives across the street.
Accept help or starve to death?
Atheists would rather they and their family starve to death.
Bright idea?
You decide.
I’ve never been in a situation like that but it sounds like a sweet deal - if you can get it.
I HAVE been given the second kind of blank check. Actually, so have you. In fact every person who has ever lived or ever will live has been given by their Creator a check where the line and little box reserved for the “Amount” have been filled in with “All that I have.” The riches of God’s mercy and grace and forgiveness and love is ready and waiting to be transferred into your account. The check has been signed by the Creator Himself. No greater guarantee exists.
Unlike the first type of blank check, the line that is empty on THIS check is the line that requires your name; the “Payable To” line.
The question of the hour is, Do you want your name on that line or don’t you?
And if not, why not?
The choice is entirely yours. Your Creator will not force you to accept His generosity. On the other hand, if you’re thinking of rejecting this offer, may I suggest that you think again. Here’s why.
Because of our rebellion against Creator God, we owe an unpayable debt. If you have any thoughts of paying this off by, for example, trying to be “good enough,” forget about it. We’ve invited evil into the universal space / time continuum and that has caused incalculable damage. Billions upon billions of people have suffered and will continue to suffer because of it.
We did it.
We’re guilty.
We owe - Big Time!
There is no way that we can fix what we’ve damaged.
There is no way that we can afford to repay what we owe.
In fact, compared to what we owe, our account may as well be empty. There is nowhere near sufficient funds to cover the damage that we’ve caused.
Because of God’s Justice, the damage must be repaired and the debt must be paid.
Because of God’s Love, damage is being repaired and our debt is as good as paid.
God has said that if you are willing to let Him, He will pay from His own account, the debt that you owe for the damage that you have caused. All you have to do is write your name on the “Payable To” line and sufficient funds will be transferred to your account. All you have to do is agree that a debt is owing and God will arrange for the debt to be cancelled.
Sounds like a good deal. Doesn’t it?
Amazingly, some people refuse to do that. Like little children, for these people to admit that they’ve done something wrong, to admit that they need forgiveness is too hard, too scary, too - mature.
These people call themselves “Brights.”
Even knowing in advance that the alternative to having their debt paid is horrific beyond description (someone is going to pay, either God or you), these Brights refuse to allow the transaction of forgiveness to be completed. What’s more, atheists actively evangelise other people to refuse this gift as well. They are working especially hard to convince your children and mine that this is a deal that should be rejected, ignored, denied.
There’s no ignorance at work here.
This is a free will decision that they’re making.
These people know full well what’s at stake.
Yet they refuse to accept the offer placed before them.
As it is with satan, these people know full well where they’re headed and they want to take as many other people as possible with them.
Atheists say that the offer, “Let Me pay your debt for you or you’ll pay in hell,” is coercive.
They don’t see it as a warning.
They don’t see it as a rescue.
They don’t even see it as a good deal.
“How dare you make me choose between eternity in paradise or eternity in hell!”
Atheists would rather spend eternity in hell than have their Creator pay their debt, from His account, on their behalf.
Atheists teach their children to do the same thing.
It’s like a man forcing his wife and children to starve to death because he is too proud to accept the “Free Groceries For Life” offer from the billionaire who lives across the street.
Accept help or starve to death?
Atheists would rather they and their family starve to death.
Bright idea?
You decide.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Atheists Would Do It Better
That’s what atheists think; that they could have done a better job of running the universe than their Creator. This is especially true in the area of justice. What it boils down to, however, is that atheists would have placed very little value on holiness, justice, and love. And evil?
“Eh, it’s not such a big deal,” at least not according to atheists.
Because of evil, today, 10,000 children will starve to death
Because of evil, today, millions of children are working in sexual slavery
Because of evil, today, people of various religions are killing each other and bringing the world to the brink of destruction.
Because of evil, today AID’s will claim the lives thousands of children.
Because of evil, the gap between the rich and the poor is growing faster than at any other time in history.
Because of evil, children are contracting STD’s at a rate that isn’t even matched by adults.
Because of evil, people are choosing to die in numbers unequalled at any other time in history.
Because of evil, despair, loneliness, and hopelessness are rampant in all age groups.
Because of evil, we are in danger of destroying the very planet upon which we live.
We humans cannot fix the problem because we are the part of the problem. Some people pride themselves on how accepting they are. Accepting is good but not when you’re accepting of evil. Immoral behaviour makes people dangerous - Period. Murder, stealing, adultery, drunkenness and drug addiction, bragging, violence, bitterness, envy, lying, gossip, strife, backbiters, hating others and being hated by others, insolence, pride, coveting etc. all this is the noise that people make in the absence of a life changing relationship with Jesus.
Our sinful nature is always prompting us to see what’s wrong in the world and then causing us to blame those problems on what we think “isn’t right” in other people. This human flaw shows up in: You don’t go to the right school, wear the right clothes, vote for the right political party, live in the right neighbourhood, cheer the right team, have the right number of children, eat the right kind of food, hold to the right convictions, speak the right language, adhere to the right customs, have the right colour skin, support the right cause, worship the right god(s) and on and on.
Because of evil, atheists think that they aren’t part of the problem; that they’re above it, aloof from it all. Because of evil, atheists think that evil isn’t a big deal. That is why they don't understand the boiling rage that God feels toward evil.
God says, “Evil is so horrific there is no punishment great enough to pay for inviting it into the universe (something that each and everyone of us do, practically on a daily basis). Not even an eternity of punishment comes close to doing justice for the act of ruining a perfect universe.”
Atheists think He should have done it different. Atheists think God should have destroyed evil before the founding of the universe.
. We don't understand why but rather than destroy evil, God is instead going to defeat evil.
. We don't understand how but humans are part of that plan.
. A war of cosmic proportions is taking place even as I speak. Some will die. Those who want to, will live.
God says, “You are so important to Me and My love for you is so great that:
. I will do everything possible to allow you to survive this battle and enter into My presence. Only you can stop that from happening.
. I will do everything possible to make sure that you do not need to be separated from Me for eternity. Only you can stop that from happening.
. In fact, if you go to hell, you'll have to step over My dead body to get there.
Atheists think He should have done it different.
Atheists think that a perfectly Holy God should overlook crime and only judge those who are worse than they are.
Atheists think that a perfectly loving God should not have paid a debt that we could not pay.
Atheists think that they would have done it better.
“Eh, it’s not such a big deal,” at least not according to atheists.
Because of evil, today, 10,000 children will starve to death
Because of evil, today, millions of children are working in sexual slavery
Because of evil, today, people of various religions are killing each other and bringing the world to the brink of destruction.
Because of evil, today AID’s will claim the lives thousands of children.
Because of evil, the gap between the rich and the poor is growing faster than at any other time in history.
Because of evil, children are contracting STD’s at a rate that isn’t even matched by adults.
Because of evil, people are choosing to die in numbers unequalled at any other time in history.
Because of evil, despair, loneliness, and hopelessness are rampant in all age groups.
Because of evil, we are in danger of destroying the very planet upon which we live.
We humans cannot fix the problem because we are the part of the problem. Some people pride themselves on how accepting they are. Accepting is good but not when you’re accepting of evil. Immoral behaviour makes people dangerous - Period. Murder, stealing, adultery, drunkenness and drug addiction, bragging, violence, bitterness, envy, lying, gossip, strife, backbiters, hating others and being hated by others, insolence, pride, coveting etc. all this is the noise that people make in the absence of a life changing relationship with Jesus.
Our sinful nature is always prompting us to see what’s wrong in the world and then causing us to blame those problems on what we think “isn’t right” in other people. This human flaw shows up in: You don’t go to the right school, wear the right clothes, vote for the right political party, live in the right neighbourhood, cheer the right team, have the right number of children, eat the right kind of food, hold to the right convictions, speak the right language, adhere to the right customs, have the right colour skin, support the right cause, worship the right god(s) and on and on.
Because of evil, atheists think that they aren’t part of the problem; that they’re above it, aloof from it all. Because of evil, atheists think that evil isn’t a big deal. That is why they don't understand the boiling rage that God feels toward evil.
God says, “Evil is so horrific there is no punishment great enough to pay for inviting it into the universe (something that each and everyone of us do, practically on a daily basis). Not even an eternity of punishment comes close to doing justice for the act of ruining a perfect universe.”
Atheists think He should have done it different. Atheists think God should have destroyed evil before the founding of the universe.
. We don't understand why but rather than destroy evil, God is instead going to defeat evil.
. We don't understand how but humans are part of that plan.
. A war of cosmic proportions is taking place even as I speak. Some will die. Those who want to, will live.
God says, “You are so important to Me and My love for you is so great that:
. I will do everything possible to allow you to survive this battle and enter into My presence. Only you can stop that from happening.
. I will do everything possible to make sure that you do not need to be separated from Me for eternity. Only you can stop that from happening.
. In fact, if you go to hell, you'll have to step over My dead body to get there.
Atheists think He should have done it different.
Atheists think that a perfectly Holy God should overlook crime and only judge those who are worse than they are.
Atheists think that a perfectly loving God should not have paid a debt that we could not pay.
Atheists think that they would have done it better.
Friday, March 19, 2010
He Pitched His Tent Among Us
He did that but He sure wasn’t one of us. No affairs. No lying. No murder. No cheating. No child abuse.
At His trial Jesus asked His accusers, “Can any one of you convict Me of a single misleading word, a single sinful act?” John 8:46.
Nothing.
Nobody said a word.
Even those who practically lived with Him for three years said,
“He never did one wrong thing. Not once said anything amiss.”
1 Peter 2:22
If people spent three days with me (on some days just three hours), they wouldn’t be able to say that about me.
And here’s the thing that just blows me away. Jesus was always bang on in thought word and deed BUT / AND He still wants to hang with me.
Just the opposite of what we do.
Jesus knew about people’s lies, addictions, affairs and hypocrisy, yet He still welcomed them into His inner circle.
Just the opposite of what we do.
To those who were killing Him Jesus said, “Father forgive them.”
Just the opposite of what we do.
Jesus, our example and character goal, came to earth knowing in advance that He would be abused, misunderstood, mistreated, rejected, insulted, betrayed and ultimately have humanity do our absolute worst to Him. Yet He entered into a covenant relationship with us anyway because He loves us.
Knowing that this is how we would treat Him, because of His love for us, He pitched His tent among us.
He did that in order to show us the way home.
“God was in Christ Jesus, reconciling the world to Himself.”
“While we were still His enemies, Christ Jesus died for our sins.”
Atheists find that offensive.
For the rest of us, we're eternally grateful.
At His trial Jesus asked His accusers, “Can any one of you convict Me of a single misleading word, a single sinful act?” John 8:46.
Nothing.
Nobody said a word.
Even those who practically lived with Him for three years said,
“He never did one wrong thing. Not once said anything amiss.”
1 Peter 2:22
If people spent three days with me (on some days just three hours), they wouldn’t be able to say that about me.
And here’s the thing that just blows me away. Jesus was always bang on in thought word and deed BUT / AND He still wants to hang with me.
Just the opposite of what we do.
Jesus knew about people’s lies, addictions, affairs and hypocrisy, yet He still welcomed them into His inner circle.
Just the opposite of what we do.
To those who were killing Him Jesus said, “Father forgive them.”
Just the opposite of what we do.
Jesus, our example and character goal, came to earth knowing in advance that He would be abused, misunderstood, mistreated, rejected, insulted, betrayed and ultimately have humanity do our absolute worst to Him. Yet He entered into a covenant relationship with us anyway because He loves us.
Knowing that this is how we would treat Him, because of His love for us, He pitched His tent among us.
He did that in order to show us the way home.
“God was in Christ Jesus, reconciling the world to Himself.”
“While we were still His enemies, Christ Jesus died for our sins.”
Atheists find that offensive.
For the rest of us, we're eternally grateful.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Now Is The Day of Salvation
Jesus says, “Today, if you hear My voice, do not harden your heart.
Instead,
Come to forgiveness.
Come to freedom from real guilt.
Come home.”
Anonymous Atheist: No I can’t. I don’t have any choice.
Jesus: You do have a choice; a choice of eternal proportions. I’m offering you, right this very minute, the opportunity to spend eternity in heaven. There is no need for ANYONE to go to hell. As I said thousands of years ago, "I take no delight in the death of the wicked. So turn to Me and live." Some will choose to go to hell, but YOU do not need to make that choice.
Anonymous Atheist: Nope. I have no control over where I spend eternity. You are going to torture me in hell and that is why I hate you - for making me spend eternity in hell.
Jesus: I’m NOT making you do that. I’m telling you right now that I’ve already paid the penalty for your sins. All you have to do is accept that forgiveness.
Anonymous Atheist: Accepting Your forgiveness is a sign of weakness. I can’t do that. My fate is sealed. I don’t have any options.
Jesus: Yes you do.
Anonymous Atheist: No I don’t.
Jesus: Ok, have it your way.
Anonymous Atheist: See! That’s why I think that you’re a vicious bloodthirsty monster who sends people to hell.
Jesus: (Palm slap to the forehead)
Instead,
Come to forgiveness.
Come to freedom from real guilt.
Come home.”
Anonymous Atheist: No I can’t. I don’t have any choice.
Jesus: You do have a choice; a choice of eternal proportions. I’m offering you, right this very minute, the opportunity to spend eternity in heaven. There is no need for ANYONE to go to hell. As I said thousands of years ago, "I take no delight in the death of the wicked. So turn to Me and live." Some will choose to go to hell, but YOU do not need to make that choice.
Anonymous Atheist: Nope. I have no control over where I spend eternity. You are going to torture me in hell and that is why I hate you - for making me spend eternity in hell.
Jesus: I’m NOT making you do that. I’m telling you right now that I’ve already paid the penalty for your sins. All you have to do is accept that forgiveness.
Anonymous Atheist: Accepting Your forgiveness is a sign of weakness. I can’t do that. My fate is sealed. I don’t have any options.
Jesus: Yes you do.
Anonymous Atheist: No I don’t.
Jesus: Ok, have it your way.
Anonymous Atheist: See! That’s why I think that you’re a vicious bloodthirsty monster who sends people to hell.
Jesus: (Palm slap to the forehead)
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
I’d Rather Be A Robot.”
I was having a discussion with a guy about freewill and that was his comment. “If freewill can allow for eternity in hell, then I’d rather be a robot.”
Really?
Without freewill there is no virtue.
Without freewill there is no justice.
Without freewill there is no mercy.
Without freewill there is no such thing as genuine love.
All of these things are what give meaning to life.
Without freewill there is:
no fantasy life,
no dreams,
no desires.
Without freewill we’d only do what we were programmed to do.
Imagine:
As a moral robot, you walk down the street and see an old woman drop her purse.
No choice.
No decision.
You pick up the purse, and give it to her.
No need to thank you.
You did nothing good because there is no good.
You only did what you were programmed to do.
Imagine:
As a moral robot, someone you work with invites you to step outside of your marriage vows and enter into an illicit affair.
No choice.
No decision.
You decline.
No good feelings for having done the right thing, because there is no right thing.
You only did what you were programmed to do.
No increased sense of love and desire for your partner, for there is no love and desire.
No freewill?
No thanks.
Heaven and hell are options.
People freely choose their destination.
You can do what you want, but I’ll choose Heaven, thank you.
Really?
Without freewill there is no virtue.
Without freewill there is no justice.
Without freewill there is no mercy.
Without freewill there is no such thing as genuine love.
All of these things are what give meaning to life.
Without freewill there is:
no fantasy life,
no dreams,
no desires.
Without freewill we’d only do what we were programmed to do.
Imagine:
As a moral robot, you walk down the street and see an old woman drop her purse.
No choice.
No decision.
You pick up the purse, and give it to her.
No need to thank you.
You did nothing good because there is no good.
You only did what you were programmed to do.
Imagine:
As a moral robot, someone you work with invites you to step outside of your marriage vows and enter into an illicit affair.
No choice.
No decision.
You decline.
No good feelings for having done the right thing, because there is no right thing.
You only did what you were programmed to do.
No increased sense of love and desire for your partner, for there is no love and desire.
No freewill?
No thanks.
Heaven and hell are options.
People freely choose their destination.
You can do what you want, but I’ll choose Heaven, thank you.
Tragic Tales
Just read a thing at CNN about a retirement home for prostitutes - Minimum age 60 for admission.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/03/16/vbs.house.setting.sun/index.html?hpt=C2
What a tragic tale of using people (some still turning tricks) and being used by people. I didn't notice who runs the place but what a good idea! Someone has compassion. Of course, they aren't the first.
"I will not punish your daughters when they turn to prostitution, nor your daughter's in law when they commit adultery, because the men themselves consort with harlots, and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes - a people without understanding will come to ruin! Hosea 4:14
As Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery, "I don't condemn you. Now go and leave your life of sin."
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/03/16/vbs.house.setting.sun/index.html?hpt=C2
What a tragic tale of using people (some still turning tricks) and being used by people. I didn't notice who runs the place but what a good idea! Someone has compassion. Of course, they aren't the first.
"I will not punish your daughters when they turn to prostitution, nor your daughter's in law when they commit adultery, because the men themselves consort with harlots, and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes - a people without understanding will come to ruin! Hosea 4:14
As Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery, "I don't condemn you. Now go and leave your life of sin."
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
“This Is Pretty Weak Sauce Rod”
In response to my post “What a Book!” an atheist said, “This is some pretty weak sauce Rod.”
He quoted one of the verses that I gave in reference and poo pooed the whole idea that the Bible could actually be anything more than a book written by primitive men.
The Bible stated, thousands of years before science confirmed as fact, that:
That the universe had a beginning.
That time itself had a beginning.
The universe was Caused / Created from literally nothing.
What is visible is made from what is not visible
The Cause of the universe existed prior to the Singularity.
The universe is expanding and has done so from the beginning.
The Laws of Physics are fixed and have been from the beginning
The entire creation is subject to the Second law of Thermodynamics
Dark matter has a unique stretching property
The early earth was covered by water.
The early earth was devoid of life.
The Laws of Physics have not changed since the Singularity.
The early earth was unfit for life.
I ended the post, NOT with saying “This proves the Bible is God’s Word. Instead I said, “The examples above are just a few of the reasons for suspecting that the Bible is indeed, “God’s Word.”
For over a hundred years atheists have strenuously resisted most of the above Biblical claims. Because of the metaphysical implications of a universe with a beginning, atheists desperately wanted the Steady State Model of the universe to be true. Only grudgingly ("I find the Big Bang concept to be repugnant,") have atheists accepted these Biblical claims to be true. The findings of science have left them no choice.
Over the last century, as, one by one, science confirmed each of the facts I just listed, it was touted as an example of the wonders of human intellect and technology.
These were not actually discoveries but merely confirmations of what the Bible had already stated.
Were these confirmations of what the Bible declared thousands of years earlier significant?
Absolutely.
Have these confirmations of what the Bible declared thousands of years earlier enhanced our understanding of ourselves and the universe in which we live.
Absolutely.
Here is what is ironic about the atheist mind-set. When humans use technology to discover a fact about the universe, atheists practically worship the process that brought about the awareness of that fact.
When humans declare the exact same fact, thousands of years prior to the arrival of technology, atheists go, "Ho hum. That's some pretty weak sauce."
I've come to expect nothing more of atheists than what Anon #3 gave me.
He quoted one of the verses that I gave in reference and poo pooed the whole idea that the Bible could actually be anything more than a book written by primitive men.
The Bible stated, thousands of years before science confirmed as fact, that:
That the universe had a beginning.
That time itself had a beginning.
The universe was Caused / Created from literally nothing.
What is visible is made from what is not visible
The Cause of the universe existed prior to the Singularity.
The universe is expanding and has done so from the beginning.
The Laws of Physics are fixed and have been from the beginning
The entire creation is subject to the Second law of Thermodynamics
Dark matter has a unique stretching property
The early earth was covered by water.
The early earth was devoid of life.
The Laws of Physics have not changed since the Singularity.
The early earth was unfit for life.
I ended the post, NOT with saying “This proves the Bible is God’s Word. Instead I said, “The examples above are just a few of the reasons for suspecting that the Bible is indeed, “God’s Word.”
For over a hundred years atheists have strenuously resisted most of the above Biblical claims. Because of the metaphysical implications of a universe with a beginning, atheists desperately wanted the Steady State Model of the universe to be true. Only grudgingly ("I find the Big Bang concept to be repugnant,") have atheists accepted these Biblical claims to be true. The findings of science have left them no choice.
Over the last century, as, one by one, science confirmed each of the facts I just listed, it was touted as an example of the wonders of human intellect and technology.
These were not actually discoveries but merely confirmations of what the Bible had already stated.
Were these confirmations of what the Bible declared thousands of years earlier significant?
Absolutely.
Have these confirmations of what the Bible declared thousands of years earlier enhanced our understanding of ourselves and the universe in which we live.
Absolutely.
Here is what is ironic about the atheist mind-set. When humans use technology to discover a fact about the universe, atheists practically worship the process that brought about the awareness of that fact.
When humans declare the exact same fact, thousands of years prior to the arrival of technology, atheists go, "Ho hum. That's some pretty weak sauce."
I've come to expect nothing more of atheists than what Anon #3 gave me.
Monday, March 15, 2010
What A Book!
This is another post that was originally created on blog Makarios but I’ve expanded it here.
In this edition I want to highlight three things about the Bible. While the Bible is not a science manual, the Bible contains facts about the universe and life on earth that:
. Aren’t mentioned in any other literature of the time, including the “holy” scriptures of other cultures.
. Wasn’t known to be true at the time of the writing, and often contradicted what was thought to be true at the time of the writing.
. Has since been confirmed as true by science
The Bible tells us -
That the universe had a beginning. (Gen. 1:1,2:3-4; Ps. 148:5; Isa. 40:26, 42:5, 45:18; John 1:3; Col. 1:15-17; Heb. 11:3). Matter is not and cannot be eternal. It’s a scientific and philosophical fact. The space / time continuum along with matter, energy and the law of physics had a definitive start. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
That time itself had a beginning. (1 Cor. 2:7; 2 Tim. 1:9)No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
The universe was Caused / Created from literally nothing.
. Unlike atheists who say, “Everything came from nothing by nothing,” Reality is, “Everything came from nothing because of Something.”
. Unlike atheists who say,
“The universe was this tiny little invisible speck of really hot matter surrounded by a tiny little invisible ring of space,” Reality is, “Everything - time, space, matter and energy came from nothing because of Something.” No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
“What is visible is made from what is not visible”
This, 1,500 years before the microscope was invented. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
The Cause of the universe existed prior to the Singularity. We are so time-bound, that the concept of “before” time or outside of time is something that we cannot describe. While philosophically understandable, the Old and New Testaments are unique among early literature to state the existence of a Being of First Cause “before time.” (Prov. 8:22-23; John 1:1-3; 1 Cor. 2:7; 2nd Tim. 1:9). No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science will most certainly prove it to be true.
The Bible tells us -
That the universe is expanding and has done so from the beginning. (Job 9:8; Ps. 104:2; Isa. 40:22, 42:5, 44:24, 45:12, 48:13; Jer. 10:12, 51:15; Zech. 12:1). No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
The Laws of Physics are fixed. (Jer.33:25). No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
The entire creation is subject to the Second law of Thermodynamics or the Law of Decay (Rom. 8: 20-22) . No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
About the dynamic stretching property of dark matter. Ps. 104:2 and Isa. 40:22 speak of the “stretching out” of the heavens like a tent. Not until the 20th century was the expansion of the universe detected. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
The concept of the earth being a Primordial Soup; the early earth was covered by water. This is entirely and uniquely a Biblical concept. Nothing in science, geography etc. until very recently has shown any evidence for this yet it is what is predicted by science to explain the arrival of life itself. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science is proving it true.
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/03/15/tech-geology-ancient-ocean.html
The Bible tells us -
The early earth was devoid of life. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
The Laws of Physics have not changed since the Singularity. (Gen. 1-3; Eccles. 1:4-11, 3:15; Rom. 8:18-23; Rev. 20:7-22:5). No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
The early earth was unfit for life. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
People are fundamentally different than other animals. We are created in God’s image. We exhibit an intelligence and curiosity far beyond anything needed for basic survival, reproduction or entertainment. Unlike other animals, humans spend considerable time debating and attempting to understand questions like, “Who am I?” “Why am I here?” “What happens when I die?” “Why is the universe the way it is?” “Is there is a God?” Humans are profoundly spiritual beings and spend considerable time in worship and the longing to know and be a part of something greater than ourselves. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
In hundreds of verses that a Personal Being created all things. Forces and principles do not create. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
“God sits enthroned above the CIRCLE of the earth . . .”
This thousands of years before people found out that earth wasn’t flat. Now, atheists will tell you that the flat earth concept came from what the Bible taught. This is not the case. It’s yet another example of atheists being incapable of interpreting Scripture. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
“The earth will wear out like and old garment, There will be famines in many lands, earthquakes and war without ceasing,”
This 2,000 years before anyone dreamed that the earth could run short of anything. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
“The Lord suspends the earth over nothing.”
This, 5,000 years before modern man discovered it’s truth. Until then ancients speculated that the earth sat on a strong foundation or was supported by a mythological god. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
“The number of the stars are like the sand which is on the seashore.”
This, thousands and thousands of years before the telescope. Without the telescope only ~ 5,000 stars are visible to the naked eye. Closer to the equator it’s a little bit more, at the North Pole it’s a little bit less but it’s ~ 5,000. To say they were uncountable at the time that it was written would have seemed preposterous. Yet it’s the truth. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
This is a Book that -
Predicted the Israelites would be scattered throughout the world, that Israel as a nation would disappear only to return as a nation “in one day” This 3,000 years before the return of Israel as a nation took place. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Historical Science has proven it true.
This is a Book that -
Gave us details of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, from the town He would be born in, to the race into which He would be born, to the manner in which He would die, thousands of years before He was even born. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Historical science has proven it true.
While the Bible is not a science book, it contains claims about the origin, structure and history of the universe that have proven remarkably accurate AND the Bible is unique in that no other literature of the time made similar claims.
Atheists claim that the Bible is a book that is written or created by man, but how can mankind make claims about things that he doesn’t know (“what is seen is made from what is unseen”) or that current knowledge tells him is incorrect (“The number of the stars are like the sand which is on the seashore.”)unless this information is given to him by an outside source?
The examples above are just a few of the reason for suspecting that the Bible is indeed, “God’s Word.”
In this edition I want to highlight three things about the Bible. While the Bible is not a science manual, the Bible contains facts about the universe and life on earth that:
. Aren’t mentioned in any other literature of the time, including the “holy” scriptures of other cultures.
. Wasn’t known to be true at the time of the writing, and often contradicted what was thought to be true at the time of the writing.
. Has since been confirmed as true by science
The Bible tells us -
That the universe had a beginning. (Gen. 1:1,2:3-4; Ps. 148:5; Isa. 40:26, 42:5, 45:18; John 1:3; Col. 1:15-17; Heb. 11:3). Matter is not and cannot be eternal. It’s a scientific and philosophical fact. The space / time continuum along with matter, energy and the law of physics had a definitive start. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
That time itself had a beginning. (1 Cor. 2:7; 2 Tim. 1:9)No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
The universe was Caused / Created from literally nothing.
. Unlike atheists who say, “Everything came from nothing by nothing,” Reality is, “Everything came from nothing because of Something.”
. Unlike atheists who say,
“The universe was this tiny little invisible speck of really hot matter surrounded by a tiny little invisible ring of space,” Reality is, “Everything - time, space, matter and energy came from nothing because of Something.” No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
“What is visible is made from what is not visible”
This, 1,500 years before the microscope was invented. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
The Cause of the universe existed prior to the Singularity. We are so time-bound, that the concept of “before” time or outside of time is something that we cannot describe. While philosophically understandable, the Old and New Testaments are unique among early literature to state the existence of a Being of First Cause “before time.” (Prov. 8:22-23; John 1:1-3; 1 Cor. 2:7; 2nd Tim. 1:9). No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science will most certainly prove it to be true.
The Bible tells us -
That the universe is expanding and has done so from the beginning. (Job 9:8; Ps. 104:2; Isa. 40:22, 42:5, 44:24, 45:12, 48:13; Jer. 10:12, 51:15; Zech. 12:1). No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
The Laws of Physics are fixed. (Jer.33:25). No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
The entire creation is subject to the Second law of Thermodynamics or the Law of Decay (Rom. 8: 20-22) . No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
About the dynamic stretching property of dark matter. Ps. 104:2 and Isa. 40:22 speak of the “stretching out” of the heavens like a tent. Not until the 20th century was the expansion of the universe detected. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
The concept of the earth being a Primordial Soup; the early earth was covered by water. This is entirely and uniquely a Biblical concept. Nothing in science, geography etc. until very recently has shown any evidence for this yet it is what is predicted by science to explain the arrival of life itself. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science is proving it true.
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/03/15/tech-geology-ancient-ocean.html
The Bible tells us -
The early earth was devoid of life. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
The Laws of Physics have not changed since the Singularity. (Gen. 1-3; Eccles. 1:4-11, 3:15; Rom. 8:18-23; Rev. 20:7-22:5). No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
The early earth was unfit for life. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
People are fundamentally different than other animals. We are created in God’s image. We exhibit an intelligence and curiosity far beyond anything needed for basic survival, reproduction or entertainment. Unlike other animals, humans spend considerable time debating and attempting to understand questions like, “Who am I?” “Why am I here?” “What happens when I die?” “Why is the universe the way it is?” “Is there is a God?” Humans are profoundly spiritual beings and spend considerable time in worship and the longing to know and be a part of something greater than ourselves. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
In hundreds of verses that a Personal Being created all things. Forces and principles do not create. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
“God sits enthroned above the CIRCLE of the earth . . .”
This thousands of years before people found out that earth wasn’t flat. Now, atheists will tell you that the flat earth concept came from what the Bible taught. This is not the case. It’s yet another example of atheists being incapable of interpreting Scripture. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
“The earth will wear out like and old garment, There will be famines in many lands, earthquakes and war without ceasing,”
This 2,000 years before anyone dreamed that the earth could run short of anything. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
“The Lord suspends the earth over nothing.”
This, 5,000 years before modern man discovered it’s truth. Until then ancients speculated that the earth sat on a strong foundation or was supported by a mythological god. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
The Bible tells us -
“The number of the stars are like the sand which is on the seashore.”
This, thousands and thousands of years before the telescope. Without the telescope only ~ 5,000 stars are visible to the naked eye. Closer to the equator it’s a little bit more, at the North Pole it’s a little bit less but it’s ~ 5,000. To say they were uncountable at the time that it was written would have seemed preposterous. Yet it’s the truth. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Science has proven it true.
This is a Book that -
Predicted the Israelites would be scattered throughout the world, that Israel as a nation would disappear only to return as a nation “in one day” This 3,000 years before the return of Israel as a nation took place. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Historical Science has proven it true.
This is a Book that -
Gave us details of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, from the town He would be born in, to the race into which He would be born, to the manner in which He would die, thousands of years before He was even born. No other “holy” book or literature of the time makes this claim. Historical science has proven it true.
While the Bible is not a science book, it contains claims about the origin, structure and history of the universe that have proven remarkably accurate AND the Bible is unique in that no other literature of the time made similar claims.
Atheists claim that the Bible is a book that is written or created by man, but how can mankind make claims about things that he doesn’t know (“what is seen is made from what is unseen”) or that current knowledge tells him is incorrect (“The number of the stars are like the sand which is on the seashore.”)unless this information is given to him by an outside source?
The examples above are just a few of the reason for suspecting that the Bible is indeed, “God’s Word.”
Sunday, March 14, 2010
I doubt that!
In an earlier post, I’d mentioned that there were 100's of finely tuned constants and quantities required for the existence of our universe and for intelligent life itself. Because the vast majority of atheists are very poorly read regarding any science but certainly the science of origins I thought I might get some push-back on just how many constants and quantities that severely constrain the actions of matter and energy within our universe.
It didn’t seem to register. Like pushing their way through a huge snow drift the mind of atheists is barely able to comprehend what this all means, if at all.
Anyhow, here is what we know.
In 1988 we knew of 15 finely tuned cosmic features that were required for the universe to exist. Today, scientists have discovered 676 constants and quantities that are required to be exactly as is for permanent simple life to exist.
There are 402 finely tuned characteristics of the planetary system that must be in place, specifically for permanent intelligent life.
For various other life forms to exist there are 824 features of our universe and galaxy that must fall within exquisitely narrow ranges.
These are explained in detail at http://www.reasons.org/links/hugh/research-notes
As I said, for those with the wisdom to understand what's being said, a jaw-slacking amazement and sense of wonder will set in.
Atheists on the other hand will read this with the look of a cow watching a train go by.
It didn’t seem to register. Like pushing their way through a huge snow drift the mind of atheists is barely able to comprehend what this all means, if at all.
Anyhow, here is what we know.
In 1988 we knew of 15 finely tuned cosmic features that were required for the universe to exist. Today, scientists have discovered 676 constants and quantities that are required to be exactly as is for permanent simple life to exist.
There are 402 finely tuned characteristics of the planetary system that must be in place, specifically for permanent intelligent life.
For various other life forms to exist there are 824 features of our universe and galaxy that must fall within exquisitely narrow ranges.
These are explained in detail at http://www.reasons.org/links/hugh/research-notes
As I said, for those with the wisdom to understand what's being said, a jaw-slacking amazement and sense of wonder will set in.
Atheists on the other hand will read this with the look of a cow watching a train go by.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Coincidence? I Think Not.
Humans have arrived at the only point in cosmic history whereby we can examine the origins of the universe.
Humans have arrived at the only point in cosmic history whereby, if we are willing, we can observe the miracle that is the universe.
Any earlier and we would not have been able to view as deep into the past. If later, the increasing expansion rate of the universe will be so great that the cosmic origin event will be pushed beyond the limits of viewing.
Humans live in the darkest corner of a galaxy that is in the darkest corner of the universe. If we did not live where we live we would not be able to see all the way back to the origins of time itself.
Atheists of course say, “Well, very improbable events happen all the time,” and they are correct. However, Hundreds (finely tuned constants and quantities) of very improbable events that are all related to and required for the very existence of life itself does not happen - ever - by accident or chance at exactly (Planck time) the same instant. Every one of these constants and qualities had to be absolutely 100% as is at Planck time or no life, no universe. That means nothing to those who have a priori ruled out the existence of any intelligence prior to their own or greater than their own.
"It's only a coincidence," cry the fools.
Yes, the fools.
When simultaneous “coincidence” multiply, the “random accident” interpretation grows less and less plausible and reaches a point at which it must simply be abandoned.
Combine the above with the fact that humanity came at just the right time for us to observe the whole history of the universe, add the fact that we live in probably the only location within the universe where all these features can be seen, and those with wisdom are compelled to consider the case for a Creator.
Now, is the time that we can know of our Creator’s existence.
Now is the time at which the evidence is compelling.
Now is the time at which no one is without excuse to know that their Creator exists. Romans chapter 1.
Humans have arrived at the only point in cosmic history whereby, if we are willing, we can observe the miracle that is the universe.
Any earlier and we would not have been able to view as deep into the past. If later, the increasing expansion rate of the universe will be so great that the cosmic origin event will be pushed beyond the limits of viewing.
Humans live in the darkest corner of a galaxy that is in the darkest corner of the universe. If we did not live where we live we would not be able to see all the way back to the origins of time itself.
Atheists of course say, “Well, very improbable events happen all the time,” and they are correct. However, Hundreds (finely tuned constants and quantities) of very improbable events that are all related to and required for the very existence of life itself does not happen - ever - by accident or chance at exactly (Planck time) the same instant. Every one of these constants and qualities had to be absolutely 100% as is at Planck time or no life, no universe. That means nothing to those who have a priori ruled out the existence of any intelligence prior to their own or greater than their own.
"It's only a coincidence," cry the fools.
Yes, the fools.
When simultaneous “coincidence” multiply, the “random accident” interpretation grows less and less plausible and reaches a point at which it must simply be abandoned.
Combine the above with the fact that humanity came at just the right time for us to observe the whole history of the universe, add the fact that we live in probably the only location within the universe where all these features can be seen, and those with wisdom are compelled to consider the case for a Creator.
Now, is the time that we can know of our Creator’s existence.
Now is the time at which the evidence is compelling.
Now is the time at which no one is without excuse to know that their Creator exists. Romans chapter 1.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Matthew 5:23
A couple atheists have said that I shouldn’t be using the term “Fool” in reference to atheists. They refer to the above verse as proof of what they say. Atheists have as much chance of interpreting this verse correctly as they do any verse including the one about judging; which by they way to use to judge people who they deem to be judging others.
Anyhow, in Psalm 14:1 God inspires the Psalmist to describe as Fools, those who look at the universe and declare that it all came about by chance, no Creator, just chance, a random act of nothing since nothing is exactly what existed prior to the singularity.
Since God Himself has described atheists as fools, it’s obvious that Matthew 5:23 is saying, Don’t call someone a fool who is NOT a fool. For what could be lower than being told you have as much wisdom as an atheist; someone who has exchanged h/her ETERNAL heritage for 70 or 80 years of arrogant grandstanding here on earth?
Anyhow, in Psalm 14:1 God inspires the Psalmist to describe as Fools, those who look at the universe and declare that it all came about by chance, no Creator, just chance, a random act of nothing since nothing is exactly what existed prior to the singularity.
Since God Himself has described atheists as fools, it’s obvious that Matthew 5:23 is saying, Don’t call someone a fool who is NOT a fool. For what could be lower than being told you have as much wisdom as an atheist; someone who has exchanged h/her ETERNAL heritage for 70 or 80 years of arrogant grandstanding here on earth?
Raising the Dead
Because nothing natural, nothing material, not even energy existed prior to the Singularity (atheists will say “Prior to” is a concept that doesn’t fit,” and think that solves their problem) the only way that someone can suggest a material cause for the Singularity is if that person has a priori ruled out the existence of anything outside of nature or supra natural. Meaning, there WAS something material (so where was it located since space did not exist either?) we just haven’t discovered it yet.
I spent three years at Makarios presenting information that could have and should been able to wake the spiritually dead. It was an abject failure - NOT because of any inadequacy on the part of the information but because of a desire on the part of the dead to remain that way.
No more. I’m not going to do that again.
I’ve written what I’ve written.
Believe what you want.
I’m not going to waste 100's of hours explaining and clarifying what fools have no interest in understanding.
The gates of hell are locked firmly from the inside and there is nothing that I can do about that.
I spent three years at Makarios presenting information that could have and should been able to wake the spiritually dead. It was an abject failure - NOT because of any inadequacy on the part of the information but because of a desire on the part of the dead to remain that way.
No more. I’m not going to do that again.
I’ve written what I’ve written.
Believe what you want.
I’m not going to waste 100's of hours explaining and clarifying what fools have no interest in understanding.
The gates of hell are locked firmly from the inside and there is nothing that I can do about that.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Why I’m Not An Atheist
I said that to date, I haven't copied anything from blog Makarios. However, at that blog a couple times I year I posted, "Why I'm Not An Atheist" and I think I'll continue the tradition here.
I suppose I could say that except for epistemic, experiential, logical, coherent and reasonable evidence for the existence of God, I could be an atheist.
Instead, my belief in God begins with the following observations:
Because of clear scientific (observable, repeatable, verifiable) evidence, we know that:
. Whatever begins to exist has a cause.
That we consistently observe this to be true is critically important because scientific naturalists demand that nothing can be believed without consistent observation and verification. Every single attempt to promote alternatives to this premise have only reinforced its truth. Therefore, atheists have the highest motivation to accept this premise.
Because of clear scientific (observable, repeatable, verifiable) evidence, we know that:
. The universe began to exist.
Because those premises are true and coherent we can know that the following conclusion is also true: The universe has a cause.
Because of clear scientific evidence, we know that:
. Matter and energy cannot precede themselves or preexist themselves either physically or chronologically.
The reason that matter and energy cannot precede themselves is because “Coming Into Being” is an essential and objective feature of time. Time did not exist prior to the Big Bang.
Because of clear scientific evidence, we know that:
. Matter and energy do not have the ability to create themselves or bring themselves into existence from nothing or ex nihilo.
Because of clear scientific evidence, we know that:
. Matter and energy cannot exist from infinity past.
Therefore, whatever brought matter, energy, space, time and the laws of physics into existence had to have existed outside of these entities.
Because of clear scientific evidence, we know that:
. Anything that exists has an explanation of it’s existence, either in the necessity of its own nature (It can’t NOT exist), or in an external cause.
. If the universe has an explanation of its existence, that explanation is external to as well as transcendent to the universe. That is because:
Existing outside of time, the Cause is infinite or Eternal,
Existing outside of matter (which is finite), the Cause is immaterial or Spiritual,
Existing as the Cause of time and energy, space, matter and the laws of physics, the Cause is immeasurably more powerful than the mathematically precise universe and its exquisitely Finely Tuned constants and quantities.
The Cause cannot be “scientific” because neither matter nor the laws of physics (i.e., the laws that science has observed and identified), existed prior to the Singularity.
Therefore the Cause of the beginning of the universe is not scientific but Personal.
The transcendent Cause of the universe is therefore on the order of a Mind.
That Cause is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. That Cause, is what is normally described as God.
Because of clear scientific evidence, we know that:
. The universe exists.
. Therefore, the universe has an explanation of its existence.
Because the above premises are true and coherent, the following conclusion must also be true: The explanation of the existence of the universe is God.
. According to atheism the universe doesn’t have an explanation of its existence. They say that “It just happened.” Over a dozen theories and over a dozen more variations on those theories have come and gone in a vain attempt to rule out God as the Cause of a beginning universe. Despite the current scientific knowledge described above, atheists persist in stating that either matter has always existed (impossible) or that matter created itself (also impossible).
Why do they do this? Because, If there is an explanation of the universe’s existence, then atheism is not true. And that is because the only explanation that fits the evidence of how and why the universe came into being is Creator God. That is why Richard Dawkins himself has lately admitted that a good case could be made for the existence of a Deistic God.
Actually, I believe that some day there won’t be any atheists. There will be people for God and people against God but there won’t be anyone who believes that God doesn’t exist. And, irony of ironies it will be science that will prove the existence of God.
. Because of overwhelming scientific evidence, most atheists do grudgingly admit that the universe does indeed have a beginning. Unfortunately for atheists, it can be said with absolute confidence that no cosmogonic model has been:
As repeatedly verified in its predictions,
As corroborated by attempts at its falsification,
As concordant with empirical discoveries, and
As philosophically coherent as the Standard Big Bang Creation Event Model.
. Hence, most atheists are implicitly committed to God being the explanation of why the universe exists. This is why I call atheists irrational agnostics.
Because of clear scientific evidence, we know that:
. The universe cannot be infinite. That is because: The Borde-Guth-Vilinkin Theorem proves that any expanding universe must have a definitive space / time boundary, a point of beginning, a singularity, a point of Creation. The expansion property of Dark Matter ensures that the universe will never, nor has ever contracted and oscillated. It will always expand faster and faster. The Second Law of Thermodynamics rules out the possibility of the universe existing from infinity past. Background radiation, Known levels of entropy and the Expanding universe confirm the truth of the 2nd Law > The universe had a beginning.
Because of clear scientific evidence, we know that:
. It is physically impossible to have an Actual Infinite Series of Things or Events or even moments of Time preceding our today. Nor can we have an Actual Infinite Collection by adding Things or Events or moments of Time one to another to another in order to reach today. This is why we can say with confidence that matter / universe cannot be infinite and that they haven’t always existed.
Imagine units of time as individual books filling a book shelf that stretches infinitely into the past. You could imagine an infinitely long street or an infinitely long rope or whatever, but for this example I’ll use a shelf of books.
While mathematics is able to deal with abstract or theoretical or conceptual or potential infinities, and while our imagination can create an imaginary shelf of books stretching infinitely into the past, sort of, reality holds no such possibility for us.
Time is not imaginary.
Time is not abstract or theoretical or conceptual.
Time is real.
Time is measured in real units.
In a scenario like this, with the shelf of books (units of time) stretching infinitely into the past you could never actually arrive at the first book. Here’s why. In order to reach the last book (what we call today), you had to have the second to last book or yesterday. In order to have the second to last book you had to have the third to last book. In order to have the third to last book you had to have the fourth to last book and so on and so on. In the case of “no beginning,” you could never reach today because you could never reach the “first” day (book) that made possible the second day which made possible the third day . . .. Since the past is made up of units of real time, in the case of a beginningless past we would have had to pass through or travel through infinite time in order to reach today and that is physically impossible. To reach today, we have to have had a starting point, a push point, a point of beginning, a point of first cause. If the past were actually infinite, we could never reach today because the past would simply extend infinitely into the past. Neither can we, as some desperate atheists have tried to do, arbitrarily pick a set or group or point in real time and begin counting from there. Of course you can do that, but it proves nothing regarding the beginning of the universe.
The fact is, we have reached today so we can know not only that the universe had a beginning, but that time itself had a beginning. Just as a bookshelf stretching infinitely into the past with no beginning would prohibit our reaching today, neither can there be an infinite regress of causes of the universe or former universes. That would also prohibit reaching today’s universe.
. The fact is, the infinite exists only as an idea or as a concept. It does not exist in realty.
Because of clear scientific evidence, we know that:
. Only in a universe so finely tuned as ours, could we expect observers such as ourselves to exist. Note: Fine Tuning is a neutral secular term in that it refers to constants and quantities (atomic weight, gravitational constant, strong & weak force, etc.) being just right for the existence of intelligent life. That’s in comparison with the huge range of possible values.
In fact, the natural range of possible values is from 0 > 10 ^53 or from
0 - 10,0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000000.
Let’s conceptualized this number as represented by a dartboard. The distance from one side of the dartboard to the other side extends across our entire Milky Way Galaxy. With that in mind, let’s look at the ranges upon which our lives, our very existence depend.
It’s important to remember that the values of these constants and qualities were not something that evolved, or something that “settled in” as the universe aged. These constants were “put in” at the Big Bang. As well, you may be interested to note that the constants, quantities and values that are found in our cosmos appear to be unrelated in any way. They seem to be random, even arbitrary. They are independent of each other. However, they do share one thing in common. In fact the only thing the constants, quantities and values of our universe have in common is that all of them, every single one of them are needed to be exactly as they are in order for intelligent life to exist on this planet. While there are several dozen constants and qualities that are known, the most fundamental constants are the Fine Structure constant, the Gravitational constant, the Weak Force, the Strong Force and the ratio between the mass of protons and electrons.
. What scientists, what ATHEIST scientists call an “astonishing coincidence” is the fact that at the Big Bang, the ratio of the strong force to electromagnetism had to have been exactly as it was or else at 10 to -17 seconds after the start of the Singularity, the necessary binding of helium -4, beryllium-8 and carbon-12 would not have occurred and life as we know it would not have appeared.
. The exact number and types of neutrinos at 1 second after the beginning of the Big Bang had to be in place or the expansion rate would have prohibited the formation of our universe. Think about that!
. If the mass of a neutron were slightly increased by about one part in seven hundred, then stable hydrogen burning stars would cease to exist.
. If the strong force were a long-range force (like electromagnetism or gravity) instead of a short range force that only acts between protons and neutrons in the nucleus, all matter would either instantaneously undergo nuclear fusion and explode or be sucked together forming a black hole.
Pretty lucky for us, huh, that all this just happened by chance?
. If the Pauli-exclusion principle did not exist, all electrons would occupy the lowest atomic orbit, which would make complex chemical interactions impossible.
. If the quantization principle did not exist, there wouldn’t be any atomic orbits, electrons would be sucked into the nucleus and therefore no complex chemistry would be allowed.
. The gravitational constant must be exactly 10 ^ 40 weaker than the strong nuclear force or again, no us. For those that are interested, that’s ten thousand, billion, billion, billion, billion times weaker than the strong force.
Pretty lucky for us that it just happened to work out that way - prior to Plack time.
A change of only 1 part in 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000 in the Gravitational constant as well as in the Weak Force would prevent life from existing.
If the density of the universe and the speed of expansion had been off by one part in one hundred thousand million million, again, no life. Remember, these values had to be put in prior to what is known as Planck time; that is, 10^-43 seconds after the singularity.
The cosmological constant is what drives the inflation of the universe. It is tuned to 1 part in 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000.
Any variation in either direction more than that and - no universe. Now, I mentioned this galaxy wide dartboard comparison. This equation gives us a target within our galaxy wide dart board that is less than 2.5 centimetres in diameter. Listen up now because here comes what atheists call the really lucky part. The amount of fine-tuning of the cosmological constant, one that we come upon, according to atheists, by accident is like blindfolding yourself, spinning around ten times and then randomly throwing the dart at our GALAXY wide dart board and hitting the target exactly in the centre of its 2.5 centimetre disk.
Sadly and amazingly, if you’re an atheist, this won’t be enough to convince you so let me use a different, more impressive example.
The entropy per baryon that had to be “put in” PRIOR to Planck time is 1 part in 10 followed by 1,230 zeros. If that hadn’t been put in at the Big Bang our life supporting universe would not exist. This requires an extraordinarily precise arrangement of mass and energy. To hit this exactly right by accident (as atheists tell us is the case), we would put on our blindfold, spin around ten times, and according to atheists, throw a dart randomly at a UNIVERSE sized dart board and hit the exact CORRECT PROTON.
Atheists will sometimes scoff at this by throwing out the term, “the magic of large numbers.” It’s meaningless but it makes them feel secure in their ignorance. Let me however describe the above equation in yet a different manner. Scientists have described it this way. Imagine an aircraft carrier weighing 100,000 tonnes. If the weight of the ship was balanced to 10 ^ 1,230 it could not be off by more than billionth of a trillionth of the mass of an ELECTRON on one side or the other, or the ship would capsize. Are you getting this? Do you really think it accidental?
One more example. It is estimated that the total number atomic particles in the entire universe is 10 ^ 80. Got that? Good. The odds of our universe coming into being by chance or by accident is 10 ^ 1240. Are you SURE you’re getting this?
If, by this point your mind isn’t numb with the credulity and gullibility that atheists force themselves to live with, I just don’t know what it would take to get you to throw up your hands and demand that atheists get out of the education business. I mean, just how blind does a person have to be before s/he stops demanding the right to drive the car?
This is not a joking matter any more. Atheist scientists have discovered this information. They know it, but obviously maintaining their bias against a Creator is worth throwing away their integrity. It’s embarrassing. It’s shameful. It should be a crime for them to teach “The Universe As An Accident” to your children.
Because these constants and qualities are independent of and unrelated to each other, as astronomical the odds of any one of them being just right is, to find ALL of them being as they are in the same universe, by accident is beyond comprehension.
To figure out those odds, you would take, say, the Weak Force constant of 1 in 10^100, add to that the gravitational constant 1 in 10^120, add to that . . . and so on for ALL the constants and quantities.
No wonder atheist scientists say that we’re really, really lucky to be here.
Because of clear scientific (observable, repeatable, verifiable) evidence, we know that the fine tuning of the universe is due to one of the following:
. Physical necessity (it had to be this way and no other way),
. Chance (it’s just a really, really, really lucky accident), or
. It’s the design of an intelligence beyond anything we have ever experienced.
It is not due to physical necessity. In a secular or natural reality there is no reason whatsoever that ANY given universe has to exist, let alone be life supporting.
Nor is this fine tuning due to chance. The required fine tuning of our universe is so exquisite that an infinitesimal change in any one of the necessary constants and quantities would mean that neither we nor any life would happen. The odds against this happening by chance are insurmountable.
Even Richard Dawkins doesn’t believe this happened by chance. He thinks it will be discovered that the constants and quantities have to be exactly the way they are because of their relationship to Dark Matter. So, on the one hand he’s admitting that it’s absurd to think the fine tuning of our universe is accidental. On the other hand, he has no explanation why Dark Matter would have THAT property.
. True claim: If observers who exist within a universe are able to analyse its constants and quantities, it is highly PROBABLE that they will observe them to be fine-tuned for their existence.
. True claim: Without a designer it is highly and extraordinarily IMPROBABLE that a universe exists which is finely tuned for the existence of observers within it.
Because of snake oil salesmen like Richard Dawkins, some gullible people have been led to think that if the constants and quantities of our universe were different, then other life forms would have evolved. This is simply not true. Floating fanciful theories and hoping that they snag a believer here and there is not by any means good science. “Life” means the ability to take in food and use its energy, to grow and adapt and reproduce. Without the fine tuning that we observe, not even atomic matter would exist, not to mention a planet where life might exist. Among other things the universe would have either recollapsed or expanded beyond any ability to congeal. Again, there is no reason to expect that a universe as finely tuned as is our universe should exist by chance, nor is there any need or physical necessity for such a universe to exist anywhere except for the sole purpose of life.
Because the above premises are true and coherent, the following conclusion must also be true:
We do not experience just the appearance of design.
The design we experience is apparent and real.
The design that we experience is from a Designer.
I also believe in the existence of God because:
. If God does not exist, then objective morals, values and obligations (def. below) do not exist
. But we know from our interactions with other people that objective morals, values and obligations DO exist. We know, and we know absolutely when someone does “wrong” to us.
Because the above premises are true and coherent, the following conclusion is also true: God exists.
Atheists of course say that our inner moral code, as well as our belief in deity evolved as a survival need. Not because these beliefs are true or right but because they enhance our survival. Atheists promote the belief in lies.
Just as physical laws are fully realised in the physical world, objective moral laws are fully realised in Jesus and Father God. As I stated above, our daily interactions with others shows we believe without doubt that objective moral order is as real and independent of our recognition as is the natural order of things. Our perceptions of natural and moral laws are givens of our experience.
People who are God’s enemies and who therefore can’t possibly understand the Bible, claim that God acts in a capricious and arbitrary manner. That is simply not true.
. Objective moral Goodness and Obligation are based on God’s character.
Therefore, God’s commands are not arbitrary, for they are the inescapable expression of His Just and Loving nature. And, since our moral obligations are grounded in the Divine commands, moral values and duties do not exist independent of God.
. What God commands or permits is good and what He forbids is wrong, bad, evil, self-destructive. This is what it means for morality to be objective vs. subjective, selective or relative to the situation. Morality is not based on the individual’s character or personality or level of empathy, or that person’s likes or dislikes, sanity or insanity.
I believe in God because of the following philosophical and metaphysical evidence.
Virtually all philosophers agree that if there is the slightest chance of God existing, then He does in fact exist. Alvin Plantinga has refined Anselm’s argument as follows. He asks, “What is the greatest conceivable being?” Our answer goes past me and you and the Dali Lama and any other "great" human being we can think of and we come to an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Being that we commonly call “God” If we could think of something greater than God, then that is what would be called God. We can call it a Mind or something else but it amounts to the same thing ie. The Greatest Conceivable Being That Can Possibly Exist.
Therefore we can know that God exists because:
. It is in fact metaphysically possible that a Greatest Conceivable Being exists.
. Because it’s possible that a Greatest Conceivable Being exists, a Greatest Conceivable Being does exist in some possible reality.. Because of the very nature of a Greatest Conceivable Being, if a Greatest Conceivable Being exists in some possible reality, it exists in every possible reality.
. If a Greatest Conceivable Being exists in every possible reality, then it exists in actual reality.
. If a Greatest Conceivable Being exists in actual reality, then a Greatest Conceivable Being exists in our reality.
Because the above premises are true and coherent, it stands to reason that the conclusion is also true: A Greatest Conceivable Being or God exists.
====
. Because of clear scientific (observable, repeatable, verifiable) evidence, and
. Because the cosmological argument shows that a Greatest Conceivable Being exists who is the cause or grounding of reality as we know it, and
. Because the teleological argument shows more than just the appearance of design, and
. Because the moral argument shows that a Greatest Conceivable Being exists who is the cause or grounding of all objective morals, values, obligations and Truth,
. I believe that Creator God exists.
While any or all the above may or may not give you pause for thought, the most important basis for my belief in God lies in a different category. The palpable presence of God in my life, His counsel, His comfort, His correction and guidance, His love and mercy and grace, all of these things are so very real in my innermost being that they compel me to acknowledge the truth of His existence. I am so very grateful that I have been granted the gift of "Wide-Band Awareness." This is a Gift / ability that is shared and immediately recognised by believers from around the world regardless of race, social stature, gender or intellectual ability. Roughly 95% of the people in the world know at some level that there is more to life than what meets the eye.
For some reason atheists lack this perceptive ability and they live out their existence on earth within a very Narrow Band of Awareness. This condemns them to examining only a very narrow band of evidence as they, like all of us, struggle to make sense of life.
I also believe in God because of the historicity of Jesus. Except for those who exist on the lunatic fringe (eg. those who also deny the Holocaust), the reality of Jesus cannot be denied. In fact, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus cannot be adequately explained away. Something totally other took place when Jesus appeared on earth.
I believe in God because the heavens and the earth declare His handiwork. There is simply no sufficient explanation for WHY the universe began to exist exactly as it did other than “Creator God.” This is not an explanation from ignorance because Creator God is the ONLY conclusion that fits the scientific evidence.
While it's true that atheists have proposed other theories for the "Creation” of the universe, it is not because of any inadequacy in or lack of evidence for the idea of God as Creator. The presentation of alternative theories is only because God as Creator is philosophically unacceptable to atheists.
The type of belief in God that I'm talking about is sometimes called “faith.” But faith is often misunderstood as being separate from reason or evidence. That could not be more inaccurate. For one thing, we are told to love the Lord our God with, among other things, “all our mind.” Second the Bible describes Faith as being “The substance of, the certainty of, the essence of, the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen.”
While one’s faith does not find its origin in evidence (the origin is purely from God - John 6:44), faith is clearly supported by evidence, reason, logic and experience. In other words, my Faith in Creator God is anything but blind or uninformed. In my opinion agnostics are the only ones who ‘go as far as empirical evidence will let them.’
Atheists take the next step because of a philosophically unacceptable conclusion to where the evidence points - Creator God exists.
Christians take the next step because of the reality of Jesus Christ, Son of God, Lord of lords and King of kings who lives within their very being. Nevertheless, my epistemic and experiential belief in God is grounded in logic and reason and that is why I'm not an atheist.
While there have been criticisms of the above arguments, what’s important to note is that a criticism or an objection is not necessarily the same as a refutation.
When an intelligent person willfully abandons reason and begins to posit finite infinities, causeless beginnings and beginningless beginnings, I know that I’m dealing with someone involved in a desperate attempt to avoid a philosophically unacceptable conclusion: Creator God exists.
When an intelligent person willfully abandons classical historical scholarship and begins to deny known and knowable facts of history, but only as they apply to the person of Jesus, I know that I’m dealing with someone who is confronted with a philosophically unacceptable conclusion: Creator God exists.
When an intelligent person claims to follow whatever ethical standard is currently in vogue and calls that a reasonable way to live, I know that I’m dealing with someone involved in a desperate, fearful attempt to avoid a philosophically unacceptable conclusion: Creator God exists.
When someone ignores Occam’s Razor and goes in search of ever more complicated solutions, abandoning one after another, after another, after another, not because of new evidence but because of a need to avoid the conclusion indicated by current evidence, and when that person never returns to a simple solution that coincides with current knowledge and common sense, I know that I’ve encountered an individual who has been confronted with a philosophically unacceptable conclusion: Creator God exists.
That is sad and that is why I’m not an atheist.
I suppose I could say that except for epistemic, experiential, logical, coherent and reasonable evidence for the existence of God, I could be an atheist.
Instead, my belief in God begins with the following observations:
Because of clear scientific (observable, repeatable, verifiable) evidence, we know that:
. Whatever begins to exist has a cause.
That we consistently observe this to be true is critically important because scientific naturalists demand that nothing can be believed without consistent observation and verification. Every single attempt to promote alternatives to this premise have only reinforced its truth. Therefore, atheists have the highest motivation to accept this premise.
Because of clear scientific (observable, repeatable, verifiable) evidence, we know that:
. The universe began to exist.
Because those premises are true and coherent we can know that the following conclusion is also true: The universe has a cause.
Because of clear scientific evidence, we know that:
. Matter and energy cannot precede themselves or preexist themselves either physically or chronologically.
The reason that matter and energy cannot precede themselves is because “Coming Into Being” is an essential and objective feature of time. Time did not exist prior to the Big Bang.
Because of clear scientific evidence, we know that:
. Matter and energy do not have the ability to create themselves or bring themselves into existence from nothing or ex nihilo.
Because of clear scientific evidence, we know that:
. Matter and energy cannot exist from infinity past.
Therefore, whatever brought matter, energy, space, time and the laws of physics into existence had to have existed outside of these entities.
Because of clear scientific evidence, we know that:
. Anything that exists has an explanation of it’s existence, either in the necessity of its own nature (It can’t NOT exist), or in an external cause.
. If the universe has an explanation of its existence, that explanation is external to as well as transcendent to the universe. That is because:
Existing outside of time, the Cause is infinite or Eternal,
Existing outside of matter (which is finite), the Cause is immaterial or Spiritual,
Existing as the Cause of time and energy, space, matter and the laws of physics, the Cause is immeasurably more powerful than the mathematically precise universe and its exquisitely Finely Tuned constants and quantities.
The Cause cannot be “scientific” because neither matter nor the laws of physics (i.e., the laws that science has observed and identified), existed prior to the Singularity.
Therefore the Cause of the beginning of the universe is not scientific but Personal.
The transcendent Cause of the universe is therefore on the order of a Mind.
That Cause is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. That Cause, is what is normally described as God.
Because of clear scientific evidence, we know that:
. The universe exists.
. Therefore, the universe has an explanation of its existence.
Because the above premises are true and coherent, the following conclusion must also be true: The explanation of the existence of the universe is God.
. According to atheism the universe doesn’t have an explanation of its existence. They say that “It just happened.” Over a dozen theories and over a dozen more variations on those theories have come and gone in a vain attempt to rule out God as the Cause of a beginning universe. Despite the current scientific knowledge described above, atheists persist in stating that either matter has always existed (impossible) or that matter created itself (also impossible).
Why do they do this? Because, If there is an explanation of the universe’s existence, then atheism is not true. And that is because the only explanation that fits the evidence of how and why the universe came into being is Creator God. That is why Richard Dawkins himself has lately admitted that a good case could be made for the existence of a Deistic God.
Actually, I believe that some day there won’t be any atheists. There will be people for God and people against God but there won’t be anyone who believes that God doesn’t exist. And, irony of ironies it will be science that will prove the existence of God.
. Because of overwhelming scientific evidence, most atheists do grudgingly admit that the universe does indeed have a beginning. Unfortunately for atheists, it can be said with absolute confidence that no cosmogonic model has been:
As repeatedly verified in its predictions,
As corroborated by attempts at its falsification,
As concordant with empirical discoveries, and
As philosophically coherent as the Standard Big Bang Creation Event Model.
. Hence, most atheists are implicitly committed to God being the explanation of why the universe exists. This is why I call atheists irrational agnostics.
Because of clear scientific evidence, we know that:
. The universe cannot be infinite. That is because: The Borde-Guth-Vilinkin Theorem proves that any expanding universe must have a definitive space / time boundary, a point of beginning, a singularity, a point of Creation. The expansion property of Dark Matter ensures that the universe will never, nor has ever contracted and oscillated. It will always expand faster and faster. The Second Law of Thermodynamics rules out the possibility of the universe existing from infinity past. Background radiation, Known levels of entropy and the Expanding universe confirm the truth of the 2nd Law > The universe had a beginning.
Because of clear scientific evidence, we know that:
. It is physically impossible to have an Actual Infinite Series of Things or Events or even moments of Time preceding our today. Nor can we have an Actual Infinite Collection by adding Things or Events or moments of Time one to another to another in order to reach today. This is why we can say with confidence that matter / universe cannot be infinite and that they haven’t always existed.
Imagine units of time as individual books filling a book shelf that stretches infinitely into the past. You could imagine an infinitely long street or an infinitely long rope or whatever, but for this example I’ll use a shelf of books.
While mathematics is able to deal with abstract or theoretical or conceptual or potential infinities, and while our imagination can create an imaginary shelf of books stretching infinitely into the past, sort of, reality holds no such possibility for us.
Time is not imaginary.
Time is not abstract or theoretical or conceptual.
Time is real.
Time is measured in real units.
In a scenario like this, with the shelf of books (units of time) stretching infinitely into the past you could never actually arrive at the first book. Here’s why. In order to reach the last book (what we call today), you had to have the second to last book or yesterday. In order to have the second to last book you had to have the third to last book. In order to have the third to last book you had to have the fourth to last book and so on and so on. In the case of “no beginning,” you could never reach today because you could never reach the “first” day (book) that made possible the second day which made possible the third day . . .. Since the past is made up of units of real time, in the case of a beginningless past we would have had to pass through or travel through infinite time in order to reach today and that is physically impossible. To reach today, we have to have had a starting point, a push point, a point of beginning, a point of first cause. If the past were actually infinite, we could never reach today because the past would simply extend infinitely into the past. Neither can we, as some desperate atheists have tried to do, arbitrarily pick a set or group or point in real time and begin counting from there. Of course you can do that, but it proves nothing regarding the beginning of the universe.
The fact is, we have reached today so we can know not only that the universe had a beginning, but that time itself had a beginning. Just as a bookshelf stretching infinitely into the past with no beginning would prohibit our reaching today, neither can there be an infinite regress of causes of the universe or former universes. That would also prohibit reaching today’s universe.
. The fact is, the infinite exists only as an idea or as a concept. It does not exist in realty.
Because of clear scientific evidence, we know that:
. Only in a universe so finely tuned as ours, could we expect observers such as ourselves to exist. Note: Fine Tuning is a neutral secular term in that it refers to constants and quantities (atomic weight, gravitational constant, strong & weak force, etc.) being just right for the existence of intelligent life. That’s in comparison with the huge range of possible values.
In fact, the natural range of possible values is from 0 > 10 ^53 or from
0 - 10,0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000000.
Let’s conceptualized this number as represented by a dartboard. The distance from one side of the dartboard to the other side extends across our entire Milky Way Galaxy. With that in mind, let’s look at the ranges upon which our lives, our very existence depend.
It’s important to remember that the values of these constants and qualities were not something that evolved, or something that “settled in” as the universe aged. These constants were “put in” at the Big Bang. As well, you may be interested to note that the constants, quantities and values that are found in our cosmos appear to be unrelated in any way. They seem to be random, even arbitrary. They are independent of each other. However, they do share one thing in common. In fact the only thing the constants, quantities and values of our universe have in common is that all of them, every single one of them are needed to be exactly as they are in order for intelligent life to exist on this planet. While there are several dozen constants and qualities that are known, the most fundamental constants are the Fine Structure constant, the Gravitational constant, the Weak Force, the Strong Force and the ratio between the mass of protons and electrons.
. What scientists, what ATHEIST scientists call an “astonishing coincidence” is the fact that at the Big Bang, the ratio of the strong force to electromagnetism had to have been exactly as it was or else at 10 to -17 seconds after the start of the Singularity, the necessary binding of helium -4, beryllium-8 and carbon-12 would not have occurred and life as we know it would not have appeared.
. The exact number and types of neutrinos at 1 second after the beginning of the Big Bang had to be in place or the expansion rate would have prohibited the formation of our universe. Think about that!
. If the mass of a neutron were slightly increased by about one part in seven hundred, then stable hydrogen burning stars would cease to exist.
. If the strong force were a long-range force (like electromagnetism or gravity) instead of a short range force that only acts between protons and neutrons in the nucleus, all matter would either instantaneously undergo nuclear fusion and explode or be sucked together forming a black hole.
Pretty lucky for us, huh, that all this just happened by chance?
. If the Pauli-exclusion principle did not exist, all electrons would occupy the lowest atomic orbit, which would make complex chemical interactions impossible.
. If the quantization principle did not exist, there wouldn’t be any atomic orbits, electrons would be sucked into the nucleus and therefore no complex chemistry would be allowed.
. The gravitational constant must be exactly 10 ^ 40 weaker than the strong nuclear force or again, no us. For those that are interested, that’s ten thousand, billion, billion, billion, billion times weaker than the strong force.
Pretty lucky for us that it just happened to work out that way - prior to Plack time.
A change of only 1 part in 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000 in the Gravitational constant as well as in the Weak Force would prevent life from existing.
If the density of the universe and the speed of expansion had been off by one part in one hundred thousand million million, again, no life. Remember, these values had to be put in prior to what is known as Planck time; that is, 10^-43 seconds after the singularity.
The cosmological constant is what drives the inflation of the universe. It is tuned to 1 part in 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000.
Any variation in either direction more than that and - no universe. Now, I mentioned this galaxy wide dartboard comparison. This equation gives us a target within our galaxy wide dart board that is less than 2.5 centimetres in diameter. Listen up now because here comes what atheists call the really lucky part. The amount of fine-tuning of the cosmological constant, one that we come upon, according to atheists, by accident is like blindfolding yourself, spinning around ten times and then randomly throwing the dart at our GALAXY wide dart board and hitting the target exactly in the centre of its 2.5 centimetre disk.
Sadly and amazingly, if you’re an atheist, this won’t be enough to convince you so let me use a different, more impressive example.
The entropy per baryon that had to be “put in” PRIOR to Planck time is 1 part in 10 followed by 1,230 zeros. If that hadn’t been put in at the Big Bang our life supporting universe would not exist. This requires an extraordinarily precise arrangement of mass and energy. To hit this exactly right by accident (as atheists tell us is the case), we would put on our blindfold, spin around ten times, and according to atheists, throw a dart randomly at a UNIVERSE sized dart board and hit the exact CORRECT PROTON.
Atheists will sometimes scoff at this by throwing out the term, “the magic of large numbers.” It’s meaningless but it makes them feel secure in their ignorance. Let me however describe the above equation in yet a different manner. Scientists have described it this way. Imagine an aircraft carrier weighing 100,000 tonnes. If the weight of the ship was balanced to 10 ^ 1,230 it could not be off by more than billionth of a trillionth of the mass of an ELECTRON on one side or the other, or the ship would capsize. Are you getting this? Do you really think it accidental?
One more example. It is estimated that the total number atomic particles in the entire universe is 10 ^ 80. Got that? Good. The odds of our universe coming into being by chance or by accident is 10 ^ 1240. Are you SURE you’re getting this?
If, by this point your mind isn’t numb with the credulity and gullibility that atheists force themselves to live with, I just don’t know what it would take to get you to throw up your hands and demand that atheists get out of the education business. I mean, just how blind does a person have to be before s/he stops demanding the right to drive the car?
This is not a joking matter any more. Atheist scientists have discovered this information. They know it, but obviously maintaining their bias against a Creator is worth throwing away their integrity. It’s embarrassing. It’s shameful. It should be a crime for them to teach “The Universe As An Accident” to your children.
Because these constants and qualities are independent of and unrelated to each other, as astronomical the odds of any one of them being just right is, to find ALL of them being as they are in the same universe, by accident is beyond comprehension.
To figure out those odds, you would take, say, the Weak Force constant of 1 in 10^100, add to that the gravitational constant 1 in 10^120, add to that . . . and so on for ALL the constants and quantities.
No wonder atheist scientists say that we’re really, really lucky to be here.
Because of clear scientific (observable, repeatable, verifiable) evidence, we know that the fine tuning of the universe is due to one of the following:
. Physical necessity (it had to be this way and no other way),
. Chance (it’s just a really, really, really lucky accident), or
. It’s the design of an intelligence beyond anything we have ever experienced.
It is not due to physical necessity. In a secular or natural reality there is no reason whatsoever that ANY given universe has to exist, let alone be life supporting.
Nor is this fine tuning due to chance. The required fine tuning of our universe is so exquisite that an infinitesimal change in any one of the necessary constants and quantities would mean that neither we nor any life would happen. The odds against this happening by chance are insurmountable.
Even Richard Dawkins doesn’t believe this happened by chance. He thinks it will be discovered that the constants and quantities have to be exactly the way they are because of their relationship to Dark Matter. So, on the one hand he’s admitting that it’s absurd to think the fine tuning of our universe is accidental. On the other hand, he has no explanation why Dark Matter would have THAT property.
. True claim: If observers who exist within a universe are able to analyse its constants and quantities, it is highly PROBABLE that they will observe them to be fine-tuned for their existence.
. True claim: Without a designer it is highly and extraordinarily IMPROBABLE that a universe exists which is finely tuned for the existence of observers within it.
Because of snake oil salesmen like Richard Dawkins, some gullible people have been led to think that if the constants and quantities of our universe were different, then other life forms would have evolved. This is simply not true. Floating fanciful theories and hoping that they snag a believer here and there is not by any means good science. “Life” means the ability to take in food and use its energy, to grow and adapt and reproduce. Without the fine tuning that we observe, not even atomic matter would exist, not to mention a planet where life might exist. Among other things the universe would have either recollapsed or expanded beyond any ability to congeal. Again, there is no reason to expect that a universe as finely tuned as is our universe should exist by chance, nor is there any need or physical necessity for such a universe to exist anywhere except for the sole purpose of life.
Because the above premises are true and coherent, the following conclusion must also be true:
We do not experience just the appearance of design.
The design we experience is apparent and real.
The design that we experience is from a Designer.
I also believe in the existence of God because:
. If God does not exist, then objective morals, values and obligations (def. below) do not exist
. But we know from our interactions with other people that objective morals, values and obligations DO exist. We know, and we know absolutely when someone does “wrong” to us.
Because the above premises are true and coherent, the following conclusion is also true: God exists.
Atheists of course say that our inner moral code, as well as our belief in deity evolved as a survival need. Not because these beliefs are true or right but because they enhance our survival. Atheists promote the belief in lies.
Just as physical laws are fully realised in the physical world, objective moral laws are fully realised in Jesus and Father God. As I stated above, our daily interactions with others shows we believe without doubt that objective moral order is as real and independent of our recognition as is the natural order of things. Our perceptions of natural and moral laws are givens of our experience.
People who are God’s enemies and who therefore can’t possibly understand the Bible, claim that God acts in a capricious and arbitrary manner. That is simply not true.
. Objective moral Goodness and Obligation are based on God’s character.
Therefore, God’s commands are not arbitrary, for they are the inescapable expression of His Just and Loving nature. And, since our moral obligations are grounded in the Divine commands, moral values and duties do not exist independent of God.
. What God commands or permits is good and what He forbids is wrong, bad, evil, self-destructive. This is what it means for morality to be objective vs. subjective, selective or relative to the situation. Morality is not based on the individual’s character or personality or level of empathy, or that person’s likes or dislikes, sanity or insanity.
I believe in God because of the following philosophical and metaphysical evidence.
Virtually all philosophers agree that if there is the slightest chance of God existing, then He does in fact exist. Alvin Plantinga has refined Anselm’s argument as follows. He asks, “What is the greatest conceivable being?” Our answer goes past me and you and the Dali Lama and any other "great" human being we can think of and we come to an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Being that we commonly call “God” If we could think of something greater than God, then that is what would be called God. We can call it a Mind or something else but it amounts to the same thing ie. The Greatest Conceivable Being That Can Possibly Exist.
Therefore we can know that God exists because:
. It is in fact metaphysically possible that a Greatest Conceivable Being exists.
. Because it’s possible that a Greatest Conceivable Being exists, a Greatest Conceivable Being does exist in some possible reality.. Because of the very nature of a Greatest Conceivable Being, if a Greatest Conceivable Being exists in some possible reality, it exists in every possible reality.
. If a Greatest Conceivable Being exists in every possible reality, then it exists in actual reality.
. If a Greatest Conceivable Being exists in actual reality, then a Greatest Conceivable Being exists in our reality.
Because the above premises are true and coherent, it stands to reason that the conclusion is also true: A Greatest Conceivable Being or God exists.
====
. Because of clear scientific (observable, repeatable, verifiable) evidence, and
. Because the cosmological argument shows that a Greatest Conceivable Being exists who is the cause or grounding of reality as we know it, and
. Because the teleological argument shows more than just the appearance of design, and
. Because the moral argument shows that a Greatest Conceivable Being exists who is the cause or grounding of all objective morals, values, obligations and Truth,
. I believe that Creator God exists.
While any or all the above may or may not give you pause for thought, the most important basis for my belief in God lies in a different category. The palpable presence of God in my life, His counsel, His comfort, His correction and guidance, His love and mercy and grace, all of these things are so very real in my innermost being that they compel me to acknowledge the truth of His existence. I am so very grateful that I have been granted the gift of "Wide-Band Awareness." This is a Gift / ability that is shared and immediately recognised by believers from around the world regardless of race, social stature, gender or intellectual ability. Roughly 95% of the people in the world know at some level that there is more to life than what meets the eye.
For some reason atheists lack this perceptive ability and they live out their existence on earth within a very Narrow Band of Awareness. This condemns them to examining only a very narrow band of evidence as they, like all of us, struggle to make sense of life.
I also believe in God because of the historicity of Jesus. Except for those who exist on the lunatic fringe (eg. those who also deny the Holocaust), the reality of Jesus cannot be denied. In fact, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus cannot be adequately explained away. Something totally other took place when Jesus appeared on earth.
I believe in God because the heavens and the earth declare His handiwork. There is simply no sufficient explanation for WHY the universe began to exist exactly as it did other than “Creator God.” This is not an explanation from ignorance because Creator God is the ONLY conclusion that fits the scientific evidence.
While it's true that atheists have proposed other theories for the "Creation” of the universe, it is not because of any inadequacy in or lack of evidence for the idea of God as Creator. The presentation of alternative theories is only because God as Creator is philosophically unacceptable to atheists.
The type of belief in God that I'm talking about is sometimes called “faith.” But faith is often misunderstood as being separate from reason or evidence. That could not be more inaccurate. For one thing, we are told to love the Lord our God with, among other things, “all our mind.” Second the Bible describes Faith as being “The substance of, the certainty of, the essence of, the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen.”
While one’s faith does not find its origin in evidence (the origin is purely from God - John 6:44), faith is clearly supported by evidence, reason, logic and experience. In other words, my Faith in Creator God is anything but blind or uninformed. In my opinion agnostics are the only ones who ‘go as far as empirical evidence will let them.’
Atheists take the next step because of a philosophically unacceptable conclusion to where the evidence points - Creator God exists.
Christians take the next step because of the reality of Jesus Christ, Son of God, Lord of lords and King of kings who lives within their very being. Nevertheless, my epistemic and experiential belief in God is grounded in logic and reason and that is why I'm not an atheist.
While there have been criticisms of the above arguments, what’s important to note is that a criticism or an objection is not necessarily the same as a refutation.
When an intelligent person willfully abandons reason and begins to posit finite infinities, causeless beginnings and beginningless beginnings, I know that I’m dealing with someone involved in a desperate attempt to avoid a philosophically unacceptable conclusion: Creator God exists.
When an intelligent person willfully abandons classical historical scholarship and begins to deny known and knowable facts of history, but only as they apply to the person of Jesus, I know that I’m dealing with someone who is confronted with a philosophically unacceptable conclusion: Creator God exists.
When an intelligent person claims to follow whatever ethical standard is currently in vogue and calls that a reasonable way to live, I know that I’m dealing with someone involved in a desperate, fearful attempt to avoid a philosophically unacceptable conclusion: Creator God exists.
When someone ignores Occam’s Razor and goes in search of ever more complicated solutions, abandoning one after another, after another, after another, not because of new evidence but because of a need to avoid the conclusion indicated by current evidence, and when that person never returns to a simple solution that coincides with current knowledge and common sense, I know that I’ve encountered an individual who has been confronted with a philosophically unacceptable conclusion: Creator God exists.
That is sad and that is why I’m not an atheist.
Atheists or Fools?
A person asked if I was just copying material from my old blog Makarios, and if I was just using the term “fool” instead of “atheist.”
Well, to date, I haven’t copied anything from blog Makarios. Although, for at least one post, that will change tomorrow. Actually, I’m surprised that any atheists followed me to this blog. First of all, I was going to keep the posts on this blog relatively free from talking about atheists (easier said than done). I did pretty good until . . . well, until the boys from the hood followed me here. As well, I wasn’t going to use the term “atheist” any more so I didn’t think my posts would show up in their favourite part of the blogging world. Not so I guess.
As to the use of “fools” versus “atheist.” It’s just easier, and more accurate. After years of discussion, even atheists can’t decide what they want the term “atheist” to mean. They argue endlessly over whether they deny that God exists or whether they just don’t believe that He exists. Some argue whether they are a humanist or a secular humanist. One says, I’m a sceptic and another says I’m a Buddhist. One says I’m and Anti-theist while another prefers to call himself a freethinker. Ones a pantheist, ones a Marxist while yet another will only answer to non-theist. The denominations of atheism increase exponentially by the year.
The term “Fool” encompasses all of the above for all of the above can look at the wonders of the universe and life itself and say, “accident.” All who choose to go by the above titles say in their hearts, “There is no God.” So, Fool it is.
Well, to date, I haven’t copied anything from blog Makarios. Although, for at least one post, that will change tomorrow. Actually, I’m surprised that any atheists followed me to this blog. First of all, I was going to keep the posts on this blog relatively free from talking about atheists (easier said than done). I did pretty good until . . . well, until the boys from the hood followed me here. As well, I wasn’t going to use the term “atheist” any more so I didn’t think my posts would show up in their favourite part of the blogging world. Not so I guess.
As to the use of “fools” versus “atheist.” It’s just easier, and more accurate. After years of discussion, even atheists can’t decide what they want the term “atheist” to mean. They argue endlessly over whether they deny that God exists or whether they just don’t believe that He exists. Some argue whether they are a humanist or a secular humanist. One says, I’m a sceptic and another says I’m a Buddhist. One says I’m and Anti-theist while another prefers to call himself a freethinker. Ones a pantheist, ones a Marxist while yet another will only answer to non-theist. The denominations of atheism increase exponentially by the year.
The term “Fool” encompasses all of the above for all of the above can look at the wonders of the universe and life itself and say, “accident.” All who choose to go by the above titles say in their hearts, “There is no God.” So, Fool it is.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
O Canada
The Prime Minister's Office released today a memo stating that changes to our National Anthem will go ahead as planned. The original:
O Canada, our home and native land
True patriot love, in all our son's command
will be changed to,
O Canada, our home's on Native's land
True patriot love, a gun held in our hand.
The Prime Minister, a devout Christian says the changes come after much contemplation and soul searching. "I want, no, I demand that words reflect truth and the truth is what's stated in these words."
O Canada, our home and native land
True patriot love, in all our son's command
will be changed to,
O Canada, our home's on Native's land
True patriot love, a gun held in our hand.
The Prime Minister, a devout Christian says the changes come after much contemplation and soul searching. "I want, no, I demand that words reflect truth and the truth is what's stated in these words."
You’re Giving Pain A Bad Name.
Every sorrow and difficulty that has come into my life has, I can see in hindsight, been exquisitely and finely tuned to root out the most repugnant aspects of my personality. Yes I know. There's lots left. The thing is -
God did not create a world of sin and suffering. That was our choice. God does however defeat the power of sin and suffering by using it for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28,29). He uses suffering to highlight and root out the most dysfunctional aspects of our character.
Of course, all He can do is present the opportunity for change. We need to make the decision to follow. Nevertheless the main dysfunction in all of us is ALWAYS our unwillingness to love as He loves. When we love the unloving, we get a glimpse of what God does for us. When we do what is right even though we have been wronged, we do for others what God does every single moment for us.
Covenant keeping teaches us how to love as God loves.
God did not create a world of sin and suffering. That was our choice. God does however defeat the power of sin and suffering by using it for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28,29). He uses suffering to highlight and root out the most dysfunctional aspects of our character.
Of course, all He can do is present the opportunity for change. We need to make the decision to follow. Nevertheless the main dysfunction in all of us is ALWAYS our unwillingness to love as He loves. When we love the unloving, we get a glimpse of what God does for us. When we do what is right even though we have been wronged, we do for others what God does every single moment for us.
Covenant keeping teaches us how to love as God loves.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Here’s Something Interesting
From Spergel et al., “Three-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe Observations,” 377-408
. 99.73 % of everything that exists in the universe is “dark.”
. Earth resides in the darkest location within the Milky Way Galaxy
. The Milky Way Galaxy lies in the darkest location in the universe
Yet here is where life comes into being.
Interesting, ya?
. 99.73 % of everything that exists in the universe is “dark.”
. Earth resides in the darkest location within the Milky Way Galaxy
. The Milky Way Galaxy lies in the darkest location in the universe
Yet here is where life comes into being.
Interesting, ya?
How’d He Do That? Special Revelation:
Special revelation is a means by which God lets us know Him that far surpasses general revelation. The clearest and best known aspect of this means is Jesus of Nazareth.
Because of love, God became human (John 1:1,14).
I’ve said that we cannot be fit to lead until we’ve lived life as it will be for those who are to follow us.
This God did for us by “taking the very nature of a servant . . . being found in appearance as a man” (Phil. 2:7,8).
Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen Father God” (John 14:10).
Jesus requires no supplement or addition. He is “the exact representation of God’s being” (Hebrews 1:3).
Jesus is the best example of special revelation by which God has made Himself known to us.
Because of love, God became human (John 1:1,14).
I’ve said that we cannot be fit to lead until we’ve lived life as it will be for those who are to follow us.
This God did for us by “taking the very nature of a servant . . . being found in appearance as a man” (Phil. 2:7,8).
Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen Father God” (John 14:10).
Jesus requires no supplement or addition. He is “the exact representation of God’s being” (Hebrews 1:3).
Jesus is the best example of special revelation by which God has made Himself known to us.
Farrah Fawcett is NOT Dead!
I had mentioned a couple posts ago that I had gone over a picture of members of the audience at the Oscar Awards with a magnifying glass and Farrah Fawett was not in attendance. Why then, I reasoned, should she be kicking up a stink about not winning any kind of award. That is when a couple guys (I think they’re atheists) tried to tell me that Fawcett is dead. THAT is a dirty lie. And here’s how I know.
This morning. THIS VERY MORNING I heard Farrah Fawcett on the radio. So there! She was singing her hit song. I can’t remember what it’s called but the key line goes, “You’re so vain. I’ll bet you think this song is about you.” I’m convinced that it’s about her husband Robert O’Neil but that’s another issue. The point is, she can’t very well be dead if she’s singing on the radio, now can she.
That’s what you get from people who believe in evolution.
This morning. THIS VERY MORNING I heard Farrah Fawcett on the radio. So there! She was singing her hit song. I can’t remember what it’s called but the key line goes, “You’re so vain. I’ll bet you think this song is about you.” I’m convinced that it’s about her husband Robert O’Neil but that’s another issue. The point is, she can’t very well be dead if she’s singing on the radio, now can she.
That’s what you get from people who believe in evolution.
Monday, March 8, 2010
"I'd love to be a Muslim"
That's not quite the whole quote. The whole quote was, "I'm a Christian woman who would love to be a Muslim." Well of course she would. It is such a religion of peace. Don't believe me?
Click on the video at the following link and watch Mohommed’s followers of “peaceful” Islam carrying out his instructions - direct from the Quran.
http://somalisforjesus.blogspot.com/2009/01/mansur-mohamed-sfj-martyr-of-year-2009.html
Click on the video at the following link and watch Mohommed’s followers of “peaceful” Islam carrying out his instructions - direct from the Quran.
http://somalisforjesus.blogspot.com/2009/01/mansur-mohamed-sfj-martyr-of-year-2009.html
Nothing for Fawcett?
That was the complaint in some article. I didn’t read the whole thing but it sounded like Farrah Fawcett’s people were whining because she didn’t win an Oscar?
For what?
She hasn’t been in anything of note for years. In fact, I looked carefully at pictures of the audience and I don’t think she even showed up for the Oscars.
Listen lady, just because you have big hair doesn’t make you qualified for anything, much less being a good actress; which I might add applies to all women. In fact if any women wins anything more than best actress for anything, ever, I’ll quit blogging.
For what?
She hasn’t been in anything of note for years. In fact, I looked carefully at pictures of the audience and I don’t think she even showed up for the Oscars.
Listen lady, just because you have big hair doesn’t make you qualified for anything, much less being a good actress; which I might add applies to all women. In fact if any women wins anything more than best actress for anything, ever, I’ll quit blogging.
Existentialists and Reality
“The existentialist finds it extremely embarrassing that God does not exist, for there disappears with Him all possibility of finding values in an intelligible heaven. Everything is indeed permitted if God does not exist, and man is in consequence forlorn, for he cannot find anything to depend on within or without himself.” Jean-Paul Sartre.
He couldn’t have been more correct.
According to fools:
We all come from nothing and are headed to nothing.
We have no inherent destiny
We have no inherent purpose
We have no inherent reason for our existence
We have no inherent meaning
The universe and everything in it is an accident
With no purpose comes no duty.
With no purpose comes no value
With no future comes no worth
Fools mock Christians who, the fools say, invent a "sky daddy." And then the fool goes right out and invents meaning and purpose and value for h/herself as though that should count for something.
A fool can of course claim x amount of worth for himself. But your secular neighbour can say you have no worth and in a secular world your neighbour will be just as correct as you are.
As is clearly seen in things like the Oscar Awards and other entertainment celebrations:
. Based on the value system of fools, human kind elevates the body and degrades the soul.
. Based on the value system of fools, human kind idolises the outside while polluting the heart.
He couldn’t have been more correct.
According to fools:
We all come from nothing and are headed to nothing.
We have no inherent destiny
We have no inherent purpose
We have no inherent reason for our existence
We have no inherent meaning
The universe and everything in it is an accident
With no purpose comes no duty.
With no purpose comes no value
With no future comes no worth
Fools mock Christians who, the fools say, invent a "sky daddy." And then the fool goes right out and invents meaning and purpose and value for h/herself as though that should count for something.
A fool can of course claim x amount of worth for himself. But your secular neighbour can say you have no worth and in a secular world your neighbour will be just as correct as you are.
As is clearly seen in things like the Oscar Awards and other entertainment celebrations:
. Based on the value system of fools, human kind elevates the body and degrades the soul.
. Based on the value system of fools, human kind idolises the outside while polluting the heart.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Of Tears and Rainbows
I was with a guy yesterday. A middle-aged man who sobbed tears of sorrow over the loss of his mother to cancer more than ten years ago. He was worried that there was something wrong with him to feel this much pain.
I envied him.
To be able to feel deeply is, I believe, part of the abundant life that Jesus promises to those who follow Him. So many, too many spend their lives numbing themselves. Either through work, or relationships, or mood altering chemicals, a fear of feeling is a common theme in people’s lives. Not so for those whose writings have been included in the Bible.
Did you know that seventy percent of the Psalms are Psalms of lament? David wrote, “Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us.”
A New York Times magazine article entitled Depression's Upside confirms this as it explains that the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) is the part of our brain that controls what we pay attention to. This area is activated when we are sad.
“Tears are the material out of which heaven weaves its brightest rainbow.”
So wrote G. M. Meyer
I must admit that for a good portion of my life, I too looked for ways to escape my sorrow as quickly as possible. I now know that it is in the depths of sorrow that we ask the most important questions about life.
What’s the point of life?
Why am I here?
Why did God allow / cause this to happen?
How can I help others who have had similar experiences?
“Every night tears drench my bed; my pillow is wet from my weeping.” Ps.6:6
“I am dying from grief. Misery has drained my strength.” Ps. 31:10
The beauty of being in a healed relationship with Jesus is that “we do not grieve as those who have no hope” 1 Thess. 4:13.
For those who have been called according to God’s plan and purpose, sin and evil do not have the last word in our lives.
For those who have rejected the forgiveness offered by Jesus, this life is as good as it gets.
For those who have accepted the forgiveness offered by Jesus, this life is as difficult as it gets.
I envied him.
To be able to feel deeply is, I believe, part of the abundant life that Jesus promises to those who follow Him. So many, too many spend their lives numbing themselves. Either through work, or relationships, or mood altering chemicals, a fear of feeling is a common theme in people’s lives. Not so for those whose writings have been included in the Bible.
Did you know that seventy percent of the Psalms are Psalms of lament? David wrote, “Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us.”
A New York Times magazine article entitled Depression's Upside confirms this as it explains that the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) is the part of our brain that controls what we pay attention to. This area is activated when we are sad.
“Tears are the material out of which heaven weaves its brightest rainbow.”
So wrote G. M. Meyer
I must admit that for a good portion of my life, I too looked for ways to escape my sorrow as quickly as possible. I now know that it is in the depths of sorrow that we ask the most important questions about life.
What’s the point of life?
Why am I here?
Why did God allow / cause this to happen?
How can I help others who have had similar experiences?
“Every night tears drench my bed; my pillow is wet from my weeping.” Ps.6:6
“I am dying from grief. Misery has drained my strength.” Ps. 31:10
The beauty of being in a healed relationship with Jesus is that “we do not grieve as those who have no hope” 1 Thess. 4:13.
For those who have been called according to God’s plan and purpose, sin and evil do not have the last word in our lives.
For those who have rejected the forgiveness offered by Jesus, this life is as good as it gets.
For those who have accepted the forgiveness offered by Jesus, this life is as difficult as it gets.
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