Hugo, I’m not going to get into the whole abiogenesis thing. I’ve spoken at length on it, you’ve read it, I’m done. However, the man who you say refutes Jonathan Wells uses slight of hand and outright lies.
The early earth atmosphere DOES NOT produce amino acids - period. They might have thought so in 1927 or even in 1998 but today they know otherwise.
Creating “Special Circumstances” in the lab is like having an intelligent designer at every step of the way and saying that we’ve proven RNA replication bla, bla, bla.
And that is not the point of the post in question. The point of the post is - If there is better evidence for macro evolution, why is it not given to our children? Why are they still using “evidence” now known to be false, unworkable, out of date?
The list of excuses that he gives are laughable, disingenuous and / or outright false.
Comment all you like. I’m not saying any more.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
The apparent frustrations of circumstances, seen or unforeseen, of illness, of misunderstanding, even of our own sins, do not thwart the final fulfilment of our lives hidden with Christ in God.
The awareness of present risenness effects the integration of intuition and will, emotion and reason. Less preoccupied with appearances, we are less inclined to change costumes to win approval with each shift of company and circumstance. We are not one person at home, another in the office; one person at Church, another in traffic.
We do not pass rudderless from one episode to another, idly seeking some distraction to pass the time, remaining stoic to each new emotion, enduring with a shrug of our shoulders when something irks or irritates.
Now circumstances feed us, not we them; we use them, not they us. Gradually we become whole and mature persons whose faculties and energies are harmonized and integrated.”
Brennan Manning
The awareness of present risenness effects the integration of intuition and will, emotion and reason. Less preoccupied with appearances, we are less inclined to change costumes to win approval with each shift of company and circumstance. We are not one person at home, another in the office; one person at Church, another in traffic.
We do not pass rudderless from one episode to another, idly seeking some distraction to pass the time, remaining stoic to each new emotion, enduring with a shrug of our shoulders when something irks or irritates.
Now circumstances feed us, not we them; we use them, not they us. Gradually we become whole and mature persons whose faculties and energies are harmonized and integrated.”
Brennan Manning
Monday, May 30, 2011
Oh to be like Caleb!
In the book of Joshua we have the story of a man named Caleb. The Israelites we moving into the Promised Land. To the herders and farmers the valley with it’s conquered territory seemed a logical choice.
For the domesticated, maybe.
A man named Caleb, an old man named Caleb said to Joshua, “Give me the highland with its fortified and walled cities. I will destroy them with my men. I may be eighty-five but I’m as strong as I was when I was forty-five.”
No retirement for Caleb. Life had purpose until the day he died.
I hope to model his attitude sans the killing. I’m sixty and stronger and healthier than when I was forty-five. What’s more, I have the most important work of my life ahead of me. Five kids that have been rescued by God. Five kids who were destined for the dump, prison, drugs, welfare.
For myself, retired at age fifty-one, I was headed for winters in Mexico and Aruba and God said, “Are you kidding Me? You were destined to do something important with your life. Now get to it.”
Oh to be like Caleb!
For the domesticated, maybe.
A man named Caleb, an old man named Caleb said to Joshua, “Give me the highland with its fortified and walled cities. I will destroy them with my men. I may be eighty-five but I’m as strong as I was when I was forty-five.”
No retirement for Caleb. Life had purpose until the day he died.
I hope to model his attitude sans the killing. I’m sixty and stronger and healthier than when I was forty-five. What’s more, I have the most important work of my life ahead of me. Five kids that have been rescued by God. Five kids who were destined for the dump, prison, drugs, welfare.
For myself, retired at age fifty-one, I was headed for winters in Mexico and Aruba and God said, “Are you kidding Me? You were destined to do something important with your life. Now get to it.”
Oh to be like Caleb!
Faith or Grace?
Christianity makes much of both concepts but is one more important than the other?
Not really.
On the other hand, without the giving of God’s grace there is no faith.
If you have a strong faith in Jesus, it’s only because of God’s grace.
John 6:44 tells us that no one comes to Jesus unless God Himself draws us.
We receive salvation by faith but salvation is only by God’s grace.
Not really.
On the other hand, without the giving of God’s grace there is no faith.
If you have a strong faith in Jesus, it’s only because of God’s grace.
John 6:44 tells us that no one comes to Jesus unless God Himself draws us.
We receive salvation by faith but salvation is only by God’s grace.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
This We Believe
I gave a quote from Jonathan Wells a week or so ago. Hugo didn’t like this one bit. It goes against what he desperately wants to believe. You can see his comments @
http://thesauros-store.blogspot.com/2011/05/philosophy-of-evolution.html
If you haven’t read that post, it would be helpful for you to do so now.
Hugo hated the quote from that post so much he pointed me to what he calls a “refutation” of Wells’ book. In this refutation we find the following comments:
“. . . no textbook presents the "icons" as a list of our "best evidence" for evolution,”
Right, let’s give students our worst evidence, false evidence, deception and outright lies. We have much better evidence but we’re not going to let anyone know what it is.
=====
“The Miller-Urey experiment isn't considered "evidence for evolution;" it is considered part of our experimental research about the origin of life and is discussed in chapters and sections on the "history of life."”
Funny how the refutation doesn’t mention that the experiment in question had nothing to do with early earth atmosphere. In fact these atheists chose the chemicals they did because those chemicals were the ones known to produce the results desired. Let’s not tell the student THAT!
This “refutation” contains another lie because if one can believe current atheist scientists, then the “evolution” of inanimate and inorganic gases (snerk) most certainly does have to do with evolution.
=====
“Darwin's finches are used as examples of an evolutionary process (natural selection), not as evidence for evolution.”
“And the prize for attempted obfuscation goes to - may I have the envelope please!” Hey, they’re only kids, they won’t notice our deception.
=====
“Archaeopteryx is frequently presented in discussions of the origin of birds, not as evidence for evolution itself.”
Mm, hmm because going from one species into birds wouldn’t be evidence of evolution.
=====
Then we’re told why we can’t expect to understand why falsehood, deception, outright lies and substandard evidence is shown to our children. It’s because we aren’t educated enough - you know, like those who teach evolution. Take a listen.
“To understand the depth of any scientific field fully requires many years of study.”
So they dumb it down for lessor mortals.
=====
“It is the goal of elementary and secondary education to give students a basic understanding of the "world as we know it," which includes teaching students the paradigms of a number of fields of science. In order to do this, teaching examples must be found. It is this need to find simple, easy-to-explain, dynamic, and visual examples to introduce a complex topic to students that has led to the common use of a few examples — the "icons."
Ya, “teaching examples must be found.” So we’ll just make something up.
Along with the Miller / Urey fiasco,
. Darwin’s Tree of Life - purporting to show common ancestry is now completely unsupported by the fossil record, but still present in our children’s textbooks as proof for biological evolution;
. Haeckel’s Embryos - purporting a common ancestor - is known (since 1860) to be fraudulent and misleading, but is still present in our children’s textbooks as proof for biological evolution;
. Gill slits / pouches in human embryos - purported as evidence for a common ancestor - now known to be simple skin folds but presented in a knowingly misleading fashion (even fish don’t have gills at that stage of development) while empirically false, are still present in our children’s textbooks as proof for biological evolution;
. Archaeopteryx as a the half-bird / half-reptile - NOT - missing link with thousands of transitional forms soon to be discovered - NOT - but is still present in our children’s textbooks as proof for common ancestry and biological evolution.
. Java and Piltdown Man, both now known to be glaring examples of shoddy and speculative science - at best - yet still present in our textbooks as examples of common ancestry.
It doesn't matter if what we are telling your children is a lie, a deliberate deception. We're atheists. They should just trust us.
=====
“Yet, with our knowledge of the natural world expanding at near-exponential rates, the volume of new information facing a textbook writer is daunting.”
What he’s telling you is that “In one hundred years you can’t expect us to throw out what’s false and include all this great new compelling evidence.”
=====
“it should not be surprising that introductory textbooks are frequently simplified and may be somewhat out-of-date.”
It’s beyond words.
=====
“In Icons of Evolution, Wells says: "Students and the public are being systematically misinformed about the evidence for evolution" through biology textbooks (Wells 2000: xii). This is a serious charge; to support it demands the highest level of scholarship on the part of the author.”
We’ve come full circle. We’re back to, you can’t expect to understand that fraud isn’t fraud unless you have exactly the same level of education that I have.
http://thesauros-store.blogspot.com/2011/05/philosophy-of-evolution.html
If you haven’t read that post, it would be helpful for you to do so now.
Hugo hated the quote from that post so much he pointed me to what he calls a “refutation” of Wells’ book. In this refutation we find the following comments:
“. . . no textbook presents the "icons" as a list of our "best evidence" for evolution,”
Right, let’s give students our worst evidence, false evidence, deception and outright lies. We have much better evidence but we’re not going to let anyone know what it is.
=====
“The Miller-Urey experiment isn't considered "evidence for evolution;" it is considered part of our experimental research about the origin of life and is discussed in chapters and sections on the "history of life."”
Funny how the refutation doesn’t mention that the experiment in question had nothing to do with early earth atmosphere. In fact these atheists chose the chemicals they did because those chemicals were the ones known to produce the results desired. Let’s not tell the student THAT!
This “refutation” contains another lie because if one can believe current atheist scientists, then the “evolution” of inanimate and inorganic gases (snerk) most certainly does have to do with evolution.
=====
“Darwin's finches are used as examples of an evolutionary process (natural selection), not as evidence for evolution.”
“And the prize for attempted obfuscation goes to - may I have the envelope please!” Hey, they’re only kids, they won’t notice our deception.
=====
“Archaeopteryx is frequently presented in discussions of the origin of birds, not as evidence for evolution itself.”
Mm, hmm because going from one species into birds wouldn’t be evidence of evolution.
=====
Then we’re told why we can’t expect to understand why falsehood, deception, outright lies and substandard evidence is shown to our children. It’s because we aren’t educated enough - you know, like those who teach evolution. Take a listen.
“To understand the depth of any scientific field fully requires many years of study.”
So they dumb it down for lessor mortals.
=====
“It is the goal of elementary and secondary education to give students a basic understanding of the "world as we know it," which includes teaching students the paradigms of a number of fields of science. In order to do this, teaching examples must be found. It is this need to find simple, easy-to-explain, dynamic, and visual examples to introduce a complex topic to students that has led to the common use of a few examples — the "icons."
Ya, “teaching examples must be found.” So we’ll just make something up.
Along with the Miller / Urey fiasco,
. Darwin’s Tree of Life - purporting to show common ancestry is now completely unsupported by the fossil record, but still present in our children’s textbooks as proof for biological evolution;
. Haeckel’s Embryos - purporting a common ancestor - is known (since 1860) to be fraudulent and misleading, but is still present in our children’s textbooks as proof for biological evolution;
. Gill slits / pouches in human embryos - purported as evidence for a common ancestor - now known to be simple skin folds but presented in a knowingly misleading fashion (even fish don’t have gills at that stage of development) while empirically false, are still present in our children’s textbooks as proof for biological evolution;
. Archaeopteryx as a the half-bird / half-reptile - NOT - missing link with thousands of transitional forms soon to be discovered - NOT - but is still present in our children’s textbooks as proof for common ancestry and biological evolution.
. Java and Piltdown Man, both now known to be glaring examples of shoddy and speculative science - at best - yet still present in our textbooks as examples of common ancestry.
It doesn't matter if what we are telling your children is a lie, a deliberate deception. We're atheists. They should just trust us.
=====
“Yet, with our knowledge of the natural world expanding at near-exponential rates, the volume of new information facing a textbook writer is daunting.”
What he’s telling you is that “In one hundred years you can’t expect us to throw out what’s false and include all this great new compelling evidence.”
=====
“it should not be surprising that introductory textbooks are frequently simplified and may be somewhat out-of-date.”
It’s beyond words.
=====
“In Icons of Evolution, Wells says: "Students and the public are being systematically misinformed about the evidence for evolution" through biology textbooks (Wells 2000: xii). This is a serious charge; to support it demands the highest level of scholarship on the part of the author.”
We’ve come full circle. We’re back to, you can’t expect to understand that fraud isn’t fraud unless you have exactly the same level of education that I have.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
“The universal experience of palaeontology is that while the rocks have continually yielded new and exciting and even bizarre forms of life, what they have never yielded is any of Darwin’s myriads of transitional forms. Despite the tremendous increase in geological activity in every corner of the globe and despite the discovery of many strange and hitherto unknown forms, the infinitude of connecting links has still not been discovered and the fossil record is as discontinuous as it was when Darwin was writing the Origin. The intermediates have remained as elusive as ever and their absence remains one of the most striking characteristics of the fossil record.”
Michael Denton - Evolution: A Theory in Crisis.
Michael Denton - Evolution: A Theory in Crisis.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Unbelievable
I remember reading about when C.S. Lewis had his eyes opened to the true reality of his nature. He was taken aback, as we all are when this happens to us, to have to admit how hard his heart was. In his atheist days he truly believed that he didn’t need God in order to be a good person. After he came alive Lewis was shocked by a self-will that was almost infinitely obstinate. His passions were beyond control as were his volatile thoughts and imagination. As Lewis describes us all, we are a den of wild beasts barely able to be governed.
What Lewis is describing can be summed up in the line, “Dog’s don’t bark at parked cars.” Both Jesus and satan pretty much leave the self-righteous alone. Those who think they are good people, both the religious and the non religious, don’t draw satan’s attention because they already belong to him. Neither do they draw Jesus’ attention for He said, “I have come to save, not the self-righteous but those who know and admit they are sinners.” And it is these sinners, those who grieve over their sinful nature that satan attacks / tempts most diligently. Repentance is the last thing that satan wants to see happen.
Until one tries to be good - especially as it pertains to pure motives - we simply can’t comprehend the extent of the overhaul that is required. On the journey to salvation we are forced to accept that even our “good” behaviours are “old nature” tools geared to manipulate and control our environment and our image of ourselves. We even use “good” behaviours to get from God what we want OR to con God into protecting us from what we don’t want.
Sin invades every corner of our being.
Of course after we’ve allowed God to show us the way out of this mess - everything changes. It strikes us as truly unbelievable that we once thought both we and the world were pretty decent places.
As we watch the transformation into a “new creation” unfold, the new nature staggers under the fact that either the world has dramatically changed or it is we who have changed.
I thank you Lord for showing us the true state of our being.
What Lewis is describing can be summed up in the line, “Dog’s don’t bark at parked cars.” Both Jesus and satan pretty much leave the self-righteous alone. Those who think they are good people, both the religious and the non religious, don’t draw satan’s attention because they already belong to him. Neither do they draw Jesus’ attention for He said, “I have come to save, not the self-righteous but those who know and admit they are sinners.” And it is these sinners, those who grieve over their sinful nature that satan attacks / tempts most diligently. Repentance is the last thing that satan wants to see happen.
Until one tries to be good - especially as it pertains to pure motives - we simply can’t comprehend the extent of the overhaul that is required. On the journey to salvation we are forced to accept that even our “good” behaviours are “old nature” tools geared to manipulate and control our environment and our image of ourselves. We even use “good” behaviours to get from God what we want OR to con God into protecting us from what we don’t want.
Sin invades every corner of our being.
Of course after we’ve allowed God to show us the way out of this mess - everything changes. It strikes us as truly unbelievable that we once thought both we and the world were pretty decent places.
As we watch the transformation into a “new creation” unfold, the new nature staggers under the fact that either the world has dramatically changed or it is we who have changed.
I thank you Lord for showing us the true state of our being.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
I’m Just Auditing Thank You
That’s a line from Bill Maher when describing Christians who don’t seem to have the faith to follow the teachings of Jesus.
Bill Maher - Youtube - New Rule monologue.
Of course, as an atheist he manages to mess up some of the theology in a grotesque manner but most of it is pretty bang on.
Anyhow, the fact is, we all rely on faith. We all trust some people based upon their record of dependability. For example:
. The captain of a ship hands the well-being of h/her ship over to a harbour pilot. S/he has faith in the person's ability.
. We’ve trusted a guide to get us through difficult and confusing terrain.
. We trust a doctor just before s/he renders us unconscious. The statement “I’ve put my faith in the doctor,” would be ridiculous if we refused to let h/her operate on us.
The best line that I heard Maher say in his shtick was something like, “If you say you’re following Jesus, or learning from Jesus yet you don’t do what Jesus tells you to do, in reality, you’re just auditing."
My experience has been that Jesus is totally and completely trustworthy. He has never ever, not even once in thirty years let me down or broken a promise. While I have been guilty of ignoring His directives, I’ve never doubted the fact that He is indeed The Way, The Truth, and The Life.
My desire to follow Him is the real deal. I’m not just auditing.
Bill Maher - Youtube - New Rule monologue.
Of course, as an atheist he manages to mess up some of the theology in a grotesque manner but most of it is pretty bang on.
Anyhow, the fact is, we all rely on faith. We all trust some people based upon their record of dependability. For example:
. The captain of a ship hands the well-being of h/her ship over to a harbour pilot. S/he has faith in the person's ability.
. We’ve trusted a guide to get us through difficult and confusing terrain.
. We trust a doctor just before s/he renders us unconscious. The statement “I’ve put my faith in the doctor,” would be ridiculous if we refused to let h/her operate on us.
The best line that I heard Maher say in his shtick was something like, “If you say you’re following Jesus, or learning from Jesus yet you don’t do what Jesus tells you to do, in reality, you’re just auditing."
My experience has been that Jesus is totally and completely trustworthy. He has never ever, not even once in thirty years let me down or broken a promise. While I have been guilty of ignoring His directives, I’ve never doubted the fact that He is indeed The Way, The Truth, and The Life.
My desire to follow Him is the real deal. I’m not just auditing.
Good - Not Good
When you realise that the solution to being a bad person is NOT to try and be a good person, you will be very close to understanding the Gospel of Jesus.
Time Keller - "Prodigal God"
Time Keller - "Prodigal God"
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Impossible Love?
If you go to Paul’s letter that he wrote to the Church in Rome, it reveals what Jesus taught him about love. It’s not for slackers. In verses 9-16 we read:
. Love needs to be honest - not manipulative, or scheming. Love needs to speak out against what is wrong. vs 9
. We need to love even (especially?) those who are difficult to love because they are our brothers and sisters in Christ. No excuses - just do it. vs 10
. Love through generosity, sharing your home, your time, your money, your emotional safety. vs 13
. Love without bitterness. Don’t’ pay others back for the wrong they have done to you. Don’t hold resentment against others. vs 14
. Love with empathy. Be invested emotionally with others. vs 15
. Love with humility. Associate with those who are different, or who hold different (even opposing) views. vs. 16
. Love needs to be honest - not manipulative, or scheming. Love needs to speak out against what is wrong. vs 9
. We need to love even (especially?) those who are difficult to love because they are our brothers and sisters in Christ. No excuses - just do it. vs 10
. Love through generosity, sharing your home, your time, your money, your emotional safety. vs 13
. Love without bitterness. Don’t’ pay others back for the wrong they have done to you. Don’t hold resentment against others. vs 14
. Love with empathy. Be invested emotionally with others. vs 15
. Love with humility. Associate with those who are different, or who hold different (even opposing) views. vs. 16
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
What a Cool Kid!
A really precious thing happened this morning. Not sure what to make of it. Riley came into the kitchen with a look on his face that I've never seen before.
I better back up a bit.
Last night Riley was . . . um I'd better back up a bit more.
Riley, who is ten but operates at about the level of a four-year-old, has had this yellow bear (he's actually worn out two previous stuffies) that he'd carry around while sucking his thumb. After many failed attempts to help him stop, I made the bear disappear. Ding dong, the thumb sucking stopped. That was probably - mmm - four or five months ago. There was really no big issue. He asked about the bear perhaps three times during those months.
Last night Riley was missing his older brother who lives in a different city. Riley was crying and saying he wanted his bear again. I told him that his brother was fine and that he could learn to sooth himself without sucking his thumb.
"But I WANT to."
"I know, but you're going to be ok."
I prayed with him, stroked his hair, rubbed his back and he calmed down.
This morning Riley came into the kitchen with a look on his face that I've never seen before. It was a combination of joy and wonder and peace - and he said,
"I was in God's world last night."
"What do you mean?"
"Jesus spoke to me just like you speak to me. I was right in God's world!"
"What did He say?"
"He said, "Listen to your dad. I'm with you. You don't need to suck your thumb."
"Are you serious?"
"I was RIGHT IN GOD'S WORLD!"
To say that his face was glowing would be an overstatement but it was close.
I love that boy.
I love Jesus.
“Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don't see many of "the brightest and the best" among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose people that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these "nobodies" to expose the hollow pretensions of the "somebodies"? Everything that we have — right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start — comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. It's written, “I'll turn conventional wisdom on its head, I'll expose so-called experts as crackpots.” So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn't God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in His wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb — to bring those who trust Him into the way of salvation. "
1st Corinthians 1:19, 21-28
I better back up a bit.
Last night Riley was . . . um I'd better back up a bit more.
Riley, who is ten but operates at about the level of a four-year-old, has had this yellow bear (he's actually worn out two previous stuffies) that he'd carry around while sucking his thumb. After many failed attempts to help him stop, I made the bear disappear. Ding dong, the thumb sucking stopped. That was probably - mmm - four or five months ago. There was really no big issue. He asked about the bear perhaps three times during those months.
Last night Riley was missing his older brother who lives in a different city. Riley was crying and saying he wanted his bear again. I told him that his brother was fine and that he could learn to sooth himself without sucking his thumb.
"But I WANT to."
"I know, but you're going to be ok."
I prayed with him, stroked his hair, rubbed his back and he calmed down.
This morning Riley came into the kitchen with a look on his face that I've never seen before. It was a combination of joy and wonder and peace - and he said,
"I was in God's world last night."
"What do you mean?"
"Jesus spoke to me just like you speak to me. I was right in God's world!"
"What did He say?"
"He said, "Listen to your dad. I'm with you. You don't need to suck your thumb."
"Are you serious?"
"I was RIGHT IN GOD'S WORLD!"
To say that his face was glowing would be an overstatement but it was close.
I love that boy.
I love Jesus.
“Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don't see many of "the brightest and the best" among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose people that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these "nobodies" to expose the hollow pretensions of the "somebodies"? Everything that we have — right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start — comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. It's written, “I'll turn conventional wisdom on its head, I'll expose so-called experts as crackpots.” So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn't God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in His wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb — to bring those who trust Him into the way of salvation. "
1st Corinthians 1:19, 21-28
Monday, May 23, 2011
Atheists and Guilt
A recent study concludes that atheists have better casual sex than Christians involved in the same behaviour. This is because atheists, who make up the rules as they go, can convince themselves that causal sex is a good thing. Even HIV and other STD’s can’t stop those with no guilt. Their focus is totally on developing a pill that will allow the good times to keep rolling.
Good times - you know, where men use hints of impending love to get sex, and women use sex to get the illusion of being loved.
Good times - two people using each other.
Now until this particular study, all previous studies showed that for those who were married, Christians consistently voiced better sex than non Christians because Christian marriages provide both men and women with greater physical, emotional and spiritual intimacy. That of course was no surprise to Christians because most of us were able to compare pre Christian sex to sex as Christians. The former was third rate compared to the latter.
On the other hand, it’s also understandable that atheists wouldn’t experience as much guilt as Christians during extramarital sex. When the atheist cheats on his wife, there’s no guilt because he’s concluded that “It can’t be wrong since my wife is such a bitch. Really, the marriage is already over.”
And if an atheist concludes that something is right, then it is right.
An atheist would enjoy (not as much guilt) screwing around with her neighbour’s husband more than a Christian committing adultery, because to an atheist, “Anything that feels this right can’t be wrong.”
And if an atheist concludes that something is right, then it is right.
Correct Hugo? No guilt for you and your girlfriend?
Moral relativism is the way to go. Right - Hugo?
In atheist world, if enough people in a social group say something is right, then it becomes right.
Good times - you know, where men use hints of impending love to get sex, and women use sex to get the illusion of being loved.
Good times - two people using each other.
Now until this particular study, all previous studies showed that for those who were married, Christians consistently voiced better sex than non Christians because Christian marriages provide both men and women with greater physical, emotional and spiritual intimacy. That of course was no surprise to Christians because most of us were able to compare pre Christian sex to sex as Christians. The former was third rate compared to the latter.
On the other hand, it’s also understandable that atheists wouldn’t experience as much guilt as Christians during extramarital sex. When the atheist cheats on his wife, there’s no guilt because he’s concluded that “It can’t be wrong since my wife is such a bitch. Really, the marriage is already over.”
And if an atheist concludes that something is right, then it is right.
An atheist would enjoy (not as much guilt) screwing around with her neighbour’s husband more than a Christian committing adultery, because to an atheist, “Anything that feels this right can’t be wrong.”
And if an atheist concludes that something is right, then it is right.
Correct Hugo? No guilt for you and your girlfriend?
Moral relativism is the way to go. Right - Hugo?
In atheist world, if enough people in a social group say something is right, then it becomes right.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Fibonacci Logic
I was reading some comments from a common day pagan about the Fibonacci Sequence. She said, “Obviously the universe has an intelligent designer, but why does that mean that we need to pay attention to it? Why not rather spend our days in awe and wonder learning about the world around us.”
Ya - right.
Awe and wonder regarding the creation but ignore the Creator. Isn’t that a lot like holding a dinner party for a great work of art but asking the artist to not attend?
Ya - right.
Awe and wonder regarding the creation but ignore the Creator. Isn’t that a lot like holding a dinner party for a great work of art but asking the artist to not attend?
Friday, May 20, 2011
The Philosophy of Evolution
Jonathan Wells was asked, “Why are the fraudulent and misleading Miller / Urey experiments purporting to produce amino acids from the components of early earth’s atmosphere still in school science books and why are well known scientists still referring to these failed experiments as proof for naturalistic evolution?”
He responded, “It’s becoming clearer and clearer to me that this is materialistic philosophy masquerading as empirical science. The attitude is that life had to have developed [naturally] because [if you deny the existence of God] there’s no explanation other than materialism. And if you try to invoke another explanation - then the evolutionists claim you’re not a scientist.”
It should be noted that along with the Miller / Urey fiasco,
. Darwin’s Tree of Life - purporting to show common ancestry is now completely unsupported by the fossil record, but still present in our children’s textbooks as proof for biological evolution;
. Haeckel’s Embryos - purporting a common ancestor - is known (since 1860) to be fraudulent and misleading, but is still present in our children’s textbooks as proof for biological evolution;
. Gill slits / pouches in human embryos - purported as evidence for a common ancestor - now known to be simple skin folds but presented in a knowingly misleading fashion (even fish don’t have gills at that stage of development) while empirically false, are still present in our children’s textbooks as proof for biological evolution;
. Archaeopteryx as a the half-bird / half-reptile - NOT - missing link with thousands of transitional forms soon to be discovered - NOT - but is still present in our children’s textbooks as proof for common ancestry and biological evolution.
. Java and Piltdown Man, both now known to be glaring examples of shoddy and speculative science - at best - yet still present in our textbooks as examples of common ancestry.
If there is so much new evidence for macro evolution why is fraudulent evidence, lies really, still being used?
There is only one reason that science is still leaning on fraud and deception to build up evolution and that is because there is nothing more substantial to use. When confronted with the LACK of evidence, these “scientists” say, “Well, we know the theory is true even if the evidence doesn’t support it.”
“It’s becoming clearer and clearer to me that this is materialistic philosophy masquerading as empirical science. The attitude is that life had to have developed [naturally] because [if you deny the existence of God] there’s no other materialistic explanation.”
Jonathan Wells
He responded, “It’s becoming clearer and clearer to me that this is materialistic philosophy masquerading as empirical science. The attitude is that life had to have developed [naturally] because [if you deny the existence of God] there’s no explanation other than materialism. And if you try to invoke another explanation - then the evolutionists claim you’re not a scientist.”
It should be noted that along with the Miller / Urey fiasco,
. Darwin’s Tree of Life - purporting to show common ancestry is now completely unsupported by the fossil record, but still present in our children’s textbooks as proof for biological evolution;
. Haeckel’s Embryos - purporting a common ancestor - is known (since 1860) to be fraudulent and misleading, but is still present in our children’s textbooks as proof for biological evolution;
. Gill slits / pouches in human embryos - purported as evidence for a common ancestor - now known to be simple skin folds but presented in a knowingly misleading fashion (even fish don’t have gills at that stage of development) while empirically false, are still present in our children’s textbooks as proof for biological evolution;
. Archaeopteryx as a the half-bird / half-reptile - NOT - missing link with thousands of transitional forms soon to be discovered - NOT - but is still present in our children’s textbooks as proof for common ancestry and biological evolution.
. Java and Piltdown Man, both now known to be glaring examples of shoddy and speculative science - at best - yet still present in our textbooks as examples of common ancestry.
If there is so much new evidence for macro evolution why is fraudulent evidence, lies really, still being used?
There is only one reason that science is still leaning on fraud and deception to build up evolution and that is because there is nothing more substantial to use. When confronted with the LACK of evidence, these “scientists” say, “Well, we know the theory is true even if the evidence doesn’t support it.”
“It’s becoming clearer and clearer to me that this is materialistic philosophy masquerading as empirical science. The attitude is that life had to have developed [naturally] because [if you deny the existence of God] there’s no other materialistic explanation.”
Jonathan Wells
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Fibonacci and God’s Finger Print
I’ve pointed out what science has shown to be true. We live in a mathematically precise universe. That is an astounding fact that, for anyone who isn’t dull of mind or slow of thought, staggers the mind. Science has shown us that the mathematical precision doesn’t just occur on a macro scale or just on a micro scale, it is present literally everywhere -in every cell of every living thing. Just one small example of this fact is in the Fibonacci Scale or the Golden Rectangle or the Golden Ratio - 1.618
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9MwNm0gXd8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9MwNm0gXd8
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Did You Know?
Did you know that your conscience evolved? Yep. It did. The way atheists explain it, if some behaviour or thought helped your ancestors survive, your brain, today, decides that it is “good or right.” If a thought or behaviour hindered your ancestor’s survival, then your brain, today, thinks of that behaviour as bad or wrong.
Because this explanation doesn’t deal very well with things like abortion (not good for survival) or giving one’s life to save someone else’s (not good for survival) or suicide (not good for survival) some atheists have offered two possible alternatives:
. Yes those beliefs are hardwired into our system but we don’t have to listen to our survival instincts. We just override them whenever we want.
OR
. This is all an illusion. The “I” that we think is deciding really doesn’t exist. There is no conscience because it’s all just firing neurons and chemical exchanges.
None of this gets us very far toward knowing what the conscience is, how it works, can it be trusted, how much or how often should we use it. We do know that it’s an important element in forming of our moral character. When we don’t stifle our conscience and when we allow it to cohere with what Jesus taught, life becomes much less frustrating and much less damaging to those with whom we interact.
We have two main roads upon which to travel.
Option One:
. Make things up as you go - like atheists advise. This works quite well until you meet other cultures who believe something totally opposite to what you believe.
For example:
In culture A, it’s considered absolutely correct and vital for the survival of that society if you stone your niece to death because she is dating someone outside of her family’s belief system.
In culture B it’s considered absolutely correct and vital for the survival of that society that you don’t stone your niece to death because she is dating someone outside of her family’s belief system.
Atheists have no answer to this since atheists insist that right and wrong is relative to the situation and is determined by the majority vote in any given society or community. As the saying goes, “In any given universe, there is room for only one god. When one god meets another god, something has to give.
In atheist world Might = Right.
Option Two:
The other option is to listen to your conscience. It was put in place by your Creator and He gave us His teaching, in Person to back up what our conscience tells us. If you’re unsure (and atheists are always unsure - in fact it drives them nuts when they meet someone who isn’t living in a perpetual state of uncertainty) Jesus has promised to give anyone who asks, a new Christlike character where the overall goal of the person to reflect the character of Jesus becomes inherent or second nature.
This new goal or vision of life allows us to live in such a way that we find ourselves already practising the behaviours that we will be doing naturally in the next stage of life. If, as atheists suggest, we give people instructions on the fly, well, you can perhaps live rightly for the day here and there. If as Jesus says, you allow Him to give you a new heart, and new character, then there are no areas in which “Love your neighbour as yourself” will not come naturally.
Which do you think is best for survival?
Because this explanation doesn’t deal very well with things like abortion (not good for survival) or giving one’s life to save someone else’s (not good for survival) or suicide (not good for survival) some atheists have offered two possible alternatives:
. Yes those beliefs are hardwired into our system but we don’t have to listen to our survival instincts. We just override them whenever we want.
OR
. This is all an illusion. The “I” that we think is deciding really doesn’t exist. There is no conscience because it’s all just firing neurons and chemical exchanges.
None of this gets us very far toward knowing what the conscience is, how it works, can it be trusted, how much or how often should we use it. We do know that it’s an important element in forming of our moral character. When we don’t stifle our conscience and when we allow it to cohere with what Jesus taught, life becomes much less frustrating and much less damaging to those with whom we interact.
We have two main roads upon which to travel.
Option One:
. Make things up as you go - like atheists advise. This works quite well until you meet other cultures who believe something totally opposite to what you believe.
For example:
In culture A, it’s considered absolutely correct and vital for the survival of that society if you stone your niece to death because she is dating someone outside of her family’s belief system.
In culture B it’s considered absolutely correct and vital for the survival of that society that you don’t stone your niece to death because she is dating someone outside of her family’s belief system.
Atheists have no answer to this since atheists insist that right and wrong is relative to the situation and is determined by the majority vote in any given society or community. As the saying goes, “In any given universe, there is room for only one god. When one god meets another god, something has to give.
In atheist world Might = Right.
Option Two:
The other option is to listen to your conscience. It was put in place by your Creator and He gave us His teaching, in Person to back up what our conscience tells us. If you’re unsure (and atheists are always unsure - in fact it drives them nuts when they meet someone who isn’t living in a perpetual state of uncertainty) Jesus has promised to give anyone who asks, a new Christlike character where the overall goal of the person to reflect the character of Jesus becomes inherent or second nature.
This new goal or vision of life allows us to live in such a way that we find ourselves already practising the behaviours that we will be doing naturally in the next stage of life. If, as atheists suggest, we give people instructions on the fly, well, you can perhaps live rightly for the day here and there. If as Jesus says, you allow Him to give you a new heart, and new character, then there are no areas in which “Love your neighbour as yourself” will not come naturally.
Which do you think is best for survival?
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
All Things New
Wouldn’t that be something? Do you ever take a look at the world and wonder why God doesn’t just chalk it all up to a big mistake, zap the planet into oblivion and start over?
Well, in a sense, He’s done just that - start all over I mean.
He knew the mistake that we’d make before He even brought the universe into existence. And, before He brought the universe into existence, out of literally nothing I might add, the solution to our mistake was in place and ready to roll. At just the right time, our Creator instituted a plan to make all things new.
That process started with the arrival of God the Son, on this planet, in the form of a Human.
With the birth of Jesus to a poor Jewish woman, Creator God began a project to make humans right again.
. He made it possible for us to have our hearts of stone replaced with hearts that are once again capable of love.
. He gave us lives of meaning, and context and purpose.
. He showed us, through example, how to find life by dying to self, how to gain everything we need by letting go of everything the world says we must have.
. He’s shown us how to rediscover the reason that we’d been created in the first place - to bear the image of our Creator.
Well, in a sense, He’s done just that - start all over I mean.
He knew the mistake that we’d make before He even brought the universe into existence. And, before He brought the universe into existence, out of literally nothing I might add, the solution to our mistake was in place and ready to roll. At just the right time, our Creator instituted a plan to make all things new.
That process started with the arrival of God the Son, on this planet, in the form of a Human.
With the birth of Jesus to a poor Jewish woman, Creator God began a project to make humans right again.
. He made it possible for us to have our hearts of stone replaced with hearts that are once again capable of love.
. He gave us lives of meaning, and context and purpose.
. He showed us, through example, how to find life by dying to self, how to gain everything we need by letting go of everything the world says we must have.
. He’s shown us how to rediscover the reason that we’d been created in the first place - to bear the image of our Creator.
Our Creator shows us how to love extravagantly. In like manner we are told to give our lives away, to die to self.
“Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband is to provide leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands.
Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church - a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ's love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They're really doing themselves a favour — since they're already "one" in marriage.
What is clearest to me is the way Christ treats the church. And this provides a good picture of how each husband is to treat his wife, loving himself in loving her, and how each wife is to honour her husband. Ephesians 5:22-28,33
THIS is love!
“Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband is to provide leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands.
Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church - a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ's love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They're really doing themselves a favour — since they're already "one" in marriage.
What is clearest to me is the way Christ treats the church. And this provides a good picture of how each husband is to treat his wife, loving himself in loving her, and how each wife is to honour her husband. Ephesians 5:22-28,33
THIS is love!
Monday, May 16, 2011
What Are You Talking About?
If you’re a Christian and tried to talk to God about some sin from years ago, that’s what God would say to you. “What are you talking about? You are a righteous person in My eyes. Why would you spend time bringing up something from the past if I’ve deleted it?”
When Jesus came to earth as a human being and was crucified upon the cross, when He endured complete separation from God the Father and rose from the dead proving His power over life and death, He made provision for the removal of your sins and mine.
Only God can do that.
Only Jesus can forgive your sins.
And when He does, they are gone baby, gone. The Bible tells us that when we accept Jesus as our Saviour, Creator God blots out our sins completely, past, present and future. He says that even if we look for them they will not be found. They are gone as far as the east is from the west. It’s as though they’ve been buried in the Mariana Trench. In words from the old movie Deliverance, “You can’t get more buried than that.”
And why would your Creator do that? Because you’re such a fine upstanding individual? Not hardly! There is only one reason and that is God’s mercy, and love and goodness and grace. Since before the creation of the universe your God and mine has provide a way to take your sins, and though they be like scarlet, He will make them as white as new snow. He promises that when we accept His offer of salvation, “I will not remember your sins.”
“Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgressions. You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; You will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.”
Micah 7:18,19
When Jesus came to earth as a human being and was crucified upon the cross, when He endured complete separation from God the Father and rose from the dead proving His power over life and death, He made provision for the removal of your sins and mine.
Only God can do that.
Only Jesus can forgive your sins.
And when He does, they are gone baby, gone. The Bible tells us that when we accept Jesus as our Saviour, Creator God blots out our sins completely, past, present and future. He says that even if we look for them they will not be found. They are gone as far as the east is from the west. It’s as though they’ve been buried in the Mariana Trench. In words from the old movie Deliverance, “You can’t get more buried than that.”
And why would your Creator do that? Because you’re such a fine upstanding individual? Not hardly! There is only one reason and that is God’s mercy, and love and goodness and grace. Since before the creation of the universe your God and mine has provide a way to take your sins, and though they be like scarlet, He will make them as white as new snow. He promises that when we accept His offer of salvation, “I will not remember your sins.”
“Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgressions. You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; You will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.”
Micah 7:18,19
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Best Wedding Ever
What an awesome weekend! Our oldest daughter (33) got married to a man she met on her home Reserve. After many years of really hard living on the part of both of them, they recently became followers of Jesus.
The Church they’re attending on the First Nation is right out of Luke’s description of the early Church in Acts. At the reception it was testimony after testimony after testimony of the changes wrought by Jesus in the lives of fellow believers. It was so wonderful to hear an almost complete lack of pretense and pride.
“My life since Jesus got me out of prostitution . . .”
“My days of alcoholism and addiction to pills was so damaging to my family but Jesus took all that away.”
“Since coming to Jesus I no longer hurt my children . . .”
I promise, nobody in our congregation would come anywhere close to that kind of honesty. We're as spiritually constipated as congregations get.
Anyhow, our daughter and her husband have surrounded themselves with really good Christian friends. The congregation all put together enough funds to put on this wedding “for them.” That’s supposed to be our job - the bride's parents. The thing is, our daughter phoned us on Friday and said, “I’m getting married on Saturday. Can you guys make it?”
And THAT is FASD brain damage - a complete lack of organisational skills.
After driving for 4 ½ hours on Friday to get there, my wife and daughter met at 4:30 - half an hour before the wedding dress store closed and found a dress (the most beautiful wedding dress I’ve ever seen) for $300.00. The owner of the store stayed into the night to do the alterations and we picked it up Saturday morning. Her new Christian friends decorated the Church and they all got together and brought enough food to feed a small army. The Pastor gave one of the best messages on marriage that I’ve ever heard and, well, someday, the rest will be history.
Why did they get married? They’ve been living together for seven years. As they both said, “We’ve been praying about it and the Holy Spirit simply wouldn't let us alone. He placed it heavily upon our hearts that living common-law is just not ok. We're to be committed to each other just as He is committed to us.
The energy and excitement of new Christians is always fun to watch. I pray that God blesses them both and uses them to make positive changes in what is in reality a very spiritually and emotionally sick environment.
It’s been awhile since I’ve been this happy.
Did I mention that this was the best wedding ever?
The Church they’re attending on the First Nation is right out of Luke’s description of the early Church in Acts. At the reception it was testimony after testimony after testimony of the changes wrought by Jesus in the lives of fellow believers. It was so wonderful to hear an almost complete lack of pretense and pride.
“My life since Jesus got me out of prostitution . . .”
“My days of alcoholism and addiction to pills was so damaging to my family but Jesus took all that away.”
“Since coming to Jesus I no longer hurt my children . . .”
I promise, nobody in our congregation would come anywhere close to that kind of honesty. We're as spiritually constipated as congregations get.
Anyhow, our daughter and her husband have surrounded themselves with really good Christian friends. The congregation all put together enough funds to put on this wedding “for them.” That’s supposed to be our job - the bride's parents. The thing is, our daughter phoned us on Friday and said, “I’m getting married on Saturday. Can you guys make it?”
And THAT is FASD brain damage - a complete lack of organisational skills.
After driving for 4 ½ hours on Friday to get there, my wife and daughter met at 4:30 - half an hour before the wedding dress store closed and found a dress (the most beautiful wedding dress I’ve ever seen) for $300.00. The owner of the store stayed into the night to do the alterations and we picked it up Saturday morning. Her new Christian friends decorated the Church and they all got together and brought enough food to feed a small army. The Pastor gave one of the best messages on marriage that I’ve ever heard and, well, someday, the rest will be history.
Why did they get married? They’ve been living together for seven years. As they both said, “We’ve been praying about it and the Holy Spirit simply wouldn't let us alone. He placed it heavily upon our hearts that living common-law is just not ok. We're to be committed to each other just as He is committed to us.
The energy and excitement of new Christians is always fun to watch. I pray that God blesses them both and uses them to make positive changes in what is in reality a very spiritually and emotionally sick environment.
It’s been awhile since I’ve been this happy.
Did I mention that this was the best wedding ever?
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Soul to Soul
In the King James translation of Matthew 11:25 it says, “At that time, Jesus answered . . .” The NIV says, “At that time, Jesus said . . .”
Why the difference? Well, think about it. Jesus answered - what exactly? Look at the context. Has any question been asked?
Not obviously.
It looks like the NIV translators thought “said” was a more correct translation but I wonder. Notice that Jesus answered, “I praise you Father . . .”
I think that the Spirit of God the Father had said something to the Spirit of God the Son. This goes to the point that Hugo was trying to make a few posts ago about communicating with Creator God, soul to soul.
Throughout the Gospels we are given comments of Jesus where He says that He is in constant communication with God the Father. In fact, according to Jesus, there was not a word spoken by Jesus that He had not received from His Father. In fact, God was in Jesus and Jesus was in God. Hugo essentially is asking, Can we have the same type of relationship / communication?
Well, yes and no.
God speaks to us from His Soul to our soul by several means. One of the most common means is through His Word. The Bible is like a letter from our Creator to us. It speaks deeply to the soul of Jesus’ friends. Not so for those who are not in a healed relationship with Jesus. The difference is dramatic and the consequence eternal. An atheist and a follower of Jesus can be going through exactly the same circumstances in life. Let’s say it’s relationship struggles. The atheist can read a verse in the Bible (eg. Colossians 3:12,13) and see only words, meaningless words - “stupid words if you knew how I was being treated by that jerk.” Someone who desires to follow Jesus can read the same words and receive the kind of guidance that leaps off the page and provides life changing information. This is Soul to soul communication. A letter of advice from a trusted friend, designed solely to guide the friend in need. The person without the Spirit looks for reasons why what the Bible says shouldn’t apply to h/her. The person with God’s Spirit feels quickly and clearly what God is saying through His Spirit to us.
“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1st Corinthians 2:14
We can also communicate with our Creator, soul to Soul through prayer - i.e. talking directly with God. “Pray without ceasing” is the advice that we receive from the apostle Paul. He’s saying, “Develop the kind of spiritual life whereby you are in constant fellowship with your Lord and Saviour.” Like any parent who loves h/his children, unfaltering Soul to soul communication is what God desires with us. The prayer life of new Christians usually involves much talk on our part. Listening for what God is saying to us is a developed habit, a spiritual discipline that comes as relationship trust increases. How do we know that what we are hearing is in fact from our Creator, Lord and Saviour? If what we’re hearing agrees with what is said in His Word, then we know we’re on the right track. God will NEVER contradict in our thoughts what He has said in His Word. For example, if you think God is telling you to follow your heart and leave your wife and children for another woman (I’ve worked with people like this), trust me, it ain’t God who’s talking to you.
This listening is a wonderful stage of spiritual growth, especially when one realises that God cares enough to be in personal contact with His creation. Sceptics have argued, “How could God possibly listen to over a billion prayers at once?" Even believers sometimes wonder if they should bother God with “petty” fears or concerns when there are others with problems a thousand times more desperate. Here’s the thing. God isn’t listening to a billion prayers at the same time. Or a million or a hundred, or even two.
He’s only listening to one prayer - yours.
Creator God is fully present everywhere, all the time. God isn’t taking care of 8 billion people.
He’s taking care of only one person - you.
God isn’t caring for, guiding, correcting, nurturing, growing, loving and longing to interact with everyone at once. He wants to interact with only one person.
Ya - you.
When we humble ourselves before our Creator, the Spirit of God opens our ears to hear what was impossible to even conceive prior to our relationship being healed. As time goes by, trust grows until hardly a step is taken, hardly a decision is made without first “discussing” the issue with and listening for guidance from Him who loves us with a perfect love, perfect wisdom, perfect guidance. As trust grows we find that He is always faithful to His promises.
. His voice convicts us of changes that need to be made.
. The Spirit highlights new mercies every morning.
. He prompts thankfulness for truth He has opened to our understanding.
Intimate communication with our Creator is an honour and a privilege that only those of His choosing can experience.
Those on the outside can only mock that which they don’t understand.
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.” 1st Cor. 1:18
My prayer is that every follower of Jesus does not rest until day or night, during disaster or times of safety, rich or poor, married or single, healthy or sick, happy or sad, their spiritual ears may hear what His Soul is saying to our soul.
Why the difference? Well, think about it. Jesus answered - what exactly? Look at the context. Has any question been asked?
Not obviously.
It looks like the NIV translators thought “said” was a more correct translation but I wonder. Notice that Jesus answered, “I praise you Father . . .”
I think that the Spirit of God the Father had said something to the Spirit of God the Son. This goes to the point that Hugo was trying to make a few posts ago about communicating with Creator God, soul to soul.
Throughout the Gospels we are given comments of Jesus where He says that He is in constant communication with God the Father. In fact, according to Jesus, there was not a word spoken by Jesus that He had not received from His Father. In fact, God was in Jesus and Jesus was in God. Hugo essentially is asking, Can we have the same type of relationship / communication?
Well, yes and no.
God speaks to us from His Soul to our soul by several means. One of the most common means is through His Word. The Bible is like a letter from our Creator to us. It speaks deeply to the soul of Jesus’ friends. Not so for those who are not in a healed relationship with Jesus. The difference is dramatic and the consequence eternal. An atheist and a follower of Jesus can be going through exactly the same circumstances in life. Let’s say it’s relationship struggles. The atheist can read a verse in the Bible (eg. Colossians 3:12,13) and see only words, meaningless words - “stupid words if you knew how I was being treated by that jerk.” Someone who desires to follow Jesus can read the same words and receive the kind of guidance that leaps off the page and provides life changing information. This is Soul to soul communication. A letter of advice from a trusted friend, designed solely to guide the friend in need. The person without the Spirit looks for reasons why what the Bible says shouldn’t apply to h/her. The person with God’s Spirit feels quickly and clearly what God is saying through His Spirit to us.
“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1st Corinthians 2:14
We can also communicate with our Creator, soul to Soul through prayer - i.e. talking directly with God. “Pray without ceasing” is the advice that we receive from the apostle Paul. He’s saying, “Develop the kind of spiritual life whereby you are in constant fellowship with your Lord and Saviour.” Like any parent who loves h/his children, unfaltering Soul to soul communication is what God desires with us. The prayer life of new Christians usually involves much talk on our part. Listening for what God is saying to us is a developed habit, a spiritual discipline that comes as relationship trust increases. How do we know that what we are hearing is in fact from our Creator, Lord and Saviour? If what we’re hearing agrees with what is said in His Word, then we know we’re on the right track. God will NEVER contradict in our thoughts what He has said in His Word. For example, if you think God is telling you to follow your heart and leave your wife and children for another woman (I’ve worked with people like this), trust me, it ain’t God who’s talking to you.
This listening is a wonderful stage of spiritual growth, especially when one realises that God cares enough to be in personal contact with His creation. Sceptics have argued, “How could God possibly listen to over a billion prayers at once?" Even believers sometimes wonder if they should bother God with “petty” fears or concerns when there are others with problems a thousand times more desperate. Here’s the thing. God isn’t listening to a billion prayers at the same time. Or a million or a hundred, or even two.
He’s only listening to one prayer - yours.
Creator God is fully present everywhere, all the time. God isn’t taking care of 8 billion people.
He’s taking care of only one person - you.
God isn’t caring for, guiding, correcting, nurturing, growing, loving and longing to interact with everyone at once. He wants to interact with only one person.
Ya - you.
When we humble ourselves before our Creator, the Spirit of God opens our ears to hear what was impossible to even conceive prior to our relationship being healed. As time goes by, trust grows until hardly a step is taken, hardly a decision is made without first “discussing” the issue with and listening for guidance from Him who loves us with a perfect love, perfect wisdom, perfect guidance. As trust grows we find that He is always faithful to His promises.
. His voice convicts us of changes that need to be made.
. The Spirit highlights new mercies every morning.
. He prompts thankfulness for truth He has opened to our understanding.
Intimate communication with our Creator is an honour and a privilege that only those of His choosing can experience.
Those on the outside can only mock that which they don’t understand.
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.” 1st Cor. 1:18
My prayer is that every follower of Jesus does not rest until day or night, during disaster or times of safety, rich or poor, married or single, healthy or sick, happy or sad, their spiritual ears may hear what His Soul is saying to our soul.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
School Nurse?
Remember when they used to have nurses at schools? My son came home today with a big bandage on his arm and an even bigger one on his hip.
“What happened to you?”
“I got scraped on the tarmac.”
“Did you trip?”
“Nope.”
“Did someone push you?”
“Nope.”
“Well what happened?”
“I just fell over, and the Principal bandaged me up.”
Yep, that’s right. It’s now the Principal's job to wash and bandage the wounded. Sure, this incident turned out alright but the fact is, School Nurses can be life savers. Let me give you an example.
One day, waaaay back in grade 12, I’d skipped choir which was the last period of the day. We’d driven to a park on a beautiful summer day and just laid there smokin dope and watched women play tennis. I came back to school just in time to pop a mint in my mouth, grab my stuff and head home. As I was going out the door the teacher grabbed my arm and demanded to know why I wasn’t at practise. In my best hoarse voice I said,
“I’ve got a sore throat. My eyes are sore. It must be allergies.”
“Come with me.”
Oh, oh. We were heading to the nurse’s office. My heart sank as he opened the door -
‘Shoot! She hasn’t gone home yet.’
“This kid says he has a sore throat. Take a look.”
Well, that little angel took her light thingy, peered into my mouth, looked back at Mr. Cowly and said,
“Ya, it’s really inflamed.”
In a perfectly clear voice that no one seemed to notice, and with just the tiniest hint of outrage I said, “That’s exactly right. I gotta go.”
School nurses. We need em.
“What happened to you?”
“I got scraped on the tarmac.”
“Did you trip?”
“Nope.”
“Did someone push you?”
“Nope.”
“Well what happened?”
“I just fell over, and the Principal bandaged me up.”
Yep, that’s right. It’s now the Principal's job to wash and bandage the wounded. Sure, this incident turned out alright but the fact is, School Nurses can be life savers. Let me give you an example.
One day, waaaay back in grade 12, I’d skipped choir which was the last period of the day. We’d driven to a park on a beautiful summer day and just laid there smokin dope and watched women play tennis. I came back to school just in time to pop a mint in my mouth, grab my stuff and head home. As I was going out the door the teacher grabbed my arm and demanded to know why I wasn’t at practise. In my best hoarse voice I said,
“I’ve got a sore throat. My eyes are sore. It must be allergies.”
“Come with me.”
Oh, oh. We were heading to the nurse’s office. My heart sank as he opened the door -
‘Shoot! She hasn’t gone home yet.’
“This kid says he has a sore throat. Take a look.”
Well, that little angel took her light thingy, peered into my mouth, looked back at Mr. Cowly and said,
“Ya, it’s really inflamed.”
In a perfectly clear voice that no one seemed to notice, and with just the tiniest hint of outrage I said, “That’s exactly right. I gotta go.”
School nurses. We need em.
I, Simon Peter, am a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. I write this to you whose experience with God is as life-changing as ours, all due to our God's straight dealing and the intervention of our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master.
Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! Your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust.
So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.
So, friends, confirm God's invitation to you, his choice of you. Don't put it off; do it now. Do this, and you'll have your life on a firm footing, the streets paved and the way wide open into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:2-10
Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! Your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust.
So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.
So, friends, confirm God's invitation to you, his choice of you. Don't put it off; do it now. Do this, and you'll have your life on a firm footing, the streets paved and the way wide open into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:2-10
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
A Different Drummer
One of my kids is supposed to be playing a piano duet in a couple weeks. There’s a problem. My son and this other kid don’t seem to like each other very much. Because of that a power struggle broke out. While practising at our place last night they refused to agree on the tempo, with one playing significantly faster than the other. Each was playing his own part pretty well, but when placed together, well, as our six-year-old daughter said to them, “That sounds like crap!”
Isn’t that the way the much of the world sounds - like crap? Wars and rumours of war. Killing and stealing and addictions and corruption and abandoning those we’ve promised to love? All because we refuse to cooperate with Jesus who is the One who wrote the tune.
Not only do we refuse to cooperate, people praise those who live to the beat of a different drummer. Many see it as independent and noble to deliberately not cooperate with our Creator, Lord and potential Saviour. Many applaud those who deliberately reject the One who promises harmony and peace - if only we aren’t stubborn and determined to do it our way.
Well, with a little coaxing and prodding on our part, the boys agreed to try to get along. The metronome was set. One played a little slower. One played a little faster, and lo and behold, it sounded good. In two weeks, these guys are going to present a pretty sweet tune to the audience.
All it takes is a willingness to keep in time with the Master.
Isn’t that the way the much of the world sounds - like crap? Wars and rumours of war. Killing and stealing and addictions and corruption and abandoning those we’ve promised to love? All because we refuse to cooperate with Jesus who is the One who wrote the tune.
Not only do we refuse to cooperate, people praise those who live to the beat of a different drummer. Many see it as independent and noble to deliberately not cooperate with our Creator, Lord and potential Saviour. Many applaud those who deliberately reject the One who promises harmony and peace - if only we aren’t stubborn and determined to do it our way.
Well, with a little coaxing and prodding on our part, the boys agreed to try to get along. The metronome was set. One played a little slower. One played a little faster, and lo and behold, it sounded good. In two weeks, these guys are going to present a pretty sweet tune to the audience.
All it takes is a willingness to keep in time with the Master.
Faith and Works
Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup — where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?
I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, "Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I'll handle the works department."
Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove.
James 2:14-18
I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, "Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I'll handle the works department."
Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove.
James 2:14-18
Monday, May 9, 2011
Why the Ten Commandments?
Many an atheist has joked, “Why did people even need the Ten Commandments? Are you saying people didn’t know that murder was wrong until it was written down?”
Like everything else in the Bible that is spiritually discerned, the unspiritual person cannot understand the purpose of giving the law in written form. The Law of God has been given for those who have become righteous in their own eyes.
“I don’t need God in order to be a good person.”
The purpose of the Law is to take the edge off their pride.
“You mean you never lie?
You never look at women as sexual objects?
You never inwardly smile when something bad happens to those you don’t like?
You love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength?”
Atheists joke about people not being able to keep the law without it being written down yet, even with the law in written form atheists aren’t able to obey it or acknowledge that what they’re doing is wrong. In fact, atheists can only consider themselves good in comparison to those who are worse.
The Gospel, on the other hand was given to those who recognise that without Jesus they are hopelessly and utterly lost.
Like everything else in the Bible that is spiritually discerned, the unspiritual person cannot understand the purpose of giving the law in written form. The Law of God has been given for those who have become righteous in their own eyes.
“I don’t need God in order to be a good person.”
The purpose of the Law is to take the edge off their pride.
“You mean you never lie?
You never look at women as sexual objects?
You never inwardly smile when something bad happens to those you don’t like?
You love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength?”
Atheists joke about people not being able to keep the law without it being written down yet, even with the law in written form atheists aren’t able to obey it or acknowledge that what they’re doing is wrong. In fact, atheists can only consider themselves good in comparison to those who are worse.
The Gospel, on the other hand was given to those who recognise that without Jesus they are hopelessly and utterly lost.
My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves show that they have been born of God and that they experience a relationship with God.
The person who refuses to love shows that s/he doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love — so you can't know Him if you don't love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through Him. This is the kind of love we are talking about — not that we once upon a time loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God.
My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, it shows that God dwells deeply within us. It shows that His love is becoming complete in us — perfect love!
This is how we know we're living steadily and deeply in Him, and He in us: He's given us life from His life, from his very own Spirit. We find ourselves loving as He loves. Also, we've seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Saviour of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God's Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we've embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God.
God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we're free of worry on Judgment Day — our standing in the world is identical with Christ's. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life — fear of death, fear of judgment — is one not yet fully formed in love.
We, though, are going to love — love and be loved. First we were loved, now we are able to love. He loved us first. If anyone boasts, "I love God," and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, s/he is a liar. If you won't love the person you can see, how can you love the God you can't see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You've got to love both.
1 John 4:7-21
The person who refuses to love shows that s/he doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love — so you can't know Him if you don't love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through Him. This is the kind of love we are talking about — not that we once upon a time loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God.
My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, it shows that God dwells deeply within us. It shows that His love is becoming complete in us — perfect love!
This is how we know we're living steadily and deeply in Him, and He in us: He's given us life from His life, from his very own Spirit. We find ourselves loving as He loves. Also, we've seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Saviour of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God's Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we've embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God.
God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we're free of worry on Judgment Day — our standing in the world is identical with Christ's. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life — fear of death, fear of judgment — is one not yet fully formed in love.
We, though, are going to love — love and be loved. First we were loved, now we are able to love. He loved us first. If anyone boasts, "I love God," and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, s/he is a liar. If you won't love the person you can see, how can you love the God you can't see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You've got to love both.
1 John 4:7-21
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Atheism - That’s What I Thought
Hugo the atheist says, Give me evidence that Creator God exists. Oh, and by the way, there is no evidence that I would accept.
Why can’t you just admit that right at the start? Instead you throw out infantile statements like, “I don’t know what "before the Singularity" means."
Or you could say, “Evidence to me would be some event that happened, that we know happened because we can see it, and that we know couldn’t have been brought about by natural or material means.
You could say that. But you won’t say that because you know where that leads. And then you’d have to admit something that is really hard for an atheist because atheists are those people who tell themselves that they only believe what can be proven and that they always follow the evidence.
Both of which are patently false.
Because of your commitment to atheism, when faced with the metaphysical implications of following the evidence, when faced with the logical conclusion of following the evidence, you’d have to say, as you have on several occasions, “Well, I reject that.”
How very scientific of you.
Why can’t you just admit that right at the start? Instead you throw out infantile statements like, “I don’t know what "before the Singularity" means."
Or you could say, “Evidence to me would be some event that happened, that we know happened because we can see it, and that we know couldn’t have been brought about by natural or material means.
You could say that. But you won’t say that because you know where that leads. And then you’d have to admit something that is really hard for an atheist because atheists are those people who tell themselves that they only believe what can be proven and that they always follow the evidence.
Both of which are patently false.
Because of your commitment to atheism, when faced with the metaphysical implications of following the evidence, when faced with the logical conclusion of following the evidence, you’d have to say, as you have on several occasions, “Well, I reject that.”
How very scientific of you.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
“Why, I Don’t Know What You’re Talking About”
Hugo, like many if not most atheists, repeatedly asks for evidence that Creator God exists. Or atheists throw out the challenge, “Prove to me that your God exists,” or “If there was any evidence for the existence of your God, I’d believe in a heartbeat.”
Because that’s a flat out lie, I asked Hugo, “What evidence could I give you that would be acceptable to you for the existence of Creator God?”
He pretended that it was an impossible question to answer because he had no idea, he said, which god I was talking about, and besides, he said, any answer he gave would depend on who he was talking to. When I explained that since he was talking to me, a blogger he’s been talking to for at least two years, he should be able to guess that we’d be talking about Creator God of the Christian faith. Hugo then said he wouldn’t be able to answer the question because, “I would not be able to list the attributes of the God you personally believe in.”
Mm hmm. This from someone who said he was raised Roman Catholic.
Hugo also said he doesn’t know how I understand / describe / define the Singularity. Let me get that out of the road first - The universe did not begin, as Hugo suggests, from an “infinite density” of matter / energy, i.e. - a black hole. Since space itself did not exist until God brought the universe into being (Hugo says he doesn't know what "until" means), there was no place for the black hole to exist. As well, until God brought it into existence, there was nothing re: matter / energy, which could have preceded / formed the black hole. There was nothing upon which gravity could act, nor did the gravitational constant exist.
The universe was purposely brought into existence from literally nothing by an immaterial “Creator” that existed outside of and “prior to” (Hugo says he doesn’t know what that means either) space / time / matter / energy and the laws of physics that govern how matter / energy interact. The Singularity is the word that we use to describe this creation event, or expansion as some like to call it. Expansion, in this context, is somewhat of an understatement. At Planck Time every constant and quantity needed to govern our universe was in place. All the matter and energy required was brought into being at the Singularity. Space and Time began at the Singularity.
The type of Creator who purposely brought the material universe into being can be described by the following. Some of the characteristics can be discerned from what the Cause of a material universe must be like. Other characteristics have been given to us by the Creator Himself and by those who experience an intimate, healed and forgiven relationship with Him. Even Richard Dawkins has given us a list of descriptors of Creator God. These need to be taken with a grain of salt since his view of Creator God is similar to that of a career criminal describing a Peace Officer or a Judge and is not, in my opinion, accurate. So for Hugo’s benefit, these are the attributes or characteristics of the God for which he so sincerely wants evidence.
Eternal - Existed before time began and now exists in time but outside of time constraints
Necessary - Creator God had to exist or there would be nothing material in existence. Matter / energy / universe is not Necessary. There is no need for any universe to exist let alone a life-sustaining universe. Either matter is eternal - which you and I both know is impossible OR an immaterial / spiritual Cause of matter is eternal.
All Powerful - Creator of space, time, matter and the laws of science,
All Knowing - Created the constants and qualities by which our mathematically precise universe functions,
Omnipresent - Not limited by space or time,
Timeless and changeless - Not limited by time
Spirit - He exists outside of and prior to the creation of matter
Personal - The impersonal cannot create personality
Purposeful - He deliberately created the universe
Intelligent - Only intelligence can create intelligence
Caring - What He asks of us is for our benefit
Moral - His character makes possible objective morality by which we live
Merciful - At His own expense He made possible the forgiveness of our sins,
Slow to Anger - He has put up with us from the beginning of human kind,
Mind / Logos,
A friend to the poor,
Full of Grace,
Compassionate,
Patient - continues to bless those who hate Him,
Triune: Father, Son and Spirit,
Uncaused,
All-good,
Infinite,
Unique,
Lord of lords,
King of kings,
Creator,
Sustainer of the universe.
Independent of His creation,
Perfectly Holy,
Love,
Truth,
Righteous,
Sovereign,
Self-existent,
Elohim - The strong One, mighty Leader, supreme Deity.
Yahweh - Self-existent, Changeless, Provider, Present,
Adonai - Majestic, Master, Owner.
True God,
Transcendent,
Saviour,
Supreme Lord.
Perfectly Just
Perfect Love
Now, I think it was you Hugo who said that God must not have aspects of His character that are contradictory. You’re correct. God cannot contradict His own character. Some atheist will immediately say, “Oh really! Are there other things that God can’t do? I thought He was all powerful.”
Short of these kind of atheist absurdities, there are no contradictory attributes for Creator God. Nevertheless, atheists try and try and try ad nauseam.
Atheists ask, “Could God create a rock so heavy that He couldn’t lift it?” and they believe - they REALLY BELIEVE - that makes them sound clever. It’s kind of like when they ask, “Oh ya? Well when did eternal God begin to exist? Huh? Huh? Who created this eternal God of yours? Huh?” Again, these type of questions are asked with an air of, “I’m a Bright and you’re not!”
In their ignorance of all things theological, atheists have assumed that if God exists, and if He’s Omnipotent then He can do anything. Sorry, no. The Omnipotence of God does not imply that He can do anything.
The Omnipotence of God DOES mean that He can do anything that can be done.
Apart from the fact that God created the entire physical Universe out of nothing, even though He is Immaterial / Spirit and transcendent to the Universe, the questions that atheists ask in this regard are conceptual absurdities. Other examples of this type of question are,
“Can God create a round square?” Or,
“Can God create a four-sided triangle?”
No, He can’t - but not because He's isn't Omnipotent.
The reason that God cannot do these things is because,
“These kinds of things cannot be done - PERIOD!”
God IS infinite in power, but power only relates to what can be done, NOT to what is impossible! It is absurd to say that any power, even infinite power should be able to do what can’t be done. It should not surprise us when atheists ask these kind of questions because these kind of people adhere to a belief system that is itself absurd, illogical and incoherent.
While God can do whatever is possible to be done, in reality, He will do only what does not contradict His character.
What I meant when I said that God cannot contradict His own character is:
A Being who IS Love and who IS Just cannot act in a non loving or unjust manner.
A Being who is the epitome of honesty cannot lie.
God who is the very definition of Love, cannot create beings with the ability to express this type of real love without also giving them the freewill choice to NOT love. For real love comes from a conscious decision.
Atheists say this shows that God is not all powerful. They are, once again, wrong. With only a small amount of consideration, the average person can see that:
. There are many things that are possible, that you and I cannot do.
. There aren’t ANY things that are possible, that God CAN’T do.
That’s what being Omnipotent means.
Atheists will probably NEVER be able to grasp that concept.
They get insulted when I say that it’s because they’re dull of mind and slow of thought but what other reason is there? I suppose philosophically bigoted would fit.
The fact is, to say that God is lacking in power just because He cannot make a 90-year-old teenager is to imply that He COULD do so if He simply had more power.
Again, absurd.
Making a house that is larger on the inside than it is on the outside, or making an animal that is at the same time both white all over and black all over - to propose such things is to support logical contradictions and absurdities. Since these kinds of questions come from people who adhere to a belief system that is itself illogical, incoherent and absurd, this should not surprise.
Just as atheists hold conferences where they actually debate which holds the greater truth:
“We don’t believe in God” or
“We’re non believers in God,”
these people sit around imagining logical absurdities that cannot be accomplished AND THEN, based on the conclusion they reach, atheists say that God does not possess infinite power or that God does not exist.
Omnipotence does not mean that there are no limits to what an omnipotent Being can do. There are several things that God cannot do, the most important of which affects atheists in a dramatic eternal manner.
God cannot be tempted by evil.
God cannot show partiality or favouritism
God cannot allow into heaven the individual who will not repent of h/ her sin.
. It is profoundly important to understand that you may live in such a manner that even Creator God cannot save your soul.
. It is profoundly important that you not put yourself in a position from which even Creator God cannot rescue you.
There are some things even God can’t change
Heaven or Hell - The Choice Is Yours To Make
“I take no delight in the death of the wicked. So turn from your sin and live.”
While I’m sure there are more descriptions than this, it’s time to ask, What do atheists mean when they say we can’t describe the God in which we believe? What do atheists mean when they ask, "Well which god(s) are we talking about when you say god created the universe?"?
The fact is, out of all the religions of the world, this God, the Christian God, the God that was just described best describes the Creator of the Universe - The universe itself being the largest and most obvious piece of evidence we have for the existence of a Creator.
Creator God IS the Greatest Conceivable Being.
Of course Hugo and any other atheist will just come up with a different kind of excuse. Not one of them has the integrity to say to us and to themselves, “I don’t care what evidence there is for a Creator God. I’m committed to atheism and that’s all there is to it.”
So Hugo, since you are always telling me to provide evidence for the existence of the God that I believe in, what evidence could I give you that would be acceptable to you for the existence of Creator God?
Because that’s a flat out lie, I asked Hugo, “What evidence could I give you that would be acceptable to you for the existence of Creator God?”
He pretended that it was an impossible question to answer because he had no idea, he said, which god I was talking about, and besides, he said, any answer he gave would depend on who he was talking to. When I explained that since he was talking to me, a blogger he’s been talking to for at least two years, he should be able to guess that we’d be talking about Creator God of the Christian faith. Hugo then said he wouldn’t be able to answer the question because, “I would not be able to list the attributes of the God you personally believe in.”
Mm hmm. This from someone who said he was raised Roman Catholic.
Hugo also said he doesn’t know how I understand / describe / define the Singularity. Let me get that out of the road first - The universe did not begin, as Hugo suggests, from an “infinite density” of matter / energy, i.e. - a black hole. Since space itself did not exist until God brought the universe into being (Hugo says he doesn't know what "until" means), there was no place for the black hole to exist. As well, until God brought it into existence, there was nothing re: matter / energy, which could have preceded / formed the black hole. There was nothing upon which gravity could act, nor did the gravitational constant exist.
The universe was purposely brought into existence from literally nothing by an immaterial “Creator” that existed outside of and “prior to” (Hugo says he doesn’t know what that means either) space / time / matter / energy and the laws of physics that govern how matter / energy interact. The Singularity is the word that we use to describe this creation event, or expansion as some like to call it. Expansion, in this context, is somewhat of an understatement. At Planck Time every constant and quantity needed to govern our universe was in place. All the matter and energy required was brought into being at the Singularity. Space and Time began at the Singularity.
The type of Creator who purposely brought the material universe into being can be described by the following. Some of the characteristics can be discerned from what the Cause of a material universe must be like. Other characteristics have been given to us by the Creator Himself and by those who experience an intimate, healed and forgiven relationship with Him. Even Richard Dawkins has given us a list of descriptors of Creator God. These need to be taken with a grain of salt since his view of Creator God is similar to that of a career criminal describing a Peace Officer or a Judge and is not, in my opinion, accurate. So for Hugo’s benefit, these are the attributes or characteristics of the God for which he so sincerely wants evidence.
Eternal - Existed before time began and now exists in time but outside of time constraints
Necessary - Creator God had to exist or there would be nothing material in existence. Matter / energy / universe is not Necessary. There is no need for any universe to exist let alone a life-sustaining universe. Either matter is eternal - which you and I both know is impossible OR an immaterial / spiritual Cause of matter is eternal.
All Powerful - Creator of space, time, matter and the laws of science,
All Knowing - Created the constants and qualities by which our mathematically precise universe functions,
Omnipresent - Not limited by space or time,
Timeless and changeless - Not limited by time
Spirit - He exists outside of and prior to the creation of matter
Personal - The impersonal cannot create personality
Purposeful - He deliberately created the universe
Intelligent - Only intelligence can create intelligence
Caring - What He asks of us is for our benefit
Moral - His character makes possible objective morality by which we live
Merciful - At His own expense He made possible the forgiveness of our sins,
Slow to Anger - He has put up with us from the beginning of human kind,
Mind / Logos,
A friend to the poor,
Full of Grace,
Compassionate,
Patient - continues to bless those who hate Him,
Triune: Father, Son and Spirit,
Uncaused,
All-good,
Infinite,
Unique,
Lord of lords,
King of kings,
Creator,
Sustainer of the universe.
Independent of His creation,
Perfectly Holy,
Love,
Truth,
Righteous,
Sovereign,
Self-existent,
Elohim - The strong One, mighty Leader, supreme Deity.
Yahweh - Self-existent, Changeless, Provider, Present,
Adonai - Majestic, Master, Owner.
True God,
Transcendent,
Saviour,
Supreme Lord.
Perfectly Just
Perfect Love
Now, I think it was you Hugo who said that God must not have aspects of His character that are contradictory. You’re correct. God cannot contradict His own character. Some atheist will immediately say, “Oh really! Are there other things that God can’t do? I thought He was all powerful.”
Short of these kind of atheist absurdities, there are no contradictory attributes for Creator God. Nevertheless, atheists try and try and try ad nauseam.
Atheists ask, “Could God create a rock so heavy that He couldn’t lift it?” and they believe - they REALLY BELIEVE - that makes them sound clever. It’s kind of like when they ask, “Oh ya? Well when did eternal God begin to exist? Huh? Huh? Who created this eternal God of yours? Huh?” Again, these type of questions are asked with an air of, “I’m a Bright and you’re not!”
In their ignorance of all things theological, atheists have assumed that if God exists, and if He’s Omnipotent then He can do anything. Sorry, no. The Omnipotence of God does not imply that He can do anything.
The Omnipotence of God DOES mean that He can do anything that can be done.
Apart from the fact that God created the entire physical Universe out of nothing, even though He is Immaterial / Spirit and transcendent to the Universe, the questions that atheists ask in this regard are conceptual absurdities. Other examples of this type of question are,
“Can God create a round square?” Or,
“Can God create a four-sided triangle?”
No, He can’t - but not because He's isn't Omnipotent.
The reason that God cannot do these things is because,
“These kinds of things cannot be done - PERIOD!”
God IS infinite in power, but power only relates to what can be done, NOT to what is impossible! It is absurd to say that any power, even infinite power should be able to do what can’t be done. It should not surprise us when atheists ask these kind of questions because these kind of people adhere to a belief system that is itself absurd, illogical and incoherent.
While God can do whatever is possible to be done, in reality, He will do only what does not contradict His character.
What I meant when I said that God cannot contradict His own character is:
A Being who IS Love and who IS Just cannot act in a non loving or unjust manner.
A Being who is the epitome of honesty cannot lie.
God who is the very definition of Love, cannot create beings with the ability to express this type of real love without also giving them the freewill choice to NOT love. For real love comes from a conscious decision.
Atheists say this shows that God is not all powerful. They are, once again, wrong. With only a small amount of consideration, the average person can see that:
. There are many things that are possible, that you and I cannot do.
. There aren’t ANY things that are possible, that God CAN’T do.
That’s what being Omnipotent means.
Atheists will probably NEVER be able to grasp that concept.
They get insulted when I say that it’s because they’re dull of mind and slow of thought but what other reason is there? I suppose philosophically bigoted would fit.
The fact is, to say that God is lacking in power just because He cannot make a 90-year-old teenager is to imply that He COULD do so if He simply had more power.
Again, absurd.
Making a house that is larger on the inside than it is on the outside, or making an animal that is at the same time both white all over and black all over - to propose such things is to support logical contradictions and absurdities. Since these kinds of questions come from people who adhere to a belief system that is itself illogical, incoherent and absurd, this should not surprise.
Just as atheists hold conferences where they actually debate which holds the greater truth:
“We don’t believe in God” or
“We’re non believers in God,”
these people sit around imagining logical absurdities that cannot be accomplished AND THEN, based on the conclusion they reach, atheists say that God does not possess infinite power or that God does not exist.
Omnipotence does not mean that there are no limits to what an omnipotent Being can do. There are several things that God cannot do, the most important of which affects atheists in a dramatic eternal manner.
God cannot be tempted by evil.
God cannot show partiality or favouritism
God cannot allow into heaven the individual who will not repent of h/ her sin.
. It is profoundly important to understand that you may live in such a manner that even Creator God cannot save your soul.
. It is profoundly important that you not put yourself in a position from which even Creator God cannot rescue you.
There are some things even God can’t change
Heaven or Hell - The Choice Is Yours To Make
“I take no delight in the death of the wicked. So turn from your sin and live.”
While I’m sure there are more descriptions than this, it’s time to ask, What do atheists mean when they say we can’t describe the God in which we believe? What do atheists mean when they ask, "Well which god(s) are we talking about when you say god created the universe?"?
The fact is, out of all the religions of the world, this God, the Christian God, the God that was just described best describes the Creator of the Universe - The universe itself being the largest and most obvious piece of evidence we have for the existence of a Creator.
Creator God IS the Greatest Conceivable Being.
Of course Hugo and any other atheist will just come up with a different kind of excuse. Not one of them has the integrity to say to us and to themselves, “I don’t care what evidence there is for a Creator God. I’m committed to atheism and that’s all there is to it.”
So Hugo, since you are always telling me to provide evidence for the existence of the God that I believe in, what evidence could I give you that would be acceptable to you for the existence of Creator God?
So You Want To Work With Christians?
It just doesn’t seem right for a Christian to look for ways to not love brothers and sisters in Christ; to reject direct commands from God Himself to love others.
People come to me and ask what I would do, or what they should do with a difficult person in their lives, often a family member.
I tell clients, “If it was me I know that God would remind me of 1st Corinthians 13.
“Love does not keep a record of wrongs.
Love is patient with others.
Love forgives.”
God is forever reminding me of these. I’m sure I’m not the only one.”
They look at me for a bit and then return to reading from the record of wrongs that they'd written down and seem prepared to not forgive.
=====
I tell clients, “It cannot be right for a Christian to think, ‘I can’t treat you with love until you become a different sort of person.’
They look at me for a few seconds and then go right on hating that person.”
=====
I tell clients, “When you hear yourself saying, “I tried being kind and loving but s/he’s still the same,” you really weren’t being kind nor were you interested in expressing love. You were manipulating.”
I might get, “Oh good insight,” but they are really thinking of someone else who they think should hear that message.
=====
I tell clients, “I’ve had to learn to not hold anyone else to a higher standard of performance than I hold for myself.”
Is that too abstract? ‘Cause I gotta tell you, they don’t get the hint.
=====
I tell clients, “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), in your relationship with others.”
Nothin!
No impact.
Same behaviours of anger, and bitterness and judging and unforgiveness.
=====
I ask clients, “What’s the point of our existence on earth? And what does God do to help us bring this about?” I explain that the answer to the first question is found in Romans 8:28,29. “For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son. . .” We’re here to become like Jesus and Jesus did not hate His enemies. He forgave those who were hating Him. He prayed for those who hurt Him - more than that, with an overflowing love He forgave those who tortured Him to death.
Don’t you long to have that kind of inner strength?”
What I get is, "No not really."
In answer to the second question I explain to clients, “God brings / allows difficult people and events to come into our lives that raise to the surface the most disgusting / immature aspects of our characters. Our fears / insecurities, our irritability / anger / rage and bitterness, our dependencies / addictions, our selfishness and corrupt self-love and unwillingness to forgive. God puts us into impossible situations so that we are forced to call out to Him for help. Sorrow, loss, tragedy, pain and so on are not wasted during our time on earth. They are not useless byproducts of living in a fallen world. All these things are used by God to change us. We never “arrive” so to speak. As Christians we are always beginning again. We can always have less anger, less judgmentalism, more love, more grace, more mercy.”
I plead with clients, “Please ask God to highlight areas of needed change that YOU need to make.”
It’s hopeless. Unless God builds the house our labours are in vain.
=====
I describe to people the freedom to be found in allowing people to be who they are - liars, cheats, scoundrels - you name it - and to love them anyway.
So determined are they to continue fighting that none of this sinks in.
Why is that?
Here’s my answer.
I’m talking to baby Christians:
. There is no way that you can obey God in the big things if you haven’t been obeying Him in the small things.
. You can’t honour God in the big things if you haven’t been honouring Him in the small things.
. You can’t submit to God in the big things if you haven’t been submitting to Him in the small things.
Just like you’ll never lift 80 kgs if you’ve never learned to lift 50, 60, and 70 kgs, you’ll never be able to follow Jesus in the areas that hurt the most if you’ve never learned to follow Him in the areas that hurt just a little.
People come to me and ask what I would do, or what they should do with a difficult person in their lives, often a family member.
I tell clients, “If it was me I know that God would remind me of 1st Corinthians 13.
“Love does not keep a record of wrongs.
Love is patient with others.
Love forgives.”
God is forever reminding me of these. I’m sure I’m not the only one.”
They look at me for a bit and then return to reading from the record of wrongs that they'd written down and seem prepared to not forgive.
=====
I tell clients, “It cannot be right for a Christian to think, ‘I can’t treat you with love until you become a different sort of person.’
They look at me for a few seconds and then go right on hating that person.”
=====
I tell clients, “When you hear yourself saying, “I tried being kind and loving but s/he’s still the same,” you really weren’t being kind nor were you interested in expressing love. You were manipulating.”
I might get, “Oh good insight,” but they are really thinking of someone else who they think should hear that message.
=====
I tell clients, “I’ve had to learn to not hold anyone else to a higher standard of performance than I hold for myself.”
Is that too abstract? ‘Cause I gotta tell you, they don’t get the hint.
=====
I tell clients, “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), in your relationship with others.”
Nothin!
No impact.
Same behaviours of anger, and bitterness and judging and unforgiveness.
=====
I ask clients, “What’s the point of our existence on earth? And what does God do to help us bring this about?” I explain that the answer to the first question is found in Romans 8:28,29. “For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son. . .” We’re here to become like Jesus and Jesus did not hate His enemies. He forgave those who were hating Him. He prayed for those who hurt Him - more than that, with an overflowing love He forgave those who tortured Him to death.
Don’t you long to have that kind of inner strength?”
What I get is, "No not really."
In answer to the second question I explain to clients, “God brings / allows difficult people and events to come into our lives that raise to the surface the most disgusting / immature aspects of our characters. Our fears / insecurities, our irritability / anger / rage and bitterness, our dependencies / addictions, our selfishness and corrupt self-love and unwillingness to forgive. God puts us into impossible situations so that we are forced to call out to Him for help. Sorrow, loss, tragedy, pain and so on are not wasted during our time on earth. They are not useless byproducts of living in a fallen world. All these things are used by God to change us. We never “arrive” so to speak. As Christians we are always beginning again. We can always have less anger, less judgmentalism, more love, more grace, more mercy.”
I plead with clients, “Please ask God to highlight areas of needed change that YOU need to make.”
It’s hopeless. Unless God builds the house our labours are in vain.
=====
I describe to people the freedom to be found in allowing people to be who they are - liars, cheats, scoundrels - you name it - and to love them anyway.
So determined are they to continue fighting that none of this sinks in.
Why is that?
Here’s my answer.
I’m talking to baby Christians:
. There is no way that you can obey God in the big things if you haven’t been obeying Him in the small things.
. You can’t honour God in the big things if you haven’t been honouring Him in the small things.
. You can’t submit to God in the big things if you haven’t been submitting to Him in the small things.
Just like you’ll never lift 80 kgs if you’ve never learned to lift 50, 60, and 70 kgs, you’ll never be able to follow Jesus in the areas that hurt the most if you’ve never learned to follow Him in the areas that hurt just a little.
“I’m just a nobody who wants to tell everybody about Somebody who is willing to save anybody.”
An old homeless man named Denver
Jesus doesn’t care who you are or who you’ve been or what you’ve done.
Jesus came to earth to save sinners and you don’t have to clean up your act one bit to receive His forgiveness.
All that’s needed is the humility to agree with God about the situation:
. We’re in deep trouble because of our sin
. There is nothing that we can do to fix the problem
. Jesus has provided the means to remedy the situation
. All we have to do is trust and obey.
An old homeless man named Denver
Jesus doesn’t care who you are or who you’ve been or what you’ve done.
Jesus came to earth to save sinners and you don’t have to clean up your act one bit to receive His forgiveness.
All that’s needed is the humility to agree with God about the situation:
. We’re in deep trouble because of our sin
. There is nothing that we can do to fix the problem
. Jesus has provided the means to remedy the situation
. All we have to do is trust and obey.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
An atheist says, "I Need Evidence"
I’d asked Hugo, “Is there any evidence that I could give you that would be acceptable to you as credible evidence for the existence of Creator God?”
Because he has no intention of answering that question honestly - i.e. “No,” he instead obfuscates with atheist-speak,
“I don’t know how you describe Creator God,” and
“We can’t talk about the singularity because (insert any dumb comment that is typical for atheists)."
Because it is God who makes Himself known to those of His choosing, any single point of evidence is enough to make the other pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place. That’s what happens for those to whom He’s revealed Himself.
On the other hand, to those who are on their way to hell, evidence or logical descriptions of God amounting to a trillion times what they have available to them will not be enough to convince them of the existence of God. Unless God opens their eyes to see, and unstops their ears so they can hear, the presentation of evidence and endless descriptions of Creator God will be a waste of time. 1st Corinthians 2:14
That’s why Jesus said to the man in hell, who begged Jesus to go and warn this man’s brothers of the reality of hell, “You and your brothers had the Bible telling of My existence. If they don’t believe the Bible, even when I rise from the dead it won’t be enough to convince them.”
Jesus is saying that the amount of evidence isn’t the problem. The problem is the state of one’s soul. God has given us just enough evidence of His existence so that those who are being called to salvation will find Him. And, He has given just enough evidence of His existence that those who are on their way to eternal damnation will not find Him accidentally.
Nevertheless, it is a presentation of evidence and the presentation of the Gospel message that God uses to awaken those who are destined to humble themselves and seek forgiveness for their sins. To that end, and not knowing who is listening in, I must continue to present the good news of Jesus’ offer of salvation.
Jesus came to earth to save sinners.
He did that for you.
Because he has no intention of answering that question honestly - i.e. “No,” he instead obfuscates with atheist-speak,
“I don’t know how you describe Creator God,” and
“We can’t talk about the singularity because (insert any dumb comment that is typical for atheists)."
Because it is God who makes Himself known to those of His choosing, any single point of evidence is enough to make the other pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place. That’s what happens for those to whom He’s revealed Himself.
On the other hand, to those who are on their way to hell, evidence or logical descriptions of God amounting to a trillion times what they have available to them will not be enough to convince them of the existence of God. Unless God opens their eyes to see, and unstops their ears so they can hear, the presentation of evidence and endless descriptions of Creator God will be a waste of time. 1st Corinthians 2:14
That’s why Jesus said to the man in hell, who begged Jesus to go and warn this man’s brothers of the reality of hell, “You and your brothers had the Bible telling of My existence. If they don’t believe the Bible, even when I rise from the dead it won’t be enough to convince them.”
Jesus is saying that the amount of evidence isn’t the problem. The problem is the state of one’s soul. God has given us just enough evidence of His existence so that those who are being called to salvation will find Him. And, He has given just enough evidence of His existence that those who are on their way to eternal damnation will not find Him accidentally.
Nevertheless, it is a presentation of evidence and the presentation of the Gospel message that God uses to awaken those who are destined to humble themselves and seek forgiveness for their sins. To that end, and not knowing who is listening in, I must continue to present the good news of Jesus’ offer of salvation.
Jesus came to earth to save sinners.
He did that for you.
Bad Timing x 10
Turn to Numbers chapter 25. The Israelites have just been taken to task for picking up Moabite women. Screwing around with these women had been combined with worshipping their idols and if you know anything about Creator God and what He thinks about worshipping idols, well, to say that He was ticked off would be an understatement.
Now, in reality, this was no small thing. Even most 21st century atheist relativists would draw the line at people sacrificing their children as live burn offerings to Baal of Peor. That’s what these “people of God” had begun to do. It’s not like these Moabite women were going to be giving it up for nothing. The men had to pay something, and pay they did. The Israelite men’s thinking went something like, “Hey, everybody else is doing it. How bad can it be? And besides, she’s helping me become a very spiritual person.”
The situation was not good and to get their attention, God had sent a plague of some kind that was working it’s way through the Israelite camps.
“So Moses said to Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death those of your men who have joined in worshipping the Baal of Peor.” vs 6.
The people were at the meeting tent when this was announced. They were weeping with sorrow over how far off track they had wondered yet again. They’re repenting of their grievous sins, and in walks an Israelite guy with this Moab women that he’d just picked up. These two were on the way to his tent for a nooner and as he’s walking by this crowd of people he said, “Ehhh folks, whazup?” He didn’t stick around to hear the answer because, well, you know. He had other things on his mind
Bad timing!
So this guy was in his tent with this woman and they’re humping away so intently that they didn’t even hear Phinehas, the son of Eleasar who was the son of Aaron who was the priest as he entered their tent. And this guy Phinehas was jacked up something fierce. So angry was this dude that he drove his spear hard enough to go through the Israelite guy and right into the woman who was underneath him. (everybody used the missionary position back then).
Both of them were killed and the plague stopped.
Talk about bad timing!
The next time you’re on your way to have some illicit sex and you see a crowd of sorrowful people? Stop and find out if it has anything to do with you.
Now, in reality, this was no small thing. Even most 21st century atheist relativists would draw the line at people sacrificing their children as live burn offerings to Baal of Peor. That’s what these “people of God” had begun to do. It’s not like these Moabite women were going to be giving it up for nothing. The men had to pay something, and pay they did. The Israelite men’s thinking went something like, “Hey, everybody else is doing it. How bad can it be? And besides, she’s helping me become a very spiritual person.”
The situation was not good and to get their attention, God had sent a plague of some kind that was working it’s way through the Israelite camps.
“So Moses said to Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death those of your men who have joined in worshipping the Baal of Peor.” vs 6.
The people were at the meeting tent when this was announced. They were weeping with sorrow over how far off track they had wondered yet again. They’re repenting of their grievous sins, and in walks an Israelite guy with this Moab women that he’d just picked up. These two were on the way to his tent for a nooner and as he’s walking by this crowd of people he said, “Ehhh folks, whazup?” He didn’t stick around to hear the answer because, well, you know. He had other things on his mind
Bad timing!
So this guy was in his tent with this woman and they’re humping away so intently that they didn’t even hear Phinehas, the son of Eleasar who was the son of Aaron who was the priest as he entered their tent. And this guy Phinehas was jacked up something fierce. So angry was this dude that he drove his spear hard enough to go through the Israelite guy and right into the woman who was underneath him. (everybody used the missionary position back then).
Both of them were killed and the plague stopped.
Talk about bad timing!
The next time you’re on your way to have some illicit sex and you see a crowd of sorrowful people? Stop and find out if it has anything to do with you.
Jesus and Suffering
This is the kind of life you've been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step.
He never did one thing wrong,
Not once said anything amiss.
They called Him every name in the book and He said nothing back. He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right. He used His servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became your healing. You were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going. Now you're named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your souls.
1 Peter 2:21-25
He never did one thing wrong,
Not once said anything amiss.
They called Him every name in the book and He said nothing back. He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right. He used His servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became your healing. You were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going. Now you're named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your souls.
1 Peter 2:21-25
Monday, May 2, 2011
Assange Missed His Chance
A friend said that the U.S. didn’t share any intelligence with Pakistan about their suspicions that Bin Laden was hiding in a Pakistani city. First of all, Pakistan knew exactly where Bin Laden was hiding ("Get rid of the drone bases and we'll give you Bin Laden) and second, if the U.S. had informed anyone that they were about to enter Pakistan to kill Bin Laden, Julian Assange would have told the world.
“So now Israel, what do you think God expects from you? Just this: Live in his presence in holy reverence, follow the road he sets out for you, love him, serve God, your God, with everything you have in you, obey the commandments and regulations of God that I'm commanding you today—live a good life. Look around you: Everything you see is God's—the heavens above and beyond, the Earth, and everything on it. But it was your ancestors who God fell in love with; he picked their children—that's you!—out of all the other peoples. That's where we are right now. So cut away the thick calluses from your heart and stop being so willfully hardheaded. God, your God, is the God of all gods, he's the Master of all masters, a God immense and powerful and awesome. He doesn't play favourites, takes no bribes, makes sure orphans and widows are treated fairly, takes loving care of foreigners by seeing that they get food and clothing.
You must treat foreigners with the same loving care—
remember, you were once foreigners in Egypt.
Reverently respect God, your God, serve him, hold tight to him,
back up your promises with the authority of his name.
He's your praise! He's your God!
He did all these tremendous, these staggering things
that you saw with your own eyes.”
Deuteronomy 10:12-21
You must treat foreigners with the same loving care—
remember, you were once foreigners in Egypt.
Reverently respect God, your God, serve him, hold tight to him,
back up your promises with the authority of his name.
He's your praise! He's your God!
He did all these tremendous, these staggering things
that you saw with your own eyes.”
Deuteronomy 10:12-21
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