Saturday, November 14, 2009

Creation According to the History Channel

The Big Bang

I just finished watching an episode of “The Universe” on the History Channel. I understand that the people who create these shows are surely people who discount the Bible. They consider my faith in that Book hilarity and can’t comprehend why I would believe such an outlandish idea as Creation. According to them, Genesis 1 is a fairytale that should be relegated to the dust pile of history. They mock my beliefs. I’m keeled over laughing at theirs.

I apologize in advance for the length of this post. I just wanted to show you the idiocy of modern “science.” The pictures are ones that I took of my TV while watching the show. Sorry for the flash reflected on some of them. I’ll put their corresponding statements in quotes. They may not be word for word, but they are very close. I’ll give my thoughts along the way. Get ready for the ride of your life…

IMG_4638 First of all, this show should be rated “R.” Sorry, had to throw that one in there. Here’s what they had to say: “A billionth of a second after big bang, a bubble much smaller than a fraction of an atom forms.” What they’re asking you to believe is that all the material that makes up the universe today is contained inside a bubble much smaller than a fraction of an atom. No problem.

IMG_4639“This is the universe. It is unimaginably small and unimaginably hot.” Yet, somehow, they’ve imagined it. (Romans 1:21)

IMG_4640 “The forces of nature (gravity, electromagnetism, strong and weak nuclear forces) combine to create a super force. Gravity splits off as the universe expands. As the universe expands, it cools, which somehow sets off a burst of energy that fuels hyper-inflation.” Somehow?

“This inflation locks in the uniformity of the universe.” See, you have to understand that the even temperatures of the universe could not be explained otherwise. Of course, the Creation account in the Bible would explain this uniformity, but that would be ludicrous.

IMG_4641“The universe is still less than a second old when the super force decays into the four separate forces of nature.”

IMG_4642 “Less than 3 minutes after the big bang, the temperature of the universe has dropped to a mere 1 billion degrees Fahrenheit…cool enough for atomic nuclei to form.” (Hydrogen and Helium)

IMG_4643 I love this one! “380,000 years later…light travels through the universe. The burst of radiation that Penzias and Wilson found happens now.”

IMG_4644“1 billion years after Big Bang, stars take shape, producing heavier elements like Nitrogen, Oxygen and Carbon as Hoyle had predicted.”

IMG_4645

“Roughly 9 billion years later, matter and gravity combine to create a perfectly typical star. A circumstellar disc of dust remains that eventually accrete into an entourage of planets and moons.”

IMG_4646 “One of these lumps of star dust has temperatures warm enough to allow water to form in the atmosphere. Liquid water gathers on the surface. Underwater, mysterious chemical reactions ultimately form life.” Mysterious?

IMG_4647 “13.7 billion years after the Big Bang our universe is now 156 billion light years across.” Keep in mind that nothing travels faster than light. How did the universe spread 78 billion light years in every direction in only 13.7 billion years? I don’t know, but that’s why they had to come up with “hyper-inflation” that was mentioned earlier.

“The third planet from the sun is covered in carbon based life forms. Some are discovering what infinitely small specks they are in the grand scheme of things.”

I didn’t really need the History Channel to tell me that I’m an infinitely small speck in the grand scheme of things. God told me that. I don’t know about you, but I think I’ll stick with an idea that takes a little less faith. Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth…”

Friday, October 16, 2009

I Love Being an American!








The USS New York - 7.5 tons of steel from the World Trade Center towers were used in the construction of this brand new warship.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Jesus - The New Testament

Matthew 26:38, "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."
Jesus is the New Testament insomuch that He is the fulfillment of the Old.  He fulfilled the Law when we never could.  He was sinless when we were sinful.  He paid the penalty of death for sin so we wouldn't have to.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Do You Mockingly Crown Jesus?

John 19 is arguably the most sobering chapter in all of the Bible. A couple months ago, I read this chapter to the church while leading the Lord's Table. This portion of Scripture is a powerful reminder of God's love and judgment. I've been reading the book of John for my personal devotions that last several weeks. The Lord challenged me with a new thought as I read chapter 19 again the other day.

Verses 2 and 5 describe the items Christ's antagonizers put on Him. The first item was the crown of thorns. The other was the purple robe. Both of these items were specifically designed to mock His "kingship." As I read those verses, I got to thinking: Do we mockingly crown Jesus Christ?

I believe this is something that lost and saved people are capable of. Lost people do it more overtly. Saved people who aren't walking in the Spirit do it more subtly. Lost people openly blaspheme the name of Jesus. Carnal Christians say that Jesus is Lord, but don't truly live like it.

As I read the first part of John 19 a few times over, I began to see some distinct characteristics of one who mockingly crowns Jesus Christ.

People who mockingly crown Jesus...
  • cause Him pain. (vs. 1)
  • worship falsely and cheaply. (vs. 2)
  • think less of Him than He really is. (vs. 5)
  • are Pharisaical. (vs. 6-7)
  • lack real faith and confidence. (vs. 8-9)
  • think they're in charge. (vs. 10)
If one or more of these characteristics describes you, you might need to take inventory as to whether or not Jesus is truly the Lord of your life.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Social Networking

Social Networking Icons

Cary Schmidt is one of the assistant pastors at Lancaster Baptist Church.  He is a tremendously spiritual and wise man.  He has special wisdom when it comes to modern issues and technology.  He has a great philosophy about life and ministry.  He has written a couple of articles on his blog about social networking I think every blogging, facebooking, tweeting, RSS reading Christian needs to read. 

You can find them here and here

I agree wholeheartedly with a statement he made in the second post: “You might say these reasons apply to everything we do online—whether a blog, a website, or a twitter feed.”

I am still debating whether or not to jump in the Twitter bandwagon.  I might do it to publish a verse I read that day or a praise or prayer request.  Simply telling people what I’m doing sounds ridiculous.  I’ll let you know if I start tweeting.  By the time I do, that fad will be over.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Immature Christians

Devil Baby

“Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”

- 1 Peter 2:1-3

Peter is addressing Christians in his epistles to the “strangers scattered” (1 Peter 1:1) throughout Asia Minor.  It would be easy to think that he is referring to unsaved people when listing the characteristics found in 1 Peter 2:1.  He’s actually talking about attributes that can belong to immature Christians.  He calls them “newborn babes” in vs. 2.

He lists five characteristics:

Malice – evil or wickedness

Guile – deceit or subtlety

Hypocrisies – acting a feigned part

Envies – jealousy

Evil Speakings – defamation or backbiting

Now, read the following five passages of Scripture:

Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”  (Wickedness)

John 8:44, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”  (Deceit)

2 Corinthians 11:14, “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”  (Acting a feigned part)

Isaiah 14:14, “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”  (Jealousy)

Revelation 12:10, “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.”  (Defamation)

These five passages are speaking of the devil and the characteristics they describe match exactly the characteristics Peter attributes to immature Christians.

Immature Christians can act just like the devil!

God wants us to grow and our churches need us to grow.

Friday, July 17, 2009

You Are Not Alone

Worn Road

I’ve been teaching a series through Psalm 25 in my adult Bible class the last several weeks.  The theme of the lesson is taken from verse 1 where David says, “Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.”  The main point of the series is that it is vital for victorious Christian living to offer our lives to God on a daily basis.  We’ve been looking at the rest of the Psalm to learn some of the results of lifting up our soul to God.

The result I taught on last week is found in vs. 4-5 where David writes, “Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.  Lead me in thy truth, and teach me…”  The result of offering our life to God I see in these verses is a desire for God’s will.  David was a man who sincerely desired to fulfill God’s plan for his life.  Like the rest of us, he faltered from time to time, but it was a true desire of his heart nonetheless.

A study of some of the key words in this passage offered some very encouraging thoughts.  The Hebrew word for the word “ways” in vs. 4 is derek.  It literally means a road.  It figuratively means a course of life.  Of all the roads this life has to offer, the desire of the Christian ought to be to get and stay on the road God has for them.  There is a path God wants us to travel in this life and we should desire to walk it.

The Hebrew word for “paths” in vs. 4 is orach which means a well trodden road or caravan.  It caught my attention that David used two different English words in this verse that, on the surface, appear to have virtually the same meaning.  A quick look at the Hebrew definitions reveal the difference.  Every time a Christian takes the first step down the road God wants them to walk in this life, it is a giant step of faith.  The encouraging truth I see in this verse is that when you start down that road, you will quickly find that you are not alone.  The path of God’s will is a path that many have been on in the past and many are on now.  It’s a well trodden road.  You’re part of a caravan on that road.

There are certainly times when surrendering to God’s will is a nerve racking thing.  Just encourage yourself with the thought that when you step on that road, you’ll be marching along side an army of people striving to serve God themselves.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

T U "L" I P

Calvinists and "Five-Pointers" who believe in God's arbitrary election regarding those who could possibly be saved are big on His Sovereignty. They don't want to limit God in any way...except for the saving power of the shed blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.

If there was one area I wouldn't limit God, that would be it.

1 John 2:2, "And he is the propitation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."


Friday, June 26, 2009

The Constitution

Feather Pen

Article XIV Section 3(3): “At the option expressed in writing by the parents and guardians, religion shall be allowed to be taught to their children in public elementary and high schools within regular class hours by instructors designated or approved by religious authorization…”

 

 

That excerpt is found in the Philippine Constitution.  Why is there nothing like that in ours?

Friday, June 19, 2009

I Think This is Funny...

I like golf and I love basketball. This is a funny video.