Elder’s Corner: Mourning With Those Who Mourn

I found the following devotional that I would like to share with you. From https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2015/11/mourning-with-those-who-mourn-looking-for-answers-to-the-terror-in-paris/)

—Enrique

“Lately we mourn and pray for our brothers and sisters in France—for those who lost loved ones in the recent terror attacks, and for the millions of French citizens who must now try to process this brutality.

One of the oldest and toughest challenges for Christians is finding a way to understand the existence of terrible evil in a world that is ruled by a loving, all-powerful God. It’s not an easy question to answer—if it were, we wouldn’t be struggling with it thousands of years after Christ—but the Bible does offer hope in the face of violence and evil.

There are many Bible passages that talk about evil and suffering; one of the best-known is Romans 8, which reads in part: “The sufferings we have now are nothing compared to the great glory that will be shown to us. Everything God made is waiting with excitement for God to show his children’s glory completely. Everything God made was changed to become useless, not by its own wish but because God wanted it and because all along there was this hope: that everything God made would be set free from ruin to have the freedom and glory that belong to God’s children.

We know that everything God made has been waiting until now in pain, like a woman ready to give birth. Not only the world, but we also have been waiting with pain inside us. We have the Spirit as the first part of God’s promise. So we are waiting for God to finish making us his own children, which means our bodies will be made free. We were saved, and we have this hope. If we see what we are waiting for, that is not really hope. People do not hope for something they already have. But we are hoping for something we do not have yet, and we are waiting for it patiently” (Rom. 8:18-25).

We invite you to spend some time in prayer for our brothers and sisters in France. May God comfort the survivors, may He grant safety to police and rescue workers, and may the church of Jesus Christ be a beacon of hope for those overwhelmed by sorrow.”

Man, The Image of God #5: What in the World Am I Here for (Part 1)?

“Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made” (Isa. 43:7 NASB).

Your life has great meaning and purpose! Some will claim that you can discover your life’s meaning by looking within yourself. However, as Rick Warren said, “you didn’t create yourself, so there is no way you can tell yourself what you were created for! If I handed you an invention you had never seen before, you wouldn’t know its purpose, and the invention itself wouldn’t be able to tell you either. Only the creator or the owner’s manual could reveal its purpose” (Purpose Driven Life, p. 18). Even renown atheist Bertrand Russell admits, “Unless you assume a God, the question of life’s purpose is meaningless.”

Meaning comes from the God who created all things, the Lord Jesus Christ. “For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible…every-thing got started in Him and finds its purpose in Him” (Col. 1:16 MSG). However, “Since there was perfect love and fellowship among members of the Trinity for all eternity (John 17:24), God did not create us because He was lonely or because He needed fellowship with other persons—God did not need us for any reason. Nevertheless, God created us for His own glory” (Grudem, Systematic Theology, p. 440).  

While there are 5 specific purposes for our lives listed in the Bible, they all find their basis in the first one of glorifying God and enjoying Him forever. This is about knowing Christ and making Him known. 

Augustine, one of the forefathers of the early church said, "You (O’ God) have formed us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in You.” And God wants the very best for our lives. Jesus stated that He came so that we may have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10). Therefore, David tells God, “In Your presence there is fullness of joy, in Your right hand are pleasures forevermore (Ps. 16:11).

“Fullness of joy is found in knowing God and delighting in the excellence of His character. To be in His presence, to enjoy fellowship with Him, is a greater blessing than anything that can be imagined” (Grudem, pg. 441).  Proverbs 11:28 states “A life devoted to things is a dead life; a stump; a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree” (MSG). 

Therefore, I encourage you to follow the words of the Apostle Paul, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). And in so doing, you will discover the life that you were born to live.

In His service,

     Matt

Worldview #5: Is Evolution a Religion?

I’ll admit, I love this time of year. No, no, I am not a big fan of the cold and snow, even though I grew up in Michigan, a place that tends to get a lot of cold and snowy weather. But what I love about it is spending time with friends and family. I enjoy all those special holiday delights that for some reason I only get to enjoy at this time of year. But most of all, I love this time of year as more people consider the birth of Christ. Yet Christmas in the USA is not what it used to be. That may be true because a lot of people disagree with the reason for the season since after all they follow a different religion, the religion of evolution (and may not even realize it)!

What evolution? A religion? You’ve got to be kidding me. People who hold to the teaching of evolution do so because either that is what they were taught in school and/or they believe it is scientific. There are 2 reasons why I believe that evolution is a religion. 

First, Webster defined faith as a “Firm belief in something for which there is no proof.” Last month we discussed how there is no evidence which exists that proves macro-evolution (evolution from one species to another: for example a bird to a dog, or monkey to a man). Meanwhile, science is the “systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation” (http://dictionary. reference.com/browse/science). 

This creates a problem for those who hold to evolution. “Since all things that begin to exist must have a cause, this means that the universe has a cause. However, a naturalistic cause for the origin of the universe cannot be confirmed observationally. Therefore, atheists believe the tenet that all phenomena have a naturalistic cause based solely upon faith in naturalism” (Rich Deem, Evidence for God).

Second, Webster defines a religion as “a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith.” It is hard to deny the ardor and faith which many evolutionists hold regarding their belief. It has been indoctrinating our public schools for centuries. As philosophy professor Dr. Michael Ruse at the University of Guelph in Ontario said, “Evolution is promoted by its practitioners as more than mere science. Evolution is promulgated as an ideology, a secular religion—a full-fledged alternative to Christianity, with meaning and morality… Evolution is a religion. This was true of evolution in the beginning, and it is true of evolution still today (“Saving Darwinism from the Darwinians,” National Post, May 13, 2000, p. B-3).  Note also that the definition does not necessarily involve the concept of God. Consider the following comparison between the religion of evolution and the religion of Christianity:

	Christianity[i]	Evolution
A holy book	Christianity teaches that the Bible is the Word of God and that this book teaches us what to believe concerning God and what God requires of us.	The holy book of the evolutionists is Darwin’s Origin of Species. The evolutionists believe that this book gives an explanation for the origin and development of life on earth[ii] without the need of any God or supernatural agent.
The origin of everything	Christianity teaches that in the beginning God created everything (that is, the entire universe with all its stars and planets, all plant life and all animal and human life) out of nothing over a period of six literal days.	In comparison, evolution teaches that in the beginning nothing exploded and gradually evolved over billions of years into the universe that we see today.
The origin of death and suffering	Christianity teaches that when God created everything, it was perfect. As a result of the sin of the first man, Adam, death, disease, and suffering entered the scene.	Evolution does not recognize the word sin but teaches that fish-to-philosopher evolution can only proceed via death. Hence, death, disease, and suffering are the necessary driving forces of evolution; from this concept, we get the phrase survival of the fittest.
The reason why humans are here	Christianity teaches that humans are the pinnacle of God’s creation and that they were made in God’s image and likeness.	In contrast, amoeba-to-architect evolution teaches that humans have evolved from some apelike ancestor, which in turn evolved from another sort of animal.
The future of humans	Christianity teaches that one day the Lord Jesus Christ will return to this earth and that He will create a new heavens and earth where those people who trusted Him as their Lord and Savior in this life will live with God forever.	Evolution, on the other hand, teaches that humans are not the end product of evolution; evolution will continue and humans will either become extinct or evolve into some other species of creature that will definitely not be human.
The future of the universe	Christianity teaches that the present universe will be burned up by God, and He will then create a new heavens and earth.	Evolution, on the other hand, teaches that one day the universe will reach what is called a heat death, although it is in effect a cold death, for the temperature of the universe will be just a fraction of a degree above absolute zero. This will happen when all the energy that is available to do work will have been used up, and then nothing will happen—the universe will just “be.” The time period for the universe to reach this state is almost unimaginable. It is thought that it will take about a thousand billion years for all the stars to use up all their fuel and fizzle out. By then, of course, there will be no life in the universe; every single life-form, including humans, will have become extinct billions of years previously. There will still be, however, occasional flashes of starlight in the dark universe as very large stars collapse in on themselves to form black holes. For the next 10122 (that is the figure 1 followed by 122 zeros!) years, this so-called Hawking radiation will be the only thing happening in the universe. Then, when all the black holes have evaporated, there will be darkness for 1026 years, during which time the universe will simply “be” and nothing will happen.

Therefore, evolution does not fit into the category of science since there has been no observation or experimentation of evolution taking place. However, evolution does fit nicely into the definition of a religion. It is a system of beliefs for which there is no proof. On the other hand, the Bible does teach creation which can be observed, verified, and is subject to experimentation (see http://eugenechristianchurch. blogspot.com/search/label/Worldview)! Thus, the Bible does not teach blind faith as evolution does. It teaches that we can and should place our trust in the historical individual, named Jesus Christ whose birth we celebrate this time of year.

Merry Christmas,

            Matt

P.S. a great video for more information on how evolution is a religion and the 6 definitions of the world evolution see “Evolution is a Religion-Not Science” on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RLcfwAYCjQ

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[i] Answers In Genesis, “Is Evolution a Religion?” by Dr. Tommy Mitchell and Monty White; available from https://answersingenesis.org/world-religions/is-evolution-a-religion/; Internet; accessed 25 November 2015.

[ii] I (Monty White) once knew a professor of biology who told me that he believed that Darwin’s writings were inspired and that he read from the Origin of Species for at least 20 minutes every night before retiring to bed!

Man, The Image of God #4: The Essence of Man

“May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thess. 5:23).

God's Word is precious. It is meant to be studied, enjoyed, and rightly divided with the Holy Spirit’s help. This is a worthwhile and God honoring pursuit. Some topics will be easy to understand while others challenge and reward us.

One such topic is that of the essence of mankind. Several months ago we considered “The Spiritual Reality” (see http://eugenechristianchurch.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Spiritual%20Reality). In those articles we learned of the reality of a spiritual world. Mankind relates to the spiritual world by having a minimum of 2 different natures (called a dichotomy): spiritual (soul/spirit) and physical. Meanwhile, some argue that we have 3 natures: soul, spirit, and body, called a trichotomy.

There are two primary passages that seem to teach a trichotomy (1 Thess. 5:23; Heb. 4:12). People who hold to this view believe that a person’s soul includes their emotions, intellect and will. “They maintain that all people have such a soul, and that the different elements of the soul can either serve God or be yielded to sin. They argue that man’s spirit is a higher faculty in man that comes alive when a person becomes a Christian (Rom. 8:10). The spirit of a person then would be that part which directly worships and prays to God” (John 4:24) (Grudem, Systematic Theology, p. 472).

If these were all the passages on this topic, there would not be much debate. However, there are several more passages and arguments that support the dichotomy view.

First, several places in the Bible use the word “soul”- (compare John 12:27 with 13:21; Heb. 12:23 with Rev. 6:9) and “spirit” interchangeably or in parallel to one another (Isa. 26:9; Luke 1:46-47).

Second, some passages state that at death, the “soul” departs while others state the “spirit” departs (Gen. 35:18; Psa. 31:5; Isa. 53:12; Luke 12:20; John 19:30; Acts 7:58). Nowhere does Scripture say that both a person’s spirit and soul departed.

Third, man is said to be either “body and spirit” or “body and soul” (Matt. 10:28; 1 Cor. 5:3, 5; 7:34; James 2:26).

Fourth, both the “spirit” and the “soul” can sin (2 Cor. 7:1, 34; 1 Pet. 1:22; Rev. 18:14). This creates an issue for those who hold to a dichotomy since they hold that the “spirit” is free from sin.

The arguments for a trichotomy help us to understand passages where both soul and spirit are used together. In those cases they are more than likely used as synonyms.

Jack Cottrell said, “Man as a unity of body and spirit is unique. Unlike angels, we are bodies; unlike animals, we are spirits. Thus, man as a unity of body and spirit is uniquely equipped to occupy a distinctive place in the universe, and to fulfill his responsibilities and tasks in relation to God and to the world. With regard to the material world, our bodies make us one with and thus can relate to it comfortably and use it for our needs. At the same time our spirits equip us to rule over the world and have dominion over it. On the other hand, regarding what is above us (God), because we are spirit we have a kinship with God and can relate to Him as persons in worship and fellowship” (The Faith Once For All, p. 147). This is the essence of man.

In His service,

     Matt

Worldview #4: Research Proves Evolution True...

Yes, it is true that “Research proves evolution true BUT going the wrong way!” (Dr. Jerry Bergman, Mutations Debunk Darwin's Evolution, Seattle Creation Conference June 2013).  Webster defines evolution as “a process of continuous change from a lower, simpler, or worse to a higher, more complex, or better state.” This process of continuous change is thought to be a result of mutations. 

Ernst Mayr, professor at Harvard said: “Ultimately, all variation is due to mutation.” Geneticist and evolutionary biologist Theodosius Dobzhansky said: “Mutation is the only source of raw materials...and hence, of evolution.” Therefore, it is frequently taught that mutations and natural selection are the means by which species are able to both create variations within a species (microevolution, for example the breeding of two dogs which creates a new breed of dogs) and create entirely new species (macroevolution, for example a change from a fish to a bird).

However, is this thought process concerning mutations scientific? In order for a mutation to create a new species (macroevolution) new information has to be added. Dr. Lee Spetner, professor at Johns Hopkins University said, All mutations “that have been studied on the molecular level turn out to reduce genetic information and not to increase it” (Not By Chance, p. 138).  Thus, mutations do not create new information they only cause changes in the existing information.

Furthermore, “99.99% of all mutations are either harmful (like cancer) or what they call ‘near neutral.’ ‘Near neutral’ means that by themselves they don’t cause a problem but they add up” Dr. Jerry Bergman, Mutations Debunk Darwin's Evolution, Seattle Creation Conference June 2013).  An example of near neutral would be someone dying of old age. They really didn’t die from being old, but rather there were several health factors that added up to eventually kill the individual. This too points to mutations being harmful.  

The point behind saying all of this is that evolution teaches that through mutations and natural selection things are getting better. Meanwhile, observation science proves that things are not! This is exactly what the Bible confirms would happen. Originally, everything that was created was “very good” (Gen. 1:31). However, as a result of mankind’s disobedience, corruption, decay, disease, and death came into the world (Gen. 2:17; 3:1ff).  Yet thankfully, God promises to one day right the downward slope mankind has made. 

In His service,

       Matt 

Elder’s Corner: Read Carefully—and Be Thankful!

I was following a car that had a bumper sticker attached above the rear bumper.  I thought it said “Save a cow” “Eat a Vegetable.” I thought it was an attack against the American Beef Council's sticker “BEEF—It's What's for Dinner” campaign.  As I got closer to the car I realized I had been mistaken.  The sign really read “Save a Cow,” “Eat a Vegetarian.” It changed the whole meaning. Sometimes it helps to take a second look at our own lives to make sure we're not focused on just ourselves.

I just got back from Tulsa where I attended a seminar put on by the Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Our church is considering starting a cancer care ministry. It seems like many people in our church have been touched by the disease either directly or indirectly. I went because I thought much of the information about caring for patients with terminal illnesses would also apply to other diseases. I got lots of useful practical information for patients and also their caregivers.  Then we toured the facility.  And again God reminded me to be thankful. 

This reminds me of a favorite passage:  Col. 3:12-17  “And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.  And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.   And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.  Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.   And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” 

So my hope is that you have a wonderful “Thanksgiving Season” and not just a thanksgiving day.

—Alan

Man, The Image of God #3:The Secret to the Masterpiece

“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, in our likeness...” (Gen. 1:26).

Our world is filled with millions of different types of creatures, yet only one is said to be made “in the image of God.” The image of God makes us very special in comparison with the rest of creation. This is not about mankind looking at themselves as superior, rather it is our Creator who has placed this honor on us, and as we will see in a future article, we have a great purpose and responsibilities that go along with the honor that God gives to us.

In the meantime, let’s ponder the question: what does the image of God refer to? Wayne Grudem said, “The fact that man is in the image of God means that man is like God in the following ways: intellectual ability, moral purity, spiritual nature, dominion over the earth, creativity, ability to make ethic choices, and immortality” (Systematic Theology, p. 443). 

Resemblances[i]	God	Man
1.  Spiritual nature	John 4:24	1 Thess. 5:23
2.  Moral nature (conscience)	Ex. 34:6-7	Eccl. 7:29; Gen. 1:27, 31
3.   Eternal existence	Ps. 90:1-2	Dan. 12:2; Matt. 25:46
4.   Ability to reason	Ps. 104:2-4; Rom. 16:27	Pro. 14:22; Mark 2:6, 8
5.   Rule over the earth	Ps. 24:1-2; 50:12	Gen. 1:26; Heb. 2:7-8
6.   Freedom of choice	Ps. 115:3; 135:6	Ps. 119:30; Pro. 1:29
7.   Relationship capacity	Ex. 19:4-6; Mal. 3:17	Ps. 133:1; 1 John 1:7

From these lists, let’s consider 3 in more detail. First, morally, we are made in God’s image. “God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices” (Ecc.7:29). It is very rare to find even the worst of criminals who will not agree that we have a moral nature. If you asked a murder if it is alright to kill a defenseless baby, most of them would state that it is wrong, even if they have done it.  This is actually proof of God’s existence for He has given us a conscience to know right and wrong.

Second, mentally, we are made in God’s image. We have the ability to reason, think logically, and make freewill choices. And as Enrique pointed out, we recognize and search for wisdom.  Grudem said, “Animals sometimes exhibit remarkable behavior in solving mazes or working out problems in the physical world, but they certainly do not engage in abstract reasoning—there is no such thing as the ‘history of canine philosophy,’ for example, nor have any animals since creation developed at all in their understanding of ethical problems or use of philosophical concepts… Even in developing physical and technical skills we are far different from animals… We continue to develop greater skill and complexity in technology, agriculture, science, and in nearly every field of endeavor” (p. 446).

Lastly, and most significantly, we are similar to God spiritually.  God is defined as a spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24). “Because man is spirit, he can have fellowship with God and love Him. Herein lies our true worth. We are valuable to God and others. God loves men and women far beyond His love for animals, plants or inanimate matter. Moreover, He feels for men and women, identifies with them in Christ, grieves for them and intervenes in history to make each of us into all He has determined we should be” (Boice, Foundations of the Christian Faith, p. 153).

In His service,

     Matt

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[i] Wilbur Fields, Old Testament History: An Overview of Sacred History & Truth (Joplin, MO: College Press Publishing, 2005), 27.

Elder’s Corner: True Wisdom

Today, I would like to share with you some thoughts about Wisdom. As a Spanish teacher, I usually start a class by saying: Buenos dias (Good morning), or Buenas tardes (Good afternoon), or Buenas noches (Good evening)! Then I refer to the date. In those two simple statements, there is a lot of information: days of the week, months of the year, and numbers just from an introduction.

Today, thanks to God, we’re living another day of the week and another month of the year. Like I said in the beginning, this devotional is about wisdom. David, Solomon, Job and many books of the Bible extensively mention this topic. And it is something that every person believes that they have. Yet it is something that all can benefit from having more of.  But, at the same time, wisdom is not the same as information.

In Job 28:12, Job asked, “Where can wisdom be found?” In verse 13 he answered himself, “Because man doesn’t know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living.” To me this means that true wisdom is very scarce among men, back then and now.

In verses 1-11, Job says that man knows where to find precious metals and how to produce bread from the earth.  But where is the place where wisdom can be found or where does it come from? Verse 14 says, “The deep and ocean say it’s not in me.” Humans with our knowledge, technology and understanding have been able to obtain many things in many areas. Mining the very depth of the oceans and earth, we have found all kinds of products such as gold, diamonds, and oil. Lately, we have studied what happens in other planets and already we have landed on the moon many times. We “know how” to do many things because God gave us knowledge.

Verses 26-28 say God knows what wisdom is and used wisdom when He created the earth.  In other word He possesses, He uses, He is wisdom! God also invites man to have wisdom (Pro. 4:7-8)! We think that being savvy is God’s wisdom, but they are not the same.

From the beginning, man has tried to get wisdom but has failed. Genesis 3:6 says that Adam and Eve try to find it. Did they?   One thing they did, and we through them, find for sure, was many problems with wisdom, because they followed Satan’s advice about how to find it. By disobeying God, instead they found pain and death.

We think that being savvy is wisdom, but it is not. True wisdom is to fear, love and respect God (Job 28:28). This wisdom is more precious than the finest jewels and more valuable than any amount of money (Job 28:17). We all need to know that a wise person according to God is one who knows what wisdom is, finds wisdom, practices it, and keeps it!

—Enrique

Man, The Image of God #2: Fearfully & Wonderfully Made

“For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalm 139:13-14).

 You are not an accident. Every person is here by design. As Psalm 139:14 states, we are fearfully made. This points to how God carefully thought about how you and I would be made. And as Rick Warren said, “God never does anything accidentally, and He never makes mistakes. He has a reason for everything He creates. Every plant and every animal was planned by God, and every person was designed with a purpose in mind” (The Purpose Driven Life, p. 24). Ephesians 1:4 in the Message Bible says, “Long before He laid down earth’s foundations, He had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of His love, to be made whole and holy by His love.”

One writer summarized how we are fearfully made in the following way. “You are who you are for a reason. You’re part of an intricate plan. You’re a precious and perfectly unique design, called God’s special woman or man. You look like you look for a reason. Our God made no mistake. He knit you together within the womb, you’re just what He wanted to make. The parents you had were the ones He chose, and no matter how you may feel, they were custom-designed with God’s plan in mind, and they bear the Master’s seal.

No, that trauma you faced was not easy. And God wept that it hurt you so; but it was allowed to shape your heart so that into His likeness you’d grow. You are who you are for a reason, you’ve been formed by the Master’s rod. You are who you are, beloved, because there is a God!” (Russell Kelfer, as quoted in The Purpose Driven Life, p. 25)

Besides being fearfully made, Psalm 139:14 also teaches that we are wonderfully made.  Ponder for a moment just how wonderfully made the human body is. A person’s ears hear between 300,000 and 400,000 different tones and our eyes can distinguish between 8 million different colors. Without a doubt, the human body is the most complex information processing system in existence. Consider the human body which is composed of more than 100 trillion cells. “Think of the skin. While water penetrates the skin outwardly, it cannot penetrate inwardly. Aren’t you glad about that? Otherwise, you would have blown up and exploded in the shower this morning!

Think of the heart. Weighing less than a pound. It’s a real work horse. On the average, it pumps 100,000 times every day, circulating 2,000 gallons through 60,000 miles of arteries, capillaries and veins” (Leroy Redding, God Made Us).

We could go on and on yet we would barely scratch the surface of how wonderfully created we are! Therefore, I encourage you to remind yourself of just how fearfully and wonderfully made you are!

In His service,

     Matt

Elder’s Corner: Throw in the towel–or take up the towel

One of my favorite boxer quotes is the response given to his trainers when they said to the fighter your opponent isn't laying a hand on you. He replied “you better keep an eye on the referee then, because someone is beating the heck out of me.”  Sometimes I feel that way about the world and how it sometimes gets the best of me.  The discouragement comes when I see people being mean to each other, calling others names, cheating, lying, stealing from others, etc.  They are not treating others the way they would want to be treated (Matt. 7:13). 

There is also the threat from within to quit caring about people and live only for oneself (the humanistic philosophy of today—the devil's lie).  Sometimes I don't feel like I'm making a difference (usually when I let the ideas of the world creep into my thinking).  Romans 1:21 says “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”  So I was folding towels this morning after the dryer stopped and decided to give thanks to God for the little jobs He gives us to do.  It was remarkable how my attitude changed. 

I thought about serving others and how Jesus took up the towel to serve mentioned in John 13:4.  I again felt a purpose in my life even in serving in the smallest of ways.  Doing laundry is a way I can serve my wife Judy and also serve God.  God gave us each talents to use for Him.  It doesn't matter what the talent is –but that you are willing to use it for Him.  I'm feeling much more fulfilled now. 

Which brings me to my other favorite boxer quote “The only thing you have to do is get up one more time than your opponent.” So keep getting up when the world knocks you down.  Then we can say with Paul “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall award to me on that day; and not to me only but also to all those who love His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:7-8).

—Alan

Worldview #3: A Self-Creating Universe?

It is a question that all people wrestle with at some point in their lives: Where did the universe come from? There are two dominant views: The first is what is taught as fact within our public schools, universities, and society in general. This view holds that the universe is all that exists. Therefore, its creation must be the result of a natural event. But what was the natural event that caused the creation of the universe from this viewpoint?

Stephen Hawking, a man who is considered to be a leading cosmologist explained, “Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing” (The Grand Design).  Say what, the universe created itself!?

Hawking’s view is widely accepted as fact. However, there are two major issues with his theory. The first argument pertains to philosophy. Hawking commits a violation of logic known as circular reasoning. Basically what he is saying is that the universe exists because the universe needed to exist. And because it needed to exist it therefore created itself. However, all that he has done is restated his original claim and offers that as an explanation for how and why it was created. As John Lennox said, “Nonsense remains nonsense, even when spoken by famous scientists.”

Second, science itself disproves what Hawking’s theory. Gravity does not have an equal amount of “negative” energy to perfectly balance all other “positive” energies (J. Gribbin, Are We Living in a Designer Universe?). Yet even if it did, it does not answer the question of where it came from and who or what caused it to supposedly create the universe. As one writer stated, “Did the oak tree come from an acorn? No, Hawking would say--it was just the result of "spontaneous creation" and there it is. Such reasoning makes no sense” (Brian Thomas, http://www.icr.org/article/hawking-says-universe-created-itself/).

On the other hand, a second view is that Someone who was not created caused the creation. Logic tells us that if there is a building, there must be a builder. If there is a watch, there must be a watchmaker. Likewise, if there is a creation, there must be a creator. Furthermore, science supports this view. “In every case where something has actually been made, that which caused it existed prior to it” (N. Geisler, Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics, p. 120).

Hawking's theory may be entertaining to consider, yet philosophically and scientifically absurd! On the other hand, scientist Sir Isaac Newton offers a more reasonable and accurate assessment of the universe's origins: “This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being” (The Principia: Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy).

In His service,

            Matt 

Man, The Image of God #1: The Mystery of Man

“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that You care for him? (Ps. 8:3-4)”

Scholar Carl Henry wrote: “Who is man? This remarkable creature, whose amazing conquest of space and time has yielded unabridged dictionaries indexing the whole of reality, has fallen into frustration—ironically enough—when defining himself”- (Baker’s Dictionary of Theology, p. 338). This month we begin a new section to summarize what the Bible has to say about mankind, our nature, purpose, and the affects that sin has had upon us.  

Within this definition, we discover a conflict between how we view ourselves and how our Creator views us. David in Psalm 8, considered the moon and stars with its vastness and complexity and felt his insignificance. Society likewise teaches us to feel insignificant and small. However, it also teaches us to focus on our flaws when we look at ourselves in the mirror – moles, scars, bulges, etc.  Then we look at those around us and see how beautiful they are compared to our blemishes. We also look up the ladder of success and note their achievements and compared to our stumbling bloopers. But is this how we should define ourselves?

As one studies Scripture, how God actually views us, we discover that how society has defined our insignificance is a farce.  Paul and others inform us that while we are to remember our insignificance within the vastness of creation and our limitations compared to God, yet at the same time, we are God’s masterpiece (Eph. 2:10). We are His crowning achievement. Psalm 8:6 states that God has made us just a little lower than God Himself since we have been made in His image (Gen. 1:27).

So what if you have failed in the past? So what if you’ve tried hard but continue to experience failures? Remember even Moses was once a basket case! You are NOT an accident. You are at the spot you are in life right now for a reason and God promises to cause your situation to work out for your good as a Christian. You are the works of His hands.

Charles Stanley said, “Jesus has chosen to put His unmatched presence into these scarred, earthen vessels. He is at home in these tattered earthly tents. We need not be ill at ease, but instead we can relax and enjoy His fellowship, knowing that He died for us while were yet hopeless sinners (Rom. 5:6–8). He has permanently accepted us into His family, with all our undesirable baggage”- (The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, Ps 139:1–24).

In His service,

     Matt

Worldview #2: Doesn’t Evolution Disprove the Bible?

There is a common thought process in public schools, universities and much of society that evolution disproves the Bible, since the two are diametrically opposed. 

The Bible Says	Evolution Says
Creation was planned for a purpose.	Nature evolved by accident and chance.
Living things were made separately, each one after its kind.	All living things came from a single life-form by evolution.
Man was a special creation, different from the animals.	Man is just another animal, evolved from ape-like creatures.
God’s work of creation was finished in 6 days.	Evolution has continued to make new kinds of living things throughout time, and is still going on today.
Nature was created perfect but became spoiled because of Adam disobeyed God.	Nature is always growing better and more perfect by evolutionary change.[i]

So how does one deal with the obvious differences? I believe that the answer lies in the study of science! Science is “systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation” (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/science).

Darwin argued the evolution could be observed. He observed finches’ beaks changing to fit the conditions. If the conditions were dry, the finches would develop long beaks in order to get to their food supply. On the other hand, when there was a significant amount of rain, the finches’ beaks would shorten.

However, there are two problems with this example of evolution. First, if the conditions changed back, so would the finches’ beaks, thus, it was not a permanent change. Second and most importantly, the finches remained finches. This is NOT an example of a change of species; this is a change within its kind, something that the Bible does teach (Gen. 1:11-25). Just think about it, has a doctor ever come in and told a pregnant woman, congratulations, you just gave birth to a giraffe? That’s absurd, and everyone knows it! Therefore, I challenge anyone to find a single example of a living creature changing to a different species that can be observed!

Thus, Darwin’s observations did NOT verify evolution of one species from another. Instead, he actually proved the Bible where God commands each living creature to reproduce after its own kind, allowing for variations within a species, but not the evolution of new species.

A second scientific fact that must be considered concerning evolution pertains to life coming from non-living molecules. The scientific law of bio-genesis states that without exception, life always comes from life! The law of bio-genesis can be observed, repeated, verified, and is subject to experimentation (the qualities required for a law in science).

Evolutionists however, propose that small inorganic molecules combined to form amino acids then proteins and eventually living cells. Yet this has never even been observed, let alone repeated, verified, nor is it subject to experimentation! This point also disproves evolution in favor of the Bible in that it was not some accident that a few molecules came together to generate life.  Instead, there had to be a Creator to initiate life on earth.

Therefore, evolution does not fit into the category of science, since there has been no observation, verification, nor experimentation of evolution EVER taking place. However, evolution does fit nicely into the definition of a religion. It is a system of beliefs, which lacks scientific proof! The Bible on the other does teach creation which can be observed, verified, and is subject to experimentation!

In His service,

         Matt 

[i] E.H. Andrews, From Nothing to Nature: A Basic Guide to Evolution and Creation (Durham, England, 1997), p. 6.