When I was a freshman in college my biology professor stated directly to the class that you either have to be superstitious or just plain lacking in intelligence to believe in God. I truly believe that Satan uses secular universities to prevent faith among unbelieving students and derail the faith of college students who come to college believing in God. My understanding is that the church in general has done a miserable job in preparing their young people to survive such attacks. I must admit for about 20 minutes to a half hour my own mind was reeling after hearing this very intelligent and gifted speaker. He made it sound irresponsible to continue believing in God because it produced false hopes of divine help with our problems. His pitch is that we need to be as educated as possible to solve the world’s problems before we destruct ourselves as a society. By the time I reached college I was very well rooted and grounded in the Word of God. I cried out to God in a silent prayer for wisdom because I was outmatched by this mental Goliath. As I attended classes that still small voice would point out fallacies in what was being taught. Little facts that just didn’t fit would come to mind. I truly enjoyed learning science at the collegiate level because I filtered out that I knew to be false and marveled at the complexity of life around me. It actually increased my faith and made God that much more awesome. The more I learned the greater He became.
If you are a Christian student today you have probably encountered this attitude much earlier in your academic career than did I. Your teachers and your teachers’ teachers all probably were subjected to this life view. If you are an atheist or agnostic, trust me I understand. The educated leaders that you respect for their intelligence and look to as role models are all reinforcing a life view that has its appeal. If you are a Christian confused and wavering, I do not blame you. I would simply like to present an alternate life view for you to consider. I do not believe anyone can or should mandate faith. My understanding is that God granted us free will to decide for ourselves what to believe and a wonderful brain and heart for lack of a better word to consider our options.
Most Bible believing churches will tell you that God created the earth and all that is within it in six days according to the Scriptures approximately six thousand years ago. You will then be faced with mounds of scientific information that disputes this view proving the earth is much older. There is an explanation that you may wish to research called the young earth theory of creation. Many of their arguments will cause some serious thinking and consideration. I can’t say they are entirely wrong but personally I believe this view is proposed by scientists that know that God is real and who honor the Word of God. I personally believe their view is skewed by their religious beliefs. If the Bible is erroneous in the origins of the universe, then I too would join the ranks of the atheists and agnostics. I believe the young earth creationist scientists know the theory of evolution and the big bang theory of how the universe began must be false and they have attempted to answer the discrepancies between the date of 6000 years and the much longer evidence presented by science. The problem I see is not in conflicting scientific information but in the acceptance as fact that the Bible teaches that the earth is only 6000 years old. If you are a Christian young person or even a youth pastor please do not dismiss the information I am about to share with you because you may have never heard it. Please keep an open mind and prayerfully search the Scriptures with me for truth. I have full confidence that the Bible is inerrant and can successfully defend itself when studied with an open mind.
Let us now go to the Word and let it instruct us!
Genesis 1:1-31 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (2) And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (3) And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. (4) And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. (5) And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. (6) And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. (7) And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. (8) And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. (9) And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. (10) And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. (11) And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. (12) And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. (13) And the evening and the morning were the third day. (14) And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: (15) And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. (16) And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. (17) And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, (18) And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. (19) And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. (20) And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. (21) And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. (22) And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. (23) And the evening and the morning were the fifth day. (24) And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. (25) And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. (26) And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (27) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (28) And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (29) And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. (30) And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. (31) And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Genesis 2:1-3 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. (2) And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. (3) And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
This is the Genesis account of creation upon which I rest my faith in God as my Creator. Now let us look at why Christians say the earth is only 6000 years old. The Bible does say in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Genealogies are given in the Bible from Adam to Abraham and from Abraham to Jesus. The ages of each generation are given showing that it was about 4000 years from Adam to Jesus. Modern histories trace the time from Jesus to present. Another approximately 2000 years have elapsed from the birth of Christ to present. Roughly speaking 6000 years have elapsed since Adam came to life.
Now that we have read this account lets look back at what we read. Lets make a little chart to make matters easier to understand.
The second day of creation begins in verse 6 with the words “And God said, Let”… and ends in verse 8 with “And the evening and the morning were the second day.”
The third day of creation begins in verse 9 again with the words “And God said, Let” … and ends in verse 13 with “And the evening and the morning were the third day.”
The fourth day of creation begins in verse 14 again with the words “And God said, Let” … and ends in verse 19 with “And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.”
The fifth day of creation begins in verse 20 again with the words “And God said, Let”… and ends in verse 23 with “And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.”
The sixth day of creation begins in verse 24 again with the words “And God said, Let… and ends in verse 31 with “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”
Let us now turn our attention to an absolutely critical question. This question could have eternal consequences. Where did the first day of creation begin and end and exactly what was made on that first day. Based on the lengthy and somewhat redundant portion of this study that you have just read, how would you guess that the first day of creation would begin and end? Is there a verse at the beginning of Genesis that starts with, “And God said, Let”? Is there also a verse telling that the evening and the morning were the first day? It just so happens there is but it might not be where you would expect to find it.
Genesis 1:3 “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. (4) And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. (5) And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.”
It would be my belief that the Holy Spirit moved the writer of this portion of the Bible to use an unmistakable delineation of each day of creation. The first day of creation clearly begins in verse 3 not verse 1. The appearance of light and the making of day and night were the works of the first day of creation. The heaven and the earth were already created “in the beginning” “The beginning” is an undefined time frame predating the first day of creation. This is not inconsistent with those who believe the young earth theory nor for a matter of fact is it inconsistent with those who subscribe to an old earth theory. The Bible stands on it own merit. What is clearly false is that the dating of the earth at 6000 years. This assertion so commonly accepted without question is in fact predicated on a misunderstanding of the first three verses of the Bible. Let us use an honest approach to Bible study and agree that no Scripture is of any private interpretation. Are there other verses that support this controversial view?
Carefully read and consider the following Scripture.
Isaiah 45:18 For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.
Zero in on the following words, “God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited:”
Clearly this Scripture teaches that when God created the earth he formed it to be a habitable planet.
Lets look again at Genesis 1:2
(2) And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Here the earth exists in total darkness with its surface covered with water.
At this point in time is this a habitable planet like the earth was originally created to be? Clearly the answer to this question is no. Does the Scripture give us any indication as to what might have happened?
Jeremiah 4:23-27 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. (24) I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. (25) I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. (26) I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger. (27) For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.
Consider this:
Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.
First of all note the uncanny similarity of Jeremiah 4:23-27 to Genesis 1:2.
Second, at what point in history since the creation of Adam is it possible that the events of Jeremiah Chapter four could have taken place. When could God who sees every place not have seen a single man still alive? Not even Noah’s flood fits this situation as eight people survived on earth. Have you ever read that at the time of Noah or any other time since Adam that the heavens had “no light”. When could God have looked into the skies and not seen a single bird. The description here indicates the entire destruction of all life on earth. Note though the final words of verse 27. “Yet will I not make a full end.” Something came after this picture of earth.
Does the Bible ever tell us that God has become angry enough with man to destroy us all?
Genesis 6:5-8 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (6) And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. (7) And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. (8) But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
Exodus 32:9-10 And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: (10) Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.
Given these two verses is it so far removed from possibility that a past civilization of human-like beings angered God so thoroughly by their sin that they were totally destroyed by a flood on the earth sometime between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2 and the description in Jeremiah Chapter 4 refers to this total destruction of the earth with the remaking of the earth into a once again habitable planet in six days as described starting with Genesis 1:3.
Note:
Genesis 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
If this verse is an accurate translation which I believe it to be then why was the word replenish chosen. If you were at church and the weekly church program said that donations were needed to replenish the food pantry would you assume that they were just now starting a food pantry or would it mean they were re-supplying the food pantry? To replenish the earth would not simply mean to fill it with people but in fact to refill it with people. If there is a doubt about the meaning this is the same instruction given to Noah and his family after the world population had been reduced to eight people. They also had a world to refill and the exact same Hebrew words were used in both places.
Imagine if these pre-Adam people were slightly different in their skeletal structure what science would say if they found an ancient skeleton. Why just look how we have evolved from early man. There is no evolution here it was a slightly varied species of man from an earlier creation.
For more on my belief as to why this civilization was destroyed simply read my mini-book on the Insignificance of Satan. This reading is free and located as an earlier post on this site.
When it can be shown that the earth is not just 6000 years old per the Bible, then all of the scientific proof that is thrown at Christians in the classroom is a moot point. You as a Christian do not have to defend a false assumption based on a misunderstanding of Scripture. You simply believe that God created the earth and everything in the universe. You have the upper hand since creation assumes the unlimited power of an all knowing God used his intellect to design life. The evolutionists must then defend their theories that life arose by accident rather than intelligent design. Given the complexity of DNA alone, how likely is it that a strand of DNA just happened. If you want to really blow someone’s mind ask the question as to how sexual reproduction evolved. How did the first male and first female develop at exactly the same time and find themselves within the same territory so as to mate. What are the odds of that happening? Ask also about placental types. If memory serves me the type of placenta found in cows more closely resemble the placenta of a mouse than that of another large barnyard animal. One would not expect this departure if the animals truly followed an evolutionary chain. Perhaps the similarity of design doesn’t point to a common ancestor after all. Perhaps it points to the same architect.
If I disassembled my computer and took all the parts and placed them in a large bag and started shaking it, how long would it take before all the parts would come together perfectly by chance and my computer would start functioning? My logic tells me that at the end of one year I would have a bag of parts, at the end of ten years same difference, at the end of a hundred years I would be no closer to having a functioning computer. If it were possible to shake it for one hundred million years it would still be a non-functioning bag of parts because each random shake brings me no closer to my goal. Without intelligent design things tend to disorder not order. If you agree that intelligent design is a plausible idea considering the complexity of life, then you are very close to believing, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
In conclusion, it does matter the age that the Bible places on the earth. I have no desire to subject a Christian student to ridicule if he tries to defend a position that has no defense. The reason it has no defense is that the Bible doesn’t say it! The idea that there was a destruction of a civilization before Adam is not new. It is not a knee jerk reaction to the teaching of evolution in the schools as some claim. This teaching dates back hundreds of years. More recently the Scofield Reference Bible advocates this view in its second edition which came out approximately a decade before the Scopes trial in the 1920’s that popularized the teaching of evolution in schools.
Christian students take heart. You are not stupid for believing in God and creation. My dear atheist or agnostic friend, God loves you even when you are far away from him. Please don’t risk your eternal soul on the words of some science professor parroting a line he was taught to say. Be intelligent enough and brave enough to seek the truth. If you would like to believe that there is meaning to life, there is life after death, the maker of this universe wishes to adopt you as his son or daughter, and rid this world of poverty, death, and disease then share your thoughts with him. Be honest and share your doubt about Him as well. Simply ask for wisdom to understand and tell him you would like to get to know Him if in fact he exists. Ask that your eyes might be opened to the truth. Prayer is not some formal church ritual it is simply calling on God and talking to him like you would a parent or a teacher. Be respectful and be honest about your doubts and fears. He promises to respect a prayer for wisdom. If you would like to know more about approaching God please read my earlier blog on Finding Meaning in Life.
I hope this will help to strengthen my younger sisters and brothers in the Lord as they face adversity in higher education. I hope it will also give some food for thought to those who have considered God as just a myth or superstition. I trust him with the care of my eternal soul. I hope you will give some thought to eternal matters as well. If you follow your current path and are wrong then you have missed the whole point of living. My life has not always been easy because this in not heaven yet. I will tell you honestly I would not trade the knowledge I have of God for all the money of the richest man in the world. There is a peace in knowing Him that passes all understanding and satisfies in a way I cannot explain with words. I beg you to search for this peace in your life. Thanks for reading and please come back often.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Finding Meaning in Life
I have witnessed a sad phenomenon. Consider our Hollywood stars. So many of these bright attractive wealthy young folks who have obtained so much of what the rest of the world seeks are absolutely miserable. Over the years many have become so depressed that they have ended their own lives. Still others have destroyed their lives with alcohol and drug addiction to the point that many have died far before their normal time. It is so tragic that those who have so much to give end life in depression and misery. All the things we are told that will bring happiness proved empty and meaningless to these unfortunate young people.
There is not a person on the face of the earth that doesn’t desire love and acceptance. There is a hunger for love, a thirst for acceptance. I do not believe it is there by accident. Elsewhere in my blog I have shared my academic background. I graduated in the top 5% of my university class in a state secular institution. In spite of my academic success many of my professors considered me a fool. Likewise, I considered them fools as well.
As a zoology (biology) major I was taught that the universe exists as a result of a whole series of cosmic accidents. A great primordial soup covered the earth and one day a lightening strike produced amino acids that combined to form the first spark of life. That initial life replicated and changed over the years to produce all the wonders of nature. We are nothing but an accident. We have just a short time on earth and our place will be forgotten and replaced by a new generation. We have no moral rules because there is no one higher than man to whom we must answer. We are alone in the universe. When things get rough, there is no higher power to turn to, just our own intellect.
Certainly I do respect the views of others and their right to decide for themselves what they believe. Yet, these folks need to have all the facts to make an informed decision. Our last couple of generations has been taught from childhood that evolution is the fact of our existence. In the absence of any other information, this is all we know. Yet when I was researching the theory taught as fact I came across an interesting fact uncovered by an atheistic team of Russian scientists. In replicating the experiment using an electric spark to produce amino acids, the major component produced under laboratory controlled conditions was not amino acids it was tar. It was calculated that for life to have originated in the manner described above, the amino acids could certainly have been produced but had they been produced in sufficient quantity to account for life, under optimal conditions the earth would have been covered by tar several miles thick. There is no several miles thick band of tar covering the earth. Their conclusion was that this theory taught as fact is false. These were not men of faith; they were scientists just checking the facts.
The universe left unattended tends toward disorganization not organization. Have you ever known of a tornado building a house? This leads me to one of the most compelling yet simple illustrations I have ever heard. I had the opportunity to hear a young missionary, Mark Tolson, present his burden for the country of China. Mark told of his encounter with a Chinese fellow living in the United States. He was telling him of God’s love for him and about the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross. The young man listened respectfully, but stated that all that meant nothing to him because he was an atheist. Mark asked him to follow him outside. He pointed to the building where they had their conversation. Mark stated, “Certainly logic tells you that this building did not just appear. There was a builder who worked from a design to construct it. What about that tree over there? It is alive and much more complex than this building. Don’t you think it is possible that that tree also had a designer and builder? How likely is it that it just appeared?” Whether you are a believer or an atheist, either way you must believe that something has always existed, matter and energy or just energy. Why is the Christian so unscientific for believing that energy has always existed? We simply call it God and believe that God has intelligence and can direct his power to accomplish a planned work. Intelligent design versus haphazard luck makes more sense to me. The famous Einstein formula E=MCsquared gives us a clue to creation. The same formula that tells us how much energy is produced by the breaking down of mass gives us a way of understanding how much energy is required to create. Note also the C squared portion of the formula relates to the speed of light in centimeters squared. Isn’t it strange that Jesus who the scriptures teach was instrumental in creation before his incarnation referred to himself as light? Thus, energy and light are both present in the Biblical account.
The real problem in changing the mind of the atheist or agnostic who has been taught all his or her life that we evolved and God does not exist, is that to recognize the existence of God is to entertain a frightening thought. For we know that the laws of God often run contrary to our human desires. We have broken his moral laws and find ourselves standing in our guilt before him. This is truly not a pleasant thought. The Biblical account shows our first father Adam after having sinned against God also ran away and hid from God. Fortunately for mankind, God is a good, merciful, and forgiving God. He came looking for Adam and brought with him a solution for his sinful dilemma. He covered the shame of Adam’s nakedness with a coat of skins. This meant that an innocent animal that did nothing wrong lost its life to cover the shame that resulted from Adam’s sin. This was a picture of God’s plan for all mankind. The Biblical account places the blame for all of mankind’s problems squarely on the shoulders of Adam.
Romans 5:12 says, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:"
Here is God’s mathematics. If one man through his sin could foul up the whole world, then it would take only one man, Jesus, to undo the mess. Like the little innocent animal that had to be killed to cover Adams sin and shame, so Jesus who did nothing wrong took upon himself the sin of the world and died paying our penalty for us.
John 3:16-21 says,” For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
If the story above is true, as I believe it to be, then we have an avenue to achieve everlasting life. We do not have to face the dismal thought that what we have here on earth for perhaps 70, 80, or even 90 years is all there is. We have the pleasant thought that there is goodness and strength in the universe beyond ourselves and we have a glorious forever in which to enjoy it. We have a God who is reaching out to us with forgiveness. Jesus didn’t come to condemn us, he came to save us. God loves us.
If this is all new to you, or if it’s the first time you have ever wondered, can this be true, please keep an open mind. Contrary to the griping of self proclaimed intelligent professors, you are not a fool to think for yourself! Prayer is not some formal process, if you are wondering about these things, God likes honesty. Tell him that you don’t know what to think but if He exists, if He loves you, you would like to get to know Him. Ask Him to open your eyes to the truth. He will respect that prayer and will lead you.
Just in case this is all new to you and no one has ever taken the time to share this message with you, I’m going to explain a little more. If you know the story of the crucifixion you know that Jesus called out to his father asking that even those who were killing and mocking him be forgiven. I frankly don’t understand a love like that. I could not be that forgiving, but God is. If you believing that God doesn’t exist have lived a life contrary to the laws of God, go to Him with it. You need not fear his wrath if you will only trust Jesus to be your savior.
Those who refuse to accept Him are still under condemnation. A passage from the book of Hebrews asked the most compelling question that you are likely to ever be asked:
Hebrews 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation? If God has truly cared about you so much that he allowed his own Son to take on the form of a man, live a perfect life free of sin, suffer for your sin, and die an agonizing death in your place to provide himself a substitute to pay the penalty that His sense of justice demands from you; what do you think his reaction would be if you thumb your nose at it and go your merry way? I don’t think God will be impressed to be told, well Gee Whiz I thought you were just a myth made up by superstitious people. At least that’s what my professor told me. Now is the time to truly sort out in your own mind what you believe. I can’t tell you what to believe. Hopefully you understand that I do believe the Biblical account and I care enough about you to urge you to give some time and attention to sorting this out. It is the biggest decision you can ever make.
Perhaps you have made fun of this message and others like me who have tried to tell it to you. That’s ok and that’s forgivable. On the cross next to Jesus was a thief. Actually on both sides of him was a thief. Both of these men started out ridiculing him, making fun of Jesus. We don’t know what he said but whatever it was touched the heart of one of these men. It could have been when Jesus cried out to his Father to forgive even those who had stripped, beaten, mocked, and crucified him. Perhaps he saw hope for forgiveness for an old good for nothing thief. Looking at Jesus beaten, bleeding, crucified, and near death, he said something very amazing. Looking at him with eyes of faith he said,“Remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus said something equally amazing back to him, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” Earlier the thief admitted to being deserving of the death penalty. He was not an innocent man falsely accused. He was guilty and he knew it. He saw a need in his life and got his eyes open to whom Jesus was. When he reached out to Jesus, Jesus reached back. He did not throw up his past sins to him nor did He heal him and tell him to come down off the cross and live a good life. He forgave him just as he was and made provision for him to be totally forgiven and for him to be with Him for eternity. Forgiveness is a good thing. Don’t be afraid of the fact that God exists.
“Perfect love casts out all fear”.
I believe in each heart there exists a God shaped depression. It is a hole that needs to be filled. People try to fill it with money, alcohol, drugs, sex, power and fame. Nothing quite fits. Only God can satisfy. You will remain hungry and thirsty for something missing in your life until you find that which was meant to fill it. Without God all you have is the depression. If you have questions feel free to place them in comments. If you understand your need, ask Jesus. The thief on the cross simply said a nine word prayer to Jesus that changed his eternal destiny. Simply confess to him that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. There are no magic words or secret ritual. If you have come to believe in your heart that Jesus was truly the sinless Son of God, If you know you need a savior and you believe Jesus died, was buried, and rose again the third day proving he was God then simply turn to him. Ask him to be your Savior. This precious gift of forgiveness was purchased for you by Jesus and God graciously wants you to have it.It is given freely by God's grace. You too can look forward to a clean new forgiven life and God’s Spirit within to guide you. You will become a new creation in Christ. You will have a new nature that seeks to honor your Lord and Savior.The Christian life is not always easy, but you will find a joy that exists nowhere else. I would suggest you check out www.intouch.org. I have no affiliation with the “in touch” organization, but believe it may be helpful to check out the teachings. Dr. Charles Stanley has a way of teaching that makes the difficult plain and simple. Thanks for reading this brief editorial, I hope it will inspire some sincere thinking. Please realize that this essay was inspired by love and not a "holier than thou" attitude. I only want you to find the peace, joy, and happiness that I have found. You are being wise and not foolish to challenge the ideas presented at so many institutions of higher learning. There are unseen wonders in this world that can’t be put in a test tube and analyzed.
There is not a person on the face of the earth that doesn’t desire love and acceptance. There is a hunger for love, a thirst for acceptance. I do not believe it is there by accident. Elsewhere in my blog I have shared my academic background. I graduated in the top 5% of my university class in a state secular institution. In spite of my academic success many of my professors considered me a fool. Likewise, I considered them fools as well.
As a zoology (biology) major I was taught that the universe exists as a result of a whole series of cosmic accidents. A great primordial soup covered the earth and one day a lightening strike produced amino acids that combined to form the first spark of life. That initial life replicated and changed over the years to produce all the wonders of nature. We are nothing but an accident. We have just a short time on earth and our place will be forgotten and replaced by a new generation. We have no moral rules because there is no one higher than man to whom we must answer. We are alone in the universe. When things get rough, there is no higher power to turn to, just our own intellect.
Certainly I do respect the views of others and their right to decide for themselves what they believe. Yet, these folks need to have all the facts to make an informed decision. Our last couple of generations has been taught from childhood that evolution is the fact of our existence. In the absence of any other information, this is all we know. Yet when I was researching the theory taught as fact I came across an interesting fact uncovered by an atheistic team of Russian scientists. In replicating the experiment using an electric spark to produce amino acids, the major component produced under laboratory controlled conditions was not amino acids it was tar. It was calculated that for life to have originated in the manner described above, the amino acids could certainly have been produced but had they been produced in sufficient quantity to account for life, under optimal conditions the earth would have been covered by tar several miles thick. There is no several miles thick band of tar covering the earth. Their conclusion was that this theory taught as fact is false. These were not men of faith; they were scientists just checking the facts.
The universe left unattended tends toward disorganization not organization. Have you ever known of a tornado building a house? This leads me to one of the most compelling yet simple illustrations I have ever heard. I had the opportunity to hear a young missionary, Mark Tolson, present his burden for the country of China. Mark told of his encounter with a Chinese fellow living in the United States. He was telling him of God’s love for him and about the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross. The young man listened respectfully, but stated that all that meant nothing to him because he was an atheist. Mark asked him to follow him outside. He pointed to the building where they had their conversation. Mark stated, “Certainly logic tells you that this building did not just appear. There was a builder who worked from a design to construct it. What about that tree over there? It is alive and much more complex than this building. Don’t you think it is possible that that tree also had a designer and builder? How likely is it that it just appeared?” Whether you are a believer or an atheist, either way you must believe that something has always existed, matter and energy or just energy. Why is the Christian so unscientific for believing that energy has always existed? We simply call it God and believe that God has intelligence and can direct his power to accomplish a planned work. Intelligent design versus haphazard luck makes more sense to me. The famous Einstein formula E=MCsquared gives us a clue to creation. The same formula that tells us how much energy is produced by the breaking down of mass gives us a way of understanding how much energy is required to create. Note also the C squared portion of the formula relates to the speed of light in centimeters squared. Isn’t it strange that Jesus who the scriptures teach was instrumental in creation before his incarnation referred to himself as light? Thus, energy and light are both present in the Biblical account.
The real problem in changing the mind of the atheist or agnostic who has been taught all his or her life that we evolved and God does not exist, is that to recognize the existence of God is to entertain a frightening thought. For we know that the laws of God often run contrary to our human desires. We have broken his moral laws and find ourselves standing in our guilt before him. This is truly not a pleasant thought. The Biblical account shows our first father Adam after having sinned against God also ran away and hid from God. Fortunately for mankind, God is a good, merciful, and forgiving God. He came looking for Adam and brought with him a solution for his sinful dilemma. He covered the shame of Adam’s nakedness with a coat of skins. This meant that an innocent animal that did nothing wrong lost its life to cover the shame that resulted from Adam’s sin. This was a picture of God’s plan for all mankind. The Biblical account places the blame for all of mankind’s problems squarely on the shoulders of Adam.
Romans 5:12 says, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:"
Here is God’s mathematics. If one man through his sin could foul up the whole world, then it would take only one man, Jesus, to undo the mess. Like the little innocent animal that had to be killed to cover Adams sin and shame, so Jesus who did nothing wrong took upon himself the sin of the world and died paying our penalty for us.
John 3:16-21 says,” For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
If the story above is true, as I believe it to be, then we have an avenue to achieve everlasting life. We do not have to face the dismal thought that what we have here on earth for perhaps 70, 80, or even 90 years is all there is. We have the pleasant thought that there is goodness and strength in the universe beyond ourselves and we have a glorious forever in which to enjoy it. We have a God who is reaching out to us with forgiveness. Jesus didn’t come to condemn us, he came to save us. God loves us.
If this is all new to you, or if it’s the first time you have ever wondered, can this be true, please keep an open mind. Contrary to the griping of self proclaimed intelligent professors, you are not a fool to think for yourself! Prayer is not some formal process, if you are wondering about these things, God likes honesty. Tell him that you don’t know what to think but if He exists, if He loves you, you would like to get to know Him. Ask Him to open your eyes to the truth. He will respect that prayer and will lead you.
Just in case this is all new to you and no one has ever taken the time to share this message with you, I’m going to explain a little more. If you know the story of the crucifixion you know that Jesus called out to his father asking that even those who were killing and mocking him be forgiven. I frankly don’t understand a love like that. I could not be that forgiving, but God is. If you believing that God doesn’t exist have lived a life contrary to the laws of God, go to Him with it. You need not fear his wrath if you will only trust Jesus to be your savior.
Those who refuse to accept Him are still under condemnation. A passage from the book of Hebrews asked the most compelling question that you are likely to ever be asked:
Hebrews 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation? If God has truly cared about you so much that he allowed his own Son to take on the form of a man, live a perfect life free of sin, suffer for your sin, and die an agonizing death in your place to provide himself a substitute to pay the penalty that His sense of justice demands from you; what do you think his reaction would be if you thumb your nose at it and go your merry way? I don’t think God will be impressed to be told, well Gee Whiz I thought you were just a myth made up by superstitious people. At least that’s what my professor told me. Now is the time to truly sort out in your own mind what you believe. I can’t tell you what to believe. Hopefully you understand that I do believe the Biblical account and I care enough about you to urge you to give some time and attention to sorting this out. It is the biggest decision you can ever make.
Perhaps you have made fun of this message and others like me who have tried to tell it to you. That’s ok and that’s forgivable. On the cross next to Jesus was a thief. Actually on both sides of him was a thief. Both of these men started out ridiculing him, making fun of Jesus. We don’t know what he said but whatever it was touched the heart of one of these men. It could have been when Jesus cried out to his Father to forgive even those who had stripped, beaten, mocked, and crucified him. Perhaps he saw hope for forgiveness for an old good for nothing thief. Looking at Jesus beaten, bleeding, crucified, and near death, he said something very amazing. Looking at him with eyes of faith he said,“Remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus said something equally amazing back to him, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” Earlier the thief admitted to being deserving of the death penalty. He was not an innocent man falsely accused. He was guilty and he knew it. He saw a need in his life and got his eyes open to whom Jesus was. When he reached out to Jesus, Jesus reached back. He did not throw up his past sins to him nor did He heal him and tell him to come down off the cross and live a good life. He forgave him just as he was and made provision for him to be totally forgiven and for him to be with Him for eternity. Forgiveness is a good thing. Don’t be afraid of the fact that God exists.
“Perfect love casts out all fear”.
I believe in each heart there exists a God shaped depression. It is a hole that needs to be filled. People try to fill it with money, alcohol, drugs, sex, power and fame. Nothing quite fits. Only God can satisfy. You will remain hungry and thirsty for something missing in your life until you find that which was meant to fill it. Without God all you have is the depression. If you have questions feel free to place them in comments. If you understand your need, ask Jesus. The thief on the cross simply said a nine word prayer to Jesus that changed his eternal destiny. Simply confess to him that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. There are no magic words or secret ritual. If you have come to believe in your heart that Jesus was truly the sinless Son of God, If you know you need a savior and you believe Jesus died, was buried, and rose again the third day proving he was God then simply turn to him. Ask him to be your Savior. This precious gift of forgiveness was purchased for you by Jesus and God graciously wants you to have it.It is given freely by God's grace. You too can look forward to a clean new forgiven life and God’s Spirit within to guide you. You will become a new creation in Christ. You will have a new nature that seeks to honor your Lord and Savior.The Christian life is not always easy, but you will find a joy that exists nowhere else. I would suggest you check out www.intouch.org. I have no affiliation with the “in touch” organization, but believe it may be helpful to check out the teachings. Dr. Charles Stanley has a way of teaching that makes the difficult plain and simple. Thanks for reading this brief editorial, I hope it will inspire some sincere thinking. Please realize that this essay was inspired by love and not a "holier than thou" attitude. I only want you to find the peace, joy, and happiness that I have found. You are being wise and not foolish to challenge the ideas presented at so many institutions of higher learning. There are unseen wonders in this world that can’t be put in a test tube and analyzed.
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