Studying the Word of God

How Soon We Forget God

ASB — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 11:55:47 GMT

This week, I’ve started studying the book of Judges for my morning devotions, and it is both amazing and sad to see how quickly the children of Israel turned aside from following God once Joshua died.

Once of the scariest verses for me is Judges 2:8-11, which reads:

(8) And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being a hundred and ten years old. (9) And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash. (10) And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. (11) And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:

In particular, the phrase “and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD” shows a major failing in two regards:

that of the children themselves
that of their parents

Oh, they knew about God, but did not have their own, useful, saving relationship with Him.

Granted, it is not always fair to blame all the ills of one generation on the previous one, but I also believe that we too often discount the lessons we teach our children by our own actions.

Not only is the above passage of scripture scary for me because of what it says historically, but because of its current applicability in today’s society. On a whole, our children are exposed to things that our parents never dreamed that we would see, while at the same time, we offer less guidance and far less restriction than our parents did at their most lax level.

In short, for a variety of good sounding reasons (or what we believe to be good sounding reasons), we have lowered the bar for our children, and consequently for our children's children. And we tend to blame it on “society today” not realizing that it is our cumulative and aggregate actions that create the society we speak of.

We fear to discipline our children out of concern that they will be emotionally scarred, and then they grow up lacking all restraint and end up scarring *us* emotionally and even physically! We want them to experience everything they can before they choose which direction they should take, not realizing that some experiences automatically impair good judgment, thereby precluding better decisions going forward.

The reason that the second generation depicted in Judges 2:10 did not know God was that their parents had, by their own poor example, failed to serve God fully. We can see from the end of Judges chapter 1, that the Israelites failed to do the one thing that God had instructed them to do – to drive out the Canaanites from the land.

Judges 1:28 And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out.

This failing of the parents led to God telling them that He would no longer drive the Canaanites out of the land, but they would end up being a snare unto them.

We are making the same mistake in the current era, and the effect is very much the same – our children are leaving the churches in droves, and they are dabbling in destructive pleasures of the world – all because we don’t want to apply discipline, and more importantly, because we are not following God as fully as we know we should.

Let us take this opportunity to learn a lesson for the history of God’s people and not only live as God has instructed us to, but also lead our families as God has instructed. God’s blessings are almost always conditional – dependent on our obedience to His will and adherence with His commandments. We should avoid any feelings of entitlements when it comes to God’s mercies and blessings, and thereby avoid teaching our children the same.

Share Post:

The Problem of Wickedness

ASB — Thu, 01 May 2008 03:49:50 GMT

Every now and then, I find that some of my secular reading contains a gem or two that has interesting spiritual connotations. This week, for instance, while I was perusing the May 2008 issue of Harvard Business Review, I came across a very interesting article entitled: Strategy as a Wicked Problem.

Now, I was intrigued by their use of the term "wicked" as that is generally only used in a religious context or as slang. The following except from the article outlines the definition of a "wicked" problem, as outlined by the author, John C. Camillus.

Wickedness isn’t a degree of difficulty. Wicked issues are different because traditional processes can’t resolve them, according to Horst W.J. Rittel and Melvin M. Webber, professors of design and urban planning at the University of California at Berkeley, who described them in a 1973 article in Policy Sciences magazine. A wicked problem has innumerable causes, is tough to describe, and doesn’t have a right answer, as we will see in the next section. Environmental degradation, terrorism, and poverty—these are classic examples of wicked problems. They’re the opposite of hard but ordinary problems, which people can solve in a finite time period by applying standard techniques. Not only do conventional processes fail to tackle wicked problems, but they may exacerbate situations by generating undesirable consequences.

It seems to me that this is a very apt description of wickedness in a spiritual context as well, and it brought to light the complexity of dealing with the problem of sin. Too often, we look at the sin problem as though it should have been very easy to avoid, given God's knowledge of events past, present and future. And there is a corresponding tendency to look at the plan of Salvation as outlined in the scriptures as being far too convoluted to be of any use or reasonableness.

Yet, as this article points out, mankind is learning that there are problems whose solution is not simple and concise, but complicated and verbose. These solutions require a significant investment of time, energy and dedication.

As we look at the plan that required the Son of God to live a perfect life, then die (try to wrap your head around that one) for the sins of everyone, you have to wonder just how complicated this whole sin thing is. We are told that it will be something that we study and learn more about throughout eternity.

Not every problem is simple. Not every solution can be thrown together hastily.

Some issues are simply wicked.

Thankfully, God is able to deal with even these issues.

Share Post:

The Benefits of Witnessing

ASB — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 12:55:53 GMT

We often look at witnessing as being an activity that is primarily beneficial to the recipient of the witnessing endeavor. It is, after all, their salvation that is at stake. But, there is an oft ignored benefit to the one who is doing the witnessing -- and it is a significant one.

One of the reasons that God has commissioned us to evangelize, is that doing so is a critical part of growing spiritually. In order to be an effective witness, one needs to have a close connection with God. Of the many reasons why this is true, a key reason is that in order to be a convincing proponent of anything, one must be fully immersed and knowledgeable about that thing.

We wouldn't take financial advice from someone who has problems managing their own money, nor would we take technology advice from someone whose own technology is rundown and inadequate. We would be somewhat reticent to take the word of someone who claimed who would win any particular sporting event, but couldn't display a firm grasp of the current participants or their history. In short, whatever the topic, ones ability to convince others to accept or consider something is very dependent upon ones own foundation in that subject.

This is even more true of witnessing, because we cannot *convince* anyone to accept God. That's God's job. All we do is tell of our own experiences with God -- what He has done for us and through us. And when we rely on Him to assist us in this work, it enhances our own experience, and adds to the body of evidence about His power, His goodness, and His love and mercy.

Being an effective witness entails maintaining a close relationship with God through prayer and Bible study, and being receptive to be placed into circumstances where people need spiritual assistance. When dealing with people who do not believe in God, it requires Divine strength to be able to respond both accurately and appropriately, because as a witness, how you respond is every bit a part of your message as what you have to say in the first place.

God has promised us that He will guide us in all such circumstances:

Mark 13:9-11 KJV
(9) But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.
(10) And the gospel must first be published among all nations.
(11) But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.

John 14:26 KJV
(26) But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

1 Corinthians 2:10-13 KJV
(10) But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
(11) For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
(12) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
(13) Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

And as we each witness, our faith is strengthened -- not just as we see people come to understand and accept the message of salvation, but was we see God working through us and giving us wisdom and understanding and strength to be to be effective witnesses.

But, it starts with having a connection with Jesus, and letting people know of our relationship. If we keep it to ourselves, we will essentially stunt our own spiritual growth. It is this aspect of witnessing that many people are unfortunately ignorant of.

Those who take that first step in faith, find that their faith is abundantly rewarded, and that subsequent steps are made easier. Those who do not, find that the way ahead looks harder and harder. We do ourselves an injustice when we do not follow the Great Commission:

Matthew 28:18-20 KJV
(18) And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
(19) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
(20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Share Post:

The Purpose of Evangelism

ASB — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 11:19:41 GMT

A couple of weeks ago, I went to a weekend seminar on Evangelism, and one of the things that was presented was that the primary purpose of Evangelism is to make more worshippers. Not just mere converts, but worshippers.

Worship is active. Very active.

There are too many people who accept religion, who believe in God, but who do nothing in particular about it. If you look at both the Old and New Testaments, true worshippers of God are extremely active. In fact, God calls for lots of activity in service to Him.

2 Chronicles 5:13
It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth forever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;

Luke 2:20
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Matthew 28:19-20
(19) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
(20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Luke 24:52-53
(52) And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:
(53) And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

Vibrant worship leads to effective evangelism, which fuels the cycle all over again. The act of praising and glorifying God for what He has done, inspires us to tell others about what He has done, which is what evangelism is all about.

Vibrant Worship...

Acts 1:12 to Acts 2:4 (excerpts provided below)
(12) Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.
(13) And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.
(14) These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

(1) And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
(2) And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
(3) And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
(4) And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Effective Evangelism...

Acts 2:5-41 (excerpts provided below)
(37) Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
(38) Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
(39) For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
(40) And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
(41) Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

Even More Worship...

Acts 2:42-47 (excerpts provided below)
(42) And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
(46) And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
(47) Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

When Jesus has returned to take His children home, and the earth is remade as in the beginning, and sin and suffering are no more, there will be no need for new converts, but we will still have worship...

Share Post:

Where Is The Precious Flock?

ASB — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 00:28:18 GMT

As parents, there are a few things we should consider when we look at what the Bible tells us about training our children in matters of spiritual significance:

Are we taking our responsibilities as parents seriously?
Do we make our children's spiritual education a priority?
Are we presenting an example that is at odds with what we tell our children?
Are we misrepresenting God to our children, and thereby impacting their salvation?
Will we get to heaven only to find that we have made it alone?

The Bible has much to say on the importance of a spiritual upbringing, and the following presentation provides some guidance on how to be sure that you're fulfilling your parental duties in this regard:

PowerPoint 2003 format...

Share Post:

Having The Right Relationship

ASB — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 00:08:43 GMT

At the very heart of it, our salvation is based on our relationship with Jesus Christ. And yes, it does matter what we believe!

It's also very important whom we believe in, and how we maintain that relationship.

Check out the following presentation about the right type of spiritual relationship...

PowerPoint 2003 format...

Share Post:

Does It Really Matter What You Believe?

ASB — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 18:59:31 GMT

Here's a common question: How important are the various beliefs that Christians have if salvation is really all about knowing Jesus?

In short, does it really matter what we believe if we all love Jesus Christ and accept Him as our Savior?

Clearly, we are not saved because of the set of beliefs we hold near and dear to our hearts. Outside of a belief in -- and an acceptance of -- Jesus Christ, there is nothing else that determines our salvation.

Acts 16:30-31
(30) And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
(31) And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Romans 3:22-24
(22) Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
(23) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
(24) Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Romans 10:8-11
(8) ...The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
(9) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
(10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
(11) For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

However, the Bible makes it equally clear that accepting Jesus and His salvation is not the end of our obligation to Him. We are not called to salvation and then idleness. We are called to witness, to minister, to work in harmony with His will, and to abide in Him.

John 14:14-15
(14) If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
(15) If ye love me, keep my commandments.
John 15:4-5
(4) Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
(5) I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Matthew 28:19-20
(19) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
(20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Matthew 25:34-40
(34) Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
(35) For I was hungry, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
(36) Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
(37) Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
(38) When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
(39) Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
(40) And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

So, saying that we love Jesus is good, but we must then do what it is He asks us to do and live in harmony with the principles He has outlined for us. We can't just do whatsoever we want while claiming to be in love with Him.

When Jesus returns, He has indicated that He will come with a reward that is based not on what we have said, but on what we have done:

Revelation 22:12
(12) And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

Revelation 3:8-11
(8) I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
(9) Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
(10) Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
(11) Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

We need to make sure that we are not only saying that we love Jesus, but that what we are doing is in accordance with what we are saying and with what He has asked us to do...

And we know what He has asked us to do, because He has given us the Bible, the written Word.

Share Post:

The Ways God Speaks To Us...

ASB — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 01:17:54 GMT

God has many ways to speak to us. In both the Old and New Testament, we have examples of God speaking directly to one or more people, speaking through prophets, speaking through angels (usually to prophets), and occasionally even speaking through animals.

Sometimes He speaks audibly to us, sometimes on the inside, as with the conscience. The more you speak with God through prayer, and the more you listen to (and obey) His voice, the more easily you are able to recognize His voice subsequently.

We would do well, when we pray, to listen as well -- after all, what good is a conversation that is only one way? God is not a genie.

John 10:16
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

John 10:27
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

Once you are in harmony with Jesus Christ, you will always know when He is speaking with you, and you will desire to obey His voice.

Share Post:

The Bible: Our Treasure Map

ASB — Sun, 06 May 2007 03:28:53 GMT

The Bible is our treasure map that leads us to Salvation. It is not, in and of itself, Salvation, but it points the way to Jesus Christ, who is our only Salvation.

As Jesus pointed out to the Pharisees, they thought they had inherent salvation because they had the Scriptures, but they were ignoring the fact that the Bible was pointing them to Jesus.

John 5:39 (New King James Version)

You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.

The Bible is the guide that points us to Jesus, which whom we obtain a personal relationship.
Through faith, we enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Through daily prayer and Bible study, our relationship with Jesus grows.
The Bible outlines many promises that God encourages us to prove Him with, which God shows us as we study.
We exercise and strengthen our faith as we accept these promises and lean on God to sustain us.
The cycle of 3,4,5 continues...

The treasure map is not the end goal -- it points us to the actual end goal, which is a saving relationship with Jesus.

Share Post:

The Miracles of Jesus

ASB — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 12:31:59 GMT

Here is an interesting article from the Encyclopedia Britannica about Jesus Christ, including the miracles He performed during His earthly ministry.

These are also recorded in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Share Post:

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

ASB — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 01:59:46 GMT

It is the Holy Spirit which guides us into all spiritual truth.

Just before Jesus was crucified, He promised His disciples that when He went back to Heaven to mediate on our behalf, He would send someone else to be a comforter to His followers.

John 14:16-18 KJV
(16) And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;
(17) Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
(18) I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

The Holy Spirit is given to all believers as we ask for power, strengthen and guidance. Jesus has promised that whatsoever we ask in His name and in accordance with His Will, will be done.

John 14:11-14 KJV
(11) Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
(12) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
(13) And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
(14) If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

We receive the gift of the Holy Spirit once we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ:

John 7:37-39 KJV
(37) In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
(38) He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
(39) (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Ephesians 1:13-23 KJV
(13) In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise,
(14) Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
(15) Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
(16) Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers,
(17) That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
(18) The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
(19) And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
(20) Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
(21) Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
(22) And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
(23) Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.

This was especially true for the centurion Cornelious, who is the only person recorded in the Bible as being baptized with the Holy Ghost before being baptized with water.

Acts 10:34,44-48 KJV
(34) Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
...
(44) While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
(45) And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
(46) For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
(47) Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
(48) And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

As we surrender our lives to Jesus, and pray that His will be done in our daily activities, we will be guided, instructed, and strengthened by the Holy Spirit.

Share Post:

The Seal of God

ASB — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 09:08:47 GMT

I was reading Acts 13,14 this morning, and I came across the passage in Acts 14:15 that uses the phrase:

"the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein"

So I decided to see how many times the Bible talks about Heaven, Earth and Sea in the context of Creation or an affirmation of God's creative power.

Here are the texts that show up when you search for: Heaven Earth Sea

(Exodus 20:11 KJV)
For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.

(Psalms 146:6 KJV)
Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth forever:

(Ezekiel 38:20 KJV)
So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.

(Amos 9:6 KJV)
It is he that buildeth his stories in the heaven, and hath founded his troop in the earth; he that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name.

(Acts 4:24 KJV)
And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:

(Acts 14:15 KJV)
And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:

(Revelation 5:13 KJV)
And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.

(Revelation 10:5,6 KJV)
And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, and swore by him that liveth forever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:

(Revelation 14:7 KJV)
Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

(Revelation 21:1 KJV)
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

These are all tied directly to the wording of the 4th Commandment -- which is the first time the wording appears in the Bible. It is hard to see how people think that this commandment can be discarded, when so much of the Bible uses this phraseology as a testament of God's authority and sovereignty.

The Bible makes it abundantly clear that what God said to the people with His own mouth in Exodus 20, and wrote on tablets of stone with His own fingers (rather than using paper, as was done with the ceremonial laws), is intended to be permanent and unchanging, and was recognized as such by the Bible writers.

Share Post:

A Critical View of "The Scientific Method"

ASB — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 01:22:00 GMT

While looking through some Wikipedia links concerning teachings about a Flat Earth, I came across the following website which expresses some criticism of the scientific method as it is often portrayed. The site tries to emphasize that it is in no way opposed to science itself. Here is an excerpt from the main page:

Discussions of methodology in science are clouded by a dreadful confusion because the phrase "the scientific method" is used in two very different ways, one appropriate and one highly misleading. The appropriate one speaks in a very general way of science as a powerful process for improving understanding. People who use the phrase in this general way may be criticizing dogmatic clinging to beliefs and prejudices, or appreciating careful and systematic reasoning about empirical evidence. Although vague, this general use of the phrase can be more or less appropriate.
On the other hand, the phrase is also commonly used in a much more specific sense -- an entirely misleading sense -- which implies that there is a unique standard method which is central to scientific progress. There is no such unique standard method -- scientific progress requires many methods -- but students in introductory science courses are taught that "The Scientific Method" is a straightforward procedure, involving testing hypotheses derived from theories in order to test those theories.

So far, I have only had the opportunity to read a few pages, but I'll comment more fully when I've had a chance to digest more data from the site, and cross-reference it with other sites.

Share Post:

The Faulty Foundation of Evolution

ASB — Sun, 29 Oct 2006 17:23:33 GMT

One of the basic tenets of the scientific method is the validation of hypotheses and theories through experiments or experimental studies. All of this, of course, is subject to the principle of reasoning. This process has served us well over time, and has allowed us to gain a great understanding in a variety of areas of scientific study.

There are some limitations to this method, of course. For one thing, we are dependent on what we can observe by some mechanism, and unfortunately, there are many things that we desire to learn about that are not observable directly, or even indirectly. Secondly, the scientific method is vulnerable to the same biases that plague every other system operated by mankind. If enough people don't happen to like your research (notice that I said "don't like" rather than "have proven it invalid") because it challenges views they hold dear, you may find it difficult to get your research published in a non-obscure location.

Now, when it comes to the science of evolution, many of its adherents emphasize the superiority of the scientific method to garner useful knowledge. They point to the many documents which have successfully made it through the review process, thus establishing the facts as they interpret the physical evidence to be. (Yes, contrary to popular opinion, science must interpret its data just like religion interprets the Bible.) They focus on how broadly accepted their data is, and how there is a solid foundation.

What many people ignore, however, is that some of the underlying assumptions of evolutionary science are not actually proven facts; nor is there only one plausible interpretation of the data. Not all of the concepts are universally accepted within the scientific community. There are instances where the same data is used to come up with two or more different theories, each supported by a group of individuals.

The Big Bang Theory vs The Static Universe Theory

Despite the supposed openness of the scientific method in bringing advancements into view, it is pretty clear that this openness is limited to what is already generally accepted within the scientific community. This is the opposite end of the view that most Christians have, where everything is measured against the Bible to determine accuracy. (Ironically, Christians are often accused of being closed-minded for suggesting that data which opposes the Bible is automatically invalid, while science has no problem saying the same thing in reverse.)

When you look closely, evolutionary science deals with speculation about the unobservable and unrepeatable past -- and the distant past at that. Granted, all of science is constrained in some way from fully replicating events of the past, but evolutionary science is uniquely constrained because it not only requires a great many elements to work in perfect harmony (since this is supposed to have happen largely by chance), but because of the vast timelines involved, and the supposed minor and virtually undetectable changes occurring in any single creature, there is really no reliable way to replicate most of the hypotheses. And if you find something that doesn't fit the model, you either ignore it, or rework the model to include it.

Let's look at a couple of areas where evolution has issues that are routinely glossed over, or which fail basic principles of reasoning, but for various reasons have persisted. Here are a few of them.

The dating mechanism is a major foundational element of the evolution theory because evolution scientists believe that they need lots of time for all of these creatures to slowly move from one phase to another. (Personally, a shorter cycle makes much more sense if you were going to believe in evolution in the first place, and I'll show why in a moment). The dating mechanism relies on the idea that the decay of isotopes is constant and has always been constant, and that no major events transpired which would have altered them (like, perhaps, the meteor strike that supposedly wiped out the dinosaurs).

Evolutionary science also relies on genetic material being gained over time. After all, if you start with single-celled organisms, and eventually move to complex, multi-celled organisms, you need to increase your genetic material, especially if you intend to have any diversity of creatures. Not only do we not have any examples of such increase over time, all our information points to definitive losses as generations pass.

Tied in closely with this is the need for complex functionality to evolve over time in a way that interdependencies of the components are maintained all the way through. Remember, this is allegedly being done by chance. This brings us to the relationship of DNA and RNA. How would this successfully evolve to a point of usefulness?

Okay, so let's say we still aren't sure about the above, but we want to make use of the vaunted scientific method for ourselves? What should we use as the basis for evaluating how the evolutionary cycle should play out? We can consider starting with the life-cycle of a frog and extrapolate this cycle to see how evolution might deal with it.

Here are two different documents that deal with frogs from infancy through adulthood.

We have chosen the frog because the types of changes that he goes through appear similar to what is regularly proposed by evolution -- albeit, within a much shorter time-frame.

Now, let's say we add some major time to this tadpole-to-frog cycle (like a couple million years), and we should also interject many generations of creatures. What do you suppose happens to the set of creatures who have to live for 10,000+ years in the stage of life that corresponds to a 10-day old tadpole?

Supposedly, during the metamorphosis, the tadpoles immune system is shutdown in order to more easily facilitate the changes. However, this leaves the creatures vulnerable to all sorts of illness and injury.

Clearly, the shorter the cycle of change, the more reasonable the success of the activity, since the time periods of vulnerability would be diminished. Conversely, the longer the creature must stay in a particular state where it has limited defenses against predators, the less likely the chance of survival. To simplify things for the purposes of this thought experiment, we'll assume, that the immune system of an evolutionary frog would remain intact across all of the many multitude of generations.

Still, this does beg some questions that I would love to see answered:

Given the vulnerabilities of the creatures in each stage, how many of them would you have to start with in order for any frogs to exist today?
If evolution was responsible for the frog originating from some tadpole-like ancestor, why wouldn't the immune system have also evolved to support the metamorphosis without shutting down in today's frog?
For that matter, why wouldn't the evolution of the frog have resulted in frogs that don't need this sort of metamorphosis? (After all, the changes produced by evolution are supposed to be random, and yet be the best ones for the species in question.)
If you extended the metamorphosis cycle of the frog by even years, rather than days or weeks, how likely is it that all of the tadpoles would die before becoming adult frogs? (Many tadpoles are already lost each year to predators -- even with their current short cycle)
If evolutionary changes are both small and random, why do enough creatures manage to obtain the same types of good changes in order to become a better species?

There are so many assumptions that you simply have to accept in evolutionary science. Evolutionists often claim that Creationists are not accepting the evidence, but the truth if that Creationists simply interpret the evidence in nature differently from the way that Evolutionists do. Evolutionists use their interpretation of science as their measuring stick, and Creationists use the Bible as theirs.

At the end of the day, I would rather put my trust in God's viewpoint because it has several distinct advantages over mankind's viewpoint:

God was there during Creation.
Mankind can only speculate and come up with multiple theories for what started it all.
God is has accuracy down pat.
Science has often had to correct itself, and there is no indication that this trend has abated.
God promises a future of constant learning.
Mankind proposes that we have no future, but likely destruction by the Sun.

I'll take God, whom I have proven for myself over the word and works of man, no matter how many peers have reviewed their ever-changing theories...

Share Post: