Lincoln Was Right

If you are an evolutionist who doesn’t believe in God’s existence, you’re on the losing team. You may was well give up. Here’s the score: An amazing 84% of Americans not only believe in God, but they claim a religious affiliation, while an even greater number acknowledge His existence (more than 90%).

Even more disheartening for evolutionists is the fact that for over 50 years evolution has been espoused from all quarters in this nation, and yet the amount of people believing it since that time has only increased by a measly one percent.

Why has this happened? The answer is simple. It takes no faith to believe in God’s existence. This is because evidence is everywhere. Even a child knows that if there’s a creation, there must be a Creator. But because there is no empirical species-to-species evidence for evolution, it takes a huge leap of faith to believe in the theory.

For a time it seemed that the masses were being persuaded by evolution, but recent media attention to the issue has made them give the issue some serious thought. The "folks" are not that easily deceived. Abraham Lincoln was right when he said, “We may deceive all the people sometimes; we may deceive some of the people all the time, but not all the people all the time, and not God at any time.”

Post Script: More than 20 years ago a friend gave me a comprehensive book of quality quotes, in which I first saw Lincoln's famous quote in its entirety. I was very familiar with it, but didn't know that he had climaxed with "and not God at any time." How typical that they had been removed.

A Dumb Joke

A British pilot was shot down over Germany in 1943. He was arrested by the Germans and held for interrogation. The commanding officer cleared the room, saying that he would personally handle the grilling. As the soldiers stood behind the closed door they heard, SLAP! "Vot is your name!" SLAP! "Vot is your rank?" SLAP! "Vot is your serial number?" SLAP! "And why do you keep hitting me when I am asking you these questions?"

It’s a dumb joke, but it provokes a genuine question in my mind. Why do skeptics keep hitting us with angry words, when we are asking you about your eternal salvation? When we talk to you about your need of God's forgiveness, you become angry, unreasonable and defensive. Are we your enemy because we tell you the truth? You are going to die. You have nothing to lose by humbly listening to the claims of the gospel. God offers you everlasting life, so, please, forget for a moment about hypocrites. Forget about the atrocities of religion. These are legitimate issues, and God will deal with them in His time. In the meanwhile, think about your sins. Those secret sins. Think about the Savior. Think what He has done on the cross for sinful human beings. Think about eternity. Your eternity.

If you ignore God’s mercy and you find yourself in your sins on Judgment Day, you will say “Why didn’t you slap my face and shake me out of my stupor!” But if we did that, it would offend you. All we can do is slap you with words. And then hope and pray that it gets your attention for a moment, so that you will humble yourself and seek peace with God.

The Weapons

The Bible makes it clear that the weapons of our warfare are not “carnal,” but that they are “mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.” To be “carnal” means to fight the way the world fights. They want their rights, and they will fight to the death for them. However, the Christian gives up his rights. He turns the other cheek. He loves his enemies and does good to those that spitefully use and persecute him and cast his name out as evil. The Christian gives up his rights to hold on to resentment, hatred or bitterness, or to give a place in his heart to jealousy or envy.

Our weapons of the soldiers of Christ are listed for us in the War Manual in Ephesians chapter six. 1. Faith is our shield. It quenches all the fiery darts of the enemy. No matter what is thrown at us, we trust God. 2. The Word of God is our sword. It is quick and powerful, and cuts deep into the marrow of the bone. When we quote the Bible, it never returns void. An army marches on its stomach, so feed on the word daily. Do you? Every day? 3. Prayer is our communication with Headquarters. So, never let the static of sin hinder your communication. If you are in a fire, experts say to drop to your knees. There you will find life-giving oxygen. If you find yourself in a fiery trial, get on your knees before you do a thing. Prayer is the key to your survival.

Keep your loins girded (on the ready), and make sure you wear the belt of truth, with your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace. Always be prepared to share your faith with the lost. And, never forget, “we are more than conquerors though Him that loved us.” God is with us, so we cannot lose. No matter what.

The Objective

There are only two categories of people on this earth. There are those who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, and there are those who haven’t. Many of the lost sit within the Church, while others would never think of darkening the door of a church building. But both are in terrible danger. Both are enemies of God in their minds through wicked works. Eternal justice hovers over them like a mighty anvil, and in a heartbeat, death could seize them today, and take them to Hell. They don’t believe that, but we know it to be a reality.

Death is not a process of evolution or Mother nature. It is the just penalty from a Holy God for violation of His Law--He is the One that said the soul that sins, shall die. Death is the arresting officer who will hold the criminal until the full sentence is given. It is truly, as the Bible says, a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.

But the Scriptures tell us that God is rich in mercy. Guilty though we are, He has provided a pardon though the blood of the cross. In an instant, He can commute the sinner’s death sentence. What a glorious message we have for dying humanity--that God can grant them the gift of everlasting life, through the gospel.

This leaves us with a tremendous moral obligation. We are like doctors with a cure to cancer. How could any Christian remain silent? Like the Apostles, we cannot but speak that which we have seen and heard. So, soldier of Christ, never forget that our clear agenda is to preach the Gospel to every creature. It’s up to them to listen, and to obey.

The Enemy

We are in a war, and it’s easy to forget who we are battling against as we “fight the good fight of faith.” It is the god of this world who is our enemy (see 1 Corinthians 4:1-4), the one the Bible says came to “kill, steal and to destroy.”

The Scriptures also teach that there are two worlds--the seen and the unseen. One is temporal; the other is eternal. God has opened the Christian’s eyes through the new birth to the unseen world--that there is a host of demonic personalities by which this world is deceived. When the unsaved speak of a person as “having his demons,” they don’t understand the truth of what they say. They simply mean that he has serious problems; but we know better. We know that there is a “spirit” that works in the “children of disobedience.”

When human beings come against us with hatred, anger and contempt, we have to remember that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood.” Instead, we wrestle against “principalities and powers,” against “spiritual wickedness in high places.” So today, as you do battle with the people and problems of this world, keep in mind the identity of your enemy. If you can do that, you have won half the battle, because the way you fight will be spiritual, and not carnal.

The Tired Lady

A woman became tired at Venice Beach in California in the summer of 1994. The police beach patrol vehi­cle ran over her as she lay face down in the sand, about 50 feet from the water's edge. The woman, who was im­pressed with the vehicle they were driving, was treated at a local hospi­tal and dis­charged the same day. (From the soon-to-be-published, 101 of the Dumbest Things People Have Done.)

Who's Winding Your Clock?

Who are you serving? The Bible says that it’s either God or the devil. If it’s God, you will believe that there’s a devil, and if it’s the devil, you won’t believe that there’s a God. Not the God of the Bible, that is. You will either deny God’s existence or you will make up your own image of a god.

If you are serving the devil, you will live for yourself. If you are serving God, you will live for the One who gave you life, for others, and you will care about those who live for the devil. You will plead with them, pray for them, and hopefully weep for them. Whatever their fate, one day they will understand why. They are blinded by the devil, and as the Bible says, he has taken them captive to do his will. And his will they gladly do.

If he is winding your clock, your time is running out. You will soon be in eternity. If you are serving sin, you are serving the devil, and his wages are really bad (see Romans 6:23). I strongly suggest, no I plead with you, quit before Payday.

Christians Get Mercy and Grace

Some wise person summed up justice, mercy and grace. They said, “Justice is when you get what you deserve. Mercy is when you don't get what you deserve. And grace is when you get what you don't deserve: “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

How Many Others?

According to the Daily Mail, a baby that doctors warned would be deaf, blind and only live for a few hours was born physically and mentally healthy. Doctors urged Becky and Kriss Kramer of Pembroke Dock in South Wales, to abort their baby, but the couple defied doctors' advice, and their son Brandon was born healthy on October 1, 2007. The 24 year-old mother said, "The fact that he is here now, alive and kicking, truly is a miracle. I feel incredibly guilty thinking that I could have killed him, and then I find myself wondering how many other babies are killed who would have turned out to be completely healthy." The answer in America, is over fifty million.

The Future

If you even knew five minutes into the future, I’m sure certain things would radically change for you. I’m not talking about playing blackjack in Vegas; rather, I’m thinking about what car or plane you would climb into. I’m thinking about what pill you would drop. I’m sure if Heath Ledger had known the future, he would have been more careful as to what he swallowed. I’m sure if JFK had known just 20 minutes into the future, he would have thought twice about climbing into a limo in Dallas. The fact is, we don’t know a moment into the future, but we can know Him who knows the future.

The Bible tells us that God created time and that He can flick through it, as you and I flick through the pages of a history book. Those who find that hard to believe simply need to study Matthew 24 or Luke 21, and see how the words of Jesus parallel history, before it came into being. The Word of God perfectly predicts the days in which we live. Jesus even predicted that we would be reading His words 2,000 years after they were written.

What's going to happen in the future? God knows; and it's an unspeakable consolation to know that with all the chaos and uncertainty in this world, there is Someone who is in control. Absolute control. You don't even write an email without His permission.

The Incredible Egg

If it’s true that you are what you eat, I’m an egg. I love eggs, and I thank God for them. They are so incredibly well-designed, from the shell, to the yolk, to the white. But there’s more to the egg than meets the mouth. You probably know that when an egg is fertilized, the chick is ready to hatch by the 21st day. Up to this point the little fellow has been receiving his oxygen from the circulating newly made blood. But now his demand for oxygen will be much greater, as he exerts himself to break out of the shell. Have you ever noticed the flat spot on the top of a hard-boiled egg when you peel it? It’s on every egg that has ever been made. It is actually an air sack. The chick begins to gasp for air as the lungs start to work, but by this time he has developed what is known as an “egg tooth” on the outside of his beak. Without this tooth, he would suffocate. He uses it to break into the air sack to get air. But he only has six hours of oxygen in there. He has the instinctive information that he can’t rest. He must continue to work on the shell with his tooth until he breaks a hole in it, and can start breathing outside air. All of this has to happen exactly as it does, at exactly the right time, or the chick dies. Chicks hatch on exactly the 21st day every time, and it's happened billions of times. To say that God is awesome is the understatement of eternity.

Elton John’s Attempted Redemption

Rock icon Elton John has been raising money for the AIDS cause, and many people are being greatly helped because of his generosity. So, why is he doing it? This is what he said about his motives: “Basically, I wanted redemption for the way I lived my life beforehand, and that was the drugs, the drink, the loose sex, whatever…”

“Redemption” is a word that finds its roots in the Bible. It’s common for celebrities to become virtuous as they age. They are trying to redeem themselves because conscience demands it. They know that they have been immoral, and so they try and balance the scales. Why bother? Each individual could answer that, but I will take a guess. Guilt produces a fear of punishment. In other words, they are covering their bases in case Hell does exist. But there’s one big problem with the redemption philosophy. It doesn’t work.

Give it some thought. If a depraved criminal has raped and murdered ten women, the judge couldn’t care less how much he has redeemed himself by giving to charities. He will judge him on his crimes alone. You say that it’s an unfair comparison--to liken the average human being to a depraved criminal. Not according to the Word of God. Here is God’s view of the best of us: “As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one. There is none who understands. There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside. They have together become unprofitable. There is none who does good, no, not one. Their throat is an open tomb. With their tongues they have practiced deceit. The poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes (Romans 3:10-18).

So if there is no way “good works” can provide redemption for a depraved criminal with man’s justice, it’s not going to work in God’s courtroom. Not for a moment.

The only way we can be redeemed is for God to provide a payment (or sacrifice) for our sins, and He did that through the suffering death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, Israel sacrificed their prized bulls and goats, and the blood of the slain animals provided temporary forgiveness for their personal sins. But when they sinned again, they had to provide another sacrifice. The Bible addresses this, and speaks of how trust in the Savior (God’s sacrifice) provides absolute and permanent forgiveness for the believer. That means we (by the mercy and grace of God), can escape Hell and enter Heaven. We can have everlasting life. Look at how the shed blood of Jesus Christ even cleanses us from a guilty conscience: “For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:13-14).

Redemption is freely available for Elton John, every celebrity, and every guilty human being. All it takes is humility, but tragically that's one virtue that is hard to come by nowadays, especially among the rich and famous.

Evolution Debate

"Hey Christians--clostridium just challenged Ray to debate him about evolution. Help me talk Ray into doing it! So--Waddaya say, Ray? You've been making some pretty bold remarks about evo. Think you can back them up? Looks like you been called, boy. Ray has absolutely been called (not relatively if anyone is confused). What he will undoubtedly do is frantically add 6 or 7 new posts and bury this one so he doesn't have to deal with it. What a coward; so sure in his convictions until challenged by someone who knows something about the subject."

Clostridium… I don’t do debates on the subject of evolution. Neither do I do debates on the tooth fairy, Santa Claus, Zeus, the flying spaghetti monster, or Hercules. If you believe evolution is a reality, then the onus is on you to prove it. You have the burden of proof. In my new book, Evolution A Fairy Tale for Grownups (due to be published in about a month), I have quoted Richard Dawkins in the Introduction. He wisely said, “And, next time somebody tells you that something is true, why not say to them: ‘What kind of evidence is there for that?’ And if they can’t give you a good answer, I hope you’ll think very carefully before you believe a word they say.”

That’s all I have asked in this book. I have never claimed to be an authority on the subject of evolution, but I have quoted authorities. Lots of them. The publication is filled with quotes from the mouths of evolution experts who admit that they have nothing. They have no empirical evidence for the theory.

No doubt you will accuse me of “quote mining” (for those who don’t know what that is, it’s the practice of taking a quote--often out of its context, and using it in a way that was never intended by the author). However, every gold nugget is legitimately mined out of its context. No one seriously values the earth that encases the gold. So, when I uncover an evolutionary expert quietly admitting that he has no evidence to back up his theory, I don’t see any value in the soil of his surrounding words. I merely extract what I believe is of value for those who want to discover the truth about the theory of evolution.

I have spent months researching for this book, and I have found evolution to be mind-numbingly boring . . . an intellectual embarrassment. It is a scientifically bankrupt theory, and it’s the bed-fellow of atheism.

Thank you though for your kind offer to debate me.

Skeptic's Objection

“One need not be a born again Christian to be a good person. In fact, there is an elderly couple who live down the road from me. For several years now my son and I shovel their walks when it snows. My Christian neighbor said to me one day, 'I saw you and your son shoveling out down at Joe's yesterday. My wife and I pray for them often.' I wanted to laugh in his face. I think you know why.”

A Christian is not a “good person.” The reason for this is that no one can be called a good person when we have no clear definition of the word “good.” Is a rapist a good person because he no longer rapes? Or does a thief become a good person when he gives to charity? Some would say “Yes,” and others would say “No.”

The only way to define who is good and who isn’t is to define the word “good.” The dictionary has 58 definitions for the word, but the principle meaning is to be “morally excellent.” In other words to be “good’ means to be morally perfect, in thought, word and in deed. The Bible tells us that only God is good (see Mark 10:17. Even the word is derived from the word “God”). So, once there’s a clear definition, it’s clear that a Christian is not a good person. Neither is a non-Christian.

In the above objection, the person is implying that you don’t have to be a Christian to live a good life. That’s true. Anyone can do the things that Christians do. They can start hospitals, schools, feed the poor, build houses, etc. But that won’t get anyone to Heaven, nor will it save anyone from Hell. This is because salvation has nothing to do with our “good” works. How could it? What could you and I ever do to “earn” everlasting life?

But add to the equation the fact that we are criminals, having violated the Law of a holy God a multitude of times, and it becomes clear that the only way any of us could ever be saved from Hell and enter Heaven, is by the mercy of the Judge. And that’s what the Bible teaches. A Christian is saved by the grace and mercy of God, without works: “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works lest any man boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

So, stop pretending to be good, and realize that doing good will do you no good on Judgment Day. Instead, repent and trust the Savior, and then live a good life--not to impress anyone or bribe God, but out of gratitude to Him for His mercy.

Wrong Number

I tried to call my eldest son recently. I didn’t have my cell phone to speed dial him, so I had to use a conventional phone along with my brain. I looked at the faded number on a piece of card. One of the numbers was hardly legible, so I took a guess and waited for him to answer. Suddenly, someone answered. It was the police department!

Maybe you’re just doing your “number” in life. Your conscience is so dulled it’s not telling you that what you are doing is wrong. Your take on morality is faded. It once was very clear, but not any longer. You think that your error is no big deal, but what you are doing is calling on the Law. Every transgression will reap retribution. Every time you sin, in thought, word or in deed, you are violating the Moral Law and storing up God’s wrath. Don’t believe it? That’s your problem.

No Worries

A note to skeptics. Thanks for your sincere concern that Christians are spending their lives in “superstition,” believing things we ought not to believe. However, your worry for us is totally unfounded. I am probably speaking for most Christians when I say that I walk under ladders without any concern about it bringing bad luck. I couldn’t care less if a black cat walked in front of me. Friday the 13th is like any other day. I don’t read horoscopes. I think they are stupid. I don’t visit psychics, except with a hidden camera in an effort to expose them. I don’t believe in Santa Clause, Zeus, UFO’s, fairytales or evolution.

I believe in what I can see with my eyes, and I have adequate proof for what I believe in that I can’t see. I couldn’t care less if a pizza looked like Mary, or that some puffy cloud in the sky looks like Jesus with His arms outstretched. I’m not impressed by champagne. I wouldn’t eat caviar if you paid me, and I’m unimpressed by the superficiality of Hollywood. I don’t trust politicians, and I don’t have much faith in the political process.

I am a skeptic by nature, and I think that is healthy. So, relax. If there’s no Heaven and no Hell, I won’t even know about it. And if by living a godly life, I missed out on being an alcoholic, on clogging my lungs with cigarette smoke, destroying my brain with drugs, ruining my family with greed, getting sexually transmitted diseases, and having a niggling thought that Hell might exist, that’s okay with me.

Amazing Evolution

If there was no sun, there would be no life. It’s amazing how it evolved to where it is now. Sitting there in the sky, 93 million miles away from us. If it was a little closer, we would all die. If it was further away, we would all die; along with everything else. How did it evolve to position itself in just the right place? It's amazing.

If there was no oxygen, there would be no life. It’s amazing how the mix of air was able to get to the right consistency, with the right percentage of oxygen, all by itself. I wonder what percentage it was at the beginning. If the mix wasn’t right, life couldn’t have evolved. It’s amazing. Also, if there was no water on this planet, all life would die. But there it was, in the beginning. Sitting there. I wonder how much water there was at the genesis of it all, and how it mixed itself to the right consistency to support life. Also, I wonder why it bothered to do that, if life hadn’t yet evolved.

It’s amazing how everything evolved, from nothing. Think about it. If there was no gravity on this earth to hold the water down, there would be no life at all on this earth. Not even a camel. All water would have spun into space. I wonder what air pressure was like in the beginning. Was it 14.7 pounds per square inch, consistently all over the earth? It's amazing how gravity was able to evolve, all by itself.

Then there’s the wonder of the human eye. I wonder which eye evolved first. I guess they evolved together. With lids and tears of course. I wonder why eyes evolved, and which came first--the brain or the eye? I guess they both came together, because one couldn’t evolve without the other. It’s the brain that sees what the eye sees. And don’t forget the skull to hold them. That had to evolve. Eyes need sockets, and brains need a housing. Evolution is just amazing. What's really amazing . . . is that people believe it. Just amazing.

Modern T Ford

I am fascinated with the design of new cars. What intrigues me is how they can make a model look modern. This is because what looks contemporary to me today, will in the future, look archaic. Think of the modern cars of the 1950’s, with their sleek look and huge fins. As far as I was concerned, they couldn’t get more modern…but they did. And they still do.

I don’t know how to find out details, but I would like to know what copyright standards apply to the car industry. I'm sure no one can come out with a Lamborghini shape, or with a VW Beatle, and not end up in court. What I would like a car manufacturer to do is bring out a Model T Ford, with a modern motor. Like a modern van, but with an exact Model T shape. I think its novelty would take off. Then again, I guess only Ford could do that, and maybe they don’t want to.

Charles Spurgeon

“In many ministries, there is not enough of probing the heart and arousing the conscience by the revelation of man’s alienation from God, and by the declaration of the selfishness and the wickedness of such a state.”

The Elephant in the Room

The issue of why people look to the heavens is a mystery until we think seriously about life for a moment. There’s a huge elephant in the room called “death,” and he’s going to eventually stomp on all of us. When we realize this, it makes sense for each of us to see if there is any way we can avoid being stomped on. That’s why people usually become interested in God—the Giver of life. Some are slower than others to get to serious thought. But as those around them get stomped on and they bury their bodies, it slowly dawns on them that they too have a problem. A big one. It’s an issue everyone with a brain thinks about, but few people talk about.

The most sobering of times for any human being, is when he or she is on their death bed. It is in those last moments of time that we tend to open our hearts and expose our fears. Look at some fearful last words of some famous people: Queen Elizabeth the 1st of England whispered, “All my possessions for one moment of time.” Ludwig van Beethoven, famous composer cried, “Too bad, too bad! It’s too late!” Thomas Hobbs (famous 17th century English philosopher) said, “I am about to take my last voyage, a great leap in the dark.” Socrates, the classical Greek philosopher said, “All of the wisdom of this world is but a tiny raft upon which we must set sail when we leave this earth. If only there was a firmer foundation upon which to sail, perhaps some divine word.” There is a “firm foundation,” there is a “divine word.” It’s the Bible, but so few listen to and obey its divine instructions. The famous humanist, Aldus Huxley said, “It is a bit embarrassing to have been concerned with the human problem all one’s life and find at the end that one has no more to offer by way of advice than ‘Try and be a little kinder.’”

Listen to the last words of Napoleon. He said, “I marvel that where the ambitious dreams of myself and of Alexander and of Caesar should have vanished into thin air, a Judean peasant—Jesus—should be able to stretch his hands across the centuries, and control the destinies of men and nations.” He also lamented, "I die before my time, and my body will be given back to the earth. Such is the fate of him who has been called the great Napoleon. What an abyss between my deep misery and the eternal kingdom of Christ!" That “abyss” is the separation made by sin. The moment you repent and trust Jesus Christ, it will disappear, and you will come to know Him whom the Bible says is “life eternal.”

Moral Relativity

Today’s pseudo intellectuals have fortified themselves against Heaven, and one of their seeming strongest arguments is commonly called “moral relativity.” These folks insist that there are no moral absolutes (that there is no divine Law).

Here’s their argument. "What’s good for you may not be good for me, and what’s bad for you may not be bad for me." A true moral relativist can’t even be pinned down as to the morality of Nazi Germany. Ask him if what Hitler did was wrong and he will say, “I would never do something like that myself, but I can’t say it was wrong.” He can’t say that it was "wrong" because to him, nothing is absolutely right, and nothing is absolutely wrong. That has strong divine connotations.

So ask Mr. Relativist if pedophilia is wrong, and he will tell you that if it is against the law, it is simply wrong for that society. His framing of civil law is governed by whether or not people get "hurt," rather than by "right" or by "wrong." His argument will be that pedophilia hurts children. But if someone takes pictures of naked children and posts them on the Internet without their knowledge (so that it’s not hurting them), then it must be morally okay. So press him. Is pedophilia morally wrong? If he says that it’s not, ask for his name and address, because you need to inform his neighbors and the local police that he is okay with pedophilia. If he admits that it’s morally wrong even though a society says that it's right, then so was Hitler wrong, and there are therefore moral absolutes.

Be careful that you don't get mired in pseudo intellectualism. It can be a time-waster, and you and I are told to redeem the time. You will simply win an argument, when what you should be doing is showing him that he needs God's forgiveness.

The root problem with a moral relativist is that his conscience is seared, and with the help of God, you must awaken it. So, say to him, “Let’s just surmise that there is a Heaven for a moment. Do you think you would be good enough to go there?” He will almost certainly say that he is (see Proverbs 20:6), and so take him through "The Good Test." You are simply moving from the intellect (the place of argument), to the conscience (the place of the knowledge of right and wrong), so that it will do its God-given duty.

Don’t Read This

Most of us find it annoying when we are told not to read something. It’s annoying because human nature doesn’t like being told what to do. Besides, if you do stop reading, you will have no idea what this is about, and that’s annoying. My point is that you and I are very predictable. We don’t like to think of ourselves as being that, but we are.

If we are placed in a room and subjected to lights and noise, day in and day out, we will navigate to a corner and get into a fetal position. That’s where we will find security. That’s predictable. It’s predictability that causes a surgeon to mark your skin, and cut into you knowing the exact position of your liver or your gall bladder. He can expect those organs to be in place, because God made each of us of the same material. Of course, an atheist would disagree that God made us. They are very predictable.

It is because of this unavoidability that I know that every sane person on this earth dreads death. No matter what they say about not caring about death, not believing, not fearing, they are tormented by "the fear of death." Here’s what the human instruction Book says: “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Hebrews 2:14-15).

Recently, I saw a TV anchor lowered at a great speed from a high building in Las Vegas. He did the stunt as a “dare.” He said that he was terrified, but that he overcame his natural fear because he had great faith in the Hollywood experts, and in the high tech machinery that released the cable.

The complete antidote to fear is faith. It’s more than a belief. It’s a "trust," and those who repent and trust in Jesus Christ are delivered not only from the power of death, but from the tormenting fear that plagues this tragic human race.

Fidel Castro and Hell

When communist dictator Fidel Castro was asked in an interview if he believed in Heaven and Hell, he replied, “The conclusion I have is that Hell cannot exist. And Heaven would be a surprise for all of us.” It's amazing how much faith “unbelievers” have. “Hell cannot exist” is the strongest of beliefs. He didn’t say that he didn't think Hell existed, and neither did he say that he didn’t believe it exists. He said that it cannot exist, which sounds as though he had been to the afterlife and came back with the absolute conclusion that Hell is not there. That's faith.

Other than dying and coming back, there are only two ways he could come to that conclusion. Either he believes that there is no God (which is intellectual suicide), or the god he believes in has less of a sense of justice than humanity. Those who believe that way do so because of an ignorance of God’s righteousness. It is one of perfect holiness, where lust is considered to be adultery and hatred is seen as murder. Such thoughts change the equation. If God is that holy, then there definitely is a Hell, and we are all in big trouble.

If, in the last 30 years 300,000 people in the United States were never brought to justice for murder (as statistics say), then how can there not be a Hell? There must be divine justice for those who have taken another person’s life. In the light of man’s wickedness, Castro’s “Heaven would be a surprise for all of us” makes sense. We deserve Hell for our sins, so Heaven could only come by the mercy and grace of God.

Failed the Test?

“I have seen a couple mentions of Ray's 'good person test.' So, I think it appropriate for me to comment on it. The Jesus presented in the bible fails this test (lied and dishonored his mother.) The god of the old testament likewise fails the test. (According to Ray, a single instance of anger is an automatic failure). The biblical god has many.”

Wow. It amazes me that anyone would dare point to Jesus Christ in moral judgment. You had better have clean hands and a pure heart before you point a finger at the Son of God. I can’t think of an appropriate metaphor. It’s like a flea shouting abuse at a massive elephant, as it stands under the shadow of its great foot. Nope. That doesn’t cut it. It’s like a heinous criminal, who is so morally corrupt he makes Hitler seem like a boy scout, yelling obscenities at a good judge. Nope. That doesn’t cut it.

Jesus never sinned once, in thought, word or in deed. He never lied, stole, hated, lusted, coveted, murdered, or dishonored his parents.

Let’s now turn the mirror back to you, Mr. Finger-pointer. When was the last time you burned with unlawfully sexual fantasies? You don’t need to reply to that. God knows the answer. He knows all about you, and your most secret of sins. So take a little advice from a fellow sinner--stop pointing your sin-stained finger at perfection, and instead look at your own self-righteous and duplicitous heart, before it's too late.

I Do Not Like Your Christians

A skeptic quoted the famous words of Mahatma Ghandi, when he said, "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." The cynic no doubt did this to illustrate that all Christians are nothing but hypocrites, and that’s why he rejects the gospel. However, a close look at what Ghandi said reveals two interesting things.

First, no one is like Jesus Christ. He was sinless. If you think you can be like Him, try living like Him for one day. For one day fulfill the moral Law by loving God with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength, and love your neighbor as much as you love yourself. That means you will not lust, hate, lie, steal, think a selfish thought or say an idle word. You will be perfect, in thought, word and in deed. On top of that, you will walk in perfect humility of heart. If you think Ghandi did that, read on.

Second, the Bible doesn’t tell us to place our trust in sinful man. In fact, it says not to (see Psalm 146:3). It instead commands that we repent and trust alone in Jesus Christ. This was something it seems Ghandi failed to do. So his liking of Jesus wasn’t deep enough for him to believe what He said. Jesus warned that if we die in our sins, we will end up in Hell. What a tragedy that Ghandi didn’t find any help in his own hopeless religion. He lamented, "It is constant torture to me that I am still so far from God whom I know to be my very life and being. I know it is my own wretchedness and wickedness that keeps me from him."

A Relative Term

"Horrified." That would be the word one could use to describe the news-anchor’s reaction to cruelty to cattle at slaughterhouses. They were kind enough to warn viewers about the cruelty which they were about to see. The item showed cattle being pushed over by fork lifts, and sick cattle falling to the ground. I’m sure most of us were upset at such cruelty, as we munched on our dinner of roast beef sandwiches or tenderloin steak.

“Horrified” is a relative term. We can be horrified that our credit card didn’t go through, or at a hat that Aunt Bertha wore to a wedding. Cruelty to animals is extremely upsetting, and it shows once again the wickedness of the heart of man. But the word “horrified” should be reserved for the slaughter of human beings. Twenty-two percent of all U.S. pregnancies end in abortion. While that statistic may make it to the news desk, the media never show “disturbing” pictures to the viewer. It's kind of like what happened in Nazi Germany, with the concentration camps. No one really knew what was going on. If we aren’t horrified at abortion, we should be. Check out www.abort73.com

They're Back

“Surprise, Ray tried a science experiment and failed.”

“Shame. I thought you had more integrity than that.”

“Or maybe non-Christians aren't as horrible and non-human as you sometimes portray us, Ray. We're not all child-murdering rapists, you know.”

“As an experiment, it was an interesting one, in so much as it demonstrated the exact opposite to that which you were expecting…”

“Oh come on Ray, I'm an atheist and I was like the 3rd reply.”

“Or, maybe we're just smarter than you, Ray. Let's see you post this one!”

“Your experiment did reveal something interesting. Look at all the praise and silly comments you got by writing ‘chocolate cake.’”

"Science experiments don't fail. They produce empirical results. In this case, those results did not conform to Ray's hypothesis. The experiment did not fail. Instead it showed that Ray was wrong."

... Welcome back. We love you guys.

The Human Experiment

Recently I posted the words “Chocolate cake” on this blog. I did this because I was becoming amazed at the reaction of atheists to anything I was writing. No matter what I said, they would come back with cynical, sarcastic, and snide remarks. I was sure that if I said that I liked cheese, they would say that they hate it, and would call me a lying, self-righteous cheese-monger.

So I wanted to try an experiment. I tried to think of something that almost everyone likes, and “chocolate cake” was the obvious front-runner. After I posted it I expected to get comments that said things like “What sort of devious, conniving, underhanded post is this? You and your unscientific ‘human experiment,’ and your grubby little chocolate cake!” But it seems most of the mice stayed away from the cheese. They smelled a rat. There were dozens of posts, but I don’t think there was a real cynical one among them. Maybe atheists don’t like taste of chocolate. That could be it. They don’t show any interest in tasting the joys Heaven . . . so I guess that makes sense.

A Question From an Atheist...

"His consequent rising from the dead means that God can now legally commute our death sentence." That suggests that God is under some law. Whose law? If God is Jesus and Jesus is God, why did Jesus have to have himself killed to forgive us, that is, why does our 'debt have to be paid'?

God is more than “under some law.” He cannot be separated from the moral Law. The Bible says that God is “perfect, holy, just and good.” It also says that His Law is “perfect, holy, just, and good.” In other words the moral Law (the Ten Commandments) issue from the very character and nature of God. There wasn’t a time in eternity when He asked, “What is right and what is wrong?” The moral Law is eternal. That’s why Jesus said that Heaven and earth would pass away before one “jot” or “tittle” of the Law would fail. It is written in stone. It’s not going away and it’s not going to change. It is immutable, and it calls for the blood of every guilty criminal.

Think of it like this. A man has viciously raped and murdered six young girls. There is no question of his guilt. He is not insane. He said he enjoyed what he did, and if he had opportunity, he would do it again. As the good judge looks at the evidence of his knife, the man’s fingerprints all over it, his DNA, his letter of confession, and the photos of the young mutilated girls with their throat’s cut, how he is going to feel? Is he going to be passive? Of course not. As he looks at the smiling criminal, the judge’s wrath will be in direct proportion to his goodness. If he is a good judge, he will be unspeakably furious at that wicked man. He will throw the book at him and sentence him to the maximum punishment under the law.

God’s wrath is in direct proportion to His perfect goodness. There is no question of our guilt. All of us have violated His Law. We are filled with lust, greed, selfishness, ingratitude, lies, hate, envy, jealousy, conceit, etc., and His just wrath therefore abides on us (see John 3:36). If we are found in our sins on Judgment Day, He will throw the Book at us, and Hell will be exactly what we deserve.

But the Bible says that this holy God is rich in mercy, and He provided a way for us to escape the wrath of His Law. You asked, “If God is Jesus and Jesus is God, why did Jesus have to have himself killed to forgive us, that is, why does our 'debt have to be paid'?” Actually, contrary to popular thought, Jesus didn’t have to “die” for our sins. Obviously, He did die, but the Bible says that He had to “suffer” for our sins (see Luke 24:26, 1 Peter 3:18). This is made clear in the fact that the debt was paid before he died--He cried, “It is finished,” then He died.

The Judge Himself came down to the courtroom, and paid the fine in His life’s blood. That demonstrates both the justice of a holy God, and the love of a merciful God. Those two attributes of the Divine nature are revealed in the cross, and you will never understand that until you humble your heart.

Clever Monkey

National Geographic are at it once again. It seems that ratings are more important to them than the truth. Apparently, they have exclusive videotape showing a chimp actually making a spear. In a documentary called “Ape Genius,” the narrator says, “Never before has any non-human species been known to routinely make and use deadly weapons.” Wow. That is amazing. It looks like more evidence to back up Darwin.

Jill Pruetz is one of the National Geographic explorers who spent four years following the monkeys around in their natural habitat. When an NBC interviewer asked her the question, “When you saw a chimp actually fashioning a weapon, were you amazed?” she replied, “I am still amazed. In fact, I saw it a week ago before I came here, and Bilbo [the chimp] was nice enough to make a spear. He wasn’t successful, but I'm still amazed by it.” Whoa! What did she say? “He wasn’t successful…” In other words, he didn’t make a spear. All he did was bite off the end of a stick and use it to poke into a tree limb. It was typical evolutionary mumbo jumbo, and it will no doubt continue to “deceive the hearts of the simple.”

Human Experiment Post

Chocolate cake.

The Use of Fear

“If your only reason for believing in god is the fear of punishment, that's not a benevolent relationship. That's fear-mongering, and I'm surprised you endorse it, Ray.”

I "believed" in God for 22 years as a non-Christian, and “fear” had nothing to do with it. Let me give you a little background. My mom (who is still alive) is Jewish, and my father was a Gentile. My dad died a few years ago, but it was nothing serious. He was a Christian. For many years he “believed” in God, but there was no evidence that he knew the Lord until two weeks before he died. It took a heart attack to bring him to his senses.

I was born for the first time a few years after the Second World War, so rather than put “Jewish” on my birth certificate, my parents put “Methodist” in case there was another holocaust. Then they left me without any instruction about God. My point is that even without a moment of instruction from my parents, I fully “believed” in God. The reason I believed in a Creator was simply because I had a brain. Even as a child I knew that if there was a creation, logic told me there was a Creator. The dictionary can help those who are a little slow to figure this out by checking the words “creation” and “Creator”: Creation--noun, “the Creation, the original bringing into existence of the universe by God”. Creator--noun, “the Creator, God.”

While “fear-mongering” is bad, never discount “fear” itself as being bad. Fear stops you from stepping off a 500-foot cliff. It keeps you away from fire. It holds you back from sticking a fork into a live power outlet. These types of fear are self-preserving, but the ultimate self-preserving fear is the fear of the Lord. That fear is called “the beginning of wisdom,” and because of it, the Bible says men “depart from sin.”

The reason anyone should fear God is because He is to be feared. Those who don't fear God haven't begun to be wise. Jesus gave these sobering words about the terror of falling into the hands of the Living God. He said, “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!” (Luke 12:4-5). On Judgment Day, those who think such talk is "fear-mongering" will find out that it's not. It is simply the truth, and they will wish to God (understatement) that they had obeyed the Gospel.

World’s Most Hated

Who do you think is the most hated man in history? Is it the murderer of millions, Adolf Hitler, or perhaps mass murderer and terrorist Osama Bin Laden? I don’t think so. I think Jesus of Nazareth is by far the most hated person of all time. Who else can you think of whose name is used daily as a cuss word? Two thousand years after He was on this earth, even Hollywood uses it as profanity, in the name of entertainment.

Why is there such a deep contempt for Jesus Christ? That is easy to answer. This is what He said of why the world hates Him: “The world cannot hate you; but me it hates, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil” (John 7:7). The world hates Jesus Christ for the same reason criminals hate the police. He accuses them of crimes against God.

Despite the hatred, the Bible warns (and Scripture cannot be broken) that every hate-filled human being will bow the knee to Jesus Christ and be judged by Him. Most think of Him as “the Son of God,” and limit Him to being whatever they think that means. But the Scriptures clearly tell us that He was actually God “manifest in the flesh” (see 1 Timothy 3:16 KJV, NKJV) and that “all things were made by Him” (see John 1:1-3 and Colossians 1:15-16). That's why they will bow the knee.

The reason that God was manifest in the flesh was to provide a morally perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world, and the reason that we needed a sacrifice is because we are in debt to God’s Law. If you don’t believe you are in trouble, listen to this part of the moral Law: “Whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery already with her in his heart.”

Jesus warned that the Day will come when every one of us will stand before God and give an account even of our secret sins . . . sins of lust, of hatred, and evil imaginations. The Bible tells us that liars and thieves will not enter Heaven, and warns of a terrible place called Hell that awaits for all who are found guilty on that day.

The last words of Jesus on the cross were “It is finished!” In other words “the debt has been paid.” His suffering on the cross was sufficient to pay our fine for us. His consequent rising from the dead means that God can now legally commute our death sentence. All we have to do to find everlasting life is to repent and trust Jesus alone for our eternal salvation. The plan of salvation is that simple.

A word of warning. Once you find peace with God, hold on, because the world will hate you because you belong to Jesus Christ.

Growing Up

I will never forget the day that I realized that one of my teenage sons had grown up. When I asked him where he got his new sneakers, he told me where, and said that they only cost him $20. Cool and high-priced sneakers were no longer cool for him. He had seen through subtle advertising that is aimed at the naïve. He had out-grown “peer” pressure.

C. S. Lewis spoke to this weakness in human nature. He said that each of us has a group of people that we want to impress. For me, it was my surfing peers. I wanted them to admire me. This was reflected not only in my surfing, but in my clothes, my music, my talk, and in my life's philosophy. The moment I became a Christian, my eyes were opened to the immaturity of seeking what the Bible calls “the praise of men.”

It is the insatiable human ego that hankers after the praise of our peers. It is at the core of the clothing industry. It drives sports. It permeates the very life of Hollywood. Ego is the essence of that monster we call “ambition.” It wants to make it to the top. Shakespeare so wisely said “Fling away ambition. For by such sin fell the angels."

The Christian rather seeks the praise of God. The Divine smile is all that matters, and the only way we can please God is to have humility of the heart, something extremely foreign to our sinful nature. That’s why we need to be born again (see John 3). Through the new birth, we receive a new nature . . . one that wants above all else to please the God who gave us life.

Without Thought

Arnold Athort was arrested for rape and murder earlier this year. The prosecution admitted evidence that revealed that his DNA and fingerprints were all over the crime scene. Adding to his guilt was the fact that two credible witnesses testified that they had seen his crime. Athort, who testified on his own behalf and said that he considered himself to be an intelligent man, had two lines of defense. The first was that the courtroom came into being by accident. His line of thinking was that it therefore had no jurisdiction over him. After the judge sentenced him to death by the electric chair, Athort smiled and said that he didn’t believe in the electric chair. He was executed at 3.30 AM this morning.

What's Behind Fear?

Are you fearful to share your faith? Most of us are. Here’s a way to conquer it. See fear as a barometer of your pride. The more fear you have, the greater is the pride in your heart. If that’s hard to figure, let’s ask what it is that we fear most? It’s not that our faith will be shaken, or that someone will outwit us in an argument. Rather, it’s a fear of looking foolish, of being called “religious,” or “brainwashed” or being rejected for our beliefs. Those things are of concern (fearful) for a proud person. A proud person has a high view of himself, so he fears being called "religious" or "brainwashed." However, a truly humble person isn’t concerned about himself and how others view him. Why? Because his view of himself is low. It’s the sin of pride that keeps us from coming to the cross, and it’s the sin of pride that stops us preaching the old rugged cross. We don’t want to carry its shame and reproach.

Common Courtesy

Have you ever had the experience of showing someone "road-courtesy" and they don’t bother to acknowledge it? I have to admit, that those who don't show appreciation make me mad. I immediately wish I hadn’t bothered to be nice. However, if I pull back my car to let someone get into the stream of traffic, and they give a small wave or a nod of appreciation, it makes me feel good. I don't think many of us like ingratitude. We feel upset if we give a child a piece of candy, and he snatches it, stuffs it into his mouth and runs off without so much as a “Thank you.”

But that was me for 22 years. I was an ungrateful brat, who never once thanked God for His incredible kindness. I never showed an ounce of gratitude for having eyes to see this incredible creation. I never thanked Him for ears to enjoy good music, or taste buds to enjoy good food. Not once did I ever humbly bow my head before a meal and thank God for my food. Ingratitude is a horrible sin.

Then again, gratitude without obedience to God is nothing but empty hypocrisy. True appreciation for His goodness will also bow to His will. Those who don't do God's will lose their most precious possession. If death seizes them while they are still in their sins, they will never again see God's gift of light, of color, beauty, love and laughter. They will never again hear a kind word, or feel the warmth of human comfort. They weren't thankful, so they will be damned from all of God’s goodness. Forever. Imagine that--never seeing beauty ever again. Never hearing laughter ever again. Never satisfying the craving of unspeakable thirst. Ever. All because sin.

A Note to Christians

My apologies for letting a profane word through recently. Up until a week ago I skim-read every post (between 500-700 a week), but some of the evolution posts are so long (stupid) and boring, I haven't been reading them. Still, I have to admit, the atheists who have been posting have been pretty respectful, and the guilty party apparently didn't notice the word in a Carl Sagan quote. If I do let another though, please let me know. Just say "Dirt Alert," tell me where it is and I will delete it. Thanks.

Rape and Murder

The evening news gave a human interest story about a young girl in the African Congo who witnessed the murder of her parents by rebel soldiers. As if that wasn’t enough to traumatize any young girl, the soldiers then took her with them and raped her incessantly for two days. So many raped her that they ruined her bodily functions and left her pregnant.

The fool will be quick to say, “That proves that there’s no God! If He was loving and kind, He would never let such a thing happen.” However, all the incident proves is that the heart of mankind is wicked, as the Bible clearly states. The irony was, when the girl was asked what she wanted to do with her life, she said that she wanted to serve God. Instead of being bitter for Him allowing the murder and rape, she was thankful to Him for preserving her life.

One thing that I find to be a great mystery is that there are people who believe in God, but don’t believe that He will send people to Hell. Such a god would be a wicked being himself. It is insane to think that God could witness such crimes as murder and rape and be passive. How could He have no concern that justice is done? There is even something in my sinful heart that cries out for justice for that young woman, so how much more then shall a holy God see to it that those wicked men are brought to justice? Whether we believe it or not, the Day is coming when God will punish sinful men and women, right down to the crimes of hatred, lust and idle words. God will be vindicated, and justice will be done.

The Identity of Evolution

It’s hard to believe that all this incredible creation came about through evolution, but many do, and if they are right in their beliefs, then evolution is the Creator. Evolution is therefore God. Darwinian believers wouldn’t put it in those words, but that’s the truth. Whoever or whatever created all things is the Creator (God).

Idolatry (making up your own god) is nothing new for human beings. We gravitate to it. The nations that surrounded Israel continually made up their own gods, and that’s why God said in the First of the Ten Commandments, “I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before me.”

The reason the evolutionist makes up his own god is that his own God-given reason tells him that creation had a Creator. And evolution fits the bill for him. He loves evolution with all of his heart, mind, soul and strength because it gave him life itself, and all of life’s pleasures. But he loves it for one more reason. His idol has no moral dictates. It satisfies his intellectual need for a Creator, but it doesn’t tell him how to live his life. Evolution is the modern day golden calf. It’s a dumb idol. All the believer need do is bow down in faith, say, “I believe in evolution,” and that deals with his problem of sin, of guilt and consequently of any thought of Judgment Day. It’s the ultimate delusion.

Try Again

Here’s a lame joke to make an important point. A man walked into a barber shop, sat down in the chair and said, “I want you to cut a huge chunk out of the back, and then hack the sides so that it looks like I had a fight with the lawnmower.” The barber looked shocked and said, “We can’t do that sir!” To which the customer replied, “Well you did last time.”

If a barber makes a mess of your hair, you don’t stop getting your hair trimmed. Instead, you look for a different barber. The same applies to finding a good church. Those who complain about the Church being filled with hypocrites should look around until they find one that doesn’t have any. But it’s been well-said that when you find the perfect church, don't join it because you will ruin it. Most don’t know that there is a difference between a church and the Church. A “church” is a building that fills up once or twice a week with church-goers (some of whom are hypocrites).

However, the true Church (known as the “Body of Christ”) is made up of people who love God, irrespective of where they fellowship or of their denomination. The Church is made up of genuine Christians (not pretenders). So make sure you are part of the Church (God knows who are His) if you want to enter Heaven and avoid Hell.

The Young Disciples

A friend once told an elderly lady that New Testament believers were very young. He then read from Acts 19:7: “And all the men were about twelve.” She didn’t get the joke, and instead pointed out that the “twelve” wasn’t a reference to their age, but to how many men were present at the time.

The incident reminded me of how skeptics read the Bible. They are the true fundamental literalists, who don’t have the wherewithal to interpret Scripture with Scripture. I have heard the same arguments for years about Cain and his wife, about there being two creations in Genesis, or the earth being flat, and about Adam not dying the day God said He would. These, and a million other “mistakes” in the Bible simply need to be read using Scripture to interpret Scripture.

If you and I open the Bible with the presupposition that it is written by men who weren’t inspired by God, then we will find our mistakes. But if we come with the humble thought that this Book is the Word of the Living God, we will have a different attitude. Here’s a lame metaphor. It’s like finding Einstein’s personal notebook on how he conducted his experiments. If we read it with condescending attitude of "Who is this dummy?" we’re not going to figure out what he is saying. Rather, if we want to grow in knowledge, we should take the humble road and say, “This man is more intelligent than I am. I wonder what I can learn from him.” If we have that attitude to the Word of God, it will begin to open its wonderful truths. Until then, it will truly be “dead letter.” Always remember “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Think about that.

“Lower the Law and you dim the light by which man perceives his guilt; this is a very serious loss to the sinner rather than a gain; for it lessens the likelihood of his conviction and conversion. I say you have deprived the gospel of its ablest auxiliary [its most powerful weapon] when you have set aside the Law. You have taken away from it the schoolmaster that is to bring men to Christ . . .They will never accept grace till they tremble before a just and holy Law. Therefore the Law serves a most necessary purpose, and it must not be removed from its place.” Charles Spurgeon

The Train is Coming

A 72 year old Chicago drunken man became disorientated when his minivan became stuck on a railway track. A passerby saw the man, who police said “was seconds from losing his life,” and coaxed him to safety. Imagine if the drunken man stood on the tracks and said “I don’t believe in trains,” or said that he believed that the tracks upon which he stood came there by accident.

Such is the frustration the Christian has with those who the Bible says are “unbelievers.” Like the drunken driver, “their understanding is darkened.” They don’t see their terrible danger. We know the train is coming. There is a massive vehicle of Eternal Justice heading for humanity, and yet they refuse to believe.

Despite this, we must continue to plead with them. That is what we have been commission to do--to “warn every man.” The world will misunderstand and despise us, but we have Heaven’s smile, and that’s what matters: “And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!' But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our report?’ So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:15-17).

The Sun

Did you know that the sun sets 24 hours a day? Every minute of every single day, the sun is setting somewhere on this earth. Did you know that at the same time the sun is rising 24 hours a day? Every minute of every single day the sun is rising somewhere on this earth. There is such order in creation that anywhere on this earth, each sunrise and sunset, can be predicted to the very second, a hundred years from now. There is such order, the ball of fire that sits 93 million miles away in space, is so positioned that it’s just warm enough to ripen your tomatoes. It is so big that this massive earth fits into its volume over a million times. Yet our sun is just a tiny speck, compared to some of the other "suns" in space. How great is our God!

No man should call another man a “fool;” that’s the Creator’s prerogative . . . and He reserves that for the person who believes that all this happened by accident (unplanned). They violate the fundamental law of science, by maintaining that nothing created something. Atheism is intellectual suicide, but it’s more than that. It is a suicide that is fueled by rebellion against God’s Moral Law (see Romans 8:7).

Dinner With 40 Atheists

It's here! You can order through (800) 437-1893 or get it online here: Dinner with 40 Atheists

It’s a Duh World

“Thank you for joining us. Here is this evening’s news: Advertisers are now paying as much as two million dollars for a 30 second advertisement during the Super bowl. Experts tell us that they get good financial return on their millions because human beings are very much influenced by what they see and hear. Apparently, if a celebrity is seen buying or doing something, many will actually imitate what they see or hear. It seems that the biblical analogy of us being like sheep is applicable.

“Hollywood awarded its annual big honors last night for its best entertainment. Movies and television containing themes of violence, rape and murder have been extremely popular throughout the whole year.

“After a comprehensive study, experts are mystified as to why there is a rising tide of violence, rape and murder this year. Some have suggested that violence, rape and murder are tied in with diet or perhaps global warming.

“Thanks for joining us tonight for this news-break. Let’s now return to the second part of the exciting award-winning movie, ‘How to Rape and Murder, and Get Away With It.’ Then stay with us for ‘Murder With a Chain Saw, and ‘How to Rape Your Neighbor.’”

The Challenge

I noticed that a polite and seeming sincere atheist has kindly challenged me or any other Christian to live the life of an unbeliever, for just one month. In return, he would live the life of a Christian. The rule is that each person has to be open-minded to the fact that they may be wrong in their beliefs. The Christian is not to read the Bible, and he’s not to go to church. The atheist will in turn read the Bible and go to church.

While I appreciate the kind gesture, it really illustrates that we Christians have a communication problem with some people. It’s completely our fault. We haven’t made the issue clear. So I’m going to try and make it very understandable. I will repeat and deliberately emphasize it, so that it hits the target. In doing this I risk sounding sarcastic. If that’s how it comes across, I apologize.

Here we go: A Christian is someone who knows the Lord. Let me repeat that. A Christian is someone who knows the Lord. They know the Lord. Actually know Him. Experientially. They know a Person, not a lifestyle. I’m talking about the God of the universe. They know Him.

I will now personalize this, but I am speaking on behalf of everyone who knows the Lord. I don’t “believe” that He exists. I know Him. Personally. I have a living relationship with the Creator. I talk to Him through prayer, and He guides me though His Word and by His Holy Spirit. I have known the Lord since April 25th, 1972 at 1:30 in the morning.

Perhaps I’m not making myself clear, so I will try an analogy. It’s like actually knowing someone. Personally. It’s like having a friendship with him; a 24-hour day, 365 days a year intimate relationship. Therefore, it is self-evident that I can’t live for a month being open to not knowing Him. All the so-called “mistakes” in the Bible can’t change that fact. All the hypocrisy committed by religious people in the past can’t change it. All the atheists on God’s earth saying that He doesn’t exist doesn’t change it in the slightest. Darwin’s theory can’t change it. The storms of this life can’t change it. If I get cancer and die a horrible death, it doesn’t change the fact that I know the Lord. I not only know Him, but I love Him. I love Him with all of my heart, mind, soul and strength. He is my life, He’s my joy, my Creator, my Savior, my Lord and my God.

And if I die for the cause of the gospel, my hope would be that the spilling of my blood would be a small testimony to those who don’t know Him. My earnest hope and prayer would be that they would soften their sinful hearts, and repent and trust Jesus Christ, so that they too can testify to the unchanging truth that “This is eternal life, that they might know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent” (John 17:3).

Making Up

It is because of the fact that the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God that we should relate to him in the natural realm, as Jesus did with the woman at the well. One way to do this is to compare spiritual truths to the things of this life. Take for instance the place of contrition. How can an unregenerate man understand such a deeply spiritual word? The answer is to relate it to something he can understand, such as a relationship with a woman he loves. When they have had an argument, he will have experienced a "barrier" between them. They no longer feel close. That barrier is something called "contention," and with contention comes a barrier of pride. Pride is a high wall that stops him seeing the one he loves. All he can see is his point of view, his rights, his feelings. What is the door that will bring them close again? It is the lowly door of humility.

The same principles apply to the God with whom the sinner is in contention. There is an enmity between the two (see Romans 8:7), and in this case, God is in the right and we are in the wrong. The Law of God lifts us up over that high wall so that we can see God's point of view. It gives us a glimpse into His righteousness and our sinful and proud hearts. It humbles us so that we can find a place of contrition (sorrow) and reconciliation through the blood of the cross.

Crazy Door

I sat on my bike in our driveway watching our garage door open and shut as though a kid had hold of the remote control. I went back and looked at the sensors at the bottom of the doors. There was nothing blocking them. Then I realized what had happened. The remote control button was stuck down, and sending a wrong signal.

There are people that are like my garage door. They don’t know whether they are open or closed to the things of God. One moment they believe. Then they don’t. One moment they have peace. Then they don’t. What’s their problem? Their remote button is jammed down on what the Bible calls “unbelief.” Nowadays we would call it “mistrust.” If we don’t have faith in God, we mistrust Him. Try establishing a relationship with anyone using mistrust. Try it with your mom, dad, wife, boyfriend girlfriend, or business partner. You won’t get anywhere. So, why should anyone think that they can have a relationship with God when they don’t trust Him? Have faith in God. It’s easy. He is faithful. If you don’t trust Him, it means you think He’s not trustworthy. He is devious. He's a liar.

So what should you then do to start an open relationship with God? The same thing you would do if you mistrusted a loved one. Start with an apology for insulting them with your lack of faith. Ask God to forgive you for such a terrible thing. And when you ask Him to forgive you for all your sins, make sure you “ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord” (James 1:6-7).

Thanks for your prayers regarding the shooting of the TV program. It was a two-minute introduction to an episode called “Battle for the Lost.” Kirk and I got away from the tank before it crushed our chairs. We also managed to weave our way in and out of bombs (three of them). More pictures will be sent via a blast, to those on our email newsletter list.

How easy it is to forget that we are in a battle with a very real enemy, who has blinded the minds of the lost. This is why the Salvation Army was set up as an army--with soldiers, barracks, and Generals, etc. We must never forget that He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat, that He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat. Let our prayer ever be "O be swift my soul to answer Him, be jubilant my feet." His truth is marching on.

A Question about Marijuana

Someone asked, “Whilst smoking is really, really awful, is Cannabis? It has medical uses, and as far as I can see that the conclusions of its side effects tend to be from cherry picked data. It appears to me, that the worst thing that could happen is that a dodgy dealer gives it with some tobacco, or something.”

If marijuana is proven to have medical benefits, then it should be reproduced in pill form and made available through legitimate markets. Nothing should ever be taken into the lungs in smoke form. That has been proven to be detrimental to the health of any person. To legalize cannabis in its present form, in the light of what has happened with alcohol, would be foolish. The problem isn’t with alcohol, it’s with the crazy people that drive under its influence, and kill people. If we think we have carnage on the roads now, wait until some fool-hardy politicians legalize cannabis. It’s called “Dope” for a reason.

Warm Winds

I shuddered when I read that John Wesley said to embrace every adversity. I shudder because I know how hard it can be for those of us who lack a solid faith in God. If we truly trust Him, we will “know” (as the Apostle knew) that all things work together for good, to those that love God and are called according to His purpose (see Romans 8:28).

I was ministering in Hawaii back in the mid 1980’s, when I met up with a well-known preacher that I greatly respected. He was familiar with what I was teaching, and during a time of fellowship he gently told me that he didn’t think that the Law of God should be used as a schoolmaster to bring sinners to Christ. I was shaken by his words. I knew that if we failed to evangelize biblically, we would fill the Church with false converts, but I couldn’t seem to convince him of that fact. So, I determined to write a book about what happens when the Law isn’t used to bring the knowledge of sin. Over time, the publication became a best-seller, then an award-winning television program, and now it has become a popular radio program. And it was all sparked by that one man’s negative words.

So, even though someone's windy words may shake your tree, never let them uproot you, even if they come from a loving Christian brother. Let them instead send the roots of resolve down deep into the Word of God. Then make it your aim to do the will of God, and He will bless you and open doors for you to do His will, in His perfect timing.

The Atheist’s Battle

Imagine there’s no Heaven (it’s easy if you try), with no Hell below us, and above us only sky. Imagine that--death is the end, with no hope of eternal life. If that's the case, we will know nothing about it, because there won't be an after life. There will just be death. The Christian misses out on eternity.

But think of the poor atheist, if he doubts what he believes and begins to imagine that there’s a God (it’s easy if you try), a Hell below us, and above more than sky. Imagine if he imagines that there is actually a burning fire in the heart of the earth (as science tells us), and that there’s an infinite space above us (as science tells us). Imagine that. Fire below, the infinite heavens above.

Like many nowadays, John Lennon imagined only sky. His mind was limited. However, the Christian’s mind isn't closed. By the grace of God, he has expanded his horizon. For him, nothing is impossible.

Under the Jacket

When a doctor in Jerusalem knelt down and ripped open the jacket of a critically wounded man from a homicide bombing to begin emergency treatment, he didn’t find gushing blood. He instead found an explosive belt. The wounded man was a would-be suicide bomber who was knocked out by the force of the initial blast, before he was able to detonate his own explosive belt. The physician, who had rushed to the scene along with nurses from a nearby medical clinic, ran away as the second bomber began waving his arms. An Israeli policeman then shot the bomber and killed him.

This is the experience of every Christian. Outwardly, we looked innocent, but when the Holy Spirit pulled back the garb of self righteousness, we were found to be rebels against all that is good and just. So, what did God do? He executed us on the spot. God “reckoned” me dead, the moment I surrendered to the Savior. I was legally executed with Jesus Christ. Apostle Paul spoke of this amazing fact, when he said, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). It has been well-said that if we are born once, we will die twice (the first and the second death), but if we are born twice, we will only die once. See John Chapter 3 for further details.

Cutting Edge

CBS ran a human interest story about a blind barber in Kalamazoo, Michigan, who after 38 years of cutting customers’ hair, went blind. However, his faithful customers continued to come to him, and he continued cutting, by memory and by feel.

The story reminded my wife and I of a local dentist we wanted to support some years ago. We heard that he was on the cutting edge of dentistry, but, unbeknown to us, the poor man suffered from epileptic tremors in his hands. I was filled with sympathy for the poor man during the procedure, but I will never go back to him. The experience was like a nightmare. Sue will never forget seeing me come out with a white face and blood splatters around my mouth. Her experience was just as bad.

Some people have a similar experience with church. It’s a nightmare of boredom and they never want to go back again. Or even worse, they like it because he is a cutting edge preacher and keeps them entertained. However, if he is not faithful to God’s word, and preach against sin, the man is blind. And Jesus warned that when the blind le a d the blind, both will fall into the ditch.

A Question From an Atheist

“If Jesus is God and God is omniscient, what sense does it make for Him to have Himself killed? I mean, if He wanted to forgive us why not just forgive us? Why all the blood? Also, if Jesus was without sin, how is it moral for an innocent to receive punishment for another's crimes, in this case the ‘sins’ of humanity?”

Without an understanding of God’s Law, we can never understand the justice of God. It is when we realize that God’s standard of goodness is absolute moral perfection (holiness), that we can understand the meaning of what the Bible calls “atonement.” Think of a man who commits a terrible crime and runs from the law. He is no longer a just “man.” He is a fugitive of justice. He is “in debt” to the law he has violated. Civil law will track him like a hungry hound dog to the ends of the earth.

Think of it, with all our faults and failures, we will spend millions of dollars to bring even one serious criminal to justice. That’s because we are moral beings. So if we, with all our sins, care about justice, how much more will a perfect and holy God? His holiness will make sure that every murderer, rapist, thief, and liar will come to justice. But because He is omniscient and therefore sees even the thought-life, He will also punish lust (which He considers adultery of the heart), and hatred (what he considers to be murder). Every transgression of His Law must receive absolute justice, and who of us is without sin? Who of us hasn’t lied, stolen or looked with lust? That means we are in big trouble with God. His wrath “abides” on us. We have a big problem. The Bible warns that if God was give justice to every fugitive, we would all justly end up in a place called Hell. Each of us has broken His Law, and we are "in dept" to Eternal Justice.

So, what can we offer God in payment for our sins? What will make things right? How can we make atonement? Should we try to live good lives? We can’t. It's too late. We are already guilty criminals. Reformation of our lives can't make atonement for our sins. We would merely be reformed criminals. What then will appease God? Can we offer Him all the gold of the earth to pay our fine? No. He already owns all the gold. We don’t have anything of value to pay the fine and make atonement for our sins, let alone the sins of the world. Not even our blood could make atonement for our sins. We are in a hopeless position, waiting for death to arrest us, and cast us into an eternal prison called “Hell.”

Here now comes the answer to the question, "Why all the blood?" The Bible says that this holy God is rich in mercy, and because of His great love, He provided atonement Himself. He became a human being in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. Almighty God created a human body and filled that body as a hand fills a glove. Jesus Christ was called "the express image of the invisible God." And He did this amazing thing for the express purpose of paying for the sins of the world. The most precious possession on the face of this earth isn’t gold, silver, oil, or diamonds. It is the precious blood of the Savior, and He gave His life's blood to pay the price. That’s why He cried “It is finished!” as he breathed His last on the cross. In other words, the debt had been paid. His precious blood made atonement. It satisfied eternal justice. Then God raised Him from the dead, and now death has no legal dominion over those who repent and trust in Him. Their case is dismissed. They are proclaimed "Not guilty." God commutes their death sentence because another paid their fine. But more than that. God "imputes" righteousness to us. In other words, we are not just forgiven criminals, because through the Gospel He makes us perfectly right with Himself. We can now live. So, if you are not right with God, put aside the issues that bother you for a moment--evolution, hypocrisy, "mistakes" in the Bible, and ask yourself this most sobering of questions--"What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Today, if you hear His voice, don't harden your heart.

Prayer Request

We are shooting the last program for the Third Season of "The Way of the Master" on Thursday and Friday. We also have to shoot the introduction of another program called "Spiritual Battle," where Kirk and I will be dressed as rich guys, rejoicing about the "prosperity" of the abundant Christian life. Suddenly foot-soldiers will run passed, there will be an explosion, then a huge tank will run over our chairs, reminding us that we are in a very real battle. Pray that we dive out of the way of the tank in time. PS. I know what you atheists will be praying :).

Just Curious

“I'm just curious, I am correct in assuming that Ray and other Christians here all believe that Catholics, Methodists, Lutherans, Episcopal, and various other sects of Christianity are all false Christians, UNLESS they are born-again, and become Evangelical Fundamentalists?”

The Bible doesn’t mention “Catholics, Methodists, Lutherans, Episcopal,” etc., instead, the Scriptures simply have two categories--the “just” and the “unjust.” The “just” are those whom God has justified (made right with Himself through faith in Jesus). The “unjust” are those who are still in their sins. The Bible warns that God ill see to it that every wicked person gets exactly what they have coming: “So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:49-50). That’s good news for those who care about justice.

So, the question is, how is a person “justified”? This is what Martin Luther (a Catholic monk) asked hundreds of years ago. He found, through reading the Bible, that we are freely justified by God's mercy. The criminal is guilty, but the judge pays his fine. That’s mercy. In Christ, God acquits us from the courtroom because Jesus paid our fine. Everlasting life is a free of God (see Romans 6:23). No one has to be “religious” to try and earn salvation from death. So who are the true Christians? Here is that answer from the Bible: “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (2 Timothy 2:19). So make sure you are the Lord's, and that if you name the name of Christ, you depart from iniquity (violation of God’s Law).

Big Dog Killed

A friend of mine told me that His buddy’s Great Dane was killed by a Chihuahua. They got into a fight, and within two minutes the Chihuahua had killed the massive dog. Yep. He choked on it.

Speaking of dogs, I have often heard skeptics say that we humans are the most intelligent of the species. When I hear someone say that, I ask if they can round up 3,000 sheep in 20 seconds, or catch a Frisbee in their mouth while running and jumping six feet into the air. Can they sniff out illicit drugs at an airport?

While I'm not sure if mankind is the most intelligent of creation, Albert Einstein seems to have made up his mind on the issue. He said, "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." Evolution and atheism tend to make me side with Albert.

Who Cares?

“Lusting after women or property....who cares? That thought is a crime is absurd. If you don't act on it, why should you be punished? Even if you dwell on it.”

The thought that merely thinking could be a crime does seem absurd. Absurd, that is, until you realize that if you are caught thinking about killing the President of the United States, you will find yourself in serious violation of civil law. You don’t have to do the act. You simply have to be thinking about it.

So what would our skeptical questioner say to that? Let me try and predict his words. He would probably say something like, “That’s different. Conspiracy to murder the President is a serious crime.” And that’s the point. He doesn’t think that pornography of the mind is a serious crime. God does. Our questioner’s moral standards are extremely low. God’s are incredibly high. If you and I have a seething hatred in our heart for another person, God sees that as murder. And if we burn with unlawful sexual thoughts towards another human being, God sees that as adultery.

So, to answer our skeptic’s question “Lusting after women or property....who cares?” God cares. He cares about justice big time, and He will see to it that the guilty will get their just dessert. Adulterers and murderers will end up damned in a terrible place called Hell. Who cares? I do, and I’m not the only one.

Watch Out for Sex Offenders

When a 19 year old student was kidnapped in Nevada, police informed other students that there were a total of ninety-three registered sex offenders living within a one mile radius of the university. You can find out if there is one living in your area, who is watching your sister, child, your mother or your wife. All you have to do is type your zip code into the U.S. Sexual Offender Database of 374,270 Sexual Predators. They are the registered offenders. You can be sure that most aren't registered.

How do you become a “registered” sex offender? You simply have to break the law. Let’s do a test to see if you are one. Jesus said whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her, has committed adultery already with her in his heart." Have you ever done that? If you have, then you are guilty of breaking God's Law and your name is registered in Heaven as a sex offender. However, upon your repentance and faith in Jesus, God can wipe your slate clean, because of what He did on the cross.

Fools Mock at Sin

A woman in Florida was in court for running down a man who was riding a bike. As she was awaiting sentence (which was predicted to be a one to four year sentence) she took a phone call from a friend, and laughed as he made jokes about the victim’s death. When the judge heard the recorded phone call, he threw the book at her, and gave her the maximum sentence of more than ten years. Why did he do that? Because her laughter revealed that she had no contrition (true sorrow). She didn’t see the seriousness of her crime.

What is it that will bring swift mercy from the Judge of the Universe? What is it that will open the door of the grace of God to guilty sinners? It is what the Bible calls “godly sorrow.” It is only when we see the seriousness of our transgressions against God that we will have godly sorrow, and it is godly sorrow that “works repentance.” Each of us has a choice. We can be a fool and mock at sin, or we can see sin as being “exceedingly sinful.” You have God's Word on it, that He will throw the Book at the proud and impenitent heart, but He will give grace to the humble. So humble yourself today, acknowledge your sins and as you trust in the Savior, you will taste of the grace of God.

Frank Millstone

I was at Huntington Beach just after open air preaching, when a friend showed up with his eight year-old daughter. She’s a sweet little kid with a strong faith in God. Some time later I saw him conversing with an atheist named Frank. Frank had been heckling me, and seemed to consider himself to be quite an intellectual. When my friend’s little girl told the atheist that she believed in God, Frank bent down to her and in a fatherly way told her that God was just like Santa Clause--He didn’t exist. How could he do such a thing? I was horrified. He was like a poor mentally challenged man, sticking a fork into a live power outlet. I said, “Frank, do you know what a millstone is?” He did. I said, “Do you remember what Jesus said about millstones?” He said he had never read the Bible. My heart went out to him. He didn't know what he had just done. Poor Frank. The Bible is the greatest-selling book of all time, yet he had never read it. If you are tempted to follow in Frank's footsteps, here's what Jesus said: “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea” (Mark 9:41-43).

Dumb Mutt

It was some time in the early hours of the morn­ing in July of 1995. We had bought a new home and the move had been an opportu­nity to break our new pup­py of the habit of sleeping in our bed. However, in the blac­kness of the night I could see the dumb dog lying on the pillow next to me. I had just woken from a deep sleep, and a thou­sand thoughts raced through my dozy mind as to why this pup would be back in bed with us.

I reached out my hand and stroked the anim­al, but felt confused. Its fur seemed a little strange. As I extended my hand to touch it again, to my horror it began to levi­tate! In the eerie darkness, I could see the animal's entire body actually lifting itself up off the pillow and into the air.

I regained my composure, apologized to my wife Sue for stroking her hair during the night, and went back to sleep, feeling rather stupid. (From the soon to be published 101 of the Dumbest Things People Have Done).

“I would freely give my eyes if you might but see Christ, and I would willingly give my hands if you might but lay hold on Him.” Charles Spurgeon

Interesting Thread

“David W. Irish said...I think that whether or not the scriptures are true or not is irrelevant. Christianity is a mindset, a philosophy, a way of living, that depends on the practitioners/believers practicing it more than anything . . . When I was a Christian…”

David, it’s important to speak truthfully about our experiences, by using the correct terminology. Rather than saying “When I was a Christian,” you should say “When I professed to be a Christian,” or, to be biblically sound, “When I was a false convert.” Your spurious experience isn’t surprising, because you believe that being a Christian is “a mindset, a philosophy, a way of living.” That’s not the definition of a Christian. I had those things in my surfing days. Rather, a Christian is someone who knows the Lord (see John 17:3).

A false convert doesn’t know Him (see 1 John 2:3-4, 1 John 4:6-8). He fakes it, but time exposes his hypocrisy. Judas is a good example of a false convert. He faked it for 3 ½ years. He was so trusted, he looked after the finances, but the Bible says that he was a thief (see John 12:6). When Jesus said that one of the disciples would betray Him, they said, “Is it I, Lord?” They suspected themselves, rather than the trusted treasurer. When Judas went out to betray Jesus, some of the disciples thought that he went to give money to the poor. He fooled everyone but God. The Scriptures tell us that Jesus knew from the beginning who would betray Him (see John 6:70).

Judas had no idea who Jesus was, even though he ate and drank with Him (as does the false convert, in taking communion). Judas didn’t see Him as the ultimate treasure in an earthen vessel--God manifest in the flesh. When a woman broke an alabaster box of precious ointment and poured it on His feet, as an act of worship, Judas complained that the money should have instead been given to the poor. Jesus wasn’t worth it. He was only worth about 30 pieces of silver.

David, if you respond to me by saying that you were a genuine Christian, then you are admitting that you knew the Lord, that Jesus rose from the dead, and Christianity is therefore true. If you didn’t know the Lord, then you were a false convert. You were either one or the other.

The other thought is, if you were of the disposition that you could be deceived, how do you know that it's not happening again? The essence of "deception" is that the deceived person doesn't know he's deceived. That why we need God's Word as a guide.

If I had been through your experience, I would be as upset as you. Remember that Judas ended up hanging himself. So, be careful when you dine with atheists, because the sweet dishes they serve up contain undetected poison that will find its way into your very heart. They will feed you tasty Bible verses out of context, misquotes, and half-truths. The devil will give you enough rope to hang yourself. I would hate that to happen to you. Thanks for reading this.

Personal Politics

While I am concerned about securing our borders, providing full employment, the economy, etc., these fade into the background over one issue. Does the candidate advocate the murder of babies in the womb? If he (or she) does, I will throw his eloquence and fiscal brilliance to the wind. He wouldn’t get my vote if he was the last person on God’s fair earth (Yes, I know that if he was the last person on the earth, I wouldn't be here to vote for him. But you know what I mean).

America's Godly heritage

God-haters will hate to hear that the words “In God We Trust” on our currency have been part of America’s heritage for more than 140 years. According to the U.S. Treasury: “Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase received many appeals from devout persons throughout the country, urging that the United States recognize the Deity on United States coins. From Treasury Department records, it appears that the first such appeal came in a letter dated November 13, 1861:

“Dear Sir: One fact touching our currency has hitherto been seriously overlooked. I mean the recognition of the Almighty God in some form on our coins . . . You are probably a Christian. What if our Republic were not shattered beyond reconstruction? Would not the antiquaries of succeeding centuries rightly reason from our past that we were a heathen nation?”

As a result, Secretary Chase instructed James Pollock, Director of the Mint of Philadelphia, to prepare a motto, in a letter dated November 20, 1861:

“Dear Sir: No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His defense. The trust of our people in God should be declared on our national coins.”

IN GOD WE TRUST first appeared on the 1864 two -cent coin.

Delete Files

In Jacksonville Florida, a woman employee saw an advertisement that she thought looked like her job. She was convinced that she was going to be fired, so she late one Sunday night, she crept into the Mandarin office where she worked at Steven E. Hutchins Architects deleted seven years’ worth of architectural drawings. The company put the value of the vaporized files at $2.5 million. The woman confessed to the crime and could get a five-year prison sentence. And here’s the most interesting part of the story. The woman was not going to be fired. The owner of the business said that the job listing was for his wife’s business — not his.

This story is reflective of the ungodly, who, in their rage against God, don’t know that it is their own life that they are deleting. Instead of keeping their most precious possession, they will lose it and reap the terrible reward of their error--eternal justice. And they will have no one to blame but themselves.

Arguing About the Bible

“How do you respond to a person when they say the Bible was written by a bunch of crazy people and you have to be crazy to believe it?”

I would say, “Let’s not argue about the inspiration of the Bible for a moment,” and then I would take him through the Commandments. Jesus didn’t say, “Go into all the world and convince people that the Bible is the Word of God.” It is the Gospel that is the power of God to salvation, and the way to give the arrow of the gospel its thrust is to put it into the bow of the Law.

We often hear that Christianity stands or falls on the validity of Scripture. I respectfully disagree. I believe the Bible is God’s Word. There's no argument there. But my salvation isn’t dependent upon that fact, because I wasn’t converted by the Bible. I was converted by the power of God, and when I picked up a Bible it simply explained what had happened to me.

In our sincere efforts to convince a sinful world, we tend to use intellectual arguments (I'm often guilty of this), when the ultimate proof is the power of God transforming the human heart. But I didn't come to Christ through an intellectual argument, and my faith doesn't stand on human wisdom, so why should I try and bring others through that door?

If the whole scientific world came together and "disproved" the Bible, and archeologists found what were "proved" to be the bones of Jesus, it wouldn't shake my faith in the slightest. Not at all. This is what Paul speaks about in 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 when he says that the Christian's faith doesn't stand "in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."

Remember, early Christians weren’t converted by the Scriptures. Instead, they were saved by a spoken message. Most couldn’t read anyway. The New Testament hadn’t been compiled. There was no such thing as the printing press.

If you believe that our foundation for the faith is the written Scriptures rather than in the person of Jesus Christ, I have some questions for you. When did Christianity begin? Was it on the Day of Pentecost when the 3,000 were converted by the power of God, or did it have to wait until the New Testament was compiled in 200 AD?

So don’t feel that it’s your mandate to convince anyone of the inspiration of the Word of God. You will never do it while they love their sins. For every reasonable argument you come up with, he will come back with a hundred and one atrocities and injustices in the Bible.

Instead, give the arrow of the gospel thrust by using the Law of God to bring the knowledge of sin. Make the sinner thirst after a righteousness, without which, he will perish. Then, once he is born again and comes to know the Lord, the Scriptures will open up to him. Until that time, the things of God will seem foolishness to him, as the Scriptures say.

“It takes no brains to be an atheist. Any stupid person can deny the existence of a supernatural power because man’s physical senses cannot detect it. But there cannot be ignored the influence of conscience, the respect we feel for the Moral Law, the mystery of first life...or the marvelous order in which the universe moves about us on this earth. All these evidence the handiwork of the beneficent Deity . . . That Deity is the God of the Bible and Jesus Christ, His Son.” Dwight Eisenhower (From, The Evidence Bible)

Born That Way

“Ray, Why, then, did god make people homosexual? Isn't this cruel? I suppose you will say that they "choose" to be homosexual. I think you and I know this is absurd. Why then would god make them this way only to prohibit the strongest of all urges in people?”

Good question. It’s common for Christians to say that homosexuals weren’t "born that way"--that they instead choose that lifestyle. I think we are all born “that way” because we inherit a sinful nature. I didn't have to teach my children to lie, to steal, to be selfish, etc. They naturally knew how to do that. I had to teach them to do what was right. As each of us grows from childhood, we have the potential to be a fornicator, a liar, a thief, an adulterer, a pervert, a homosexual, a drunkard, a murderer, a rapist or a pedophile. So, we didn't choose the sinful nature, but we did choose to follow a particular sin.

The good news is that God can not only forgive sin, but that He gives us a new heart (a new inner self) that desires to do that which pleases Him--to do that which is right. Hopefully, if you are still in your sins you will repent and trust the Savior before the Day of Judgment, when the door of mercy will close. After that happens, there won't be a hope in Hell, so take sin seriously: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor coveters, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortionists will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

Something we Have in Common

If you want to put some label on a Christian, rather than call him "religious" (which he is not) call him a “Protestant” (which he should be). That means he protests that the Roman Catholic church imprisoned Galileo. He protests that they killed innocent Christians in the Spanish Inquisition. He protests that they embarked on the Crusades that slaughtered multitudes in the name of God. So, if you are offended by the above and protest such hypocrisy, even if you are an atheist, you are also a "Protestant" and that’s to be commended.

How to Deal with Hell

If you are too intelligent to become an atheist, here’s a good way to temporarily handle the "Hell" problem. Say to yourself that God is all-loving and all-forgiving, and that He would never create a place called Hell. Then negate the need for retribution by calling homosexuality “gay,” and adultery “an affair.” Call lies “fibs,” corporate theft “blue collar crime,” gambling “gaming,” and murder “temporary insanity.” There’s one more call. Make sure you call yourself “deceived.”

Those who don't believe in Hell are deceived into thinking that God is corrupt. Think for a moment as to why we have court systems. It's because we are moral beings. We are made in the image of God. That's what separates us from the beasts. We believe in justice and truth. When a man commits a murder, a good judge could never turn a blind eye to his crimes. If he did, then he's corrupt, and should be brought to justice himself. In the 1990's statistics reveal that there were approximately 100,000 unsolved murders in the United States. The Bible warns that God will not turn a blind eye to the taking of those 100,000 precious human lives. Or think of actor George Clooney’s experience in East Africa, where he met a young woman who had been viciously raped by Sudanese rebels. They then burned her, and cut off her lips so that she couldn't talk. Those wicked men will be brought to absolute justice, and that will be thorough, utterly fearful, and irrevocably eternal.

But this same holy Creator warns that He considers hatred to be murder and lust to be adultery. He warns that lying lips are an abomination to Him, and all liars will be cast into the lake of fire (see Revelation 21:8). Who of us is guiltless of sinning against Him? Each of us has a multitude of sins that will come to light on what the Bible calls "the Day of Wrath," unless they have been forgiven through faith in the Savior.