God Likes Them Dumb

“So God doesn't like smart people? The thoughts of the wise are worthless... that’s flirting with contradiction. The unavoidable implication is that God likes 'em dumb and ignorant." T. C. Chimp

It's important to read the Bible in context. First Corinthians 3:18 is speaking of anyone who "seems to be wise in this age," and goes on to explain that "the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God." Again, this is referring to those who are wise in their own eyes--they only think they are wise.

However, if you want to interpret the fact that not many wise people come to Christ because "God likes ‘em dumb and ignorant," go ahead.

But let me see if you are a "wise" person. Can you make honey, from nothing? How about a glass of milk, from nothing? How about a living leaf? Can you make a living frog, or a cat, a horse or a cow, from nothing? How about an eye? Make me a fully functioning eye, using no materials. Can you? Of course you can’t. You don’t even have an intelligent answer to how those came about. You will say that evolution is responsible for making everything, but that it didn’t make them from nothing. It made them from gases in space. Then where did the gases come from? You have to keep saying that there was something in the beginning, because basic science says that nothing can come from nothing.

Yep, you can't make a piece of sand from nothing. You don’t know where we came from, why you are here, or what’s going to happen after you die. You don’t know much at all. So, if it’s true that God likes ‘em dumb and ignorant, you sure qualify to be liked by Him.

Instead of being dumb and ignorant, be wise. Listen to your conscience, acknowledge your many sins, and you will come to understand that God just doesn’t like us "dumb and ignorant" people, He proved His great love for us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.

The Opiate of the Masses

“Discoveries about the natural world, especially an alien planet, should amaze everyone. The religious can be amazed at how God decided to put the universe together. The non-religious can share in the awe of the natural world, with the promise of more discoveries around the corner. It's sad Ray that you don't have this feeling of awe...” Chris.

Chris, I would be grateful if you didn’t refer to me (and other Christians) as “religious.” I think I can speak on their behalf. If you are a little confused as to why we don’t like being called that, let me give you a comparison that you may think is extreme, but as far as I am concerned, it’s not. It’s like the difference between the words “African-American” and the “n” word. One is culturally acceptable. The other has extremely negative connotations.

I want to distance myself from the hypocrisy, the greed, the pedophilia, and the dead tradition of religion. Marx rightly called it the "opiate of the masses."

The feeling of awe that you get at the promise of new discoveries is a tiny part of what Christians feel in knowing God. You get a sense of awe because you see the creation. We are overawed beyond words because we know the Creator. I would like to be able to give you another comparison between those two experiences, but I can’t think of any because they are so far apart.

When I look at the magnificence of the Grand Canyon, or the incredible power of Niagara Falls, or the sun, the stars, birds, flowers, elephants, lions, etc.--all of this amazing creation--I don’t just see the creation, I see the wonder, the glory, and the power of the Creator.

I haven’t always been this way. I used to think that I could see, but I was blind until I came to know Him who said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Consider what the Bible says about praising God's creation and ignoring the Creator: “Because when they knew and recognized Him as God, they did not honor and glorify Him as God or give Him thanks. But instead they became futile and godless in their thinking [with vain imaginings, foolish reasoning, and stupid speculations] and their senseless minds were darkened” (Romans 1:21, Amplified Bible).

Sleeping "Convert."

“And yes, I was a deep, deep believer in Christ. I woke up.”

The Bible says that false converts do “believe,” but it’s only for a while (see Luke 8:13). It is temptation, tribulation or persecution that exposes the hypocrite, although many stay alseep within the Church, and will be exposed on Judgment Day. That will be a day of awakening (see Matthew 7:21-29 for details).

Judas lasted for three and a half years until his love of money was exposed by temptation. The above false convert confesses that he “woke up,” so he was asleep, revealing how easily he was deceived by sin. Now he no doubt he is sure that he’s not deceived. Again.

Round Peg, Square Hole

“Care to clarify: nothing is impossible for God, so He can create a rock to large He cannot lift . . . If He can only do one, He is not infinite.”

This question reveals a lack of common sense. The questioner thinks that if God couldn’t create a rock too big for Him to lift then He doesn't exist. Then again, we could ask if God could make a perfectly round peg and put it into a perfectly square hole, and make it fit perfectly. Or, could God make an egg that’s not an egg?

These are questions that are asked to divert attention away from the real issue.. But it seems that God had the atheist pegged thousands of years ago when He said, “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him.”

One more of those dumb-sounding questions, that may not be dumb. Could God take a man who is a fool but thinks that he’s wise, and make him see that he is a fool, so that he will be wise? The answer is in 1 Corinthians 3:18.

Here's the Dirt

Pasadena scientists rejoiced recently when their robot landed on Mars. Their expedition cost $420 million, took years to plan, and required an amazing ten months for the flight. The robot will collect soil samples and look for evidence that Mars could support life. Does the red planet have the “building blocks of life”?

I was excited when man first brought back samples from the moon’s surface. We waited while the amazing samples were tested. We waited for a long time. I guess enthusiasm waned a little when they discovered that God had made the moon from dirt. What did they expect? I’m sure that they will find that God also made Mars of dirt. Dirt. A $420 million discovery. How amazing.

Maybe we should spend our time and money on cleaning up the dirt in our own backyard. There sure is plenty of it.

If we ever discover intelligent life forms in space, it's a given that we will start a war and kill them.

Rooted in Darwinism

"MacArthur says, 'The most damaging ideologies of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries were all rooted in Darwinism.' So, what he is saying is that we would be better off if scientific advancements never happened. That is totally bogus.” Dale

Genuine scientific advancement is wonderful. However, Darwinism is not scientific. It is a brainless and unproven theory that comes from the imaginations of sinful men. I was once a believer, until I looked for empirical evidence. It just isn't there.

The irony is that anyone who denies the mindless theory is considered to be an unscientific moron, when the truth is, any evolutionary believer (especially an atheist) speaking on behalf of science is like Jeffery Dahmer speaking on behalf of the Boy Scouts of America.

All About Him

Most people have no idea that the entire Bible is about one person--Jesus of Nazareth. It speaks of Him from the Book of Genesis to the Book of Revelation. It tells us that He created all things, including the eyes you are using to see these words, the lungs that are breathing in the oxygen He created, to feed the brain that He made so you can process them (see John 1:1-3).

Of course, His name hasn’t always been Jesus of Nazareth. The Bible tells us that He is God--eternally preexistent before the “incarnation.” He is "the image of the invisible God" (Col. 1:15). The reason He created a body for Himself and became a man was to suffer and die for the sin of the world.

Consider how the New Testament exalts Jesus of Nazareth. It calls Him “Lord” an incredible 618 times. He is the One to whom all humanity will one day bow the knee. He is called the “Christ” an amazing 543 times, and at times He is referred to as Christ Jesus. This is because “Christ” (“Messiah,” or anointed One) is a title rather than a name. We do the same thing with our presidents. We say the title "President" before the name of the person in that position.

He is called “Son of Man” 84 times, because He truly was a man who had the ability to feel pain, experience thirst, and know the torment of fear. He is called “Son of God” 37 times, because He was truly God is human form, manifesting His authority over His creation by walking on water, stilling storms, healing disease, and conquering death.

There has never been anyone like Jesus of Nazareth. Listen to what Philip Schaff said of Him: “This Jesus of Nazareth, without money and arms, conquered more millions than Alexander, Caesar, Mohammed, and Napoleon; without science and learning, He shed more light on things human and divine than all philosophers and scholars combined; without the eloquence of schools, He spoke such words of life as were never spoken before or since, and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of orator or poet; without writing a single line, He set more pens in motion, and furnished themes for more sermons, orations, discussions, learned volumes, works of art, and songs of praise than the whole army of great men of ancient and modern times.”

Take the time to open the New Testament and read about Jesus of Nazareth--who He was, and what He did for you. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. If in this life you refuse to humble yourself and bow the knee to Him as Savior so that your sins can be forgiven, you will bow the knee to Him as Lord on Judgment Day so that justice will be done. That will be a fearful thing . . . with terrible eternal consequences.

What's Kirk up to?

"...at present, it looks just like someone else is doing the pasting under your name... It could be anyone. It could be a trained chimp. What is Cameron up to these days?" Matthew Wooller

Glad you asked. Kirk will be on "Good Morning America" on Tuesday 27th, and on "The View," "Inside Edition," and "Glenn Beck" on either Tuesday 27th or Wednesday 28th. He has an incredible new movie coming out in August, called "Fireproof," and, of course, we have the Third Season of our television program coming out soon.

The Smartest Man Alive

“The smartest man alive (Stephen Hawking) is an Atheist. You think him a fool because he does not believe in your vile bronze age superstitions.” C. Chimp.

Not so. Stephen Hawking isn’t a fool. He believes in God.

Look at what he said about Him: “It would be very difficult to explain why the universe should have begun in just this way, except as the act of a God who intended to create beings like us.” Stephen Hawking (A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes [New York: Bantam Books, 1988], p. 127).

He also said, “The odds against a universe like ours coming out of something like the Big Bang are enormous. I think there are clearly religious implications” (John Boslough, Stephen Hawking's Universe, p. 121)

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to look at this amazing creation and see the genius of the amazing Creator. A child can know that. Your stumbling-block isn't intellectual as you maintain. . . it's moral.

A Renewed Respect for Voltaire

The website of an atheist group, which refers to itself as “Wonderful atheists,” states, “This compilation of quotes, from some of the world’s greatest thinkers, gives me hope that our battle is just.” The list, at first glance, looks impressive.

It’s packed full of quotes from "just" fighters for truth--men like Karl Marx, Marilyn Manson, and Satanist Anton LaVey.

Of course, one of the world’s greatest thinkers, Albert Einstein, is at the top of the list. But for some reason they don't quote him saying how he hated being quoted by atheists: "In view of such harmony in the cosmos which I, with my limited human mind, am able to recognize, there are yet people who say there is no God. But what makes me really angry is that they quote me for support of such views." Albert wasn't stupid. He believed in the existence of God. He said, “I want to know how God created this world. I am not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or that element. I want to know his thoughts. The rest are details.” (The Expanded Quotable Einstein, Princeton University Press, 2000 p.202)

They quoted Thomas Jefferson (who also believed in God). They quoted free thinker Mark Twain (who believed in God, but justifiably hated established religion). Walt Disney is listed. So are Helen Keller (who also said, “I try to increase the power God has given me to see the best in everything and every one, and make that Best a part of my life”), Galileo, and Charles Darwin. Each of these people were called “great thinkers” and none of them were stupid. They believed in God.

However, many of those quoted railed against organized religion. It seems strange that they didn’t quote Jesus Christ, who railed against the religious leaders of His day, asking them how they were going escape the damnation of Hell. So did John the Baptist. He called the religious leaders a “brood of vipers,” and asked, “Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”

The atheists of course quoted the French author and playwright Voltaire. They then said of him: “Perhaps never really an atheist, nonetheless, Voltaire changed late in life into a fearless crusader against religious cruelty and injustice. In Voltaire’s time it was forbidden to be an Atheist. Admitting to be one, brought the death sentence. Hence he was a Deist for most of his life.”

So, according to them, Voltaire was probably a secret atheist who pretended to believe in God. That seems to clash with his own thoughts on atheists. This is what Voltaire said of them: “The atheists are for the most part impudent and misguided scholars who reason badly, and who not being able to understand the creation, the origin of evil, and other difficulties, have recourse to the hypothesis of the eternity of things and of inevitability.” He hated organized religion as any self-respecting and thinking person should, and he thought that atheists were rude, misguided folks who didn’t know how to reason. Wow. I have a renewed respect for the man.

He also said, “What conclusion shall we draw from all this? That atheism is a very pernicious monster in those who govern; that it is also pernicious in the persons around statesmen, although their lives may be innocent, because from their cabinets it may pierce right to the statesmen themselves; that if it is not so deadly as fanaticism, it is nearly always fatal to virtue . . . If there are atheists, whom must one blame, if not the mercenary tyrants of souls, who, making us revolt against their knaveries, force a few weak minds to deny the God whom these monsters dishonor” (A Philosophical Dictionary by Voltaire).

Atheists are "impudent," "misguided scholars," who "reason badly" and are "pernicious."

I guess he must have somehow foreseen some of the nasty atheists' comments on this blog.

What God Cannot Do

“Mr. Comfort, I'm sure you've been asked this many times, but humor me: Could God create a boulder so heavy that he himself could not lift?” Andrew Douglas

There are many things God cannot do. These are things related to His character rather than His ability. The Bible makes it clear that God cannot lie. It calls upon the strength of the word “impossible” to substantiate that He is trustworthy: "It is impossible for God to lie" (Hebrews 8:16). He cannot sin. All of His judgments are righteous and true altogether.

He also cannot let injustice go unpunished. If a man murders or rapes a woman, lies, steals, or commits adultery, he "stores up" God’s wrath that will be revealed on Judgment Day.

In answer to the ancient question about the ability of God to create a rock that He cannot lift, I would answer that when it comes to the ability of God, nothing is impossible. Jesus did, however, speak of a large rock. He put it this way: "Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder" (Luke 20:18). This was the same Jesus who said to love your enemies and to do good to those who spitefully use you. It was a strange thing for such a kind and loving person to say, until you understand what He said.

When you grind something to powder you do a thorough job. Nothing is left. That’s how God’s justice will be on Judgment day. He will not only punish murderers, but His just wrath will fall on those who have hated someone. He will not only punish adulterers and fornicators, but His just wrath will fall on all those who have lusted after another person, lied, stolen, hated, blasphemed, etc. That’s perfect and thorough justice. No sin (injustice) will be left unpunished.

Rather than being ground to powder by God's wrath, there is an alternative. Jesus said, “Whoever falls on that stone will be broken . . .” If you humble yourself and seek God’s forgiveness (which is in Jesus Christ alone), you will have mercy. Otherwise the stone will fall upon you, which is very fearful.

So I hope I have more than humored you by reminding you that there is a massive stone of wrath abiding on you (see John 3:36), and that God has the ability to lift it off you, because of the cross. It was on that cross that Jesus took your punishment upon Himself, so that Eternal Justice wouldn’t have to fall upon you.

What about Bible contradictions?

The Bible has many seeming contradictions within its pages. For example, the four Gospels give four differing accounts as to what was written on the sign that hung on the cross. Matthew said, “This is Jesus the King of the Jews” (27:37). However, Mark contradicts that with “The King of the Jews” (15:26). Luke says something different: “This is the King of the Jews” (23:38), and John maintains that the sign said “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” (19:19).

Those who are looking for contradictions may therefore say, “See—the Bible is full of mistakes!” and choose to reject it entirely as being untrustworthy. However, those who trust God have no problem harmonizing the Gospels. There is no contradiction if the sign simply said, “This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”

The godly base their confidence on two truths: 1) “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16); and 2) an elementary rule of Scripture is that God has deliberately included seeming contradictions in His Word to “snare” the proud. He has “hidden” things from the “wise and prudent” and “revealed them to babes” (Luke 10:21), purposely choosing foolish things to confound those who are wise in their own eyes (see 1 Corinthians 1:27).

If an ungodly man refuses to humble himself and obey the gospel, and instead desires to build a case against the Bible, God gives him enough material to build his own gallows.

This incredible principle is clearly illustrated in the account of the capture of Zedekiah, king of Judah. The prophet Jeremiah told Zedekiah that God would judge him. He was informed that he would be “delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon” and “behold his eyes” (Jeremiah 32:4). This is confirmed in Jeremiah 39:5–7 where we are told that he was captured and brought to King Nebuchadnezzar, then they “bound him with bronze fetters to carry him off to Babylon.” However, in Ezekiel 12:13, God Himself warned, “I will bring him to Babylon . . . yet he shall not see it, though he shall die there” (emphasis added).

Here is material to build a case against the Bible! It is an obvious mistake. Three Bible verses say that the king would go to Babylon, and yet the Bible in another place says that he would not see Babylon. How can someone be taken somewhere and not see it? It makes no sense at all—unless Zedekiah was blinded.

And that is precisely what happened. Zedekiah saw Nebuchadnezzar face to face, saw his sons killed before his eyes, then “the king of Babylon . . . put out Zedekiah’s eyes” before taking him to Babylon (see Jeremiah 39:6,7).

This is the underlying principle behind the many “contradictions” of Holy Scripture (such as the hour at which Jesus was crucified, who was the first to arrive at the tomb after the resurrection of Jesus, etc.). God has turned the tables on proud, arrogant, self-righteous man. When he smugly stands outside of the kingdom of God, and seeks to justify his sinfulness through evidence that he thinks discredits the Bible, he doesn’t realize that God has simply lowered the door of life, so that only those who are prepared to exercise childlike faith, and bow in humility, may enter.
Adapted from The Evidence Bible (Bridge-Logos).

For Your Interest

"captain howdy said...Ray--Oh, and BTW--If you cite one of my comments, could you at least credit me? --Thanks."

captain howdy...I would be happy to credit people who give their real names (even their first real name). Some of the names of professing atheists (how can I say it without sounding offensive?) are stupid. Others are mocking (Rev. BigDumbChimp), and others, like “Clostridium,” are filthy (it is the name of bacteria in excrement). He did add “ophile” to it, just before I banned him from the blog. Different publishers are putting the blog in book form, and I don't want those who ask legitimate questions to sound as though they are circus clowns, or worse.

No Contradictions?

“Let me try and understand this. According to you, Jesus DID say that it's impossible for a rich man to enter heaven. Then down in the very same post you describe a rich man who did what Jesus said is impossible. Now explain to me again how there are no internal contradictions in the Bible?”

There is no contradiction. This is what the Bible says:

"Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, 'How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!' And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, 'Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.' And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, 'Who then can be saved?' But Jesus looked at them and said, 'With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.'” (Mark 10:23-27)

We are told that the disciples were “astonished” at what He said. So it seems that Jesus was talking about a literal camel and a literal needle--something truly impossible. But then Jesus added that with God nothing is impossible. That means that He can change the money-loving heart of a rich man, if He so desires.

The fact is, it’s “impossible” for anyone to enter the Kingdom of God without the help of God. No amount of riches can buy your way in. The Bible says that there are “none” who seek after God (see Romans 3:10-12). We hate God without cause. His name is used as a cuss word, and some even do the unthinkable--they deny that He even exists, which is extremely foolish in the face of this incredible creation. So, it takes what is called “grace” to draw us to Him. He softens the hardened heart, opens the closed mind, and changes our wrong direction. He then opens our blind eyes and gives us light so that we can understand the gospel and be saved. This is described in detail in 2 Corinthians 4:3-6. God did this with me, and He can do it with you--if you are willing. Amazing grace.

Interesting Thread

The Celtic Chimp said...For those of you unable to join the dots. Ray was practically celebrating the recent natural disasters in which thousands died, thousands of children. Delighted that it might be a sign that his bloodthirsty saviour was coming back. A comment left by Nick summed it up well:

"Ray...rather than smirking and treating the story frivolously, how about displaying some sense of the tragedy? Thousands are dead."

Chimp/Nick...my apologies if what I said sounded as though I was celebrating the deaths of thousands of children. I certainly wasn't. I am always deeply concerned (as I am sure you are), when children die or are in danger of starving to death.

If you haven't already sent money to help them get food and medical supplies, you may like to match the amount we sent. You could give through "The Children's Hunger Fund" (very trustworth organization). You can find their contact address at the bottom of www.livingwaters.com > Ask for Dave Phillips (the president); mention my name and tell him that you would like them to debit your credit card for the same amount that we gave. Thanks for your concern. Best wishes, Ray

Not One Second

You can’t go back one second in time. That’s something that I often think about. It was in the back of my mind recently when our seven grandchildren were running around on our front lawn, as I was about to back my wife’s van out of the driveway. I checked behind the vehicle, then I rolled the window down and asked my grown son if any kids were behind me. They weren’t, so I backed up.

The next morning I found out that a well-known Christian artist lost a five-year-old daughter when his teenage son backed his van up and killed her. What an unspeakable tragedy for the family. It's a horror none of them will ever forget. I'm sure the instant the accident happened, they would have given anything to go back just one second in time.

No doubt the incident shook the faith of some. How could God allow such a thing to happen? Some will even conclude that God must not exist, because of the accident. Yet, being a Christian doesn’t mean that you are immune from the pains of this life. If a Christian is in a tornado, he may be killed, just like a non-Christian. If it rains, he gets wet.

What’s the benefit of trusting in Jesus Christ if we're not protected from the tragedies of this life? I liken it to wearing a parachute in a plane. You experience just as much turbulence as the other passengers. You may even be mocked for wearing a parachute. The flight attendant may spill coffee on you and burn you. But you will see the benefit of wearing it when you jump. One day we all will have to jump--to leave this plane of life and pass through the door of death.

So do as the Bible commands and “put on the Lord Jesus Christ,” and trust Him as you would trust a parachute to save you. Expect a turbulent life. Expect mockers. Just make sure you are ready for the jump into eternity. It can come at any time.

“Isn't it more logical and reasonable to say that your conscience is put there by society--that your parents, neighbors, teachers, and authority figures (police, elected officials, preachers, and others) all play a role in forming your morality as you grow from infant to adult? This is a more sensible explanation, because it explains why different cultures have slightly different moralities.” David W. Irish

David, it is interesting the every culture has a sense of morality, and that no matter how “primitive” they are, they acknowledge some sort of Creator. I am not aware of any past culture that has been found to be atheistic.

However, let’s say that you are right--that it is society and not God that entirely shapes the human conscience. Let’s imagine that a man has been rescued by authorities after 20 years of being raised by wolves. He is found to be intelligent and completely sane, but has had no moral instruction from any human being in those 20 years.

He is cleaned up, given a nice suit, and taken to New York where he is overawed by what he sees. He is still given no moral instruction. When he is left alone, the first thing he does is find a pretty young woman. He rapes and murders her, then he steals her money and is captured while spending it.

In court, his attorney’s defense is that he didn’t know right from wrong--society had given him no moral instruction. Is the judge going to let him go? Of course not, because although the human conscience may be influenced by society, etc., it is not given to us by society. It is given to us by God, so that every sane human being intuitively knows right from wrong. That's why we will all be without excuse on the Day of Judgment.

There is a reason every culture acknowledges God. It's because the knowledge of His existence is manifest through the conscience, as well as through creation:

“ . . . because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:19-21).

A Skeptic's Question About Human Beans

“Just how long are the ‘last days’ supposed to last? … The Bible says that no one knows when the end will come, but then it gives some clues. And the clues it gives are all things that have happened since the dawn of human beans.”

Yes, the questioner did write “beans” instead of “beings,” revealing that he has a strange belief about where we sprouted from, or he’s a big Mr. Bean fan, or he’s just like the rest of us and makes mistakes when typing.

Human beings are prone to err, and the greatest error any of us can ever make is to be wrong about God. The religious leaders at the time of Christ made that mistake continually. They came to Jesus with questions for which they didn’t really want answers. Instead, their intent was to trick Him so that they could catch Him in His words. One such time was when they asked Him about the resurrection. They concocted a scenario in which a woman had seven husbands who died one after the other. Then they asked, “In the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be? For all seven had her as wife.” Jesus answered, “Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?” (See Mark 12:18-27 for the whole story.)

The same answer could be given to 90% of the questions asked by skeptics. According to the Bible, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments" (Psalm 111:10). So a professing atheist who has no fear of God also has no understanding at all of the character and power of God. Even those of us who know Him know only a tiny drop in an infinite ocean of His greatness. He is omnipresent--He dwells everywhere, filling the infinitude of space. Every tiny atom in the universe is displayed before Him. He is omnipotent--nothing is impossible for God. He is omniscient--seeing every thought of every human heart. These thoughts are too much for human brains that can barely juggle a few thoughts at at time, let alone comprehend the greatness of the God who gave us life.

Skeptics also don't know the Scriptures. Most of the verses cited in questions are read with an ignorance of corresponding verses to give them their biblical context.

So, in answer to the question: God’s timeframe is different than ours-- “For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it is past . . .” (Psalm 90:4), and “ . . . with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day" (2 Pet. 3:8). The Bible tells us that the “last days” began on the Day of Pentecost (see Acts 2:17). We have been in the last days for two thousand years (not much in God’s timeframe). Most of the signs that the Bible speaks of have been around for many years; however, prophecies about the increase of travel and the increase of knowledge are far more evident in recent years. And, of course, the Jews obtaining Jerusalem in 1967 is the fulfillment that started the prophetic clock ticking. How long will the last days will last? God only knows . . . but we are certainly getting close to when the door of His mercy closes.

Love this Comment...

Flat earth.

Wasn't it scientists who believed the earth was flat?

They soon found the truth out didn't they? Screwed that theory. Evolution is next.

(Lauren)

Sexual Desires

“Why did God give us sexual desire if it's a bad thing? Even if you only lust over your spouse, you would most likely have felt lust for them before you married. After all, lust plays a big part in our choice of marriage partner. So why did God set us up to fail?”

You seem to be confusing lust and sexual desire. God did give us sexual desire and it’s not a bad thing. In fact it’s a good thing. How else would we be attracted to a prospective spouse, and why would we even procreate if there was no “desire”?

So, what then is the difference between sexual attraction and lust? One dictionary says that “lust” is “uncontrolled or illicit sexual desire or appetite; lecherousness.” Or to put it another way, lust is pornography of the mind.

How then do we know the difference between "looking" and lusting? The answer is to listen to your God-given conscience. It will tell you . . . if you have a mind to listen. There's nothing wrong with simply seeing someone and having the automatic thought that she's attractive. But that's different from then formulating sexual thoughts about that person to lust for her. In case you're having trouble hearing from your conscience, here's another clue to help you: How would you feel if your spouse were doing that behavior? Would you mind it if she was entertaining lustful thoughts for other men, having sexual fantasies about someone other than you? We often have a hard time seeing wrong behavior in ourselves, but have no trouble seeing it in others.

So God isn’t the one to blame for "setting us up to fail." To believe that would be like a criminal saying to a judge, “Judge, I raped that woman, but it really isn’t my fault. God made me with sexual desire so it's His fault.” If that won’t hold water in a court of law, it’s not going to be a valid defense on Judgment Day.

Look at how serious lust is in God’s sight:

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell” (Matthew 5:27-30).

However, our real problem isn’t lust. That’s just one large branch of the tree of our sinful nature. If we want to avoid the damnation of Hell, we have to (with the help of God) take an axe to the root of the tree, and that can be done only through repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ.

You may have skipped over the words “damnation of Hell,” but that is a good motivating factor to repent. Let me put it another way. If I said to you that you need to give up chocolate, you would probably be horrified. However, if I proved to you that if you ate any more chocolate, it would kill you, you would then have a strong motivation to give it up, despite it being so palatable to your taste. So give the issue some serious thought. It’s your choice…and it’s your eternity.

It Will Take More Than an Old Book

“I don't understand at all how Christian doctrine is proof that Christianity and the Christian God is the ‘right’ one. It will take a lot more than an old book to convince me that the God of Christianity is the one true God. In order for one to use or trust the Bible as evidence of anything, belief that the Bible is the word of God is necessary. Using the Bible as evidence when trying to convince someone who doesn't believe in it...well, it's not exactly compelling.”

Set aside your thoughts of "an old book" for a moment, and listen to the claims of the gospel.

I have four gifts for you: 1) The original Mona Lisa. 2) Ten million dollars. 3) The keys to a brand new Lamborghini. 4) A parachute. You may only choose one gift. Before you choose, here’s some extra information. You have to jump 10,000 feet out of a plane at any moment. Obviously, that immediately changes things. If you have a brain, the parachute is the one you would choose.

Think of the four great religions: 1) Islam. 2) Buddhism. 3) Hinduism. 4) Christianity. Which one should you choose? Before you make a decision, here’s some extra information. You are going to pass through the door of death and face a Law that is far harsher than the law of gravity. It says that hatred is murder, lust is adultery, and all liars will have their part in the lake of fire.

So which one will you choose? Obviously the one that deals with your greatest problem. Islam can’t help you. It’s based on good works and doesn’t offer forgiveness of sins. Muslims can only “hope” that Allah will be merciful and not send them to Hell. But they don’t know what will happen until after they pass through death.

Hinduism can’t help. All it offers is the hopelessness of possible reincarnation. It doesn’t address the issue of sin. Neither does atheistic Buddhism.

However, Christianity offers a parachute. It says to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” It promises to save you from the Law of sin and death.

That’s how you know which one to choose--the one that offers the compete solution to your greatest problem.

Is My Conscience Broken?

“The thing is, Ray, I have a perfectly functional conscience. It nags me when I don't give time and money to charity, it demands that I tell the truth when telling a lie would be more convenient, it (for the most part) holds me back from saying cruel-yet-witty things even when I dearly want to . . . And yet, oddly enough, my conscience has absolutely nothing to say on the subject of my atheism. Now why is that, Ray? Is my conscience broken, or is your definition just bogus?”

This is a very good question because it brings out a very good point. You are acknowledging that the conscience addresses you in the area of morality. It excuses you of selfishness (failing to fulfill the Law that says you should love your neighbor as yourself--giving to charities, being kind, etc.). It accuses you when you lie--violating the Ninth Commandment. This is because God has written “the work of the Law” on your heart, so that your conscience will accuse you of transgression of that Law (see Romans 2:15).

However, the reason your conscience has nothing to say about your atheism is that atheism is not a moral issue. It’s an intellectual issue. If I were to lie or steal, my conscience would scream at me. But if I said something that was intellectually stupid, like one and one make five, the conscience remains silent. The same applies with the foolishness of atheism.

“Ray, what if I don't feel guilty?”

Guilt is the feeling produced by a violated conscience. The Bible speaks of a "good" conscience, and among other things, a "seared" conscience. A seared conscience is one that has lost its life on the outside, like a seared steak. The conscience has become callous so that it loses its ability to feel guilt.

An old drunk staggered into his home and collapsed on his floor. His faithful old dog snuggled up to him and waited for him to wake up.

Suddenly, around midnight, the dog began to bark. It barked and barked. It was the last thing that old drunk wanted to hear. He stumbled to his feet, grabbed a wooden chair and threw it at the dog.

In the morning, the drunk awoke and was horrified to find that everything of value in his home had been stolen. The only things left were a broken chair and a dead dog. Thieves had broken in and stolen everything he had, and the dog was trying to warn him. He had killed the best friend he ever had.

Your conscience is like that dog. Don’t kill your best friend. It's there to warn you.

To put it another way, if you dull your conscience so that you don’t feel guilt, you are like a man who removes the batteries from his smoke detector, because he doesn’t want to be disturbed by its alarming sound.

The conscience is there to warn you, and it should drive you to the mercy of God in Christ. That may not seem like a big deal now, but it will on Judgment Day.

Again, it doesn't matter whether you feel guilty. Even if you've hardened your conscience so you no longer hear it, you still are guilty before a righteous God. The God-given sense of guilt is there to warn you of your condition of guilt so you'll do something about it.

“How do you know you have the right God?”

Good question. There are many religions and many ways that are said to lead to God, so how do we know that we have the right one? There are ancient Greek and Roman gods. There is the Aztec god. There’s the god of the Mormons. He lives on a distant planet with a number of wives, making spirit babies to populate other planets, and we can become gods like him if we do what the Mormon religion requires. Then there is the buffet god--the god of Oprah. You pick and choose what you like from all the religions, and then create a god in your own image, one that suits you. Then again, you could make evolution your god, and give it praise for creating everything through (super)natural selection. You could even see yourself as god. Many do. The God of the Hebrews said, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3). That God maintains that we are directly responsible to Him for our thoughts, words, and deeds.

The prophets of a god named Baal believed that he was God, the Creator. Elijah, a Hebrew prophet, said that he wasn't. So, they both built separate altars, and Elijah said that whoever answered by fire would be the one true God. The prophets of Baal prayed their hearts out and nothing happened. Elijah prayed, and fire fell from the heavens and burned up the sacrifice completely. There was nothing left. (See 1 Kings 18:20-40.)

Here’s how you can know the right way. You have a dilemma that is even greater than the one you think you have of not knowing which is the right God. It’s the dilemma of "guilt." Everyone has it. You can drown it in booze or say it doesn’t exist, or insist that you don't feel guilt, but it is still something you have. This is because it's not a feeling; it's a condition.

Let’s look at one of the Ten Commandments to see what I mean. “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27,28). Are you guilty? Of course you are. Lust leaves us all guilty. We lust sexually, and whether we believe it or not, we are going to stand before the Creator and give an account of ourselves, right down to the sexual imagination of the heart.

The conscience produces guilt, and guilt produces fear of impending judgment. We can say, “I don’t believe that,” but our unbelief doesn’t erase the guilt. Nor can it erase the reality of the impending judgment of Hell. It’s still there.

In comes the gospel. It says that Jesus Christ suffered and died to take away my sin and my guilt. He came to erase it completely. The gospel explains that a legal transaction took place between the Creator and humanity 2,000 years ago, through the suffering death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I violated the moral Law of the Creator, and Jesus paid my fine so that my case could legally be dismissed.

Here's the promise of the gospel. Upon my repentance and faith in Jesus, my guilt will disappear. All of it. Not for lust only, but for all of my sins--for ingratitude, rebellion, greed, unbelief, lying, stealing, fornication, etc. All the guilt disappears upon repentance and faith in Jesus. Oprah can’t do that. The great religions can’t do that. Neither can Mormonism. No other god can wash away my sins, because no other god answered by the fire of His wrath and consumed the sacrifice. That happened 2,000 years ago when Christ died on the cross. God accepted His sacrifice.

All manmade religions still offer sacrifices. That’s the altar upon which they are built--the sacrifice of prayer, of giving money, of giving time, of doing good works, of doing penance, of fasting, etc. They have to sacrifice, because they still have guilt, because the conscience demands a continual sacrifice. Not so with Christianity. The guilt is removed because the sacrifice was accepted. Completely. And our guilt is dismissed through simple repentance and faith in Jesus. (Again, I'm not talking about a sense of guilt, but our actual condition--we're no longer lawbreaking criminals before a holy God.) It’s so simple a child can understand it. Obey the gospel, and the guilt is replaced by absolute assurance of everlasting life. Death loses its sting . . . “and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

For more details on how Christianity is superior to other religions, see our booklet "Why Christianity?" which you can view freely online here:

www.livingwaters.com/Merchant2/graphics/pdf/WhyChristianity.pdf

Why the Name Change?

Some are asking why we have changed the name on the blog header to "The Soapbox." This is because the name "Comfort Food" by itself gave the impression that this is a cozy corner for Christian fun, food, and fellowship. However, a quick look at the comments and it's clear that it's not. Some have been shocked and others have been discouraged by what they see as fighting. There really is a battle going on in there (see Ephesians 6:12-20). Hence, the name change.

Rich Men and the Kingdom of God

“Didn't Jesus say that it's impossible for a rich man to enter Heaven?”

Yes, He did. “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, ‘Who then can be saved?’ But Jesus looked at them and said to them, ‘With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible’” (Matthew 19:23-26).

Then Scripture goes on to tell of a rich man entering the Kingdom of Heaven (see Luke 19:1). A man named Zacchaeus, whom the Scriptures say was rich, humbled himself and surrendered to Christ. Then Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to this house” (verse 9). So if you are rich, make sure that you love God more than you love your money, and hold onto it with a loose hand.

Max, Take a Deep Breath

Comfort, you are an ignorant #@!% ... Get a $#@!&... Comfort, you are an ignorant $%#@!*... Get a $#@&% clue you idiotic kiwi $#@!%&. !*#@$ with a !#@%$ spiky melon *%$#@ !%$$#, you're a *!#$ &*#!!! -- Max.

Some time ago we received an email that was similar to Max's. It was filled with very angry profanity, aimed at us. So we contacted the man and asked why he was so angry. It turned out that he was an atheist, he was in pain, and he had big medicinal bills he couldn't pay. Without giving too many details, we asked Christians in his area to contact him. They did, and they paid his bills. Needless to say, we received a very polite and appreciative email from him some time later.

(Christians: Please pray for Max. We don't know his circumstances. He may simply be filled with hatred, or he may have another reason for being so angry).

Wilde Oats

It was Oscar Wilde who said the wise words, “I am not young enough to know everything.” Wilde was the famous writer of the 19th century who led a secretive double life. He is quoted as saying, "I was a man who stood in symbolic relations to the art and culture of my age.” He confessed, "I had genius, a distinguished name, high social position, brilliancy, intellectual daring. I made art a philosophy, and philosophy an art. I altered the minds of men and the color of things; there was nothing I said or did that did not make people wonder. I treated art as the supreme reality, and life as a mere mode of fiction; I awoke the imagination of my century so that it created myth and legend around me. I summed up all systems in a phrase, and all existence in an epigram."

Yet, after a homosexual relationship with a young man named Alfred B. Douglas (whom Wilde referred to as “Robbie”) nearly destroyed his life and "led to his downfall," Wilde made this eerie statement: "Ah, Robbie, when we are dead and buried in our porphyry tombs, and the trumpet of the Last Judgment is sounded, I shall turn and whisper to you, 'Robbie, Robbie, let us pretend we do not hear it.'" (As quoted in Secret Formulas of the Wizard of Ads, by Roy Williams [Austin, TX: Bard Press, 1999]).

So it looks like Oscar Wilde could have inspired John Lennon's "Imagine." Except that his version was called "Pretend." Though Wilde may pretend not to hear the last trump, God will have His way. There is no myth or legend surrounding the Supreme Reality of God. As Charles Spurgeon said, "The trumpet of the Archangel shall tear you from your grave, and the eyes of God will burn into your guilty soul..."

Six feet of dirt will not hide guilty criminals from the Justice of a holy God.

The dead will be raised to stand before Him in judgment: murderers, rapists, thieves, liars, fornicators, homosexuals, hypocrites, atheists, agnostics, adulterers, perverts, and pedophiles. God will bring every work to judgment, including every secret thing, whether it’s good or evil.

Yet, anyone can be saved today from His just wrath--Jews, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, atheists, pretenders, etc. All they have to do is repent and trust the God-given Savior, before what the Bible calls the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord...the Day of Wrath.

Nostradamus --a Liar and a Thief

“You might say the Bible predicts it before they happens, but the problem is that the predictions claimed to be correct are not pointed out until after they happen. The Bible predictions are vague enough that people aren't pointing out what and when it will happen, they take an event that has happened and adjust their interpretation to fit the event and claim the event is what the prediction said all along. Gods predictions are not alone, it is done with Nostradamus, horoscopes, and tarot cards predictions too.”

I once believed that Nostradamus was able to somewhat predict the future. However, after closely studying him and his so-called predictions I found that he stole his “prophecies” from the Bible (which he read in secret), revised them, and claimed them as his own. I even produced an award-winning documentary about this, and also wrote a book called Nostradamus, Attack on America.

He was able to plagiarize the prophecies of the Bible and get away with it because in those days the Roman Catholic church forbade the reading of the Scriptures. Nowadays, as in his day, anyone who is ignorant of the Bible’s prophecies will be impressed with the writings of Nostradamus. His "predictions," though, are incredibly generic (just as horoscopes and tarot cards are), and people can read into them any meaning they want to.

That isn’t true with biblical prophecies. They are extremely detailed and precise. Unlike other books, the Bible offers a multitude of specific predictions—some thousands of years in advance—that either have been literally fulfilled or point to a definite future time when they will come true. No other religion has specific, repeated, and unfailing fulfillment of predictions many years in advance of events over which the predictor had no control. The sacred writings of Buddhism, Islam, Confucius, etc., are all missing the element of proven prophecy. These kinds of predictions are unique to the Bible.

Only one who is omniscient can accurately predict details of events thousands of years in the future. Limited human beings know the future only if it is told to them by an omniscient Being. God provided this evidence for us so we would know that the Scriptures have a divine Author:

“For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done.” (Isaiah 46:9,10)

In addition, the Bible declares that prophets must be 100 percent accurate—no exceptions. If anyone claimed to be speaking for God and the prophesied event didn’t come to pass, he was proven to be a liar. The writings of Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses are littered with false prophecies, so we know can whether they are written by men or by God.

The Bible’s sixty-six books, written between 1400 B.C. and A.D. 90, contain approximately 3,856 verses concerned with prophecy. For example, the Scriptures predicted the rise and fall of great empires like Greece and Rome (Daniel 2:39,40), and foretold the destruction of cities like Tyre and Sidon (Isaiah 23). Tyre’s demise is recorded by ancient historians, who tell how Alexander the Great lay siege to the city for seven months. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had failed in a 13-year attempt to capture the seacoast city and completely destroy its inhabitants. During the siege of 573 B.C., much of the population of Tyre moved to its new island home half a mile from the land city. Here it remained surrounded by walls as high as 150 feet until judgment fell in 332 B.C. with the arrival of Alexander the Great. In the seven-month siege, he fulfilled the remainder of the prophecies (Zechariah 9:4; Ezekiel 26:12) concerning the city at sea by completely destroying Tyre, killing 8,000 of its inhabitants and selling 30,000 of its population into slavery. To reach the island, he scraped up the dust and rubble of the old land city of Tyre, just like the Bible predicted, and cast them into the sea, building a 200-foot-wide causeway out to the island.

Alexander’s death and the murder of his two sons were also foretold in the Scripture. Another startling prophecy was Jesus’ detailed prediction of Jerusalem’s destruction, and the further dispersion of Jews throughout the world, which is recorded in Luke 21. In A.D. 70, not only was Jerusalem destroyed by Titus, the future emperor of Rome, but another prediction of Jesus’ in Matthew 24:1,2 came to pass—the complete destruction of the temple of God.

Even more important are the many prophecies of a coming Messiah. God said He would send someone to redeem mankind from sin, and He wanted there to be no mistake about who that Person would be. For example, in the Book of Daniel, the Bible prophesied the coming of the one and only Jewish Messiah prior to the temple’s demise. The Old Testament prophets declared He would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) to a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12,13), die by crucifixion (Psalm 22), and be buried in a rich man’s tomb (Isaiah 53:9). There was only one person who fits all of the messianic prophecies of the Old Testament: Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Mary. In all, there are over three hundred prophecies that tell of the ancestry, birth, life, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus of Nazareth. All have been literally fulfilled to the smallest detail.

A fact often overlooked by critics is that, even if most biblical predictions could be explained naturally, the existence of just one real case of fulfilled prophecy is sufficient to establish the Bible’s supernatural origin. Over 25 percent of the entire Bible contains specific predictive prophecies that have been literally fulfilled. This is true of no other book in the world. And it is a sure sign of its divine origin.

(Adapted from How to Know God Exists--Bridge-Logos)

In Complete Control

Hello. My name is “Unreasonable.” I am a very proud demon. I love to hate, and I live for lust. I am extremely prejudiced. Come too close, and I will hiss out my venom. I don’t fear God or man, and I live in the House of Atheist.

If you want to enter my house, know that I control who and what gets in, and I'm in complete control of what comes out. Try knocking to see if I will open the door. Before you even try, let me tell you that I despise truth and will not let it enter . . . unless I think it’s in my best interests.

Take the subject of bats. The Bible says that bats are "birds," probably because they have wings and fly. That’s ridiculous. Bats are not birds. Now if science had said that having wings and flying makes them a form of bird, then that makes sense. In fact, it makes perfect sense.

How about Cain and his wife? Where did she come from? They say he married a sister. I won’t even come to the door on that. It's moronic. However, if science said that we trace our human ancestry back to one individual, then that truth is welcome, because it makes sense.

I can look directly at this vast, intricate creation and say that it’s not proof that there is a Creator. I need give no explanation. Such talk flies in the face of reason and common logic, but I don’t care.

There is a reason I don’t like truth. It’s because it carries light, and I don’t like light . . . unless I can control it. There is a room inside my house that I like to keep dark. Very dark. It is what I call an "adult" fantasy room. You know what I mean. That room keeps the residents here, and it keeps me in control.

I like to call evil good, and good evil. I do this because I hate absolutes, because absolutes speak of truth.

Each time I am unreasonable, I fortify my house.

I love living in the House of Atheist with my other demon friends. That's because we are very welcome here. When the resident is seized by my master and taken to his permanent place, I will just move on and find another house. There are plenty out there.

Actually, I know that everything the Bible says is true. The Word of God makes me tremble. In the face of what I have said, that makes no sense. I know that . . . I'm just being Unreasonable.

The Way of the Master Wins Two Tellys

We have just be informed that we have won two Tellys for the two programs we submitted to the judging panel at the 29th annual Telly awards. "What Scares You?" won a bronze, and "Battle for the Lost" won the highest honors with the silver. May God bless these programs and use them for His Glory. Please pray for us as we complete the 3rd season.

Here is a little more info on the award itself: A prestigious judging panel of over 40 accomplished industry professionals, each a past Winner of a Silver Telly, the top honor, judged the competition, upholding the historical standard of excellence that Telly represents. Judges evaluated entries to recognize distinction in creative work Less than 10% of entries are chosen as Winners of a Silver Telly, our highest honor. Other outstanding work is awarded a Bronze Telly.

Chairman of the judging panel, Richard Friley, the Emmy and Telly Award winning President of Friley Productions noted, "In my second year as judging chairman, I am again incredibly impressed with the remarkable level of achievement evident in the diverse pool of entries. It is a true accomplishment for all of the Winners to be recognized from such an outstanding body

Another Earthquake

Don’t let doomsday prophets fool you. Just because there’s been another big earthquake, it doesn’t signal the end of the world. It does, however, bring us closer to what the Bible calls “the end of the age.” Do you want evidence that the Bible is the Word of God? Of course you don't, but here it is anyway: Look at the signs the Bible speaks of (combined from Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21; 1 Timothy 4; and 2 Timothy 3), and relate that to contemporary life on earth.

It says that at the end of the age there will be earthquakes in various places, famines, diseases, people becoming fearful of the future, nation rising against nation, wars, people would be deceived by religious leaders who said they were from God, a dead religious system, materialism, a forsaking of the Ten Commandments, money-hunger preachers who would have big followings and slur the name of Christ (see 2 Peter 2:1–3), a denial of the Noahic flood (how true is that one!), increase in violence (watch the news tonight), haters of God (listen to His name blasphemed daily), an increase in knowledge (think of the Internet/computer age), an increase in travel (air travel), false converts who would fall away from the Christian faith and get into the occult (see 1 Timothy 4:1-5).

Scripture also says that mockers would say that these signs have always been around (did you just say that?). We are even told why they would mock such clear truth--because they love their lust (2 Peter 3:1-7). That cuts close to the bone. Imagine that--a 2,000 year-old Book predicts what you would say, and why you would say it.

Here’s the trump card. Jesus said to watch for when the Jews regained Jerusalem (see Luke 21:24). That happened in 1967, after 2,000 years of the Jews not having a homeland, they stepped into Jerusalem, bringing into culmination all the signs of the times.

Don’t test God’s patience. You had better get right with Him today, before it’s too late.

Earthquake!

A massive killer quake in China--proof that there's no God...or fulfillment of Bible prophecy?

Proof of Evolution: The Humaphant

The Cowt--evidence of species to species transition

Indiana Jones

I don’t think I have watched the entire Raiders of the Lost Ark movie, but I did Tivo the part where the Nazis find the golden ark and open it. I’m fascinated with the movie because what Hollywood did with it was almost biblical. The 1981 special effects (which now look very cheesy) show all who look at the ark being consumed by the terrifying spirit of death.

The ark of God contained the moral Law (Ten Commandments), which was written on two tablets of stone. That perfect and eternal Law is the reason all of humanity dies. It thundered out the decree, “The soul who sins shall die.” And what's more, on Judgment Day its fearsome lightning flash will search out all evil and pour on the fire of its wrath. God cannot be separated from His holy Law. The Scriptures warn us that He is a consuming fire, and that it’s a fearful thing to fall in His hands.

But think what firefighters do when they know that a massive fire is heading their way. They burn the area around them. Then they lay low, cover themselves, and the fire passes over them because there is nothing material left to burn.

The cross of Calvary was Almighty God in human form bearing the burning wrath of the Law, so that all who humbly repent and trust in Him wouldn’t have to be consumned by its just wrath.

So don’t be deceived into thinking that by shutting your eyes tightly (as Indiana Jones and his sidekick did) you will be saved from the Law. That’s Hollywood’s little spin. Instead, open your eyes to your own sinful condition. Think about God’s absolute perfection, your own sins, and seriously think about the future. The fire of the Law is heading your way. Humble yourself, get rid of sin through repentance, and seek the safety of the Savior. There’s nothing more important.

God and Marijuana

“Why did God create marijuana? Seriously, educate me on this topic.”

I have no idea why God created the marijuana plant. But it seems that everything He created has some purpose for some part of His creation. For example, hemp (from which marijuana is made) is very useful in creating strong rope.

Marijuana is often called “weed,” and weeds came about on earth as a direct result of the curse of God, following Adam's sin.

If, however, you are really asking, “If God created marijuana, shouldn't we therefore smoke it?” I think I may be able to answer that. I would say that God also created sand. If you want to eat sand by the spoonful, go ahead. But don’t complain when you get a bellyache.

While God had a practical use for marijuana, man decided for some reason to burn it and kill his brain cells by inhaling its harmful fumes. Likewise, man decided to use the beautiful poppy to destroy his life with incredibly addictive heroin.

Breathing in the burning fumes of anything isn't good for the human body. In fact, it's extremely unhealthy to do such a thing, and those who do so aren't thinking very deeply. Another word for marijuana is “dope.” I wonder why?

In the Beginning

I spent a few minutes watching a documentary that told viewers that reptiles were our "common ancestors." They called the program: “The Miracle Planet," and rightly so. For life to be sustained on earth in the beginning this truly had to be a miracle planet. Interesting. I thought evolutionists didn’t believe in “miracles.” Oh, don’t bother telling me that it’s just a “figure of speech,” because if you believe in the theory of evolution, you have to believe in miracles. That’s “God” language. Wow. So, true believers in evolution now believe in miracles. We've been waiting for you to come around. Welcome to the club.

Christians--the Raving Lunatics

A woman’s car broke down late one dark night in an unfamiliar area. She was afraid, so she wound the vehicle's windows up tight, locked the doors, and turned on the car radio to keep her company. She decided that it would be wise to wait until the morning light before going for help.

A short time later a frantic man appeared at her window and began to yell at her. Frightened, she gestured for him to go away. He left and then returned seconds later with a rock in his hand, smashed the window of her car, and pulled her out, much to the woman's horrified protests.

As they fell to the ground a massive train suddenly smashed into her car, causing it to burst into flames.

You may consider Christians to be raving lunatics, but all we are frantically trying to do is warn you that you are in terrible danger. The train of God's moral Law is merciless. Your ignorance of the imminent peril doesn't make it disappear. Please, soften your heart and listen to us before it’s too late.

A Question and a Comment from an Atheist...who is now Banned from this Blog

1. Clostridiophile: “I believe you were referring to me when you said an atheist asked if you talk to God. If this is the case, what I wanted to know was whether God talks back to you? You know, like a conversation. I ask in all sincerity.” May 8th, 2008.

Knowing you, I seriously doubted if you were sincere, but decided to answer your question anyway, for the sake of other readers:

No, God doesn't speak to me conversationally. Rather, I get direction through the Bible. We speak to God through prayer, and He speaks to us through His Word. The Scriptures are called a “lamp to our feet, and a light to our path.” Couple that with the fact that the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth, and we are not left in the dark as is the rest of the world. We know our origins, the reason for our existence, and what's going to happen in the future.

Be very wary of people who hear voices in their heads, and say that God is speaking to them. The world is full of mentally unstable people (what are often called "religious nuts") who should be in an institution, but they are not (some would count me as one of them).

Then again, there are many sincere Christians who continually say things like, “God told me…” I’m sure that they take their cue from the television preachers who do the same thing. This brings great discredit to Christianity when it’s found that “God” made a mistake (what He apparently told them doesn't come to pass). Having said all this, there are Christians who do believe that God speaks to us in a "small, still voice," and there are Scriptures that justify this. However, in the Old Testament, if a prophet said, "Thus says the Lord" and his prophecy didn't come to pass, he was deemed a false prophet and stoned to death. The key to judging whether something is from God is to ask, "Does it line up with God's Word?"

I once heard an elderly lady say, “I was going to leave my house and the Lord said, ‘You’re not going out until you wash your windows!'” I questioned her as to whether God did actually say that to her, and, of course, found that it was merely the voice of her conscience telling her that she should clean her filthy windows. I said, “Why then do you talk like that? It understandably makes Christians sound crazy.”

Always remember that the Church is filled with false converts, something the Bible calls “tares” among the wheat, “bad fish” among the good, “foolish virgins” among the wise, etc. God will sort out the “sheep from the goats” on Judgment Day. However, in the meanwhile, they are the ones who the news media jump to for a hot story. It’s big news when Mr. Wayne Bert says that he’s the Messiah, and that God told him to get naked with young girls.

So don’t take all these crazy things as a reason to reject Christianity. Jesus warned that many would come in His name saying that they were the “Christ”--the anointed One, the Messiah--and it sure is true. Mental homes are full of people who think that they are Jesus Christ. That’s just another sign of His coming. Make sure you are ready.

2. The next day, someone answered Clostridiophile..."You know Ray has nothing against science, just non-scense, I mean evolution. You know it still baffles me as to how people can so misrepresent the evidence of the creation. I mean it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the simple truth, but it does take one to deceive & confuse children. Thank God for the opportunity to home school, I don't have to allow them to be brainwashed into the lie evolution, instead they can see Gods creation as a beautiful testimony of the handiwork of their Creator."

Clostridiophile showed his true colors and said:

"Jesus *@%!# !&*@%!$ Christ!" May 9, 2008.

Ray said...This is a Christian blog and therefore it’s common courtesy to adhere to Christian standards. You knew that. If you had said that my wife was a common whore or used the “n” word to describe an African-American friend of mine, I would have been greatly offended. But your blasphemy is far worse, even though you don’t realize it. You blasphemed the Name of the One who gave you life, and suffered and died to save humanity from death and Hell. I find that extremely offensive.

Even if you hadn’t used blasphemy, you used two filthy words that are very vulgar profanity, and you know that’s against the rules. So, you are banned from this site (I doubt if you would consider apologizing). We will continue to pray for your salvation.

P.S. For those of you who accuse me of lying about this incident, I have included (below) Clostridiophile's latest and probably last comment:

“Ray, I will not apologize for anything I have said. I was actually testing you. There is so much undo reverence that you religious people think that the rest of us must walk on egg-shells. You bash us left and right, tell us we are going to burn for our beliefs and you get bent out of shape over a derogatory term from a popular movie. Sure, it was unlike me. I was in a mood where I wanted to push the envelope. I just have to say, that there is very little that would offend me on my blog, I don't understand why you Christians take such offense...isn't this between me and Jesus?”

To reply to your last email: No one is going to “burn” for their beliefs. Rather, they will be justly punished for murder, rape, adultery, fornication, lying, theft, lust, greed, torture, cannibalism, deceit, hatred, and even for every idle word spoken.

You do have some fans, though. After the banning there were several comments in support of you:

“This is a revolting and sad development and I am going to withhold my final judgment until I find out if this is some sort of a Joke. I sure hope it is.”

“What a crock. You're a jerk. And you can ban me for saying that too, if you want.”

“I don't believe you. It's easy enough for you to say he said something. But it is not in keeping with his normal posts.”

“I do not agree with you that Clos should be banned...please rethink your decision regarding Clos.”

“Does anyone else find it suspicious that the one person Ray chooses to ban just so happens to be an evolutionary biologist?”

“It appears to be Clostridiophile's post. I still have it. It goes to his profile, which leads to his ‘of Microbes and Men’ blog. I suppose it could still be faked, but I don't know how to do it.”

“Wow. Ray really is a huge coward. It was obviously getting too difficult to refute reality.”

“Ray, after you publish this post, please ban me too. Seriously I beg of you, please.”

Personally, I find this whole thing mystifying. By the reaction you would think I banned you from Disneyland for life. This is just a boring Christian blog. There are plenty of others to go to. It’s no big deal.

Then again, all you need to do to return is apologize--a simple, “I’m sorry, Ray. I shouldn't have said that.” But I would be surprised if you would do that because you are a very proud man. Humility is hard for you. That same pride is keeping you out of the Kingdom of God. I’m sorry to see you go.

I Was Dying!

Someone approached me recently and asked, “Ray, are you ready to die?” He didn’t have a gun in his hand; he just wanted to know.

The next day, I felt as though I was going to die. As I lay on a chair at home with my eyes closed, Sue put a thermometer in my mouth. One minute later I handed it back to her and it read 107. It was off the charts. Can you believe it? It was over 107 degrees! Thermometers tend to go that high when you hold them real close to a light bulb for 2-3 seconds. Of course, Sue wasn’t fooled. And of course I wasn’t dying. I was just reacting as most men react when they get a bug.

However, one day I will die. It could be in 20 years, it could be tomorrow, and, as I told my friend, I am absolutely ready to die, because I know what is going to happen. I have been ready for 36 years. When I was converted to Christ in 1972, my secular buddies said my conversion wouldn’t last. It did, but they didn’t. Many of them are dead. Three committed suicide. Some died through drug overdoses and others through horrible accidents.

Recently, a mocking atheist asked if I had actually “spoken” to God. Believe it or not, I have. Many times. And I have been doing it for 36 years, like every other person who knows the Lord.

As it was my 36th second birthday recently, I think it would be fitting for me to talk directly to God now, and give Him a very sincere tribute for saving me from death and Hell. If you are an atheist or some sort of skeptic, you may not want to read any further, because the following is not for you. This is between us Christians:

"Father, I want to take a moment to thank You, with every ounce of sincerity I have, for saving a wretch like me. I truly once was lost, but now I’m found. I was blind, but now I see. This prayer is completely inadequate to express my gratitude, so what I can’t put into words, I will put into works. However long I have left on the earth will be used to do Your will, especially to reaching out to those that don't know You. I pray, along with my Christian brethren, for any unsaved who may read this--that they will repent and trust the Savior before it's too late, and come to know You, whom to know is eternal life. In Jesus’ name, Amen."