"The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace." (Numbers 6:24-26).
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
He Should Have Been a Plumber
Rather than a sermon telling his hearers to steal from businesses, he should be telling them to take what they need from his own church's collection plate. If he didn't do that because his church is feeling the economic pinch, that brings into question his motive. If his parishioners take his advice and his weekly collection increases, he is benefiting from the crime he instigated and therefore complicit to it.
The question also arises as to whether or not the priest personally practices what he preaches. Does he himself shoplift? If he doesn't, he's a hypocrite. If he does, then he's a criminal. If he says that he doesn't need to shoplift because he is financially sound, then he should be giving to his poor folks, rather than making them into thieves.
Britain's Daily Mail reported, "He told parishioners it would not break the eighth commandment 'thou shalt not steal' because it 'is permissible for those who are in desperate situations to take food that they might not starve.' The Yorkshire Evening Post reported that he said, "'My advice, as a Christian priest, is to shoplift,' he told his stunned congregation at St Lawrence and St Hilda in York."
The twisted advice of the Reverend is nothing new. The religious leaders at the time of Christ also perverted the Ten Commandments. In Matthew 15 they changed the Fifth so that they didn't have to honor their father and mother, and they even tried to soften the Seventh. But in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus warned that God considers lust to be adultery of the heart.
This all comes back to idolatry. Once you make a god to suit yourself, anything goes. The Bible says that if you steal, even in the case of dire need, you pay back seven-fold. Sex becomes okay "if you love someone." Lying becomes morally okay if they are lies that don't "hurt" anyone. Adultery becomes acceptable if the marriage is boring, and the murder of children in the womb is permitted if a pregnancy is an inconvenience. But the Bible is clear that all liars, adulterers, murderers and thieves will end up in Hell."
The Rev. Jones added, "I do not offer such advice because I think that stealing is a good thing, or because I think it is harmless, for it is neither." He said that people shouldn't steal from small, family businesses, but from large national businesses. This is what happens when unconverted men go into the ministry. Many of today's preachers should have been plumbers, motivational speakers or bankers, rather than what the Bible calls 'preachers of righteousness.'
The moral Law is meant to show us that we are sinners and that we need a Savior. The Ten Commandments don't need changing. We do. We may change them to suit ourselves, but they will still be the standard of judgment on Judgment Day. God wrote them in stone for a reason.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Harmony in the Cosmos
Albert Einstein said that the evidence that convinced him that a Creator existed, was that there was incredible "harmony in the cosmos"[1]. The word "cosmos" comes from the Greek word kósmos, and it means "order, form, arrangement, the world or universe." Just as every arrangement of music has an arranger, so this world has One who orchestrated it.
Take for instance, the dawning of an average Spring day. The birds blissfully sing as the sun rises over the vast ocean’s curved horizon. The air is fresh and clean. This is because without the heat of the sun, the temperature of the night air dropped, then coagulated into moisture (gaining mass) and fell through the air, cleansing it of impurities--and at the same time providing moisture for the soil.
As the massive sun lifts off the ocean, it does so a moment later than it did on the previous morning, lengthening the day as summer approaches. But this isn’t the only sunrise that is taking place on this day. At any moment of any day, somewhere around the earth this same sunrise scenario is taking place. It is a perpetual occurrence. Every moment of every day, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the sun is rising, somewhere. Yet at the same time, somewhere in the world the same sun is perpetually setting.
There is such harmony, such incredible precision in the cosmos, we can predict the exact moment of the sunrise and the sunset of any location on earth, many years into the future. For example, in Honolulu, Hawaii, on January 18th, 2050, the sun will rise at 7:11 a.m. and set at 6:13 p.m. On November 6th, 2063, the city of New York will see the sun rise at 6:32 a.m.[2] Such predictions are only possible because of the synchronization of creation. It is perfectly orchestrated.
This harmony also exists in the seasons that faithfully come around each year. At the same moment that the coolness of Fall is changing the color of the leaves of the U.S. and ending their life, Spring is causing the leaves of the trees of New Zealand to bud and break into new life. Like the sunrise and sunset, Fall, Spring, Summer and Winter are perpetually happening every moment of every day of every year on this great earth.
Harmony exists in the clouds that form in the sky. They predictably drop their rain, then they reform as the water of the earth evaporates and ascends into the heavens. All this happens to keep the air clean and to give the earth and its inhabitants life.
Notes:
1. "In the view of such harmony in the cosmos which I, with my limited human mind, am able to recognize, there are yet people who says there is no God. But what makes me really angry is that they quote me for support of such views." The Expanded Quotable Einstein, Princeton University, page 214.
2. http://aa.usno.navy.mil/cgi-bin/aa_rstablew.pl
Pic. NASA picture of the sunrise over the Pacific Ocean.
Friday, December 25, 2009
A Special Message for Atheists
We do win. It's just a matter of time.
"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Then He who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' And He said to me, 'Write, for these words are true and faithful.' And He said to me, 'It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.'" (Revelation 21:4-6).
Rethink.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
When Science Gets it Right
Today in History -- December 24, 1968: Apollo 8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0_Ki_-4Sqg
William Anders:
"We are now approaching lunar sunrise and, for all the people back on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message that we would like to send to you.
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
Jim Lovell:
"And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
Frank Borman:
"And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas and God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth."
When a whining (Mother of Atheism) Madalyn Murray O'Hare attempted to sue NASA for the above, the courts tossed the case out because it was out of their jurisdiction. Funny.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
An Interesting Thread
"I have no sin. I've made some poor choices and some bad judgments over the years, but we make amends where we can and move on... realize many of you need this emotional crutch to cope, and that's OK. Otherwise you'd be out killing people and such."
A Christian responds:
"What is your objection to killing people? If it's just a 'poor choice' or a 'bad judgment' what's the problem? Murderers can just make amends where they can, and move on..."
The issue here is morality. If the Creator is without morals, we are all okay. That means that there is no accountability. That means there’s no right or wrong. Rape, murder, adultery, Nazi Germany, etc., are nothing but poor choices and bad judgments. But why would any rational person seriously entertain such a philosophy? The wisdom of Solomon has the answer. Scripture says, "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil" (Ecclesiastes 8:11).
Why is it that we give ourselves to things that we know are wrong? It’s because God doesn’t respond. If a man rapes a woman and successfully silences her by threatening to take her life if she snitches, there’s no swift divine justice. The man got away with evil. When humanity gives itself to pornography, fornication, adultery, blasphemy, etc., there is no response from Heaven. God is silent when it comes to evil. So the erroneous conclusion is that God doesn’t exist, or at least He doesn’t care or hear.
There is one other conclusion. It’s the one we see (in principle) with civil law. When a criminal who gets away with murder, becomes emboldened in his crime, it doesn’t mean that civil law doesn’t care about what he’s doing. It means that he is making things worse for himself when the law catches up with him.
The same applies to humanity every time we violate God’s Law (the Ten Commandments). The Amplified Bible puts it this way (this translation takes the original Greek and brings out the depth and meaning of each word):
"And do you think or imagine, O man, when you judge and condemn those who practice such things and yet do them yourself, that you will escape God's judgment and elude His sentence and adverse verdict? Or are you [so blind as to] trifle with and presume upon and despise and underestimate the wealth of His kindness and forbearance and long-suffering patience? Are you unmindful or actually ignorant [of the fact] that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repent (to change your mind and inner man to accept God's will)? But by your callous stubbornness and impenitence of heart you are storing up wrath and indignation for yourself on the day of wrath and indignation, when God's righteous judgment (just doom) will be revealed. For He will render to every man according to his works [justly, as his deeds deserve] . . . " (Romans 2:4-6). 
"But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. Time will prove that to be true" (Matthew 12:36).
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Back to the Good Doctor...
The multitudes of heavenly hosts praised God because an utterly unique child had been born. This baby was different from every other human being, because His mother was a virgin. He didn’t come through the sinful Adamic race. Jesus of Nazareth was without sin. He was not plagued with selfishness, unclean thoughts, anger, greed, pride, self-righteousness and all the other sins that fill the human heart.
The image of Tiger Woods had been portrayed for years as one of squeaky clean wholesomeness. It was a media image. Clean sells. But it wasn’t real. He proved to be just like the rest of us--a fallible human being, with a number of pretty ugly skeletons in his closet.
There is no such thing as a morally clean human being. If you disagree, name one person (other than yourself) who is morally perfect. All of us are tainted with sin, and the Day will come when every closet door will be opened by God to expose every ugly and dirty skeleton. If you don't believe it will happen, it doesn’t matter. It will happen anyway. There will be a Day of Judgment.
Unless you are made morally perfect by the grace of God (He forgives every sin upon repentance and faith in Jesus), you will be found guilty on the Day of Judgment and end up in a terrible place called Hell. I would hate that to happen to you.
Again, this baby was different from the rest of us. He was perfect from the moment He was born, because He was born to be the sacrifice for the sin of the world. If that doesn’t make sense, perhaps this illustration will help.
If you were a guilty criminal who had a fine that you couldn’t pay, I could pay your fine, but it must be with untainted money. I couldn’t give the judge a bankroll from a drug deal. In the same way, the One who paid our fine on the cross had to be without sin, for His sacrifice to be acceptable in the sight of a morally perfect Judge.
The birth of the Messiah meant that God Himself had provided the sacrifice. That meant immortality was going to be made accessible to dying humanity, and that's why the heavenly hosts were praising God.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Interview: This will be of no Interest to Atheists
Q: ChristianInCollege.com specifically wants to help Christian young people live out faith. What were you up to around 18 to 24 years of age?
When I was 18 years old I was deeply into surfing. I worked at a bank, but left at the age of 20 to start my own business--a combined surf shop and leatherwear store. I made a fringed jacket (cowboy style) which some friends liked, so I made one for each of them, and ended up making 240 jackets. From there I began making leather jackets to order for people (fully lined, covered buttons, etc.) I did that for ten years and ended up making 1500. I was married when I was 20 and became a Christian when I was 22.
Q: Can Christian young people make a difference for eternity?
The Bible likens Christians to firefighters (see Jude 1:23). Think of a firefighter on a ladder. He’s 60 feet above the ground, reaching out to a woman who is clutching two children. Flames are beginning to catch her clothes on fire. She is screaming in horror. Is he afraid? Sure he’s afraid. Would he rather be with his wife and kids watching an old movie on TV? Absolutely. But he ignores his fears. He denies himself his own pleasures--because he is thinking of the terrible fate of that woman and her two beloved children.
That’s the attitude of the Christian. We have fears when it comes to reaching out to the lost, but we don’t listen to them. We deny ourselves legitimate pleasures of this life because we are consumed by thoughts of the terrible fate of the unsaved. They will be damned in Hell if they die in their sins, and it’s because of this love that we study how to reach the lost. I would suggest that one effective way to do this is to listen to "Hell’s Best Kept Secret" and "True and False Conversion" on www.livingwaters.com There is no charge.
Q: How is my generation different than the generations of the past?
This generation is no different than any other, other than it has had access to instant sin, and its ungodliness has been accelerated.
Q: How can you build a bridge to a friend or fellow classmate to reach them with the gospel?
Give gifts when it’s not Christmas. Show kindness for no reason. See 1 Peter 2:15 as to why. Be careful though that you don’t fall for the fallacy of what is commonly called "friendship evangelism." Jesus spoke to the woman at the well (in John 4) immediately. He didn’t befriend her for 2 years before He spoke to her about her salvation. The reason for the urgency is that someone can be snatched by death overnight. More than 150,000 people die every 24 hours, and once someone is gone, there’s no second chance to speak to them.
Q: In your books and materials, you go into great detail about the concept of Biblical versus modern evangelism. What is Biblical evangelism and what resources are out there to help us learn these principles?
Biblical evangelism imitates Jesus. It doesn’t preach the "God has a wonderful plan" unbiblical message, or the "There’s a God-shaped hole in your heart." While these may sound good, they are not found in Scripture, and they are the perfect recipe for producing false converts, of which our churches are full. I would suggest reading The Way of the Master (Bridge Logos).
Q: Recently you reached out to thousands of students by widely distributing free copies of Darwin's Origin of Species with a special gospel centered introduction as well as arguments in support of intelligent design. What inspired you to do this and how did the project work out? Do you anticipate specifically reaching out to university students again in the future?
I was frustrated that students were getting a lopsided view of their origins, and I wanted to get the gospel into their hands. Conversion settles the issue. I recruited 1,200 volunteers to distribute 170,000 books at 100 universities, and it was wildly successful. We are in the middle of planning to do something that could be even more far-reaching. Atheists will be trying to find out what universities we're going to visit and when we're going to visit them, but they have more chance of flossing the teeth of a lion at the L.A. zoo at feeding time than they have of getting that information.
Q: What advice do you give to a Christian young person today who wants to be all God wants him to be?
Don’t be caught up in legitimate Christian activities, while ignoring the irksome task of evangelism. Anything else is nothing but straightening the furniture while the house is on fire. It is polishing the brass in the lifeboat, while people are drowning around us. There’s nothing wrong with straightening furniture, but not while the house is burning. There’s nothing wrong with polishing brass, but not when you should be reaching out to drowning people. Reaching the lost is the Church’s priority. The Book of Acts makes that clear. Every turn, they are seeking the lost. We are to love God and then show that we love Him by doing what He tells us to do. His command is to "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature." We should study it, then do it.
Q: Many Christian college students are searching out "the will of God." You talk about this on your program, The Way of the Master. What is your advice for people searching out God's will?
The will of God is very clear. The Bible says that if you don’t understand it, you are not wise (see Ephesians 5:17). It is that none perish. It’s to reach the lost. That’s what the cross was all about. Charles Spurgeon said, “Have you no wish for others to be saved. Then you are not saved yourself, be sure of that.” He was right. If you are not concerned for your neighbor’s salvation, I’m concerned for yours. The key is to read and obey Romans 12:1-2: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
Q: What do you see in the future of your ministry?
I see a very exciting future. We are working on Season 4 of our television program. Our production team is very talented and it’s already shaping up to be gripping and inspiring. We are expanding the Origin in Schools project, and have new books and exciting unique tracts coming out. Those and other things are our plans and vision, but ultimately our future is in the hands of God. I’m praying and believing for His blessing whether we become bigger or smaller. That’s all we need.
Brief and fun questions:
Q: What is your favorite food? Film? Place you have traveled?
My favorite food is wholegrain cereal. I eat it two or three times a day, plus I cook a healthy meal of vegetables each evening, for Sue and myself for dinner. The cereal thing comes from my surfing days. Cereal is fast-food (quick and easy) that’s good for you. My favorite movie is Ben Hur (11 Academy awards). It is the most amazing portrayal of the life of Jesus that you will ever see on the silver screen. I get goose bumps just thinking about it. My favorite place to travel is Paris. It has so much character. But my favorite place to be, is home.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
A Serious Question About Lust
There are certain things that we human beings define as being morally wrong. One of them is adultery. No sane person would try and justify adultery as being morally okay. For those who are not sure as to what adultery is, according to any dictionary it is having sex with someone who is married. The definition traces itself back to the Seventh of the Ten Commandments, and under Israel’s civil Law, anyone who violated that Commandment was subject to capital punishment.
The moral Law and the consequences of violating it give us glimpse of how serious adultery is in the sight of God. So how serious is the sin of lust in God’s eyes? It’s as serious as the act of committing adultery. Whoever looks upon a woman to lust for her has committed adultery already with her in his heart.
So in God's Book, lust is adultery...not matter what the dictionary or society says. See Matthew 5:27-28 for details.
Friday, December 18, 2009
More on Albert's Beliefs
"It appears dishonest in nature to do what you are doing with his photo and quotes on your blog, especially when you have been told time and again his views are not congruent with your own. How about this quote from Einstein:? 'It was, of course, a lie what you read about my religious convictions, a lie which is being systematically repeated. I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it'" J. G.
In 1945 a Navy ensign wrote to Einstein and said,
"I had quite a discussion last night with a Jesuit-educated Catholic officer . . . He said that you were once an atheist. Then, said he, you talked with a Jesuit priest who gave you three syllogisms which you were unable to disprove; as a result of that you became a believer in a supreme intellect which governs the universe."[1]
Einstein wrote back,
"I have never talked to a Jesuit priest in my life and I am astonished by the audacity to tell such lies about me. From the viewpoint of a Jesuit priest I am, of course, and have always been an atheist. Your counter-arguments seem to me very correct and could hardly be better formulated. It is always misleading to use anthropomorphical concepts in dealing with things outside the human sphere--childish analogies. We have to admire in humility the beautiful harmony of the structure of the world--as far as we can grasp it. And that is all."
The Navy ensign answered,
"You say that 'From the viewpoint of a Jesuit priest I am, and have always been, an atheist.' Some people might interpret that to mean that to a Jesuit priest, anyone not a Roman Catholic is an atheist, and that you are in fact an orthodox Jew, or a Deist, or something else."
Einstein replied,
"I have repeatedly said that in my opinion the idea of a personal God is a childlike one. You may call me an agnostic, but I do not share the crusading spirit of the professional atheist whose fervor is mostly due to a painful act of liberation from the fetters of religious indoctrination received in youth."
It seems that the ensign had rightly interpreted Einstein’s words that from the view of a Jesuit priest, he was an atheist. However, if you want to see prime examples of the quote taken out of context (quote-mining), do a search on atheist websites. A desperate message requires desperate measures.
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[1] http://www.ffrf.org/fttoday/2004/nov/raner.php
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Seven Verses for Atheist Thoughts
Read the following carefully, and let me know your thoughts:
"Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that takes not his cross, and follows after me, is not worthy of me. He that finds his life shall lose it: and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it." (Matthew 10:32-39)
Are His words the ravings of a madman, or is this God in human form? If you don’t believe that Jesus said these things, who did? What did He mean regarding the sword? What is the meaning of the last verse?
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Believing the Fossil Record
Do you believe this account of angels actually speaking to shepherds, with the glory of God manifesting itself? Some do, some don’t. Someone who didn't believe the biblical account wrote to me and said, "'The fact that Mary and Joseph her husband were forced to return to the place of their birth, is a part of history.' Incorrect. Please provide evidence other than the Bible."
What evidence would convince him that Mary and Joseph were forced to return to their place of birth? Would an account of their return from the pen of a contemporary Roman scribe be convincing? Or perhaps two or three historical accounts from independent sources other than the New Testament? Perhaps. But there is a factor that skeptics never bring into play. Whatever "evidence" given still has to be received by faith. Let me explain.
Back in 1961, a team of archaeologists in Israel uncovered a large limestone slab. On the slab were the clearly written the words: "The Tiberieum of the Caesareans Pontius Pilate Praefect of Judea has given." I have seen this slab and read the words when I was in Caesarea in 1999 while visiting a large amphitheater that was built by Herod the Great (73 – 4 B.C.).
This historical evidence isn’t from the Bible. It's an independent secular source. Is this therefore credible verification that Pilate existed? If you say that it is, I ask why? Why is this evidence? It doesn’t prove anything. It’s just an old rock with words carved into it. How do we know it’s true? If we test the slab to see if it’s at least 2,000 years old, what does that prove? It’s just an old rock, and how do we know that dating system is trustworthy?
So, do you believe the rock is authentic? Do you believe that dating systems are trustworthy? If you do, then you have your "evidence," but you still don’t know. You simply believe. That’s the case with everything in history. It’s the case with evolution, the age of the earth, the bones found by paleontologists in the fossil record, etc.
So where does that leave Mary and Joseph? Did they exist? Did they return to their birthplace? The historical record of the Bible says so. The skeptic, for some reason, doesn’t believe it. But I believe that their journey was part of history, and I believe it with much more conviction than I believe that Shakespeare existed, or that Napoleon was the Emperor of France. Why? Because I wasn’t converted by the Bible. I was converted by the power of God way back in 1972, and from that moment the Bible proved itself to be a supernatural book. It came alive (see Hebrews 4:12). This happened because the same God who caused light to shine in the beginning of time, opened my blind eyes (see 2 Corinthians 4:6), and He can do the same for you, if you are seeking the truth.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
The Lie that Angered Einstein
It is very clear that Einstein didn’t believe the Bible, in an afterlife, or in a personal God--as revealed in the Scriptures. But he definitely wasn’t an atheist, as portrayed on so many atheist sites. This is obviously done to suggest that atheism is somehow intellectual, when it’s not.
Here is the quote in question once again, for those who haven’t read his words closely:
"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 really makes me angry is that they quote me for the support of such views." The Expanded Quotable Einstein, Princeton University, page 214 (italics added).
Here now is Professor Richard Dawkins doing exactly what made Einstein really angry--portraying him as an atheist, when in truth, Einstein was no fool:
"Einstein sometimes invoked the name of God (and he is not the only atheistic scientist to do so), inviting misunderstanding by supernaturalists eager to misunderstand and claim so illustrious a thinker as their own." The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins http://richarddawkins.net/firstChapter,101 (italics added).
So the quote stays in my blog header, not to bolster the case for God (we don’t need bolstering in the slightest), but as a reminder that every time Einstein is used in such a way, it is done deceitfully.
Pic. Richard Dawkins, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.
Monday, December 14, 2009
My "Quote-mining" Einstein
"[Ray said] 'The quote from Einstein at the top of the blog isn't out of context.' Of course it is, Ray. You didn't provide any context at all there. Did you even search for its context? Where did Einstein write this? When and where did he write this (so everyone can look it up)? Is it even genuine?" Geert A.
"I agree with you guys who are saying Ray is misusing Einstein's quote . . . I think we can just leave Ray to quote mine and misuse people's statements as he will and let everyone judge for themselves what that says about his character." DeoVacuus
I am continually accused by atheists of taking the quote from Einstein (at the top of this blog) "out of context" (quote-mining). So here is the full quote taken in context directly from The Expanded Quotable Einstein, Princeton University, page 214:
"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 really makes me angry is that they quote me for the support of such views."
Here are more in context quotes from Einstein about his belief in God. Notice that although Einstein didn’t believe in a personal God (as revealed in the Bible), he wanted to know "His" thoughts, referred to God as "He," acknowledged that He reveals "Himself," asks how God "created this world," and refers to "His" thoughts. In other words, it is clear that he wasn’t a pantheist (that God and nature are one in the same--see his below quote: "I'm not an atheist and I don't think I can call myself a pantheist."):
"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."
"God does not care about our mathematical difficulties. He integrates empirically."
"Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind."
"I'm not an atheist and I don't think I can call myself a pantheist. We are in the position of a little child entering a huge library filled with books in many languages. The child knows someone must have written those books. It does not know how. It does not understand the languages in which they are written. The child dimly suspects a mysterious order in the arrangements of the books, but doesn't know what it is. That, it seems to me, is the attitude of even the most intelligent human being toward God."
"My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior Spirit who reveals Himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind."
"Every one who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the Universe-a spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in the face of which we with our modest powers must feel humble."
"When the solution is simple, God is answering."
"God does not play dice with the universe."
"God is subtle but He is not malicious."
"Ray, I took the time to go over the passage of your book in it's entirety and see that I erred. I apologize for using the out of context quote to make it look like something it was not meant to be. The first time I tried do do that, I misread it. On closer inspection I see how that happened. I am sorry for being rather careless on this matter." Froggie
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Dictionary: Cans of worms. n. Informal, pl., A source of unforeseen and troublesome complexity.
Despite the explanation that I had been quote-mined regarding not seeing doctors when we are sick, and that it was evident that I believe the exact opposite, "Froggie" said,
"Ray, 'Therefore you should never take medicine to relieve pain. You should never consult a doctor or go to a hospital for treatment, because you would be interfering with the work of God in your life. If Cancer is the chastening tool of God, then doctors who are fighting cancer are fighting against the work of God. If a preacher or a Christian believes the sickness is a means of chastening, then he should never pray for relief from the sickness, but rather pray that the cancer will continue to grow until the chastening is completed.'The meaning of that is very plain. Rather than continuing to try to weasel out of it, why not just admit you were wrong and say you are sorry? Man up, Ray and admit you were wrong. I am cross posting this to another blog so if you do not allow it, I will expose you as the person of low integrity that you are."
Fortunately for me, there are some reasonable atheists. One such atheist (my friend Raoul Rheits) took the time to scan the entire quote and, then type it out to show the context of the quote:
If Jesus wanted us to be sick he wouldn't have commanded His disciples to heal the sick.
"And having summoned His twelve disciples, He gave them authority over unclean spirits, cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness."
"...And as you go, preach, saying 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand'. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons; freely you received, freely give." - Matthew 10 verse 1, 7 and 8.
Often we use excuses for our unbelief -- excuses such as "God is allowing me to suffer to teach me some truth", and yet whenever suffering is mentioned in Scripture it is in reference to persecution, not to sickness.
"...that we suffer with Him." - Romans 8 verse 17.
Did Jesus suffer sickness or persecution?
"...Moses ... choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God" -- Hebrews 11 verse 25.
"As an example, brethren of suffering and patience, take prophets..." -- James 5 verse 10.
Moses and the prophets suffered, not sickness, but affliction.
"And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you." --1 Peter 5 verse 10.
It does not say "after you have been sick and suffered with cancer or arthritis for a while." If this Scripture is in reference to sickness, it would be clear that it is God's will for you to remain in your diseased state, so that He can make you perfect, confirm, strength and establish you. Therefore you should never take any medicine to relieve pain. You should never consult a doctor or go to a hospital for treatment, because you would be interfering with the work of God in your life. If Cancer is the chastening tool of God, then doctors who are fighting cancer are fighting against a work of God. If a preacher or a Christian believes sickness is a means of chastening, then he should never pray for relief from that sickness, but rather pray that the cancer will continue to grow until the chastening is completed.
Every person in the New Testament who cried out to Jesus for healing was healed. In no case did He say "This leprosy, this blindness, is the hand of the Father at work. Be patient and allow your loving Father to deal with you through this disease." No - He rebuked disease! He cast it out!...It is not only foolish to believe that sickness is God's will, but it is anti-Scriptural. Sickness is of Satan. It is his will to kill, steal and destroy, not God's!"
Ray Comfort -- More Than Just Comfort - An Answer To Cancer [written around 1979] (typed from scans)
Saturday, December 12, 2009
The "Ray says to never see a doctor" issue
For months atheists have been accusing me of saying that those who are sick should never see a doctor. Today, I was very encouraged to see that one of my regular opponents (Raoul Rheits) kindly conceded that that isn’t the case. He said:
"Now I can actually read the context it is apparent (albeit clumsily written if you don't mind me saying so) that you are *not suggesting* that people refrain from seeking medical assistance. Quite the opposite."
He also said, "But please at least have the honesty to acknowledge that I ASKED you for the context before you implied that I somehow ignored the missing context in the quote I gave (the one you censored along with my request for context)."
My apologies for deleting your post Raoul. I didn’t want to have to deal with it because I thought it would just open a can of worms (also, I didn't have a copy of the book, and couldn't give you the word-for-word context).
For those who are interested (I hope this doesn’t open a worm-can), I clumsily wrote a book over 30 years ago called More The Just Comfort. It was written to try and comfort those who found themselves battling terminal cancer. It’s common for those in such a case to think that somehow God is punishing them for their sins. I had said that if a person truly believed that it was God’s will for them to have cancer (confusing His permissive will with His perfect will), then they should never see a doctor (because they would be going against what they believed was His will). Here is the actual out-of-context wording:
"Therefore you should never take medicine to relieve pain. You should never consult a doctor or go to a hospital for treatment, because you would be interfering with the work of God in your life."
This whole thing was started on:
http://canterburyatheists.blogspot.com/2009/03/ray-comfort-claims-to-find-cure-for.html
It understandably fueled anger towards me with "What a sick b-st--d Comfort is—-sicker than I ever could have imagined," and similar comments...and they haven't stopped since.
The anonymous writer of the article did temper his words a little, with:
"I am not into character assassination, he did some splendid work in the field of drug rehabilitation. It is however important to record 'where he was at' during his time in New Zealand. Remember, people change. We’ve all done things in past we’d rather forget, but generally we don’t make our living telling other people how to live. Ray feels a zeal to run-down atheists that knows no peer, so this alone makes him 'fair-game'."
Thank you again Raoul, I have a new-found respect for you.
Friday, December 11, 2009
The Religion of Evolution
If evolution is responsible for everything that has evolved--everything, then it is worthy of praise. What it did was miraculous, and time is the miracle-method it used. Its prophet was Charles Darwin (the faithful can pay homage to his facial hair in the Natural History Museum, in London), and Richard Dawkins is the sitting pope.
According to his decree, if you disagree with the canon of evolution you are "wicked." So those who don't believe, should therefore be excommunicated from the realm of science.
The "Bible" of the Darwinian believer is On the Origin of Species. If you write a mere Introduction that disagrees with its sacred contents, it is tantamount to blasphemy. Be prepared for an inquisition from believers and threats of book burnings.
So, if you believe in evolution, don’t question dating methods, or the credibility of revered paleontologists, or the learned priestly professors.
Just believe.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Luke 2
1And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, gives us specifics as to when and where this incredibly important event took place. The fact that Mary and Joseph her husband were forced to return to the place of their birth, is a part of history. The Scriptures foretold 700 years BC that the One who would come and destroy death, would be born in the town of Bethlehem:
"But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, you are little to be among the clans of Judah; [yet] out of you shall One come forth for Me Who is to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth have been from of old, from ancient days (eternity)" (Micah 5:2, Amplified Bible).
The Creator of the universe became one lowly human being, born in a feeding trough, wrapped in swaddling clothes. According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, "The oriental swaddling-clothes consist of a square of cloth and two or more bandages. The child is laid on the cloth diagonally and the corners are folded over the feet and body and under the head, the bandages then being tied so as to hold the cloth in position. This device forms the clothing of the child until it is about a year old, and its omission (Ezek 16.4) would be a token that the child had been abandoned."
So, it seems that Mary and Joseph knew what they were doing with their new baby. A 2002 study by the Washington University School of Medicine concluded, "Now we have scientific evidence to support the age-old belief that swaddled infants sleep better than unswaddled infants," Gerard said. "It helps babies stay asleep and so may help parents keep their babies sleeping in the safer back position."[1]
Still, there was no chance that Jesus could die as a babe. Ten times His enemies tried to kill Him before He was finally crucified, and when a number of those took place, the Scriptures say, "For it was not yet His time."
The cross of His destiny. He was (as the hymn writer says) "Born that man no more may die, born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth."
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[1] http://www.biblestudy101.org/definitions/swaddling.html
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Further guidelines for those who comment...
I delete untrue comments such as "Ray is a liar and he’s admitted it," or references to crimes that I have supposedly committed, or any reference to a well-known creationist (and friend) who is in prison for not paying taxes. I do that out of respect for him and especially for his family.
I deleted one comment this morning that began with "Moron!" and ended with "Idiot!" I guess civility is relative.
I also delete untrue comments such as me not believing in going to the doctor if you are sick (I regularly visit my doctor). One the other day was deleted because of the phrase "You know d-mn well..."
I trust that these are helpful, and that you will keep commenting because open debate like this is healthy for any society.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
If You Weren't Such a Coward
Dear (I would put your real name, but you didn't give it), don’t entertain the thought for a moment that I’m afraid of truth. That’s not the reason for moderation. I would love not to have to wade through thousands of comments. The reason we have it is because I once had a blog with Examiner.com that had no moderation. I quit after a week because of the filth that was being written. I have been on the streets for years and have heard almost everything that could be heard. But this was different. Atheists were saying things about my wife and female members of my staff that I wouldn’t repeat in male company. So I quit. You won that battle. But before you get too excited, let me tell you something.
I recently watched a game of rugby between New Zealand and France. If you aren’t aware, a good game of rugby is like American football during a really good and fast play, but for 80 minutes. It’s non-stop excitement.
We weren’t able to catch the game live, but when we found it on YouTube, I sat down with my boys to watch it. When the French scored, I didn’t get upset at all. When they scored again, I complimented them on a good play. I had perfect peace throughout the entire game, because I knew the outcome before I watched it. I knew that we had won the game.
So when atheists win a play and drive me off a site, or when hundreds of them give my books a one-star on Amazon so people won’t buy them, it doesn’t worry me at all. Go for it. Great play. I have perfect peace, because I know the outcome. We win.
So why do I stay in the game? Because it’s your salvation I’m concerned about, not my own. That’s already sealed.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Free On the Origin of Species book
The same gentleman who kindly made it possible for atheists to be sent a free copy of On the Origin of Species has increased the amount, so that more can be sent overseas.
So if you are an atheist, you live outside of the United States, and you would like a copy, please format your name and address in 3-4 lines, with caps and lower case and send it to: originforatheists@livingwaters.com
The Great Paradox
It amazing to me that an atheist will use the word "evil" when it suits him, even if it's just in sarcasm. In reality he has no definition of the word. Evil cannot exist. Neither can good. Those who would argue with such a thought will be quick to that it is society (not God) that defines good and evil.
But if society dictates that it is good to kill children in the womb, over a generation the "morality" of the society moves abortion from being something that is considered evil, to being good and right. If the government (society) says homosexuals marrying each other is good, it moves from one generation believing it is evil and it becomes good and acceptable.
If the government says it’s okay to kill blacks, Jews and homosexuals because only the fit should survive, what is morally evil changes to that which is morally good in their eyes.
Those who know their Bibles will know that this was the historical track-record of Israel. Once a generation forsook God’s Law (the definition of good and evil) they predictably became lawless. They had no absolute meaning for what was good and evil (see Isaiah 5:20-21).
But there is a paradox when an atheist makes a moral judgment about the character of God. He does so out of a blind self-righteousness. He is burning with unlawful sexual desire (lust), is a liar, and thief, a blasphemer, filled with ingratitude for the God-given gift of life, and yet he has the audacity to point a holier-than-thou finger at Almighty God and accuse Him of sin. Such is the epitome of hypocrisy.
Let’s see who the guilty party is, on Judgment Day.
Friday, December 4, 2009
This is perhaps the shortest of questions I’ve been asked, but I will probably give it one of my longest answers, because it’s a question with which every sane person wrestles. So I will be thoughtful and very candid with my answer.
The quick response is "Yes, I am fearful," and "No, I’m not." I am not afraid of dying, but I am afraid of the process of dying (as I have noted that a number of atheists have also said).
Tomorrow is December 5th. That’s when I turn 60 years old. That’s six decades and nine months of life. When I turned 20, I was shocked. It took me by surprise. I loved being a carefree teenager, and it was suddenly gone.
When I turned 40, I was quietly horrified. People who were 40 were "middle-aged." They were balding, pot-bellied, and it seemed to me that they were past the exciting adventure of life.
But when it came to 60, I have been quietly philosophical. I’d had time to give this one much deep thought.
There are some good things about getting old. Sue and I can enjoy those good old black and white movies again and again, for the first time.
There is also the blessing of being around to turn 60. I have friends that didn’t even make it to 50. One was killed in a bus accident. It rolled on him. Another drowned in shallow water when he hit his head on a rock. Another was killed in a plane accident. Others went with cancer. Most of us know someone that cancer took in their youth, or someone who tragically died in a car accident.
When the Beatles sang "When I’m 64," I’m sure they never thought that two of them wouldn’t get to 64. The presumptuous "when" never came. One went quickly with a bullet, the other, slowly with cancer. Every year 40,000 unfortunate Americans are killed on the roads, around 18,000 are murdered, and hundreds of thousands die of cancer and other terrible diseases.
Then there are those who die in warfare. Millions have been cut off in their 20’s with a bullet or a bomb, and the majority of those didn’t even experience the joy of having kids, let alone growing old.
That’s my short list of good things I can think of for the twilight years. Now for the long list of bad things.
I am very aware that when I turn 60, I will be entering the decade of loss. I will lose any semblance of youthful looks that I have left. Any muscle-strength I have now, will quickly diminish. My skin will become loose and lifeless. My eyesight will go. So will my hearing, thought-process, memory, and taste buds. My immune system will weaken and make me vulnerable to a stack of terrible terminal diseases.
These depressing things happen to everyone, despite regular exercise, daily juicing, and consuming a careful diet. No one can beat this rap. All this and much more will come in the next 20 years, if death doesn’t come to me first through a heart attack or aneurysm or a 101 other unexpected surprises.
So "the process of dying" isn’t a matter of a few weeks on a hospital death-bed. It escalates over 20 or so years. 
In one of Spielberg’s memorable movies (if my memory is to be trusted), the aging process happened to one evil character, in an instant of time. He had to choose the cup from which Jesus drank at the Last Supper (the Holy Grail). He believed that if he drank from it, he would live forever. He quickly grabbed the most attractive golden cup and began to drink. He wasn’t perceptive enough to realize that Jesus was a lowly carpenter and would have had a simple and humble wooden cup. The moment he took it to his lips, he aged from a healthy 40 year-old--to 100 years--to a dry and dusty skeleton that crumpled to the ground.
The immediate outlook in life for any of us (even for the most optimistic of positive thinkers and health-conscious juice drinkers--whether he is a Christian or an atheist), is pretty gloomy.
So, am I afraid of this process of dying? Part of the answer is that I’m about as afraid as a faithful soldier as he goes into a battle, from which he is certain he will not return. His is a natural and understandable human emotion, because he loves life and deeply values those he loves. Only a shallow-thinking person would have no fear.
But here now is the most important and exciting part of my answer. Almost every skeptic makes a huge mistake when it comes to the issue of faith. He thinks that a Christian is someone who believes in the existence of God despite an overwhelming lack of evidence. That’s why he chooses to be an unbeliever. He never seems to be able to differentiate between intellectual faith and implicit trust.
Let’s say I step into an elevator on the 84th floor of a massive high-rise. I have just entrusted my life to it. Any apprehension I have will be in proportion to the trust I exercise. If I have no trust in the elevator, I will have a ton of fear. If I have absolute trust, I will have no fear at all. 
The ingredient that makes the difference between the two states of mind, is knowledge. If I have knowledge that the elevator is state-of-the-art, is computer operated, is daily checked, and I believe that knowledge, my trust will grow.
But if I personally inspect the 12 three-inch thick unbreakable steal cables that hold each elevator, my trust will grow more. If I understand that the computer system has a back up, and immediately shuts down the elevator and calls inspectors at the first hint of trouble, my trust will grow even greater. The more trust I have, the less fear will have room to plague me.
However, if I choose not to believe what I am shown about the computer system, the cables, the inspections, etc., I will be left to be plagued with my fears. My trust in the elevator is a choice, based on knowledge that is simply believed. Remember, that knowledge I have is more than a belief that the elevator exists.
So when it comes to the issue of God and salvation, the die hard skeptic disqualifies himself before he even begins. By choice, he refuses to intellectually believe that God exists, despite the overwhelming and axiomatic evidence of creation and the moral nature of the God-given conscience.
So if you truly believe that God doesn’t exist (which I doubt), you may as well stop reading at this point, because you are in the category of what the Bible calls "unreasonable." But for the reasonable skeptic who understands that his existence is indeed hopeless (in the truest sense of the word), there is a wonderful hope. So please stay with me. Just keep in mind that it is essential to make sure you understand that the trust a Christian has in God, is not the belief that He exists.
Here’s how the trusting-Christian deals with his fear of death. He has experiential knowledge of God and He totally believes that God cannot lie. He knows that He is morally perfect. That means that He is without sin. As the Scriptures say, "In Him is no darkness at all." The 18-mile-thick unbreakable titanium cables of His promises are absolutely worthy of the Christian’s trust. There is no doubt of that. The believer knows the reality of the verse "He is faithful who promised." When fear comes, it cannot get past this knowledge and that results in trust. Such trust comes as a gift from God at the point of conversion. It is part of the new birth of John chapter 3.
The more the Christian trusts the promises of God, the less fear he has. The two are incompatible. That means that the trusting-Christian can say with the Apostle Paul, "I know and believe and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I am committed unto him (my life) against the Day (Judgment Day)." He is saved from death and the just desserts of his sin.
That leaves the faithless skeptic alone with his fears. He has refused knowledge of the faithfulness of God, so he is left with certain tormenting uncertainties. Often, his pride will never permit him to admit that he has any fears, but they will come. He doesn’t realize that "fear has torment" as the Bible says. He has forgotten what it is like to wake up after a terrifying nightmare. Sometimes it takes about ten minutes after waking up just to shake off such gripping fears. And when it comes to the subject of trust in God, the unbeliever has no power to stop fear from gripping his very soul to the core, because he refused the antidote of faith.
The seed of fear torments with a question. It whispers, "What if?" What if Jesus spoke the truth and that God does consider lust to be adultery? What if He does see hatred as murder? What if He has seen and remembered every single secret sin, and every sinful imagination of the heart? What if Hell does exist? What if that silly little anti-science, money-hungry, lying, stealing fanatical banana-man-idiot-preacher was actually speaking the truth?
Millions know what it is to be paralyzed by a tormenting fear. It drives them to insanity, to drink, and it even drives many to suicide to escape its torment. If you are so unwise to leave yourself without faith in Jesus, you will not be able to stand against it. The Bible calls death "the King of Terrors," and I have seen it terrorize one man who rejected God. It is fearful to see, but much, much worse to experience.
So, whatever you do in this precious life of yours, don’t reject the Savior and die in your sins. God has made the way to be saved very simple. He says that each of us is in terrible danger, and He kindly provided a way for us to get what we don’t deserve. That’s called "mercy." We can avoid the just dessert of Hell, and instead have the undeserved gift of everlasting life. But whatever you do, don’t get "religious." Don’t try and clean up your life. You and I are like the thief on the cross. He couldn’t go anywhere, he couldn’t do anything. He was pinned to the cross by the unforgiving nails of Roman civil law. All he could do was turn to Jesus and say, "Lord, remember me . . . "
In the same way, we can’t do anything to save ourselves, because we are condemned by the merciless Law of God. All we can do is turn to Jesus and say, "Lord, remember me..." The moment you come to know Him as Lord, and trust Him as Savior, you will forever banish any "What if’s." Again, this is because faith comes as a gift from God. He will give you faith. He will help you in your unbelief by giving you a new heart and new desires. You will want to love, trust in, and obey everything God would have you to do. And a total trust doesn’t allow any fear, in the light of the knowledge of God. Fear is for unbelievers.
Always keep in mind that the most important moment of your life will be the instant of your death. Don’t be like the man who neglected his eternal salvation. Jesus said that God said, "You fool. Tonight your soul shall be required of you." In other words there’s a debt that has to be paid. Hell required him. Death wanted its wages.
If you are considering these thoughts, please don’t worry about what your unbelieving friends or family think. Worry about what God thinks. If they are your friends, they will respect you no matter what you believe. But if they turn on you like a pack of viscous hyenas, they were never your friends in the first place. You will have lost nothing.
Your life is without price, and you will lose it without the Savior. Seek Him with all of your heart. Jesus suffered and died on a cruel cross so that God could extend mercy towards you. He rose from the dead so that you could live free from the fear of and the power of death. His gift to you is eternal life. Such is God’s love for you. Do you believe that? For your sake I hope you do.
So make sure you choose the carpenter’s cup. Choose to trust Jesus Christ. Confess and forsake your sins and willfully put your reliance (your trust) in Jesus right now, and you will come to know Him whom to know is life eternal. I can’t express to you what a joy it is to me, what amazing consolation, what an absolute hope I have in Christ. Death has lost its sting completely. This is how Scripture explains it:
"For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).
You had no choice to be born. You just found yourself alive. You had no choice where you were to be born. You just found yourself in a certain country, speaking a certain language. You didn’t choose your looks or your personality. But this day, God Himself will enable you to make a choice when it comes to your eternal destiny. He will give you repentance (see 2 Timothy 2:25). Will you seek God or won't you? Choose wisely. You have only one chance at life. Don't blow it. See www.needGod.com for further information.
Top pic. Me, at the age of 20. No mustache, lots of hair.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Free Origins book
I have noticed that quite a few atheists have wanted a copy of On the Origin of Species (for a collector’s item). Someone has kindly donated money to make it possible for the first 200 atheists who request a book. If you would like a free copy, send us your name and address, formatting it as you would address an envelope--in three or four lines, caps and lower case. This will speed up the process. Please state if you would like the book signed.
Email us at: originforatheists@livingwaters.com
P.s. Sorry, but owing to the high cost of shipping, we will have to limit books going overseas, to 20 books.
Cornered Tiger
Tiger Woods was recently caught in what he called "transgressions." That’s a direct reference to the Law of God (specifically the Seventh of the Ten Commandments).
Sin has a way of catching up on us. It snaps at our heels like a hungry piranha. It may not catch us in this life, but it will certainly catch us at the next. It demands justified "wages" (see Romans 6:23), and on Judgment Day there will be Hell to pay.
It’s my earnest prayer that Tiger finds complete forgiveness at the cross. As the old hymn says:
"By God’s grace at last my sin I learned, then I trembled at the Law I spurned, 'til my guilty soul imploring turned, to Calvary."
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
"Mistakes" in the Bible
The above question is typical of the skeptic. He reads those verses and somehow comes up with the thought that the Bible is saying that the earth sits "immobile" and "fixed in the sky." No doubt this comes from a list of so-called contradictions and mistakes in the Bible, on some atheist site.
Skeptics love to twist Scripture just a little to make their point. They clutch at the weak straws of metaphors or figures of speech to try and prove that the Bible says that the sun revolves around the earth, etc.
So let’s look closely at what the above verses actually say:
"He has fixed the earth firm, immovable."
"Thou hast fixed the earth immovable ..."
"He has fixed the earth firm, immovable ..."
The Bible says that the earth is immovable. It cannot be moved. So now is your chance to prove your point. Run outside and move the earth. Perhaps you and your friends could jump on it, or find a rocky outcrop and push it together.
Maybe after that little experiment you will concede that the earth is immovable. So is Scripture. You can push, twist, pull, and jump on different verses, but the Word of God isn’t going to move. It is a rock. It cannot be broken (see John 10:35). It will judge you on the last Day (see John 12:48). You only twist it to your own destruction (see 2 Peter 3:16).
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Back to Doctor Luke
The Church can learn a lot from the short life of John the Baptist. For those that don’t know, the "Church" is not a building, nor is it a "denomination." It is the universal fellowship of true believers--those that love God. You and I don’t know who are the "sheep" (true believers) or who are the "goats" (false converts), but God does, and He will sort them out on Judgment Day. The Bible explains the true Church as being built on a 'foundation.' It puts it this way (after speaking of false converts--those who have never repented of their sin--"iniquity"):
"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).
John was a "forerunner" to Jesus, who came to prepare the way of the Lord. He simply pointed sinners to the Savior, and that’s the agenda of the Christian. We are to be a light to those who sit in the shadow of death, by preaching Jesus Christ.
John was hated because he upheld the Law of God. He told King Herod that it wasn’t lawful for him to have his brother’s wife, and the king murdered him for his words. The world will always hate the Christian because he will not compromise. Adultery is wrong, and lust is adultery in God’s eyes. There will be a Judgment day, and there is a Hell. These truths are more sure than tomorrow’s sunrise. God will judge the world in perfect righteousness, and yet at the same time we point sinners to the Savior and plead with them to turn from their sins to be forgiven. This we do because of God’s tender mercy. He made a way through the cross, for guilty and condemned sinners to have everlasting life.
John was a forerunner to the coming of Jesus as Savior; the Church is a forerunner to His coming as Judge. The world will hate us because of our words, but we must warn them that even though they disagree with our every word and want to stop our mouths, we cannot be silent: "Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered" (Proverbs 11:21).
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