Three Things of Which the Wicked Are Ignorant

Atheists, such as Richard Dawkins, accuse God of being a megalomaniac. And they argue that if the works of God were attributed to any human ruler, such a ruler would be deemed to be a cruel despot. But there are three things of which such atheists are ignorant.

First of all, a megalomaniac suffers from the delusion that he or she is great, and glorious, and grand. But God is not a mere human ruler. He is the Creator and Owner of the universe. God really is great, and glorious, and grand; worthy of all praise, all worship, all reverence, all love, and all obedience. And it really is an atrocity for any person to withhold any of those things from Him. 

And that brings me to the second thing of which the wicked are ignorant - the depravity of humanity. God's judgement and wrath are justified. Humanity is a fallen, corrupted creature; full of sin. And the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23a). It is our sinful nature which sets us against God. And it is our disobedience and enmity toward God that creates all conflict, all strife, and all sorrow. And there is no one righteous. 

Even the best of us is infected with the disease of sin (Romans 3:10-18, 3:26, Ecclesiastes 7:20). And there are even those who do evil (disobey God) in the name of God. If humanity were in harmony with God, there would be no wars, no thefts, no lying, no greed, no clashing of egos, no rape, no slavery, no racism, no domestic violence, no terrorism, no child abuse, no discord, no broken families, no adultery, no sexual immorality of any kind, no abortion, no blasphemy, no evil done in the name of God or anyone else. The lion would lie down with the lamb. Everyone would love God, and love each other (Matthew 22:37-40). Families would stick togther. Everyone would have enough food, and everything they need. There would be no death, and no sorrow, and no reason for the wrath of God to be poured out. 

Loving God would come naturally to everyone. No one would be hostile toward God our heavenly Father. No one would have been hostile toward Jesus the Christ. No one would be hostile toward those who trust and obey Jesus, because everyone would trust and obey Jesus. And that trust and obedience would just come naturally, without struggle. God is love; and the redeemed obey Him because they love Him. "We love Him because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19).

And this is the third thing of which the wicked are ignorant - the love of God. Even the best of us might grumble and complain when God disciplines them. And the wicked might curse God aloud for His righteous judgement. But the truth is that God is very merciful, and kind. 

When the Creator and Owner of the universe took on human form and lived in our world, in Israel, over two thousand years ago, He lived a meek, humble, lowly life. He lived as though He owned nothing, despite the fact that the universe and all life belongs to Him. He healed the sick. He gave sight to the blind; strength and agility to the cripple. He raised the dead to life. And He delivered the gospel (good news) of salvation which He would provide through His own death and resurrection.

The Beauty of the Psalms

A favorite portion of the Scriptures, the book of Psalms is a collection of 150 sacred poems, (that is what a psalm is; psalm-definition-www.merriam-webster.com) written by David and others. One of the characteristics of these ancient Hebrew poems is the repetition of idea instead of the repetition of sound (rhyme). For example:

"Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous!

For praise from the upright is beautiful.

Praise the LORD with the harp;

Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.

Sing to Him a new song;

Play skillfully with a shout of joy

(Psalm 33:1-3).

Or:

"Now therefore, be wise, O kings;

Be instructed, you judges of the earth"

(Psalm 2:10).

While these psalms sometimes make references to literal events, which are recorded in the historical narrative portions of Scripture (i.e. Genesis-Esther and Matthew-Acts; see Psalm 136), the psalmists also made use of figurative language to paint evocative pictures of God's love, mercy, providence, protection, justice, sovereignty, splendor, majesty, power, eternal nature, and goodness; as well as humanity's complete dependence on Him for life, sustenance, forgiveness, salvation and everything.

Examples of figurative language can be found in Psalm 91 were the psalmist refers to God as a Fortress to describe His strength and power to protect those who trust in Him. In the same poem, the wicked one is referred to as a fowler (bird trapper) to describe those who seek to ensnare others, especially believers, in sin and trouble. Then God is described figuratively as having wings, bringing to mind God's ability to protect and deliver His people, like a mother eagle protecting her little ones. And His truth is described as being a shield and buckler against evil deceptions.

The psalmists employed poetry to express the overflow of their hearts to God in worship. They poured out in words and music their adoration for God, their sorrows in troublesome times, their joys, their petitions, thanksgivings, repentance, and righteous indignation toward wickedness in the world. At times, tucked in among the psalmists praises, pleas, and sorrows, the Holy Spirit gives prophetic glimpses of Christ's own experiences, sorrows, and pains in His earthly life and sacrificial death on the cross for our sin, as well as the glory that, before and forever after, Christ shares with the Father. 

The 22nd Psalm is a prime example of this. When Jesus was dying on the cross, He spoke to the heavenly Father, "with a loud voice, saying 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?' which is translated, 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?'" (Mark 15:34; also see Matthew 27:46). He was quoting Psalm 22:1.

He felt our estrangement from the Father as He bore our sin upon Himself; as He took our blame. As the poem continues, David described his own troubles with his enemies. And the double meaning - the parallel between David's sufferings and those of Christ becomes even more apparent. There comes a point in the psalm where it says, 

"For dogs have surrounded Me;

The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.

They pierced My hands and My feet;

I can count all My bones.

They look and stare at Me.

They divide my garments among them,

And for my clothing they cast lots

(Psalm 22:16-18).

Nowhere in the historical account of David's life (found in 1 Samuel 16 - 1 Kings 2:11, and 1 Chronicles 11-29) did anyone ever pierce the hands and feet of the shepherd-turned-king. Nor did anyone divide his garments among them or gamble for his clothes. But when Jesus the Messiah hung on the cross, His hands and feet were pieced, and the Roman soldiers did divide and gamble for His clothes (John 19:23-24; also see Matthew 27:35, Mark 15:24, and Luke 23-34). 

The psalmist, David, quotes the enemy as saying,

He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him;

Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him

(Psalm 22:8).

Compare this to what Jesus' enemies were saying when He was being crucified (Matthew 27:39-44, Mark 15:29-32, Luke 23:35-39).

As a whole, the 22nd Psalm is comparable to Isaiah 53, where the prophet vividly and poetically foretells the rejection of the Messiah by His people, His suffering, death, and resurrection. From Psalm 22:19 through the rest of the poem, David looks forward to being delivered by God from his enemies, as he has prayed; and he expresses hope for the future, and praise to God his Savior. Like Isaiah 53:10-12, this passage also provides a prophetic view of Christ being delivered by the Father who has now raised Him from the dead. And it is a look forward to the salvation that Christ's death and resurrection makes available to all who trust in Christ. 

In the book of Psalms, the believer finds a treasure trove of poetry to which he or she can relate personally, through the conflicts - both triumphs and defeats - of life. In these poems we too can find expressions of our own joys, sorrows, hopes in the face of fear, prayers and praises. And in so doing, we can even share spiritually and emotionally in the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

We come to realize that our living Friend, Jesus Christ, has been through, and knows, and understands what we go through in this fallen, broken world. And we have hope, knowing that just as He was delivered by the Father from death, so we too will be saved; and we will share in His glory, His peace, His joy, and His everlasting life in Paradise (Luke 23:43).

The Lord is our reason to make melody; 

It is He who gives us breath to sing.

Without Him we would have nothing;

Had He not made us, we would have no voice,

Nor could we live,

Or even exist at all

Jesus Did Say Something About It

There is a certain deception floating around, which I have heard and read numerous times. The deception is that Jesus Christ never said anything to controvert homosexuality or gay marriage. But when Jesus discussed the sanctity of marriage, He clearly defined it as intended to be a union between a man and a woman. He said, "But from the beginning of creation, God 'made them male and female.' 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife'" (Mark 10:6-7). 

I've also heard numerous people defend the "alternative lifestyle" by saying that when the Bible was written, the word "homosexual" did not exist. True as that may be, the concept to which the word refers did exists. People have been having same-sex relations at least since the period when Sodom and Gomorrah were in existence, approximately four thousand years ago. Just because a particular word was not in existence at a particular time does not mean that the concept or practice did not exist under a different name or terminology.

And Christ's apostle, Paul, was clearly describing same-sex relations in his letter to the Roman church, where he identified that behavior as one of many crimes against Divinity; for which the judgement of God is going to be poured out upon the world. He wrote, "For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due" (Romans 1:26-27).

I've also heard of the claim that Adam and Eve were not the only humans that God created in the beginning; and that He may have created other couples that were not heterosexual. However this deception is exposed by the statement that I have already quoted from Jesus Christ, that "from the beginning of creation, God 'made them male and female', 'for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife'" (Mark 10:6-7). Here, Jesus acknowledges no other arrangement. 

There is no indication anywhere in the Scriptures that God created others than just Adam, Eve, and their posterity. "And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living" (Genesis 3:20). All human beings are descended from Adam and Eve. "Where" one may ask "did the sons of Adam find wives then?" The answer is that they married the daughters of Adam. 

That may seem shocking, since, over two thousand years later, the Law of Moses banned incest. But in the pre-Flood era, the human genome would have had much fewer defects that could potentially become dominant in human offspring. In the pre-Fallen world, before sin, disease, and death entered the world, (Romans 5:12) there were no defects at all in the human genome. It is because of the increase of defects, caused by the brokenness of nature due to sin, (Romans 8:21-22) that anyone seeking a spouse must look beyond their close relatives. 

Now I think most if not all of us have heard the claim that homosexuals are born that way and can't help it. But whether or not that is true makes no difference. God's word lets us know that we are all born with a fallen, sinful nature which we have inherited from our first ancestors, Adam and Eve. Different people may have different weaknesses, but all moral/spiritual weaknesses stem from the same fallen, sinful nature. There is nothing whatsoever unique about homosexuality. It is a sin, and it is no better, and no worse, than idolatry, adultery, fornication, lying, or any other sin. 

All of us are fallen, our nature is broken. And it is true that we can't  help it. That is why we need to receive salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ who gave Himself on the cross for our sin; and who has risen from the dead to provide everlasting life to all who trust in Him. By His death and resurrection, Christ has made it possible for us to receive redemption, forgiveness of sin (Colossians 1:13-14). By faith in Him, we receive the Holy Spirit who then lives in us, and is helping us, making us become perfect in His righteousness. We can not be saved from our sin unless we trust in Him.

Harmony of Testaments

The continuity of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible is such that, as a whole, the Bible is symmetrical in its teachings about creation, the fall, sin, death, forgiveness, and salvation. That is to say that both the Old and New Testaments are in harmony, they agree with each other.

Both Testaments teach that God made humanity in His perfect image, and that the universe also was perfect when He created it. Both Testaments teach that humanity fell into sin, and became alienated from our holy God who is love. Both Testaments teach that God is both holy and loving; that He is about justice and mercy. Both Testaments teach that sin (disobedience toward God) is evil, and deserving of death (Genesis 1-3, Ecclesiastes 7:29, Psalm 97:10, Psalm 11:7 Psalm 103: 6-10, Micah 6:8, John 1:1-5, Romans 1:18-2:4, Romans 5:12, Romans 6:23). 

Both Testaments teach that God takes no pleasure in the death of anyone, but desires that sinners repent (turn away from sin and be reconciled to Him) so that they may live abundantly forever. Both Testaments teach that the unrepentant sinner will die (Ezekiel 18, with attention to verses 4, 20, 23,32; also read Matthew 3:1-2, Matthew 4:17, Matthew 11:20, and Luke 13:1-5). Sin deserves death; not only physical death, which is separation from the physical body, but spiritual death, which is separation from God who is the eternal First Source of all blessings, love, comfort and good things. If anyone rejects Christ, and dies both physically and spiritually, they can not blame God for that any more than they can blame food if they refuse to eat and consequently die of starvation. Both Testaments teach that everyone is a sinner, deserving of God's judgment (Ecclesiastes 7:20, Psalm 130:3-4, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23).

That is the whole entire reason that Jesus Christ died on the cross, and descended into the place of the dead (Sheol in Hebrew, Hades in Greek) before He rose victoriously over death to provide everlasting life for all who trust in Him (Isaiah 53, Matthew 20:28, Romans 5:8, 1 Timothy 2:5-6, 1 Peter 3:18-20). When we say that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sin, we are in fact, implying that we really do deserve exactly what He got on the hill called Calvary. We are, in fact, implying that we personally deserve to be physically crucified, or executed in some dreadful manner, and go to Hell. 

Otherwise, why would Jesus Christ have to pay a penalty for our sin, which our sin does not actually merit? Why would Jesus die on the cross for our sin if our sin is not actually deserving of death by crucifixion? Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross for our sin is consistent with the Old Testament laws regarding sin and death. And all the animal sacrifices prescribed for sin in the Old Testament were foreshadows of the once-and-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross (read Hebrews 9).

On the cross, Jesus Christ received the wages of our sin. "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23a). He got exactly what we deserve, so that in turn we may get what He deserves. He offers to take away our sin and condemnation, so that He may share with us His righteousness and good standing with Him and the Father through the Holy Spirit. For "the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus" (Romans 6:23b).

Dissenters may criticize the way that God dealt with certain people in the Old Testament. I myself, a believer, also used to have trouble grappling with such things. But both Testaments teach that every one of us is deserving of physical and spiritual death because of our sin. And God is the Creator and Owner of all life anyway (Ezekiel 18:4). So when He takes a life, He only takes what rightfully belongs to Him in the first place. But through His Son, Jesus Christ, the heavenly Father has provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him and receive forgiveness of sin and eternal life in Paradise with Him (read 1 Corinthians 15).

Willing To Die For Jesus Christ

The book of the Acts of the Apostles, was written by Luke, a Greek physician who had become a member of Paul's missionary team. His are the only two books in the Bible to have been penned by a Gentile. He wrote the book of Acts as a sequel to his account of Jesus' earthly life, ministry, death and resurrection. It is a record of the deeds or works (acts) of the apostles after Jesus had risen from the dead and ascended into Heaven. They began to do the work which He had commanded them to do - take His message of repentance and salvation through faith in Him to the world. In accordance with His instructions, they began in Jerusalem. And the Church quickly began to grow (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8). 

During that period, a man named Stephen stood up and preached Christ to a hostile audience and when he had finished speaking they stoned him to death. And so Stephen became the very first to be martyred for the gospel of the risen Savior, Jesus Christ (Acts 6-7). This was the beginning of a wave of persecution, led by a Pharisee named Saul of Tarsus, who had been involved in the stoning of Stephen. The result was that the believers at Jerusalem were scattered all over Judea and Samaria, and the message of Jesus Christ spread with them. But the twelve apostles remained in Jerusalem (Acts 7:57-60, 8:1-4). Judas Iscariot had been replaced by a man named Matthias (Acts 1:15-26).  

Ironically, though, Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus with intent to arrest and kill Christians, would end up surrendering his life to Jesus Christ to become an apostle for Him, preaching the gospel all over the Mediterranean world (Acts 9:1-22). Years later, Saul (now going by the name Paul) was intent on returning to Jerusalem at the end of another missionary journey, and some Christians who were with him urged him not to go, for fear that he might be arrested if he did. It was then that Paul replied "What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 21:13). 

Paul was arrested upon his return to Jerusalem, and remained there in chains for some time. But he found opportunies to preach the gospel of Jesus the Messiah and risen Savior of all who trust in Him. He gave his personal testimony in the presence of the Roman governors Felix and Festus, as well as king Aggripa. Then he ended up being put on a ship to go to Rome (having used his Roman citizenship to make a court appeal to Caesar). Along the way, Paul was shipwrecked on the island of Malta, along with the Roman guards and his companions who had been allowed to accompany him. There, Paul miraculously survived being bitten by a viper while he was loading wood into the fire (Acts 28:1-10). 

Finally arriving in Rome, he ended up under house arrest for two years; during which time he preached the gospel to those who came to visit him and hear him (Acts 2811-30). So Paul did not die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. But eventually he was beheaded by the sword of Rome for the name of the Lord Jesus (circa 64 A.D.). And he wasn't the only one. All but one of the apostles, who were eyewitnesses of Jesus' ministry, miracles, death, and post-resurrection ministry, and ascension into Heaven, died as martyrs. 

Peter was crucified at Rome, requesting that he be crucified upside down because he said that he was not worthy of the honor of dying in the exact same manner that Jesus did (circa 67 A.D.). Andrew was also crucified. James son of Zebedee was beheaded circa 44 A.D.  Thomas made his way to India, preaching the gospel. Eventually, though, he was put to death with a spear near Madras. The so-called Gospel and the Acts of Thomas are not included in the Bible because they were not written by Thomas, but were written in the third or fourth century A.D. 

Bartholomew, a.k.a Nathaniel, preached in Armenia (present day Armemia, eastern Turkey, northern Iraq, northwestern Iran) as well as India, Egypt, Ethiopia, Arabia and Persia. He was flayed to death for the gospel of Christ. So also, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus a.k.a Jude, Simon the Zealot, Philip, and Matthias were all martyred for baring eyewitness to the works and teachings of Christ (1 John 1:1-4). 

John lived to an old age, though he was put under arrest and hard labor on the island of Patmos. There he wrote his gospel account and the book of Revelation circa 68-70 A.D., only about forty years after the resurrection of Christ. John died circa 100 A.D. The oldest existing fragment of the New Testament is a portion of the gospel of John chapter 18, dating to around 110 A.D. which was found in Alexandria. It is known as the Rylands Library Papyrus P52, or simply St. John's Papyrus.

Down through the last 2000+ years, many Christians have suffered and died for their allegiance to Jesus Christ. In the first century, Christians were crucified, stoned, burned, fed to beasts or killed by gladiators in the Roman arenas. Even today, in the Middle East, and the Far East, and other places, Christians face imprisonment, violence and death for their loyalty to Christ. But now here is something else on which to ruminate: everyone who trusts in Jesus Christ must die for Him. Perhaps not physically, but in a spiritual sense, we must die to the sinful nature that each of us has inherited from our first ancestors, Adam and Eve. 

I pray that I would be ready and willing to give my mortal life, if it were to come to that, for the Son of God who loves me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20). But I have come to the realization that the best way to be ready to physically die for Christ in the nebulous future is to live for Him right now, every day. Because to live for Christ is to put to death the sinful nature within; to put to death every desire that is contrary to complete surrender and allegiance to Jesus Christ (Romans 6:1-6, Colossians 3:1-10). 

Paul said that every day, he died for Christ (1 Corinthians 15:30-31). Jesus Himself said, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me" (Luke 9:23). I can only do that through the power of the Holy Spirit. And if I do that, then I will love Jesus Christ more than comfort, more than convenience, more than pleasure, and more than my life in this world; because I will have already surrendered all of those things to Him, the Creator/Owner of the universe and all life. So I will not be afraid to lose them. 

Voice of the Martyrs

You, the Evidence.

You. Yes, you; sitting there reading this blog. How do you know that you are really sitting there reading this blog? Well you can see the computer screen full of letters and words in front of you. You can feel the seat beneath you. If you look around you can see your surroundings; whether you are in a room at a desk top, or at a coffee house or park on a lap-top. You can hear the sounds of people and/or things around you.

But everything you observe, you observe with your five senses - sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. And all of your senses depend on your brain and nerves to operate in an orderly, systematic manner. How do you know that they do operate in an orderly manner? How do you know that your five senses are reliable as means of observation. You might test one against another, but how do you know that any one of them is reliably relaying accurate information about your surroundings? As C.S. Lewis wrote, "All possible knowledge then, depends on the validity of reasoning...Unless human reasoning is valid no science can be true (Miracles; chapter 3, paragraph 5). 

And elsewhere he wrote, "If the solar system was brought about by an accidental collision, then the appearance of organic life on this planet was also an accident, and the whole evolution of Man was an accident too. If so, then all our present thoughts are mere accidents - the accidental by-product of the movement of atoms. And this holds true for the thoughts of the materialists and astronomers as well as anyone else's. But if their thoughts - of materialism and astronomy - are merely accidental by-products, why should we believe them to be true?".
     
Atheism claims that your brain and nerve system are the product of random, unguided, unintelligent processes. But how could random, unguided, unintelligent processes produce an intricate system that can observe and interpret information in an orderly and reliable manner? It is simply irrational to believe that such order; such systems, and complex, intelligible information arose from random, unguided, mindless processes. If anyone believes that their brain is the product of such processes, and yet considers their brain to be a reliable means of observation, then they are not a rational thinker. Their worldview is irrational.

The truth is that you yourself are the only evidence that you should reasonably need in order to believe in God. It is only because you and your brain (which is merely the physical representation of your metaphysical mind) were purposefully made by an orderly Creator, sovereign Lawgiver, and loving God, that you are able to think and make valid observations about your surroundings. In fact, God is love (1 John 4:8). And He created all things to operate in an orderly, rational manner. "For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints" (1 Corinthians 14:33). And He created humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) for the purpose of love (Matthew 22:37-40).

All of your bodily functions; the ability to feed yourself, absorb nutrients, and expel toxins are designed by God for your good. The ability to breathe air; your lungs, your blood which then carries oxygen to the cells and tissues throughout your body, the heart, veins, arteries, capillaries working to pump the blood throughout your body, all of these were purposefully designed by God who is love, for your good. If your cells, tissues, organs, systems are in working order, that is because God made, and allows them to continue working. And that is something for which to be grateful.

According to some atheists, to say that God designed and sustains it is all just an "argument from silence" or "ignorance". According to them, it amounts to saying, "I don't understand how this could have happened so it must have been God". However, it is not an argument from ignorance. It is an argument from valid observations about the functions of the human brain and nerve system; as well as the digestive, respiratory, and circulatory systems. We creationists understand just fine that the universe (including the human brain and biology) operates according to orderly sets of laws, being made of intricate and orderly systems, encoded with intelligible information.

And if anyone says that "God designed it" is an argument from silence or ignorance, we creationist can just as easily say that "random processes did it" is an argument from ignorance or silence; because the wicked are ignorant of the Word and the power of God so that they are spiritually deaf to His truth (John 1:1-5, Matthew 22:29). In fact, I say again, if anyone believes that their brain is the product of random, unguided, unintelligent processes, and yet considers their brain to be a reliable means of observation, then they are not a rational thinker.

Sir Charles Bell (anatomist, surgeon, physiologist, and theologian; 1774-1842) wrote, "If we select any object in the whole extent of animated nature, (that would include your physical body) and contemplate it fully and in all its bearings, we shall certainly come to this conclusion: that there is Design in the mechanical construction, Benevolence in the endowments of the living properties, and that Good on the whole is the result". Concerning anyone who fails to recognize and appreciate design in nature, Bell wrote, "is not his insensibility to the Giver of these secret endowments worse than ingratitude?" (emphasis added).

There are some who consider all the brokenness in the world; sickness, disease, handicaps and suffering of every kind, to be an argument against God. But the truth is more complex than that. The brokenness that we find in the world is only recognized as brokenness because of its sharp contrast with the order and design that we also find prevalent in the universe. And so we can see that the world's brokenness is evidence of the Fall of Humanity, recorded in Genesis chapter three. 

Now this does not mean that all specific cases of suffering, disease, and death is punishment for a specific sin committed by a specific individual or group. Rather, it simply means that the only reason that suffering, disease, and death exist in the first place is because of sin in general. As the Scripture says: "So, in the same way that sin entered the world through one person, and death came through sin, so death spread to all human beings with the result that all sinned" (Romans 5:12; Common English Bible).

So now we see that the brokenness that we find in our world is evidence of the need for a Savior. And that Savior came two thousand years ago to die on a cross for our sin, just outside of Jerusalem. And He arose from the dead so that all who trust in Him also have the hope of the resurrection from the dead and eternal life with new, perfect, immortal bodies (1 Peter 1:3-5; also read 1 Corinthians 15). 

You see, even in the midst of all the world's brokenness, Christ's love takes opportunity to shine forth. As Shakespeare put it, "How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world". Jesus set this as our example, that we should find opportunity to do the work of His kingdom in the midst of all the world's brokenness (John 9:1-5, John 8:12, Matthew 5:14-16).

By the works that Jesus Christ accomplished in His earthy life and death, and by His resurrection from the dead; He has made it possible for sinners (we are all sinners, Romans 3:23) to be reconciled to the heavenly Father. That means turning away from sin, being freed from its control, and learning to live in harmony with the Divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-5). And as a result, we who trust in Christ will be restored to the perfection that was before the Fall. As Philip Yancey wrote, "Death, decay, entropy, and destruction are the true suspensions of God's laws; miracles are the early glimpses of restoration".

Boasting in the Lord

At least a couple of times in his letters to the churches, the apostle Paul talked about boasting in the Lord. He paraphrased the prophet Jeremiah, saying, "Let the one who boast boast in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:31, 2 Corinthians 10:17; compare to Jeremiah 9:24). 

And in his letter to the church in Galatia, Paul says, "But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" (Galatians 6:14).

So what does it mean to boast in the Lord? Usually, when a person boasts, they are glorifying themselves for some supposedly great thing that they supposedly did. But when a Christian boasts in the Lord, they are doing something different. He or she is not boasting about anything that he or she did. 

The Christian who boasts in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, is boasting about what someone else did. He or she is boasting about what Jesus did. And so the Christian is not glorifying his or her self. The Christian is glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is appropriate, since Jesus Christ is the One who saves us from our sin. We didn't do anything to save ourselves. All we can do is trust in Him to forgive us, take away our sins, and help us become the men and women that He created us to be. As Jesus Himself said, "I am the vine, you are the branches, he who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). 

And as the prophet Isaiah wrote, "LORD, You will establish peace for us, for You have also done all our works in us" (Isaiah 26:12). The New International Version words it this way, "all that we have accomplished you have done for us". 

In verses 18-19 Isaiah says, 

"We were with child, we writhed in labor, but we gave birth to the wind. We have not brought salvation to the earth, and the people of the world have not come to life. But Your dead will live, LORD; their bodies will rise - let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy - Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead".

This prophecy is then echoed by Jesus who said, 

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those that hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.

 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth - those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me" (John 5:24-30).

Some wicked, blasphemous people have mockingly compared the resurrection which is to come, with depictions of zombie apocalypses in Hollywood films. And perhaps it is silly to even give a response to such childish mockery. But the resurrection of life will certainly not consist of rotting corpses coming out of the graves. On the contrary, those who participate in the resurrection of life will be fully restored to the vibrancy of life. No tattered clothes, no deteriorated cells, tissues or organs. Just vibrant, healthy life.

Consider this excerpt from my other blog, Dr. Wreath, where a girl who has been dead and embalmed for three days is prayed over and rises from the dead:

And placing a hand upon Cor's overlapping hands, he began to pray:

"Most High God, give back the spirit of this daughter of Yours. And let the breath and blood of natural life be in her once more. I ask this of You in the name of Your Son Jesus Christ, who was dead and is alive".

Just as he spoke that last word, the whole congregation clearly heard Cor draw in a deep breath. The heart that lay in still silence, now resumed the rhythm of life. In place of the embalming fluids; warm, living, healthy blood began once more to make its round course through her body. And every deteriorated cell was restored.

But the resurrection that is to come will actually be greater than Cor's temporal resurrection, described above. That resurrection is comparable to those of Lazarus, the widow's son at Nain, or Jairus' daughter in the Gospels. All of those people, having died and been brought back to life; were restored only to this mortal life that you and I have today. And that means that they eventually died again.

But in the resurrection of life that is to come, those who have trusted faithfully in Christ, will be given something entirely above this mortal life. It will be like the resurrection of Jesus Himself, after He had been crucified. Christians will be raised to immortal, eternal life. There will be no more pain, sorrow, or mortality for those who partake of this resurrection.

Again, there is nothing that any one of us could do to earn this salvation. It is entirely by His grace and forgiveness of our sins. This is why we Christians ought not to boast in ourselves, but in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the resurrection and the life. Without Him, we can do nothing. So it is to Him that we give thanks and praise - forever.

Now these things may seem far out to some readers. But I find Christianity with all its teachings to be far more believable than that irrational myth that atheists tout. Their myth claims that the universe, which operates according to orderly sets of laws, encoded with complex information in its cells and atoms, came not from an orderly Creator and sovereign Lawgiver, but from random, mindless, unguided processes.

The Cemetery Sermon - A Short Story

The venerable minister stood pale and fragile before gathering that had come to pay their respects to their departed friend and loved one. Near a tall, stately evergreen in the center of the cemetery, the physical form of Dr. Solomon Wreath lay in the bronze casket, which had a faint shimmer to it on that cold, wet, overcast October day. But  Rev. Daniels, alone, out of all the living who were there, was able to see and hear all who were gathered in that place. For many evil spirits stood in the back of the congregation, angrily cursing the minister, and God.

But stretching his eyes past that wicked crowd, Daniels could see another assembly at the outskirt of the cemetery. There, shining with a light so vibrant that it was life itself, stood the smiling, risen Lord with a holy band of angels. They played warmly and with great skill on flutes and stringed instruments. And it was this auspicious sight that gave strength to the old minister as he stood to speak over the din of hell, which was audible only to him.

The minister's sermon began with Psalm 88:3, "For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to the grave". Having read the verse, Pastor Danielson spoke saying "Though you stand in this graveyard today, none of you here draw near to the grave as our dear friend, Solomon, did in his final hours. 

I sat and prayed with him as sickness and death crept over his face like a dark cloud. And yet, there was also a peace about him which transcends understanding. We talked, and sang a hymn together. And then, looking past me, he smiled and said in that weak yet stirring voice 'It is not the grave that I am approaching. I draw near to the Lord!' And with those words he departed".

The congregation listened intently to Daniels as he continued. "So now here is another thought. Do we live as our friend died? Are we who survive him also drawing near to the Lord who died for us, and conquered death and the grave? Are we drawing near to Him truly; not merely in the flesh, attending church, and going through the motions, but in spirit - in the Spirit? Is His life overtaking ours as the apostle said 'I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.'"? (Galatians 2:20).

For half an hour or so the minister went on; giving examples from the life of his departed friend - examples of Christ living through him.    

A devoted husband and father, he had raised three daughters and two sons. He and his wife had also grieved terribly when another son had died at birth.     

As a surgeon, he had served in field hospitals during the American Civil War. He had seen a lot of suffering and death. But he had also seen some healing, and a few lives saved. Once, in the course of his career, he had even witnessed a miracle when a dead woman was prayed over, and she was raised to life again!

He was also an avid musician. And whether he was playing the mandolin, or the fiddle, or the piano; he could always move a listening audience to dancing, or to tears. And he loved to praise the heavenly Father with song. 

After recalling these things, Rev. Daniels spoke of the resurrection that is to come. He read from the Scriptures where Jesus said "...the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live... Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth - those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation." (John 5:24-30).

"Let us, then, trust in Him and follow Him." said Daniels, as he concluded his sermon. And after he spoke these words, he noticed that his physical body had just slumped down, and he remained standing. And he looked down in shock at his own form. He looked up and saw the astonished faces of the congregation. Those nearest him ran up and knelt down beside the minister's body, apparently unaware of his presence standing over it. And he saw the hellish crowd in the back, still sneering and cursing vehemently. 

He felt different too. He felt perhaps fifty years younger; like one in the prime of life, and even better. And his spirit was filled with inexpressible gladness and peace. The heavy chains of sin and mortality that are in Adam, were loosed and gone with his mortal body. 

And then he stepped forward and walked past the congregation, past the crowd of devils, past all the sullen gravestones; to the place where the Lord and His angels were gathered. And he found that his friend, Dr. Solomon Wreath, was with them. And he, too, appeared a new man altogether. 

Looking around, Daniels saw that the cemetery was gone. The whole scene was completely changed. He was no longer upon the earth, but stood in wonder of the beauty and majesty of heaven. He saw the vibrant light of God, illuminating a glorious landscape of brilliant colors; colors unknown to the people of the earth! He saw the river of life, and the tree of life. He saw the Temple of God. And he heard beautiful, flowing music; and angelic voices singing:

 "Holy, holy, holy is He who sits on the throne,

And the Lamb who was slain and lives again!"

And so Daniels was greeted warmly into eternal life.

The End

The Head and the Heart

Suppose two people are debating which part of the body is most important. Imagine that one of them insists the head is the most important part, while the other firmly defends the heart as being the most important. But isn't it true that the body must have both a head and a heart to live, and can not dispense with either one?

The literal, bodily resurrection of Jesus the Messiah is the heart of Christian doctrine and apologia, and the Genesis creation/fall is the head. It hardly seems reasonable to believe the one and not the other. 

And actually, the resurrection is a validation of the history recorded in Genesis. Jesus constantly made statements that validate both the Divine inspiration and the historicity of the Old Testament narrative. (For examples, see John 5:46, John 8:56, Luke 24:25-27, Mark 10:6, Matthew 5:18, Matthew 23:31-35, and Matthew 26:52-56). And His resurrection gives assurance that Jesus is the Son of God, so that His statements possess Divine authority.

But Jesus' resurrection from the dead was not merely to prove that He is the Son of God. Jesus arose from the dead to conquer death. God considers death to be an enemy to be destroyed (1st Corinthians 15:21-26). Death is not a part of the original created order. It was introduced into the world by sin. (Romans 5:12).

For theistic evolutionism to be true, there would have to be billions of years of death, disease, and suffering before humans even appeared on the earth. 

If the sedimentary rock layers of the geological column were laid down slowly over 4.5 billion years, the fossils inside them would show this to be the case. Death would be a part of the original created order. And so it would be silly for God to view death as an enemy to be destroyed. 

However, if the rock layers were laid down slowly, there would be no fossils in them. Those organic things would have decayed in open air, being reduced to dust before the sediment could cover them. This is especially obvious in the case of polystrate fossils.

Those layers were laid down after the Genesis fall. And they were laid down swiftly, by the flood that God sent to judge sin during Noah's lifetime. And truly, all scientific data can be best interpreted and understood within the framework of the Genesis creation/fall/flood scenario.

When Paul the apostle addressed a pagan audience at the Areopagus in Athens, he gave a message that centered on creation (Acts 17:24-30). Note the sweet affirmation that all nations are descended from one man (verse 26). So far, Paul's audience listened.

It's a rum thing because at the end of his speech he mentioned the resurrection of Jesus the Messiah. And it was at that part that some in his audience mocked him (verses 31 & 32). This is the opposite of what often happens in contemporary Christian apologetics. 

Nowadays, it is common for people to believe in the resurrection and yet scoff at Genesis. It is as though Paul's generation viewed the head as the most important part, and saw no use for the heart. And the current generation views the heart as most important, and sees no use for the head. 

Visit: 
www.answersingenesis.org
www.icr.org
and http://creation.com/

The Ephesian Goddess, Evolution, and the Resurrection of Jesus the Messiah

The Riot

In the course of his missionary journeys, the apostle Paul and his companions came to the city of Ephesus. Located in what is presently the country of Turkey, Ephesus had been under Greek and Roman rule successively. It was also the home of the temple of the goddess Diana, aka Artemis.

Paul was there, preaching the gospel of salvation through Jesus the Messiah. And there was a certain silversmith named Demetrius who became incensed by the Christian's denial of all gods other than Yahweh, the living God who created the heavens and the earth. Obviously, since Demetrius was a silversmith, he made his living by sculpting images of Diana and her temple.

Demetrius called together a crowd of people who did similar work to his own. He gave a speech against Paul and the gospel, and a riot began to boil. For two hours the crowd was shouting and chanting "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!"

Then the city clerk quieted the crowd and said "Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple guardian of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Zeus? Therefore, since these things can not be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly" (Acts 19:35-36).

The "Empirical" Claim

I love how the city clerk considered what was probably a meteorite to be proof of the existence of Zeus and Diana. It reminds me of people who think evolution is confirmed by empirical science.

The city clerk had his interpretation of the fact. An "image" came down from Zeus. And it was probably kept in the temple of Diana, like a fossil in a museum. But his worldview did not come from the fact. Rather he used his pagan worldview, which he already had, to interpret the meaning of the object that fell from the sky.

In the same way, evolutionists have their interpretation of the facts. There are fossils. There are objects that range from simple to complex. There are sedimentary rock layers all over the earth. There are different kinds of creatures with similar biological or anatomical features. The evolutionist interprets these things according to his or her naturalistic worldview.

As a creationist, I see the fossil record as a record of extinction, not evolution. I see the simple-to-complex nature of things not as proof of evolution, but of the plain fact that there have always been simple-to-complex things in the universe. I see the sedimentary layers of the geological column as evidence of deep water (during the Genesis Flood), not deep time. I see biological/anatomical similitude in different kinds of creatures as evidence of a common Creator, not of a common evolutionary ancestor.

Worldviews do not come from evidence. Worldviews are used to interpret the evidence. 

Evidence for Jesus the Messiah

But perhaps the most well attested event in all of antiquities is the miraculous, bodily resurrection of Jesus the Messiah from the dead.

It is a historical fact that Jesus of Nazareth really lived in first century Israel. He was crucified and died. Furthermore, His disciples believed that He was raised from the dead and that He appeared to them as the risen Lord. 

It is a historical fact that Jesus' half-brother, James, became a believer after initially doubting Jesus. And it is a fact that Saul of Tarsus, a Pharisee, ceased persecuting Christians and began preaching that Jesus is the risen Savior, and had appeared to him on the road to Damascus. And he began to go by his gentile name, "Paul" since his ministry was primarily aimed at converting gentiles to the Messiah, Jesus.

These disciples of Jesus were willing to spread His gospel under severe persecution. All of them, except John, died martyr's deaths because they were convinced that Jesus rose from the dead and had appeared bodily to them. 

John, the youngest of the twelve apostles, suffered persecution for preaching about Jesus. In his old age he was exiled to the Island of Patmos. There he wrote the book of Revelation. John was also the author of the fourth Gospel account, and three letters (1st, 2nd, and 3rd John) that are now a part of the New Testament.

In fact, one of the oldest extant fragments from the New Testament is the Rylands Library Papyrus P52, also known as St. John's Papyrus. Being a portion of John chapter 18, the fragment of ancient papyrus was uncovered in Egypt and is considered to date back to approximately 100 A.D. to 150 A.D.

John died around 100 A.D. That's about seventy years after he witnessed the miracles of Christ, including His post-resurrection appearances, with his own eyes (1st John 1:1-4).

There is also much reason to believe confidently that Luke's gospel and the book of Acts were written by Luke before 65 A.D. If the book of Acts had been written later, it would not end where it does.

Acts is a sequel to Luke's gospel. It is a record of the works (deeds, or actions) of the apostles after Jesus rose from the dead.

The narrative of Acts ends with the apostle Paul still alive in Rome. Paul was beheaded by the Romans circa 67 A.D. for preaching about Jesus.

The book of Acts ends with no mention of the Jewish War, or the fall of Jerusalem which happened in 70 A.D. These major events of the first century were significant to early Church history.Yet the narrative ends where it does because Luke wrote it before these events took place.

In addition to all this, the Church leaders of the second century quoted so much from the New Testament books that even if there were no copies of the New Testament texts from earlier, virtually the entire N.T. could be reproduced just from the writings of the early Church leaders.

What it comes down to is this. Those who deny the resurrection of Jesus, do so not because of the historical evidence, but because they hold to a worldview that miracles don't happen. 

As C.S. Lewis wrote in the first chapter of his book, Miracles:

"In all my life I have met only one person who claims to have seen a ghost. And the interesting thing about the story is that the person disbelieved in the immortal soul before she saw the ghost and still disbelieves after seeing it. She says that what she saw must have been an illusion or a trick of the nerves...If anything extraordinary seems to have happened, we can always say that we have been the victims of an illusion. If we hold to a philosophy which excludes the supernatural, that is what we always shall say" (emphasis added).

So again we see that worldviews do not come from the evidence, but are utilized to interpret the evidence.