Chance (?)

I cannot imagine the faith necessary to believe in evolution after viewing the vast cosmos we know as our heavens.

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Romans 1:20-23

As we look out into the vast expanses of space, we also now look in-- to the vast intricacies of life. For those of us who studied Biology in school, recall that ATP is the energy source used by all living cells, I offer the following video to consider:


I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139:14

I defy anyone to explain away the hand of a designer in this one key, of many such keys, required for a living cell to function. I am so happy that I have a living God. One who knows me and keeps me. (And keeps me together! Col. 1:17)

p.s. Having also studied Mechanical Engineering I was dumbfounded at the sheer mechanical structure of this proton rotor!

h/t James White at Pros Apologian blog

Shooting Back

What would you do if armed terrorists broke into your church and starting attacking your friends with automatic weapons in the middle of a worship service?

Would you be prepared to defend yourself and other innocents?

Would you be justified in doing so?

Is it time for Americans to consider such once-unthinkable possibilities?

There is one man in the world who can address these questions with first-hand experience.

His name is Charl van Wyck – a South African who was faced with just such a shocking scenario.

In Shooting Back: The Right and Duty of Self-Defense van Wyk makes a biblical, Christian case for individuals arming themselves with guns, and does so more persuasively than perhaps any other author because he found himself in a church attacked by terrorists.

A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
2nd Amendment to the United States Constitution

Martin Luther on Romans

For close to 30 years I have been telling people that if they have a question about religion- the answer is most likely going to be found in the book of Romans. It is the defining book on Christianity and is, according to Luther, "a short summary of the whole of Christian and evangelical doctrine" that also provides "an access to the whole of the Old Testament"


See what else Martin Luther has to say in this excerpt from the preface to his commentary on Romans:

This letter is truly the most important piece in the New Testament. It is purest Gospel. It is well worth a Christian's while not only to memorize it word for word but also to occupy himself with it daily, as though it were the daily bread of the soul. It is impossible to read or to meditate on this letter too much or too well. The more one deals with it, the more precious it becomes and the better it tastes. Therefore I want to carry out my service and, with this preface, provide an introduction to the letter, insofar as God gives me the ability, so that every one can gain the fullest possible understanding of it. Up to now it has been darkened by glosses [explanatory notes and comments which accompany a text] and by many a useless comment, but it is in itself a bright light, almost bright enough to illumine the entire Scripture.(1)

"Memorize it word for word." To make such a statement today would be looked upon as foolishness. "Everyone knows" that is just too much for someone to commit to memory.

How about simply reading the book through? Is that too much? Yet, how many who call themselves "Christian" in this country have read the entire book of Romans? Is it any wonder there is so little understanding of the true gospel?

From the very opening where Luther finally found peace with God and opened the door to what we now know as the Refomation. (Rom.1:16-7) On through the "Roman Road" that has been used to lead thousands to salvation. (Rom.3:23, Rom.6:23, Rom.5:8, Rom.10:9,10) Then giving us the surest promise to save and secure from the judgment we know is coming. (Rom. 8:1) Romans is the truly unique book of knowledge.

Read it yourself. Do yourself a favor.

1 source Christian Classics Ethereal Library

What They Believe

Here is a short cartoon explaining what Mormon theology teaches. This is not widely known and thus people are confused into thinking that Mormons are actually Christians. Mormons call themselves Christians while at the same time saying that every other church is false. Think about that the next time you hear someone say what great examples of Christianity Mormons are.

Presented as a public service.

Spiritual Growth

     "Spiritual growth" has to be in the top 5 abused teachings in the church today. It means everything from feeding the poor to getting more people to come to church. Generally though it is related to learning and keeping certain rules or Bible truths. Pray more. Read the Bible more. Go to church more. All great things, and all things that a spiritually mature person does. But doing them does not make you "spiritually" mature.
     In all of these teachings the one thing that is never defined, much less nurtured to grow, is what exactly "spiritual" means. Learning Bible verses and truths is actually academic or mental growth. Observing more and more laws or principles, or practicing rituals is behavioral growth.
     Consider the teachings of early Dispensationalist J.B. Stoney on this matter:
Reformation or Transformation?
     Everyone according to his moral sense, if he is true to his conscience, refuses the evil and seeks the good; and as the conscience becomes enlightened, this is more definitely insisted on. This is the principle of law; obedience was enjoined by the law however contrary to the natural man. Now when grace comes in, the believer rejoices in the assurance of his forgiveness, and, as he knows atonement, his conscience constrains him to live to please God; but this is often taken up on the principle of law, so that self-improvement becomes his great aim, and the law his standard of walk.
     Now it should be plain to anyone who understands the Gospel, that in the fulness of the grace of God, the man who offended against God was judicially terminated in the Cross, and the one who believes in the Second Man is justified. He should know that he is not now in the flesh, in Adam before God but in Christ; and that any attempt which he may make to improve his old man in conduct is in reality a flagrant, though unintentional, denial of the greatness of the grace of God.
     But this is a wile by which many are captured and detained. Almost every believer is more or less caught in this snare, and many, alas! continue in it to the end of their course. Very few learn early in their history what it is to be in Christ, and thus meet to enjoy fellowship with the Father. Until this is known he is necessarily occupied with himself. As a result he sometimes subjects himself to much self-mortification in the effort to repress or improve the tendencies of the flesh, and this goes on until the cry is not, Who will improve me? but "Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"
     The word "transformation" occurs twice in Scripture with reference to Christians (Rom. 12:2, and 2 Cor. 3:18). Every believer tries to be reformed, but very few apprehend the great moral difference between reformation and transformation. As a rule believers rejoice that they are saved, and aim to be up to the language of Micah 6:8, "to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God."
     There are increasing numbers who have accepted the truth that by the grace of God they have been transferred from Adam to Christ, and that they are clear of the old man in God's sight; yet they have no true understanding of what it is to be "transformed." Reformation is improvement, and refers to what already exists; but transformation means a change of being. This, it is feared, is little known.

from Reformation or Transformation? J.B. Stoney
online source Bob Nyberg - New Tribes Mission

A Word to Christians

I hate CATS

In this post I begin a series on Prayer. I hope to challenge you in your complacency and your misconceptions about this most important part of the Christian life. What you may initially think I mean in the title of this post is probably one of the things you find least "offensive" in the following series, -or, hopefully, not.

The problem with prayer is that people have learned everything they know about it from the wrong places. They have either read a book or heard a message on prayer. While that in itself is not bad, it becomes bad when it is not backed up by Scriptural truth.

Wait, it gets worse. In the worst offenses against "truth in prayer" the Bible itself is used as the starting point for the teaching. "How could that be bad?" you ask. It is bad because while they may start with the Word, instead of going into the truth of the text, they launch out into fantasy. These false teachings are repeated over and over until they eventually become doctrine.

To begin again,
I don't hate cats--the furry little vermin--although my attitude towards them is in fair approximation to their obvious disdain for me.

I hate CATS.
The dreaded teaching that "Prayer is Confession, Adoration, Thanksgiving and Supplication."

It is obvious but not certainly trite to say, words have meanings. Each one of these words have a meaning, their own individual meaning.

Confession is not thanksgiving, adoration is not supplication. Go through all of the permutations and you end up with:
Prayer is NOT Confession, Adoration, Thanksgiving or Supplication.

What is prayer? - Prayer is ASKING.
By mixing in the activities which go along with prayer the most important (from our perspective) fact concerning prayer is obfuscated- the answer to prayer is RECEIVING.

With that understanding clear in our minds we can move on to an effectual prayer life and avoid all of the pseudo-spiritual maneuverings and Oprah book of the month plans and search out the true teaching and meaning of prayer from the source- God's Word.

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints Ephesians 6:18