"And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the Lord: therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this day." (2 Chronicles 20:26)
The name Berachah means "blessing," and the people of Judah surely had much reason to bless the Lord. The armies of the Moabites and Ammonites, and many others, had invaded their land, and King Jehoshaphat had no forces sufficient to oppose them.
But Jehoshaphat had already led his people back to the Lord, and now he prayed for their deliverance, acknowledging that the Lord was "God in heaven . . . so that none is able to withstand thee." Therefore God replied, through the prophet Jahaziel, that "the battle is not yours, but God's . . . stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD" (2 Chronicles 20:6, 15, 17). God then set the invading armies against each other, until all were slain, and God's people were delivered without even lifting a sword. No wonder the people "blessed the Lord!"
The Hebrew word berachah ("blessing") is used some 68 times in the Old Testament, the first being God's promise to Abraham, when he followed the Lord: "And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing" (Genesis 12:2). God's promise to Abraham has been abundantly kept though there is much more to come. We, like the people in the valley of Berachah, have much for which to bless the Lord, for we also have seen the salvation of God: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing" (Revelation 5:12).
Therefore, "Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name" (Psalm 103:1). HMM
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INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH
www.icr.orgJuly 31, 2008
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
JUST PRAY (II)
Mt. 7:7-8
Pastor Rick Jackson
I. GOD'S PROMISES
1. Mean Exactly What They Say [Mt. 7:7-8, James 4:2, Heb. 12:1]
The only "limitation" in Matthew is here it means to keep on asking, keep on seeking, be persistent in prayer. James is saying practically the same thing. Hebrews reminds us of besetting sins, one of which is unbelief, or lack of faith.
2. Are Not Extra "Conditions" But Are Additional Promises! [Psalm 81:10]
I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
Some seem to think God is hard-hearted and has set up these barriers to keep from having to answer your prayers but such an idea is shameful and wicked! These additional promises are meant to encourage prayer not hinder prayer.
Pastor Rick Jackson
I. GOD'S PROMISES
1. Mean Exactly What They Say [Mt. 7:7-8, James 4:2, Heb. 12:1]
The only "limitation" in Matthew is here it means to keep on asking, keep on seeking, be persistent in prayer. James is saying practically the same thing. Hebrews reminds us of besetting sins, one of which is unbelief, or lack of faith.
2. Are Not Extra "Conditions" But Are Additional Promises! [Psalm 81:10]
I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
Some seem to think God is hard-hearted and has set up these barriers to keep from having to answer your prayers but such an idea is shameful and wicked! These additional promises are meant to encourage prayer not hinder prayer.
3. Every Christian Can Claim At Least One of these Promises [Mt. 18:19, Mk. 11:22-24, Jn. 14:13-14]
II. ASKING IS THE BASIS FOR ALL OTHER SPECIFIC CONDITIONS OF PRAYER
Asking really fulfills these "conditions" and opens doors rather than closing them.
1. Asking in Faith [Mt. 9:29, 17:20, 21:22]
Small faith can get answers too (when Peter was in jail). Everyone who asks has some faith [Rm. 10:13-14] Continue to pray and faith will grow. This fits what Moody Stuart said, "Pray till you pray."
2. Asking According to His Will [I Jn. 5:14-15]
"Knowing" is spoken of here, not "believing". If you know something is God's will it gives confidence.
3. Asking in Jesus' Name [Jn. 14:13-14, 15:7, 16:24]
You don't even have to say "in Jesus' name" --- God knows if Jesus wants it, we can have great confidence in prayer.
4. Asking Agreed With Another [Mt. 18:19]
This is not simply agreeing to ask, but agreed as touching what to ask as both are led of the Holy Spirit.
5. Asking Persistently [Lk. 11:5-10]
III. HINDRANCES TO PRAYER
1. Marital Problems [I Pt. 3:1-7]
2. Unresolved Issues [Matthew 5:23-24]
3. Unforgiveness [Matthew 6:12, 15]
4. Unconfessed Sin [Ps. 66:18, Is. 59:1-2, Jm. 4:3, I Pt. 3:12]
I openly acknowledge my views on prayer were highly influenced by Dr. John R. Rice to whom (earthly speaking) I owe much of my Christian growth. I have not found Scriptural grounds to not believe what he taught that the Bible says concerning prayer.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Quotes of the Week
My mother used to say that the older she grew, the more she realized that only two things in life really matter- God and people. If our lives are so busy we don't have time to cultivate listening and talking to God, and listening and talking to others, then our priorities are misplaced. - Joy Rice Martin (daughter of Dr. & Mrs. John R. Rice)
"Evangelism is simply the church getting down to business about its first obligation: reaching people with the gospel of Jesus Christ" - Ellis
They think they have said it (the gospel) they come right up to it and make a neat detour and dodge it thinking they have said it. - Vance Havner
A dog is truly a man's best friend. If you don't believe it, just try this experiment. Put your dog and your wife in the trunk of the car for an hour. When you open the trunk, see who is really happy to see you! - Unknown
Be wiser than other people, if you can, but do not tell them so. - Lord Chesterfield (1694-1773)
Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish. - Euripides (484 BC - 406 BC)
Things are more like they are now than they ever were before. - Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890 - 1969)
"Evangelism is simply the church getting down to business about its first obligation: reaching people with the gospel of Jesus Christ" - Ellis
They think they have said it (the gospel) they come right up to it and make a neat detour and dodge it thinking they have said it. - Vance Havner
A dog is truly a man's best friend. If you don't believe it, just try this experiment. Put your dog and your wife in the trunk of the car for an hour. When you open the trunk, see who is really happy to see you! - Unknown
Be wiser than other people, if you can, but do not tell them so. - Lord Chesterfield (1694-1773)
Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish. - Euripides (484 BC - 406 BC)
Things are more like they are now than they ever were before. - Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890 - 1969)
Monday, July 28, 2008
When God Became Man
"Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands." (Hebrews 2:7)
We cannot comprehend what it meant for the infinite Creator God to become finite man, even coming "in the likeness of sinful flesh" (Romans 8:3). Nevertheless, we can, and must, believe it, for "every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God" (1 John 4:3).
The Scriptures have given us a glimpse of the "emptying" that His incarnation required--the setting aside of certain outward aspects of His deity. He had been "so much better than the angels" (Hebrews 1:4), but He had to be "made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death" (Hebrews 2:9)--"put to death in the flesh" (1 Peter 3:18).
The eternal Word "was God" (John 1:1), but it was necessary that "the Word was made flesh" (John 1:14). "The world was made by Him" (John 1:10), but "the princes of this world . . . crucified the Lord of glory" (1 Corinthians 2:8).
He, "being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God" (Philippians 2:6). That is, He was not fearful of losing His deity and, therefore, did not have to cling to His divine nature and attributes as He became man. Thus, He "made himself of no reputation" (emptying Himself of the outward form of God), "and took upon him the form of a servant" (Philippians 2:7).
Yet that was only the beginning. "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). He suffered hell for us, that we might enjoy heaven with Him.
Because He was willing to be so humiliated, He will one day be crowned with glory and honor. "God also hath highly exalted Him, . . . that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (Philippians 2:9, 11). HMM
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INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH www.icr.org
July 28, 2008
We cannot comprehend what it meant for the infinite Creator God to become finite man, even coming "in the likeness of sinful flesh" (Romans 8:3). Nevertheless, we can, and must, believe it, for "every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God" (1 John 4:3).
The Scriptures have given us a glimpse of the "emptying" that His incarnation required--the setting aside of certain outward aspects of His deity. He had been "so much better than the angels" (Hebrews 1:4), but He had to be "made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death" (Hebrews 2:9)--"put to death in the flesh" (1 Peter 3:18).
The eternal Word "was God" (John 1:1), but it was necessary that "the Word was made flesh" (John 1:14). "The world was made by Him" (John 1:10), but "the princes of this world . . . crucified the Lord of glory" (1 Corinthians 2:8).
He, "being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God" (Philippians 2:6). That is, He was not fearful of losing His deity and, therefore, did not have to cling to His divine nature and attributes as He became man. Thus, He "made himself of no reputation" (emptying Himself of the outward form of God), "and took upon him the form of a servant" (Philippians 2:7).
Yet that was only the beginning. "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). He suffered hell for us, that we might enjoy heaven with Him.
Because He was willing to be so humiliated, He will one day be crowned with glory and honor. "God also hath highly exalted Him, . . . that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (Philippians 2:9, 11). HMM
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INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH www.icr.org
July 28, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Question of the Week - Why would an evolutionist become a doctor?
A: Can a medical doctor do his job well without believing in evolution? Some people claim that a physician without a proper understanding of evolution does not have an adequate knowledge base from which to practice medicine.
For instance, geneticist Theodosius Dobzhansky claimed, “Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.” Dr. Charlie Webb, an emergency room physician, said, “Evolution is the basis of biology, biology is the basis of medicine. You’re messing with something important when you mess with evolution.”
Several years ago Dr. Michael Dini, a professor of biology at Texas Tech University, felt so strongly about this issue that he refused to write letters of recommendation for pre-med students who did not accept evolution as fact. According to his website, “The central unifying theme of biology is the theory of evolution, which includes both micro- and macro-evolution, which extends to ALL species. How can someone who does not accept the most important theory in biology expect to properly practice in a field that is so heavily based on biology?” He indicated that the student must answer the question “How do you think the human species originated?” with a sincere reference to evolution.
These opinions notwithstanding, many advances in medical science have come from scientists who did not accept evolution. For example, Louis Pasteur’s belief that life could only come from life led to his proof of the law of biogenesis and the debunking of the theory of spontaneous generation. His discoveries were the basis for landmark inventions such as pasteurization and vaccinations for rabies and anthrax. Other prominent creationists in the field of medicine include Joseph Lister, who first promoted the principles of antiseptic surgery, and Dr. Raymond Damadian, inventor of the MRI scanner.
Acceptance of evolution does not make someone a better physician. On the contrary, acceptance of evolution raises a very basic question: “Why would an evolutionist become a doctor in the first place?”
Find out why as Tommy Mitchell, MD, examines this issue in Why Would an Evolutionist
Become a Doctor?
News to Note Quick Look
Dinos in the desert: The locals in the village of Madar, Yemen, are finally learning that the fossilized footprints running around their town weren’t made by giant camels! Read more.
Eye of the beholder: Rabid atheist Christopher Hitchens, writing in online magazine Slate, takes creationists to task for our alleged blindness to the “de”-evolution of sight. Read more.
Also: rare air, horse play, grunting fish, and a tiny flying robot. Read more.
This information was provided by Answers In Genesis, an excellent source of material relating to Creation and evolution. Please visit their website using the link in the upper left.
For instance, geneticist Theodosius Dobzhansky claimed, “Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.” Dr. Charlie Webb, an emergency room physician, said, “Evolution is the basis of biology, biology is the basis of medicine. You’re messing with something important when you mess with evolution.”
Several years ago Dr. Michael Dini, a professor of biology at Texas Tech University, felt so strongly about this issue that he refused to write letters of recommendation for pre-med students who did not accept evolution as fact. According to his website, “The central unifying theme of biology is the theory of evolution, which includes both micro- and macro-evolution, which extends to ALL species. How can someone who does not accept the most important theory in biology expect to properly practice in a field that is so heavily based on biology?” He indicated that the student must answer the question “How do you think the human species originated?” with a sincere reference to evolution.
These opinions notwithstanding, many advances in medical science have come from scientists who did not accept evolution. For example, Louis Pasteur’s belief that life could only come from life led to his proof of the law of biogenesis and the debunking of the theory of spontaneous generation. His discoveries were the basis for landmark inventions such as pasteurization and vaccinations for rabies and anthrax. Other prominent creationists in the field of medicine include Joseph Lister, who first promoted the principles of antiseptic surgery, and Dr. Raymond Damadian, inventor of the MRI scanner.
Acceptance of evolution does not make someone a better physician. On the contrary, acceptance of evolution raises a very basic question: “Why would an evolutionist become a doctor in the first place?”
Find out why as Tommy Mitchell, MD, examines this issue in Why Would an Evolutionist
Become a Doctor?
News to Note Quick Look
Dinos in the desert: The locals in the village of Madar, Yemen, are finally learning that the fossilized footprints running around their town weren’t made by giant camels! Read more.
Eye of the beholder: Rabid atheist Christopher Hitchens, writing in online magazine Slate, takes creationists to task for our alleged blindness to the “de”-evolution of sight. Read more.
Also: rare air, horse play, grunting fish, and a tiny flying robot. Read more.
This information was provided by Answers In Genesis, an excellent source of material relating to Creation and evolution. Please visit their website using the link in the upper left.
Friday, July 25, 2008
How Did Noah Fit All the "Species" on the Ark?
How Did Noah Fit All the "Species" on the Ark?
How could Noah fit millions of species in the ark? That would be simply impossible. And upon this common-sense observation, many make the next logical leap that the Bible is simply in error. But let's reexamine their premise. What is a species? Scientific American asked this same question in their June 2008 issue, showing a clear inability by even the scientific experts to quantify the label "species." Most commonly, a species is defined by its ability to interbreed with like creatures. But by this definition, millions of species populate our planet, and lugging them on board the ark would have been a logistical nightmare. The term "fire hazard" doesn't even begin to describe problems that would have existed on that ark. Such a situation is clearly unthinkable.
But the Bible does not use the word "species." The Bible says that Noah was to bring on board every "kind." So rather than differentiating between twenty-seven different species of fox, perhaps Noah only took two foxes on board, which later produced the many species of fox we see today. Then again, perhaps he only took two of the dog-like kind aboard. There is certainly no reason to believe that the many varieties of dogs in the world (including the fox species, wolves, and coyotes) could not have come from just two of the dog kind. Evolutionists have often laughed at this idea, claiming that the 4,400 years between now and when we believe Noah left the ark simply do not allow enough time for such variation to take place within a kind. And yet they believe that in only a few million years, every plant and animal alive on the planet today was produced out of primordial mud. Watch the CSE Question & Research Team discuss these possibilities in our latest episode of Creation In Common Sense.
Evidence conclusively reveals that variation within a kind can take place in only a matter of decades. Dr. Dmitri Belyaev's work in breeding domesticated silver foxes that produced animals with dog-like characteristics in just forty years is a wonderful example of God's intelligent design in action. See, while evolution would tell us that animals gain new genetic information and evolve into entirely different kinds—even though this is not observed in nature—we do observe an amazing usage of the genetic information that is already present in the cell. In a world of such varying climes and habitats, the importance of the ability to adapt is paramount. And when God crafted the genetic material that would govern the growth of His creatures, the loving, all-knowing Creator also gave them the ability to adjust to their environments to ensure their survival. In this way, God's creatures continue to live their lives, and continue to be living testimonies to the intelligent Designer—God.
Creation Science Evangelism
29 Cummings Road
Pensacola, FL 32503
1-877-479-3466
www.drdino.com
How could Noah fit millions of species in the ark? That would be simply impossible. And upon this common-sense observation, many make the next logical leap that the Bible is simply in error. But let's reexamine their premise. What is a species? Scientific American asked this same question in their June 2008 issue, showing a clear inability by even the scientific experts to quantify the label "species." Most commonly, a species is defined by its ability to interbreed with like creatures. But by this definition, millions of species populate our planet, and lugging them on board the ark would have been a logistical nightmare. The term "fire hazard" doesn't even begin to describe problems that would have existed on that ark. Such a situation is clearly unthinkable.
But the Bible does not use the word "species." The Bible says that Noah was to bring on board every "kind." So rather than differentiating between twenty-seven different species of fox, perhaps Noah only took two foxes on board, which later produced the many species of fox we see today. Then again, perhaps he only took two of the dog-like kind aboard. There is certainly no reason to believe that the many varieties of dogs in the world (including the fox species, wolves, and coyotes) could not have come from just two of the dog kind. Evolutionists have often laughed at this idea, claiming that the 4,400 years between now and when we believe Noah left the ark simply do not allow enough time for such variation to take place within a kind. And yet they believe that in only a few million years, every plant and animal alive on the planet today was produced out of primordial mud. Watch the CSE Question & Research Team discuss these possibilities in our latest episode of Creation In Common Sense.
Evidence conclusively reveals that variation within a kind can take place in only a matter of decades. Dr. Dmitri Belyaev's work in breeding domesticated silver foxes that produced animals with dog-like characteristics in just forty years is a wonderful example of God's intelligent design in action. See, while evolution would tell us that animals gain new genetic information and evolve into entirely different kinds—even though this is not observed in nature—we do observe an amazing usage of the genetic information that is already present in the cell. In a world of such varying climes and habitats, the importance of the ability to adapt is paramount. And when God crafted the genetic material that would govern the growth of His creatures, the loving, all-knowing Creator also gave them the ability to adjust to their environments to ensure their survival. In this way, God's creatures continue to live their lives, and continue to be living testimonies to the intelligent Designer—God.
Creation Science Evangelism
29 Cummings Road
Pensacola, FL 32503
1-877-479-3466
www.drdino.com
Thursday, July 24, 2008
More Computer Problems
Earlier this year my Windows XP PC had what the tech called 2 "heart attacks". It's still in the shop. I was kind of in the market anyway so I bought a new HP with Vista (which I like by the way). 2 weeks ago I had to send it back after a lightning strike took out the motherboard (yes, it was hooked to a surge protector. Evidently lightning is quicker than surge protectors--- I also lost a new Kodak printer, a modem and an old fashioned looking telephone). So, I have been using my laptop as my primary computer and late yesterday it went down with a virus (I think- the tech is coming Friday). Augh! I am typing this on my wife's PC. It's afraid of me... it thinks I'm cursed.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
JUST PRAY
James 4:1-2
Pastor Rick Jackson
I. WHAT PRAYER IS NOT!
1. Prayer is Not Thanksgiving [Phil. 4:6, Col. 4:2]
2. Prayer is Not Confession [Dan. 9:4]
3. Prayer is Not Humiliation [II Chr. 7:14]
These things and others like praise, meditation, adoration, etc. are good things and often go well with prayer but technically they are Not prayer!
II. WHAT PRAYER IS!
1. Prayer is Asking! [Mt. 7:7-8, 11; 21:22]
2. The Answer to Prayer is Receiving [Lk. 11:13, Jn. 14:14, 16:24; Jm. 4:2; I Jn. 3:22]
3. Bible Prayers Were Asking [Mk. 10:47-51, Lk. 18:10-14]
III. JUST PRAY!
1. God commands it! [Lk. 18:1, I Th. 5:17]
2. Pray about everything! [Eph. 6:18-19, Phil. 4:6]
3. Pray for everybody [Mt. 26:41, Rm. 10:1, I Tm. 2:1]
I know my views on prayer were highly influenced by Dr. John R. Rice to whom (earthly speaking) I owe much of my Christian growth.
Pastor Rick Jackson
I. WHAT PRAYER IS NOT!
1. Prayer is Not Thanksgiving [Phil. 4:6, Col. 4:2]
2. Prayer is Not Confession [Dan. 9:4]
3. Prayer is Not Humiliation [II Chr. 7:14]
These things and others like praise, meditation, adoration, etc. are good things and often go well with prayer but technically they are Not prayer!
II. WHAT PRAYER IS!
1. Prayer is Asking! [Mt. 7:7-8, 11; 21:22]
2. The Answer to Prayer is Receiving [Lk. 11:13, Jn. 14:14, 16:24; Jm. 4:2; I Jn. 3:22]
3. Bible Prayers Were Asking [Mk. 10:47-51, Lk. 18:10-14]
III. JUST PRAY!
1. God commands it! [Lk. 18:1, I Th. 5:17]
2. Pray about everything! [Eph. 6:18-19, Phil. 4:6]
3. Pray for everybody [Mt. 26:41, Rm. 10:1, I Tm. 2:1]
I know my views on prayer were highly influenced by Dr. John R. Rice to whom (earthly speaking) I owe much of my Christian growth.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Be Truly Converted
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." (Acts 3:19)
To be "converted" can mean many things. The Greek word simply means to "turn" or "change directions." Christian conversion, however, refers to turning away from the whole world system and turning to God through Christ. Similarly, to "repent," in the Greek, means essentially to "think differently" and, in a Christian context, to change one's whole thought process from worldly reasoning to spiritual, as centered in Christ and the Scriptures. Genuine Christian repentance and conversion result in having one's "sins . . . blotted out" and thus true "times of refreshing" from the Lord.
But without real repentance and conversion, there is no salvation. Jesus said: ". . . except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3, 5), and He also said: "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3).
There are, sad to say, multitudes of men and women who think they are Christians, but are not. This is evidenced by the lack of real change in their thinking and living from the beliefs and practices of the world. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Christ Himself has warned that: "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, . . . ? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you" (Matthew 7:22-23). Therefore, it behooves all who profess Christ to seriously review their personal belief and behavior in terms of their conformity to the world of men or to the Word of God. As Paul exhorted: "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves" (2 Corinthians 13:5). HMM
INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH www.icr.org
To be "converted" can mean many things. The Greek word simply means to "turn" or "change directions." Christian conversion, however, refers to turning away from the whole world system and turning to God through Christ. Similarly, to "repent," in the Greek, means essentially to "think differently" and, in a Christian context, to change one's whole thought process from worldly reasoning to spiritual, as centered in Christ and the Scriptures. Genuine Christian repentance and conversion result in having one's "sins . . . blotted out" and thus true "times of refreshing" from the Lord.
But without real repentance and conversion, there is no salvation. Jesus said: ". . . except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3, 5), and He also said: "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3).
There are, sad to say, multitudes of men and women who think they are Christians, but are not. This is evidenced by the lack of real change in their thinking and living from the beliefs and practices of the world. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Christ Himself has warned that: "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, . . . ? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you" (Matthew 7:22-23). Therefore, it behooves all who profess Christ to seriously review their personal belief and behavior in terms of their conformity to the world of men or to the Word of God. As Paul exhorted: "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves" (2 Corinthians 13:5). HMM
INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH www.icr.org
Monday, July 21, 2008
How to preach the gospel to every person
Sumner Wemp
Jul 21, 2008
"How to preach the gospel to every person"
We are commanded to "preach the gospel" like Phillip did to the Ethiopian Eunuch or like Jesus did to the woman at the well, one on one. A very important part in witnessing, if at all possible, is get people alone, one on one to witness to them. Years ago, I began to realize how important this is. If more than one person is there, Satan will stir up one to muddy the waters and get you sidetracked.
A good gospel tract is one way to get the gospel to someone when you cannot go into details. They then have a chance to go to heaven. God has given me so many fantastic opportunities of leading a person to Christ whose heart was so ready to be saved because someone else had given them a tract. By the way, what do you do when someone refuses to take a tract. NOTHING! God says, "shake the dust off your feet" Matt. 10:14. Leave them alone! To do any more almost always leads into an argument with them and "the servant of the Lord MUST not strive" 2 Tim 2:24. They have not rejected you but the Lord.
Just look for the ones God has prepared. There are plenty out there. Give a tract to clerks, waiters, waitresses, cashiers etc. I gave a tract to a gas station operator and he blurted out, "Where have you been. I have been wanting to get saved for three weeks." Anyone could have led him to Christ he was so ready." Sow bountifully and you will reap bountifully.
By the way again. Over the years I have stayed in hundreds of motels. The telephone directory is a great place to put two of three tracts. It used to be the Gideon Bible would fall open at Ps 23, people had turn there so many times. Not so today but I put two or three through out the Bible, in the TV guide etc.
Do not put tracts in the mail box. Against the law. Don't put them on windshields of cars. Put a tract in every letter and bill you mail. Oh my. wish I had time to tell of the fantastic stories God has let me experience through tracts. If only one got saved, it would be worth it all..
ABC Sumner
"Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto ...hear the word of my mouth and give them warning from me" Lest "his blood will I require at thine hand." Ez.. 3:17, 18.. "At thy word, I will" Lk 5:5.
Don't forget www.sumnerwemp.com spiritual and physical health tips, coming soon. Read encouraging articles now.
"Every saved person this side of heaven ought to be vitally concerned about every lost person this side of hell"
Jul 21, 2008
"How to preach the gospel to every person"
We are commanded to "preach the gospel" like Phillip did to the Ethiopian Eunuch or like Jesus did to the woman at the well, one on one. A very important part in witnessing, if at all possible, is get people alone, one on one to witness to them. Years ago, I began to realize how important this is. If more than one person is there, Satan will stir up one to muddy the waters and get you sidetracked.
A good gospel tract is one way to get the gospel to someone when you cannot go into details. They then have a chance to go to heaven. God has given me so many fantastic opportunities of leading a person to Christ whose heart was so ready to be saved because someone else had given them a tract. By the way, what do you do when someone refuses to take a tract. NOTHING! God says, "shake the dust off your feet" Matt. 10:14. Leave them alone! To do any more almost always leads into an argument with them and "the servant of the Lord MUST not strive" 2 Tim 2:24. They have not rejected you but the Lord.
Just look for the ones God has prepared. There are plenty out there. Give a tract to clerks, waiters, waitresses, cashiers etc. I gave a tract to a gas station operator and he blurted out, "Where have you been. I have been wanting to get saved for three weeks." Anyone could have led him to Christ he was so ready." Sow bountifully and you will reap bountifully.
By the way again. Over the years I have stayed in hundreds of motels. The telephone directory is a great place to put two of three tracts. It used to be the Gideon Bible would fall open at Ps 23, people had turn there so many times. Not so today but I put two or three through out the Bible, in the TV guide etc.
Do not put tracts in the mail box. Against the law. Don't put them on windshields of cars. Put a tract in every letter and bill you mail. Oh my. wish I had time to tell of the fantastic stories God has let me experience through tracts. If only one got saved, it would be worth it all..
ABC Sumner
"Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto ...hear the word of my mouth and give them warning from me" Lest "his blood will I require at thine hand." Ez.. 3:17, 18.. "At thy word, I will" Lk 5:5.
Don't forget www.sumnerwemp.com spiritual and physical health tips, coming soon. Read encouraging articles now.
"Every saved person this side of heaven ought to be vitally concerned about every lost person this side of hell"
Sunday, July 20, 2008
FAMOUS LAST WORDS
GENESIS 49
Pastor Rick Jackson
I. OH WHAT A GATHERING! [v. 1-2]
1. Gathered that Jacob could bless by faith [Gn. 48, Heb. 11:21]
2. Gathered that Jacob could tell by faith [v. 1]
3. Gathered that they could respond by faith [v. 2]
II. IN TIMES LIKE THESE [v. 3-28]
Leah's sons
1. Reuben [v. 3-4]
- lost the blessing & birthright of firstborn [35:22]
- no leaders (prophets, priests, kings, or judges), didn't respond to call [Ju. 5:15-16]
2. & 3. Simeon & Levi [v. 5-7]
- Simeon was mainly incorporated into Judah [Josh. 19:1] though some scattered elsewhere
- Levi was spread out throughout the other tribes as a priestly tribe (focused zeal by grace)
4. Judah [v. 8-12]
- leadership of the nation 600+ years later... never to end
- leadership by the Messiah... never to end (Rev. 5;5)
- leadership by identity- "Jew" is a derivative of Judah
5. Zebulon [v. 13]
- the ministry of the Haven of Rest was often centered there Mt. 4:13-17, 11:23-30
6. Issachar [v. 14-15]
- bearing the burden of peacetime (crops) & War [I Chr. 12:32]
sons of Bilhah & Zilpah
7. Dan [v. 16-18]
- small but deadly, infamous for idolatry, but salvation is in Yeshuah
8. Gad [v. 19, Josh. 22:1-6, Dt. 33:20] great warriors
9. Asher [v. 20] area of delicacies
10. Naphtali [v. 21] goodly words of Barak (Judges 5) & Christ (Mt. 4:13-17)
sons of Rachel
11. Joseph [v. 22-26]
- recounts his personal history
- Ephraim produced Joshua, Deborah & Samuel
- Manasseh produced Gideon & Jephthah
12. Benjamin [v. 27]
- bold & strong but sometimes cruel & voracious
- Judges 20, produced King Saul, Abner, Shemei, Saul of Tarsus (changed by grace)
III. FAITH IS THE VICTORY [v. 28-33]
1. Faith in God's grace [v. 28]
2. Faith in Heaven [v. 29a]
3. Faith in God's Word [v. 29b-32]
4. Faith Rewarded [v. 33, Lk. 16:22, II Cor. 5:6-8]
Pastor Rick Jackson
I. OH WHAT A GATHERING! [v. 1-2]
1. Gathered that Jacob could bless by faith [Gn. 48, Heb. 11:21]
2. Gathered that Jacob could tell by faith [v. 1]
3. Gathered that they could respond by faith [v. 2]
II. IN TIMES LIKE THESE [v. 3-28]
Leah's sons
1. Reuben [v. 3-4]
- lost the blessing & birthright of firstborn [35:22]
- no leaders (prophets, priests, kings, or judges), didn't respond to call [Ju. 5:15-16]
2. & 3. Simeon & Levi [v. 5-7]
- Simeon was mainly incorporated into Judah [Josh. 19:1] though some scattered elsewhere
- Levi was spread out throughout the other tribes as a priestly tribe (focused zeal by grace)
4. Judah [v. 8-12]
- leadership of the nation 600+ years later... never to end
- leadership by the Messiah... never to end (Rev. 5;5)
- leadership by identity- "Jew" is a derivative of Judah
5. Zebulon [v. 13]
- the ministry of the Haven of Rest was often centered there Mt. 4:13-17, 11:23-30
6. Issachar [v. 14-15]
- bearing the burden of peacetime (crops) & War [I Chr. 12:32]
sons of Bilhah & Zilpah
7. Dan [v. 16-18]
- small but deadly, infamous for idolatry, but salvation is in Yeshuah
8. Gad [v. 19, Josh. 22:1-6, Dt. 33:20] great warriors
9. Asher [v. 20] area of delicacies
10. Naphtali [v. 21] goodly words of Barak (Judges 5) & Christ (Mt. 4:13-17)
sons of Rachel
11. Joseph [v. 22-26]
- recounts his personal history
- Ephraim produced Joshua, Deborah & Samuel
- Manasseh produced Gideon & Jephthah
12. Benjamin [v. 27]
- bold & strong but sometimes cruel & voracious
- Judges 20, produced King Saul, Abner, Shemei, Saul of Tarsus (changed by grace)
III. FAITH IS THE VICTORY [v. 28-33]
1. Faith in God's grace [v. 28]
2. Faith in Heaven [v. 29a]
3. Faith in God's Word [v. 29b-32]
4. Faith Rewarded [v. 33, Lk. 16:22, II Cor. 5:6-8]
THE KING OF KINGS
Pastor Rick Jackson
There have been those who designated themselves as a king of kings as the man in:
Ezra 7:12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time.
There are those whom God designated as "a king of kings" because he was sent by God to defeat and rule over, other kings, as explained in:
Ezekiel 26:7 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring upon Tyrus Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and companies, and much people.
Since God has designated him as such even Daniel calls Nebuchadnezzar "a" king of kings to his face in:
Daniel 2:37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
On his road to faith, Nebuchadnezzar realizes where true power is derived from and he admits it in:
Daniel 2:47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.
So that brings us to "THE" King of kings - not "a" king of kings.
1 Timothy 6:15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
Revelation 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
Revelation 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Here is the One in whom all will one day acknowledge as the King of kings, and Lord of lords.
I. HERE IS ONE WHO IS KING BY HIS ROYAL BIRTH [MT. 2:1-2]
1. The Wisest of Men recognize this fact [v. 1]
2. The Wisest of Men relate this fact [v. 2a]
3. The Wisest of Men respond to this fact [v.2b, 11]
II. HERE IS THE ONE WHO IS KING BY HIS ROYAL BEARING
Does He carry Himself as a King?
1. Nathanael, the guiless Israelite said so [John 1:47-51]
2. The Multitudes He fed thought so [John 6:11-15]
3. Many People thought so as He fulfilled Prophecy [John 12:12-16]
4. Pilate, an authority on kings, became convinced He did [John 18:33-39, 19:8-22]
III. HERE IS ONE WHO IS KING BY HIS ROYAL BATTLES
1. He Conquers Death By His Death [Jn. 19:38-40, Acts 17:2-8, I Corinthians 15:20-26]
2. He Continues in His Appearance [I Tm. 6:13-16]
3. He Concludes in His Crusade [Rev. 15:3-4, 17:11-14, 19:11-16, 20:4-6]
There have been those who designated themselves as a king of kings as the man in:
Ezra 7:12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time.
There are those whom God designated as "a king of kings" because he was sent by God to defeat and rule over, other kings, as explained in:
Ezekiel 26:7 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring upon Tyrus Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and companies, and much people.
Since God has designated him as such even Daniel calls Nebuchadnezzar "a" king of kings to his face in:
Daniel 2:37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
On his road to faith, Nebuchadnezzar realizes where true power is derived from and he admits it in:
Daniel 2:47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.
So that brings us to "THE" King of kings - not "a" king of kings.
1 Timothy 6:15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
Revelation 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
Revelation 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Here is the One in whom all will one day acknowledge as the King of kings, and Lord of lords.
I. HERE IS ONE WHO IS KING BY HIS ROYAL BIRTH [MT. 2:1-2]
1. The Wisest of Men recognize this fact [v. 1]
2. The Wisest of Men relate this fact [v. 2a]
3. The Wisest of Men respond to this fact [v.2b, 11]
II. HERE IS THE ONE WHO IS KING BY HIS ROYAL BEARING
Does He carry Himself as a King?
1. Nathanael, the guiless Israelite said so [John 1:47-51]
2. The Multitudes He fed thought so [John 6:11-15]
3. Many People thought so as He fulfilled Prophecy [John 12:12-16]
4. Pilate, an authority on kings, became convinced He did [John 18:33-39, 19:8-22]
III. HERE IS ONE WHO IS KING BY HIS ROYAL BATTLES
1. He Conquers Death By His Death [Jn. 19:38-40, Acts 17:2-8, I Corinthians 15:20-26]
2. He Continues in His Appearance [I Tm. 6:13-16]
3. He Concludes in His Crusade [Rev. 15:3-4, 17:11-14, 19:11-16, 20:4-6]
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Question of the Week - Q: Displaying the deceased?
A: Dr. Tommy Mitchell recently took his family to the Cincinnati Museum Center to view “Bodies . . . the Exhibition.” This was prompted by several inquiries that we have received at the ministry about the traveling exhibit. He reported on his medical—and biblical—opinion.
I spent three hours at the museum with my wife (a retired obstetrician) and two of my daughters. “Bodies . . . the Exhibition” contained about 15 bodies along with many individual organs and specimens that had undergone polymer preservation. The exhibit itself consisted of a series of rooms, each devoted to a particular organ system. Bones were displayed to highlight their unique structures, such as the inner portions of the skull. Muscles had been carefully dissected to show their attachments and arranged to reveal their functions. The distinction between the skeletal and muscular systems was highlighted by a display showing a complete skeleton standing face to face with its filleted muscles.
Circulatory system details were revealed by intricately branching castings, made by injecting the vessels with a plastic-like compound and then corrosively dissolving away the tissue. The digestive system was displayed in a dissection showing the entire digestive tract and also in displays of individual organs. One of the most amazing dissections was that of the nervous system. The main exhibit in this room was an entire nervous system meticulously stripped from its body to reveal the brain, the spinal cord, and the major nerves of the body.
The fetal development exhibit was an optional part of the tour. In this exhibit we found many fetuses, ranging from very early in development to 24 or so weeks gestation. According to the exhibitors, these fetuses were obtained after miscarriages. It was a powerful thing to see the development of the child so clearly. It is unfathomable to me that someone could view these children and not realize that we are indeed human from the moment of conception.
Traveling cadaver shows, including this one, have generated much controversy and a wide spectrum of opinions, ranging from those who extol the educational and pro-life value of the exhibit and praise God for His marvelous design to those who are mortified by various aspects of the exhibit and its history. As in other areas of observational science, the viewer’s presuppositions (such as beliefs about God, the sanctity of life, human rights, etc.) will influence his response to the exhibit. Nevertheless, as our readers make choices to attend or not—and whether or not to take their children—I would like to offer at least a few warnings for personal consideration.
To read his full report—including his warnings—see “Bodies . . . the Exhibition.”
News to Note Quick Look
Color by number: Scientists examining fossilized birds said to be 100 million years old have been able to interpret the color patterns of the feathers. Writing in Biology Letters, the researchers describe how the feathers displayed “striking” black-and-white bands. What could the plumage of extinct birds have to do with the creation/evolution controversy? Read more.
Mirror image: Cro-Magnon Man, you may be 28,000 years old, but you haven’t changed a bit! Read more.
Also: twin double take, the lake that is no more, worming in, and bugged by a bug. Read more.
This information was provided by Answers In Genesis, an excellent source of material relating to Creation and evolution. Please visit their website using the link in the upper left.
I spent three hours at the museum with my wife (a retired obstetrician) and two of my daughters. “Bodies . . . the Exhibition” contained about 15 bodies along with many individual organs and specimens that had undergone polymer preservation. The exhibit itself consisted of a series of rooms, each devoted to a particular organ system. Bones were displayed to highlight their unique structures, such as the inner portions of the skull. Muscles had been carefully dissected to show their attachments and arranged to reveal their functions. The distinction between the skeletal and muscular systems was highlighted by a display showing a complete skeleton standing face to face with its filleted muscles.
Circulatory system details were revealed by intricately branching castings, made by injecting the vessels with a plastic-like compound and then corrosively dissolving away the tissue. The digestive system was displayed in a dissection showing the entire digestive tract and also in displays of individual organs. One of the most amazing dissections was that of the nervous system. The main exhibit in this room was an entire nervous system meticulously stripped from its body to reveal the brain, the spinal cord, and the major nerves of the body.
The fetal development exhibit was an optional part of the tour. In this exhibit we found many fetuses, ranging from very early in development to 24 or so weeks gestation. According to the exhibitors, these fetuses were obtained after miscarriages. It was a powerful thing to see the development of the child so clearly. It is unfathomable to me that someone could view these children and not realize that we are indeed human from the moment of conception.
Traveling cadaver shows, including this one, have generated much controversy and a wide spectrum of opinions, ranging from those who extol the educational and pro-life value of the exhibit and praise God for His marvelous design to those who are mortified by various aspects of the exhibit and its history. As in other areas of observational science, the viewer’s presuppositions (such as beliefs about God, the sanctity of life, human rights, etc.) will influence his response to the exhibit. Nevertheless, as our readers make choices to attend or not—and whether or not to take their children—I would like to offer at least a few warnings for personal consideration.
To read his full report—including his warnings—see “Bodies . . . the Exhibition.”
News to Note Quick Look
Color by number: Scientists examining fossilized birds said to be 100 million years old have been able to interpret the color patterns of the feathers. Writing in Biology Letters, the researchers describe how the feathers displayed “striking” black-and-white bands. What could the plumage of extinct birds have to do with the creation/evolution controversy? Read more.
Mirror image: Cro-Magnon Man, you may be 28,000 years old, but you haven’t changed a bit! Read more.
Also: twin double take, the lake that is no more, worming in, and bugged by a bug. Read more.
This information was provided by Answers In Genesis, an excellent source of material relating to Creation and evolution. Please visit their website using the link in the upper left.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Pictures of the Week - Beware Identity Theft
Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
2 Corinthians 11
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Dead Works
"Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and a faith toward God." (Hebrews 6:1)
The phrase "dead works" can be found only twice in the New Testament. In the first (our text) it refers to the deeds of the unsaved sinner from which he must turn away in salvation, while in the second, later in the same epistle, it refers to unprofitable deeds accomplished by the believer, from which we must also turn away (Hebrews 9:14).
Dead works are certainly not good works, but neither are they necessarily evil works. Rather, they are ineffective, useless acts which count for nothing. They are as different from evil or good works as wild fruit is from good fruit or bad fruit. In this analogy, while bad fruit looks unappealing and would never pass for food, wild fruit may have the appearance of good fruit, but lacks flavor and nutritional value, and would provide no useful function, even if it were eaten. In just the same way, dead works which may be of some humanitarian value, lack life--not stemming from proper motives and not being propelled by love (1 Corinthians 13:1-3) thus accomplish nothing of lasting value.
The non-Christian can pridefully indulge in such works, but this must be repented of at the point of salvation. Likewise, the Christian must replace his useless dead works with good works, through the power of the Spirit of the living God. "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9:14).
May we continually submit all our efforts to Him, recognizing that service to the living God does not entail our dead works. JDM
INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH
www.icr.org
July 17, 2008
The phrase "dead works" can be found only twice in the New Testament. In the first (our text) it refers to the deeds of the unsaved sinner from which he must turn away in salvation, while in the second, later in the same epistle, it refers to unprofitable deeds accomplished by the believer, from which we must also turn away (Hebrews 9:14).
Dead works are certainly not good works, but neither are they necessarily evil works. Rather, they are ineffective, useless acts which count for nothing. They are as different from evil or good works as wild fruit is from good fruit or bad fruit. In this analogy, while bad fruit looks unappealing and would never pass for food, wild fruit may have the appearance of good fruit, but lacks flavor and nutritional value, and would provide no useful function, even if it were eaten. In just the same way, dead works which may be of some humanitarian value, lack life--not stemming from proper motives and not being propelled by love (1 Corinthians 13:1-3) thus accomplish nothing of lasting value.
The non-Christian can pridefully indulge in such works, but this must be repented of at the point of salvation. Likewise, the Christian must replace his useless dead works with good works, through the power of the Spirit of the living God. "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9:14).
May we continually submit all our efforts to Him, recognizing that service to the living God does not entail our dead works. JDM
INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH
www.icr.org
July 17, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
REMEMBER
Pastor Rick Jackson
Remembering and forgetting. We forget things everyday. Medication, appointments, keys, birthdays, anniversaries, names... Sometimes it is so easy to forget.
We all realize there are some things that are just too important to forget. The things of God are important, and God, through His servants, reminds us to remember certain things.
What would God have us to remember?
I. REMEMBER OUR SALVATION [Exodus 13:3]
1. It happened at a certain time
2. We had been in bondage to the world, the flesh, and the Devil [Eph. 2]
3. God brought us out completely by His power and Grace!
II. REMEMBER OUR TIME [Ex. 20:8-11]
Now we are NOT commanded to keep the Sabbath but here's a principle showing God is interested in time management.
1. God wants us to know the time [Romans 13:11]
And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
1 John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
2. God wants us to redeem the time [Ephesians 5:16]
Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
III. REMEMBER OUR RESPONSIBILITY [Num. 15:37-40]
To be what we ought be, not be what we shouldn't be, do what we ought do, not do what we should not do. [Eph. 5:1-11]
IV. REMEMBER OUR GOD IS WORKING [DT.]
1. Overcoming our enemies [7:17-21]
2. Leading by His Word [8:2-3]
3. Allowing us prosper [8:18]
4. Chastening us as needed [9:7, 24:9]
REMEMBER OUR ENEMIES [Dt. 25:17-19, I Jn. 2:12-17]
Remembering and forgetting. We forget things everyday. Medication, appointments, keys, birthdays, anniversaries, names... Sometimes it is so easy to forget.
We all realize there are some things that are just too important to forget. The things of God are important, and God, through His servants, reminds us to remember certain things.
What would God have us to remember?
I. REMEMBER OUR SALVATION [Exodus 13:3]
1. It happened at a certain time
2. We had been in bondage to the world, the flesh, and the Devil [Eph. 2]
3. God brought us out completely by His power and Grace!
II. REMEMBER OUR TIME [Ex. 20:8-11]
Now we are NOT commanded to keep the Sabbath but here's a principle showing God is interested in time management.
1. God wants us to know the time [Romans 13:11]
And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
1 John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
2. God wants us to redeem the time [Ephesians 5:16]
Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
III. REMEMBER OUR RESPONSIBILITY [Num. 15:37-40]
To be what we ought be, not be what we shouldn't be, do what we ought do, not do what we should not do. [Eph. 5:1-11]
IV. REMEMBER OUR GOD IS WORKING [DT.]
1. Overcoming our enemies [7:17-21]
2. Leading by His Word [8:2-3]
3. Allowing us prosper [8:18]
4. Chastening us as needed [9:7, 24:9]
REMEMBER OUR ENEMIES [Dt. 25:17-19, I Jn. 2:12-17]
Quotes of the Week
"I would think it greater happiness to win one soul to Christ than to gain mountains of gold and silver for myself" Mathew Henry
All the evidence shows that God was actually quite a gambler, and the universe is a great casino, where dice are thrown, and roulette wheels spin on every occasion. Over a large number of bets, the odds even out and we can make predictions; that's why casino owners are so rich. But over a very small number of rolls of the dice, the uncertainty principle is very important. - Stephen Hawking [Hawking is an undisputed genius in some areas but ignorant in others which causes a blind spot. God can't be considered a gambler because He knows with absolute certainty the outcome... there are no chances or luck involved.]
To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did. When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better.
The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.
"The smell of death is upon any church that ignores the elementary fact of evangelism. It hasn't long to live, not long at all" Dr. C. S. Mueller
All the evidence shows that God was actually quite a gambler, and the universe is a great casino, where dice are thrown, and roulette wheels spin on every occasion. Over a large number of bets, the odds even out and we can make predictions; that's why casino owners are so rich. But over a very small number of rolls of the dice, the uncertainty principle is very important. - Stephen Hawking [Hawking is an undisputed genius in some areas but ignorant in others which causes a blind spot. God can't be considered a gambler because He knows with absolute certainty the outcome... there are no chances or luck involved.]
To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did. When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better.
The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.
"The smell of death is upon any church that ignores the elementary fact of evangelism. It hasn't long to live, not long at all" Dr. C. S. Mueller
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
July 15 - The Remarkable Psalms
"And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee." (Acts 13:32-33)
Here is a clear instance in which the gospel ("glad tidings") was preached in the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit, through the psalmist David, promised that one day the Son of God would rise from the dead--the "first born from the dead" (Colossians 1:18). The Lord Jesus actually used certain psalms to prove His own deity, quoting Psalm 110:1 (Matthew 22:43-45) and Psalm 82:6 (John 10:34-36) in support of His claims.
This unique passage in the Book of Acts offers another fascinating item of information that is often overlooked. By identifying the second psalm as such, the writer (guided by the Spirit) tells us in effect that the chapter divisions of the Book of Psalms were there by divine ordination right from the first. Furthermore, since each of the psalms is a poem, with clear-cut verse divisions, this longest book in the Word of God was evidently subdivided into chapters and verses by divine inspiration. Similar divisions were later added to the other books by biblical scholars in the Middle Ages, but they were in the psalms from the beginning. It is not surprising, then, that we can find many remarkable examples of design in the very structure of the Book of Psalms (e.g., the 22 stanzas of eight verses each in Psalm 119).
This second psalm is the first of the so-called Messianic psalms, but actually, the Lord Jesus Christ and His glorious gospel of salvation are clearly present in every one of the 150 psalms. "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him" (Psalm 2:12). HMM
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INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH www.icr.org
July 15, 2008
Here is a clear instance in which the gospel ("glad tidings") was preached in the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit, through the psalmist David, promised that one day the Son of God would rise from the dead--the "first born from the dead" (Colossians 1:18). The Lord Jesus actually used certain psalms to prove His own deity, quoting Psalm 110:1 (Matthew 22:43-45) and Psalm 82:6 (John 10:34-36) in support of His claims.
This unique passage in the Book of Acts offers another fascinating item of information that is often overlooked. By identifying the second psalm as such, the writer (guided by the Spirit) tells us in effect that the chapter divisions of the Book of Psalms were there by divine ordination right from the first. Furthermore, since each of the psalms is a poem, with clear-cut verse divisions, this longest book in the Word of God was evidently subdivided into chapters and verses by divine inspiration. Similar divisions were later added to the other books by biblical scholars in the Middle Ages, but they were in the psalms from the beginning. It is not surprising, then, that we can find many remarkable examples of design in the very structure of the Book of Psalms (e.g., the 22 stanzas of eight verses each in Psalm 119).
This second psalm is the first of the so-called Messianic psalms, but actually, the Lord Jesus Christ and His glorious gospel of salvation are clearly present in every one of the 150 psalms. "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him" (Psalm 2:12). HMM
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INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH www.icr.org
July 15, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
The Shelf Life of Scientific Theories
The Shelf Life of Scientific Theories
Today, many people put their trust in scientists who give us an understanding of nature “as it is.” We accept as absolute truth what science holds to be true. Yes, some effort is made to observe the label "theory" in regards to what much of science tells us, but this is little more than a disclaimer. Gravity is still a theory, but how many people doubt it? This same faith has been applied to many other theories, such as evolution. Scientific speculation and theory have become the foundation of our worldviews, and we seldom ever question the structural integrity of this foundation. After all, if science teaches a particular theory, it is most likely to be true, isn't it? But what if this foundation has a history of disintegrating?
Professor of Philosophy and Scientific History, Dr. Steven L. Goldman of Lehigh University once stated in a lecture that the history of science overwhelmingly demonstrates that theories once considered established are more than likely to become obsolete and discredited over time. He's right. In fact, there are literally hundreds of scientific theories that were rarely even questioned, and yet we now look at them as pseudoscience or merely mistakes of the past. As each century passes, so does the majority of accepted scientific theories held dear in that century. Professor Goldman went on to ask in his lecture, "What is the probability—when we look at 2000 compared to 1900, 1900 compared to 1800, 1800 compared to 1700, 1700 compared to before Descartes and Bacon wrote a word—what is the probability that in 2100, those theories that scientists are telling us today are true will still be around? The probability seems small.
"God tells us in Jeremiah 9:23-24, "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom...But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me." Rather than build our worldview on a shifting foundation of scientific theory, we should entrust our lives to Christ and build our lives upon the Rock. Science should reinforce our trust in Christ, but should never become our foundation. As the years pass, theories come and go, and very few will survive the test of time; but Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). So next time you hear another scientific assertion—or the next time a scientist makes a statement of fact about something that can only be theorized— take it with a grain of salt. Scientific theories often have an expiration date, but Jesus is forever.
This information was provided on September 14 by
Creation Science Evangelism
29 Cummings Road •
Pensacola, FL 32503
1-877-479-3466 •
www.drdino.com
Today, many people put their trust in scientists who give us an understanding of nature “as it is.” We accept as absolute truth what science holds to be true. Yes, some effort is made to observe the label "theory" in regards to what much of science tells us, but this is little more than a disclaimer. Gravity is still a theory, but how many people doubt it? This same faith has been applied to many other theories, such as evolution. Scientific speculation and theory have become the foundation of our worldviews, and we seldom ever question the structural integrity of this foundation. After all, if science teaches a particular theory, it is most likely to be true, isn't it? But what if this foundation has a history of disintegrating?
Professor of Philosophy and Scientific History, Dr. Steven L. Goldman of Lehigh University once stated in a lecture that the history of science overwhelmingly demonstrates that theories once considered established are more than likely to become obsolete and discredited over time. He's right. In fact, there are literally hundreds of scientific theories that were rarely even questioned, and yet we now look at them as pseudoscience or merely mistakes of the past. As each century passes, so does the majority of accepted scientific theories held dear in that century. Professor Goldman went on to ask in his lecture, "What is the probability—when we look at 2000 compared to 1900, 1900 compared to 1800, 1800 compared to 1700, 1700 compared to before Descartes and Bacon wrote a word—what is the probability that in 2100, those theories that scientists are telling us today are true will still be around? The probability seems small.
"God tells us in Jeremiah 9:23-24, "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom...But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me." Rather than build our worldview on a shifting foundation of scientific theory, we should entrust our lives to Christ and build our lives upon the Rock. Science should reinforce our trust in Christ, but should never become our foundation. As the years pass, theories come and go, and very few will survive the test of time; but Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). So next time you hear another scientific assertion—or the next time a scientist makes a statement of fact about something that can only be theorized— take it with a grain of salt. Scientific theories often have an expiration date, but Jesus is forever.
This information was provided on September 14 by
Creation Science Evangelism
29 Cummings Road •
Pensacola, FL 32503
1-877-479-3466 •
www.drdino.com
Sunday, July 13, 2008
THAT'S JUST GREAT!
GENESIS 48
Pastor Rick Jackson
I. GREAT POWER [v. 1-4]
Great Power Comes From:
1. The Power of Love [v. 1-2]
2. The Presence of the Lord [v. 3]
3. The Promises of the Loving Lord [v. 4]
II. GREAT RESPONSIBILITY [v. 5-12]
Great Responsibility Comes With:
1. The Adoption of Sons [v. 5-7, Gal. 4:1-7]
2. The Reception as Sons [v. 8-11]
3. The Ritual of Adoption [v. 12, 30:33, 50:23]
III. GREAT BLESSING [v. 13-22]
Great Blessing Comes By:
1. Recognizing God's Salvation [v. 13-16]
Hebrews 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
2. Recognizing God's Sovereignty [v. 17-19]
Romans 9:20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
3. Recognizing God's Selection [v. 20-22]
Luke 6:13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;
Pastor Rick Jackson
I. GREAT POWER [v. 1-4]
Great Power Comes From:
1. The Power of Love [v. 1-2]
2. The Presence of the Lord [v. 3]
3. The Promises of the Loving Lord [v. 4]
II. GREAT RESPONSIBILITY [v. 5-12]
Great Responsibility Comes With:
1. The Adoption of Sons [v. 5-7, Gal. 4:1-7]
2. The Reception as Sons [v. 8-11]
3. The Ritual of Adoption [v. 12, 30:33, 50:23]
III. GREAT BLESSING [v. 13-22]
Great Blessing Comes By:
1. Recognizing God's Salvation [v. 13-16]
Hebrews 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
2. Recognizing God's Sovereignty [v. 17-19]
Romans 9:20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
3. Recognizing God's Selection [v. 20-22]
Luke 6:13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;
HAVE FAITH IN GOD!
MARK 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
Pastor Rick Jackson
We need faith in God for special needs, We need faith in God for the rough times. But we need faith in God for everyday... for ordinary times... for life in general. Jesus here made a blanket statement in response to the disciples noticing a miracle Jesus had performed as a matter of course. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
I. THE GREAT IMPORTANCE OF FAITH
1. No-one can please God without it! [Heb. 11:5-6]
It is the first requirement to do anything pleasing to God. Without faith---
-one cannot be saved
-one cannot pray acceptably
-one cannot live victoriously
2. Faith is plainly commanded as a duty! [Mk. 11:22]
John 20;27 Then saith he to Thomas, ... be not faithless, but believing.
3. Unbelief is a Sin! [Hebrews 3:12]
Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God
Romans 14:23b ...for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
Mark 16:14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
4. Faith can get anything in the universe with nothing impossible!
Matthew 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Mark 9;23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
James 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
FAITH FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL ITEM--- faith for salvation won't get you a job, etc.
II. WHAT IS FAITH?
1. Faith is a certain conviction, an evidence that we will get the thing we hope & ask for [Hebrews 11:1]
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2. Not every confidence, feeling or assurance we have is faith in God
-lady prayed for a girl but got a boy, God didn't lie, she wasn't given assurance by God for a girl even though she thought she had begged enough, she had faith in her prayers not faith in God
-people make a false assumption of salvation based on baptism, church membership, good works, etc. That's not Bible saving faith.
-sometimes self-deception is called faith
3. It is only as we come to know the will of God through the Word of God and the Spirit of God that we can have faith in particular matters!
Jn. 3:36, 6:37 - saving faith takes God at His Word
Faith in God is faith based on the Bible, or the clear leading of the Holy Spirit. It is always based upon what God has promised and it NEVER goes against His Word!
Faith is not a way of getting things God doesn't want us to have.
Faith is a way of getting things God wants and plans for us to have.
Find a clear promise in God's Word that He will do such a thing and believe and depend upon it--- then you have trusted God and your faith will be rewarded with the thing promised. If you are clearly led by the Spirit of God that a prayer request is in God's Will, will honor God, and that He will do it--- then that is faith in God and He will do it!
If someone says they had faith in God and still insist they didn't get it... be sure they did not have true faith in God. True faith in God is always rewarded. God keeps His promises. Faith is the assurance that God will do a thing because He has promised to do it. Faith is believing God.
4. Faith may be based on a known mercy of God without a definite promise. [Matthew 15:22-28]
But remember- God's wisdom is higher than ours. What we think would be mercy to have God may know to not be right for us!
III. HOW TO EXERCISE FAITH & GROW GREATER FAITH IN GOD
1. Learn the Word of God [Rm. 10:17]
-it's true - because faith is based on God's promises
-it's tried - because the more you are in the Word the more familiar you become with God [Psalm 37:4]
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine
heart.
-it tunes us to Him-
Proverbs 28:9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.
John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
2. Fully surrender to the leading of the Holy Spirit and to the will of God [1st John 3:20-22] Sin will kill faith!
3. Act on the faith you have.
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
NOTE: I found this message in a file of unfinished messages I keep. Generally if I "adapt" a message from another preacher I give credit where possible. There were no such notes on this message but I feel certain it was highly influenced by Dr. John R. Rice to whom (earthly speaking) I owe much of my Christian growth.
Pastor Rick Jackson
We need faith in God for special needs, We need faith in God for the rough times. But we need faith in God for everyday... for ordinary times... for life in general. Jesus here made a blanket statement in response to the disciples noticing a miracle Jesus had performed as a matter of course. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
I. THE GREAT IMPORTANCE OF FAITH
1. No-one can please God without it! [Heb. 11:5-6]
It is the first requirement to do anything pleasing to God. Without faith---
-one cannot be saved
-one cannot pray acceptably
-one cannot live victoriously
2. Faith is plainly commanded as a duty! [Mk. 11:22]
John 20;27 Then saith he to Thomas, ... be not faithless, but believing.
3. Unbelief is a Sin! [Hebrews 3:12]
Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God
Romans 14:23b ...for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
Mark 16:14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
4. Faith can get anything in the universe with nothing impossible!
Matthew 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Mark 9;23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
James 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
FAITH FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL ITEM--- faith for salvation won't get you a job, etc.
II. WHAT IS FAITH?
1. Faith is a certain conviction, an evidence that we will get the thing we hope & ask for [Hebrews 11:1]
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2. Not every confidence, feeling or assurance we have is faith in God
-lady prayed for a girl but got a boy, God didn't lie, she wasn't given assurance by God for a girl even though she thought she had begged enough, she had faith in her prayers not faith in God
-people make a false assumption of salvation based on baptism, church membership, good works, etc. That's not Bible saving faith.
-sometimes self-deception is called faith
3. It is only as we come to know the will of God through the Word of God and the Spirit of God that we can have faith in particular matters!
Jn. 3:36, 6:37 - saving faith takes God at His Word
Faith in God is faith based on the Bible, or the clear leading of the Holy Spirit. It is always based upon what God has promised and it NEVER goes against His Word!
Faith is not a way of getting things God doesn't want us to have.
Faith is a way of getting things God wants and plans for us to have.
Find a clear promise in God's Word that He will do such a thing and believe and depend upon it--- then you have trusted God and your faith will be rewarded with the thing promised. If you are clearly led by the Spirit of God that a prayer request is in God's Will, will honor God, and that He will do it--- then that is faith in God and He will do it!
If someone says they had faith in God and still insist they didn't get it... be sure they did not have true faith in God. True faith in God is always rewarded. God keeps His promises. Faith is the assurance that God will do a thing because He has promised to do it. Faith is believing God.
4. Faith may be based on a known mercy of God without a definite promise. [Matthew 15:22-28]
But remember- God's wisdom is higher than ours. What we think would be mercy to have God may know to not be right for us!
III. HOW TO EXERCISE FAITH & GROW GREATER FAITH IN GOD
1. Learn the Word of God [Rm. 10:17]
-it's true - because faith is based on God's promises
-it's tried - because the more you are in the Word the more familiar you become with God [Psalm 37:4]
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine
heart.
-it tunes us to Him-
Proverbs 28:9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.
John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
2. Fully surrender to the leading of the Holy Spirit and to the will of God [1st John 3:20-22] Sin will kill faith!
3. Act on the faith you have.
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
NOTE: I found this message in a file of unfinished messages I keep. Generally if I "adapt" a message from another preacher I give credit where possible. There were no such notes on this message but I feel certain it was highly influenced by Dr. John R. Rice to whom (earthly speaking) I owe much of my Christian growth.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Question of the Week - Who were the Nephilim?
A: Genesis 6 and Numbers 13 (pre-Flood and post-Flood) list the term “Nephilim” that has been the center of discussion for many years. At this point, the identity of the Nephilim and the sons of God is still being debated in Christian circles. There is a popular unbiblical view that the Nephilim are space aliens. Of course, most creationists rightly reject this particular view for multiple reasons.
Of the views with some biblical support, some believe that fallen angels bred with women and resulted in giants called Nephilim. Some believe the sons of God were the result of fallen angels who overtook ungodly men to breed with women.
Some believe they were the Sethites (descendants of Adam’s son Seth). There are some minor views as well, such as kings, rulers, or heads of leading family groups as being godly from Psalm 82. This view has many similarities to the Sethite view but eliminates many of Seth’s descendants and merely keeps with the leaders/kings (as well as some other leaders of other tribes) as godly. Another variation of the Sethite view is that these godly men had relations with ungodly women, and the offspring followed after other “gods” as opposed to God—and “fell away” in tremendous ways. This is called the “fallen men” view.
There is a great deal of confusion over the word Nephilim. No one today really knows what it means. It is related to the verb series “to fall” (naphal) in Hebrew, which is why some direct this to fallen angels or more appropriately, the offspring thereof. However, this also gives strong support to the view that men had fallen away from God. It was these two concepts that helped give rise to the various views mentioned above.
Many have associated the Nephilim with giants. Giant traits may not have been limited to Nephilim alone: Goliath, a giant, was not considered Nephilim. As mentioned, the term Nephilim is unclear in definition. It is related to the verb “to fall” and the King James Version translates it as giants from the influence of the Latin Vulgate’s (early Latin translation by Jerome) term gigantes as well as the context from Numbers 13. The context of Genesis 6 does not reveal they were giants. There may have been some influence on the Latin Vulgate by the Septuagint’s (Greek translation of the Old Testament about 200–300 years before Christ) use of Greek word gigentes.
Don’t miss the rest of this fascinating study on our website: Who Were the Nephilim?
News to Note Quick Look
Flat Find: Scientists have discovered yet another missing link—this one supposedly showing the origin of flat fishes. But like other missing links, this one strikes us as a little fishy. Read more.
Scripted: An ancient stone tablet covered with Hebrew text has created a “quiet stir” in biblical and archaeological circles, reports the New York Times. Does this tablet disprove Christ’s resurrection—or should we read between the lines? Read more.
Also: atypical planet, a caveman in Paris, seeing the light, scaling new heights, and questioning answers. Read more.
Expose Earth Science
The earth science textbooks used in public schools today teach that the universe began with a big bang and that the earth, and life on it, slowly evolved over billions of years. In this follow-up to the best-selling Evolution Exposed: Biology, author Roger Patterson shows students how to respectfully counter the evolutionary bias and indoctrination in astronomical and geological evolution. Students are equipped with a side-by-side comparison of the biblical and evolutionary views. Illustrations, charts, tables, and key definitions help students easily grasp the material so that they can bring truth to the science classroom. Whether writing research papers, engaging in classroom discussions, or interacting with friends and teachers, students will have the information they need to stand firm in this battle of today’s culture war.
Find out more
This information was provided by Answers In Genesis, an excellent source of material relating to Creation and evolution. Please visit their website using the link in the upper left.
Of the views with some biblical support, some believe that fallen angels bred with women and resulted in giants called Nephilim. Some believe the sons of God were the result of fallen angels who overtook ungodly men to breed with women.
Some believe they were the Sethites (descendants of Adam’s son Seth). There are some minor views as well, such as kings, rulers, or heads of leading family groups as being godly from Psalm 82. This view has many similarities to the Sethite view but eliminates many of Seth’s descendants and merely keeps with the leaders/kings (as well as some other leaders of other tribes) as godly. Another variation of the Sethite view is that these godly men had relations with ungodly women, and the offspring followed after other “gods” as opposed to God—and “fell away” in tremendous ways. This is called the “fallen men” view.
There is a great deal of confusion over the word Nephilim. No one today really knows what it means. It is related to the verb series “to fall” (naphal) in Hebrew, which is why some direct this to fallen angels or more appropriately, the offspring thereof. However, this also gives strong support to the view that men had fallen away from God. It was these two concepts that helped give rise to the various views mentioned above.
Many have associated the Nephilim with giants. Giant traits may not have been limited to Nephilim alone: Goliath, a giant, was not considered Nephilim. As mentioned, the term Nephilim is unclear in definition. It is related to the verb “to fall” and the King James Version translates it as giants from the influence of the Latin Vulgate’s (early Latin translation by Jerome) term gigantes as well as the context from Numbers 13. The context of Genesis 6 does not reveal they were giants. There may have been some influence on the Latin Vulgate by the Septuagint’s (Greek translation of the Old Testament about 200–300 years before Christ) use of Greek word gigentes.
Don’t miss the rest of this fascinating study on our website: Who Were the Nephilim?
News to Note Quick Look
Flat Find: Scientists have discovered yet another missing link—this one supposedly showing the origin of flat fishes. But like other missing links, this one strikes us as a little fishy. Read more.
Scripted: An ancient stone tablet covered with Hebrew text has created a “quiet stir” in biblical and archaeological circles, reports the New York Times. Does this tablet disprove Christ’s resurrection—or should we read between the lines? Read more.
Also: atypical planet, a caveman in Paris, seeing the light, scaling new heights, and questioning answers. Read more.
Expose Earth Science
The earth science textbooks used in public schools today teach that the universe began with a big bang and that the earth, and life on it, slowly evolved over billions of years. In this follow-up to the best-selling Evolution Exposed: Biology, author Roger Patterson shows students how to respectfully counter the evolutionary bias and indoctrination in astronomical and geological evolution. Students are equipped with a side-by-side comparison of the biblical and evolutionary views. Illustrations, charts, tables, and key definitions help students easily grasp the material so that they can bring truth to the science classroom. Whether writing research papers, engaging in classroom discussions, or interacting with friends and teachers, students will have the information they need to stand firm in this battle of today’s culture war.
Find out more
This information was provided by Answers In Genesis, an excellent source of material relating to Creation and evolution. Please visit their website using the link in the upper left.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Good Day to Wed
Friends of ours, M & S Starling married 28 years ago today!
My wife and I married 32 years ago today!
Friends of ours, R & E Goodman married 50 years ago today!
My wife and I married 32 years ago today!
Friends of ours, R & E Goodman married 50 years ago today!
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Tired dog
An older, tired-looking dog wandered into my yard; I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home and was well taken care of. He calmly came over to me, I gave him a few pats on his head; he then followed me into my house, slowly walked down the hall, curled up in the corner and fell asleep. An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out.
The next day he was back, greeted me in my yard, walked inside and resumed his spot in the hall and again slept for about an hour. This continued off and on for several weeks.
Curious I pinned a note to his collar: 'I would like to find out who the owner of this wonderful sweet dog is and ask if you are aware that almost every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap.' The next day he arrived for his nap, with a different note pinned to his collar: 'He lives in a home with 6 children, 2 under the age of 3 - he's trying to catch up on his sleep. Can I come with him tomorrow?'
The next day he was back, greeted me in my yard, walked inside and resumed his spot in the hall and again slept for about an hour. This continued off and on for several weeks.
Curious I pinned a note to his collar: 'I would like to find out who the owner of this wonderful sweet dog is and ask if you are aware that almost every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap.' The next day he arrived for his nap, with a different note pinned to his collar: 'He lives in a home with 6 children, 2 under the age of 3 - he's trying to catch up on his sleep. Can I come with him tomorrow?'
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Lightning Bug - just by way of explanation.
Lightning struck near my house Sunday afternoon. Took out my PC, my printer (both new), my internet router, my dish network box and a phone... that I know of. New router came late Tuesday and using an old laptop to do this...
Then Monday evening I came down with something quite unpleasant... a bug if you will. Still suffering the effects of that...
Then Monday evening I came down with something quite unpleasant... a bug if you will. Still suffering the effects of that...
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
You gotta have friends...
okay... I confess --- my sister sent me this none!
I was walking past the mental hospital the other day, and all the patients were shouting: '13....13... ..13'
The fence was too high to see over,
but I saw a little gap in the planks
and looked through to see
what was going on.
Some idiot poked me in the eye
with a stick.
Then they all started shouting '14....14... 14'...
I was walking past the mental hospital the other day, and all the patients were shouting: '13....13... ..13'
The fence was too high to see over,
but I saw a little gap in the planks
and looked through to see
what was going on.
Some idiot poked me in the eye
with a stick.
Then they all started shouting '14....14... 14'...
Monday, July 07, 2008
You could have heard a pin drop................
Don't know if these are true... a good friend from the past sent them my way, thought provoking if nothing else.
When in England, at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of "empire building" by George Bush.
He answered by saying, 'Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return.'
You could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break, one of the French engineers came back into the room saying 'Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims.
What does he intended to do, bomb them?'
A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: 'Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?'
You could have heard a pin drop.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of Officers that included personnel from most of those countries.
Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English.' He then asked, 'Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?' Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied 'Maybe it's because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German.'
You could have heard a pin drop.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AND THIS STORY FITS RIGHT IN WITH THE ABOVE...
Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on.
'You have been to France before, monsieur?' the customs officer asked sarcastically. Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously. Then you should know enough to have your passport ready..
' The American said, "'The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it,
”Impossible. Americans always have to show your passports on arrival in France!'
The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained, "'Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find a single Frenchmen to show a passport to.'
You could have heard a pin drop.
When in England, at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of "empire building" by George Bush.
He answered by saying, 'Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return.'
You could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break, one of the French engineers came back into the room saying 'Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims.
What does he intended to do, bomb them?'
A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: 'Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?'
You could have heard a pin drop.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of Officers that included personnel from most of those countries.
Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English.' He then asked, 'Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?' Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied 'Maybe it's because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German.'
You could have heard a pin drop.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AND THIS STORY FITS RIGHT IN WITH THE ABOVE...
Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on.
'You have been to France before, monsieur?' the customs officer asked sarcastically. Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously. Then you should know enough to have your passport ready..
' The American said, "'The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it,
”Impossible. Americans always have to show your passports on arrival in France!'
The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained, "'Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find a single Frenchmen to show a passport to.'
You could have heard a pin drop.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Rest with Us
"Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels." (2 Thessalonians 1:6-7)
The Christians in the young church at Thessalonica, very soon after accepting Christ, underwent severe "persecutions and tribulations" (v. 4). The apostle Paul wrote to commend them that God had thus judged them to be "counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer" (v. 5). That is, the kingdom of God was being persecuted when they were persecuted, and God would certainly repay their tormentors in kind. The believers' tribulations were from men. Those who were being troubled would receive "rest with us" from God ("rest" here is a noun, not a verb).
The Thessalonians must realize, however, that this righteous recompense--at least in its full measure--must await the return of the Lord Jesus. They must resist the temptation to repay their persecutors in kind if the opportunity should come. "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord" (Romans 12:19). They must simply continue to "endure" and "suffer," so that "our God would count you worthy of this calling, and . . . That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you" (2 Thessalonians 1:4-5, 11-12).
The Lord Jesus Himself is our example, "that ye should follow his steps: . . . Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously" (1 Peter 2:21, 23).
"In the last days . . . all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:1, 12), and latter-day Christians may very well have opportunity to put this ancient counsel to the Thessalonians into present practice. If so, may God give us the grace to endure as they endured! HMM
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INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH www.icr.org
July 6, 2008
The Christians in the young church at Thessalonica, very soon after accepting Christ, underwent severe "persecutions and tribulations" (v. 4). The apostle Paul wrote to commend them that God had thus judged them to be "counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer" (v. 5). That is, the kingdom of God was being persecuted when they were persecuted, and God would certainly repay their tormentors in kind. The believers' tribulations were from men. Those who were being troubled would receive "rest with us" from God ("rest" here is a noun, not a verb).
The Thessalonians must realize, however, that this righteous recompense--at least in its full measure--must await the return of the Lord Jesus. They must resist the temptation to repay their persecutors in kind if the opportunity should come. "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord" (Romans 12:19). They must simply continue to "endure" and "suffer," so that "our God would count you worthy of this calling, and . . . That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you" (2 Thessalonians 1:4-5, 11-12).
The Lord Jesus Himself is our example, "that ye should follow his steps: . . . Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously" (1 Peter 2:21, 23).
"In the last days . . . all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:1, 12), and latter-day Christians may very well have opportunity to put this ancient counsel to the Thessalonians into present practice. If so, may God give us the grace to endure as they endured! HMM
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INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH www.icr.org
July 6, 2008
Saturday, July 05, 2008
QUESTION OF THE WEEK! - Is God unique?
A: A number of Bible verses, predominantly in the Psalms, compare the revealed God of the Bible to various gods worshiped in the ancient Near East. Many of us may gloss right over them. We mentally file away such passages as descriptions of primitive, superstitious people who worshiped anything and everything, much like the Greeks the Apostle Paul addressed on Mars Hill who wanted to make sure they had all the bases covered by not neglecting any god in worship for fear of incurring divine wrath. Sadly, we often miss the point of these passages, which is not meant to simply convey men’s superstitions but is intended to reveal the sovereignty of our God over all creation and to discredit the gods of other peoples as impotent and worthless.
Indeed, one of the many challenges directed at biblical creationists is “if we teach about your God, why not teach about the many other gods in the world?” That is, what really separates the God of the Bible from the gods of this world?
After God delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians at the Red Sea, Moses wrote, “Who is like unto Thee, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11). One of the reasons the Lord sent the plagues upon Egypt before the Exodus was to judge the false gods of Egypt: “For the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, which the LORD had smitten among them: upon their gods also the LORD executed judgments” (Numbers 33:4). The psalmist wrote, “For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens” (Psalm 96:4–5).
The emphasis of these, and numerous other biblical passages, is that when we compare other gods to the Lord, we can see how bankrupt they are in majesty and power to the revealed Creator God of the Bible. Although there are many lines of comparison that we could use, we’ll choose just four particular areas: creative acts, motives, morality, and eternality.
Read the rest of this article on our website: The Lord Is a Great God and a Great King Above All Gods.
News to Note Quick Look
The great bird swap: New research has “completely redrawn” the avian tree of life, undoing the previous view of bird relationships. So much for last year’s “facts.” Read more.
Sparkling imagination: The diamond may be more than a girl’s proverbial best friend; it may be an old-earther’s best friend, too—or so claims a recent report in Nature. Read more.
Also: a Martian garden, painting the cave red, and microscopic motors. Read more.
Is E. coli evolving?
Jerry Coyne, evolutionary biologist at the University of Chicago, thinks that Richard Lenski’s recently published research on citrate utilization by Escherichia coli is “another poke in the eye for anti-evolutionists.” He goes on to say, “The thing I like most is it says you can get these complex traits evolving by a combination of unlikely events. That’s just what creationists say can’t happen.” But as Dr. Georgia Purdom, AiG–U.S., points out, Lenski’s research, instead, is another “feather in the cap” for creationists and further demolishes evolutionary ideas that complex traits can arise by random mutations.
Find out how: A Poke in the Eye? Lenski and the adaptive acrobatics of E. coli
This information was provided by Answers In Genesis, an excellent source of material relating to Creation and evolution. Please visit their website using the link in the upper left.
Indeed, one of the many challenges directed at biblical creationists is “if we teach about your God, why not teach about the many other gods in the world?” That is, what really separates the God of the Bible from the gods of this world?
After God delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians at the Red Sea, Moses wrote, “Who is like unto Thee, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11). One of the reasons the Lord sent the plagues upon Egypt before the Exodus was to judge the false gods of Egypt: “For the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, which the LORD had smitten among them: upon their gods also the LORD executed judgments” (Numbers 33:4). The psalmist wrote, “For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens” (Psalm 96:4–5).
The emphasis of these, and numerous other biblical passages, is that when we compare other gods to the Lord, we can see how bankrupt they are in majesty and power to the revealed Creator God of the Bible. Although there are many lines of comparison that we could use, we’ll choose just four particular areas: creative acts, motives, morality, and eternality.
Read the rest of this article on our website: The Lord Is a Great God and a Great King Above All Gods.
News to Note Quick Look
The great bird swap: New research has “completely redrawn” the avian tree of life, undoing the previous view of bird relationships. So much for last year’s “facts.” Read more.
Sparkling imagination: The diamond may be more than a girl’s proverbial best friend; it may be an old-earther’s best friend, too—or so claims a recent report in Nature. Read more.
Also: a Martian garden, painting the cave red, and microscopic motors. Read more.
Is E. coli evolving?
Jerry Coyne, evolutionary biologist at the University of Chicago, thinks that Richard Lenski’s recently published research on citrate utilization by Escherichia coli is “another poke in the eye for anti-evolutionists.” He goes on to say, “The thing I like most is it says you can get these complex traits evolving by a combination of unlikely events. That’s just what creationists say can’t happen.” But as Dr. Georgia Purdom, AiG–U.S., points out, Lenski’s research, instead, is another “feather in the cap” for creationists and further demolishes evolutionary ideas that complex traits can arise by random mutations.
Find out how: A Poke in the Eye? Lenski and the adaptive acrobatics of E. coli
This information was provided by Answers In Genesis, an excellent source of material relating to Creation and evolution. Please visit their website using the link in the upper left.
Friday, July 04, 2008
Happy Birthday America!
During the WW I years, Arthur S. Mole and John D. Thomas made some incredible human pictures by using 18,000 sailors or soldiers in uniform to create images.And now someone has put it online for all of us to see.This INCREDIBLE picture was taken in 1918. It is 18,000 men preparing for war in a training camp at Camp Dodge in Iowa. EIGHTEEN THOUSAND MEN!!!!!What a priceless gift from our grandfathers...
Thursday, July 03, 2008
The passion for prayer. Effectual prayer.
Sumner Wemp
The Passion of Prayer
The incense was made to ascend by burning. "And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning" (Ex. 30:7). This reminds us that "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (Jas. 5:16). Sometimes we sense that our prayers do not get any higher than our heads. If we were to search our hearts honestly we would have to admit that our prayer at that moment was not a deep burden or conviction of our heart. Sometimes, too, we know our heart is not right toward God as we pray. Also, there are times when we are conscious of deep need; we are greatly moved by the urgency of the matter and cry out of broken hearts to God. This is the burning of incense, the effectual fervent prayer that ascends to God.
Cheap, trumped-up, sentimental emotionalism won't get a thing from God, but the person who comes to Him with a broken heart, a broken and a contrite spirit, shall be effectual and receive answers. When Hannah was deeply moved as she prayed to God for a son, she said, "I have...poured out my soul before the Lord: (1 Sam 1:15). In prayer like that, one is not so much conscious of the phrasing of his petitions as he is of communicating his burden to God and crying out for help. Where is brokenness of spirit today? Where do you hear praying out of broken hearts? How long has it been since someone prayed and you felt as though God were right there? When did you feel as though the person reached up and got hold of God Himself as he cried in agony and a broken spirit for God to hear and answer him?
It isn't that our tears or our agony change God's heart and mind, but our passion simply tells us that our hearts are in tune with God that we can pray in His will. "Not my will, but thine, be done." We are praying in the Spirit" so we can receive the petitions we ask of God. As we look at the world in sin and see men and women about to perish, we need to get stirred up and cry out to God about these things. Effectual, fervent prayer will go up as incense and reach the throne of God to get our prayers answered.
I exhort, "Pray for all men...that they might be saved "for God will have all men to be saved." 1 Tim. 2:1-4. When have you heard that prayed in any church? Some will say "Oh, you cannot bunch them up like that". Really, Paul did when he prayed that "Israel might be saved" Rom 10:1. Jesus bunched us up when He said "I pray for them..." John 17:9. We believers must stop quibbling over such things and obey God to pray "for all men to be saved" and then obey God and preach the gospel to ever creature, person" Mk 16:15. Make sense.
"This poor man cried and the Lord heard him" Ps 34:6
Go to www.sumnerwemp.com for encouraging articles. Love you, ABC Sumner
The Passion of Prayer
The incense was made to ascend by burning. "And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning" (Ex. 30:7). This reminds us that "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (Jas. 5:16). Sometimes we sense that our prayers do not get any higher than our heads. If we were to search our hearts honestly we would have to admit that our prayer at that moment was not a deep burden or conviction of our heart. Sometimes, too, we know our heart is not right toward God as we pray. Also, there are times when we are conscious of deep need; we are greatly moved by the urgency of the matter and cry out of broken hearts to God. This is the burning of incense, the effectual fervent prayer that ascends to God.
Cheap, trumped-up, sentimental emotionalism won't get a thing from God, but the person who comes to Him with a broken heart, a broken and a contrite spirit, shall be effectual and receive answers. When Hannah was deeply moved as she prayed to God for a son, she said, "I have...poured out my soul before the Lord: (1 Sam 1:15). In prayer like that, one is not so much conscious of the phrasing of his petitions as he is of communicating his burden to God and crying out for help. Where is brokenness of spirit today? Where do you hear praying out of broken hearts? How long has it been since someone prayed and you felt as though God were right there? When did you feel as though the person reached up and got hold of God Himself as he cried in agony and a broken spirit for God to hear and answer him?
It isn't that our tears or our agony change God's heart and mind, but our passion simply tells us that our hearts are in tune with God that we can pray in His will. "Not my will, but thine, be done." We are praying in the Spirit" so we can receive the petitions we ask of God. As we look at the world in sin and see men and women about to perish, we need to get stirred up and cry out to God about these things. Effectual, fervent prayer will go up as incense and reach the throne of God to get our prayers answered.
I exhort, "Pray for all men...that they might be saved "for God will have all men to be saved." 1 Tim. 2:1-4. When have you heard that prayed in any church? Some will say "Oh, you cannot bunch them up like that". Really, Paul did when he prayed that "Israel might be saved" Rom 10:1. Jesus bunched us up when He said "I pray for them..." John 17:9. We believers must stop quibbling over such things and obey God to pray "for all men to be saved" and then obey God and preach the gospel to ever creature, person" Mk 16:15. Make sense.
"This poor man cried and the Lord heard him" Ps 34:6
Go to www.sumnerwemp.com for encouraging articles. Love you, ABC Sumner
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Carest Thou Not?
"And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?" (Mark 4:38)
There are times when we have great problems and God seems to ignore our prayers, and finally we begin to wonder if He cares about us at all. There is no need to wonder. God cares about the sparrow, and He surely cares about His own dear children. If there is not some clear reason why He fails to answer (such as sin in our lives), then perhaps it is simply (as in Job's case) a test of our faith.
When the disciples thought Jesus didn't care, He rebuked them thus: "Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?" (Mark 4:40). Mary and Martha sent word that their brother Lazarus was deathly ill, but then Jesus "abode two days still in the same place where he was" (John 11:6). When the sisters complained about His delay, He replied: "Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" (John 11:40).
One day a woman of Canaan cried out to Him for mercy on her for her demon-possessed daughter, "but he answered her not a word." He seemed not to care, but she kept calling on Him and worshipping Him, until He finally said unto her: "O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt" (Matthew 15:23, 28).
The disciples and the sisters of Lazarus and the Canaanite woman all wondered at His seeming lack of concern, but He did care. He finally calmed the storm, and raised Lazarus, and healed the daughter. His delay was in order to test and strengthen their faith.
Can He not also test us, "that the trial of your faith . . . though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:7)? HMM
Print this article
INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH www.icr.org
There are times when we have great problems and God seems to ignore our prayers, and finally we begin to wonder if He cares about us at all. There is no need to wonder. God cares about the sparrow, and He surely cares about His own dear children. If there is not some clear reason why He fails to answer (such as sin in our lives), then perhaps it is simply (as in Job's case) a test of our faith.
When the disciples thought Jesus didn't care, He rebuked them thus: "Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?" (Mark 4:40). Mary and Martha sent word that their brother Lazarus was deathly ill, but then Jesus "abode two days still in the same place where he was" (John 11:6). When the sisters complained about His delay, He replied: "Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" (John 11:40).
One day a woman of Canaan cried out to Him for mercy on her for her demon-possessed daughter, "but he answered her not a word." He seemed not to care, but she kept calling on Him and worshipping Him, until He finally said unto her: "O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt" (Matthew 15:23, 28).
The disciples and the sisters of Lazarus and the Canaanite woman all wondered at His seeming lack of concern, but He did care. He finally calmed the storm, and raised Lazarus, and healed the daughter. His delay was in order to test and strengthen their faith.
Can He not also test us, "that the trial of your faith . . . though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:7)? HMM
Print this article
INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH www.icr.org
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
the brand new edited edition of....You might be a Redneck
Someone sent me these in an email... since I don't generally forward too many emails here they are:
1. You like Dollar General because you don't have too dress up like at those ritzy Wal-Marts..
2. You can entertain yourself for more than 15 minutes with a fly swatter.
3. Your boat has not left the driveway in 15 years.
4.. You burn your yard rather than mow it.
5. You think 'The Nutcracker' is a vise on the work bench
6. The Salvation Army declines your furniture.
7. You offer to give someone the shirt off your back and they don't want it.
8. You have the local taxidermist on speed dial.
9. You come back from the dump with more than you took.
10. You keep a can of Raid on the kitchen table.
11. Your wife can climb a tree faster than your cat.
12. Your grandmother has 'ammo' on her Christmas list.
13. You keep flea and tick soap in the shower.
14. You've been involved in a custody fight over a hunting dog.
15. You go to the stock car races and don't need a program.
16. You know how many bales of hay your car will hold.
17. You have a rag for a gas cap.
18. Your house doesn't have curtains, but your truck does.
19. You wonder how service stations keep their rest-room's so clean ?
20. You can spit without opening your mouth.
21. You consider your license plate personalized because your father made it
22. Your lifetime goal is to own a fireworks stand.
23. You have a complete set of salad bowls and they all say 'Cool Whip' on the side.
24. The biggest city you've ever been to is Wal-Mart.
25. Your working TV sits on top of your non-working TV
26. You've used your ironing board as a buffet table.
27. A tornado hits your neighborhood and does $100,000 worth of improvements.
28. You've used a toilet brush to scratch your back.
29. You missed your 5th grade graduation because you were on jury duty.
30. You think fast food is hitting a deer at 65 mph.
1. You like Dollar General because you don't have too dress up like at those ritzy Wal-Marts..
2. You can entertain yourself for more than 15 minutes with a fly swatter.
3. Your boat has not left the driveway in 15 years.
4.. You burn your yard rather than mow it.
5. You think 'The Nutcracker' is a vise on the work bench
6. The Salvation Army declines your furniture.
7. You offer to give someone the shirt off your back and they don't want it.
8. You have the local taxidermist on speed dial.
9. You come back from the dump with more than you took.
10. You keep a can of Raid on the kitchen table.
11. Your wife can climb a tree faster than your cat.
12. Your grandmother has 'ammo' on her Christmas list.
13. You keep flea and tick soap in the shower.
14. You've been involved in a custody fight over a hunting dog.
15. You go to the stock car races and don't need a program.
16. You know how many bales of hay your car will hold.
17. You have a rag for a gas cap.
18. Your house doesn't have curtains, but your truck does.
19. You wonder how service stations keep their rest-room's so clean ?
20. You can spit without opening your mouth.
21. You consider your license plate personalized because your father made it
22. Your lifetime goal is to own a fireworks stand.
23. You have a complete set of salad bowls and they all say 'Cool Whip' on the side.
24. The biggest city you've ever been to is Wal-Mart.
25. Your working TV sits on top of your non-working TV
26. You've used your ironing board as a buffet table.
27. A tornado hits your neighborhood and does $100,000 worth of improvements.
28. You've used a toilet brush to scratch your back.
29. You missed your 5th grade graduation because you were on jury duty.
30. You think fast food is hitting a deer at 65 mph.
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