Archive for June, 2024
God – Part Two
The teleological argument for the existence of God, comes from the word “telos” meaning “the end.” It argues everything has an end, a purpose. Amidst the marvels of science indicating order is the human brain. Sir Henry Fairfield Osborn said, “…the human brain is the most mysterious object in the universe.” The human brain weighs approximately 3.3 pounds. It can perform what 500 tons of electrical and electronic equipment cannot do. It consists of 10 to 15 billion neurons, each a living unit in itself. Together they perform unimaginable feats.
Yet, “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.” (Romans 1: 28)
To believe in Him is good, but not good enough. We must obey Him.
God has given us clues of His existence, but still He can’t be proven by scientific method. This is simply true because history can’t be rerun. However, His fingerprints are everywhere.
To say there is a God and not obey Him is little better than saying there is no God. Only when you can say, “He is my God and I love Him, and seek to obey Him” is there a difference. Then, “Keep seeking the things above… set your mind on things above; not on the things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:12)
Faith is not static, it is growing and vibrant. Knowledge of the word of God is a stimulant to faith. Knowing more of what God promotes and provides is an encouragement to faith. A blend of knowledge with experience is a catalyst to faith. God becomes more trustworthy when trusted.
Likewise, it should be kept in mind that one of the laws of logic is that you can’t prove a negative. Start with the question regarding the existence of God. Non-believers should start by asking themselves what percentage of all knowledge they considered themselves to have: 10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, or maybe 98%. It just might be that 10% would be high for most folks. Could there be that in the unknown 90% there just might be a God? You don’t know what you don’t know, you know. Thus, to prove there is no God, you would have to be greater than and know more than God. Then you would be god; and therefore, there would be a god — you. That is what some people make of themselves.
Therefore, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Rom. 15: 13)
God – Part One
“The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God….’” (Psalm 53: 1)
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1: 1)
You don’t know what you don’t know, you know.
In one generation, Americans doubting the existence of God has doubled from 31% to 61%. Two-thirds of Millennials question His existence. Most churches teach from the basic assumption He exists, and are offering little evidence He does. This leaves God with few advocates. It is expedient evidence of His existence be taught. This is a rerun of eight Posts on the subject. Consider saving all of them. Also, share them with younger persons to aid their understanding in order to refute teachings that He does not exist.
Persons who have a viable faith in God that governs their life are often criticized. Pragmatists demand proof before action. Yet, they will drive 75 miles an hour in heavy traffic and they have no proof their brakes will work the next time applied. That takes faith.
The first form of elemental faith is simply belief that “He is….” This is the starting point for all Christian faith.
Pierre Simon de La Place, considered one of the most outstanding astronomers, said it was infinitely more probable that a set of writing implements thrown promiscuously against parchment would produce Homer’s “Iliad,” than that creation was organized by any cause other than God. The effect, the universe, demands a cause, God.
One of the most outstanding writings on science is entitled “Cosmos, Bios and Theos” in English it is “The Universe, Life, and God.” It is a compilation of the writings of sixty notable scientists, twenty-four were Nobel prize winners. Nobel prize winner Professor Henry Margenau was the editor. He concluded that “there is only one convincing answer” for the intricate laws that exist in nature. He concluded the answer is “creation by an omnipotent omniscient God.”
Indeed, “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.” (Psalm 19: 1)
The cosmological argument for the existence of God is viable. Cosmos means “universe.” It speaks of “order and beauty.” Consider the beauty and function of our moon. Without our moon life on earth would be impossible. If the moon were deflected from its orbit all life on earth would cease. God has made the moon to serve as an orderly to clean land and seas. Without the tides which are controlled by the moon all of our ports and shores would become vast cesspools. Life could not exist near them. The waves breaking on shores serve to aerate the oceans providing oxygen for plankton, which is the foundation of the food chain of earth. Without plankton there would be no oxygen and life would be impossible.
God created the moon the right size and placed it the proper distance from earth, making life possible. It’s a wonderful earth – – – and moon. It is an all wise, all powerful God.
Holocaust II
The Code of Hammurabi is the most complete and perfect extant collection of Babylonian laws, developed during the reign of Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC). Oversimplification of part of the Code is “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”
A similar more recent expression is “a tit-for-tat” action. It is one where someone takes revenge on another person for what they have done by doing something similar to them.
Israel’s incursion into Hamas territory is an enactment of these principles. If so, we are in the “tit” time. We have seen a bit of what the “tat” horror was.
Recently a documentary has been produced involving testimonies by rescue personnel and survivors of the Hamas savage October 7 attacks on Israel that killed 1,139 people, including 764 civilians and 373 Israeli security personnel. 248 persons were taken hostage. The film graphically shows the bloody naked sexually mutilated bodies of the violently raped females, and yes, males. The depiction of the merciless paroxysm involving bloody rapes is graphic and gory. The documentary film tells of the inhuman “tat” (first military action by Hamas).
One released hostage tells of being chained to a bed and raped repeatedly. She tells of current hostages being subjected to the same conditions.
In follow up Israel had three options. Each is unfortunate and regrettable. One was to do nothing and thus indirectly encourage future strikes. The other was to follow the action with a light response leaving their attackers to regroup and strike again as they have in previous engagements.
The third “tit” was to attempt to prevent further “tats” by destroying the attackers as a military strike force and hence preventing future uncivilized, bestial attacks. What is happening in Gaza was their only viable option, though regrettable. Hamas has cowardly embedded itself in the Palestinian population. The civilian population is suffering collaterally. They are suffering the result of the Hamas “tat.”
A question is can rioters be awakened to the cause of the current war? Can they be made aware of the fact that what is happening to Jews today is precisely what the Nazi led systemic holocaust in Europe did that resulted in the deaths of an estimated 6,000,000 Jews? Current riots are a dangerous step in that, the wrong direction.
What is happening on campuses today is Nazism reenacted. It puts America in an express lane to Holocaust II.
Descendants of Americans who fought and those who died in World War II to free Europe from anti-Semitism are now fighting in support of it. Territory from the river to the sea must be free – – – of anti-Semitism. For this to be Hamas must not just have a toothache, the tooth must be extracted.
Most of today’s rioters have no regard for the Bible, little comprehension of God, and no knowledge of the history of World War II. Disregard for each makes them easy prey to the misleading lies inspiring the current climate.
Prior to World War II there were riots in America supporting Nazism. They were so popular there was a rally in Madison Square Garden. One of our national heroes, Charles Lindbergh, expressed support for Nazism. There were marches in support of Nazism. What brought us back from outright internal disaster? It took World War II to awaken us and cause many rioters to join in the war to overthrow Nazi Germany. Hopefully it won’t take anything that extreme to awaken us and let freedom ring not only in America, but also in Israel.
God’s Ultimate Provision
America as a nation has not been in a more precarious position than now. The scope and number of the threats are numerous and most ominous. War clouds are gathering. Potential sources of danger are all around. Unnumbered hoards pour across our borders daily. Are our defenses secure? What are we to do? Psalm 118:8 answers: “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.”
This gem of truth is mounted in expressions acknowledging God’s nature.
“He is good,” things aren’t always good, but He is. It is His nature. Goodness is His essence and nature. He can’t be any other way. This does not mean things are always going to turn out good from our perspective, but even if they don’t His nature remains unstained. His nature is constantly good, therefore “trust in the Lord.” He is always worthy to be praised whether we are receiving what we want or not.
“His mercy endures forever.” Even in our personal darkest hour or our national dilemma double daily He offers His unbound mercy. In the Book of Psalms this truth is noted 34 times. The 118 Psalm begins and ends with it. His mercy endures forever. It had no beginning and be assured it will have no end. It is immediate and ultimate.
There is a medieval couplet that notes the immediacy of His mercy related to a person falling off a horse: “Between the saddle and the ground mercy sought and mercy found.”
There are six Egyptian Hallel Psalms sung in Jesus time as part of the Passover feast. This psalm is the last of the six Egyptian Hallel Psalms, sung in Jesus’ day as part of the Passover ritual. Matthew 26: 30 and Mark 14: 26 records Jesus along with His disciples singing a hymn in the upper room. It is a reference to the Hallel Psalms. He sang of God’s mercy fully aware of what would happen in the next 24 hours at Calvary.
The Psalmist faced threats in the time of penning this great Psalm. However, in light of these great truths he concluded “I will not fear.”
There is a wonderful principle in Scripture that is often overlooked. It is this. There is a natural fear of death. It is a healthy defense of life. The fear of death prompts a desire to live. Here is a beautiful counterpoint. When the moment of death comes for the believer there is no fear of death. It is taken away. “Yeah though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death I will fear no evil.”
An example of this is a medieval Christian sentenced to be burned at the stake. He was heard to scream in his cell the night prior to his execution as he put his finger in the flame of a candle to see if he could stand such a death. Every time he withdrew his hand in horror. The next day as the flames surrounded him he sang hymns and praised God with his last breath.
The night before He did not need God’s grace. When the moment came that he needed it, he had it. The same will be true of all who trust in the Lord.
Always Faithful – Part Four
Galatians 5: 22, 23
Who are you? What do you consider yourself to be? Try this as an answer,
“Let a man so consider us as servants of God…” I Corinthians 4: 1.
The term translated “servants” was well known in the era of the writing. It was used to describe the people who rowed large ships. Those who remember the movie “Ben Hur” can never forget the rank of rowers in the ship. There were two deck levels of rowers. The term translated “servants” was the term used for those on the lower level. They were called the “under-rowers.” We are to be the under-rowers of our Lord. He is our captain, we His servants, under-rowers.
A servant lives to serve. Are you living to serve the Lord? Are you growing in your servitude? Don’t allow yourself to stagnate or become arrested in your spiritual growth.
We need to pray with the Psalmist “Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name, and deliver us” (Psalm 79:9). “For your name’s sake, lead me and guide me” (Psalm 31:3). Faithfully following Him as our guide is a sure path of joy to victory. The greater the faithfulness the greater joy.
In 1924 George Leigh Mallory and some other Englishmen set out to climb the world’s tallest mountain, Mount Everest. At the altitude of 25,000 feet they established a base camp. From there they started their assault on the summit and were never heard from again. To this day they lie buried on that Himalayan peak under tons of snow and ice.
The other members of the party returned from the base camp to London and related their story. One who did stood before a large picture of Mount Everest as he addressed an audience. Concluding his speech he turned to the picture and addressed it as though it had personality. “Everest,” he said, “we tried to conquer you once, but you overpowered us. We tried a second time but you were too much for us.” Then he said with great resolve: “But I want you to know we are going to conquer you, because you can’t grow any bigger and we can.” They did.
It is with this same resolve we face life. Our problems remain as large as ever, but we can grow and conquer them.
Perhaps you feel limited in the scope of your service to the Lord. Not so, therefore take this ancient saying as an expression of your resolve: “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.”
Awaiting the obedient servant/steward of our Lord is the fulfillment of His promise: “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2: 10). SEMPER FE!