Science Speaks (Part 2 of 3)‏

Hello Friends!

Welcome back.  This week we will investigate the accuracy of Biblical prophecy in part two of our book series by Peter Stoner titled Science Speaks.  Enjoy!

Part Two: The Accuracy of Prophecy

The second section of Stoner's book is entitled "Prophetic Accuracy." This is where the book becomes absolutely fascinating. One by one, he takes major Bible prophecies concerning cities and nations and calculates the odds of their being fulfilled. The first is a prophecy in Ezekiel 26 concerning the city of Tyre. Seven prophecies are contained in this chapter which was written in 590 BC:

1. Nebuchadnezzar shall conquer the city (vs. 7-11).
2. Other nations will assist Nebuchadnezzar (v. 3).
3. The city will be made like a bare rock (vs. 4 & 14).
4. It will become a place for the spreading of fishing nets (vs. 5 & 14).
5. Its stones and timbers will be thrown into the sea (v. 12).
6. Other cities will fear greatly at the fall of Tyre (v. 16).
7. The old city of Tyre will never be rebuilt (v. 14).

Four years after this prophecy was given, Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Tyre. The siege lasted 13 years. When the city finally fell in 573 BC, it was discovered that everything of value had been moved to a nearby island.

Two hundred and forty-one years later Alexander the Great arrived on the scene. Fearing that the fleet of Tyre might be used against his homeland, he decided to take the island where the city had been moved to. He accomplished this goal by building a causeway from the mainland to the island, and he did that by using all the building materials from the ruins of the old city. Neighboring cities were so frightened by Alexander's conquest that they immediately opened their gates to him. Since that time, the city of Tyre has remained in ruins and is a place where fishermen spread their nets.

Thus, every detail of the prophecy was fulfilled exactly as predicted. Stoner calculated the odds of such a prophecy being fulfilled by chance as being 1 in 75,000,000, or 1 in 7.5x107. (The exponent 7 indicates that the decimal is to be moved to the right seven places).

Stoner proceeds to calculate the probabilities of the prophecies concerning Samaria, Gaza and Ashkelon, Jericho, Palestine, Moab and Ammon, Edom, and Babylon. He also calculates the odds of prophecies being fulfilled that predicted the closing of the Eastern Gate (Ezekiel 44:1-3), the plowing of Mount Zion (Micah 3:12), and the enlargement of Jerusalem according to a prescribed pattern (Jeremiah 31:38-40).

Combining all these prophecies, he concludes that "the probability of these 11 prophecies coming true, if written in human wisdom, is... 1 in 5.76x1059. Needless to say, this is a number beyond the realm of possibility.  Incredible! 

Please join us next week as we conclude our series of Science Speaks.


If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com  

I love hearing from you.  Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!

Blessings on your success!  
Shane  <><

Lighthouse Publications <>< 
"Dedicated to the Never Ending Search for the Creator's calling within You" (TM)

Science Speaks (Part 1 of 3)‏

Hello Friends!

Over the next three weeks we will investigate natural science and how it applies to the creation account as well as Biblical prophecy, specifically in regards to the deity and person of Jesus Christ. 

There is an excellent book by Peter Stoner titled Science Speaks. It uses a remarkable illustration to show how Bible prophecy proves that Jesus Christ was truly God in the flesh. The book was first published in 1958 by Moody Press.  Peter Stoner was chairman of the mathematics and astronomy departments at Pasadena City College until 1953 when he moved to Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. There he served as chairman of the science division. At the time he wrote this book, he was professor emeritus of science at Westmont. 

Science Speaks is divided into three sections. Two relate directly to Bible prophecy. The first section deals with the scientific validity of the Genesis account of creation, which is where we will begin today...

Part One: The Genesis Record 

Peter Stoner begins with a very interesting observation. He points out that his copy of Young's General Astronomy, published in 1898, is full of errors. Yet, the Bible, written over 2,000 years ago is devoid of scientific error. For example, the shape of the earth is mentioned in Isaiah 40:22. Gravity can be found in Job 26:7. Ecclesiastes 1:6 mentions atmospheric circulation. A reference to ocean currents can be found in Psalm 8:8, and the hydraulic cycle is described in Ecclesiastes 1:7 and Isaiah 55:10. The second law of thermodynamics is outlined in Psalm 102:25-27 and Romans 8:21. And these are only a few examples of scientific truths written in the Scriptures long before they were "discovered" by scientists.

Stoner proceeds to present scientific evidence in behalf of special creation. For example, he points out that science had previously taught that special creation was impossible because matter could not be destroyed or created. He then points out that atomic physics had now proved that energy can be turned into matter and matter into energy.

He then considers the order of creation as presented in Genesis 1:1-13. He presents argument after argument from a scientific viewpoint to sustain the order which Genesis chronicles. He then asks, "What chance did Moses have when writing the first chapter [of Genesis] of getting thirteen items all accurate and in satisfactory order?" His calculations conclude it would be one chance in 31,135,104,000,000,000,000,000 (1 in 31 x 1021). He concludes, "Perhaps God wrote such an account in Genesis so that in these latter days, when science has greatly developed, we would be able to verify His account and know for a certainty that God created this planet and the life on it."

The only disappointing thing about Stoner's book is that he spiritualizes the reference to days in Genesis, concluding that they refer to periods of time of indefinite length. Accordingly, he concludes that the earth is approximately 4 billion years old. In his defense, keep in mind that he wrote this book before the foundation of the modern Creation Science Movement which was founded in the 1960's by Dr. Henry Morris. That movement has since produced many convincing scientific arguments in behalf of a young earth with an age of only 6,000 years.

Peter Stoner calculated the probability of just 8 Messianic prophecies being fulfilled in the life of Jesus. As you read through these prophecies, you will see that all estimates were calculated as conservatively as possible.

1. The Messiah will be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).
   The average population of Bethlehem from the time of Micah to the present (1958) divided by the average population of the earth during the same period = 7,150/2,000,000,000 or 2.8x105.
2. A messenger will prepare the way for the Messiah (Malachi 3:1).
   One man in how many, the world over, has had a forerunner (in this case, John the Baptist) to prepare his way?
   Estimate: 1 in 1,000 or 1x103.
3. The Messiah will enter Jerusalem as a king riding on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9).
   One man in how many, who has entered Jerusalem as a ruler, has entered riding on a donkey?
   Estimate: 1 in 100 or 1x102.
4. The Messiah will be betrayed by a friend and suffer wounds in His hands (Zechariah 13:6).
   One man in how many, the world over, has been betrayed by a friend, resulting in wounds in his hands?
   Estimate: 1 in 1,000 or 1x103.
5. The Messiah will be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12).
   Of the people who have been betrayed, one in how many has been betrayed for exactly 30 pieces of silver?
   Estimate: 1 in 1,000 or 1x103.
6. The betrayal money will be used to purchase a potter's field (Zechariah 11:13).
   One man in how many, after receiving a bribe for the betrayal of a friend, has returned the money, had it refused, and then experienced it being used to buy a potter's field?
   Estimate: 1 in 100,000 or 1x105.
7. The Messiah will remain silent while He is afflicted (Isaiah 53:7).
   One man in how many, when he is oppressed and afflicted, though innocent, will make no defense of himself?
   Estimate: 1 in 1,000 or 1x103.
8. The Messiah will die by having His hands and feet pierced (Psalm 22:16).
   One man in how many, since the time of David, has been crucified?
   Estimate: 1 in 10,000 or 1x104.

Multiplying all these probabilities together produces a number (rounded off) of 1x1028. Dividing this number by an estimate of the number of people who have lived since the time of these prophecies (88 billion) produces a probability of all 8 prophecies being fulfilled accidentally in the life of one person. This probability is 1in 1017 or 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. That's one in one hundred quadrillion - Absolutely amazing!

Please join us next week as we investigate part two of Science Speaks.


If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com  

I love hearing from you.  Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!

Blessings on your success!  
Shane  <><

Lighthouse Publications <>< 
"Dedicated to the Never Ending Search for the Creator's calling within You" (TM)

Heaven or Hell: Which Will You Choose? (Part 4 of 4)‏‏‏

Hello Friends!

Welcome Back.  In this week's final segment of this series we will examine the fourth element found in John 8:21-30 that defines how a person can die in sin - being willfully ignorant...

Being Willfully Ignorant 

When someone hears a speech or sermon about Jesus Christ, but doesn't let it register in their hearts, that person is willfully ignorant.  The Jewish leaders had enough evidence about Christ, they just refused to believe, and in their chosen ignorance, even mocked Him.  They were willfully ignorant of Christ's identity:

"So they were saying to Him, 'Who are You?'" (John 8:25)

Far from being an honest question, this comment by the Pharisees could be paraphrased as such: "Who do you think you are, fella?  These are some pretty ridiculous things you are saying, telling us that we're going to die in our sin.  Do you know who you're talking to?  We're the spiritual elite!  Who do you think you are?  You're just some nobody from Nazareth, who has come down here to tell the leaders of Jerusalem how to run things.  What gives you the right to assume the role of equality with God?"
Such willful ignorance is manifested in other places in Scripture.  John 8:19 says:

"So they were saying to Him, 'Where is Your Father?'  Jesus answered 'You know neither Me nor My Father.'"

In essence, Jesus is saying, "You are hopelessly ignorant.  You think you know God, but you really don't.  And you think I'm a fake, so you don't know Me either.  You can't recognize the truth because you are so dominated by sin."

Do you recall the blind man healed in John 9, and all the Jewish leaders wandered how the blind man was able to see, admitting their disbelief in Jesus' power?  In verse 30, the blind man replies:

"The man answered and said to them, 'Well, here is an amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes.'"

This blind man had more sense than these Jewish leaders.  Why?  Because those leaders willed to be ignorant of the truth.  Hell will be filled with people who are there simply because they willed to be ignorant, not wanting Jesus making claims on their lives.  They didn't want to know the truth; they were satisfied with what they already believed.  To the closed-minded Jews who questioned His authority, Jesus said:

"If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself" (John 7:17).

In other words, for the willing heart, the truth is available.  But they weren't willing.

You may ask, "But how can people be like that?"  The answer is simple, men are like that because they love their sin:

"Men loved the darkness rather than the light, for their deeds were evil" (John 3:19).

Because of their sin, the Pharisees didn't want to expose themselves.  They were so smug in their self-righteousness and confirmed in willful ignorance that they turned their backs on the truth.  That's tragic, because that puts them right into the category of those who have heard enough information to believe the truth, have rejected it, and are going to receive a punishment more sever than others:

"How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace" (Hebrews 10:29).

In other words, the greater punishment in hell is reserved for the people who knew the truth but trampled on it.

These Jews were also willfully ignorant of Christ's authority:

"Jesus said to them, 'What have I been saying to you from the beginning?  I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and the things from which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world.'  They did not realize that He had been speaking to them about the Father" (John 8:25-27).

Because the Jews refuse to accept what Jesus had been saying, Jesus doesn't provide them with any further revelation.  But He does say that He has words of judgement to speak concerning them, which come from the Father, who:

"...has given all judgement to the Son" (John 5:22).

Willful ignorance brings judgement, as do unbelief, earthbound attitudes, and self-righteousness, and the Pharisees were characterized by all of them.  In their spiritual blindness, they didn't recognize who He was or understand He spoke to them about God the Father.  They just thought He was talking about some judgement on His own part.  Judgement is a terrible result for those who continually refuse to hear the truth.  That is why Jesus warned:

"He who has ears, let him hear" (Matthew 13:9).

The Jews also gave evidence of their willful ignorance of Christ's immortality:

"So Jesus said, 'When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me'" (John 8:28).

But you ask, "How were the Jews going to know that and what did the Father do at the death of Christ to verify the claims He had made?"  He raised Him from the dead!  Repeatedly the Bible teaches this.  In effect Jesus says, "When My resurrection comes, then you are going to have to look honestly at My claims."  And many of the Jews did.  When it had become known that Jesus had been resurrected, the church was born, and literally thousands of people in the city of Jerusalem did see the truth and believe (Acts 2-3).  There was a great response.  Perhaps out of the very crowd who stood before Jesus' crucifixion, there were some people who later became a part of that early church.

Finally, the statement in John 8:29 shows that many of the Jews were willfully ignorant of Christ's unity:

"And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him."

The Pharisees could not comprehend Christ's unity with God.  So Jesus in essence says, "You are going to know the Father is with Me and has sent Me and that all the claims I made are true, in the day that I am lifted up to be crucified, because the result of death is going to be the resurrection."  But for now, they didn't know.  Many of them never knew and consequently died in their sins to be separated from God for eternity.

If we could transport ourselves back in a time capsule and meet those people so we could understand the tragedy of rejecting Christ, we would get a little idea of the intensity and the fearfulness of such a warning as Jesus made here.  Those self-righteous, earthbound, unbelieving, and willfully ignorant Jews didn't need to die in their sins - there was and IS another option:

"As He spoke these things, many came to believe in Him" (John 8:30).

Aren't you glad for that?


A Closing Call to Action!
 
Here at Encouraging Concepts, we can't always preach the positives; sometimes we must preach the negatives, because the negatives are what is often needed to bring souls to Jesus Christ.

If you have never committed yourself to Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, you are separated from Him by a gulf that you could never span on your own.  Not all of your good deeds, self-righteousness, or religion could do it.  The only way that gulf can be spanned is for you to recognize your sin and to receive the Lord Jesus Christ.  If you have a desire in your heart to do that now, just simply in your heart pray something like this:

"God, I want Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.  I believe He died for my sins and was raised from the dead.  I receive Him now.  I don't want to die in my sin.  I want to go where You are."

If you do that in sincerity, He will hear your prayer and your life will be:

"transferred... to the kingdom of His beloved Son" (Colossians 1:13).

If your faith is weak, ask Him to help you believe.  If you need more information so you can make that decision, and you truly want to know Him, ask God to teach you the truth about Christ.  This is the most important decision you will make in your life, do not take it lightly. 

Please don't delay in your acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior.  None of us are guaranteed a tomorrow.  Time is short and your eternal destiny depends on it!


If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com  

I love hearing from you.  Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!

Blessings on your success! 
Shane  <><

Lighthouse Publications <>< 
"Dedicated to the Never Ending Search for the Creator's calling within You" (TM)

Heaven or Hell: Which Will You Choose? (Part 3 of 4)‏‏

Hello Friends!

Welcome Back.  This week we will examine the third element found in John 8:21-30 that defines how a person can die in sin - being unbelieving...

Being Unbelieving
 
In John 8:24 Jesus says:

"Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."

So the third way to guarantee you will die in your sins is to be unbelieving of the gospel.  You don't have to go out and kill someone and be bad to go to hell, because hell is not just for criminals, it is for everyone and anyone who refuses Christ.  If you refuse Christ in this life, God isn't going to force you to dwell with Him forever in eternity.

You you say, "What am I supposed to believe?"  There was once a popular song called "I believe," which kept repeating the words "I believe,"  I believe what?  How about the song "I believe in Music."  If that is all you believe in, you're in trouble!  We find the same kind of vague or misdirected faith when we ask people, "Do you believe in Christ?"  And they respond, "Yeah, I believe in Christ, He lived and so forth."

But Jesus had something more definite in mind.  Notice what He says throughout John 6:

"Unless you believe that I am He."

It isn't enough to believe that Jesus is the One you think He is; you must believe that He is the One He claimed to be.  He claimed to be God by such phrases as:

"I am the bread of life.  He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never thirst" (John 6:35)

          "I am the Light of the world" (John 8:12) 

          "I am the door" (John 10:9) 

          "I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11) 

          "I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25) 

          "I am the way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6)

Because Jesus was identifying Himself with God, saving faith not only becomes a question of turning from sin, but trusting the Son as well.  It's a question of believing that Jesus is who He claimed to be.  You may ask, "Am I going to die in my sin unless I believe that Jesus is all that He claimed to be?"  That's right.  You ought to find out who He claimed to be, for Romans 10:17 says faith comes by hearing a message about Christ.  You can never have true faith unless you hear the truth about Christ.  True faith is the result of hearing and believing with your heart that Jesus is who He claimed to be, and that God verified that claim by raising Him from the dead (Romans 10:9).

Jesus promises His opponents that they will die with their sin unforgiven if they do not believe He is who He claims to be - God in human flesh.  Not to believe and turn away shatters hope and leaves only hell's gloomy foreboding.  You may also ask, "So, how does one become a Christian?"  I'm glad you asked!  The gospel is simple, but many will miss out.  You must believe that Jesus is who He claimed to be: God in human flesh, the Savior who died for your sin and rose again, defeating death and the grave.  A person can go to hell and remain there eternally for not believing those few things.  Faith in Christ comes by hearing a message about Him, and if you haven't heard enough, then you ought to read some more or find someone who can tell you.  There is no sense in going to hell for something you failed to do, because not believing is the same thing as rejecting:

"He who is not with Me, is against Me" (Matthew 12:30)

Don't be like the Pharisees who should have known, but continued to mock.

Please join us next week as we conclude this series with the fourth way to die in your sin...  

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com  

I love hearing from you.  Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!

Blessings on your success! 
Shane  <><

Lighthouse Publications <>< 
"Dedicated to the Never Ending Search for the Creator's calling within You" (TM)

Heaven or Hell: Which Will You Choose? (Part 2 of 4)‏‏

Hello Friends!

Welcome Back.  This week we will examine the second element found in John 8:21-30 that defines how a person can die in sin - being earthbound...

Being Earthbound 

In John 8:23 Jesus says:

"I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world."

Here Jesus draws another contrast.  He tells the Pharisees that hey are part of the world system of which He is not.  The term "world" simply refers to the invisible spiritual realm of evil.  We use the word to identify a particular system, such as the world of politics, the world of sports, and so on.  The system Jesus has in mind here is the system of evil opposed to God and Christ.  If you want to guarantee that you will die in your sin, just be a slave to this world system and accept whatever it offers.  Then you can be classified as "sons of this age" (Luke 16:8) entrapped in "this present evil age," from which Jesus seeks to deliver man (Galatians 1:4).  Opposed to the Truth of God, the world propagates its own self-righteous systems.

You could characterize the system in this way: it is materialistic and humanistic, believing that man is going to solve his problems by himself and rule his own fate; it is lost in preoccupation with sex; it is plagued by carnal ambition, pride, greed, jealousy, envy, self-pleasure, selfish desire, murder, and so on.  Its opinions are wrong, its aims are selfish, its pleasures are sinful, its influences are demoralizing, its politics are corrupt, its honors are empty, its smiles are phony and its love is fickle.  Furthermore, it is in the process of dissolution; according to 1 John 2:17, "the world is passing away."  It will self-destruct.

Jesus identifies those mocking Him as being a part of the world system.  They were sinful, selfish, earthbound souls, who were controlled by the dictates of the evil system run by Satan.  They had separated themselves from Jesus Christ with a gulf in between them that was impassable.  Even though they were religious, and maybe even humanitarian at heart, they were still a part of Satan's evil system opposed to God.  In essence, Jesus is simply saying to them, "You're going to die in your sins for two reasons: number one, you are self-righteous, and number two, you are totally engulfed in the system - you buy whatever the world is selling."  We must choose a better way.

Please join us next week as we examine a third way to die in sin...  

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com  

I love hearing from you.  Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!

Blessings on your success! 
Shane  <><

Lighthouse Publications <>< 
"Dedicated to the Never Ending Search for the Creator's calling within You" (TM) 

Heaven or Hell: Which Will You Choose? (Part 1 of 4)‏

Hello Friends!

Over the next four weeks we will investigate the most important question an individual will be confronted with in their life time - "Where will I go when I die?"  The Holy Scriptures give us the only two options available... heaven or hell.  Each one of us will decide for ourselves which we will choose, ultimately determining our eternal destiny once we pass from this life.  We will examine what the Bible requires of anyone choosing heaven as their final destination, as well as the main hindrances that will cause many souls to be deceived into an eternity in hell apart from God.  It is my heart's cry that you would choose heaven over hell, good over evil - God over Satan...

Heaven or Hell: Which Will You Choose?

It's wonderful when a person comes to Jesus Christ - they no longer are under the tyranny of sin and guilt or of lust and desire - and they no longer are under the bondage of a purposeless and meaningless kind of existence.  Christ not only gives meaning to life, but also restores harmony to our spiritual lives by completely forgiving our sin.  Now, what happens when someone does not want to establish a relationship with the living God through Jesus Christ?  If receiving Jesus Christ results in an abundant and eternal life, then not receiving Jesus Christ results in the curse of God.  No one ever went to hell who didn't choose to go there, the Bible is clear on that fact.  However, God isn't going to force Himself eternally on someone who doesn't want Him.

In this series, we will examine four elements that show how a person can die in their sin eternally separated from God.  They are found in the Gospel of John chapter 8, verses 21-30.  It is not my desire, nor is it Jesus' desire, for anyone to enter hell, for God is "not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).  It is not condemnation, but rather warning that Jesus speaks in these verses.

This week we will examine the first element - self-righteousness... 

Being Self-Righteous

The first way to guarantee that you will die in your sins and not go to the Father's house in heaven with Jesus is to be convinced that you don't need to be saved, that you are spiritually all right.  By far, those who deny their need of a Savior are the most difficult to reach.  People who claim to be righteous apart from Christ by saying, "I belong to this special religious group," or "I'm one of the 144,000," or "I've got my papers that say I'm a righteous person," are only deceiving themselves.  Self-righteous people, who have developed a system that they believe gives them the right to enter God's presence, are the hardest people to convince that they need a Savior because they already feel they are fine.  Satan is clever.  When he puts together a phony system based on human achievement and works-righteousness, he does it in such a complex and supposedly Biblical way that it is tremendously deceiving.  People become captivated in cults and falsely assume they can gain righteousness by what they do.  But no one ever comes to Jesus Christ who doesn't see Him as a Savior who takes away sin and himself as a sinner who needs his sin taken away.

The Jews that Jesus confronts in the Scriptures are clearly self-righteous, as you can discern this from their answers.  In John 8:22, Jesus had just given them a loving warning, and their response is a mocking joke:

"So the Jews were saying, 'Surely He will not kill Himself, will He, since He says "Where I am going, you cannot come"?" 

They implied that Jesus was going to commit suicide.  The Jews believed suicide was the worst sin, for which the blackest part of Hades was reserved.  People who had killed themselves had no possibility of ever entering "Abraham's bosom" (Luke 16:22).  Therefore, the Jews concluded that if Jesus killed Himself, He would be going to Hades, the opposite place to where they assumed they were going.  They didn't even understand what Jesus was really saying.  They were so self-righteous, having systematized their religion so carefully, that they believed that they were the ones who would populate heaven.  Nevertheless, Jesus mercifully warns them with an announcement of impending doom.  How deaf could they be?  If you read the whole New Testament, you would be hard-pressed to find a story of the conversion of a Pharisee.  There are a few, but not many because they were such hard people to reach with the Biblical Truth.

These Jews were correct in concluding that Jesus was going to die.  However, they were completely wrong in thinking that His death was going to be by suicide.  Rather, it was going to be a self-sacrificial, voluntary offering of Himself to be crucified for our sins.  Acts 2:23 says:

"This Man, delivered over by the hands of godless men and put Him to death."

It was murder, not suicide.  He was a willing victim, laying down His life in order to accomplish redemption.

Self-righteousness is the big lie of Satan.  The truth is you are saved by Christ; the lie is you are saved by anything other than Christ.  That lie can come in all kinds of packages: you can be saved by following certain rules, doing specific religious routines, belonging to a particular system, being good enough to outweigh your shortcomings - there's a myriad of possible systems to counter the one Truth, and they are all part of Satan's big lie.  If Satan can get someone into a system that says they are righteous, it's very hard to extract them from it.  One reason is that self-righteousness is very proud.  In Job 12:2, I am reminded of what Job said to those who judged him:

"Truly then you are the people, and with you wisdom will die." 

Proverbs 12:15 says:

"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes." 

Luke 16:15 says:

"That which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God." 

When men believe Satan's lie and develop a system that is highly esteemed in their eyes, it is an abomination to God.  Salvation can never be earned by good works and in keeping religious rituals.

So, the first way to die in your sins is to be self-righteous and laugh at anyone who talks about sin or hell.  The world does that all the time.  It mocks Jesus, making a joke out of His warnings about hell.  It refuses to admit its sin and its need of Christ's forgiveness as it trusts in good works or self-made religion for salvation.  A person who gets wrapped up into the kind of self-righteous systems that the world offers, whether it is a religious institution like Mormonism or Jehovah's Witnesses, or one's own self-made system, can become very belligerent once he becomes committed to it.

For example, there was an article that was written by a man who after he had heard Billy Graham preach, said:

"After hearing Dr. Billy Graham on the air, viewing him on the television, and seeing reports and letters concerning his mission, I am heartily sick of the type of religion that insists my soul and everyone else's needs saving - whatever that means.  I have never felt that I was lost nor do I feel that I daily wallow in the mire of sin, although repetitious preaching insists that I do.  Give me a practical religion that teaches gentleness and tolerance, that acknowledges no barriers of color or creed, that remembers the aged and teaches children goodness and not sin.  If in order to save my soul I must accept such a philosophy as I have recently heard preached, I prefer to remain forever dammed."

Now that's a precarious position to be in.  Evidently this man has developed a system in which he believes he has attained self-righteousness before God, and therefore fearlessly mocks the Truth.

That letter exactly reflects the attitude of the Pharisees and scribes.  Desiring to give a correct analysis of the situation, in John 8:23 Jesus responds to their mockery:

"And He was saying to them, 'You are from below, I am from above'"

Jesus understood their intention in mocking Him that He was going to kill Himself and go to Hades.  But Jesus says, in effect, "It is you who are from Hades; I am from above.  You've got it reversed."  With this cutting reply, Jesus does not mean that they were literally from Hades; He means that their unbelief, hypocrisy, false religion, ignorance, and willful self-righteousness were spawned from the enemy of our souls.  He makes the distinction clear that they are following Satan while He is following God.  They were, like all unbelieving people are in this world, from beneath in the sense that they were part of the evil system.

In John 8:44, Jesus said to them:

"You are of your father the devil."

Ephesians 2:2 tells us that such people operate their lives:

"...according to the prince of the power of the air."

Whereas the unbeliever is unknowingly guided by Satan from beneath, the believer is guided from above because his citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20), and he positionally resides in "heavenly places" (Ephesians 1:3 & 2:6).  We are connected to either heaven or hell while we are alive by virtue of who we identify with here and now.  So Jesus, warning the Pharisees, puts things in perspective, saying in effect, "Your roots run downward to Hades because your lifestyle makes it manifest.  You had better recognize the source of your religious system."  If you want to die in your sin, just follow the Pharisee's attitude: believe you don't need Christ as your Savior, assume you are okay, have solved all your problems, and have attained righteousness.  Convince yourself of that and you will die in your sins, eternally separated from God and heaven.

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com  

I love hearing from you.  Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!

Blessings on your success! 
Shane  <><

Lighthouse Publications <>< 
"Dedicated to the Never Ending Search for the Creator's calling within You" (TM)

Worldview Wars: Christianity v.s. Naturalism (Part 4 of 4)‏

Hello Friends!

Welcome Back.  In this final segment of our series, we will investigate the reasons naturalism survives today and what can be done to circumvent its influence in our lives.  Enjoy!


Why Naturalism Survives
 
Despite massive amounts of scientific and philosophical arguments against it, the worldview of naturalism and the idea of evolution persist.  Today there is a huge cloud of doubt hanging over the science of evolution.  As Christians, we must pursue this information and honestly explore and openly criticize it when we see it for what it is. 

It is all part of defending what we believe and know to be true.  Disclosing such faulty ideas helps us make the case for the authenticity of the biblical account of the origin of life (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).  Evolution and naturalism as a belief about the origin and development of life is being shown by scientists to be no explanation for the origin of life at all.  How then do we account for its persistence as the only explanation for the origin and diversification of life in the textbooks our students must read in our public schools?

The first reason is that those promoting evolution and naturalism are in control.  They currently control the debate on the issues and they control what goes into the textbooks.  They do not include any other explanations for life because they don't want to.  This intellectual dishonesty has been enabled by those of us who believe in God and creation, as we have abdicated our responsibility long ago for intellectual rigor on the major issues of our times.  Basically, we walked away; they took over, and now we find it a stronghold in the educational process that is very difficult to deal with.  Also, many of us have succumbed to the false idea of neutrality and thus backed off on defending the Christian position - only to allow these secularists to now be able to impose their religion on the education system and thus generations of our children.

The second reason evolution persists is because it is absolutely necessary for the philosophical worldview of naturalism.  The real battle about evolution is not one of operational science, but of philosophy.  The belief in evolution as an explanation for the origin of life is religious - it is man's attempt to explain life without God.  The religion of naturalism (or atheism) that is being taught to generations of students is the philosophy that attempts to totally remove God from all aspects of our lives.  For the naturalist, there is no God, no supernatural, and no life beyond death.  That is their philosophical starting point - one, they are not prepared to question, regardless of the evidence that conflicts with it.

As Dr. Carl Sagan said:

"The Cosmos is all there ever was or ever will be." 

This is the naturalistic mantra.  And it becomes very circular in its reasoning.  People believe in evolution because of the naturalistic worldview (naturalism is the focal point for their starting point but in reality, man being the ultimate authority is the underlying starting point).  But the same people who believe in the naturalist worldview say they do so because of evolution.  In reality, because they won't question their naturalistic starting point, they won't question evolution.  See the problem?  Why is it important?  Why should anyone care?

1. The growing issues of concern in our culture have as their foundational cause the transition from a Christian worldview to principles now based on naturalism.  The question about life's origin is used to justify this wrong foundation.  Lose the battle here and you lost that battle in its entirety.

2. The philosophical assumptions of those who teach your children have the power, if left unchecked, to determine their eternal destiny.  This might scare you.  It should!  Those who control the textbooks and curriculum of our public education system have capitulated to naturalistic thinking and God has been removed, and we are paying the price.

Currently, we are losing the battle.  By and large, we send or children away each morning to government (public) schools, or have sent them to secular colleges or universities, to be inculcated with the subtle but pervasive ideas about naturalism and any other number of godless philosophies.

Lately, however, the subtlety of those who promote naturalism as the philosophy behind public education has been replaced by militancy - and our students and parents are increasingly feeling it.  The goal of the current educational philosophy is certainly not neutral as is claimed (Matthew 12:30).

We can see that more clearly as militancy emerges.  The new goal is to convince students there is no such thing as transcendent or supernatural truths.  The only source of truth is man, and God doesn't exist.

Of course, students are told that "science" confirms this naturalistic position.  However, students are not being taught the distinction between historical science (beliefs about the past) and operational science  (knowledge based on observation, repeatability, and experimentation that builds technology).  Students have been led to believe that if they don't believe in naturalism, they are giving up the science that built our technology.  Sadly, this brainwashing in false ideas has had a devastating effect on these students.  They, in essence, have been thoroughly indoctrinated in a secular worldview and convinced that this is a neutral position that is supported by unbiased scientists who are merely seeking the truth.

So, what can we do about this?  By systematically training our children from a Biblical starting point, we can instill in them the necessary components of a Biblical worldview.  We must also consider that none of these arguments matter if our children are not followers of Jesus Christ.  Preaching the Gospel to them and helping them understand the true nature of repentance and faith in Christ alone for salvation is a crucial starting point.  As we teach them apologetics and help them learn how to study the Bible to feed their own souls, we will be fostering a faith that will withstand the attacks from the world.  We can help them understand the philosophies that have set themselves up against Christ and that through the empowering of the Holy Spirit they can successfully fight these battles.  Firmly grounding their worldview in the Scriptures offers them the blessed hope and assurance that they can conquer the challenges from the world.

Assurance of the Blessed Hope

When a person lives in the blessed hope, it gives him the assurance of eternal life with the Lord Jesus.  It also gives him the assurance of returning with the Lord Jesus Christ as one on the clouds of heaven.  According to the Bible, this assurance is obtained by realizing that God loves you and that He wants you to have eternal life with Him.  God personally cares about you and desires that you have eternal life with Him.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

The way of believing in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior is to repent of sin and to trust Him completely as your Lord and Savior.  When you trust Jesus Christ as your Savior, all your sin is forgiven by God, for Jesus paid the penalty on the cross for your sins.  Without repentance of sin and the confession of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, it is impossible to have eternal life with God.

If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (Romans 10:9-10)

When you confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are now to live with the expectation of His second coming in your heart.  This is the blessed hope; the expectation of the second coming of the Lord Jesus and being with Him forever.  It is the evidence that you will be with the Lord Jesus when He returns with the clouds of heaven.

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.  (Titus 2:13)

The Lord Jesus has paid the penalty for your sin by His blood shed on the cross.  God has provided a way for you to have eternal life with Him.  The Christian faith is about a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, not a religious system of works or unreasonable requirements that no one could possibly live up to.  Right now you can turn to God by prayer through faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.  Please do not put this off, because now is the day of salvation and time is running out...

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com  

I love hearing from you.  Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!

Blessings on your success! 
Shane  <><

Lighthouse Publications <>< 
"Dedicated to the Never Ending Search for the Creator's calling within You" (TM)

Worldview Wars: Christianity v.s. Naturalism (Part 3 of 4)

Hello Friends!

Welcome Back.  This week we will investigate the worldview of naturalism and some of the many aspects of its foundation. Enjoy!


The Worldview of Naturalism
 
Contrary to the Christian worldview is the worldview of naturalism (which is an essential tenant in similar worldviews such as humanism, materialism and atheism).  Keep in mind that when a person mixes naturalistic thinking with God's Word, their starting point is really man's word.  Once fallibility is introduced into one's starting point - then that starting point is man's word, even if it is mixed with God's revelation.  As was mentioned in the beginning of this series, there are ultimately only two worldviews.

The thinking behind naturalism goes something like this: the world and universe as you see it is all there is.  There is no God, no Creator, no one to whom humans give an account of their lives.  The naturalist believes death marks the end of life in this world with no prospect of life beyond, in any form.  For the naturalist, the universe is a closed system and therefore there is no need for humans to seek the involvement of a transcendent being.

Naturalism is a worldview that assumes it has succeeded at getting God out of the picture in every area of life.  It is also intent in getting the Biblical God and His written revelation out of our educational process.  In large measure, it has been very successful due to an often subtle influence as well as an overt and militant influence.  The naturalistic worldview is the basis for the development of the public education curriculum of our public schools.  As Ben Stein so aptly but it - God has been "expelled."

I contend that for the most part, this is a subtle fact among educators today.  I doubt that most of them are even aware that they are part of the naturalist indoctrination.  Try asking this question of your public school leadership: "What is the worldview or educational philosophy behind the curriculum of your school?"  They will probably find it hard if not impossible to answer.  If probed, they may think that Judeo-Christian principles are at the core of our public education system curriculum.  Many educators are committed to the "Character Counts" movement, which borrows certain Christian values, but is completely mute on the source of those values.

Honestly, I believe that many educators would be greatly concerned if they were aware of the naturalistic presuppositions beneath their work.  One of the problems is they have been convinced that including God and His Word (the Bible) is religion, but eliminating them results in a neutral position.  They don't understand there is no neutral position!  One is either "for Christ or against Him."  What they perceive wrongly as a neutral position is in reality an anti-God position - it is a religious position - the religion of naturalism/atheism.  We have much work to be done in pointing this out to the Church, let alone the secular world.

The naturalistic worldview holds steadfastly to the idea of evolution and the millions of years, as "the" explanation of the origin of life.  The two are virtually inseparable in the Western mindset.  If there is no God, and if the physical reality is all there is, then life must have come into being by itself... and somehow.  That's where evolution (which means millions of years to even be postulated) comes in.  What is "evolution"?  Dr. Michael Behe, who is basically a theistic evolutionist but is against pure naturalism, in Darwin's Black Box, defines it this way:

Evolution is a flexible word.  It can be used by one person to mean something as simple as change over time, or by another person to mean the descent of all life forms from a common ancestor, leaving the mechanism of change unspecified.  In its full-throated, biological sense, however, evolution means a process whereby life arose from non-living matter and subsequently developed entirely by natural means.  That is the sense that Darwin gave the world, and the meaning that it holds in the scientific community.

Join us next week as we discover why naturalism survives in our culture and what we can do about it... 

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com  

I love hearing from you.  Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!

Blessings on your success! 
Shane  <><

Lighthouse Publications <>< 
"Dedicated to the Never Ending Search for the Creator's calling within You" (TM)

Worldview Wars: Christianity v.s. Naturalism (Part 2 of 4)‏

Hello Friends!

Welcome Back.  This week we will investigate the worldview of Christianity and some of the many aspects of Scripture that provides its foundation. Enjoy!


The Christian Worldview
 
The content of a Biblical Christian worldview must be well developed and be solidly built on the authority of Scripture.  You need to know the basic time-honored truths of the scriptural history and doctrine that serve as a basis for Christian theism - a Biblical understanding of the character and nature of God and the true history of the universe as revealed by Him in His Word.  Here is a short list of the many aspects of Scripture that provide a foundation for our worldview:

• He (through His Son, Jesus Christ) created the universe ex nihilo (out of nothing) because He is the sovereign God.
• Though He is transcendent, He is personal and immanent and longing to be involved in the lives of His creation.
• He has accomplished this through His Son Jesus Christ who is God incarnate, Immanuel, God "with us."
• Jesus is the exact representation of the Father.
• The Father has redeemed those who will believe in His Son as the only atoning sacrifice for sin.
• God makes it possible to be connected with Him through His Holy Spirit who is God "in us."
• His Spirit is our comforter, teacher and guide.  He leads us into truth and is God's guarantee of His presence with us until the end of our lives.
• The Garden of Eden was real and our fore bearers made a decision of disobedience recorded in Genesis that affected the human family.  Original sin is a reality.
• God gave the plan of redemption, the sacrifice of His Son, as the payment for the debt owed a Holy God for such an offense.

Beyond this, you need to have a command on why Christians believe the Bible to be God's Word to us.  And you also need to know the evidence that confirms the fact His Word is trustworthy and true.  You need to know how to answer the basic secular attacks of our day that cause people to doubt that God's Word is the true starting point of our worldview.

This is just an example to show you how your Christian worldview must start with the content we gain from the truths revealed in Scripture about God, His Son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.  They are the building blocks upon which your worldview is built.  To not understand them or to understand them wrongly is to build a faulty foundation.  Christians must think clearly and Scriptually about the basic tenets of theism if their worldview is to be Biblical.

Please join us next week as we examine the worldview of Naturalism - the basis for Secular Humanism - which has caused much death and destruction throughout the world.

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com  

I love hearing from you.  Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!

Blessings on your success! 
Shane  <><

Lighthouse Publications <>< 
"Dedicated to the Never Ending Search for the Creator's calling within You" (TM)

Worldview Wars: Christianity v.s. Naturalism (Part 1 of 4)‏

Hello Friends!

Over the next four weeks we will investigate the two main worldviews vying for our hearts and minds - Christianity and Naturalism.  In our previous series titled "Two Kingdoms: Light & Darkness," we examined the spiritual realities of light (God) & darkness (Satan) outlined in the Holy Scriptures and how they are at odds with each other as we decide for ourselves which we will follow, ultimately determining our eternal destiny once we pass from this physical life.  In this new series, it is my hope that we will learn and discern the difference between these two worldviews and how we might respond to them.  Enjoy!
 
What in the World is a Worldview?
 
"Worldview" is really philosophical term and was first used by German philosophers.  In German, the word is weltanshung.  Generally, it refers to how we view reality and life.  In order for the concept of worldview to have significance for us, it pays to see what scholars have said about it, and how they define it.  Dr. James W. Sire, in The Universe Next Door gives this definition:

"A worldview is a commitment, a fundamental orientation of the heart, that can be expressed as a story or in a set of presuppositions (assumptions which may be true, partially true or entirely false) which we hold (consciously or subconsciously, consistently or inconsistently) about the basic constitution of reality, and that provides the foundation on which we live and move and have our being".

Though not originally a "Christian" word, Christian philosophers and theologians have used the word to help Christians understand that Christian faith is intended to be a framework (built upon the authority of the Word of God), by which we build the correct way of thinking about the reality and core view of life intended by our Creator.  Being a Christian is not a matter of having a compartment of life that is religious and others that are secular - with the false idea that such a position is non-religious.  In fact, there are ultimately only two religions in the world - you either start with God's Word or man's word.

The Scripture teaches us there is a God who expects us to live the whole of our lives, not part, in correspondence to His truth and purpose for all of life, based on the foundational propositional truths of God's Word.

For those interested in a very scholarly overview of the worldview discussion, one should read the resource titled, Worldview, the History of a Concept, by Dr. David K. Naugle.  This book gives us a historical perspective on the various definitions offered by scholars including:

"Worldview" in a Christian perspective implies the objective existence of the trinitarian God whose essential character establishes the moral order of the universe and whose word, wisdom, and law define and govern all aspects of created existence.

The definition of "worldview" is the first step in understanding this important topic, but there is more to it than definition.  It is important to understand the "content" of what goes into making a worldview.

In The Universe Next Door, Dr. Sire lists seven basic worldview questions:

"If a worldview can be expressed in propositions, what might they be?  Essentially, they are our essential, rock-bottom answers to the following seven questions:

1. What is prime reality - the really real?  To this we might answer God, or the gods, or the material cosmos.  Our answer here is the most fundamental.  It sets the boundaries for the answers that can consistently be given to the other six questions.
2. What is the nature of external reality, that is, the world around us?  Here our answers point to whether we see the world as created or autonomous, as chaotic or orderly, as matter or spirit; or whether we emphasize our subjective, personal relationship to the world or its objectivity apart from us.
3. What is a human being?  To this we might answer: a highly complex machine, a sleeping dog, a person made in the image of God or a naked ape.
4. What happens to a person at death?  Here we might reply: personal extinction, or transformation to a higher state, or reincarnation, or departure to a shadowy existence on "the other side."
5. Why is it possible to know anything at all?  Sample answers include the idea that we are made in the image of an all-knowing God or that consciousness and rationality developed under the contingencies of survival in a long process of evolution.
6. How do we know what is right and wrong?  Again, perhaps we are made in the image of a God whose character is good, or right and wrong are determined by human choice alone or what feels good, or the notions simply developed under an impetus toward cultural or physical survival.
7. What is the meaning of human history?  To this we might answer: to realize the purposes of God or the gods, to make a paradise on earth, to prepare a people for a life in community with a loving and holy God, and so forth."

So, how does a worldview get developed?  Where does it come from?  As I stated earlier, in an ultimate sense (as exhibited in Genesis 3 concerning the temptation and fall of mankind), there are really only two worldviews.  Either one bases one's thinking on the Word of the One who is perfect, knows everything, who has always been there, who doesn't tell any lies, and has revealed to us what we need to know - or one has to build one's thinking on the fallible word of fallible and sinful man.

Now, we need to understand that there are many versions of these two ultimate worldviews.  There are many that will compete for your attention.  On what basis is one right?  Aren't they all simply a matter of choosing (this would default to the religion of humanism, as humans would be the ultimate authority on the subject)?  And further, who is to say one has merit, and others do not?  Aren't they all equally valid (again, this would be more humanism)?  But even so, these are questions with which we must contend.  How will you answer?

According to Dr. Ronald Nash, three major tests should be applied when evaluating worldviews.  They are: the test of reason, the test of experience, and the test of practice.

The test of reason has to do with logic - and ultimately the only logical starting point is the infinite God of the Bible (who is the basis for the logic and its existence).  In other words, if there is no God of the Bible, there is no basis for logic in the first place.  Logic is predictable on the existence of the God of the Bible.

Regarding logic, students should know about the law of non-contradiction as fundamental to our ability to reason.  It states: A cannot be B and non-B at the same time and in the same relationship.  This is an important philosophic notion in the study of logic.  Simply put, it means: two contradictory ideas cannot both be true.  Where there is contradiction, one side or the other is in error.  Not all ideas are equally valid.  To employ the test of reason in worldview development is to determine, among competing ideas, which are reasonable and which we might believe to be true.  Ultimately only one passes the test - the rest will exhibit logical fallacies.  The only true worldview is that which begins with the infinite Creator God and His written revelation to man.

The test of reason alone is not enough upon which to build the content of a worldview.  Dr. Nash says:

"Worldviews must pass not only the test of reason; they must also satisfy the test of experience.  Worldviews should be relevant to what we know about the world and ourselves."'

Here is a truth that many students need to connect with: Your experience counts.  Sure it is considered subjective, but your experiences in life matter because the knowledge it represents is valuable and pertinent to your life.  I am not suggesting that your personal observations are in any sense the exclusive test for developing worldview, but rather is coherence as a whole, where all aspects of reality work together.  If your personal experience is your only criteria for developing worldview you are greatly mistaken.  I am simply saying that your experience does matter.

The test of practice is how we evaluate our worldview in the circumstances of daily life (i.e., consistency).  It is about how we actually live in a practical, down-to-earth way, with the ideas we profess to be true.  For example. in an evolutionary worldview, people are merely animals that have no basis in wearing clothes.  Yet inconsistently, these evolutionists betray their own worldview by wearing clothes that come from a literal Genesis 3!  The question is this: can the ideas and concepts stand up as a real explanation for the way you experience your life, and do they have application beyond your own life?
Please join us next week as we investigate the first of the two main worldviews that are at war for our hearts, minds, and souls - Christianity...

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com  

I love hearing from you.  Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!

Blessings on your success! 
Shane  <><

Lighthouse Publications <>< 
"Dedicated to the Never Ending Search for the Creator's calling within You" (TM)