The Gap Theory of Creation

The Bible is not a science book but as I have claimed earlier in this blog, where it touches on proven science it is accurate and reliable. Nobody knows all of the mechanisms God used to create the universe but the Bible encourages us to explore. Believers generally view the creation from three standpoints. Each view makes valid points and each will determine how the creation event in the Bible will be interpreted. It should be remembered that all three are theories and should be acknowledged as such and not used to ostracize or disfellowship other believers. All three view the creation story as recorded in the Bible as divinely inspired.
The Three Most Common Biblical Creation Models are: The “Gap” theory; the “Age-Day” theory and the "Literalist" theory (in which the original universe, including earth were created in six literal days about 6011 years ago)

I. “Gap” or “Reconstruction” Theory. This theory suggests the condition in Genesis 1:2 is the result of a cataclysmic judgment involving the fall of the angels; that there was a primeval creation, complete in itself, in which the Angels were created as well as an inhabited pre-Adamite earth. After an unknown interval of time between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2 there was a rebellion by Lucifer who was cast out onto the earth (Isaiah 14:12-14; Luke 10:18) perpetuating a catastrophe creating the conditions of Gen. 1:2. Therefore, the six creative days in the following verses would be the new creation of the earth that had become desolate.
Problem: That death was in the world before Adam sinned.
Solution: Sin (iniquity) was found in Lucifer. (Isaiah 14:16-17; Ezekiel 28:11-19)
At some point (in Genesis 1:2) the Holy Spirit began brooding over the waters covering the earth as God began to create the earth as a home for man and the life we see about us. When Adam disobeyed God and obeyed Lucifer, he forfeited all that God had given him to Lucifer, and that old serpent became ‘god of this world’ (2 Corinthians 4:4) over which he has no right (Psalm 24:1; 1 Corinthians 10:26) and to whom Adam by nature became servant and the earth itself came under a curse.

II. “Age-Day Theory”
This theory regards the first two verses of Genesis as that of the original creation in its raw state as from nothing, while the remaining part of the chapter is a formation and organization of the matter thus created. Genesis 1:1-2 is merely an introductory statement of fact, with each creative day being an indeterminate period or era of time. This is based on verses like 2 Peter3:8 which equates a thousand years as a day. These “era’s” are the geologic era’s t hat fit into modern scientific theories. How long it was, we do not know but ample space is given to all the requisitions of geology.
Problems:
(1). The Scripture says that each day of the creation week is “an evening and a morning.”
(2). The geologic era’s of science do not correspond to the same order that life appears in the scripture.
(3). Plant life was made before there was sunshine. If the age-day theory is correct then plant life survived an era or at least a thousand years without it.
Solution: none

III. 24 Hour / Six Day Creation Theory (Young Earth Creationism)
This theory says that the entire universe was created by God in 6 equal twenty four hour days about 6,011 years ago according to Ussher's Chronology.
Genesis 1:1-2 is an introductory statement showing the earth at the outset, like a lump of clay that God began to squeeze and form into the earth we live in today. Proponents of this theory often say that it is futile to question creation for God said “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” (Job 38:4) and “the secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 29:29)
Problem: The stars & ‘sons of God’ were witness to the creation of the earth. (Job 38:6, 7) How can this be if the stars weren’t created until the fourth day? See other problems.

I believe in both an old and young earth interpretation. God created it from a pre-adamite earth that was destroyed by a flood that completely destroyed all life. This does not conflict with the Bible at all as some have claimed.

(Definitions are derived primarily from Strong's Concordance)

Genesis 1:1. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”In the beginning…In the beginning God -- (the Self-existent One) Here the Hebrew word for God is 'el-o-heem' which is a plural form of; 1) "gods" in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the "supreme God;" occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:—angels, exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), (very) great, judges, mighty."In the beginning God created…" Here "created" comes from a Hebrew word pronounced "baw-raw'"'Baw-raw'' is a primitive root; (absolutely) to create; (qualified) to cut down (a wood), select, feed (as formative processes):—choose, create (creator), cut down, dispatch, do, make (fat).

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth..." Earth here is the same word as 'earth' which is defined as 'dry land' in verse 10.
Genesis 1:10: "And God called the dry land Earth"
The gap in the creation story is between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 for it says-(Genesis 1:2) “And the earth [**was] without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”

Below, you will notice the words I've italicized are terms used in the Bible to commonly describe the aftermath of divine Judgement, not the creation. To say that this a state of the creative act is to contradict every specific creative act of the God who creates all things orderly and whom Isaiah says clearly (Isaiah 45:18) "God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else."
The word vain is from the Heb. word pronounced toòhuò or to'-hoo. Same word used in Genesis 1:2:
And the earth was without form ( toòhuò or to'-hoo) which comes from an unused root meaning to lie waste; a desolation (of surface), that is, desert; figuratively a worthless thing; adverbially in vain:—confusion, empty place, without form, nothing, nought, vain, vanity, waste, wilderness and void (boòhuò or bo'-hoo) comes from an unused root meaning to be empty; a vacuity, that is, (superficially) an undistinguishable ruin:—emptiness, void.and darkness (khoh-shek') was upon the face of the deep.From the dark; hence (literally) darkness; figuratively misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness:—dark (-ness), night, obscurity.
How do Young Earth Creationists (YEC) reconcile the state of the earth in Genesis 1:2 to a God who Creates all things good?
Now if God said He didn't create the earth in vain, (toòhuò or to'-hoo) who are we to say that He did? This is a state that the earth came into after it's original creation.
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**Also translated “became” in the footnote of the Torah.

New Creation

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." - 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

My Testimony

Outdated Book

By definition I was an agnostic throughout my high school years-when an elder Christian gentleman (Mr. Garry Lawrence) confronted my non-belief with the Bible.
To me the Bible was an outdated book full of contradictions and fairy tales with little relevance for the twentieth century. Each week I would see Mr. Lawrence and he'd bring a page from a little notebook he kept, with biblical references he'd written down on it. His tireless effort to reach me with the Gospel was surprising since I had launched every objection I could against his belief without so much as making a dent in his faith. Regardless of what topic was covered on his little pages of biblical references, it always ended with my need to be 'saved' (his words) and experience the reality of Jesus Christ in my heart as Lord and Savior.

The Experiment
As time went by I thought to myself that I'd conduct an experiment. I would ask this "Jesus" into my life, and then when nothing happened I could say with some authority that I tried it and it nothing happened! But how does one conduct such and experiment?

How would you conduct such an experiment?

I pondered this question seriously. Certainly, I reasoned that even if a god existed who created everything, he probably wouldn't be interested in this little speck of dust in one solar system in one of billions of galaxies let alone one fininte individual among billions who lived on that speck of dust. There was no way I believed in any god(s) especially a personal God, so what harm could there possibly be to simply say one 'prayer' as an experiment?

But any experiment will yield results of somekind and then the experimenter will be faced with what to do with those results. That begs this question; what if by the remotest chance my prayer should bear fruit of the 'divine' - would I be willing to see it through? In other words, would I allow the results of the experiment to influence my conception of the truth if it were proven to my satisfaction that I encountered God; would I then be willing to change the entire course of my life? This was a difficult decision because up to this point I had been my own god. I enjoyed my life and the so-called 'sins' that being my own god allowed me to participate in.
After much thought, I concluded that it would be worth the infinitesimal risk to my personal lifestyle to know the truth. My opinion was that the experiment was actually a futile attempt that would only continue to confirm to me that my pre-conceptions about God, the Bible and religion in general were correct.

So on Saturday night, August 8, 1964 I knelt down beside my bed in the dark and contemplated what words would constitute a 'prayer.'

God Encounter
While kneeling there I suddenly sensed a presence I'd never known before - emanating slightly behind me and to the left. I turned and looked but saw nothing -yet I sensed what can only be described as the purest love I've ever experienced! It radiated all around me and immediately I felt filthy and naked, as though this radiance exposed my most foul, secret imaginations. Strangely it was without condemnation. My eyes filled with tears as this amazing love melted me down and I knew without a doubt that I was in the presence of Jesus Christ. I cried and pled for forgiveness and then I actually felt a weight lift from my shoulders. I don't know how long I remained on the floor but I knew that I encountered deity, and His name is Jesus Christ.

Plummer St. Foursquare Church
Having had a standing invitation for months to attend the Lawrences' church, (Plummer Street Foursquare, in Sepulveda California) I decided to take him up on it the very next morning. Persuading my dad and brother to go along, I mentioned nothing that had happened the previous night.
We drove up in front of an average house on Plummer Street. The house was a "pioneer" Foursquare church with a small congregation. Before the service began Mr. Lawrence had instructed me that, if at the end of the service I wanted to be 'saved' I should wait for the 'altar call' (an invitation by the pastor to go forward to an altar). At the end of the service I went forward at the invitation and to my surprise so did my dad and brother. The minister, Rev. Marion V. Wagner prayed first with my dad, then my brother and finally she came to me. She laid her hand on my head and said -"you've already received Christ!" which amazed me since I'd kept quiet about it. Then someone began speaking in a strange language following which someone else spoke in English. That was very strange. I wanted to know what Mr. Lawrence thought of that.

Spirit Baptism
Later that day Mr. Lawrence explained it as the Holy Spirit's gifts of tongues and interpretation. He showed me an article in a Pentacostal Evangel magazine citing where he'd spoke out in tongues in a church service and there was no interpretation. He was discouraged thinking he had spoken out of order but after the service two Catholic Jesuits who were in attendance at the meeting approached him wanting to know where he learned that language, because it was a language they were working on. Of course the only conclusion was that this was a demonstration of the gift of tongues. I asked him if it were possible for me to receive those gifts and he said certainly but rather to pray first for for the Baptism in the Holy Ghost. This seemed 'far out' to me, but I wanted to get more of what I'd experienced. That Sunday evening I went back to the church. I asked those in the congregation to pray for me; I wanted to receive the Baptism in the Holy Ghost. They gathered around me and began praying, laying their hands and Bibles on me. They told me to pray out loud as well and I began stammering in another language. Later I was baptized in water as the Lord commanded.

My Old Friends
When school started again I tried to hang out with the old crowd but the dirty jokes, profanity and porn no longer held an attraction for me and I drifted away from them. I began carrying a Bible to school and spending lunch hours reading from its pages. One thing I ran into right away was a ridicule from those who were as I had been before. They asked me questions I had of my own and couldn't answer back then, but it forced me to dig deeper into the Bible. Many of the questions took me beyond the knowledge I had and still do, but dozens of those questions have been answered to those who will seek the answers. As I progressed in my Christian walk I began finding others who shared a love for Christ and the joy that is inherent in knowing Him. I thought then as now that even if there weren't a hereafter I was personally much more gratified by being a Christian than as an agnostic. I realized a new purpose and meaning to life that had been lacking. I even became acquainted with influential men in the '60's Pentacostal movement, Demos Shakarian, David J. DuPlessis, Ray Bringham and a host of others who shared my love for Jesus Christ.

The Living Word
Its amazing how the Bible came alive! It's still that way. It's characters live right off it's wonderful pages.
There’s a great song that describes it – though it’s not sung much in today’s modern churches with their pop-Christian chorus', but it's one of my favorites anyway; it describes the difference Jesus made in my life.

“Since Jesus Came Into My Heart”

What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought
Since Jesus came into my heart!
I have light in my soul for which long I had sought
Since Jesus came into my heart!

I have ceased from my wandering and going astray
Since Jesus came into my heart!
And my sins, which were many, are all washed away
Since Jesus came into my heart!

I’m possessed of a hope that is steadfast and sure
Since Jesus came into my heart!
And no dark clouds of doubt now my pathway obscure
Since Jesus came into my heart!

There’s a light in the valley of death now for me
Since Jesus came into my heart!
And the gates of the City beyond I can see
Since Jesus came into my heart!

I shall go there to dwell in that City I know
Since Jesus came into my heart!
And I’m happy, so happy as onward I go
Since Jesus came into my heart!

Chorus:
Since Jesus came into my heart-
Since Jesus came into my heart!
Floods of joy o’er my soul
like the sea billows roll--
Since Jesus came into my heart!

A lot of those old 'saints' have gone home to be with Jesus. Garry and Vera Lawrence, Rev. Marion Wagner and her husband Forrest, my dad--yet memories from those days are vividly imprinted on my mind!
When I go to Hawaii I visit Garry Lawrences' grave. He and his wife Vera went home to be with the Lord years ago; but I'm forever thankful for Garry's faithfulness in not giving up on me. I know he's not in that grave but I visit to remember and take pause to thank God that He sent that man into my life. I only hope that I've touched someone else's life as he did mine. One day I will see him, Vera and many others who've departed this earth to heaven's shore-

R. W. Hoeppner

Is Atheism a Religion?

Is atheism a religion?

Christians have made the allegation for years that atheism is a religion. Though vehemently denied by atheists themselves. But finally a leading atheist and spokes person for atheists –Michael Newdow- has freely admitted that in fact, atheism is a religion.

Whew, I'm glad that's settled!

Is atheism rational?
"The irrationality of atheism" By Tom Flannery. A debate between Christopher Hitchens and Dinesh D'Souza.
"The Irrationality of Atheism - Problems Of Logic And Reasoning" by Clay Watson (see Clay Watsons' homepage.
"THE ABSURDITY OF ATHEISM" by Fred Klett

Simple Cell?

The evidence of Intelligent Design (God) abounds in nature as the evidence for evolution is conspicuous by its absence. The complexity of even the simplest cell is astounding. So how do you get around the simple logic that if all life evolved from a single cell, that first cell (progenitor of all cells to follow) would have at the very least possessed complete reproduction capabilities within itself in order to pass its traits on.

Just a few decades ago a simple cell was believed to be just that; simple. Since then scientific knowledge has progressed to a much better understanding of the tremendous complexity of even the 'simplest' cell here-to-fore unimagined. Even the bacterial structure diagrammed here is merely a simple depiction of a much more complicated life form. In this "simple," single celled creature there are numerous different mechanisms that must work together (interdependency) to enable the cell to function. For example, there are cilia and flagella. They are designed to move the cell or move fluids around the cell. They themselves are made up of microtubules whose structure is made up of linear polymers of tubulin which is a globular protein. They function as conveyor belts. Then there are centrioles, which are also made of microtubules but they are organized in pairs at right angles to each other. The centrioles control the movement of the flagella and cilia. This is simply the most elementary description of a much more complicated function of only one small part of a cell. And then there's the cell membrane which is very complex in itself with it's proteins, lipids and protein channels, it's uniport and cotransport systems and all of that is only a minute fraction of the outside of a cell.

As Charles Darwin himself noted:

"If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not
possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my
theory would absolutely break down."

So to Charles Darwin, I must say, "Sorry - your theory is broken down. The Bible says this:

"For that which is known about God is evident to them and made plain in their
inner consciousness, because God [Himself] has shown it to them.
For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that
is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly
discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiworks). So
[men] are without excuse [altogether without any defense or
justification], because when they knew and recognized Him as God, they
did not honor and glorify Him as God or give Him thanks. But instead they became
futile and godless in their thinking [with vain imaginings, foolish reasoning,
and stupid speculations] and their senseless minds were darkened."

- Romans 1:19-21 AMP

We Would See Jesus

It was in the fall of 1966. I was a freshman at LIFE Bible College. A friend of mine and I decided to take a peek inside of the first church of the Foursquare Gospel, Angelus Temple. Upon entering the foyer there was a huge display behind glass windows full of canes, wheelchairs, glasses, braces etc. from people who were healed back when ‘Sister’ Aimee McPherson was holding meetings in Los Angeles.
Walking past the foyer we entered the church auditorium which seemed massive to me with its 5,300 seats and domed roof.
The pipe organ console and pulpit sat much as they did when they were installed. My friend is an organ aficionado so he went there and began playing. I walked down front onto the platform. I sat in a chair where some great men and women of God sat. Then I noticed an inscription, hand carved into the back of the pulpit that only someone standing behind it might see.

The inscription came from John 12:21 and simply but boldly said,

“WE WOULD SEE JESUS.”

Now I don’t know what you think about Aimee McPherson. She was a controversial figure in her day but today the fruit of her labor has been multiplied the world over. Anyway she’s not the subject I’m talking about. That subject would be Jesus.
I’ve attended many churches from many denominations, and even spoke in a few. I’m familiar with many of the essential differences that divide them. I’ve served on the boards of churches from two different denominations and have attended two bible colleges, one Trinitarian and one non-Trinitarian. The one thing that I see universally is that on Sunday morning you're likely to be addressed by someone who has not recently considered those words. You're more likely to get advice on how to live your life.

WE WOULD SEE JESUS!

Turn on any ‘Christian’ program on radio, TV or the internet and you’re liable to hear how God wants to bless you, give you health, wealth and prosperity. You will be taught how to have a successful marriage, how to live, tithe, and what to eat and lately, what the Moslems are doing. I'm not trying to minimize the importance of those issues and certainly they have their place in the believers world today. Though they may be helpful to encapsulate tips on the how to's of believers, they are not the Gospel. What you may not see or hear from the books or tv churches today is anything about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now this will turn some of you off. We all like to hear all that success and how to stuff but just watch how many times Jesus is spoken of directly. Some Christian TV shows are nothing but entertainment and some interview only those who have a new book out. I suggest that this comes at a great peril. The peril is the neglect of God’s Book and becoming familiar with the Jesus of the Bible.

WE WOULD SEE JESUS!

In my first years as a Christian, everything was about Jesus; His love, deity and blood. Songs talked of the Lord, Jesus or God many times more than it mentioned me, my and I. Today you can go to church…and I’m talking about solid Evangelical churches and you’re likely to hear a song that never mentions God, the Lord or Jesus and many that do so insert me, my and I more often. I once sat through a youth/music service at an Assembly of God church and heard several such songs. At the end of the service the Pastor greeted me and asked me how I liked the service. I said that the kids seemed to get blessed but some of those songs could have been sung to a boy or girlfriend. My bluntness left him speechless and my wife embarrased. Thank God for wives who will pinch, kick or grab you before you really make a scene. I was literally dragged by my shirtsleeve out of there.

WE WOULD SEE JESUS!

In today’s Christian world the Gospel is still as powerful as it was the day Jesus rose from the grave, but that message isn’t getting out. I’m speaking mostly of America since the Gospel is being more clearly preached in other parts of the world, but here in the US…well…may I say that we are the lukewarm Laodicean Church. Like those Greeks of old, let us remind ourselves often that this world needs to see Jesus! Anything less will fail.

Gospel is "Good News." The Good News is that "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."...God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." - Romans 5:8; John 3:16-17 It's good news to me because I'm a sinner included in the 'whoever' of John 3:16. (and so are you).

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postcard photo

Different World Views

There are differing world views about how we got here and the purpose of life. In the Western world it's interesting to me that we can observe the exact same evidence and come to completely different conclusions based on those views.

Take for example the movement of our earth through space: The earth revolves once every twenty-four hours. The speed of it's rotation at the equator is about 1,040 mph or roughly half a kilometer per second and goes to practically zero at the poles. As the earth rotates, it's moon also rotates with such absolute perfect timing that man has only observed one side of it's surface from any point on earth. We see the same side of the moon as Moses and the ancient Pharoahs of Egypt. Earth orbits the star in our solar system, our sun, once a year at an average speed of 18.5 miles per second (or 30km/ second). Our solar system, which is about 26,000 light years from the center of our Galaxy, the Milky Way, makes one complete revolution of the Galaxy about every 200-250 million years at an average speed of 155 miles per second (250 km/sec.)The Milky way Galaxy is just one galaxy in a group of galaxies called the Local Group. Within the Local Group, the Milky Way Galaxy is moving about 185 miles/sec (300 km/sec).An atheist would look at that and say, it's all coincidence! As a believer with a biblical world view I look at it and say with King David of old, "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?" When I see universal law, I see the fingerprint of a universal law giver. So you see, in my world view, God exists and I see His love and plan working continually. An unbeliever sees in their world view dumb luck and blind chance without a cause to account for the existence of everything. You may not believe in a god but we all believe something. Amazingly in the Bible book of Job, one of the oldest books in the Bible says God "hangs the earth on nothing;" - Job 26:7. Atheists and Christians are like anyone else in that we all have our troubles. We all go through life and face crises. We are all going to die. The difference is that the Christian has a blessed hope of an eternal day. That's what Jesus guaranteed when He said,
"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." - John 14:1-3.

E. M. Bounds

Edward McKendree Bounds (1835-1913),
Methodist minister and devotional writer, was born in Shelby County, Missouri. He studied law and was admitted to the bar at 21 years of age. After practicing law for three years, he began preaching for the Methodist Episcopal Church. After the Civil War, Bounds served as pastor of churches in Tennessee and Alabama, and in St. Louis, Missouri. He spent the last 17 years of his life with his family in Washington, Georgia, writing his Spiritual Life Books. He was a man devoted to prayer and his writings reflected his life's emphasis on prayer.
Some of these books are studied in Theological schools to this day. Here are the titles of some of his writings:

Power Through Prayer
Prayer and Praying Men
Purpose in Prayer
The Essentials of Prayer
The Necessity of Prayer
The Possibilities of Prayer
The Reality of Prayer
The Weapon of Prayer
Heaven,a Place, a City, a Home
Preacher and Prayer

Check at your local bookstore or library.

Tomb of the Patriarchs

Cave of Machpelah

Hebron, located 32 km. (20 miles) south of Jerusalem in the Judean hills, is the site of the oldest Jewish community in the world, which dates back to Biblical times.

The Book of Genesis Abraham's purchase of the field where the Tomb of the Patriarchs is located as a burial place for his wife Sarah.

According to Jewish tradition, the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the Matriarchs Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah are buried in the Tomb. The Cave of Machpelah (in Hebron) is the world's most ancient Jewish site and the second holiest place for the Jewish people, after Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

The cave and the adjoining field were purchased (at full market price) by Abraham some 3700 years ago. These are considered the Patriarchs and Matriarchs of the Jewish People. The only one who is missing is Rachel, who was buried near Bethlehem where she died in childbirth. It's there today marked by this uniquely impressive building is the only one in the region that stands intact and still fulfills its original function after thousands of years. Foreign conquerors and invaders used the site for their own purposes, depending on their religious orientation. The Byzantines and Crusaders transformed it into a church and the Muslims rendered it a mosque. About 700 years ago, the Muslim Mamelukes conquered Hebron, declared the structure a mosque and forbade entry to Jews, who were not allowed past the seventh step on a staircase outside the building. Hebron has a long and rich Jewish history.

It was one of the first places where the Patriarch Abraham resided after his arrival in Canaan. King David was anointed in Hebron, where he reigned for seven years. One thousand years later, during the first Jewish revolt against the Romans, the city was the scene of extensive fighting. Jews lived in Hebron almost continuously throughout the Byzantine, Arab, Mameluke, and Ottoman periods. It was only in 1929 - as a result of a murderous Arab pogrom in which 67 Jews were murdered and the remainder were forced to flee - that the city became temporarily "free" of Jews. After the 1967 Six-Day War, the Jewish community of Hebron was re-established. It has grown to include a range of religious and educational institutions. (thanks to Crystal links.com and Paradise Sunday School.blogspot.com)

America in the Bible - final thoughts.

There have been those who find America and events that have transpired here throughout the pages of the Bible in the so called "Bible Code." It wouldn't surprise me since I believe that the Bible is God inspired, but I personally feel that I need to understand more of what is plainly written and leave the search for hidden coded messages to others.
What is plainly written is that there is a right and wrong. Sin has infected the human race and the only cure is the price that was completely paid by the Son of God - Jesus Christ - on the cross. Those who believe on or rest on the completed work of Christ and have come under His Lordship will be saved. Those who reject Him; nations, as well as individuals will be judged by God Almighty.
In a broad sense all nations including America, it's people and it's leaders will be judged by God. For instance there are judgments predicted against those nations who are bent on the destruction of Jerusalem. Nations that forget the Lord will be turned to hell. In those particular verses where certain actions by nations themselves cause the entire country to enter a period of judgment, the finger of God certainly could now be pointing toward America.
The message of the day is the same as it was when Jesus walked the earth-- REPENT - and it all starts with the with the people of God themselves. See this verse: 2 Chronicles 7:14

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn (repent) from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
As believers it's really up to you and me.

Here are my final thoughts on America's place in Biblical History:
Jesus is coming again, His feet will touch down on Mt. Olivet (Zechariah 14:4; Acts 1:10-12). The reaction of the Jews will be what this Old Testament Prophet, Zechariah predicted in around 500 years Before Christ (BC): "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.""And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends." Zechariah 12:10; 13:6.

Where does America fit in?
Today America fits in as America deals with Israel. What we do to Israel will be done to us. The law of reciprocation (Matthew 7:2; Mark )
America has pushed Israel to give up Gaza, part of the roadmap to peace. Shortly after Katrina hit. When we push Israel to commit national suicide by relinquishing their God given land to Hamas or Fatah, then we're writing out our own doom. God said in Joel 3:2 "... there will I deal with and execute judgment upon them for their treatment of My people and of My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations and because they have divided My land."
We're now pushing Israel to give up part of Jerusalem, their Capital, which is to become the Capital of the Palestinian state. If that happens I would not want to live in Washington DC.
Beyond that, the Bible says "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God."
The role of America in God's economy is to spread the Gospel to the world. Interestingly enough Jesus said: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (Matthew 24:14) Today that Gospel is being preached in all the world through the many Gospel Television Networks and the Internet.
Almost all of our great historic Universities began as Bible Colleges for that purpose. But I'm not saying anything new. Have you read the Mayflower Compact, written more than a hundred years before the Declaration of Independence? The Compact is often referred to as the foundation of the Constitution of the United States. In part it states the purpose as "...for the Glory of God and advancement of the Christian Faith ..."

We've fallen a long way from there.

Gay Lifestyle Unfulfilling - There's Room at the Cross!

Michael Glatze now declares not only has he given up activism – he's no longer a homosexual.
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56481

Charlene Cothran, editor of a magazine for African-American gays and lesbians, on how she renounced homosexuality and came to Christ.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/marchweb-only/112-52.0.html

Faith in Christ makes the difference!

Does America Appear In Bible Prophecy II

I had one professor in Bible College define a 'cult' as a 'religion fashioned around one person or one groups particular interpretation of usually a single Bible passage.' Of course he was referring to those cults that use the Bible as their base.
I merely say that as a caution whenever I speculate with different passages of the Bible because I'm a believer that likes to study those Bible passages which possibly have some bearing on the current events of our day. I don't believe it's wrong to do so, though you may disagree.

Concerning this topic (America In Bible Prophecy) I began last week with a look at a passage in Obadiah where the prophet speaks of a land who has set it's nest among the stars just before God's judgment falls. Those people were identified with an eagle, which some have taken to mean America's National Bird. They were a proud people, though greatly despised by other nations. Some have taken this to mean America; others that it is talking about the Edomites who were said to have built their cities on the mountain tops.

Today I want to look at another chapter in the Bible and check out some different translations. The passage is the entire chapter of Isaiah 18. Since it is the whole chapter I want to break it down as I go. At the conclusion of this entry I will post the entire chapter.

Right from the start there is a woe pronounced.

[1] "Woe to the land shadowed with buzzing wings, which is beyond the
rivers of Ethiopia,"

(NKJV) In every major city of America the buzzing wings of helicopters and small aircraft can be heard. In Todays New International Version (TNIV) it says "Woe to the land of whirring wings which accurately describe helicopters.
"Beyond the rivers of Ethiopia" is not taken as a compass direction but rather to describe the boundaries of known civilization as recognized by a Jewish prophet who lived seven centuries before Christ. He then goes on to describe this nations ambassadors traveling swiftly over the sea in vessels made of reeds.

[2] "Which sends ambassadors by sea, Even in
vessels of reed on the waters, saying, “ Go,
swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth of
skin, To a people terrible from their
beginning onward, A nation powerful and
treading down, Whose land the rivers
divide.” - NKJV

To reach countries on five continents US ambassadors must travel over sea. They travel swiftly. Today they don't use ships, but travel in aircraft. Aircraft are constructed of aluminum tubing. The central structure of the aircraft itself is the fuselage which is basically a closed tube - like a reed. And it is swift!

"...to a nation tall and smooth of skin, To a people terrible from their beginning onward..."

From America's founding she took on the mightiest military in the world and won.

"A nation powerful and treading down, Whose land the rivers divide.

Todays New International Version reads it this way: "...to a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers."

Young's Literal Translation renders it thus: "...Unto a people fearful from its beginning and onwards, A nation meeting out by line, and treading down, Whose land floods have spoiled."

The meeting out by line in today's language would be "measured out." The next phrase says, "and treading down." Measured out and treading down could be a direct reference to a highway system in the minds of those who believe this is America.

[3] " All you people of the world, you who live on the earth, when a banner is raised on the mountains, you will see it, and when a trumpet sounds, you will hear it. (NKJV)

The world recognizes the American flag which is backed up by the most advanced military on earth. But even the most powerful nation is only a 'drop in the bucket' to God Almighty, and He is watching.

[4] "This is what the LORD says to me: "I
will remain quiet and will look on from my dwelling place,
like shimmering heat in the sunshine,
like a cloud of dew in the heat of
harvest."
[5] For, before the harvest, when the blossom is
gone and the flower becomes a ripening
grape, he will cut off the shoots with
pruning knives, and cut down and take away
the spreading branches.
[6] They will all be left to the
mountain birds of prey and to the wild
animals; the birds will feed on them all
summer, the wild animals all winter." (NKJV)

Disaster now hits this nation and it is reduced to a shell of its former self. God prunes her to clear away the deadness so that she might once again be fruitful. In the end she is fruitful and is shown presenting gifts to the Lord God Almighty in Mount Zion - a reference to Jerusalem when all nations are ruled by Christ.

[7] "At that time gifts will be brought to the LORD Almighty from a people tall and smooth-skinned,
from a people feared far and wide,
an aggressive nation of strange speech,
whose land is divided by rivers—
the gifts will be brought to Mount Zion,
the place of the Name of the LORD Almighty."

I don't know if this is a reference to America. I've presented here a viewpoint that Most Bible scholars, even the ones I look to the most say it is a reference to Egypt and has nothing to do with America. Yet there are some amazing paralells to America here, don't you think so?

Here is the chapter, in it's entirety from the New King James Version:

1 Woe to the land shadowed with buzzing wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, 2 Which sends ambassadors by sea, even in vessels of reed on the waters, saying,“ Go, swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth of skin, To a people terrible from their beginning onward, A nation powerful and treading down, Whose land the rivers divide.” 3 All inhabitants of the world and dwellers on the earth: When he lifts up a banner on the mountains, you see it; And when he blows a trumpet, you hear it. 4 For so the LORD said to me,“ I will take My rest, And I will look from My dwelling place Like clear heat in sunshine, Like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.” 5 For before the harvest, when the bud is perfect And the sour grape is ripening in the flower, He will both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks And take away and cut down the branches. 6 They will be left together for the mountain birds of prey And for the beasts of the earth; The birds of prey will summer on them, And all the beasts of the earth will winter on them. 7 In that time a present will be brought to the LORD of hosts From a people tall and smooth of skin, And from a people terrible from their beginning onward, A nation powerful and treading down, Whose land the rivers divide— To the place of the name of the LORD of hosts, To Mount Zion.

Does America Appear In Bible Prophecy?

To those who study scripture with an eye on current events, there are references that have been interpreted as referring to America. Though I personally don't interpret the following scripture as anything that points to the United States, its worth bringing up.

In the tiny Biblical book of Obadiah there is this prophecy in verses 4 -

Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD." (KJV)

The New Century Version of the Bible renders verses 1-6: "Soon I will make you the smallest of nations. You will be greatly hated by everyone. Your pride has fooled you, you who live in the hollow places of the cliff. Your home is up high, you who say to yourself, 'No one can bring me down to the ground.' Even if you fly high like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, I will bring you down from there," says the Lord. "You will really be ruined! If thieves came to you, if robbers came by night, they would steal only enough for themselves. If workers came and picked the grapes from your vines, they would leave a few behind. But you, Edom, will really lose everything! People will find all your hidden treasures! All the people who are your friends will force you out of the land. The people who are at peace with you will trick you and defeat you. Those who eat your bread with you now are planning a trap for you, and you will not notice it."

The context of the reference is to Edom (actually the descendants of Esau) but because of the reference to the eagle, and the nest among the stars some have by interpretation equated Edom to America. That's a big stretch, in my humble opinion but the symbolism is further enhanced by the parallel of "Edom's" inaccessability as cliff dwellers to America's as flanked by great oceans.

The reference to pride is another parallel some see to America whose national symbol is the Bald Eagle. In this scenario the International Space Station (ISS) is viewed as perhaps being a literal nest among the stars which God will bring down. The problem with this interpretation is that it's an International Space Station, not exclusively American.

Rabbi Nosson Slifkin equates the fulfillment of this verse on the Challenger disaster of 1986.

Most Bible scholars espouse no such interpretations but regard Obadiah's prophecy as having been fulfilled within it's historical context.

So why do I put stuff like this on my blog?

Simply - its interesting!

Some of my friends have asked me about the predictions I referred to in my May 29th blog; (doomsday - December 21, 2012) whether or not I thought that Jesus would return on that date. My answer is this: Since that date is one where many will be expecting something to happen, I will state with authority that Jesus will not return on 12/21/12. He's coming when people are not expecting him (Matthew 24:44) and nobody knows that day (Matthew 25:13). I merely posted it because the secular world is now making it's own doomsday predictions, complete with dates. It seems there is a universal 'feeling' that something huge is soon going to happen that will forever change life on planet earth--that history itself is winding down to an inescapable climax. Whether it's an eruption of a Super Volcano, an asteroid strike, Armageddon or other ELE, it seems we are consumed with earth's end as we know it.

Evolutionist-Creationist Debate

I was impressed. Dr. 'Fuz' Fazale takes on evolutionist John Rennie in this debate which aired on NPR's Glenn Mitchell Show. The transcript is a must read for evolutionists and creationists alike, if you really want to get down to the issues that are relevant today.

Hear another biologist v. biologist debate @ http://intelligentdesign.podomatic.com/entry/2007-12-19T12_16_01-08_00

What Last Days Society Will Look Like

In Paul's letter to Timothy (2 Timothy 3:1-5 NLV) Paul presents a thumbnail picture of what last days society will generally look like.

"You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly."

Jesus likened the times to the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37-44) when violence filled the land, and to the days of Lot (Luke 17:28-32) when homosexuality (Genesis 19) was a welcomed life style.

To those who would say that these are earmarks of many societies throughout history and that nothing has changed, the Bible has this to say:

2 Peter 3:3-8 "First of all, I want you to know that in the last days men will laugh at the truth. They will follow their own sinful desires. They will say, "He promised to come again. Where is He? Since our early fathers died, everything is the same from the beginning of the world." But they want to forget that God spoke and the heavens were made long ago. The earth was made out of water and water was all around it. Long ago the earth was covered with water and it was destroyed. But the heaven we see now and the earth we live on now have been kept by His word. They will be kept until they are to be destroyed by fire. They will be kept until the day men stand before God and sinners will be destroyed. Dear friends, remember this one thing, with the Lord one day is as 1,000 years, and 1,000 years are as one day."

False Teaching is another sign: "The Holy Spirit tells us in plain words that in the last days some people will turn away from the faith. They will listen to what is said about spirits and follow the teaching about demons. Those who teach this tell it as the truth when they know it is a lie. They do it so much that their own hearts no longer say it is wrong."

Some of these prophecies look like they could have been taken out of our newspapers.
picture is from Kings Creek in Lassen National Park

A Bible Sign of the Last Days

The Big Question:

When?

Now don't get excited my Christian friend, history is littered with the wrecks of "prophets" whose predictions failed to happen on the dates they predicted. I'm not of that ilk, but what do we know that really defines the times we're living in? There is one prophecy that seems key to me as the defining prophecy--and the prophet is none other than Jesus himself:
"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." - Matthew 24:14

Today the gospel is reaching all the world. So even in the most remote places on earth the gospel can be heard over radio or television. There's no doubt that we're in that time frame or season. Following the statement made by Jesus in verse 14, Jesus said this: When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

Here Jesus is referring to a specific prophecy in the Old Testament book of Daniel. Daniel 9:27-
"And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."

The fact that 'he' shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease is a reference to the sacrificial offerings of the Jewish religion. This won't happen until there is a Jewish temple. And Daniel said that 'he' will make a covenant (with the Jews) for one week. This individual will make a seven year peace treaty with the Jews who will at this time be living in safety. They will have re-established their Levitical sacrificial laws in their temple. After precisely three and a half years this treaty will be broken when 'he' will stand in the the Jewish temple and demand worship from the Jews. That act is called the 'abomination of desolation' according to Jesus. But there is no Jewish temple. There hasn't been one since AD 70! But if the Bible is true, and I believe with everything in me it is, the Jews will build their temple. Look for the Mosque of Oman to come down. It is sitting on the Temple Mount.
The 'he' who causes the abomination is known to believers as the Antichrist--Satan incarnate. I will elaborate on that in the future, since the Bible gives us a lot of information on him and his reign as world leader.
Since these prophecies come together, there's no doubt we're getting close.

Darwin Speaks! Quote of the Week

"Why then is not every geological formation and every stratum full of such intermediate links? Geology assuredly does not reveal any such finely graduated organic chain; and this, perhaps is the most obvious and gravest objection which can be urged against my theory." -- Charles Robert Darwin, The Origin of Species, 1st edition reprint. Avenel Books, 1979; p. 292

Finding Fossils That Speak To Us

The following quote comes from an inciteful article from Dr. David Menton, Ph.D. (Click on the link to view the paper).


"To be consistent with evolution, the fossil record should show how organisms slowly transformed one into another through countless intermediate or transitional stages. Evolutionists, for example, claim that over one hundred million years were required for the gradual transformation of invertebrates into vertebrates; thus we would expect that the fossil record should show at least some of the progressive stages of this large-scale transformation.



To be consistent with creation, on the other hand, the fossil record should show no obvious transitional stages between distinctly different kinds of organisms, but rather each kind of organism should appear all at once and fully formed." - David N. Menton, Ph.D.


What the fossil record seems to show is there are no obvious transitional stages between distinctly different kinds of organisms, but rather each kind of organism appears all at once and fully formed.



Hmmm, now what does that indicate??
As recently as my high school days it was taught that "Eohippus" known today as Hyracotherium, (which evolutionists assumed was the first horse) was a direct line ancestor of today's modern horse, "Equus." Soon after becoming a Christian and comparing the science I was being taught in School with the science in books by scientists who are Christians, I learned that fossils of both Eohippus and Equus were found in the same strata, proving that both were in existence at the same time.
Recently I've learned that some textbooks still perpetuate that story but with a few modifications, one of which states "There's no discernable "straight line" of horse evolution..." God forbid that the Bible should make such changes--they'd throw the whole thing out!

To show how evolution's pathway is illustrated we high schoolers were also exposed to Haekels Drawings:


Those drawings supposedly revealed the development of the human fetus as it passed through, and demonstrated various evolutionary stages. It's since been shown that Haekel was intentionally misleading. There is an attempt today by certain individuals to "whitewash" Haekels hoax and redeem it as 'science.' I also understand that Haekels drawings still appear (with modification) in some of today's high school textbooks--though I've not personally seen them.
*picture of me in Death Valley, obviously mining quotes.

Archaeopteryx or giving Creationists the Bird!

Whenever the lack of fossil evidence showing a transitional specie comes up, one word commonly drops from the lips of the evolutionary protagonist: Archaeopteryx!

Archaeopteryx
Archaeopteryx is a bird with many unique similarities to certain dinosaurs called Theropods. The fossils of Archaeopteryx date back to the [1]Jurassic period.
Paleo-ornithologists classify Archaeopteryx as a bird because the most unique thing that defines a creature as a bird are its feathers.

Archaeopteryx is said to be a transitional form bridging the gap between dinosaur and bird. In all seven known Archaeopteryx fossils, Archaeopteryx had feathers; feathers which were well developed, and had the ability of flight.

Feathers are very complicated structures of which there are several types. Scientists have promulgated several different theories about why feathers evolved but there has been (until recently) a consensus among them that feathers evolved from reptilian scales. One theory is that thermoregulation is responsible for the original morphing of dino-scales into feathers. Others think that feathers evolved for flight and the most recent theory is that feathers evolved to attract a mate.

The Evidence
The so-called "proof" is a theropod dinosaur (that had a scale that sort of looked feathered). This [2]theropod is called Caudipteryx, (which dates to about 127 million years ago). This goose sized dinosaur is depicted with feathers in every drawing I've seen.

First Problem: Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
Do you see a problem yet? Feather’s are very complex structures of which there are several distinct categories. Certainly something as complex as a feather would have taken a long time to evolve if Archaeopteryx were to be that “transitional” evolutionary link. Yet not only did Archaeopteryx have one kind of feather, he had different kinds of fully developed feathers and was capable of flight. Archaeopteryx always appears fully developed in the fossil record with nothing showing a protoarchaeopteryx type.
Now here’s the problem. Archaeopteryx pre-dates Caudipteryx by a geologic period (or at least 20 million years). Archaeopteryx goes back to the Jurassic Period and Caudipteryx dates to the later [3]Cretaceous period. That’s kind of putting the cart before the horse, don’t you think?

The Second Problem: The Feathered Look
Reptilian scales are vastly different from bird feathers. They originate in different places, they are made of different proteins and they serve totally different functions. Why would reptiles need feathers? They are not warm blooded and they don't fly (some glide). They don't have a problem mating.

The Third Problem: That’s not a gap-that’s an abyss!
The teeth of Archaeopteryx are not serrated as they are in theropods. Other birds had teeth but Archaeopteryx had several other unique features that don't relate to any other known bird--an indication of special creation. As I explained to one commentator, Archaeopteryx is more evidence for Intelligent Design than evolution.

[4]David B. Kitts, Ph.D an evolutionist and paleontologist, said:

"Despite the bright promise that paleontology provides a means of 'seeing'
evolution, it has presented some nasty difficulties for evolutionists the most
notorious of which is the presence of 'gaps' in the fossil record. Evolution
requires intermediate forms between species and paleontology does not provide
them."

And as [5]David Raup, a paleontologist at the Field Museum of Natural History said:

"We are now about 120 years after Darwin and the knowledge of the fossil record
has been greatly expanded. We now have a quarter of a million fossil species
but the situation hasn't changed much -- ironically, we have even fewer
examples of evolutionary transition than we had in Darwin's time. By this I mean that some of the classic cases of Darwinian change in the fossil record
such as the evolution of the horse in North America, have had to be discarded or modified as a result of more detailed information."

Now, lest I'm accused of quote mining, I admit it. I'm not ashamed of it-the words speak for themselves. Not just a sentence-you can see whole paragraphs--they speak for themselves in that context. These quotations are referenced in the footnotes below.
__________

[1] Jurassic Period extends from about 145 million years to 200 million years ago.
[2] Any of various large carnivorous dinosaurs of the suborder Theropoda of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, characterized by bipedal locomotion, large jaws, and short forelimbs.
[3] Cretaceous Period follows the Jurassic Period; from about 65 million years to 145 million years ago.

[4] David B. Kitts, PhD (Zoology) Head Curator, Dept of Geology, Stoval Museum. Evolution, vol 28, Sep 1974, p 467
[5] David Raup, Field Museum of Natural History Bulletin, 50:22-29

Quote of the Week

"The absence of fossil evidence for intermediary stages between major transitions in organic design, indeed our inability, even in our imagination, to construct functional intermediates in many cases, has been a persistent and nagging problem for gradualistic accounts of evolution."

-Stephen Jay Gould, Prof. of Geology and Paleontology, Harvard University "Is a new general theory of evolution emerging?" Paleobiology, vol 6, January 1980, p. 127