“Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise? He that planted the ear, shall He not hear? He that formed the eye, shall He not see?” (Psalm 94:8,9)
The concept of evolution, according to this verse, is nothing but brute-like foolishness. If an automobile presupposes an auto-maker, and a clock implies a clock-maker, surely the infinitely more intricate and complex eyes and ears of living creatures require an ear-maker and an eye-maker! “The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them” (Proverbs 20:12).
The most basic of all scientific laws—the law of cause and effect (no effect greater than its cause)—becomes utmost nonsense if the cosmos is the product of chaos and the universe evolved by chance. “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 14:1).
Every creature, from the single-celled amoebae to the amazing human body, bears the impress of intricate planning and construction. The notion that such complex structures could evolve by random mutations and natural selection is simply a measure of the audacity of human rebellion and the absurdity of humanistic reasoning. Such things never happen in the real world, and there is no real scientific evidence whatever for “vertical” evolution from one kind to a higher kind. The only genuine evidence for evolution is the fact that the leaders of intellectualism believe it, and the only reason they believe it is their frantic desire to escape God. “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:22).
The ear did not “evolve;” it was planted. The eye did not “happen by chance;” it was formed. Every wise man and woman will say with the psalmist, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well” (Psalm 139:14).
--ICR/HMM
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6]
--Do The Difficult Questions Have Answers? --By: John D. Morris, Ph.D.
Throughout the years, questions have been raised regarding the Christian faith, which have caused many to stumble, or even abandon the faith altogether. Some seem rather simple, while others are difficult. But if the Christian faith is the true faith, there must be answers, and there are, if one is willing to study and believe.
It does no good to ignore the questions, or to insist that some questions are unaskable, exhibiting a "lack of faith." If young people can't ask and receive honest, satisfying answers in their Christian homes or churches, they will probably assume there are no answers, and deny the validity of Christianity. Remember, many, if not most of the leading humanists, atheists, and anti-Christians come from Christian homes. A few such plaguing questions, with (very) brief answers, follow. (I recommend the ICR book, 'The Bible Has the Answer' as one excellent source of more complete answers.)
1) Evidence for a Creator God? The design and order of the universe, in particular living systems, demands an intelligent Designer. To deny the obvious signature of God in His creation is to be "without excuse" (Romans 1:20).
2) Where did God come from? The Bible reveals God as self-existent. This is a basic assumption of Christianity, but all the facts of nature support the validity of this assumption.
3) Where did Cain get his wife? Adam and Eve had "sons and daughters" (Genesis 5). Such unions were a genetic problem by the time of Moses, but were not a problem so soon after Creation.
4) Human color differences? Genetic studies have shown that all humans have the same color, although some have more of the skin-coloring agent than others.
5) Where did the races come from? All humans are descended from Noah's family. Isolation of language groups following the dispersion at the Tower of Babel caused certain characteristics to be expressed which best fit the local environment.
6) What about the dinosaurs? The Bible reveals that land animals were created on Day Six of Creation Week. There is much evidence that humans and dinosaurs have lived at the same time.
7) Carbon–14? The Carbon–14 dating method is applicable only for the most recent 3000 years or so, good for dating human archaeological remains.
8) Is the earth billions of years old? Other radiometric dating schemes are thought by some to show that the earth is old, but in reality do not prove the earth is old. They merely assume it, and then work within that and other questionable assumptions. All the real facts fit the concept of a young earth.
9) Is there evidence for Noah's Flood? The global, mountain-covering flood described in the Bible laid down most of the world's fossil bearing (things that died in the Flood judgment) sedimentary (water-deposited) rock. To deny the Flood is to be willingly ignorant" (II Peter 3:6).
10) Isn't Creation a side issue?Most of Christian doctrine is based on Genesis, especially the definition of, and punishment for sin, and man's desperate need for a Savior to die in substitutionary payment for that sin. The Genesis account of creation is vital to the Christian faith.
*Dr. John Morris is the President of ICR. -<www.icr.org>
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6]
--Did Jesus Believe in Creation? --By: Kenneth Ham
In Christ's day, the prevailing philosophy on origins included evolution and long ages of earth history. Their view, of course, was not Darwinian evolution, but it held that the earth and the universe, acting on itself by the forces of nature (which were given names by some) had organized itself into its present state, and was responsible for all of life. The same was true for the philosophy of Moses' day, as he prepared the book of Genesis.
Genesis stands in opposition to such a view, insisting that a transcendent God, external to the universe had called the universe and all it contains into existence from nothing. Genesis further reveals the steps God took during a six-day period to bring this about, and reveals that those days were only thousands of years ago, not millions or billions.
When God stepped into the space/time universe which He had created He stepped into a world dominated by those who denied His creative acts, and whose intellectual descendants still refuse to honor Him as Creator. And so, as we try to form our own beliefs about creation, it would behoove us to discern His views on creation and to believe likewise. When we examine His teachings, we will find that Jesus was not only the Creator, He was also a "creationist." Let us briefly look at some of the passages which reveal this: No natural process was responsible for creation—rather, God, Himself, created: ". . .from the beginning of the creation which God created" (Mark 13:19).
The cosmos had a definite beginning. Matter is not eternal: "...such as was not since the beginning of the world (Greek kosmos) to this time" (Matthew 24:21).
The world had been "founded." Not just coalesced from interstellar dust. ". . .for Thou lovest Me before the foundation of the world" (John 17:24).
Even the sun was of God's doing: ". ..He maketh His sun to rise" (Matthew 5:45).
As to plants and animals, each created "kind" was of a different sort: "Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles" (Matthew 7:16)? Furthermore, God had made provision for even the birds (see Genesis 1:30): "Behold the fowls of the air: . . .your heavenly Father feedeth them" (Matthew 6:26).
The Sabbath was a day of rest in commemoration of the completed creation: "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27).
Men and women were created at the start, not 4,000,000,000 years after the start: "From the beginning of creation God made them male and female" (Mark 10:6), and the union of Adam and Eve forms the basis of our doctrine of marriage: "Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh" (Matthew 19:6).
The two supposedly contradictory accounts of creation in Genesis 1 and 2 are fully compatible: "Have ye not read that He. . .made them male and female [quoting Genesis 1 :27], and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: And they twain shall be one flesh?" [quoting Genesis 2:24] (Matthew 19:5).
These and other teachings of Christ, when coupled with the total lack of any reference to evolution or long ages, give us complete confidence that our Lord, the Creator, accepted the Genesis account of creation in its most literal sense. Dare we believe otherwise? ---------
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6]
“All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds” (I Corinthians 15:39).
The doctrine of special creation means that creation took place by supernatural processes, and that each created entity was specifically planned and formed by God. This doctrine is clearly taught in the Genesis record, where the phrase “after his kind,” is used no less than ten times in the very first chapter. ------ One such remarkable reference is found here in I Corinthians 15:37–44. The distinctiveness of several major realms of creation is set forth as follows: Botanical: “God giveth . . . to every seed his own body” (v.38). Zoological: “All flesh is not the same flesh” (our text). Physical: “There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another” (v.40).
Thus, although all celestial bodies may be made of the same basic chemical elements, Planet Earth is unique in its complexity and purpose. Astral: “There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory” (v.41). Even among the celestial bodies, each star is unique. Spiritual: “There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body” (v.44). The Scriptures indicate that although they are genuinely physical bodies, they will one day be supernatural bodies, not controlled by the present force systems of nature.
God has a noble purpose for each created system, and He has specially designed each for that purpose. Although He has made ample provision for “horizontal” changes within the system, never can one evolve “vertically” into a more complex system. This ancient revelation has been supported by modern science, which has never been able to produce one proof of evolution.
Aesthetics is the study of beauty, more often associated today with art. However, the discipline itself, and the philosophical apologetics from the concept are extended into every sphere of imagination, sensibility, and taste.
Essentially, the foundational argument would suggest that given the universal reality that the concept of "beauty" exists (even if it is in "the eye of the beholder") there is an ultimate "standard" by which beauty is judged. Determining the aesthetic value of anything requires rational judgment, even though that judgment is unique to each individual. Each rational judgment must rely on one's ability to discriminate at a sensory or emotional level.
This examination makes a judgment regarding whether something is beautiful, sublime, disgusting, fun, cute, silly, entertaining, pretentious, discordant, harmonious, boring, humorous, or tragic. And, of course, since such an ability exists only in the mental acuity of imaginative appreciation, then the Source of such ability must also be both 'rational' and 'emotional'.
The vast differences between individual tastes and between cultures, both in time and in location, speak to the enormity of such possibilities and to the unfathomable wonder of the hunger for "beauty" in every human being.
That such a hunger exists only in the human being is a wonder in itself! The flower is not impressed with its own majesty; it merely exists with no conscious awareness. The chimpanzee does not gaze longingly on the enigma of the Mona Lisa, nor do the stars muse on the heavens they themselves grace.
In fact, all humanity eschews destruction and random chaos as "ugly" and attempts to mask death with various levels of cosmetic disguises, and this speaks to the realization that some sights and sounds are not beautiful, and thus there must exist a standard of perfect beauty.~~ --ICR/HMM -- ALL OF CREATION -MercyMe <http://youtu.be/VH9ziHaAa6w> --------------
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6]
Re: -The Designed Creation -
[Re: Abigail]
#74214 04/02/1410:54 AM04/02/1410:54 AM
The incarnation of Jesus Christ is such an important doctrine of the New Testament that without it there can be no true Christianity. "Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God" (I John 4:2,3).
-But how can the one who "was God" (John 1:2) from the beginning be the same one who "was made flesh, and dwelt among us?" (John 1:1,14). How can He truly be "Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us?" (Matthew 1:23). How can the infinite, eternal God become finite and temporal? Such a concept seems impossibly paradoxical, yet millions quite properly believe it to be a real and vital truth.
Perhaps the most amazing aspect of the incarnation is that a God who is absolute holiness could reside in a body of human flesh. Is it not true that "they that are in the flesh cannot please God?" (Romans 8:8). Our human bodies have been formed through many generations of genetic inheritance from Adam himself, and "in Adam all die" (I Corinthians 15:22).
The paradox is partially resolved, of course, when it is realized that Jesus Christ came in a body which was not of sinful flesh. His body was truly "in the flesh," but only "in the likeness of sinful flesh" (Romans 8:3).
But even this doesn't resolve the dilemma completely, for how could His body be of flesh (carbon, hydrogen, amino acids, proteins, etc.), received by the normal process of reproduction of the flesh of his parents, without also receiving their genetic inheritance, which is exactly what makes it sinful flesh? "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me" (Psalm 51:5). "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble … Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one" (Job 14:4).
--The Problem of Inherited Physical Defects
Not only is there the problem of inherent sin, but also of inherent physical defects. Over many generations, the human population has experienced great numbers of genetic mutations, and these defective physical factors have been incorporated into the common genetic pool, affecting in some degree every infant ever born. Yet the Lamb of God, to be an acceptable sacrifice for the sins of the world, must be "without blemish and without spot" (I Peter 1:19). The very purpose of the incarnation was that God could become the Saviour of men as well as their Creator, but this required that in His humanity He must be "holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners" (Hebrews 7:26), and this would have been absolutely impossible by the normal reproductive process.
The solution could only be through a mighty miracle! He could not be conceived in the same manner as other men, for this would inevitably give him both a sin-nature and a physically defective body, and each would disqualify Him as a fit Redeemer. And yet He must truly become human. "Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people" (Hebrews 2:17).
It is not surprising, therefore, that the Christian doctrine of the Virgin Birth of Christ has always been such a watershed between true Christians and either non-Christians or pseudoChristians.1 Without such a miraculous birth, there could have been no true incarnation and therefore no salvation. The man Jesus would have been a sinner by birth and thus in need of a Saviour Himself.
On second thought, however, one realizes that it was not the virgin birth which was significant, except as a testimony of the necessity of the real miracle, the supernatural conception. The birth of Christ was natural and normal in every way, including the full period of human gestation in the womb of Mary. In all points, He was made like His brethren, experiencing every aspect of human life from conception through birth and growth to death. He was true man in every detail, except for sin and its physical effects.
The miracle was not His birth, but His conception. And here we still face a mystery. Conception normally is the result of the union of two germ cells, the egg from the mother and the seed from the father, each carrying half the inheritance and thus each, of course, sharing equally in the transmission of the sin-nature as well as all other aspects of the human nature.
"Each individual gets exactly half of his chromosomes and half of his genes from his mother and half from his father. Because of the nature of gene interaction, the offspring may resemble one parent more than the other, but the two parents make equal contributions to its inheritance."2
Each parent thus also makes an equal contribution of defective physical and mental characteristics due to inherited mutations. Both mental and physical traits are inherited in this way.
Some writers have tried to make the virgin birth appear more amenable to human reason by comparing it to the process of parthenogenesis, which has been known to occur in some insects and even in some mammals, by which process the female egg begins to divide and grow into a mature animal without every being fertilized. Others have compared it to the process of artificial insemination, by which the sperm is artificially introduced into the egg without actual copulation.
In addition to the rather crude concept of the work of the Holy Spirit which such suggestions involve, neither solves the problem of how the contribution of inherent defects contained in the mother's germ cell are kept from the developing embryo. If genetic inheritance in any degree is received from either parent, there seems to be no natural way by which the transmission of the sin-nature, as well as physical defects, could have been prevented.
--The Necessity of Special Creation
Therefore, even though He was nurtured in Mary's womb for nine months and born without her ever knowing a man, it was also necessary for all this to have been preceded by supernatural intervention, to prevent His receiving any actual genetic inheritance through her. The body growing in Mary's womb must have been specially created in full perfection, and placed there by the Holy Spirit, in order for it to be free of inherent sin damage. Christ would still be "made of the seed of David according to the flesh" (Romans 1:3), because His body was nurtured and born of Mary, who was herself of the seed of David. He would still be the Son of Man, sharing all universal human experience from conception to death, except sin. He is truly "the seed of the woman" (Genesis 3:15), His body formed neither of the seed of the man nor the egg of the woman, but grown from a unique Seed planted in the woman's body by God Himself.
That is, God directly formed a body for the second Adam just as He had for the first Adam (Genesis 2:7). This was nothing less than a miracle of creation, capable of accomplishment only by the Creator Himself. "That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35).
Surely God would devote no more attention to the design and construction of the body of "the first man, of the earth, earthy" than He would to that of "the second man, the Lord from heaven" (I Corinthians 15:47)!
--The Marvel Of Inheritance and Pre-Natal Growth
For that matter, the formation of every human body is a marvelous testimony to the power and wisdom of the Creator of the first human body, and so is His provision for its reproductive multiplication into the billions of bodies of distinctive individuals who have lived through the ages. "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14).
The 139th Psalm contains a remarkably beautiful and scientifically accurate description of the divine forethought in the processes of heredity and embryonic growth. Verses 15 and 16 of this psalm (with explanatory comments interspersed) are as follows:
"My substance (literally, my frame) was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought (literally embroidered -- probably a foregleam of the intricate double- helical structure of the DNA molecule as it carries out its function of template reproduction of the pattern provided by the parents) in the lowest (or least seen) parts of the earth (God originally made the dust of the earth -- the basic elements -- then man's body from those elements, and then the marvelous ability to multiply that body)." (Verse 15)
"Thine eyes did see ‘my substance yet being unperfect" (all one word, meaning embryo, in the original; note the embryo is not imperfect, but unperfect, still in the process of being completed); and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance (literally which days -- that is, all the days of development and growth were planned from the beginning) were fashioned (same word as formed, used in Genesis 2:7 for the formation of Adam's body) when as yet there was none of them (the whole amazing process was written into the genetic code even before actual conception)." (Verse 16)
--The Body of Christ
With such careful divine care and attention given to the development of every one of the billions of human bodies conceived since the days of Adam and Eve, how much greater must have been the extent of the divine preparation of the body of God's own Son! As a matter of fact, the design for His body was prepared before the very foundation of the world itself (I Peter 1:20; Hebrews 10:5). It is probable that, in some degree at least, God had this very body in mind when He undertook to make Adam "in our image after our likeness" (Genesis 1:26). That is, God formed for Adam a body patterned after that perfect body which had already been planned for the divine incarnation, when the time would come.
Then, "when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman that we might receive the adoption of sons" (Galatians 4:4,5).
"Wherefore when He cometh into the world, He saith, sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me" (Hebrews 10:5). The verb "prepared" in this verse is striking. It is the same word in the Greek (i.e., katartizo) as used in the next succeeding chapter in Hebrews, in one of the greatest of all those verses in the Bible describing the Creation. "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear" (Hebrews 11:3).
The "preparation" of Christ's body by God was the same process as the "framing" of the worlds by God! As the latter were created ex nihilo ("not out of things which do appear"), so must have been the former. The word is also translated "make perfect" (Hebrews 13:21, etc.).
Thus, the body of Christ was prepared by the great Creator, with no dependence on prior materials, and was made in total perfection, ready to receive Him as its occupant. In that perfect body, which would one day be "made sin" and would "bear our sins" on the tree (II Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 2:24), He would dwell forever after its resurrection and glorification (Revelation 1:14-18).
When God created the world, it was only a little thing (Isaiah 40:15-17), but the formation of any human body required the special planning of divine omniscience, eliciting the inspired testimony, "How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!" (Psalm 139:17).
The greatest of all creations, however, was that of the body in which His Son would take up His eternal abode. Miraculously created and conceived, then virgin-born, God's eternal Son became the perfect Son of Man.
There is yet another "body of Christ," of which all believers become members, now in process of formation, with Christ the head (Ephesians 4:15, 16). This body also is being supernaturally formed by the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 12:13), with no genetic inheritance from sinful flesh. Its members are "born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:13), so that when complete it also will be a body "not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Ephesians 5:27).
Here is another mighty act of special creation, repeated again and again whenever a new member is added to Christ's body, when a new son of God is born. "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name" (John 1:12). "Therefore if any man be in Christ, be is a new creation" (II Corinthians 5:17). These have "put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:24). "Ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him" (Colossians 3:10). "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works" (Ephesians 2:10).
The virgin birth of Jesus Christ thus testifies of the marvelous creation of His human body, which then speaks symbolically of the marvelous member-by-member creation of His spiritual body.~~~ --<www.icr.org> --[See this specific article listed (above), below the Title of this article.]SONG: LOVE CAME DOWN!(appox time: 45 minutes) <http://youtu.be/uwIaWlPnwjU> -----------
Last edited by Abigail; 04/02/1411:22 AM. Reason: added: Love Came Down (song)
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6]
--- The Heavens Declare --By: John D. Morris, Ph.D.
“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” (Psalm 19:1)
This verse has been a favorite of many who recognize God’s creatorship. The vastness of space “declares” His power and sovereign control over all and calls us to worship Him as not only Creator but Savior as well. In what ways do the heavens speak?
The orderly progression of day and night reminds us of God’s purpose in creating the heavenly bodies, that they should be “signs” for us to aid in telling time and the passage of time (Genesis 1:14). The sun’s light energizes Earth’s processes. From photosynthesis to tidal and atmospheric movements, the Creator can be recognized as the great Provider.
The “line” mentioned in Psalm 19:4 is that of a surveyor’s line, true and accurate. It represents the absolute standard by which our conduct is measured. Just as surely as an Earth-encircling line demarcates light and darkness, so God’s holy nature measures and evaluates our behavior.
The sun’s light extends outward in all directions, not just toward Earth. Light generates heat, thus “there is nothing hid from the heat thereof” (v. 6). This life-sustaining light can be compared to a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, anxious to receive his bride, and a strong man, an athlete ready to claim the championship (v. 5). In a similar manner, God delights in supplying every need of His children. He is near and ever-powerful. We can ask Him for anything at any time, He loves us that much.
From this poetic rehearsal of some of God’s immutable attributes, we can learn much of both His nature and our relationship to Him. While Psalm 19 does not teach in a didactic fashion, it can thrill our spirits and motivate us to draw nearer to Him. /ICR-JDM- / ALL HEAVENS DECLARE <http://youtu.be/S-s9Kk6tfVU>
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6]
Re: -The Designed Creation -
[Re: Abigail]
#77973 05/13/1511:22 AM05/13/1511:22 AM
--Please read: Psalm 139:7-16 --- 'I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.' (v.14)~ ---- --WE are among seven billion people who coexist on a rather insignificant solar system. Our earth, in reality, is just one miniscule blue dot among millions of celestial bodies that God created. On the gigantic canvas that is our universe, our beautiful, majestic Earth appears as a tiny speak of dust.
That could make us feel extremely unimportant and inconsequential. However, God's Word suggests that just the opposite is true. Our great God, who "measured the waters in the hollow of His hand" (Isa. 40:12), has singled out each person on this planet as supremely important, for we are made in His image.
For instance, He has created everything for us to enjoy (1 Tim. 6:17). Also, for all who have trusted Jesus as their Savior, God has given purpose (Eph. 2:10). And then there's this: Despite the vastness of this world, God cares specifically about each of us. Psalm 139 says He knows what we are going to say and what we are thinking. We can't escape His presence, and He planned our earthly existence before we were born.
We don't need to feel unimportant when the God of the universe is that interested in us! ~~
'O Lord, I look out into the vastness of the Heavens and I see the grandeur of Your infinite power, yet You look at me from Heaven and see someone You know, love, and care about. Thank You that You find value in me. I love you, Lord Jesus.'~~ amen ---- ----THE GOD WHO CREATED THE UNIVERSE IS THE GOD WHO LOVES YOU! --ODB/DB /<https://youtu.be/7-zJHgaoVa4>
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6]
--Both the Righteous and the Wicked Took Part in God's Creation Story~~
--The Role of the Righteous and of the Wicked ----(Please Read: Mark 15)-
-With hundreds of prophecies related to the Messiah, it shouldn’t surprise us that God used many people—believers, unbelievers, and even some unquestionably wicked individuals—to ensure the Savior’s earthly life would unfold according to plan. For example, a census ordered by Caesar Augustus brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, the city of Christ’s birth. (See Mic. 5:2; Luke 2:1-4..)
What’s more, God used some of the most powerful men of the day to bring about His Son’s sacrificial death on the Cross. Trumped-up charges by the Pharisees and Sadducees helped turn the crowd against Jesus (Mark 15:9-11). Pilate condemned Him, and the Romans carried out the actual crucifixion. They even bartered for His clothes and chose not to break His legs, as predicted in Scripture. (See John 19:24, 36.)
During the dark days between Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, the disciples must have believed the messianic plan had been derailed. But God’s goal wasn’t to bring political revolution as some believed. He sent His Son to redeem mankind: Jesus paid the penalty of death for all our sins.
Before the foundation of the world, God had planned for the salvation of every tribe and nation. Throughout history, He orchestrated events to fulfill His purpose, using even the ungodly to move His plan forward.
Many have had a hand in advancing the Savior’s story, but the ultimate responsibility is the Father’s. He gave His only Son over to death on behalf of the world that He loved (John 3:16). Both the righteous and the wicked who took part in God’s story were following His script. --IN TOUCH~~--/ CREATION CALLS - Brian Doerksen (speakers necessary to capture the full effect!) <https://youtu.be/LwGvfdtI2c0> -----
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6]
Re: -The Designed Creation -
[Re: Abigail]
#80791 08/10/1608:57 AM08/10/1608:57 AM
“This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.” ---=(Ezra 7:6) --Neither Ezra, who was a scribe, nor Nehemiah, who was apparently a butler, had been prepared by either study or experience to supervise a great construction project, rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem and the wall of the city, both of which had been destroyed many years before by the armies of Babylon. Yet God called them to these ministries and led them and protected them as they carried them out.
They were both careful, then, to give God the credit for what they had accomplished. No less than six times in Ezra and twice in Nehemiah they reminded their readers that God’s hand had been upon them as they supervised the work (see Ezra 7:6, 9, 28; 8:18-22, 31; Nehemiah 2:8, 18).
There had been many difficulties and much opposition, but as Paul would later say: “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).
We also need to be careful to give God the credit for anything He enables us to accomplish in His service. Even such a great and useful Christian as the apostle Paul had to say: “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10).
We remember, however, that the hand of the Lord can be a chastening hand as well as a guiding and providing hand. When a certain false prophet tried “to pervert the right ways of the Lord,” Paul said: “The hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind” (Acts 13:10-11). And so it was. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). --ICR/ HMM [We must always beware of what we say against Jehovah Yahweh, YHWH. He is our loving, covenant-keeping God. He is Holy, Just and Righteous. He is the Creator of the Universe. Give Him all praise, honor and glory. Jesus said, "I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." - (John 14:6) Obey Him and be blessed. Curse Him and suffer the consequences. ~~]-/ Prepare the Way/ Paul Wilbur + <https://youtu.be/CdNQDdtqFxM> <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdNQDdtqFxM>
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6]
Re: -The Designed Creation -
[Re: Abigail]
#80845 08/18/1609:14 AM08/18/1609:14 AM
“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.” --- (Colossians 1:16)
The “things” God made are nothing more or less than our universe. That created reality is the only valid illustration of the triunity that expresses the nature of our Creator. Space is both invisible and at the same time the matrix in which all of our reality exists. “No man hath seen God at any time” (1 John 4:12). “For in him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28).
Matter is the visible and tangible revelation of the existence of space. We “see” space by means of the visible phenomena of energy arranged in molecular structures that are functioning, predictably, over time as matter that we can see, feel, and use. God the Son is the Word (John 1:14) who makes it possible for us to “see” God.
The Holy Spirit is the “time” of the triune Godhead. It is He who brings about a relationship with God. It is the Holy Spirit who actually executes the creation of the new birth (1 Corinthians 6:11; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:24). The Holy Spirit is the One who imparts the spiritual gifts of God to the believers (1 Corinthians 12:8). And just like time, all we ever “see” or “sense” about the Holy Spirit is the result of what has been done.
-The physical universe is, in a very real sense, a trinity of trinities. In fact, tri-unity in various ways is often seen in the creation. Although no man could ever model the Godhead, God has “clearly” done this in His creation (Romans 1:20). --ICR/HMM III--/ He is Exalted/ Great is the LORD -Marantha Singers~ <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic1UBwVHGGU> --------
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6]
Re: -The Designed Creation -
[Re: Abigail]
#84949 10/30/1810:15 AM10/30/1810:15 AM
--"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." --(Ephesians 1:17 / NIV)--
--Our nation emerged from a unique set of circumstances. We began with a desire to be a Christian nation—not uniquely Christian in that everyone who lives here is required to be Christian, but a nation whose foundation was built on a Christian world view. Fifty-two of the fifty-five signers of the Declaration of Independence were deeply committed, orthodox Christians. The other three believed in the Bible as divine truth, the God of Scripture, and His personal intervention. As we look across the span of American history, we see that almost all of our Presidents have claimed the Christian faith.
--Not every one of them has lived up to our faith’s highest ideals, but neither are we without fault. Let us pray the Apostle Paul’s words for our leaders, and for ourselves: “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.”
**THINK ABOUT IT -Our leaders need insight and understanding that only comes from God. Do you pray for our leaders as much as you complain about and criticize them?
**PRAYER "Heavenly Father, as a nation we have turned our backs on Your ways and walked in pride and rebellion. However, in You there is hope, for You are a God of mercy and compassion—a God who restores and renews. Lord, be merciful to us. Forgive our sins and pour out upon us a spirit of humility and repentance. Holy Spirit, give a revelation of Almighty God to our leaders and show them how to lead us. In Jesus’ name, amen."
**Blessings, ***Pastor Allen Jackson **Intend Ministries---[SPEAKERS NEEDED/ Words Not on Screen]--"Soon and Very Soon"/ With: Andrae Crouch and and Jessy Dixon ~~ <https://youtu.be/9kc3BfDjKFQ> ----------
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6]
By using this system, you agree to the Terms of Service. All posts on this forum are owned by whomever posted them. Orbis Vitae, Inc., and its officers, employees, stockholders, agents and affiliates are NOT responsible for for any information posted on this website. For more information, visit the Electronic Frontier Foundation. By using this system, you understand that the information displayed here is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. NO OTHER PURPOSE IS INTENDED OR IMPLIED. NO information posted here is intended to prescribe medication or practice medicine, nor is it intended to prevent, treat or cure symptoms, conditions or diseases.
Circle-of-Life Forums - Welcome
A few such plaguing questions, with (very) brief answers, follow. (I recommend the ICR book, 'The Bible Has the Answer' as one excellent source of more complete answers.)
[quoting Genesis 2:24] (Matthew 19:5).
The greatest of all creations, however, was that of the body in which His Son would take up His eternal abode. Miraculously created and conceived, then virgin-born, God's eternal Son became the perfect Son of Man.
Both the righteous and the wicked who took part in God’s story were following His script.