Monthly Archives: May 2015

May 31, 2015 · 10:30

A Special Kind of Stupid

Image Credit: The Greanville Post, http://www.greanvillepost.com/2014/04/29/his-day-in-court-a-chimpanzee-makes-legal-history/

Image Credit: The Greanville Post: “His day in Court—A Chimpanzee Makes Legal History“

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.  (Genesis 1:26)

This week “Two research chimps got their day in court … Steven Wise, an attorney with the Nonhuman Rights Project, told Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Barbara Jaffe that Hercules and Leo, the 8-year-old research chimps at Stony Brook University on Long Island, are ‘autonomous and self-determining beings’ who should be granted a writ of habeas corpus, which would effectively recognize them as legal persons. The chimps, he argued, should be moved from the university to a sanctuary in Florida”[1] (emphasis mine).

Well, what can one expect! For years now evolutionists have been claiming that chimpanzee DNA is 98% the same as that of humans. If that is so, then it stands to reason that they should at least be considered 98% persons. Is that not so? However, the DNA findings exaggerate the similarity in a narrow segment of the genome and deemphasize the vast differences that clearly separate chimps from humans. Biologist Dr. Jeffrey P. Tomkins, Research Associate in Life Sciences for the Institute for Creation Research, researches these claims made by the evolutionists. In comparing 40,000 chimpanzee genomic sequences against the human genome, Tomkins found “that reported levels of human-chimp DNA similarity were significantly lower than commonly reported … For the chimp autosomes, the amount of optimally aligned DNA sequence provided similarities between 66 and 76 percent, depending on the chromosome. Only 69 percent of the chimpanzee X chromosome was similar to human and only 43 percent of the Y chromosome. Genome-wide, only 70% of the chimpanzee DNA was similar to human under the most optimal alignment conditions.”[2] The 28% (give or take) variance may seem small, but in genomics, it is huge. “While, chimpanzees and humans share many localized protein-coding regions of high similarity, the overall extreme discontinuity between the two genomes defies evolutionary timescales and dogmatic presuppositions about a common ancestor.”[3]

I am no scientist, but even without getting into the coded information contained in DNA, the differences between chimps and humans seem obvious to me. To make an evaluation, one needs only to ask a few simple questions.  Aside from some basic similarities like: chimps have hands, humans have hands; chimps have feet, humans have feet (albeit chimps have “thumbs” on their feet and humans have a big toe); chimps have faces, humans have faces; chimps express emotions, humans express emotions; chimps nurture their young; humans nurture their young; chimps live in communities, humans live in communities; chimps communicate (as do most other animals), humans communicate; chimps make “tools,” humans make tools. There may be other similarities, but basically, it ends there. The questions reveal the differences.

Chimpanzees can make simple “tools,” but can they replicate a tool or mass produce it? Do they teach their tool making techniques to others in their community? Do they improve their tools to make them more functional or employ their tools for a variety of different purposes? Chimpanzees can build shelters, but can they build permanent structures? Do they employ aesthetic design in their building efforts or are their shelters simply utilitarian? For that matter, do chips create anything – paintings, sculptures, music, etc.? What is the extent of their creative abilities, if any, and how do they compare to those of humans? Can chimpanzees do even simple math? Do they develop economic systems or practice even the most basic exchange systems? We know that chimps can communicate in some rudimentary ways, but have they developed a language? Do they exchange ideas, and if so, how is that accomplished? Have they ever developed a system of writing, and if they have, do they value it enough to preserve it? Do chimps study chimpanzee anatomy in order to “doctor” on one another? Do they research in order to find cures for chimpanzee diseases? Along the same lines, do chimps study other animals to learn their habits and habitats? Do they observe the stars at night and dream about visiting other worlds? Chimps play, but do they develop games with rules and teach the game to others in order to stimulate healthy competition?

The comparisons are endless, but the more questions one considers, it becomes all the more obvious that chimpanzees fall far short of human achievements and capabilities. Sure chimps have greater strength than humans. They can swing from tree to tree even using their feet to grasp branches; but they do not have the manual dexterity to play a flamenco guitar, harp, piano, or violin; or the grace to match the agility of a gymnast or to dance a ballet or to figure skate.

The evolutionists claim that humans and chimps originated from a common ancestor. If that is the case, then why have chimpanzees not advanced even to the level of the most primitive human tribes? Supposedly they have had the same 100,000 years as humans (according to evolutionists) to evolve beyond their lowly “animal” status. So why are they stuck at the point of their origin? The fact is that they are animals and humans are, well, humans. Chimps were created by the spoken word of God (Genesis 1:24-25); humans were formed (Hebrew yâtsar meaning form or mold) in the image of God (Genesis 2:7; 1:26-27). The difference in creation between beast and man is so distinct, from the Creator’s point of view as recorded in Scripture, that one would really have to be some special kind of stupid to attribute personhood to an animal on par with that of a human being. But, this should really not surprise us. The Bible teaches that those who profess such things have “changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever” (Romans 1:25, emphasis mine).

So, if these chimps really are “legal persons” – the “autonomous and self-determining beings” their lawyers claim – they should go out and hire their own lawyers!

 

 Notes:

[1] Krishnadev Calamur, “Research Chimps Get Their Day in Court in New York,” (http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/05/27/410058029/research-chimps-get-their-day-in-court-in-new-york). Accessed May 28, 2015.

[2] Jeffery Tomkins, “New Research Evaluating Similarities Between Human and Chimpanzee DNA,” (http://www.icr.org/i/pdf/technical/Research-Evaluating-Similarities-Human-Chimp-DNA.pdf). Accessed May 28, 2015.

[3] Ibid.

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May 24, 2015 · 10:30

Marring the Image

This photo appeared on my Facebook News Feed. I have no idea who is pictured in this photo.

This photo appeared on my Facebook News Feed. I have no idea who is pictured in this photo.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (Genesis 1:27)

The image above appeared on my Facebook news feed recently. Naturally, there were many negative comments made about the young man, who I seriously doubt any of the commentators knew personally. What surprised me was what one young (I presume) lady said in his defense. In part she said, “The guy aint [sic] a pedophile, a murderer or a rapist, he has body modifications, so get over it. It is his body, his decision and he is not harming anyone.” How she knows that I haven’t an inkling. My guess is that she knows him as well as the other commentators, but what struck me was her assertion that “it is his body, his decision and he is not harming anyone.” All three points of her assertion are debatable, so let’s begin with that.

“It is his body.” Is it really? The best place to start is at the beginning. On the sixth day of creation, the Triune God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26).  The Hebrew word translated “image” is tselem and it means an illusion, or resemblance – a representative figure. In other words, we were created to “look” like Him. God has a human body; His name is the Lord Jesus Christ. We were also created in His “likeness.” The Hebrew word translated “likeness” is demûth meaning resemblance or similitude. The commentator Albert Barnes notes that this implies a “‘likeness,’ in any quality.” Adam Clarke said:

The image and likeness must necessarily be intellectual; his mind, his soul, must have been formed after the nature and perfections of his God. The human mind is still endowed with most extraordinary capacities; it was more so when issuing out of the hands of its Creator. God was now producing a spirit, and a spirit, too, formed after the perfections of his own nature. God is the fountain whence this spirit issued, hence the stream must resemble the spring which produced it. God is holy, just, wise, good, and perfect; so must the soul be that sprang from him: there could be in it nothing impure, unjust, ignorant, evil, low, base, mean, or vile. It was created after the image of God … Hence man was wise in his mind, holy in his heart, and righteous in his actions.

So, as I look upon the young man in the picture, I see the image of God albeit marred. We take offense when we see some work of art vandalized. Our sensitivities are bruised when we see graffiti on public structures or buildings. Why? Because deep inside we know that the vandals do not have to right to disfigure the work of another. It is just wrong! In like manner, our bodies are God’s work of art! He created each one individually to bear His resemblance. The psalmist beautifully phrased it this way:

– I will praise thee [God]; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

– My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

– Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. (Psalm 139:14-16)

Can we really say that our body is our own to do with as we wish – that it’s our decision? The Bible teaches otherwise. “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19). Some may object, “Paul is addressing Christians.” Yes, and I see many “Christians” following the pattern set by pop culture. Again, I do not know anything about the young man in the picture. For all I know, he may claim to be a Christian. One thing is sure, God knows. The point, whether he is or isn’t a Christian, is that he has taken it upon himself to vandalize the image of God that he bears; he has no “right” to do that. Having been created in the image of God, he has free will to do as he wishes, and he has reasoning abilities to distinguish and decide how to exercise his will. But just as any vandal, he does not have the right to disfigure, damage, or destroy another’s property. God’s creation – all of it – is His property.

Who does it harm? Well, think of the possibilities. First of all, this person obviously has a low regard of his own worth. I am no psychiatrist or psychologist, but it seems obvious to me that he is desperately trying to draw attention to himself. He feels invisible otherwise. No one really sees him, so this is one way to shout, “Here I am! See me?” Someone who has a low regard for his own life will certainly not have a high regard for someone else’s life. The young lady who defended him saying that he is not “a pedophile, a murderer or a rapist,” had nothing on which to base that assessment. A pedophile has no regard for the value of a young child’s life. A murderer has no regard for the life of another human being. A rapist does not value the great worth of a woman. None of these sociopaths value the lives of their victims, and upon close examination, none of them value their own lives.

Someone who is willing to distort and disfigure their own appearance cannot be trusted. Some of the commentators on the Facebook post noted that this young man would have a lot of trouble getting a job. Is it any wonder? Unless one is running a tattoo parlor or a pot house, how many employers would be willing to put a face like that on their business? How many (sober) moms out would entrust a young child to the care of someone that looks like this? Yes, I hear the outcries of the self-righteous saying, “Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1 taken out of context). The “judging” in this case refers to God’s judgement, which is reserved solely to Him. But God, as part of His image, has given everyone the ability to “judge rightly,” i.e., discern. Further down in that same passage Jesus says, “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you” (Matthew 7:6). Obviously, one has to exercise a certain amount of “judgement” to discern what is “holy” and who are the “dogs” and what are “pearls” and who are the “swine.” Likewise we, even in our fallen state, have the ability to make certain judgment calls. In teaching about “false prophets” Jesus said, “[By] their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:20). What is “fruit” but what a tree puts forth that can be seen and tasted. In the winter, when the trees have all lost their leaves, I can’t tell one tree from another; but when the summer comes, and I see the fruit that a tree is bearing, I know what kind of tree it is. Even if I were blind, I would still be able to smell and taste the fruit. People are the same; if they “look” messed up, they probably are, and they have the potential of harming others.

Now, I do not want to cast a broad net. I realize that people make mistakes that they later regret and their lives change, but the outward scars remain. I also realize that there are some people who look really good on the outside, but inwardly they are rotten to the core. A recent case in point were the would-be ISIS terrorists shot down in Garland, Texas by police before they were able to carry out their act of terror. The two men came from Phoenix, Arizona where neighbors in their apartment complex testified that these were two really nice guys. They were friendly toward their neighbors, helpful, hard workers, etc. – certainly not the kind that would attempt to commit such an atrocity. It goes to show that you cannot always judge by what you see; but most of the time you can.

Leaving the judgment of the heart to God, let’s focus back on just the image in the picture. Here is the image of God, distorted, disfigured, damaged and permanently scarred. What would possess someone do that to themselves? May I suggest Satan? Consider that Satan was created as a high-ranking angel, an archangel to be exact. In ranking, he was next to God (See “Why Satan?”). He, along with all the other angels, was created before God created man on Day Six of creation. He observed God’s care in the creation of man. He noted that God created man in His own image — not so the angels including Satan (Lucifer was his name). Lucifer watched as God gave to man dominion over all of His creation (Genesis 1:26-29), and now the angels were to serve man: “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14). Oh! How this must have galled Lucifer! He has hated man ever since, and his goal from the beginning has been to mar the image of God – to destroy that which God most cherishes. When I look on the face of this young man, I see a young man so deceived by Satan that he succumbed to Satan’s bidding to mar the image of God that he carries. This image saddens me deeply. What saddens me more is when I see “Christians” ignorantly fall for the same deception – piercings, tattoos, immodest dress, vulgar language, etc. What kind of “fruit” do they exhibit? Appearances do matter. No one can judge the heart except God, but we are to bear His image and His likeness, and we cannot do that when we follow that pattern of the world that Satan displays as “pop culture.” Whose image shall we bear? Shall we persist on marring the image of God, or shall we remember that we “have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him” (Colossians 3:10).

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May 17, 2015 · 10:30

The Unifying Theme

holy-bible

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;  (Romans 3:23)

Critics of the Bible abound even among so-called mainline “Christian” denominations, but when examined closely, the criticisms always fail to stand up to the truth of God’s Word. As the Apostle Paul said, “let God be true, but every man a liar” (Romans 3:4). So it is.

Perhaps the greatest testament to the veracity of the Bible is the unifying theme that it carries throughout its pages. There exists no other so-called “holy” writing that compares with the Bible in clarity and unity of thought, even though it was penned by over 40 different authors (most of which did not know one another so that they could collaborate) over a period of about 1500 to 2000 years. Compare that to the Qur’an which was written by one man over a period of about 22 years (610-632 AD) and compiled over a period of only three years (653-656 AD). Or compare the Book of Mormon written by John Smith. It was produced in only two years between 1827 and 1829. Neither of the “holy” books compares to the Bible in unity of thought even though they were composed by one man each. Yet the Bible, with all of its various human writers over a very long period of time maintains a consistent theme. What is that theme?

The God of the Bible is unique among all other gods. All the gods devised by man demand that man lay down his life for them. The God of the Bible laid down His life for man. The gods devised by man demand that man earn their favor. The God of the Bible completed all the work of redemption, offers it as a free gift, and “asks” man to accept His gift. Let us examine how that plays out.

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). From the very start, we are introduced to God as Creator. The verses that follow detail His work of creation and we are awestruck at His omniscience and omnipotence. So great is He that one must immediately decide whether to believe or reject the account of His creation, and therein lie the trappings of disbelief. As we continue in our reading we discover that God’s final and most cherished creation is man. “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness … So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:26, 27). Man bears the image of God. It is no wonder that God’s first command for human government was “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man” (Genesis 9:6). The creation of man was the cherry on top of God’s cake, “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). “Very good” in God’s economy is flawless.

So far, so good, but then all that fell apart when man disobeyed God’s only command, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17). Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s only command (Genesis 3). They sinned. Some attempt to blunt the edge of the word “sin” by suggesting that it means to “miss the mark.” They arrive at this by quoting a passage from the book of Judges describing the accuracy of the Benjamites with a sling. “Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss” (Judges 20:16).   The Hebrew word translated “miss” is châṭâ’, which is often translated “sin.” It could be said that the Benjamites sling a stone without “sinning.” But sin is not so much like taking aim at a target, and missing the bull’s eye. Accurately hitting a target is a product of our own efforts. Sometimes we hit; sometimes we miss. Oh, well! “Sin” cannot be taken so lightly. Paul, quoting Psalm 14:1-3, tells us that, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God” (Romans 3:10-11). To suggest that sin is “missing the mark” implies that the sinner is trying to “hit the mark,” Scripture suggests otherwise – there is none that seek to “hit the mark,” at least not the mark that God has set. No, sin is more egregious than, “Oops! I missed!”

Sin is outright rebellion against God. More than that, it is man’s attempt to usurp God’s rightful place. Note Satan’s threefold assault on Eve. First, he cast doubt on the Word of God: “Yea, hath God said …?” (Genesis 3:1). Second, he denies the truth of God’s Word: “Ye shall not surely die” (3:4). Finally, he accuses God of keeping something better from them: “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (3:5, emphasis mine). And that, boys and girls, is the basis for all sin. Man desires to be his own god and determine good and evil for himself. This truth repeats itself over and over in a variety of different scenarios throughout Scripture. But look what God does.

After Adam and Eve sinned, God gave opportunity for redemption. Notice Who looks for who. “And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?” (Genesis 3:9). Does anyone really think that the omniscient and omnipresent God did not know where they were hiding? God gave Adam and Eve the opportunity to confess their sin and ask forgiveness. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).  But rather than confess, they started making excuses and refusing to take responsibility for their own actions – much like people do today. In His patience, God continued to probe, “And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?” (Genesis 3:11).  Again, rather than accept responsibility and confess their sin, the couple made excuses. You can read the results for yourself. I want to highlight what God did.

The couple did not die instantly, but their sin set in motion the physical dying process. It has been said that from the moment of our birth, we all start dying. That is so true, but more than that, their sin disconnected them from their source of eternal life. “The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life” (Job 33:4). The penalty of their sin was death, “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Someone or something had to die to pay the penalty for their sin, but it could not be the man or the woman, for they were now corrupt, and their death could not satisfy Holy God. So God Himself intervened. “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21). In order to make “coats of skins,” innocent, perfect animals, probably sheep, were slaughtered to make coverings (atonement) for the naked pair. I believe that the preincarnate Christ performed the sacrifice before them to set the pattern that they would follow from then on. On an altar of stone the Lamb of God, shed innocent blood to atone for the sin of man.

That set the pattern for millions of similar blood sacrifices to follow. In the succeeding chapter we find righteous Abel continuing the practice handed down from God Himself (Genesis 4:4). Older brother Cain chose to sacrifice in a way not prescribed by God; he chose to do things his own way and bring the fruits of his own labor (Genesis 4:3). His offering may seem more “humane” in that no blood was shed, but it was what God demanded. “And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell” (Genesis 4:4-5). Like many people today, Cain thought his own efforts done in his own way should be acceptable to God, but God does not see it that way. Like people today, Cain thought that all ways lead to God, but for God, there is only one way and that is through the blood. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11).

From the beginning, it has always been the shedding of innocent blood that made atonement (a covering) for sin. The sacrificial system was codified in the Mosaic Law and practiced throughout Old Testament history.  But, “it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4).  Something more permanent needed to be put in place. “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Galatians 4:4-5). “Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:5-8).

In short, the unifying theme of the Bible is that Holy God created man in His image. Man sinned against God and earned the penalty of sin which is death, both physical and spiritual. God intervened on man’s behalf initially by substituting innocent animal blood to atone for sin, but ultimately He took on human form and as a sinless (innocent) man, shed His own blood on the cross for our sin. “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). There is no other “holy” book that makes such a claim. There is no other God that does for His creation, what the God of the Bible did for us.

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May 10, 2015 · 10:30

Mom

Elena Enriquez Carrasco (1928 - 2001)

Elena Enriquez Carrasco
(1928 – 2001)

Her children arise up, and call her blessed (Proverbs 31:28)

She was not yet 22 years old when she gave birth to me just a little over 64 years ago. I was not the first. By this time she had given birth to two older brothers who died in infancy, so by default, I was the oldest.

Mom was not well educated having only completed the seventh grade, but she was intelligent and wise. Later in life, after all us kids were grown and gone, she earned her GED which enabled her to secure a position with the State of Texas as a social counselor. She always encouraged us in our education and praised us for every passing grade we earned – a “C” was a passing grade, although “Bs” and “As” earned extra attention, but never money. Mom liked to brag on our achievements no matter how mediocre. I was usually embarrassed by the attention, but deep inside, I liked it. Mom knew the importance of education and she always encouraged us in that endeavor. I still remember her waking us for school every morning to the clarion call of Isaiah 60:1 – “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee”! And she always had something warm for us for breakfast. Life circumstances prevented me from completing my college education at the age of 21 or 22, but when I earned my bachelors degree at the age of 50, she was there to celebrate the occasion; and she beamed with as much pride as any parent of a 20-year old that just graduated college.

Mom loved to sing! Her favorite part was “segunda” which included both alto and tenor depending on what note best fit her ear. We sang all the time. When we went on road trips, we sang every hymn we could think of, and when we were out of hymns, we would start in on choruses both in Spanish and in English. Then when we had exhausted our repertoire, we would begin again until we reached our destination. After I left home, the songs stopped for me. It was Mom that raised the song in me, I guess, and without her, there was no reason to sing. One hymn that to this day I cannot sing without thinking of Mom and without getting an enormous lump in my throat along with leaky eyes is “God Will Take Care of You.” She must have sung it to me in the cradle a million times. I know I heard her sing it to my two younger brothers and my baby sister. Although, she sang it in Spanish: “Dios Cuidara de Tí.” The words and the tune haunt me to this day – even in English – and I always think of her:

Be not dismayed whate’er betide
God will take care of you;
Beneath His wings of love abide,
God will take care of you.
 
God will take care of you
Thru every day, o’re all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.
 

Those words have never failed. I suppose she continues to sing them in heaven because I continue to experience them here on earth.

We were a “low-income” family growing up, but we were never “poor.” Dad earned meager wages as a pastor of small Spanish-speaking churches. During the week he worked behind a cotton stripper shoveling dusty cotton bolls to the back of cotton trailers. Mom worked part time at grocery store or as a waitress, but she was always there when we got home from school. She always made sure we had what we needed. Before our sister came along, Mom liked to dress us all alike, and at Christmastime, we all got the same toys. There was enough sibling rivalry without battles over toys.

Mom was a strict disciplinarian too. He had a six-inch wide hand-tooled leather belt with MEXICO embossed in two-inch letters on the back, and she used it on all of us at least once at one time or another. Anytime we misbehaved, she just needed to mention MEXICO, and we straightened right up. Mom was all of 4’11”, but she commanded a huge amount of respect. The last time my mother attempted to use MEXICO on me, I was 10 years old. By this time, I was about a head taller than her. I don’t remember what I did, but it incited her ire, and she came after me. I took off running, but before I got too far out of her reach, wisdom took a strong hold on me, and I realized that the outcome would be worse, if I persisted in my escape effort. I knew it would go better, if I just faced her. So, I stopped dead in my tracks and turned and faced her. As she raised MEXICO high for the crushing blow, I wrapped my arms around her and started kissing her neck and telling her how much I loved her. She melted into tears and told me that I was too big for her to have to spank me. She never did again. Her tears accomplished more than any spanking could.

Mom spent the last year of her life with June and me. She was in and out of hospitals all that year. It was a hard year for all of us. When she wasn’t in the hospital, we spent a lot of time talking. June was impressed at Mom’s ability to listen and quietly take in what we said. When she finally spoke, her words were few but laden with years of wisdom. One thing that she made clear to us that final year was that she was ready to be with Jesus, and that was her greatest desire. Just before Christmas of 2001, we had just come home from another stent in the hospital. Mom looked at June and said, “No more pills. No more hospitals.” Mom made it past Christmas day, but before the New Year, Jesus granted her greatest desire, and she went to be with Him. Before her departure, while still coherent, her concern was for us. I assured her that everything would be alright. I told her, “Don’t worry, Mom. When you meet Jesus, you are going to look back, and we will be right behind you.” I truly believe that. I don’t think there is a sense of time in heaven like there is here on earth. For me, Mom has been gone so long – almost 13 years. I miss her still, but for her it’s been no time at all.

Some reading this can probably relate similar stories. Our mothers are so precious to us, and often, we do not appreciate them until after they are gone. If you still have your mother, “arise and call her blessed” while she can still hear your voice. Let her know how much she means to you. If your mother is in heaven, as I know mine is, you need to make sure you are on the Only Way to be with her. Happy Mother’s Day.

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May 3, 2015 · 10:30

Adam & Steve or Bev & Eve?

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.  (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

This week the United States Supreme Court met to hear arguments for and against constitutional protection or sanction of same-sex “marriage” nationwide. Regarding traditional marriage – between one man and one woman – Justice Anthony M. Kennedy made this poignant statement: “This definition has been with us for millennia, and it’s very difficult for the court to say, ‘Oh, well, we know better.’”[1] Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. zeroed in on the agenda driving the gay rights same-sex marriage movement. He rightly pointed out, “You’re not seeking to join the institution [of marriage] – you’re seeking to change what the institution is. “The fundamental core of the institution is the opposite-sex relationship, and you want to introduce into it a same-sex relationship.”[2] Justice Antonin Scalia points out the religious issues that might arise from a favorable ruling from the court. “I’m concerned about the wisdom of this court imposing through the Constitution a requirement of action which is unpalatable to many of our citizens for religious reasons. They are not likely to change their view about what marriage consists of. And were the states to adopt it by law, they could make exceptions to what is required for same-sex marriage, who has to honor it and so forth.”[3]

Regardless of what side of the issue you favor, with all due respect, your opinion on this matter and that of the Supreme Court is irrelevant. While the court’s ruling on this will have far-reaching implications for the course of our nation, the rule for human unions was issued at the beginning of creation from the One whose law supersedes all human laws and institutions. “And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Genesis 2:22-24, emphasis mine). In Scripture, every reference to marriage is always and only presented as between a man and a woman. As Justice Kennedy pointed out, the definition of marriage as a male-female union “has been with us for millennia” – six millennia to be exact. God established marriage between a man and a woman, primarily for procreation, and secondly as the nucleus of social order. The most fundamental form of government is the family unit, and when that nucleus is destroyed, the social order breaks down.

The Bible, both Old and New Testaments, supports the nuclear family unit with one man and one woman as husband and wife. Any time there is a deviation from God’s plan presented in the Bible, there is always trouble associated with it. Take, for example, the relationship between Abraham, Sarah and Hagar, (Genesis 16 and 21). This relationship produced two sons, Ishmael and Isaac, whose descendants harbor aggression toward one another to this very day. Lot, Abraham’s nephew, after he was saved from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, had incestuous relations with his two daughters that produced the pagan nations of Moab (Moabites) and Ammon (Ammonites) (Genesis 19). Then there was Jacob with his two wives and two concubines that resulted in 12 half brothers from a single father, but four different mothers. That became the nation of Israel, and there was constant trouble among the brothers. The father of Samuel had two wives and there was contention in that home (1 Samuel 1). Then there was David with all of his wives and the trouble that existed in that family. Not to be outdone, David’s son Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3), and following his death the kingdom was divided. The Bible is clear. Any marriage other than between one man and one woman is doomed for disaster. Jesus supported marriage between one man and one woman. “And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 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? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matthew 19:4-6, emphasis mine). The New Testament outlines the proper function of the family unit (Ephesians 5:20-33; 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Peter 3:1-7). There is never given such instruction for homosexual couples. According to God’s Word, “marriage” always and only properly exists between one man and one woman.

Now, this is my personal blog, and I am not beholding to or obligated to anyone for political correctness. I really do not care whether you favor “gay marriage” or whether you oppose it. My concern is for God’s opinion on the matter. Some may object by charging that this is just “my” interpretation of Scripture, and that I have simply misread the text. I will gladly take my lumps if I can be proven wrong (from Scripture), but there is no “interpretation” needed to see the obvious truth of the Bible. Take the following passages for example (and please feel free to read the passage in context, i.e., read the verses that precede and those that follow):

Thou shalt not lie [for intercourse] with mankind [Hebrew: zâkâr, i.e., a male], as with womankind [Hebrew: ‘ishshâh, i.e., a woman]: it is abomination [Hebrew: tô‛êbah i.e., something disgusting and abhorant] … For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations [including incest and bestiality (in context)], even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people. (Leviticus 18:22, 29)

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness [Greek: akatharsia, i.e., impurity] through the lusts [Greek: epithumia, i.e., longing, desire] of their own hearts, to dishonor [Greek: atimazō, i.e., to render infamous, contemn or maltreat] their own bodies between themselves … For this cause God gave them up unto vile [Greek: atimia, i.e., indignity or disgrace] affections [Greek: pathos, i.e., passion, inordinate affection, lust]: for even their women did change the natural [Greek: phusikos, i.e., physical, instinctive] use [Greek: chrēsis, i.e., sexual intercourse] into that which is against nature [Greek: phusis, i.e., growth (by germination or expansion), natural production]: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned [Greek: ekkaiō, i.e., to inflame deeply] in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly [Greek: aschēmosunē, i.e., and indecency], and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet [Greek: dei, i.e., necessary] (Romans 1:24, 26-27).

Know ye not that the unrighteous [Greek: adikos, i.e., unjust, wicked, treacherous] shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators [Greek: pornos, i.e., a male prostitute, a debauchee], nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate [Greek: malakos, i.e., soft, figuratively a catamite (a boy in a sexual relationship with a man)], nor abusers of themselves with mankind [Greek: arsenokoitēs, i.e., a sodomite]. (1 Corinthians 6:9).

The above passages are linked to Biblegateway.com in case the reader does not have a Bible handy. The text stands on its own merits, but I felt that translation of some of the words into their original languages was necessary to demonstrate how strongly God really feels about this issue. Homosexuality is a sin. It is abhorrent to God primarily because it goes against His “very good” design for human sexuality, procreation, and the social order of family. Homosexuality is unnatural. Even the gay activists that are fighting for same-sex marriage admit that fact. Two men or two women cannot produce children together. Procreation requires a man and a woman, and as previously noted, “marriage” from a biblical perspective can only be between a man and a woman.

I am firmly against same-sex “marriage.” That does not make me a homophobe. I do not have a phobia, i.e., a “fear,” of homosexuals, and I find the accusation insulting. I cannot speak for all Christians, but I am sure many would agree. I stand against homosexuality because God is against homosexuality. It is just that simple. I really do not care if gays want to practice their perversion; that is between them and God. However, it is the responsibility of every Christian to identify it for what it is – sin – and it is wrong for Christians to roll over and let the gay community try to redefine marriage. Marriage is, and always has been between one man and one woman.

Homosexuality is not the only sin that God hates, and it is not the “unpardonable” sin. Our starting Bible passage included a long list of other sins, not just that of homosexuality. Jesus said that all sin can forgiven except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31). Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit simply means to reject the Holy Spirit’s call upon one’s heart. The Holy Spirit’s job description is to “convince” the individual of the truth of God’s Word, and “convict” him of his sin and his need to heed the message of God’s Word (John 16:7-11). To blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, then, is basically to call Him a liar. Homosexuality, like every other sin, can be forgiven, but it requires repentance, i.e., to agree with God, the Holy Spirit, that it is sin and, with God’s help, be willing to turn away from that lifestyle. God will forgive that sin as He will every sin, but the offender must first recognize it as sin.

This issue of gay “marriage” will ruin our nation. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12). Too many very loud voices clamor to make this perversion the law of the land claiming “natural” rights, equality, etc., but they are wrong, and God promises that the consequence of such folly is destruction. Note what God said in the Leviticus passage quoted earlier:

Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things [all the illicit sex acts listed]: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants … (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled) That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you. For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations [all the illicit sex acts listed], even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people. (Leviticus 18:24-25, 27-29, emphasis mine)

God often receives a bad rap because He instructed the Israelites to kill every living thing in the land He was giving them. The reason for this was because of the perversion of the people inhabiting the land. These people were practicing homosexuals. They practiced bestiality.  They had male and female temple prostitutes. They were incestuous. They offered their babies up as burnt sacrifices to their pagan gods. Furthermore, God had given them opportunity to repent through the witness of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob plus over 400 years that the children of Israel were in Egyptian captivity, but they didn’t. These were vile people and God judged them to death at the hand of the Israelites. How much clearer a picture does one need to recognize the intensity of God’s abomination for this sin! Note His warning to the Israelites should they fall into the same practice. That warning speaks to our nation as well.

Gay marriage is not “marriage.” Homosexual unions are wrong, not because of public opinion, but because God, who designed us male and female for procreation and companionship, says it’s wrong, and because it goes against His purpose. The opinion or ruling of the United States Supreme Court holds no sway over the Creator. “For I am the LORD, I change not” (Malachi 3:6). The final ruling by the Supreme Court will be sometime in June 2015. If they rule contrary to God’s law, our nation is doomed, and we will see a rise in the persecution of Christians who hold fast to God’s law. There is still time to pray.

 Notes:

[1] From The Washington Post, “Supreme Court hears arguments in historic gay-marriage case” http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/supreme-court-will-hear-historic-arguments-in-gay-marriage-cases/2015/04/27/083d9302-ed24-11e4-8666-a1d756d0218e_story.html, accessed April 29, 2015.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Jeffrey Rosen, YahooNews, “The Supreme Court gay marriage arguments: What the justices revealed — quote by quote” https://www.yahoo.com/politics/the-supreme-court-gay-marriage-arguments-what-the-117695904751.html, accessed April 29, 2015.

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