Category Archives: Creation

Articles that emphasize biblical six-day, young earth creation.

March 17, 2013 · 23:38

The Bible Stands

Bible

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.   (Isaiah 40:8)

Recently a well-known pastor was interviewed by a well-known news commentator concerning the History Channel’s mini-series entitled the The Bible.  The commentator, who claims to be a Christian, began his interview with the presupposition that the Bible is all allegorical. His first question betrayed his bias: “Adam and Eve: Did they literally live in the Garden of Eden and usurp the evolutionary process?” The exchange continued on a pretty even keel from then on with the pastor responding to the commentator’s every incredulous questions. Finally the commentator challenged the compatibility of the Bible with science. The pastor responded with, “I think you’re wrong on this one. The Bible does not contradict true science. It may contradict passing fads of scientific theory that are always evolving.” The pastor could have been more straightforward with the commentator and plainly said, “No, you are wrong on this one,” and gone on to make his case. The truth that pastor made clear was that the opinions of science are always changing with every new discovery, but God and His Word never changes, so, it is either always fully reliable, or it us wholly unreliable. It is either all true or not true at all.

So the pastor continued to make his point: “For example, it used to be thought that the cosmos always existed. But then we had Sir Fred Hoyle, who named the named the Big Bang Theory, that said, ‘Guess what, the universe had a beginning 13.7 billion years ago.’” At this point the pastor had not yet fully capitulated. He was simply pointing out that scientific theories are fickle, but what he unwittingly did was give credence to the unproved “scientific” Big Bang Theory. This was reflected in the commentator’s subsequent question: “Do you believe that the universe started 13.7 billion years ago?” Now the pastor was in a tight spot. He had already opened the door to the possibility of the Big Bang, so now he had to wiggle out of it the best way he could. He responded, “I think it very well could have. One of the things fundamentalist Christians mess up on is they try to say the earth is 6000 years old. The Bible never makes that claim anywhere.” So now, before a national audience, he made the theories of man superior to the Bible, he threw fundamentalist Christians “under the bus,” and he made a false (or at least uniformed) claim about the Bible.

Of course the Bible makes no claim about the age of the earth! However, when one makes a careful study of the genealogies in the book of Genesis, one can easily determine that the time from Adam to Noah was about 1600 years. Some who doubt the veracity of Scripture will attempt to interject “gaps” in the genealogies so that the time span could be much greater, but this is unfounded when one takes Scripture for what is plainly stated. Others attempt to introduce long ages, billions of years even, between the first two verses of Genesis, but this, again, is unfounded. Or else they will attempt to make the “days” of creation be long ages, and this too has no basis in truth especially when a “day” (Hebrew: yom) is clearly defined as “evening and morning” – clearly a 24-hour day. So with a little bit of study and the use of some very simple mathematics, we can conclude, according to Scripture, that the earth is approximately 6000 years old. By yielding on this point, the pastor lost credibility for himself and for the Bible, and ultimately he lost the debate. The commentator reaffirmed his assertion that the Bible was all allegory and given that the pastor had basically conceded on the Genesis record there was really nothing more the pastor could say to convince him otherwise.

Anyone who truly believes that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16) and that “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but [God’s] words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35) cannot afford to compromise on Scripture even in the tiniest point. Jesus said, “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5:18). If this is so, then all of Scripture is true and accurate, and according to the biblical record, the earth is about 6000 years old. The atheists/evolutionists do not yield in the least on their contrived Big Bang Theory, so why should Christians compromise on the truth of Scripture?

The pastor preached a solid sermon on Sunday. He preached on:

      • The reliability of the Bible
      • The exclusivity of the Gospel
      • The sovereignty of God

All points meant to encourage Christians to trust God and His Word. So why compromise? Either God’s Word is true or it is not. It really is that simple. The words of the old hymn probably express best the attitude we ought to have toward the Word of God …

The Bible stands like a rock undaunted
’Mid the raging storms of time;
Its pages burn with the truth eternal, (emphasis added)
And they glow with a light sublime.
 
Refrain:
The Bible stands though the hills may tumble,
It will firmly stand when the earth shall crumble;
I will plant my feet on its firm foundation,
For the Bible stands.
 
The Bible stands like a mountain tow’ring
Far above the works of men; (emphasis added)
Its truth by none ever was refuted,
And destroy it they never can.
 
The Bible stands and it will forever,
When the world has passed away;
By inspiration it has been given,
All its precepts I will obey.
 
The Bible stands every test we give it, (emphasis added)
For its Author is divine;
By grace alone I expect to live it,
And to prove and to make it mine.
(“The Bible Stands” by Haldor Lillenas, 1917)

 

As Bible-believing Christians, there should never be room for compromise on Scripture.

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Filed under Apologetics, Atheism, Christianity, Creation, Current Events, Evolution, Gospel, Religion, Theology

February 24, 2013 · 16:00

Midnight at the Museum

Perot Museum

The Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Dallas, Texas.

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools (Romans 1:22)

In December 2012, Dallas opened the doors to Perot Museum of Nature and Science dedicated to the “religion” of evolution. Recently a couple of friends and I ventured out to explore “the talk of the town.”  The place was replete with technologically enhanced exhibits designed to “wow” patrons and to captivate the minds of young children.  One such display, logistically placed at the beginning of the self-guided tour, depicted the origin of our universe.  One young lad called out to his friends, “Hey! Come here!  It’s the Big Bang!  This is how it all started!”  The display projected a video program from above onto a convex reflective surface below.  The narrative began by discrediting the “creationist” view in lieu of “the facts” we now “know” about the origins of the universe.

That was just the beginning.  Throughout the museum, evolution was presented as undeniable fact.  One signboard encouraged the visitor to “Imagine you are a paleontologist…” and then stated that “Paleontologists solve fossil mish-mashes by referring to studies of anatomy and evolution.”  The bias could not be more clearly stated; the starting place is “evolution” and the possibility of creation is not even up for discussion.  A display of mammal fossils proclaims that “We mammals distinguish ourselves by our ability to grow hair and suckle our offspring. Most also give birth to live young” (emphasis added)  This seemingly innocuous statement equates humans with animals, rather than a special and distinct creation of God.

Another exhibit traced the evolution of dinosaurs to birds.  The placard read: “When did modern birds emerge?  It is difficult to pinpoint.  The transition from ‘pre-bird’ to bird took tens of millions of years with many steps along the way.”  However, omitted from the narrative is the fact that no evidence exists in the fossil record to confirm such a claim; even so it is presented as indisputable fact.  And according to the geology exhibit earth’s sedimentary rock layers “reveal the major events in the geologic history of a site … and the evolution of life on Earth.”  The truth is that the sedimentary rock layers only reveal fully formed plants and animals with no transitional forms at all.  In fact, the museum displayed many fossilized creatures that still exist today.

The biology section explained the importance of the cell.  “All living things are made up of tiny, self-contained units called cells.  Cells perform essential functions, such as taking in nutrients, converting energy, or enabling reproduction.” What is omitted from the message is how highly complex even the most simple cell is and the improbability of it having resulted from a random combination of inert matter.  In tracing the history of evolution one sign recorded that “As new evidence and observations mounted, evolution became an accepted theory (emphasis added).  Today, we continue to develop and test ideas about the way evolution works.”  Several misrepresentations are found in this statement.  First of all, there is no “evidence” for evolution.  Secondly, no “observations” of evolution have been undeniably documented, and they certainly have not “mounted” because all such “observations” keep collapsing on themselves.  Thirdly, one might conclude that the reason evolutionists “continue to develop and test ideas about the way evolution works,” is because it does not work, or, as they say out in West Texas, “they’re kicking a dead horse.”

The human evolution section displayed a replica of fossilized footprints discovered in Laetoli, Tanzania.  These footprints showed “a well-developed arch and heel-to-toe imprint.  This contrasts to our ape relatives which, when walking upright, place more pressure on the outside of the foot.”  The footprints, at least to this observer, were clearly human; however, the artist’s conception of the creatures that made the prints looked like naked, lanate, ape-faced hominids.  It is not difficult to see how they arrived at this conclusion, when one considers the evolutionist’s mindset.  Supposedly, the volcanic ash in which the prints were made was 3.6 million years old.  Modern humans, according to evolutionists, only evolved 100,000 years ago, so naturally the prints could not have been made by modern humans.  The unanswered question, or the question that is not raised is, what if the volcanic ash is not that old?

In all, the field trip to the museum was an enjoyable experience, but as the saying goes, “it’s a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.”  For a place that is supposedly enlightened by “science,” it reveals the darkness brought about by the denial of the Creator (Romans 1:28).  The Institute for Creation Research addresses the topics covered here with a vast resource library of articles.  Below are just of few that I would encourage you to consider.

Suggested Reading:

Big Bang Explanations Fall Flat

New Research Undermines Key Argument for Human Evolution

Humans are Humans, After All

Archaeopteryx Is a Bird…Again

Stalling Over Transitional Forms

Bacteria Study Shoots Down ‘Simple Cell’ Assumptions

Who or What Made the Laetoli Footprints?

The Unasked Question

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Filed under Atheism, Christianity, Creation, Current Events, Evolution, Religion

February 17, 2013 · 15:36

Doggie Heaven

Peeper

Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? (Luke 12:6)

Tina, our fourteen and a half-year old Chorkie (half Chihuahua, half Yorkie) is coming to the end of her life, and the prospect of her demise is breaking our hearts. We got Tina when she was not quite three months old from my sister. She was so tiny that she fit in the palm of my hand, and she looked rather ugly with thin, grayish, wiry hair that stuck out in all directions. In the evenings when June, my wife, would come home from the hospital where she worked as a labor and delivery nurse, she would take Tina and put her in the side pocket of her scrubs, and Tina was perfectly happy to go along for the ride. She didn’t stay that small though. She grew to a whopping seven pounds, and our local vet cautioned us that she was getting too fat. Well, she didn’t get any bigger than that, but what she lacked in size, she made up in heart. Tina loves people and tolerates other dogs as long as they know that she’s the boss. She knows no fear and she won’t back down from a fight, even when the aggressor outweighs her by twenty pounds. That’s how she lost her left eye, and how she got her nickname, “Peeper.”

We have many fond memories of the time God has blessed us with our little girl. I can’t believe that I was once ready to get rid of her because she refused to be housebroken. She was almost a year old and she just wasn’t getting it. I told her, “If you don’t stop doing your business inside the house by the end of the week, you’re out of here!” I don’t know if she understood, but from that day on, we had no more problems. When I think of what we would have missed out on had I followed through on my threat, I just thank God that she got the message.

As I ponder what lies ahead for us – will she pass quietly in her sleep? – will we have to watch her waste away slowly because she refuses to eat? – will we have to put her down and hold her as her life leaves her tiny body? – I wonder, why does God allow us to love these little creatures so deeply that our hearts ache when we lose them? I think, “They are just animals.” But are they just animals? Anyone who has ever loved a dog knows that each one has their own personality. They can’t talk to us in human language, but they do communicate. We know what they are thinking and what they want, and they know how to get what they want from us. And when we talk to them, they listen, and it is almost as if they understand. When we are happy, they are happy. When we are down, they seem to know, and they will wrap themselves up next to us, or crawl up on our laps to comfort us. Remember the story of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16:19-31? The rich man had no concern for the plight of the poor beggar camped outside his gates. Jesus noted that the dogs had more compassion for this poor wretch and “came and licked his sores” (v. 21). Dogs are like that.

I hope that God has a special place for dogs in heaven. I know that the Bible doesn’t talk about such things. Isaiah speaks of animals in the Millennial Kingdom: “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ [crocodile’s] den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:7-9). Since the wolf is of the “dog kind,” surely domestic dogs will be included there too. The Millennial Kingdom, although it will be wonderful, is not quite heaven. There is yet a New Heaven and a New Earth to be created (Revelation 21:1). There is no mention of animals in the New Heaven and the New Earth, but it is safe to guess that since God created animals before man in His first creation, then He probably will have animals in the New Heaven and New Earth. But do dogs go to heaven?

In the beginning when God created, there was no death. Animals did not die and man did not die. It stands to reason, therefore, that animals too were created to live forever. But that ended when man sinned in the Garden (Genesis 3), and death entered into the world because of man’s sin (Romans 5:12). Man’s sin brought death upon all of God’s creation so “that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now” (Romans 8:22). Animals suffer death innocently because of our sin, but Jesus did not come to die for dogs. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15). In redeeming mankind, Christ will redeem His creation. “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

No, the Bible doesn’t say what happens to doggies when they die. That does not mean that God does not care about them. Our beginning verse reminds us that even seemingly insignificant sparrows do not fall without their Creator taking notice of them. So, as I pray for my little four-footed friend, I ask that God will take note of her. Remember what a faithful little companion she has been. Remember that the curse of death is not her fault; it’s mine. So, if there is a doggie heaven, then please, Lord, make a place for our little Tina.

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Filed under Apologetics, Christianity, Creation, Current Events, Dogs, End Times, Gospel, Religion, Salvation, Theology

November 19, 2012 · 22:16

Chosen From the Womb

… God, who separated me from my mother’s womb … (Galatians 1:15)

Paul, in making his case to the Galatians for his apostleship, makes a striking statement that is overlooked or blatantly ignored by the proponents of easy abortions.  Sadly, a large number of so-called Christians fall into this camp.  Here, Paul states in no uncertain terms that his call “to preach him among the heathen” (v. 16) came before he was even born.

That human life is precious to God is clearly demonstrated in the pages of the Bible.  When Cain murdered his brother Abel, God quickly called him to account:  “What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.  And now art thou cursed from the earth which hath opened up her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood” (Genesis 4:10-11).  Then to discourage others from murdering Cain, “the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold” (Genesis 4:15).  Over a millennia and a half later, when Noah exited the ark, God assigned the protection of life to man: “And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man.  Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man” (Genesis 9:5-6).

Then the question arises, “When does life begin?”  To the biologist, human life begins at the union of the sperm with the ovum, but to the secular scientist, that is “biological” human life (Greek: bíos) without the essence (Greek: zoé) of humanity or “personhood.”  This then becomes a philosophical question.  Does the “thing” become a person at conception, or after the first trimester from conception, or after the second, or the third?  Some go so far assign the quality of personhood long after the birth of the creature, even up to three years.  Killing such a creature can then be justified seeing “it” is not a “person.”

God makes no such distinctions.  From the moment of conception, and even before then, the child is a human being, a person – the image of God.  To make this point clear, God established laws to protect the child in the womb making it a capital offense to take the life of a fully developed unborn child. (Exodus 21:22-23).   The psalmist declares “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 139:15-16).  God spoke to the prophet Jeremiah and said, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5).  Life is precious to God.  Even before conception He has devised a plan for every life He creates in the womb.  Since it is God that creates, gives and sustains life, abortion is never justified or acceptable from His perspective.  That being so, it makes sense that anyone who fears God, would and should share the same perspective.

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August 12, 2012 · 15:37

Holding All Things Together

And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.  (Colossians 1:17)

One of the irrefutable laws of physics is the First Law of Thermodynamics or the Law of Conservation, which states that matter and energy can neither be created nor destroyed — at least as it is observed today.  However, the Bible makes it clear that matter and energy did indeed have a starting point.  “In the beginning [time] God created the Heaven [space] and the earth [matter/energy]” (Genesis 1:1).  Scripture also makes it clear that the Creator was Jesus. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same [Word] was in the beginning with God.  All things [matter/energy] were made by him [the Word], and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:1-3).

Our verse further emphasizes this truth: “He is before all things.”  Before there was matter/energy, before there was time, before there was space, there was Christ.  Space and matter/energy can only be experienced in time, so it only makes sense that the Creator created time “in the beginning” for us to experience the rest of the universe.  It also makes sense that the Creator must exist outside of time in order to create time; hence, “He is before all things” including time.  The Greek word translated “all things” is pántoon, which simply means “all.”  This phrase could more accurately and simply be translated “He is before all” – not just things, but everything: time, space and matter/energy.

Not only did He exist before all, but He also created all.  “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” (v. 16).  Very simply, there is nothing that exists that Christ did not create!

The second part of the Law of Conservation is confirmed by the second part of our verse: “by him all things consist.”  The verb “consists” is the Greek verb sunésteeken, which means to “set together” or “to constitute.”  He holds all things together.  “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.  And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made” (Genesis 2:1-2).  So, matter and energy are no longer being created.  He made it all, and he maintains it all; so we sing “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11).  By the way, we too were created for His pleasure.  Would that He might find pleasure in us!

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