“7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. 8 They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.” (Psalm 20:7-8 NIV).
“Some nations boast of their armies and weapons, but we boast in the Lord our God. 8 Those nations will fall down and collapse, but we will rise up and stand firm.” (Psalm 20:7-8 NLT).
Psalm 20 begins with that marvelous blessing, “May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. 2 May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. 3 May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. Selah 4 May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. 5 We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests.” (Psalm 20:1-5 NIV). So marvelous was that prayer/blessing that I could not bring myself to elaborate on it (Yesterday’s TFD). (By the way “selah” is believed to be a term that means “pause for consideration; pause for reflection”)
After introducing this Psalm with this marvelous prayer/blessing the Psalmist brings his thoughts to a close by reminding us that the only real security is found in God. Israel would forget this. Years later God challenged them through the pen of Isaiah, 1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord. 2 Yet he too is wise and can bring disaster; he does not take back his words. He will rise up against the house of the wicked, against those who help evildoers. 3 But the Egyptians are men and not God; their horses are flesh and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out his hand, he who helps will stumble, he who is helped will fall; both will perish together. 4 This is what the Lord says to me: “As a lion growls, a great lion over his prey— and though a whole band of shepherds is called together against him, he is not frightened by their shouts or disturbed by their clamor— so the Lord Almighty will come down to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights.” (Isaiah 31:1-4 NIV).
Where is your trust today? Is it in man and human devices or is it in God?
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
A Wonderful Prayer
“1 May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. 2 May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. 3 May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. Selah 4 May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. 5 We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests.” (Psalm 20:1-5 NIV).
Wow! What a way to start the day! There is really not much needed to be added. The Psalmist prayer is my prayer for you.
One thing I will say, when you see that word "Selah" in the Psalms, it means "Pause and consider (what has just been said)."
Wow! What a way to start the day! There is really not much needed to be added. The Psalmist prayer is my prayer for you.
One thing I will say, when you see that word "Selah" in the Psalms, it means "Pause and consider (what has just been said)."
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Deliberate Sins
12 How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. 13 Keep me from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.” (Psalm 19:12-13 NLT).
Jeremiah reminds us, “The human heart is most deceitful and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” (Jeremiah 17:9 NLT). It is that realization that causes David to cry out, “12 How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?” And then plead for cleansing. It is also this realization of the inherent evil inclination of the fallen human heart that caused Solomon to write, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do.” (Proverbs 4:23 NLT).
While this “sin lurking in my heart” is troubling and many time surprises me when it springs forth, what I find more disturbing and incredulous is the fact that even as a child of God I am prone to willful sins. Like Paul I find myself crying again and again, “18 I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn, I can’t make myself do right. I want to, but I can’t. 19 When I want to do good, I don’t. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway . . . 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? (Romans 7:18-19 NLT & 24 NIV).
Thankfully there is an answer: 25 Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25a NIV).
What willful sins plague you? David’s prayer is one every believer should start their mornings with: “13 Keep me from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me.” For the believer a deliberate sin occurs every time I decide to take the reigns of my life from the hands of the Master. Here is a terrifying reality. The Bible tells me that those of us who are believers are dead to sin; it has no claim upon us (See Romans 6). I have come to realize that, since sin no longer has rightful control over me, when I do sin it is never because I couldn’t help it rather it is because at that moment I loved the sin more than the Savior. Painful reality. Biblically true.
Jeremiah reminds us, “The human heart is most deceitful and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” (Jeremiah 17:9 NLT). It is that realization that causes David to cry out, “12 How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?” And then plead for cleansing. It is also this realization of the inherent evil inclination of the fallen human heart that caused Solomon to write, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do.” (Proverbs 4:23 NLT).
While this “sin lurking in my heart” is troubling and many time surprises me when it springs forth, what I find more disturbing and incredulous is the fact that even as a child of God I am prone to willful sins. Like Paul I find myself crying again and again, “18 I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn, I can’t make myself do right. I want to, but I can’t. 19 When I want to do good, I don’t. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway . . . 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? (Romans 7:18-19 NLT & 24 NIV).
Thankfully there is an answer: 25 Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25a NIV).
What willful sins plague you? David’s prayer is one every believer should start their mornings with: “13 Keep me from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me.” For the believer a deliberate sin occurs every time I decide to take the reigns of my life from the hands of the Master. Here is a terrifying reality. The Bible tells me that those of us who are believers are dead to sin; it has no claim upon us (See Romans 6). I have come to realize that, since sin no longer has rightful control over me, when I do sin it is never because I couldn’t help it rather it is because at that moment I loved the sin more than the Savior. Painful reality. Biblically true.
Monday, September 21, 2009
God's Word Brings Life
“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.” (Psalm 19:7 NIV)
The dictionary defines the term revive as “to bring back to consciousness or life; active flourishing again.” Good definition. The Message renders our text this way: “The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road.”
I chuckle inwardly when people sometimes tell me that as a pastor I don’t have a clue as to what real life is like. Such people think we pastors live in ivory towers from whence we pontificate over problems we’ve never seen or experienced. In actual fact I see more broken lives in a week than many will see in a lifetime. I hear stories that would break even the stoutest heart, intervene in crises (not a misspelling the plural of crisis) sometimes on a daily basis multiple times, visit more hospitals, see more deaths (and have to comfort those left with a careful compassion lest I add to their already hurting hearts), and am sought for more advice covering a wider range of topics than any other profession. Next time you are tempted to think your pastor doesn’t have a clue about what real life is like, think about these things.
I write these things to you not to elicit from you an emotional response (I am not looking for someone to play the violin while I hold a pity party), no! I write this to you as one who knows from experience that God’s Word has the perfect answer for every need: it “pulls our lives together.”
God’s Word brings back to our heart and soul life and not just life but an active flourishing one. And this Word that brings life is trustworthy–that is, you can count on everything it says being true. What God has promised will come to fruition! (But we must make sure that the promise we have been counting upon is from God. I find many people in Christianity discouraged because they misunderstood or misappropriated a “promise” and when it didn’t happen the way they wanted it to they became angry and bitter toward God feeling that His promises someone are not true. Not so. His promises are absolutely true.)
Need a jump-start today? Have the batteries in life’s car been drained and all you get when you turn the key is a useless sound of a failed start that almost mocks you. I have the answer: plug into God’s word and find revival for your drained (perhaps dead) soul.
The dictionary defines the term revive as “to bring back to consciousness or life; active flourishing again.” Good definition. The Message renders our text this way: “The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road.”
I chuckle inwardly when people sometimes tell me that as a pastor I don’t have a clue as to what real life is like. Such people think we pastors live in ivory towers from whence we pontificate over problems we’ve never seen or experienced. In actual fact I see more broken lives in a week than many will see in a lifetime. I hear stories that would break even the stoutest heart, intervene in crises (not a misspelling the plural of crisis) sometimes on a daily basis multiple times, visit more hospitals, see more deaths (and have to comfort those left with a careful compassion lest I add to their already hurting hearts), and am sought for more advice covering a wider range of topics than any other profession. Next time you are tempted to think your pastor doesn’t have a clue about what real life is like, think about these things.
I write these things to you not to elicit from you an emotional response (I am not looking for someone to play the violin while I hold a pity party), no! I write this to you as one who knows from experience that God’s Word has the perfect answer for every need: it “pulls our lives together.”
God’s Word brings back to our heart and soul life and not just life but an active flourishing one. And this Word that brings life is trustworthy–that is, you can count on everything it says being true. What God has promised will come to fruition! (But we must make sure that the promise we have been counting upon is from God. I find many people in Christianity discouraged because they misunderstood or misappropriated a “promise” and when it didn’t happen the way they wanted it to they became angry and bitter toward God feeling that His promises someone are not true. Not so. His promises are absolutely true.)
Need a jump-start today? Have the batteries in life’s car been drained and all you get when you turn the key is a useless sound of a failed start that almost mocks you. I have the answer: plug into God’s word and find revival for your drained (perhaps dead) soul.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Need Direction?
“7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. 10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. 11 By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.” (Psalm 19:7-11 NIV).
We started this passage in yesterday’s Thought for the Day, looking at verse 7. Let’s look at it again, continuing on with the thought as does the Psalmist into verse 11. The Message renders this passage this way: “The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road. 8 The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy. The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes. 9 God’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee. The decisions of God are accurate down to the nth degree. 10 God’s Word is better than a diamond, better than a diamond set between emeralds. You’ll like it better than strawberries in spring, better than red, ripe strawberries. 11 There’s more: God’s Word warns us of danger and directs us to hidden treasure.”
Our modern world is racked with uncertainty. Drunk drivers, road rage, terrorism, violent crimes, and the list goes on. Many are living in fear. This fear is fueled not only by the sinful acts of sinful men but also by the sinful philosophies of our sinful age. Post-modernism (the defining thought of Western thinking) has removed any sense of certainty. Truth is both relative and individual. The postmodernist theme is “Whatever.” So if you happen to be a moral person, that’s right for you but don’t force your morality on me. If you happen to be an immoral person, that’s alright also. Like Israel of old, each man does what is right in his own eyes. For the post-modernist that’s the way it should be.
In the midst of all this uncertainty and in stark contrast to it stands the certainty of the Word of God. Is your life spiraling out of control? “The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together.” Do you need direction in your life? “The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road.” Are you looking for happiness? “ 8 The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy.” On and on the list goes.
You might say, “That’s easy to say, but my reality is different! I’ve tried it and it’s not been that way for me!” There is an interesting verse in Proverbs 19:3, in the Living Bible it goes like this: “A man may ruin his chances by his own foolishness and then blame it on the Lord.” I have found that the certainty of God’s Word is everything it claims to be. I have also found that millions of people who struggle with unfulfilled expectations in this area actually are not being entirely true when they proclaim “I’ve tried it. It doesn’t work!”
Years ago I decided to surprise my wife with a wonderful dinner. I’m your basic meat and potatoes guy, so that’s what I decided to make. Grilled steak, broccoli, instant mashed potatoes and brown gravy. I got everything started before I realized I had no milk! No problem, all I have to do is find a can of condensed milk and uncondense it. A trip to the pantry resulted in exactly what I needed (or so I thought). One can of Carnation’s Sweet and Condensed milk. I was in business!
Outwardly everything looked fine. But when we tasted the potatoes, the changed ingredient became immediately recognizable.
When I talk to people about the security of God’s Word and discover that they have not discovered that security, I know one thing: they have messed with the ingredients. Maybe they do 99% of things according to God’s Word, but it only takes 1% to mess up the whole mashed potatoes!
If you are looking for something certain in life, if you need direction, your life put back together again, wisdom, guidance, emotional healing, joy, etc., take God at His Word. You will discover a wonderful freedom and joy and peace.
We started this passage in yesterday’s Thought for the Day, looking at verse 7. Let’s look at it again, continuing on with the thought as does the Psalmist into verse 11. The Message renders this passage this way: “The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road. 8 The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy. The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes. 9 God’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee. The decisions of God are accurate down to the nth degree. 10 God’s Word is better than a diamond, better than a diamond set between emeralds. You’ll like it better than strawberries in spring, better than red, ripe strawberries. 11 There’s more: God’s Word warns us of danger and directs us to hidden treasure.”
Our modern world is racked with uncertainty. Drunk drivers, road rage, terrorism, violent crimes, and the list goes on. Many are living in fear. This fear is fueled not only by the sinful acts of sinful men but also by the sinful philosophies of our sinful age. Post-modernism (the defining thought of Western thinking) has removed any sense of certainty. Truth is both relative and individual. The postmodernist theme is “Whatever.” So if you happen to be a moral person, that’s right for you but don’t force your morality on me. If you happen to be an immoral person, that’s alright also. Like Israel of old, each man does what is right in his own eyes. For the post-modernist that’s the way it should be.
In the midst of all this uncertainty and in stark contrast to it stands the certainty of the Word of God. Is your life spiraling out of control? “The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together.” Do you need direction in your life? “The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road.” Are you looking for happiness? “ 8 The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy.” On and on the list goes.
You might say, “That’s easy to say, but my reality is different! I’ve tried it and it’s not been that way for me!” There is an interesting verse in Proverbs 19:3, in the Living Bible it goes like this: “A man may ruin his chances by his own foolishness and then blame it on the Lord.” I have found that the certainty of God’s Word is everything it claims to be. I have also found that millions of people who struggle with unfulfilled expectations in this area actually are not being entirely true when they proclaim “I’ve tried it. It doesn’t work!”
Years ago I decided to surprise my wife with a wonderful dinner. I’m your basic meat and potatoes guy, so that’s what I decided to make. Grilled steak, broccoli, instant mashed potatoes and brown gravy. I got everything started before I realized I had no milk! No problem, all I have to do is find a can of condensed milk and uncondense it. A trip to the pantry resulted in exactly what I needed (or so I thought). One can of Carnation’s Sweet and Condensed milk. I was in business!
Outwardly everything looked fine. But when we tasted the potatoes, the changed ingredient became immediately recognizable.
When I talk to people about the security of God’s Word and discover that they have not discovered that security, I know one thing: they have messed with the ingredients. Maybe they do 99% of things according to God’s Word, but it only takes 1% to mess up the whole mashed potatoes!
If you are looking for something certain in life, if you need direction, your life put back together again, wisdom, guidance, emotional healing, joy, etc., take God at His Word. You will discover a wonderful freedom and joy and peace.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Back to Life
“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.” (Psalm 19:7 NIV)
The dictionary defines the term revive as “to bring back to consciousness or life; active flourishing again.” Good definition. The Message renders our text this way: “The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road.”
I chuckle inwardly when people sometimes tell me that as a pastor I don’t have a clue as to what real life is like. Such people think we pastors live in ivory towers from whence we pontificate over problems we’ve never seen or experienced. In actual fact I see more broken lives in a week than many will see in a lifetime. I hear stories that would break even the stoutest heart, intervene in crises (not a misspelling the plural of crisis) sometimes on a daily basis multiple times, visit more hospitals, see more deaths (and have to comfort those left with a careful compassion lest I add to their already hurting hearts), and am sought for more advice covering a wider range of topics than any other profession. Next time you are tempted to think your pastor doesn’t have a clue about what real life is like, think about these things.
I write these things to you not to elicit from you an emotional response (I am not looking for someone to play the violin while I hold a pity party), no! I write this to you as one who knows from experience that God’s Word has the perfect answer for every need: it “pulls our lives together.”
God’s Word brings back to our heart and soul life and not just life but an active flourishing one. And this Word that brings life is trustworthy–that is, you can count on everything it says being true. What God has promised will come to fruition! (But we must make sure that the promise we have been counting upon is from God. I find many people in Christianity discouraged because they misunderstood or misappropriated a “promise” and when it didn’t happen the way they wanted it to they became angry and bitter toward God feeling that His promises someone are not true. Not so. His promises are absolutely true.)
Need a jump-start today? Have the batteries in life’s car been drained and all you get when you turn the key is a useless sound of a failed start that almost mocks you. I have the answer: plug into God’s word and find revival for your drained (perhaps dead) soul.
The dictionary defines the term revive as “to bring back to consciousness or life; active flourishing again.” Good definition. The Message renders our text this way: “The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road.”
I chuckle inwardly when people sometimes tell me that as a pastor I don’t have a clue as to what real life is like. Such people think we pastors live in ivory towers from whence we pontificate over problems we’ve never seen or experienced. In actual fact I see more broken lives in a week than many will see in a lifetime. I hear stories that would break even the stoutest heart, intervene in crises (not a misspelling the plural of crisis) sometimes on a daily basis multiple times, visit more hospitals, see more deaths (and have to comfort those left with a careful compassion lest I add to their already hurting hearts), and am sought for more advice covering a wider range of topics than any other profession. Next time you are tempted to think your pastor doesn’t have a clue about what real life is like, think about these things.
I write these things to you not to elicit from you an emotional response (I am not looking for someone to play the violin while I hold a pity party), no! I write this to you as one who knows from experience that God’s Word has the perfect answer for every need: it “pulls our lives together.”
God’s Word brings back to our heart and soul life and not just life but an active flourishing one. And this Word that brings life is trustworthy–that is, you can count on everything it says being true. What God has promised will come to fruition! (But we must make sure that the promise we have been counting upon is from God. I find many people in Christianity discouraged because they misunderstood or misappropriated a “promise” and when it didn’t happen the way they wanted it to they became angry and bitter toward God feeling that His promises someone are not true. Not so. His promises are absolutely true.)
Need a jump-start today? Have the batteries in life’s car been drained and all you get when you turn the key is a useless sound of a failed start that almost mocks you. I have the answer: plug into God’s word and find revival for your drained (perhaps dead) soul.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. 3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” (Psalm 19:1-4 NIV).
J. Allen Blair, in his book, Living faithfully relates the following story. “Sir Isaac Newton had a friend who, like himself, was a great scientist. The friend was an infidel while Newton was a devout believer. They often locked horns over the question of ‘Who made it?’ though their mutual interest in science drew them together frequently. Newton had a skillful mechanic make him a replica of our solar system in miniature. In the center was a large guided ball representing the sun, and revolving around this were smaller balls fixed on the ends of arms of varying lengths, representing Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, in their proper order (Pluto had not yet been discovered). These balls were so geared together by cogs and belts as to move in perfect harmony by turning a crank.
“One day as Newton sat reading in his study, with this mechanism on a large table near him, his infidel friend stepped in. He was a scientist, who could recognize at a glance what was before him. Walking up to it he slowly turned the crank and with undisguised admiration watched the heavenly bodies move in their relative speeds in their orbits. Backing off a few feet to get the full impact of the work he exclaimed, ‘My, what an exquisite thing this is. Who made it?’ Without looking up from his books, Newton answered, ‘Nobody.’ Quickly turning to Newton the infidel said, ‘Evidently you did not understand my question. I asked who made this thing?’ Looking up now, Newton solemnly assured his friend that nobody made it but that the aggregation of matter had just happened to assume the form it was in. The astonished infidel replied with some agitation, ‘You must think I am a fool! Of course somebody made it and he is a genius! I would like to know who he is.’
“Newton, now laid aside his books, rose and laid a hand on his friends shoulder.
“‘This thing is but a puny imitation of a much grander system whose laws you know,’ he said. ‘I am not able to convince you that this mere toy is without a designer and maker. Yet you profess to believe that the great original from which the design is taken has come into being without either designer or maker. Now tell me, by what sort of reasoning do you reach such incongruous conclusions?’ The infidel was at once convinced and became a firm believer.’” [From: Blair, J. Allen, Living Faithfully, (Loizeaux Brothers Publishers, Neptune, NJ, 1961 pp. 200-201)].
The Psalmist is right. One cannot honestly look at the sky and say, “Happened by chance,” unless that person has simply purposed in his or her heart to ignore the facts. One of the saddest ills of our time is the delusion that there is irrefutable evidence for evolution (in any form be in Darwinism or Neo-Darwinism). We have been led to believe a lie because we want to believe the lie. The message in nature however is a convincing argument not for chance but for creation. No one can honestly deny it, though many purposefully deny it.
Romans 1:18-25 puts it in perspective: “18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. (Romans 1:18-25 NIV).
Look at the argument. “What may be known about God is plain . . .because God made it plain.” How? Through Nature (Romans 1:20 and Psalm 19:1-4). What happened? Men clearly see and understand the implications of Creation but they purposefully turn from it. Notice please if you will that this turning involves a worship of creation rather than a worship of the Creator. It doesn’t take a rocket-scientist to realize that this worship of creation is the root of evolutionary teaching.
Those of you reading this thought for the day now are having a reaction. Some of you are saying “amen” while others of you have dismissed this particular thought as irrelevant. An issue that doesn’t really need to be addressed since it doesn’t make that much of a difference. You are mistaken. It does make a huge difference.
Having been in the ministry now for some 29 years, I have seen the devastation to faith that compromise with this unsupportable theory of evolution brings. The evidence is so weak in fact that in Cobb County, Georgia, as I write this thought, is a court battle to remove a sticker in the biology books that simply says, “Evolution is a theory and should be studied critically.” The evolutionists are having a fit. Why? Because they know in their hearts that what they have purposed to believe with their heads cannot stand up to critical evaluation.
Here’s what I know. Since I have been a believer (and that is some 44 years now), the story of evolution has changed numerous times but the story of creation remains unchanged. In my younger years, when I thought the “facts” had to be reconciled, I tried many ways to do it. I was constantly readjusting my beliefs to fit new and changing “facts.” When I realized that the “facts” were in fact wishes and dreams, and took my stand on a literal Creation (that was in 1966) I haven’t had to adjust my beliefs one time. I don’t know about you, but I’ll stick with the solid, unchanging evidence of Creation as recorded in Genesis.
J. Allen Blair, in his book, Living faithfully relates the following story. “Sir Isaac Newton had a friend who, like himself, was a great scientist. The friend was an infidel while Newton was a devout believer. They often locked horns over the question of ‘Who made it?’ though their mutual interest in science drew them together frequently. Newton had a skillful mechanic make him a replica of our solar system in miniature. In the center was a large guided ball representing the sun, and revolving around this were smaller balls fixed on the ends of arms of varying lengths, representing Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, in their proper order (Pluto had not yet been discovered). These balls were so geared together by cogs and belts as to move in perfect harmony by turning a crank.
“One day as Newton sat reading in his study, with this mechanism on a large table near him, his infidel friend stepped in. He was a scientist, who could recognize at a glance what was before him. Walking up to it he slowly turned the crank and with undisguised admiration watched the heavenly bodies move in their relative speeds in their orbits. Backing off a few feet to get the full impact of the work he exclaimed, ‘My, what an exquisite thing this is. Who made it?’ Without looking up from his books, Newton answered, ‘Nobody.’ Quickly turning to Newton the infidel said, ‘Evidently you did not understand my question. I asked who made this thing?’ Looking up now, Newton solemnly assured his friend that nobody made it but that the aggregation of matter had just happened to assume the form it was in. The astonished infidel replied with some agitation, ‘You must think I am a fool! Of course somebody made it and he is a genius! I would like to know who he is.’
“Newton, now laid aside his books, rose and laid a hand on his friends shoulder.
“‘This thing is but a puny imitation of a much grander system whose laws you know,’ he said. ‘I am not able to convince you that this mere toy is without a designer and maker. Yet you profess to believe that the great original from which the design is taken has come into being without either designer or maker. Now tell me, by what sort of reasoning do you reach such incongruous conclusions?’ The infidel was at once convinced and became a firm believer.’” [From: Blair, J. Allen, Living Faithfully, (Loizeaux Brothers Publishers, Neptune, NJ, 1961 pp. 200-201)].
The Psalmist is right. One cannot honestly look at the sky and say, “Happened by chance,” unless that person has simply purposed in his or her heart to ignore the facts. One of the saddest ills of our time is the delusion that there is irrefutable evidence for evolution (in any form be in Darwinism or Neo-Darwinism). We have been led to believe a lie because we want to believe the lie. The message in nature however is a convincing argument not for chance but for creation. No one can honestly deny it, though many purposefully deny it.
Romans 1:18-25 puts it in perspective: “18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. (Romans 1:18-25 NIV).
Look at the argument. “What may be known about God is plain . . .because God made it plain.” How? Through Nature (Romans 1:20 and Psalm 19:1-4). What happened? Men clearly see and understand the implications of Creation but they purposefully turn from it. Notice please if you will that this turning involves a worship of creation rather than a worship of the Creator. It doesn’t take a rocket-scientist to realize that this worship of creation is the root of evolutionary teaching.
Those of you reading this thought for the day now are having a reaction. Some of you are saying “amen” while others of you have dismissed this particular thought as irrelevant. An issue that doesn’t really need to be addressed since it doesn’t make that much of a difference. You are mistaken. It does make a huge difference.
Having been in the ministry now for some 29 years, I have seen the devastation to faith that compromise with this unsupportable theory of evolution brings. The evidence is so weak in fact that in Cobb County, Georgia, as I write this thought, is a court battle to remove a sticker in the biology books that simply says, “Evolution is a theory and should be studied critically.” The evolutionists are having a fit. Why? Because they know in their hearts that what they have purposed to believe with their heads cannot stand up to critical evaluation.
Here’s what I know. Since I have been a believer (and that is some 44 years now), the story of evolution has changed numerous times but the story of creation remains unchanged. In my younger years, when I thought the “facts” had to be reconciled, I tried many ways to do it. I was constantly readjusting my beliefs to fit new and changing “facts.” When I realized that the “facts” were in fact wishes and dreams, and took my stand on a literal Creation (that was in 1966) I haven’t had to adjust my beliefs one time. I don’t know about you, but I’ll stick with the solid, unchanging evidence of Creation as recorded in Genesis.
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