It was relatively quiet until escaped that moan
For when the fridge was opened, my daughter exclaimed
"Mom, there's a yogurt container in your jello!"
Friday 21 October 2016
Guess What Happened?
Twas the night before Thanksgiving and all through our home
It was relatively quiet until escaped that moan
For when the fridge was opened, my daughter exclaimed
"Mom, there's a yogurt container in your jello!"
It was relatively quiet until escaped that moan
For when the fridge was opened, my daughter exclaimed
"Mom, there's a yogurt container in your jello!"
Saturday 8 October 2016
Thanks
It's Thanksgiving Weekend.
Usually, this is the time we take turns going around the table either at dinner time or maybe during Sunday School giving thanks for something or someone.
I am feeling something different this year.
Instead of saying thanks for so-and-so, or thanks for my house, or food, or cat, or job....
... the focus now is on thanking God for ... God.
For His presence, His friendship, His sacrifice, His love, His mercy, His kindness...
... in all circumstances, all situations, all trials.
Especially in the circumstances, the situations and the trials.
Thank you God for never leaving me or forsaking me.
Thank you God for the unshakable Kingdom of which I am a part
Thank you God for Your friendship
Thank you God for Your wisdom
Thank you God for Your guidance and counsel
Thank you God for Your Word that is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path
Thank you God for Your sacrifice and redemption...
Usually, this is the time we take turns going around the table either at dinner time or maybe during Sunday School giving thanks for something or someone.
I am feeling something different this year.
Instead of saying thanks for so-and-so, or thanks for my house, or food, or cat, or job....
... the focus now is on thanking God for ... God.
For His presence, His friendship, His sacrifice, His love, His mercy, His kindness...
... in all circumstances, all situations, all trials.
Especially in the circumstances, the situations and the trials.
Thank you God for never leaving me or forsaking me.
Thank you God for the unshakable Kingdom of which I am a part
Thank you God for Your friendship
Thank you God for Your wisdom
Thank you God for Your guidance and counsel
Thank you God for Your Word that is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path
Thank you God for Your sacrifice and redemption...
Hebrews
12:28-29 - Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us
show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with
reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.
Tuesday 4 October 2016
Is the Bible True?
When I finished my battle with God 32 years ago over whether to acknowledge Him as Lord, it was because I could finally believe that He existed at all, and that the Bible in its entirety was true. After 32 years of standing on this foundation, I am seeing all around me people compromising or turning away from this fundamental belief that Scripture is true.
This is tragic!
If we can't believe all of the Words of what is supposed to be God-breathed, inspired, flawless Scripture, how can we stand on any part of what it says? How can we have hope?
Do I just have blind faith to believe in the 100% accuracy of the Words in those 66 books, written by 40 men of varying occupations from king to farmer over 1,500 years?
No! It is not blind faith. This belief is truly built on a firm foundation and here are some reasons why:
1. Scripture says it is all inspired and without error (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20,21; Proverbs 30:5...)
2. Jesus Himself believed it was accurate and quoted from it constantly. He quoted from 24 of the Old Testament books. He quoted from it when he was fighting the temptation of Satan in the desert, all thorough His teaching, and when He was dying on the cross.
3. Jesus expected us to believe saying in a Parable (Luke 16:19-31), that the rich man's brothers have the books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) and yet they didn't believe in what it said. If they don't believe the Scriptures, they won't believe even if someone came back from the dead and told them it was true (which of course Jesus did and people still don't).
4. Many other people believed to the point of dying for this belief. Would you die for something that you knew was not true? These people were there, saw what happened, and still chose to die - be cut in half with a saw, stoned to death, tortured, and flogged because of what they refused to compromise or recant. (Hebrews 11:35-38).
5. How do you know anything in history is true? You weren't there! The Scriptures have been translated perfectly throughout time. Documents have been found all over geographically over many time periods and they all have remained constant. No other historical document has the number of transcripts or accuracy of the Bible (most notably the Dead Sea Scrolls which includes every book of the Old Testament except the book of Esther). There are more first hand accounts and historical writings of the Bible than any other ancient history and yet no one has trouble believing Julius Caesar existed!
6. Prophesy - There are hundreds of prophesies (words spoken by people commissioned by God to speak His messages) that have come to pass - some hundreds of years later as they spoke in remarkable detail of Jesus' birth, life, death, resurrection and Kingdom, or details of rising and falling kingdoms and rulers and wars.
7. Archaeology - The discovery of geographical locations should be possible if the Bible has an accurate description of location. Indeed, this has been shown. If an archaeologist works with "a shovel in one hand and a Bible in the other" they will find what they are looking for (Dr. Steve Collins - archaeologist). Dr. Collins has most recently discovered the city of Sodom because he took the 25 geographical markers in Scripture and followed them to find a buried city in the right location, in the right time period, with the right stuff in the city. This right stuff included Trinitite, a material needing the heat intensity of a nuclear bomb explosion; an entire city that has been knocked off its foundation all being hit by something from the same direction; thousands of bodies being flung and twisted all in the same direction; fortified walls and ramparts; pottery that has pottery on one side and glass on the other due to an extreme heating and cooling process. Gives me shivers to have the truth of this "Bible story" uncovered for all to see.
8. Science - Most people who do not believe the authenticity of the Bible think science disproves it however the opposite it true. Although the Bible is primarily a history book, there are scientific concept in the Bible (not surprising considering God created and everything science is from Him). Here is a small smattering of some science discussed in the Bible.
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. (Hebrews 11:3)
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek him.(Hebrews 11:5)
But really the faith is well founded.
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 people are without excuse.(Romans 1:20)
I am sad that so many are not standing on this Book and listening to the Author who inspired these flawless Words from Genesis to Revelation.
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock." (Matthew 7:24)
This is tragic!
If we can't believe all of the Words of what is supposed to be God-breathed, inspired, flawless Scripture, how can we stand on any part of what it says? How can we have hope?
Do I just have blind faith to believe in the 100% accuracy of the Words in those 66 books, written by 40 men of varying occupations from king to farmer over 1,500 years?
No! It is not blind faith. This belief is truly built on a firm foundation and here are some reasons why:
1. Scripture says it is all inspired and without error (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20,21; Proverbs 30:5...)
2. Jesus Himself believed it was accurate and quoted from it constantly. He quoted from 24 of the Old Testament books. He quoted from it when he was fighting the temptation of Satan in the desert, all thorough His teaching, and when He was dying on the cross.
3. Jesus expected us to believe saying in a Parable (Luke 16:19-31), that the rich man's brothers have the books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) and yet they didn't believe in what it said. If they don't believe the Scriptures, they won't believe even if someone came back from the dead and told them it was true (which of course Jesus did and people still don't).
4. Many other people believed to the point of dying for this belief. Would you die for something that you knew was not true? These people were there, saw what happened, and still chose to die - be cut in half with a saw, stoned to death, tortured, and flogged because of what they refused to compromise or recant. (Hebrews 11:35-38).
5. How do you know anything in history is true? You weren't there! The Scriptures have been translated perfectly throughout time. Documents have been found all over geographically over many time periods and they all have remained constant. No other historical document has the number of transcripts or accuracy of the Bible (most notably the Dead Sea Scrolls which includes every book of the Old Testament except the book of Esther). There are more first hand accounts and historical writings of the Bible than any other ancient history and yet no one has trouble believing Julius Caesar existed!
6. Prophesy - There are hundreds of prophesies (words spoken by people commissioned by God to speak His messages) that have come to pass - some hundreds of years later as they spoke in remarkable detail of Jesus' birth, life, death, resurrection and Kingdom, or details of rising and falling kingdoms and rulers and wars.
7. Archaeology - The discovery of geographical locations should be possible if the Bible has an accurate description of location. Indeed, this has been shown. If an archaeologist works with "a shovel in one hand and a Bible in the other" they will find what they are looking for (Dr. Steve Collins - archaeologist). Dr. Collins has most recently discovered the city of Sodom because he took the 25 geographical markers in Scripture and followed them to find a buried city in the right location, in the right time period, with the right stuff in the city. This right stuff included Trinitite, a material needing the heat intensity of a nuclear bomb explosion; an entire city that has been knocked off its foundation all being hit by something from the same direction; thousands of bodies being flung and twisted all in the same direction; fortified walls and ramparts; pottery that has pottery on one side and glass on the other due to an extreme heating and cooling process. Gives me shivers to have the truth of this "Bible story" uncovered for all to see.
8. Science - Most people who do not believe the authenticity of the Bible think science disproves it however the opposite it true. Although the Bible is primarily a history book, there are scientific concept in the Bible (not surprising considering God created and everything science is from Him). Here is a small smattering of some science discussed in the Bible.
- Biology -
- everything reproduces after its own kind (you know - cats produce cats, bacteria produce bacteria etc. (Genesis chapter 1) Not dinosaurs produce birds and apes produce humans. By the way, no evolutionist can point to even one example of macro evolution found in fossils or anywhere. It isn't there.
- Hygiene - God commanded the Israelite's to make latrines outside community limits. When they disobeyed they got sick.
- Life is in the blood (Leviticus 17:11,14)
- Genetics - everyone has the genetics that trace back to one couple (Adam and Eve - Acts 17:26). This has now been shown to be true by geneticists.
- Astronomy -
- Ptolemy estimated the number of stars to be about 1,022. God in Scripture however used the analogy of the number of stars and the grains of sand on the sea shore to give vision to a huge magnitude of number. Indeed, apparently there are about the same number of grains of sand on the sea shore as stars in the universe (ten with 22 zeros after it!).
- Pythagoras (about 570 - 500 BC), was credited with the concept that the earth is round, however Job (about 2,000 BC) wrote He drew a circular horizon on the face of the waters, at the boundary of light and darkness. (Job 26:10)
- The expanding universe - (Isaiah 40:22)
- The earth floats in space (Job 26:7)
- Physics
- Laws of Physics in heaven and earth (Jeremiah 33:25) God created the universe to obey certain laws of physics. Those who believe in evolution and random chance should have no such belief and yet they have to recognize that there are certain laws of physics (????) Will gravity change tomorrow if everything is evolving and random?
- Ship building for maximum water stability. 4,500 years ago God gave Noah the dimensions of the ark to have the length 6x the width - apparently a now recognized dimension for maximum stability.
- Oceanography -
- mountains (Jonah 2:5,6) and springs (Job 38:16) are at the bottom of the ocean
- Oceanographer Matthew Maury read Psalm 8:8 and anticipated there would be ocean currents and set to discover them which he did in the 19th century
- Logic - there is no logic without the Bible and the Author who put it all in motion. If indeed everything was random chaos, then so are our brains and any form of logic is a figment of our random, chaotic, chemically haphazard brains.
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. (Hebrews 11:3)
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek him.(Hebrews 11:5)
But really the faith is well founded.
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 people are without excuse.(Romans 1:20)
I am sad that so many are not standing on this Book and listening to the Author who inspired these flawless Words from Genesis to Revelation.
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