Category: Creation Science

Nude Human Artwork?

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

“Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4 KJV).

In this world of people becoming more and more confused about human sexuality, today’s Scripture is a ray of light!

Recently, I watched a video of a liberal arts “professor” defending “nude human artwork.” She, like any lost person, reasoned, “There is nothing wrong with the ‘raw’ human body. This is not ‘obscenity’ but rather ‘art.’” Another person agreed, “I think it would be disrespectful not to allow it and it would be disrespectful not to let others express themselves.” (Of course, these two were being interviewed fully clothed! And, I wonder if we used their logic and told them, “Let us display medieval torture devices… they are wonderful works of art that express their makers’ creativity!”) Alas, let them alone. They are just a few more people confused about sexual matters.

No question about it. Adam and Eve wore no physical clothing during the first days of creation. The Bible says, “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed” (Genesis 2:25). However, after sin entered, “they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons” (Genesis 3:7). Adam was so ashamed of his nakedness that he literally hid when he heard God approaching (verse 10). Finally, God “made coats of skins, and clothed them” (verse 21).

Certainly, originally, there was nothing sinful about a naked human body. But, something happened to the human body in Genesis chapter 3—man’s fall into sin. That entrance of sin drastically altered the human body’s appearance. Once clothed by God’s light (righteousness), it now needs physical covering. When we read about the Gadarene possessed by thousands of evil spirits, he “ware no clothes” (Luke 8:27). However, once Jesus healed him, the man, “in his right mind,” put on clothes (verse 35)!

God is the Master Creator. The human body is indeed a work of art. But, may it be enjoyed in the “undefiled” “marriage bed” (today’s Scripture). Anything else—including nude “art”—is just incentive for lust… and worse, including harlotry and adultery. Cover it up… and the art, too!

Perishing Versus Renewing #2

Sunday, April 3, 2016

“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16 KJV).

As we physically “perish,” may we spiritually “renew!”

One Christian brother always aptly states, “All ‘healing’ claims aside, the death-rate is still one a piece!” We can claim Israel’s verses all we want—Exodus 15:26, Matthew 10:8, Mark 16:17, James 5:14-15, et cetera—but we will only deceive ourselves by grabbing verses that have absolutely nothing to do with us and absolutely nothing to do with God’s current operations! No matter the modern-day “miraculous healing,” that “healed” person is still going to experience the worst disease—physical death. Beloved, there is something better than temporary physical healing in a body destined to rot anyway. It is a brand-new body in which the “renewed inward man” will reside in eternity!

Romans 8:18-25: “[18] For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. [19] For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. [20] For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, [21] Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. [22] For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. [23] And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. [24] For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? [25] But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.”

These physical bodies will pass, but a most glorious (resurrected) body will be granted us at the Rapture. Until Christ takes care of the “outward man,” may we take care of the “inward man!” Let us spend more time in God’s Word rightly divided, renewing that which will never perish! 🙂

Perishing Versus Renewing #1

Saturday, April 2, 2016

“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16 KJV).

As we physically “perish,” may we spiritually “renew!”

Some people just never appear to age, huh? Their faces look pretty much the same way they did 10, 20, 30, or more, years ago. Nevertheless, looks are deceiving. They have aged, and that much closer to death. According to the Bible, their outward man is “perishing.” The truth is, no matter how much cosmetic surgery we undergo, no matter how healthy we eat, no matter how many “pills” and “creams” we buy, no matter how much we exercise, these physical bodies will eventually wind up in a cold, dark grave. We will also be truthful concerning the spiritual reality of our condition. There is more to life than these physical bodies.

Exactly why we age is a mystery to scientists. Two prevailing theories are: (1) our genes determine how long we are to live, and (2) damage/changes in our DNA accumulate over time and eventually prevent us from living. These and other explanations tell us what Romans 5:12 already said: “Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Where we find sin, we find death. Friends, it really is that plain and simple.

The Greek word translated “perish” in today’s Scripture is found four other times in the New Testament—a moth “corrupteth” material wealth (Luke 12:33), apostate men with “corrupt” minds (1 Timothy 6:5), ships being “destroyed” in God’s judgment (Revelation 8:9), and those “destroyed” who “destroyed” the earth (Revelation 11:18). For those hanging on to this physical body as though it will last forever, they will be sorely disappointed on their deathbed!

Oh, but we who are in Jesus Christ, we Bible students, our soul and our spirit (“inward man”) are constantly being enlightened as we read God’s Holy Word (Ephesians 1:17). This “inward man” will never see a grave, never die, never corrupt or rot away. Oh, may we quickly learn to spend more time in God’s Word rightly divided, renewing that which will never perish! 🙂

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The Living God #10

Thursday, March 10, 2016

“For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?” (Deuteronomy 5:26 KJV).

Exactly why is the God of the Bible called “the living God?”

The God of the Bible is living. He can actually do something for you. Idols can do nothing for you. The “living God” has a Son, Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:16). As He gave us physical life in creation (Genesis 2:7), He offers us spiritual life. There is no life apart from Him (John 1:1-4). If you want life, you must find it in the God of the Bible. You can only find God the Father through His Son, Jesus Christ (John 14:6). “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3).

Life is not in Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, mysticism, or any other religion. We must go beyond dead gods, false prophets, fake gods, and false religions, to find “the living and true God.” It is not we striving to find life in and of ourselves (religion), but rather Christianity, the living God offering us His life a free gift because we are spiritually dead.

While there was a dead goddess in Ephesus, Diana (today’s “Queen of Heaven,” Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary)—Acts chapter 19—there was also in Ephesus the Church the Body of Christ, “the church of the living God” (1 Timothy 3:15). We become a member of it by simply trusting exclusively Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork. He died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again to give us His resurrection life (1 Corinthians 15:3,4).

In the future, Israel will learn that the living God must give her life. She will not find life in heathen religion. She will not find life in her works-religion (the Mosaic Law). She is spiritually dead, unable to do anything that God instructs. But, as she experienced the living God delivering her from Egyptian and bondage to idols, He can (and will) redeem her from Satanic captivity and hellfire as well. No idol can or will ever do it… for Israel… or for us! 🙂

Centenarians

Sunday, February 28, 2016

“Thou shalt rise up before the hoary [gray] head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:32 KJV).

According to a recent study, since the start of the 21st century, more Americans have been living to age 100. There were approximately 50,000 Americans at least age 100 in the year 2000; in 2014, nearly 72,000 people. Undoubtedly, improved healthcare is one reason. We can only wonder how high that number will go—or the maximum age!

I know two of these people. Currently, one lady I know is 101 or 102. When asked about her longevity, she said, “I read my Bible and drink cranberry juice every day!” One of my Dad’s relatives just turned age 105—she was born a year before the Titanic sank! As for her health, she takes just an occasional one-half blood pressure pill. She lives in an assisted-living facility (still by herself last I heard). Many years before my birth, another relative on Dad’s side of the family lived a few days past her 105th birthday. She had raised seven children by herself after her husband died—she outlived him 70 years!

According to The Guinness Book of World Records, the oldest woman ever documented is a French lady named Jeanne Louise Calment (1875–1997). She lived to be an astounding 122 years and 164 days old, dying of unknown causes—having outlived her husband, daughter, and grandson by many decades. This lady had complete mental awareness until her dying moment.

Of course, the most famous “supercentenarian” ever recorded was Methuselah, who lived to be an amazing 969 years (Genesis 5:27). I have no problem taking that age literally, given the unique conditions at the time.

Friends, when we think about these long lives, so many decades of living, let us remember that even these are but a tiny speck compared to eternity. In God’s mind, 122 years—or 969 years—is just a “blink of an eye.” No matter how old we live on this earth, there is a whole lot more living in eternity for us all. May we trust Jesus Christ as our Saviour today. Eternity literally awaits us, in heaven or in hell!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Does Acts 2:47 support Calvinism?”

The Converted Nation and The Translated Word #3

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

“He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD” (Psalm 147:19,20 KJV).

Herein do we see God’s head of the nations—Israel!

One of the most famous Bible verses is the first, Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” It is not until we come to Paul’s ministry and Colossians 1:16 that we see how God structured the Heaven and the Earth to function: “For by him [the Lord Jesus Christ] 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:”

In the original creation, there was perfect governmental organization. God created beings to serve Him in Heaven (angels) and other beings (humans—Adam and Eve) to serve Him on Earth. In Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:11-19, we read about Lucifer/Satan leading a rebellion in the spirit world among the angelic hosts. This chief evil spirit then caused Earth to be polluted by recruiting mankind to follow him in Genesis chapter 3. Satan had the governments of both Heaven and Earth; he tainted them and most of their creatures with his sinful agenda.

God formed the nation Israel to do with Adam had failed to do—assume Earth’s governments for His glory (earthly kingdom). Israel was to reclaim Earth for Jesus Christ’s glory. Israel was to magnify God’s Word in the Earth, thereby undoing what Satan had done on Earth! (However, nothing was said about God’s purpose and plan for restoring Heaven unto Himself. We do not learn this secret plan of God until we come to Paul’s ministry, the books of Romans through Philemon. God kept that information secret until He was ready to reveal it.)

To restore Earth to Himself, God desired Israel to know Him first. They were to learn His Word, enjoy His goodness, and, as per the Abrahamic Covenant of Genesis 12:1-3, they were to then take that knowledge and salvation to all the nations of the world! Let us see what Israel did….

The Converted Nation and The Translated Word #2

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

“He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD” (Psalm 147:19,20 KJV).

Herein do we see God’s head of the nations—Israel!

With 50 chapters, Genesis is one of the Bible’s largest books. Its first 11 chapters cover the first 2,000 years of human history. Chapters 12 through 50, however, cover only the next 300 years or so. Twenty centuries covered in 11 chapters, and only three centuries covered in 39 chapters. Why this drastic disproportionality? Simple!

Adam, once given “dominion over… every living thing that moveth upon the earth” (Genesis 1:26-28), had willfully lost it to Satan in chapter 3. God’s king of Earth relinquished his crown and Satan grabbed it (Matthew 4:8-10)! His purpose in creation would now be delayed. So, God had a plan to reclaim planet Earth and bring it back under His headship. From Adam (chapter 1) to Abraham (chapter 12), God was isolating a bloodline (people) for His name, so details are scarce there. Once that lineage was firmly established, from Abraham onward, the Bible’s focus on mankind narrows increasingly—Abraham’s son Isaac, Isaac’s son Jacob, and Jacob’s 12 sons. By the time Genesis ends, Israel, no longer a small tribe, is now destined to become a nation of millions of people. But, let us not get ahead of ourselves….

Note Genesis 12:1-3, the Abrahamic Covenant: “[1] Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: [2] And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: [3] And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” That covenant passed to Isaac, then to Jacob, and finally to Jacob’s 12 sons (and thus Israel’s 12 tribes). Israel was to be a great nation, that the Creator God be made great in the Earth!

The Blame Game

Sunday, January 24, 2016

“And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat” (Genesis 3:12 KJV).

Prepare for a psychology lesson from the Word of God!

The Bible is often viewed as an “anti-science” book. Today’s Scripture and its context illustrate this is simply not true. Psychologists and psychiatrists can study the human mind and human behavior in a lab and conclude that Genesis chapter 3 is certainly literal history—not “primitive fables invented and compiled around ancient Jewish campfires.” Whether the first man in the first instances of human history, or the 21st-century human in the most recent instances of human history, blame-shifting is one trait they have in common. There is no fantasy here, friend!

After Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, Genesis chapter 3 says: “[9] And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? [10] And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. [11] 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? [12] And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. [13] And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.”

God called Adam to accountability—“Where are thou?” Adam, although now discovered, did not confess to any wrongdoing, however. He surreptitiously shifted the blame (God was not fooled). Today’s Scripture says Adam not only blamed Eve, but declared, “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.” In other words, “God, it is Thy fault, for Thou gavest me Eve!” And, Eve, she replied when God asked her what she had done, “The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.” That is, “The Devil made me do it!” (So, friends, whether in Genesis chapter 3 or modern society, we see human nature at its best—blaming God, blaming Satan, but never self!)

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Did Adam die a saved man?”

Understand and Enjoy the Bible! #9

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

“And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:15,16 KJV).

Although there is so much confusion about it, can we really understand and enjoy the Bible?

Let us consider the third point from today’s Scripture: “As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood.” I confronted my denominational pastor years ago with dispensational Bible study. Pointing to today’s Scripture, I told him Peter admitted that he found some of Paul’s teachings “hard to understand.” Looking for a quick way out, the man blurted, “Paul’s teachings had not been written down yet!” (How dishonest! Did not Peter refer his audience to Paul’s “writings” and “epistles?!”)

When Peter declared that he did not understand everything Paul wrote, we need not throw up our hands in desperation. We need not throw away our Bibles in frustration. First, we take a deep, deep breath. Then, we recall that Peter had already written that special divine wisdom had been given to Paul. That wisdom had not been committed to Peter’s trust! People have been taught for ever so long in church tradition that Paul’s ministry was an “extension” of what Peter and the 11 apostles of Israel did and taught, but Peter himself argues, “Not so!”

Paul’s ministry was so radically different from Peter’s that Peter admitted in final last epistle that Paul taught some information he did not understand. Jesus Christ Himself taught Peter for three years, and Peter still had difficulty with some spiritual truths? Yes, because not even Jesus had taught during His earthly ministry what He was now teaching through Paul during His heavenly ministry. No wonder people still struggle with Paul today. They need not. With the completed Bible in hand, we can see everything Peter did not. Through Paul’s writings, we have God’s Word to us Gentiles!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “What does Colossians 1:24 mean?”

Understand and Enjoy the Bible! #8

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

“And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:15,16 KJV).

Although there is so much confusion about it, can we really understand and enjoy the Bible?

Let us consider the second point from today’s Scripture: “even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things.” Some people in “Christianity” today—even preachers!—absolutely hate the Apostle Paul. I have received emails from “Christian” people disparaging Paul, individuals calling him every nasty name but the “four-letter ones.” (Doubtless their “‘Jesus-loving,’ scholarship-worshipping, ‘spiritual’ leader” taught them these reckless slanders.)

The Holy Spirit, knowing people were criticizing Paul (2,000 years ago), moved the Apostle Peter to pen “our beloved brother Paul.” Paul was not a charlatan or infidel. Peter acknowledged Paul as a brother in Jesus Christ. Moreover, he called Paul “beloved.” Notice the amity and love Peter had toward Paul. After all, they both were saved by the same Jesus Christ and led by the same Holy Spirit.

Yet, Peter acknowledged Paul had “wisdom given unto him.” Interestingly, Peter singled out Paul. Peter never claimed to have been given that wisdom—or John, James, Matthew, Jude, et cetera. In Peter’s mind, no one but Paul had that “wisdom.” Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:2,3: “…the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery….” Paul confirms in Galatians 2:1,2: “Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also. And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles….” Paul met with Peter, James, and John, and he shared with them the special Gospel message God had given to him to preach amongst the Gentiles!