The Power and Intelligence of Men

"Hey Ray, seen the news lately? We've been able to 'create' synthetic life. Seems we're almost as powerful as God ;) give it a few years, Ray, and we'll be creating our own life. God won't be so important then, will he. He's looking like a weak God right about now! Outdone by his own creation!" Blu

You are right. If scientists were able to actual create new life, they would be pretty powerful---and very intelligent. It’s not something that would just happen. I’m sure you would agree. It takes super intelligence to create life. Life needs an Intelligent Designer.

One problem:

"Genetics pioneer J. Craig Venter announced Thursday that he and his team have created artificial life for the first time. CNN: 'Did you create new life?' Venter: 'We created a new cell. It's alive. But we didn't create life from scratch" (italics added).1.

Duh. They used God’s material, so they didn't create life at all.

We are neither intelligent or powerful. If we were one billionth as intelligent or as powerful as God, we might even be able to plug an oil spill.

Notes: 1. http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/05/21/venter.qa/index.html?hpt=Sbin

It's Time for Atheist Church

Thanks for joining me. I really appreciate you being here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC617kE1maU&feature=related

Today’s sermon is from Luke 3:8:

"Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, we have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham."

John the Baptist existed solely for Jesus Christ. He was his "forerunner." He said that he had to decrease and Jesus had to increase, and that certainly happened. John was hated because he stood for righteousness, and because he was outspoken for God, he was imprisoned and eventually murdered at the whim of the king. He wasn’t impressed with the heritage of the Jews and told the religious leaders that it meant nothing to God.

His message was one of repentance, an often misunderstood word, even though it is used regularly by the secular media. They say that a certain politician was "unrepentant," meaning that he wasn’t at all sorry for his actions, and he wasn’t going to change. Conversely, "repentance" involves "godly sorrow" (sorrow for sin) but it is more than a change of mind. It results in action--a change of ways.

Still there are many people who ignorantly think that repentance will save them from Hell. But think of a court of law. If a criminal admits to murder, says that he is sorry and that he won’t do it again, the judge isn’t going to let him go. Justice must be done.

Exactly the same applies with God. Saying you are sorry for your sins and vowing never to commit them again, won’t help you on Judgment Day. Justice must be done. And it was carried out at the cross of Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago. He came to suffer for the sin of the world so that (upon repentance from sin), God could dismiss our case. Our sins can be forgiven because the fine was paid by the Savior.

It was to that payment that John directed his hearers. He pointed forward, Christians point back. It was because of the death and resurrection of the Son of God, that we can freely live forever. If you refuse that payment, you have to make one yourself...and the Bible warns that there will be Hell to pay.

No collection.

No announcements.

Benediction. This week may you find everlasting life in Christ.

Pic. John the Baptist: Aleksandr Andreevic Ivanov (1806-1858)

“We’re all children of God.”

The world often says that we are all children of God, not matter what race, color or creed. That sounds virtuous, but it is not what the Bible teaches.

While we are all made in God’s image--with a moral compass that sets us apart from the animal kingdom, the Bible makes it clear that we are not His "children." Rather, we are called "children of wrath" (see Ephesians 2:3).

This is because we have a nature that is hostile to God (see Romans 8:7). Jesus told the religious leaders of His time that the devil was their father: "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it" (John 4:44).

We are only children of God when we are born of His Spirit (see John 3:3), and it is then and only then that we can call God "Father" (see Romans 8:15). When that happens, the Holy Spirit will bear witness with us that we are the children of God (see Romans 8:16).

How do you vote?

"Happy Humanist said...Ray, I don't believe the Bible, but I do agree with your position on abortion. I think it is wrong and counterproductive for humans to kill members of their own species. However, there are many ways to kill children---child abuse, starvation and other forms of deprivation. While abortion may get the headlines, there are still thousands of children in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world who are slowly starving of malnutrition and who die from child abuse because of an overburdened and underfunded child welfare system. Welfare means just that, the welfare of human life. It looks simple when you go to the polls---just vote for the candididate whose party is against abortion, but what if that party is also against the programs that take care of children AFTER they are born? The choice may not be as simple as you think."

It's a very simple matter for the Christian to vote. This is because we have it written in stone that murder is morally wrong. Your problem is that you don't have an absolute to guide you as to what is right and what is wrong. Your moral guidance is either what the government tells you, or your subjective feelings.

The best you can say is "I think it is wrong and counterproductive for humans to kill members of their own species." That is very dangerous because you have no basis for saying anything is morally right or wrong. It's just what you "think." If someone could persuade you that it was productive to kill your own species (because of over-population/not enough food to go around), you may just change your mind...and why not? The other animals kill each other off. Why don't we, for the good of the species?

Here's the way you are thinking at present. You are in a polling booth, thinking about two candidates. One oversees the mass murder of all three-year old females. The other doesn't have any program to take care of them. You are confused. It's not clear to you for whom you should vote. Do you vote for the mass-murderer, whose hands drip with the blood of millions of children, or do you vote for the candidate who doesn't have a healthy social program?

Those two pesky tablets

I take three Advil’s before I go to the dentist. This is because I’m a wimp. However, I only take two tablets when I go to the polling booth. They are the two stone tablets of the Law of Moses. I couldn’t care less for the fiscal policies of a candidate, if he advocates the killing of children in the womb.

Atheists get their moral guidance by what society dictates. Contemporary society dictates that it’s okay to kill whatever is in the womb, because they aren’t considered to be human. This was Hitler’s rational in Nazi Germany. As far as he was concerned, Jews weren’t human, therefore he was justified in putting Darwin’s theory into practice.

If there is no God, then Government sanctioned murder is okay. However, God’s Law warns that if you even get angry without cause you are in danger of judgment (see Matthew 5:22), and that if you hate your brother, you are a murderer (see 1 John 3:15). How much more will He judge those who have advocated, sanctioned, and carried out an abortion. Blood is dripping from their hands.

Atheists try to justify murder by pointing to the Old Testament judgments of God upon the Canaanites. They accuse God of murder so that they can feel more comfortable about abortion. In their mind God doesn’t exist, and yet they blame Him for murder. Sure. I wouldn’t be in an abortion advocate’s shoes on Judgment Day for all the gold in China.

Yet there is forgiveness in Jesus Christ, even for a baby-killer. Today, repent and trust in the Savior and He will open your eyes, change your desires, and grant you the gift of everlasting life.

http://www.bloodmoneyfilm.com/trailer.php

"An abortion kills the life of a baby after it has begun. It is dangerous to your life and health. It may make you sterile so that when you want a child you cannot have it." —Planned Parenthood, "Plan Your Children," New York, 1964

Google Fall

Google Fall

Beasts of the Bible

"Ray, You do realize that there does not exists any historical or archeological evidence of Moses outside of the Bible, right? Wait, no. You probably don't realize that. You don't look at evidence (or lack-thereof) when it goes against you, and you are quick to point out (prematurely, and with no understanding) "evidence" or "lack of evidence" when it seemingly benefits you.” Benjamin

Check out: http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/08/archeology.htm

Don’t believe everything you see on the Discovery Channel or read in the New York Times. I decided to watch a Discover program recently [1.], about the Bible. It was called "Beasts of the Bible," if I remember rightly. It started off by showing footage of mermaids. I thought for a moment I had the Disney Channel. But no, it was Discovery imagineers.

Mermaids are more like something a believer in evolution would swallow. It sounds interesting--women with a fish tail. Perhaps they could call them homomermadillia. Hypothesize that they may have been around, say, 200 million years ago. That would impress believers.

Instead of believing what people say about the Bible, atheists should turn Carl Sagan’s Baloney Detection Kit towards their own theory. They will find plenty of baloney there. Can evolution be tested? No. Where does the preponderance of evidence point? Towards an Intelligent Designer. So much for skeptics practicing what they preach.

[1.] Correction: It was Animal Planet.

What's with all the gods?

"Why does the Second of the Ten Commandments say, 'You shall have no other gods before Me.' Isn’t there only one God?"

There is only one Creator, but there are billions of "gods." Eastern religions have millions of images that they call "gods." Primitive people-groups have their own gods. These are obvious "idols,"--images made of wood and stone to which people bow and give homage.

However, there are other very common and more subtle idols. The average idolater in America creates a god in their mind that they find pleasing. He is a god that would never create Hell or become angry at sin. These images of what they think God is like are shaped by the human imagination, and usually conform to the sins of the idolater. Idolatry is very convenient because (in our minds) it gets rid of our moral accountability to God.

There is also the "god" of the atheist. He creates an image of what he thinks God is like, then he dismisses it because it lacks credibility. Perhaps it’s an old man in the sky, reaching out to touch fingers with Adam. He's right to dismiss such silliness. Or perhaps he creates an "image" of a monster. He does this by taking the harsh judgments of the Old Testament, and creating a god that has no mercy or kindness. Then he says that he would never worship such a tyrant. And rightly so, because his god is a monster. It’s also a figment of his sinful imagination. Idolatry is the root cause of sexual sin (see 1 Corinthians 10:1-14).

There is only one Creator, and He revealed Himself the Moses when He gave the Ten Commandments--the First two of which forbid idolatry. Then He gave us the Scriptures so that we could further understand the nature of His holiness and His requirements for humanity.

Welcome to Atheist’s church

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7Sn5rV6oM0

Today’s sermons is a continuance of the exposition of the Gospel of Luke:

1Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, 2Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; 4As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; 6And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. 7Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (Luke 3 1-7).

America needs more preachers like John the Baptist, who aren’t afraid of what people think. All that concerned John was that he was faithful to God. Such courage cost him his life, as it has millions of martyrs through out history. Nero burned them, the Romans set lions onto them, the Catholic church tortured them through the Inquisition, and the world continues to hate them because they refuse to compromise.

When multitudes went out into the desert to hear John preach, they didn’t find a cheesy-smiling, slick, well-dressed preacher. They didn’t hear a message that built up their self-esteem. Instead, they heard him call them a generation of vipers. They were low-down, crawling venomous snakes, and that is the biblical epitaph of the human race:

"There is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that does good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes"(Romans 3:11-18).

Yet John’s sole purpose was to be a voice in the wilderness, preparing the way for the One who would come to save human beings from God’s just wrath. He was clearing the path so that wicked sinners would hear the words of life, from the pure lips of the everlasting God manifest in human form. And John’s rebuke was motivated by love. As the wisdom of Solomon noted, “Open rebuke is better than secret love.” John the Baptist didn’t care about the self-esteem of his hearers; he cared about their eternal welfare...as do I.

Collection: This service is free

Announcements: Watch this week’s blog

Benediction: In this coming week, may you and I be humble enough to accept any loving rebukes that may come our way.

Chocolate and Atheists

"I believe (with 100% conviction) that the moment an atheist dies he (of she) will cry "Oh no! There is a God, ..." And I believe that if I eat chocolate I won't gain weight. It's just frustrating that I can't convince my bathroom scale to agree with me." Weemaryanne

There one big difference between my conviction, and you chatting with your bathroom scales. Mine is based on trust, yours is based on fantasy.

However, the analogy does hold up when you realize that it is impossible to reason with bathroom scales. The scales don’t have a brain. It doesn't matter how much you plead with them, they will turn a deaf ear, and you will continue in your frustration.

Such is the case with you and other atheists on this blog. You cannot be reasoned with. But my consolation is that others here are seeing your mockery, and realizing how foolish it is to toy with your eternal destiny.

Speaking of chocolate and scales. You and I have been "weighed in the balance" of God’s Law and "found wanting." How many of us are guiltless when it comes to lying, stealing, coveting other people’s things, lust--which is adultery of the heart (see Matthew 5:27-28), blasphemy, and of the sin of ingratitude?

So why would anyone want to give up what the Bible calls "the pleasures of sin"?

Imagine that your doctor said, "You are allergic to chocolate. Even a small piece will instantly (and with much pain) kill you." If you believed him, you would immediately deny yourself its pleasure. If you didn’t trust your doctor or didn't care about your life, you would indulge and suffer the consequence.

And there is the essence of your problem with God. You lack the virtue of trust in Him, and you don’t love life. Prove me wrong.

A Personal Conversation with Andy

"I'm sorry Ray and I don't mean to sound disrespectful to you, but I'm quite sure that when I die, if there turns out to be a God after all, and again for arguments sake, it's your God, I won't be begging for mercy. If this God is as just as you claim, I will be put on trial for my 'crimes'. This will mean that I will able to make a defense for my actions. It will be my right to demand that God demonstrate that his laws are as perfect as he claims they are." Anndy Duchemin

You are right. You won’t be begging for mercy because there won’t be any. If you die in your sins, you get only justice. The door of God’s mercy will be closed. There is no second chance.

I know that you don’t believe this, but my heart breaks for you and others who think of God as an old man in the sky (a sky-daddy, etc.), and therefore dismiss the idea of His existence.

Just for a moment, please put aside the thought that God doesn’t exist, and think about the universe, and how incredible God must be if He made it?

Think about the sun. The earth fits into its volume a million times. Think of its surface--the massive flames that reach up thousands of miles into space. If God created just that sun, then He is unspeakably powerful and (if you are wise) He is to be greatly feared.

Think now of your amazing memory bank. I’m 60 years old, but I can instantly recall almost every incident of my youth. I can go there and relive a multitude of experiences. Think of the things that are recorded in yours--those things that you did that were morally wrong. All of those things will come back as evidence of your guilt.

Add to that the fact that you are a fornicator (as you admitted recently--see 1 Corinthians 6:9-10), and you are in BIG trouble.

Andy, you know that I like you, so what I’m going to say is out of deep concern for you.

It’s because your concept of God is erroneous, that your consequent concept of Judgment Day is reduced to that of a civil court.

Judgment Day is more like you falling onto the surface of the sun, than you demanding anything from God. To say that you will be terrified is the understatement of eternity. You have no idea of the awesome power and holiness of the Almighty God that you have offended by your sin.

However, we can get a tiny glimpse of it through genuine conversion (something called "regeneration")--where God instantly makes you clean and new on the inside. That can only happen through humility, repentance, and trust in the person of Jesus Christ (see John 3:3).

What do You Expect?

"Fantastic post Ray, one of your best in a long time. You have really done a great job of showing how little respect you actually have for atheists. Please keep it up, these posts are just wonderful and do an amazing job of turning people away from your brand of theism. …Oh I'm an atheist by the way in case you were unsure." Rabbitpirate

You are partly correct. I respect atheists because they are human beings, but I have no respect at all for atheism. What else should you expect from me. Remember what I believe--I am 100% convinced that (what you call) your "lack of belief" will bring you unspeakable pain. I will therefore will do everything I can to try to warn you that what you are trusting in is utterly foolish. I believe (with 100% conviction) that the moment an atheist dies he (of she) will cry "Oh no! There is a God, and I am a wicked sinner who has violated His perfect Law!" I am horrified at that happening to anyone.

Again, I'm utterly convinced that Hell is a reality and it is the destination for those who are guilty before God. Yet He offers a complete reprieve. Your case can be dismissed because of the cross. God can allow you to live forever, if you will repent and trust the Savior.

And you want me to respect the fact that you laugh at His mercy. It would be easier to respect a child who thinks it's funny to play with a lit stick of dynamite.

Tell me, how would you react if someone you cared about was trusting his life to a faulty parachute? As he stands 10,000 feet above an unforgiving earth, wouldn’t you reason with him about the foolishness of what he is doing? And if he laughed at you, mocked you, and even hated you, wouldn’t you still plead with him? Of course you would, unless you are an uncaring person. Well, I'm not. I care even to tell you the truth.

Ta da

Using Static Documents as Structured and Thematic Interfaces to Multimedia Meeting Archives

Using Static Documents as Structured and Thematic Interfaces to Multimedia Meeting Archives:

Nah ya...

Let There be Light...

Thomas Edison is one of my all-time heroes. I love his enthusiasm, his tenacity, his insight and wit. You will frequently find his famous name along with his famous words, along with Galileo, Abraham Lincoln, and Albert Einstein (and others) on atheist websites. None of these men were atheists, but they are listed on atheist sites. This is because it’s hard to find anyone famous and respected who didn’t believe that God existed.

It was Edison who said, "I do not believe in the God of the theologians; but that there is a Supreme Intelligence I do not doubt." He didn’t doubt for a moment that there was an intelligent Creator. Design is absolute proof of a Designer.

In August of 1931, as Edison was slipping into death, he was asked if he had thought about a life hereafter. He replied, "It does not matter. No one knows." This is a very common response, and it reveals that the person, intelligent though they may be, isn’t thinking too deeply.

Those who make the statement, "No one knows," are revealing that they think they know what everyone knows. There are more than six billion people on the earth, and they know what everyone knows and what they don't know. Sure.

Edison also said, "We don't know a millionth of one percent about anything." His darkness when it came to the issue of eternity, was self-imposed. It certainly does matter. Light is there for those who seek it. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12). It’s a tragedy that his tenacity didn’t extend to what really matters. We can live without the light bulb, but not without the Light of the World--Jesus Christ.

The Definition for Biological Evolution

For some time now, believers in evolution have been goading me to define biological evolution, and comment on "the scientific method." I haven’t, for a good reason.

Talk Origins says this about the definition of "evolution":

"Unfortunately the common definitions of evolution outside of the scientific community are different. For example, in the Oxford Concise Science Dictionary we find the following definition:

"Evolution: The gradual process by which the present diversity of plant and animal life arose from the earliest and most primitive organisms, which is believed to have been continuing for the past 3000 million years."

"This is inexcusable for a dictionary of science. Not only does this definition exclude prokaryotes, protozoa, and fungi, but it specifically includes a term ‘gradual process’ which should not be part of the definition. More importantly the definition seems to refer more to the history of evolution than to evolution itself. Using this definition it is possible to debate whether evolution is still occurring, but the definition provides no easy way of distinguishing evolution from other processes. For example, is the increase in height among Caucasians over the past several hundred years an example of evolution? Are the color changes in the peppered moth population examples of evolution? This is not a scientific definition.

"Standard dictionaries are even worse:

"Evolution: ...the doctrine according to which higher forms of life have gradually arisen out of lower.." -- Chambers

"Evolution: ...the development of a species, organism, or organ from its original or primitive state to its present or specialized state; phylogeny or ontogeny" -- Webster's."

I haven’t defined what I believe is biological evolution because I don’t believe it took place. Neither have I defined it according to what believers believe it is, because they can't agree on a standard definition. The science dictionary doesn’t have it right. Neither do the standard dictionaries.

So who has the correct definition? The answer is that you do. Evolution is anything you want it to be. It’s bacteria evolving. It’s mutations evolving into ordered life. It’s variations within species. It’s changes in fruit flies or moths. It's differing traits passed down from your parents. It's the belief that all creation has a common ancestor, when any similarities in creation don't prove common descent, they prove a common Creator.

The advantage of multiple and confusing definitions is that you can change what it is, any time you wish to anything you want. When biologists discover that the fossil record shows an abrupt appearance (as the Bible teaches), simply redefine evolution to include "punctuated equilibrium." There are no rules. No confines.

The scientific method must be observable. Evolution isn’t. Anything that is observed is based on the presupposition that evolution took place. If a believer believes it happened, he will see evolution everywhere.

But even the legitimately observable can’t be conclusive. If scientists observed and counted ten million white swans, can they say conclusively that all swans are white? Of course not. One black swan destroys the theory.

Darwinian evolution doesn’t even have one white swan. All it has is a theory.

P.s. The writer on Talk Origins gives what he believes is the accurate definition of evolution. It's the accurate one because he says so. Again, the science dictionary is wrong. Standard dictionaries are wrong. He is right.

Welcome again to Atheist Church.

Today’s sermon once again is an exposition of Luke’s wonderful gospel.

"So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel" (Luke 2:80)

God was manifest in human form, and the spirit that gave His body its life, was "strong." There are some who don’t believe that they have a spirit, but it is the spirit that gives life to the body.

This week I will be having lunch with a Christian friend who has no arms or legs. He has half a body, but his spirit is as complete as any other physically whole person. He is a complete person. Again, that’s because the spirit is separate from the body. It’s its life. Your body without your spirit is dead.

Jesus was strong in spirit. If you read the harmony of the gospels you will see that the religious leaders who hated God, tried to kill Jesus ten times before He reached the cross. Each time the Bible says something like, "It was not yet His time." He came to die and no one other than God could choose the time and place. He simply walked through the midst of those who were about to kill Him.

When He cleared the temple, He was so strong in spirit no one tried to stop Him. When He answered their questions, His words were so powerful their mouths were stopped. They didn't say another word. He spoke to the dead and they came back to life. He spoke to the wind and it obeyed Him. He said that the hour would come when His voice would raise every human being back to life, and that He would judge them.

The proud knees of every skeptic will one day bow before Jesus Christ, and call Him "Lord." This will happen. We will see every hate-filled and bitter God-denying atheist (as well as every kind and loving God-denying atheist) acknowledge His Lordship. What a fearful Day that will be, for those who die in their sins.

And for those of you who will accuse me of lying about an armless and legless man, take the time to watch this short clip:

http://www.thedoorpost.com/hope/film/?film=4dd298f102c77b625cf37a9e7744ac68

Collection: This service is free.

Announcements: I will be addressing the question of evolution’s definition, this week.

Benediction: This week, may you listen to the birds, look at the flowers, feel the warmth of the sun, stand in awe at the vastness of the heavens, and consider Him that created them.

What do you think?

Soon we will be celebrating three years since this blog began. I was surprised when the first atheists showed up, and I’m delighted that so many have stayed for so long.

Although we disagree on many issues, I think it’s good that we can still dialogue. However, there have been continual complaints that I don’t enter into personal dialogue.

It’s because of this that I would like to put a proposal to you. If we started "Atheist Central Radio" (two hours every Friday afternoon), how many of you would take the time to call in and dialogue with me?

I’m not talking about blog radio, but something that is better quality. I think it would be wonderful to actually chat with you guys. It would be unique and interesting. Let me know your thoughts.

The Bogus Wife

An atheist questioned my relationship with God, the reality of which I likened to my relationship with my wife. Jay wrote,

"I'll first note that the description of knowing the Lord given here is a far cry different from any marriage I've ever witnessed, and certainly nothing like mine. I interact with my wife; I talk to her verbally, and hear her audibly. I embrace her to show my love, and she embraces back. Sometimes we have differing opinions and sometimes this leads to arguments. We often take walks in the evening with our dog, and discuss the days events. I try to comfort her when she's upset, and she does the same for me. I do trust her implicitly and she is always in my thoughts..."

I wrote back "I don't believe your wife exists. Prove to me that she does. Until then, I think that she is a figment of your imagination."

He said, "I've sent an email to the address you usually ask that correspondences be sent (mark at living waters dot com, is this correct?). It contains a picture of me and wife, taken outside the MGM Casino in Las Vegas last month."

How do I know that’s your wife?

"I will also take a photo of my marriage license if you wish (with certain information redacted of-course)."

I think it’s one of those bogus $5 Vegas marriage licenses or something you have done on Photoshop.

"I'll have to require you to make an effort to come meet her. We live in the upstate of South Carolina. You, as well as your family are more than welcome to come spend some time with us if you are ever in the area. We'll gladly take you out to dinner at our expense."

Thank you for your kind hospitality, but you could easily find an actress who could pretend to be your wife.

"I've provided you with as much evidence as is available to me at this moment, and I'm perfectly willing to provide more upon request."

You have provided me with no evidence at all. I do not believe the woman you say is your wife exists. Therefore, in my mind, she doesn’t exist.

The truth is, you can’t prove to me that she is your wife if I have the presupposition that she doesn’t exist, and I’m not open to "reason."

Creation is 100% proof that there is a Creator to anyone open to reason. For some reason, I am surrounded on this blog by unreasonable people--those who aren’t open to reason. But I will keep trying to reach you (and others) as long as I have life in me.

Thanks for writing. Love to your wife.

Want to back-track?

<<…I knew the Lord. I walked in obedience and trust. I went to church. I read the Bible. I prayed….I was jolted out of that by reading rationalists and atheist arguments. See, I've got a rational, skeptical mind. >> CriticallySkeptic

You may think that you have a rational mind, but it wasn’t rational enough to see the trap that I set for you. You weren’t clever enough to step around it like your atheist friends.

As a professing atheist, you only have two alternatives when it comes to your Christian experience of knowing God. You could say that you "thought" you knew the Lord, but you didn’t because He's not real. So that means that you were never a Christian. You didn't know Him. You faked it.

My friend Dan Barker faked it for 19 years. Judas only lasted for three, but Dan fooled himself and others for almost two decades. Amazing. Some hypocrites fall away from the faith. Most don’t. They will remain in the midst of God’s people and will be sorted out on Judgment Day.

The second alternative is to say that you knew the Lord. That's what you said of your experience. You knew Him. Therefore you are not an atheist because your admittance of "I knew the Lord" is an admission that God is a reality. That also means that atheism itself is a fallacy.

So, do you want to back-track? Was God real in your experience, or were you deceived? If you were deceived, then you have a propensity of gullibility and you need to rethink what you say you now don’t believe. With such a weakness, you can't be sure of anything.

Don't believe modern preachers, unless...

Despite what modern preachers tell you, becoming a Christian does not "improve" your life on this earth, or guarantee that you will be insulated against the pains of everyday living (those who believe otherwise don’t know their Bibles). This media interview is evidence of that:

http://tinyurl.com/widowswitness

Many contemporary atheists are the tragic result of an unbiblical gospel. Never believe a preacher, unless it can be substantiated by the Scriptures.

I Blew it . . . Big Time

If I wasn’t a Christian and watched secular television, I don’t think I would be an atheist, but I certainly would be anti-religious. Common sense would have steered me in that direction.

I don’t know how many times I have seen the secular media devote TV news time to a knot in a tree that looks like the face of Jesus, or a pancake that looks like Mary.

Recently the media devoted about five minutes of the news hour to a religious woman who found a stain in one of her cooking pots, that looked like Mary. Well she thought it did. She took it as a word from God about something she was wanting, and passed it on to a friend to bring her friend good luck.

What kind of low-IQ demographic do the media aim at? Then again, they may broadcast stuff like this because they know that many of us are the people who believe the Bible (talking snakes, etc.), and so we too will see Mary in a pot.

I pulled a tissue out of a container some time ago and saw some instant origami. I even took a photo of it (see picture). I wasn't sure who it was supposed to be. It could have been Mary. It sure looked like her. If a ten year-old toasted cheese sandwich that looked like the Virgin Mary able to be sold on eBay for $28,000, I’m sure I could have got half of that.

Too bad I had a cold that day...

P.s. I have to say to some of you atheists who have commented--lighten up a little. The above post is tongue-in-cheek. It's like a joke. A pathetic attempt at humor--to try and make you crack a smile and make your day a little more pleasant.

It’s Sunday again. Welcome to Atheist Church

Man was created to worship God, but in his ignorance he worships nature, movie stars, makes idols out of musicians and adores them. He falls in homage before the golden calf of Wall Street, and yet none of these things are worthy of the honor due to the Creator. With that thought in mind, look at and listen to this wonderful clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b1iwLIMmRQ&feature=channel

Today’s Sermon is once again taken from Luke chapter 2:

"Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father's business? And they understood not the saying which he spoke unto them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart" (Luke 2:41-51)

This biblical incident is a favorite of atheists, as they try to find fault with Jesus. The accusation is that Jesus dishonored His parents by staying behind in Jerusalem, when He was travelling back to Nazareth. Therefore He was in violation of the 5th Commandment. Of course, the charge is completely unfounded.

Like Pilate they end up saying "I find no fault in the Man," and so they wash their hands of Him thinking that will be the end of Him. But no one can find fault with Jesus of Nazareth, because He was the blameless Lamb of God. Skeptics have tried, but they might as well throw mud at the heavens. Nothing sticks. Any dirt thrown at Him comes back on the sinful skeptic. He was perfect, without sin--in thought, word or in deed.

We are told that His mother and Joseph "supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance." It was Mary and Joseph who were at fault. Not Jesus. They “supposed” that He was with them when He wasn’t.

The world is filled with people who, like Mary and Joseph, suppose that God is with them. To them He is nothing but a divine butler, who is supposed to come running when they want something to be done. Such is the trail that often leads to atheism.

The soil of history is stained in the blood that tyrants have shed, because they supposed that their holy war had divine favor. But Abraham Lincoln once rightly said, "Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right."

The idolater supposes that God changes to whatever he imagines Him to be. Such is the delusion of idolatry. The atheist also has presuppositions. He supposes that there is no evidence that God exists. He can’t see the forest for the trees, and yet the trees themselves are evidence for a Creator. Atheism trumps delusional idolatry.

Mary and Joseph had the supposition that Jesus was with them. But they were wrong. Let’s not make the same mistake.

Collection: This service is without charge.

Announcements: If you are an atheist and you are having financial difficulties, please email BNA@livingwaters.com

Benediction: May this coming week be free of suppositions when it comes to God. Make sure you are on His side.

The Ex-Christian Atheist

"Ray, Could you explain to me what it means to ‘know the Lord’? I often hear you ask 'ex-Christians' (in quotes for your benefit) if they 'knew the Lord'. I would like to better understand your relationship with the Lord. How do you communicate with Him? How does He communicate back? In what way can one know that they know the Lord in the same manner as you? Thanks, Jay."

This is a great question. Let me first explain why I use the wording "know the Lord." This is the biblical definition of a Christian. It is used many times in Scripture, but it is particularly used in reference to the gospel, in Jeremiah 31:34:

"And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

It is because Jesus took our sin upon Himself that we can be forgiven. That means instead of being separated from God (have no real consciousness of His presence or reality), we can have fellowship with Him. Jesus said, "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3--NKJV).

I often say that there’s no such thing as an atheist who is an "ex-Christian." This is because there are only two alternatives that the “ex-Christian” can choose. If he knew the Lord, then "the Lord" exists and there is therefore no such thing as atheism. Or he simply "thought he knew the Lord," then he didn’t, and was therefore a false convert (a hypocrite). Some in this category fall away from the faith, but many stay within the Church as "goats" among the sheep and will be sorted out on Judgment Day. Notice Scripture’s wording in reference to that Day:

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" (Matthew 7:21-24, italics added).

False converts don’t "know the Lord." He "never knew" them. There was no intimate relationship with them because they were still in their sins (playing the hypocrite).

Now to the essence of your question. What does it mean to know the Lord? Probably the best way I could relate it to you would be to say that it is very similar to me knowing my wife. We are best friends. She is forever in my thoughts. At the moment we are in different locations--I am at my home office, and she is at our ministry. Our different locations doesn’t change the fact of our relationship. I still know her, love her, and trust her implicitly.

The moment I repented and put my trust in Jesus, I began a relationship with God that is more real than my relationship with my wife. It has the same feelings, but it’s not contingent upon those feelings, but rather on trust (as are all relationships). Even though I don't "see" God, as with the relationship with my wife even though we are apart, I still have a relationship with God. The Bible puts it this way:

"Without having seen Him, you love Him; though you do not [even] now see Him, you believe in Him and exult and thrill with inexpressible and glorious (triumphant, heavenly) joy. [At the same time] you receive the result (outcome, consummation) of your faith, the salvation of your souls"(1 Peter 1:7-9, Amplified Bible).

How do I talk to God? The same way everyone else does. Most nights I get up to pray (around midnight--something I have done since 1982). How does He talk to me? Through the Bible. It's a "lamp to my feet, and a light to my path." I have read the Bible every day without fail since my conversion in 1972. I communicate with Him through prayer, and He speaks to me through His Word.

Your final question was "In what way can one know that they know the Lord in the same manner as you?" Simply humble yourself, and take a tender-conscience look at the Ten Commandments--have you lied, stolen, blasphemed, looked with lust (adultery of the heart), and judge yourself--guilty or innocent? Heaven or Hell? Then look to the cross--God in the person of Jesus Christ taking your punishment upon Himself--paying the fine so that you could leave the courtroom. Through His death and resurrection, you can have everlasting life, if you will repent (something the hypocrite fails to do) and trust the Savior, you will come to know the Lord (see John 14:21 for details).

Plain Facts

"If something as simple as matter requires a creator, why doesn't something as complex as God? If something as complex as God doesn't require a creator, why does something as simple as matter?" -- Hawker Hurricane -- Dave B

For those who don’t know, the Hawker Hurricane was a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. Presumably the person who said the above knows that, and he considers himself to be a real fighter.

However, his quote doesn’t fly. Not in the slightest. It's such a thoughtless statement, I’m surprised that another person would bother to quote him.

The fact of the matter is that matter is not simple. It’s unspeakably complex. Matter is the "stuff" of which creation is made, and it’s so complex, with all our modern technology, we don’t know how to make it. Not even an atom of it. We can recreate existing matter, but we can’t create. Only God can do that.

Then again, I must remember that I’m dealing with people who are so unthinking that they could think that Hawker Aircraft Ltd. didn't (and doesn't) exist, and that the British single-seater just happened, by itself. To them, truth about matter doesn't matter. Nothingdidit.

Mark and Albert's Common Belief

Vukota said...I just wanted to say Ray that I love your blog. I have no doubt that your blog has swayed far more people on the fence to the rational atheist side than your God-fearing Christian side. Anyways, since we're going around quoting Mark Twain, I'd like to leave you with my personal favorite quote of his:

'If I were to construct a God I would furnish Him with some way and qualities and characteristics which the Present lacks…He would not have the spirit of vengeance in His heart. Then it would not issue from His lips. There would not be any hell -- except the one we live in from the cradle to the grave. There would not be any heaven -- the kind described in the world's Bibles. He would spend some of His eternities in trying to forgive Himself for making man unhappy when he could have made him happy with the same effort and he would spend the rest of them in studying astronomy.'"

Thanks for your encouraging words. When an atheist speaks well of me, I'm doing something wrong.

That is a great quote from Mark Twain. Yep, he was a typical idolater. I have just finished writing a book called Einstein, God and the Bible. He was an idolater too. Man has always gravitated towards making a god in his own image. He does this because he doesn’t want moral accountability.

It’s like a heinous criminal looking at good judge and imagining him having no sense of right and wrong, that there was no punishment for crime, and that the judge’s reason for existence should be for the criminal’s happiness, rather than to be vindictive.

Atheists are "reverse" idolaters. They pick out God’s harsh judgments from the Old Testament and create a god who is a tyrant, void of any mercy or kindness. Then they say that they don't believe in that god and feel righteously justified.

Of course, they shouldn't believe in that god, because their concept of God doesn't exist. It’s an idol; a non-existent figment of their imagination. Such is the predictable way of us sinners.

Who Says I Don't Believe in Aliens?

"Wait a second... I think I've figured out the ruse here. At some point, Ray is going to blog about a comment from this post, and say that in order to 'believe' in extraterrestrial life, we'd have to have knowledge of the entire universe. Then we'll be told that if we 'believe' in extraterrestrial life, we should have no trouble believing in his God. Does that about sum it up, Ray? Did I pick your petty ploy?" Sarah

Unfortunately, you are incorrect in your assessments on two counts. The first mistake you have made is to think that you have to have absolute knowledge to believe in something. Rather, you have to have absolute knowledge to say that you know that something doesn’t exist. You and I can believe in anything we want. Our belief makes no difference to reality. Truth is, despite our beliefs.

I have noticed a few comments that insinuate that I don’t believe in aliens. In actuality, I have no idea if they exist. They might, but if they do, they didn’t come into existence by random chance but because God created them. That’s my belief, and to believe that I don’t need to have knowledge of the entire universe. But to make the point again--if I say that I know that there is no extraterrestrial life on any of the billions of planets, I would need omniscience.

The second incorrect assessment (which is built on the first) is the thought that if we believe in aliens, we should have no trouble believing in God. But there’s a huge difference between believing in aliens and believing in God. There is no evidence that aliens exist. Scientists can only suppose that there is a possibility that they exist, somewhere.

However, every single "made" thing in this "creation" is absolute 100% scientific evidence that God exists. You cannot (a scientific impossibility) have things that are made without having a Maker. You cannot have a creation, without a Creator. Nothing material can exist without a beginning--“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made" (Genesis 1:1; John 1:3).

Do You Believe in Evolution?

"Froggie said... Ray, 'Froggie...you certainly are a believer.' No, I certainly am not. I am an analytical, empiricist."

"It is absolutely safe to say that, if you meet somebody who claims not to believe in evolution, that person is ignorant, stupid or insane (or wicked, but I'd rather not consider that)." -- Richard Dawkins, quoted from Josh Gilder, a creationist, in his critical review, "PBS's 'Evolution' series is propaganda, not science" (September, 2001).

The Human Tail

Froggie said... Ray, Please show us how you plan to falsify the following evidence for the fact of evolution:

Protein functional redundancy, DNA functional redundancy, Transposons, Redundant pseudogenes, Endogenous retroviruses, Anatomical parahomology, Molecular parahomology,
Anatomical convergence, Molecular convergence, Anatomical suboptimal function, Molecular suboptimal function, Nested hierarchies, Convergence of independent phylogenies
Transitional forms ◦Reptile-birds, Reptile-mammals, Ape-humans, Legged whales, Legged seacows, Chronology of common ancestors,
Anatomical vestiges including:
Atavisms, Whales and dolphins with hindlimbs, Humans tails, Molecular vestiges, Ontogeny and developmental biology, Mammalian ear bones, reptilian jaws, Pharyngeal pouches, branchial arches, Snake embryos with legs, Embryonic human tail, Marsupial eggshell and caruncle, Present biogeography,
Past biogeography of:
Marsupials, Horses, Apes and humans

Froggie...you certainly are a believer. I'm not. I don't have a belief in evolution. Can't you just accept that? I don't have any belief in evolution because all this "evidence" isn't evidence at all.

Take for example your "Humans tails." I don't believe (as you do) that I'm an ape, and I don't have a "tail bone." Neither do you. It's called the "coccyx vertebrae" and it has an important function. It's not a left-over from evolution. It holds the muscles that help you go to the bathroom. You would be in big trouble without it. It is not vestigial as you have been told.

Neither is the appendix. The appendix is part of the body's immune system. It's not vestigial as you've been told.

I'm sorry, but I don't have time to go through your whole cut and paste list. Giving me a list like this is like me giving you a list of the Bible's 66 books, and saying that each one is proof for the existence of God. And when you don't study every book and come back at me with an answer for each, I declare myself the winner.

There are no winners and losers with the evolution and creation argument. If you are right and there's no God, then there's no afterlife, you won't get to even say "I told you so." You don't win.

If I'm right and there is a God and Hell exists, then, (because you have violated the Law of God) you will be justly damned. I don't "win" if that happens. The thought horrifies me. Please, come to your senses, confess and forsake your sins, and trust in Jesus Christ.

Picture: One of our cousins, according to Richard Dawkins.

Dawkin's Letter to His 10 year-old Daughter

"And next time somebody tells you that something is true, why not say to them: 'What kind of evidence is there for that?' And if they can’t give you a good answer, I hope you’ll think very carefully before you believe a word they say."

That's what I did with the Theory of Evolution. And that's why I think very carefully before I believe anything a believer in evolution tries to tell me.

Great advice Professor Dawkins.

It’s Sunday...time for Atheist Church.

Let's begin with an incredible video clip by Keith Green (this made my eyes sweat real bad):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-00yOXmm_Y&feature=related

Today’s sermon is (again) from Luke chapter 2, as we make our way through this wonderful gospel:

"And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him" (Luke 2:39-40).

Tradition tends to get in the way of truth. One that has prevailed over the years is the wise men from the East visiting the baby in a manger. But Scripture is very clear that the visitation took place when Jesus was a “young child,” not as a baby. Bible commentator Matthew Henry said, "Luke relates no more concerning them, till they were returned into Galilee; but it appears by St. Matthew's gospel (ch. 2) that from Jerusalem they returned to Bethlehem, where the wise men of the east found them, and there they continued till they were directed to flee into Egypt, to escape the malice and rage of Herod..."

And as Jesus grew, He became strong in spirit and was filled with wisdom. You can see this wisdom and strength of character, in the gospels. When He cleared the temple, no one stopped Him. When the religious rulers asked Him questions to try and trap Him, He simply asked them a question, and they were dumbfounded. Even as a 12 year-old, He spell-bound elderly men with His wisdom. This was because the grace of God was upon Him.

Jesus was without sin. The Bible says that foolishness in bound in the heart of a child. Not so with this One. Other children quickly manifest the sins of greed, selfishness, anger, jealousy, etc., Jesus was pure of soul even as a child, because He was "born of God." The reason God was manifest in the flesh was for one purpose--to destroy the power of death. He was born to die…born to raise the sons of earth; born to give them second birth. Make sure you are born again. You eternity depends of it (see John 3:3).

No collection:

No announcements:

Benediction: May you understand the meaning behind the story of the Prodigal Son (from the above video clip). Thanks for joining us; and may you have a great week.