Let's face it...

"Let's face it, God has never had a whole, consistent, set of instructions that He's enforced from the start of time up to present day." Darkknight56

I’m sure you have heard of the Ten Commandments. They were originally written in stone about 3,000 years ago, and they are still around today in other forms so that you can see what God requires of you. It's His whole, consistent set of instructions so that you would have an idea of what you are in for on Judgment day. The Law was given as a mirror--so that we could see if we need cleasing. So let's face it, and see what we can see (all you need is some light):

The First tells us that we should put God (the One who gave us life) first and love Him above all else. Don’t create a false god (which is what atheists do). Don’t use His name in vain. Keep the Sabbath holy. Honor your parents. Don’t murder (violated through hatred). Don’t commit adultery (violated with lust--see Matthew 5:27-28). Don't steal, lie, or desire things that belong to others.

That Law will judge you if you die in your sins. If you die in Christ, you are free from its death sentence (and damnation). This is because Jesus paid the fine for guilty sinners whose case was dismissed upon their repentance and faith in the Savior.

It doesn't matter if you believe in God or if you don’t. He will judge you if you die without His forgiveness, which is only in Jesus Christ. You are without excuse, because of the testimony of creation (nature), and the testimony of your conscience. Listen to it, and then make peace with God today, while you have time.

Ants and Atheists

Ray, Why are so many of the things you speak (write) of, unspeakable? Craig

Think of a colony of ants. By some miracle you are able to go down and speak to them. Your job is to tell them that there’s a universe out there, and that life is more than just what they see as their little colony.

Your first hurdle is their concept of the word "big." To them, a tennis ball is massive, so how are you going to communicate what you know about the universe? I would say that all you can do it draw on any and every part of your vocabulary, inadequate though that would be.

The Christian has the same frustration with the colony of this godless world. They have no concept of anything when it comes to the spiritual world. When I say "God" my mind sees the most incredible, most powerful, most breathtakingly wonderful, awesome, magnificent, unimaginable force that words fall infinitely short of describing. They think of the flying spaghetti monster. The Bible puts it this way:

"The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God; neither can he know them; they are foolishness to him because they are spiritually understood."

Actually, the ant analogy fell way short. Add to it that they are blind, hungry, aggressive, and swarming fire ants, and you get a little closer to the unspeakable problem we have.

Making a Difference...with Sundays and Caps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFWA1A9XFi8

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Welcome to atheist church.

I hope you had a great week.

Today's thought-provoking and fascinating video is extremely unique. I have carefully watched it three times. When you look at each person, even the young boys holding onto the back of the car, ask yourself, "Where are they all now?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=NINOxRxze9k

Today’s sermons is once again from the Gospel of Luke:

"But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison. Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, You are my beloved Son; in you I am well pleased" (Luke 3:19-22).

Jesus called John the Baptist "a burning and shine light," and his ministry was to put a bright spotlight on the coming Messiah. He was to prepare the way of the Lord--to make His paths straight. When Jesus appeared to be baptized by John it was such a big occasion that the skies opened, the Holy Spirit descended like a dove, and God spoke from Heaven and said "This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased."

The words spoken by God combined key phrases from the Old Testament: the words "My Son" are from Psalm 2 and Psalm 10. "Beloved" is from the incident with Isaac in Genesis 22, and "with whom I am well pleased" is reference to the servant of God in spoken of in Isaiah 42:1. What better affirmation than to have God Himself give a verbal personal commendation--this was indeed the Son of God!

But if John’s baptism was for the forgiveness of sins, why did Jesus get baptized? He was perfect in thought, word, and in deed. Perhaps it symbolized His coming death and resurrection--He was going down into death and rising up again. Maybe it was to identify with the High priest of the Old Testament, who was washed before he began his work in the Temple. Here, the High Priest of our Profession was being washed by the Jordan as He began His ministry.

When John objected to His baptism, saying that John should be baptized by Jesus, Jesus answered that it was needful for Him to "fulfill all righteousness." He came, not to do away with the Law, but to fulfill it. Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day according to the Law, dedicated in the Temple according to the Law, and it was also according to the Law of Moses that he began His training to serve God at the age of 30. The Law dictated that the sons of Levi began their training to serve God in the Temple at the age of 30 years.

Up until this point, we are only given glimpses of His life--His birth in the manger, the flight to Egypt, His dedication by Simeon, and His teaching the elders in the Temple. Now, at the age of 30 years, He is washed in the river Jordan, and begins His amazing ministry to those who sit in the shadow of death--He is ready to be revealed to Israel.

Announcements: Watch for something incredible next week.

Benediction: May you prepare a straight path for the Lord. May nothing hinder you from coming to know Him whom to know is life eternal.

Could You Change Your Mind?

"If I witnessed a miracle, or was party to a supernatural event that defied rational explanation (i.e water into wine, a bush burning that was never consumed, etc.) I am intellectually honest enough to say that I am wrong and reconsider my worldview. Can you say likewise? Are you honest enough to say that something could change your mind? Or are you utterly blinded by your faith?" T

We have a problem that you don’t seem to be able to understand. A Christian is someone who knows God (see John 17:3). They don’t know about Him; they know Him. What you are asking is an impossibility. It’s like me saying, "You say that you are married. Are you open to saying that your wife doesn’t exist? I am intellectually honest enough to admit that you have a wife, so are you honest enough to change your mind about her?"

Let's say you were drinking water and I, to your amazement, turned it into wine. You are immediately convinced intellectually that God exists, and you surrender your life to Jesus Christ.

Things go well for a while, until you find out how I did the "miracle." I fooled you into believing. So you fall away, because your intellectual faith rested upon my so-called miracle.

However, if you came to know God, nothing will talk you out of your faith, because you weren't talked into it. This is what the Apostle Paul was saying when he told his hearers that he completely trusted in the power of God to convert them, not upon anything to do with his intellectual arguing. He deliberately didn't use "man's wisdom":

"And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God" (1 Corinthians 2:4-5).

Women Listed with Property

"Comfort, I don't think we've ever heard your spin and obfuscation on the Tenth Commandment. Why are wives listed with things like oxen, houses, asses, which are property?" Rufus

It seems that you have Judaism mixed up with other religions, such as Hinduism, that treat wives as mere property. The Tenth Commandment is a list of things we are told not to lust after (covetousness is an unlawful desire). I'm sure you would agree that men tend to lust after women. So, women are in the list. The association with other things we covet has nothing to do with their worth.

Judaism treats women with the utmost respect. In the Old Testament they are entrusted with high political places, and if you take the time to read Proverbs 31 you will see that they are given great honor. In the New Testament husbands are told to love their wives "as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it." You can't honor someone more than that. So your inference that the Bible treats women as property is unfounded.

Why does evolution consider wives to be primates?

Man o man...

, originally uploaded by pixelsniper.

Yep

, originally uploaded by pixelsniper.

The Choice to be Heterosexual

http://www.youtube.com/user/thewayofthemaster#p/u/127/sVBjSNHdoRA

"Since you believe gay is a choice, please describe the time in your life when you chose to be heterosexual.” Froggie

Every day each of us have the choice whether or not to be heterosexual or homosexual, whether or not to be an adulterer, a fornicator, a pedophile, a bank robber, a rapist or a murderer. These are moral choices we make daily.

The question is, are some people born with a propensity to be a homosexual or an adulterer? Perhaps. A geek, who from childhood, is interested in technology may not want to run with the teenage fornicators who are his peers. His desires are different. Others who don’t have a strong father figure may be sent by their life experience in a different moral direction than those that do.

However, we are all born with a sinful nature. We love to do that which is morally wrong (see John 3:19). We are born with a "carnal" nature that is in a place of hostility towards God and His moral Law (see Romans 8:7). Our nature is so evil, we will even attempt to blame God for our sin. But each of us possess a God-given conscience so we are without excuse. It’s up to us as to whether or not we listen to its voice.

The question isn't whether or not we chose sin, the question is, are we willing to turn from it?

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In answer to the question so many are asking...

"I asked it yesterday, and I'll ask it again. Where in The Holy Bible does it specifically say that paedophilia is wrong? Anyone? Ray?" (culberto)

"For the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'You shall not covet,' and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:9-10, italics added).

Of course, "doing no harm" is not the criteria for right and wrong. All sin is an offense to God. Pedophilia is covered in the below verse (in italics):

"But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust" (1 Timothy 1:8-11).

Harmless Pedophilia

"<< Can anyone prove to me that pedophilia is wrong? >> ALL the atheists can. How come you can't?? It's because it forces sex upon people too young to either give informed consent or to refuse the aforementioned sex. It's wrong on both counts, and can be considered tantamount to rape. I've been an atheist over 30 years and never had a problem wrapping my head around such this concept. In fact, the only people I ever see that make a ludicrous statement like 'Why is pedophilia wrong' are invariably Christians." captain howdy

Pedophilia isn’t only the act of sex. If you have pictures of naked children on your computer or you take photos of naked children, the law will consider you to be a pedophile.

The basis of your argument is that pedophilia is morally wrong "because it harms the child." Therefore, if a professional photographer used a two-way mirror, and took photos of naked children without them being harmed (and paid them well for their time), you would therefore consider it to be morally acceptable. The child hasn’t been harmed in the slightest. It fact, he (or she) has been greatly benefited with monetary gain.

Your problem is that you cannot say that anything is morally wrong, because your morality is dictated by changing ideals. Does it harm the person, and what does society say? If society says that the victim isn't a "person," i.e. a "fetus" or a Jew (as in the case of Nazi Germany), you can even kill the person and it will be justified. Such is the case of secular humanism.

This isn't so with Christianity. Morality isn't dictated by sinful society nor by "does it harm the person." It is solely dictated by what God says is right and wrong. But, with your self-delusional atheism, you have even dealt with that one.

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About That Clip With the Homosexual...

"I'm not upset [Ray] witnessed to a homosexual. I'm upset because he (intentionally or unintentionally) equated being a homosexual with being a pedophile when the two are completely separate and unrelated. That is, one does not cause (or do) the other." Darknight56

You have no need to be upset. I don't think homosexuality causes pedophilia. Some pedophiles are heterosexuals and some are homosexuals. My point in mentioning it in the witnessing clip wasn’t that one caused the other, but to counter his argument that he was born as a homosexual, and therefore he wasn't morally accountable to God for his actions.

He maintained that I told him that he was going to Hell, when I said no such thing. He used that as an excuse to run off. This was because he couldn’t provide a counter argument to the thought that the person who maintains that he was born as a pedophile must therefore also be unaccountable for his actions.

We are all born with a sinful nature that leads us into the sins of fornication, adultery, lust, homosexuality, theft, lying, stealing, pedophilia, selfishness, rape, rebellion, violence, greed, pride, etc., to which God holds us accountable. He warns us that all who are involved in such, will not inherit the Kingdom of God (see 1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

No Atheist Church This Week

I'm too busy with a family get-together for Father's Day. I hope you all have a great weekend (thanks for pointing out the--pretty bad--typo) :).

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Check this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhUfp4X4F6M

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Listening Scientists

Scientists have launched the world's biggest radiotelescope, in the Netherlands. They said that it is capable of even detecting faint signals "from almost as far back as the Big Bang" (in the beginning).

The scientists are so hungry to discover what was in the beginning they connected their big dish to 25,000 small antennas, that are spread throughout the Netherlands and Germany, Sweden, France and Britain. If these were placed together they would make a giant telescope with a width of 600 miles, with every inch straining to try and discover what was in the beginning.

According to one scientist, "The observations that we will be able to make will allow us to learn more about the origin of the universe, back to the moment right after the Big Bang" (in the beginning).

Then again, they could have saved themselves a lot of trouble, time, and money if they simply listened to Genesis chapter 1. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand the first four words: "In the beginning God...”

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Limited Genius

"A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death." Albert Einstein

There is no fear of punishment for the Christian. Rather, that’s what the atheist has to deal with. He is 99% percent sure that there is no God and that Hell doesn't exist. It's the 1% that causes the fear. It's the little hole in his parachute. That fear may be a molehill today, but it will become a mountain just before death. The atheist is indeed, in a "poor way."

But for the Christian, there is no fear at all. Our punishment fell on the Savior, so we are free from the terrors of eternal justice. We are told in Scripture that we can even have "boldness" on the day of Judgment (1 John 4:17).

We can stand before the Judge of the universe knowing that the Law we violated was satisfied with the payment given at the Cross of Calvary. Our case has been dismissed. We won’t be cringing in fear, like the dirty and darkness-loving cockroach, who suddenly finds himself in the brilliant light.

The word "hope" in English is a very weak word. To hope for something leaves room for disappointment. However, in the Greek language, it is much stronger. It means something that is absolutely sure--something that will never disappoint: "...that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast..." (Hebrews 6:18-19).

He who thinks eternal life is a "reward" for good works in this life may know his physics, but he certainly don't know his Bible.

Predictable Accusation

"This is because it is impossible for God to lie--But he does lie by proxy: 'Chronicles 2 18:19... 14:8--9 'And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.' 2 Thess. 2:10,11 'And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.'" Froggie

When I said that it was impossible for God to lie, I thought of how atheists would predictably accuse God of sending lying spirits, etc.

There is a principle in Scripture that is very consistent, and you and I should get used to it, because God isn’t going to change. It is the principle that if you give yourself to evil, there comes a point where God will give you over to it. If you refuse to embrace the truth, God Himself will send you "strong delusion." Atheists will predictably say that they are therefore not responsible for sin, because God made them do it. That one doesn't even work in civil court.

The principle is seen in Romans 1, where the evil that is committed is so abhorrent, God gives them over to a "reprobate" mind. Some of you may already be at that point. No matter what is said to you, you deliberately misread the words, twist Scripture, and accuse God (who, in your mind, doesn’t exist) of sin.

All I can do is hope that that isn’t so, and keep pleading with you to take the log out of your own eye before you try and pick a speck out of God’s eye. That "speck" doesn’t exist. He is without sin, and all of His judgments are in righteousness, as you will see on Judgment Day. But then it will be too late.

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The Absolute Proof

"I am still waiting on your definition of God, Ray." BeamStalk

God is the source of all life. He is eternal, omnipresent, and omniscient. He dwells everywhere and sees everything. As the life that motivates our bodies is invisible (and will leave at death), so God cannot be seen with the human eye. The Bible likens Him to the invisible wind (see John 3:8).

He is nothing like man, but man (even in his "fallen" state) was made in the "likeness" of his Creator--he is separate from the animal kingdom in that he is a moral being. His conscience makes him morally responsible to God, and able to respond to Him.

The professing atheist has a big problem. He maintains that he hasn't seen any evidence "for any gods." However, the Word of God says that his ignorance (ignore-ance) is willful. He intuitively knows that God exists because of the harmony in nature. He is "without excuse" (see Romans 1:20).

The Christian on the other hand, has great advantage in the argument for God because what he maintains can be proven. The atheist cannot prove evolution. That has to be accepted by faith. Believers in the theory believe it's true because they believe data they have heard about to be true. However, God can be proven. Here is the proof:

"The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him. [I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.]" (John 14:21--Amplified Bible).

I have found the above to be true. The atheist hasn’t. If he doesn’t want absolute proof, that's up to him, but the consequences of refusal to obey the command to repent and trust in Christ will be the terrible justice of a holy God.

I wouldn’t want my worst enemy to have that. Please, search your motives and you will see that your ignorance is indeed "willful" (you don't want God to exist). Then repent and trust in Jesus Christ and get back to me when you know the Lord. Nothing would give me greater joy.

Welcome to Atheist church

Today’s sermon is from the Gospel of Luke:

"And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not; John answered, saying to them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I comes, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable. And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people" (Luke 3:15-18).

The people were in great expectation as they listened to John the Baptist preach. They knew something huge was going to happen, not because of a normal expectancy, but because they believed the Scriptures, and the Scriptures cannot be broken (see John 10:35).

Prophecy must come to pass. This is because it is impossible for God to lie--"In him is no darkness at all." The Bible uses the strength of word "impossible" to substantiate that lying is not in the nature of God. They had the "sure word of prophecy" so it was simply a matter of time. The Messiah would one day be manifest to Israel.

Some erroneously expected Him to liberate Israel from the Roman tyranny. Through His leadership they expected God to break the chains of slavery and free them their Roman enemy. Others knew that such was not the case. They had closely studied the Scriptures and knew that the promised Messiah was going to liberate them from the chains of sin and free them from their greatest enemy--death itself.

But when they questioned John as to whether or not he was the promised One, he denied it, and said that One would come who would baptize them with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Then he alluded to Psalm One (and other places), where chaff (husks) are blow away to expose wheat, and then burned because the chaff was useless. This is a terrible picture of how the Justice of God will one day reveal the genuine from the false. On that Day you will clearly see those that love (and obey) the God that gave them life, and those that don’t. See 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9.

Announcements: Something interesting will come up in next week’s blog.

Benediction: If you are in rebellion to God and even denying His existence, may you this week come to your senses, and see what He did for guilty sinners, through the cross.

Spitting Image

"Isn't there just one punishment for all crimes? I thought you taught that your God was so perfect he saw all sin as the same regardless as to how small it may seem to us. If everyone in Hell is tortured for eternity, how is there a difference in punishment?" Wolfgang

Light travels 93 million miles to the earth from the surface of a massive and exploding* star. Although there are gravity and electromagnetic influences, it is generally believed that light travels in a straight line. An atheist doesn't know what created the light, but the Christian believes that God is its Creator. Whatever the case, light doesn’t compromise. Every beam holds its integrity for an incredible 93,000,000 miles.

The Bible reveals that light is just a creation of God, but His justice is part of His eternal character. However, they both have something in common. They both hold their integrity. The light of His absolute and uncompromising justice will penetrate right down to the dark thoughts of the human mind. What’s more, the judgment that comes from such illumination with be "according to truth" (see Romans 2:2).

While human laws vary when it comes to punishment--some are very lenient, and others for the same offence seem overly harsh, God’s justice will be perfectly accurate for every transgressor of His moral Law. This is what the Bible calls "equity" (see Psalm 98:9, KJV). The murderer will get perfect justice. The rapist will receive exactly what is due. So will the adulterer, the fornicator, and those who violated God's Law in their thought-life (see Matthew 5:27-28).

You and I can complain that such a high standard of judgment is unfair, but we might as well spit at the sun because we think it's too bright or too hot or we don't like the fact that it doesn't compromise. We may also complain about the eternality of Hell, but that will also be in vain. "Damned" means damned forever. There will be no escape once you find yourself in Hell. Time will be withdrawn and you will find yourself in eternity. Such thoughts horrify me, but not for myself. I'm horrified for you.

Neither whining ("forever is too long") nor unbelief ("I don’t believe in a god") will save a soul from the justice of Hell. The only thing that can deliver us from what we deserve is God’s mercy (what we don’t deserve), and He offers that to all humanity in the person of Jesus Christ. He will shelter all who repent and trust in Him from the perfect and uncompromising light of the justice of a holy God.

* Thank you to those who have corrected me. I should have used the word "explosive."

Christianity is Unfair...

"Are you telling me that someone like Hitler could have repented and put his faith in Jesus just before he died, and got an instant ticket to Heaven? That’s unfair!"

Let's leave the extreme case of Hitler for a moment and look at the case of Joe Average. He is a normal re-blooded male. He lusts incessantly--at women on the street, at work, on billboards, in movies and on TV. However, every time he looks at a woman in such a way, he is committing adultery (see Matthew 5:27-28).

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he has committed adultery in his heart tens of thousands of times. He lies regularly, takes things that don't belong to him, and he habitually uses God's name in vain.

So, Joe Average truly has a "multitude" of sins that will come out as evidence of his guilt on Judgment Day. He has no justification. He knew it was wrong to lie and steal. He knew intuitively that God gave him life (see Romans 1:18-20), but instead of showing any gratitude, he used His holy name as a cuss-word to express disgust.

Therefore Hell is where he should go, if God is "fair" and does that which is right and just.

But God is "unfair." He offers Joe a complete pardon for his sins. Jesus paid his fine 2,000 years ago, and that means God (as Judge) can legally dismiss Joe's case upon his repentance and faith in Jesus and let him live.

And what will happen to Hitler on Judgment Day? That is up to God. But whatever happens, you can be sure that justice will be done. In the meanwhile, make sure that your sins are forgiven through repentance and faith in Jesus. There is nothing more important.

Going With the Consensus

"I am a Christian . . . How do I confront the following topics: 1) dinosaurs. I have been made aware of a few mentions in the bible where beasts are described in a way that could be referencing dinosaurs. But what about the notion that all these "periods" (jurassic, etc.) have been established with ages? Paleontologists need something to base their assumptions on not only how old a particular fossil is, but also how long and how old a particular period is. Are all paleontologists in agreement on ages of the earth? Why does there seem to be no debate here among them on these dates. 2) A story broke yesterday in the news about a meteorite found along an Oregon road that is estimated at 4.5 billion years old. I watched the news clip on it. As a Christian, we feel that the earth is not that old, so why is this reported without any refute to the aging? How do we as Christians argue this?" rnt77

I believe that dinosaurs are mentioned in the Bible (see Job 40:15-24). The creatures spoken of are said to be the biggest God created, and we are even told as to why they went extinct (Job 40:19 KJV). You may not agree with me, but that’s okay. I could be wrong.

The "periods" confirm the Bible rather than discredit it--rapid appearance of life (creation), rapid death (Noahic flood), etc.

Paleontologists are not all in agreement about the earth's age, but most believe that it's around 4.5 billion years old. However, they don’t know how old it is. They simply have faith in Radiometric dating.

I, like many others, don't believe it's that old because I don't have faith in their method of determining the age of rocks. This is because I believe that when God created rocks, they were made with an appearance of age.

When He created trees, He no doubt made them with the appearance of maturity. When He made man, He made him as a fully grown man, not as a baby. So, any scientist looking at the first man just after he was created would understandably be convinced that he was 20-30 years old, when he was in truth only minutes old.

Regarding your thought that no one refutes the age of the earth. Sadly, the media paint anyone who does believe that the earth is younger than 4.5 billion years, as being a "flat-earther." This is nothing new. When the consensus was that the earth was flat, anyone who believed otherwise was mocked. When Galileo believed differently about geocentricity than most, he was treated as an outcast by the powerful Catholic church.

I would rather be with the minority and be right, than go with the consensus and be wrong, and I'm sure I am not alone in that conviction.

A Sincere Apology

"icouldbe said...I was troubled by my last few posts, it is not my place to question your motives to the Dear Lord Jesus, so for that I do beg your forgiveness. I am deeply troubled by what seems to be a simplistic view of life, science, and reality. But I can not deny my weakness, I became emotional and made accusations of the heart. That is not my place to do. It is just that I have found many Catholics, Anglicans, "Liberals" and Atheists to be good, kind and honest people. They seem to have difficult questions, you seem to have answers, but often those answers seem rather rhetorical. All that aside it is not my place to question your heart, again my apologies."

I was very touched by the above apology. Thank you.

I agree with you about many atheists, liberals, religious people, etc. Most are very nice people (I meet atheists regularly, when I speak at Huntington Beach each Saturday afternoon).

Let me try and address the issues that bother you.

First, my simplistic view of life. I'm not sure what you mean by that, but perhaps it's my "black and white" view of life; that salvation is very simple--repent and trust in Jesus and God will give you everlasting life. That is simple, and I thank God that it is. Otherwise, us simple people would never make it to Heaven.

You may also be troubled by my simplistic view of evolution and the fact that I don't consider it scientific in the slightest. This is simply based on the lack of empirical evidence. All I get when I ask for evidence, is bacteria becoming more bacteria (which has nothing to do with Darwinian evolution).

When I ask why every kind has both male and female (birds, insects, animals, etc.) I get told I’m an idiot to ask such a dumb question. When I talk about the lack of explanation as to the origin of the universe (its Genesis), I am told that evolution doesn't deal with that subject (cop-out).

When it comes down to where the rubber meets the road, evolution believers simply have a blind faith in their theory, and in the dating processes of other believers. I don't.

Back to the niceness of people. I would be grateful if you could take the time to listen to "Hell’s Best Kept Secret" on www.livingwaters.com I would love to hear your thoughts.

The Sales Pitch

"Ray, you're out and about a lot. Are there situations in which you don't go into missionary mode? You know, where you just idly chat with people and not bring your Christian sales pitch into it in any way? That's not meant as a snide remark, I'm actually curious about it." captain howdy

If you and I had dinner together, I wouldn't bring up the subject of God, unless you did. That’s because you have heard it all before, and because I am capable of carrying on a conversation about other things.

However, while we talked of politics, oil spills, dogs, etc., I would be thinking about your salvation, and the reason for that (which I have explained before) is that I am utterly convinced beyond the hint of the tiniest doubt, that if you die in your sins, you will end up in Hell. And that horrifies me.

Here's a lame analogy. You are having dinner with a friend who is sipping from a glass of water that you know has been spiked with arsenic. You tell your friend that you saw the waiter drop it into his drink, but he doesn’t believe you even though he is beginning to get the first symptoms of arsenic poisoning. He gets a headache, and becomes confused and sleepy. But in the midst of it, he mocks you and laughs at what you say, as he drinks more of his poisoned water.

Then he says, "Let’s talk of other things. How old do you think this restaurant is? I don’t believe anyone built this. Do you?" So what do you do? Do you enter into a conversation about things that don’t matter? Or do you plead with him to stop drinking and get to a doctor?

You want me to talk of other things, but you are drinking "iniquity like water" and getting closer and closer to death and Hell. Meanwhile, I thank God that we met through this blog, and I will continue with my "sales pitch" as long as you stick around.

Welcome once again to Atheist church.

Thanks for being here.

Today’s sermon is from Luke 3:

"And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? He answered and said to them, He that has two coats, let him impart to him that has none; and he that has meat, let him do likewise. Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said to him, Master, what shall we do? And he said to them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages" (Luke 3: 9-14).

How different John’s sermon is from the modern cheese-smile, three-piece-suited preacher whose message is, "God can make you rich and happy." John wore camel’s hair, lived in a desert, and his message wasn’t one of life-improvement. He instead told his hearers that God’s justice was as ready to fall on them, as an axe that is sitting at the roots of a tree is ready to cut it down. God’s justice is swift, permanent, and is to be feared because Hell is a very real place. Yet multitudes went out to the desert to hear him, and they listened as he told them that they should have evidence that their trust was in God.

The crowds didn't argue with him about whether or not God existed. They intuitively knew that, because of the incredible design of nature, as does every human being. They didn't argue about the age of the earth or the origins of mankind, because these were (and are) peripheral issues. What matters is that all of us are sinners who have violated the Law of God and are therefore under His wrath, and the question we should be asking is "What shall we do then?"

The answer is the same that John gave. Repent and trust in Jesus Christ, and then bring forth fruit that is evidence that you are genuine in your repentance. This was the same message that Jesus was to give some time later, in the famous Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 5-7). It was in essence--love God and love people. Don't rip off your neighbor. Instead, show him kindness, and if he needs a coat give him one of yours. If he asks you to walk one mile, walk two.

The genuine Christian lives this way not to earn Heaven. That would be a horrible attempt to bribe God. Instead, he has this fruit as evidence that he already has the gift of everlasting life, and his motivation isn’t one of bribery or guilt, but one of love for God and appreciation for the free gift of salvation.

Collection. This is free.

Announcements: Next week’s blog will be dealing with (among other things) the question/objection "Christianity is unfair, because it gives Hitler a free ticket to Heaven."

Benediction: May you this week understand the importance of the priority of eternal your salvation.

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Proselytizing Moslems

"Still waiting to hear about your open air preaching in front of a mosque. Or don't Muslims deserve to hear your preaching?" Iago

It seems that this question is important to you because you have asked this about as many times as you have asked how old I considered the earth to be. So I will try to give you an answer.

I never preach outside of Mosques, Kingdom Halls, Indian Temples, etc., in an attempt to proselytize. However, if I saw a crowd of people who happened to be sitting around outside a Mosque, a Kingdom Hall or a Temple, I hope I would have the courage to preach to them. I would simply say that they need not try and find everlasting life through their own works, but that it comes as a gift of God, through Jesus Christ. I did this outside an Anglican church in New Zealand to crowds almost every day for 12 years. They allowed me to park on their property and keep my "soapbox" in their church.

I also preached outside of a Catholic church in Milan, Italy, to a large crowd, a couple of years ago. Just after I finished speaking, the Italian police held me for a hour, and the top police officer yelled at me for about an hour--threatening (among other things) to seize all of our camera gear. He was in plain clothes, and was extremely angry because he believed that we had taken his photo. We had, so I apologized, signed a form of guilt, and he let me go. But not before he posed with me for a picture.




Pic. Plain clothes top cop.

Great Book!

I've been reading an excellent book by a wealthy motivational author named Sol Davidson. This leaves other best sellers (like, Swimming with the Sharks) dead in the water. Sol Davidson is now dead, but he came from a very interesting background. His life reads like a tabloid.

He was the son of a war hero, who became rich but made a mess of his life after committing adultery. He inherited his father's wealth and became even richer than him. That’s when he began writing about good investments, seduction, laziness, how to gain wealth, how to handle your boss, about women, and many other subjects.

His book eventually became a best-seller, but like many successful men, he ended up having a number of bad marriages. Still, his wisdom is amazing. I read him regularly in a effort to learn from his experiences. I would encourage you to read him also. You will find his book directly after the Book of Psalms: "The Proverbs of Solomon the Son of David, King of Israel..."

"... no-one here is claiming that anyone can make material objects from nothing, except you and the other Raytheists."

That’s true. We are claiming that the eternal source of all life can make (and made) material objects, from nothing. Atheists don’t claim that "anyone" can (or did) make material objects from nothing. They claim that nothing can (and did) make material objects from nothing.

Of course, whenever I say that, I get railed on. Professing atheists know how silly that sounds and so they say that they believe that something created everything, they just don't know what that "something" was. As I have said many times before, they are therefore not atheists.

A number of people have been wanting me to define "life." That’s not difficult. God is life, and He is the well-spring of all human life.

When God became a human being, Jesus continually spoke of Himself as being the source of life. He said he was "the way, the truth and the life," "the resurrection and the life," "I have come that you might have life," and the Bible says "In Him was life." The Apostle Paul further said, "Christ, who is our life." Jesus said that His words were life, and with His words raised that dead and warned that all that are in the graves will one day hear His voice and be raised for judgment.

So when you reject God’s mercy in Jesus Christ, you aren’t rejecting a religion. You are rejecting the most precious thing in the universe--life itself.

Pegged, by a Bronze-age Book

"Someone else being punished for your crimes is not 'justice.' ...I am quite familiar with the Doctrine of Substitutionary Atonement, and I find it to be an unethical doctrine, and an unjust one." Lurker

Look at how the "bronze-age book," written thousands of years ago, puts its finger on the motives of the professed atheist:

"The wicked one in the pride of his countenance will not seek, inquire for, and yearn for God; all his thoughts are that there is no God [so He never punishes]. His ways are grievous [or persist] at all times; Your judgments [Lord] are far above and on high out of his sight [so he never thinks about them]; as for all his foes, he sniffs and sneers at them. He thinks in his heart, I shall not be moved; for throughout all generations I shall not come to want or be in adversity" (Psalm 10:4-6, Amplified Bible).

He is wicked--filled with lust, ingratitude to God for the gift of life, denial of God's existence, failure to seek after Him, willful ignorance--he "will" not seek after God.

He thinks that there is no God, but notice why. It's because of moral responsibility towards Him. The atheist has no understanding of eternal justice--God's judgments are far above out of his sight. His attitude is one of condescension towards the thought of divine justice, and he lives in a dream-world of thinking that life will never send him the ultimate curveball.