Did That Really Happen?

My son is back in school and bringing home work home. I have to admit, as a parent, I don’t look forward to home work because he looks to me to assist him with it. I love learning. But doing science and math equations is not my cup of tea. But one area of science I do enjoy is evolution versus creationism. I don’t suppose I need to explain to you why I enjoy this, lol.

Creationism is a hot topic with people who believe in evolution. But studies now show there is a great deal of scientific evidence for the creationism belief. Scripture is full of statements regarding how the world was created, by whom and when. The Psalmist tells us of his wonder of God’s handiwork in creating the world; Psalm 148.

I’ve been reading lately about creationism and the Great Flood of Noah’s day. I know there may be many skeptical people out there who believe the Biblical account of the flood to be just a children’s story and should be kept from the scientific realm. But, if God is to be kept out of science and in essence, does not exist, then there should be no threat in studying what isn’t true. However, if God is real and his promises are true, then we can assume that “we ought to be able to see God in the physical world in such a way that knowledge of God would be obvious or “intuitive” through our everyday experience.”(Morris p.15) In 1961 a geologist named Henry M. Morris wrote a book, The Genesis Flood which attempts to account for how an ancient deluge might have covered the entire planet—even covering the summit of Mount Everest—for a full year.  The book is a demonstration of Morris’s commitment to support Genesis as “actual historical truth, regardless of any scientific or chronologic problems thereby entailed.”  (C&S, 56)  Morris believed that treating Genesis as allegorical or mythical led down a slippery slope to a point where “every man becomes his own God.”  Non-literalists, in Morris’s opinion, fail to recognize that their approach “inevitably undermines all the rest of Scripture. If the first Adam is not real,” Morris argued, “then neither is the second Adam real and there is no need of a Savior.”  (C&S, 81)

Morris believed that the Great Flood did indeed take place consequently wiping out all living things except for the humans and animals held within the protection of the ark. Morris believed the world to be no more than 10,000 years old. He rejected the uniformitarian thinking that sedimentary rock, which often appears in rock thousands of feet thick, were laid down by a gradual and steady process of deposition. If that belief were true, then the world would be billions of years old. Morris replaced uniformitarian thinking with what he called the “Biblical catastrophism.”  Dr. Henry M. Morris III (son of the elder Henry Morris) stated in his book Exploring the Evidence for Creation, “Creationists, consider that the bulk of earth’s sedimentary rock accumulated rapidly beneath the waters of the great Flood of Noah’s day. One layer followed another in swift succession, sometimes interrupted by brief periods of quiescence, uplift, and erosion. Some time may have passed between depositional events, but these periods were not long, and the bulk of the sedimentary rock may represent hardly more than a year.” (p. 68)  Wow! Now there is something to boggle your mind. Let’s read an excerpt from Genesis regarding the flood. The whole story spans Genesis chapters 6-8.

Genesis 7:17–23, “For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth. 18) The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. 19) They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the  entire heavens were covered. 20) The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than twenty feet. 21) Every living thing that moved on the earth perished – birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swam over the earth, and all mankind. 22) everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. 23) Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; men and animals and the creatures that moved along the ground and the birds of the air were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.”

How about you? What do you believe about creation and the earth’s history? Do you believe in creationism? Or do you believe in evolution? Prayer: Lord, please open our eyes and hearts to the truth of creation, and to who you are, -Amen

Ref: Henry M. Morris, and Henry M. Morris III

The Bible and Modern Science,  The Remarkable Birth of Planet Earth,  The Scientific Case for Creation,  The Genesis Flood

No One Else, continued:

Acts 17:24-31, “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25) And he is not served by human hands as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26) From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27) God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each of us. 28) For in him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, :We are his offspring.” 29) Therefore since we are God’s offspring we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone – an image made by man’s design and skill. 30) In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31) For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” (NIV)

As I watch the daily news and observe the goings-on of the world around me, my heart is troubled at the lack of awareness people give to God. We go about our business living our lives fearlessly. We eat, drink and consume whatever we touch. With little thought of the significance of the life we live and to whom we live it. In Acts chapter 17 Paul had traveled to Athens where idol worship was rampant (16). His teachings focused on proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah; the One to whom we should worship and none other (v.3). He had previously visited Thessalonica and Berea (v.13) proclaiming the same message. However, the Jews in that area ran him out-of-town angry at his message against Caesar (v.7). In verses 24-31 Paul eloquently proclaims God as the maker of heaven and earth, giving life and breath to all that live therein. He determined the exact times for men. He tells us that God did this to reach out to us that we might seek and find him. Paul acknowledged that men had worshiped man-made idols of gold and silver and that God had graciously ignored this at one time, but now he desired that men everywhere repent of this sin. Doesn’t that sound a little like today?

We worship all kind and manner of things,…things other than God. Paul tells his listeners that God has set a day of judgement where the man he has appointed (Jesus) will judge with justice. We know this to be Jesus because God raised him from the dead. That was the necessary proof then, and that is the proof now.

I love verse 27, where God gave life to all things so that people would seek and find him, and, that he is not far from any of us. His presence is right here, right now. He can be sought after and found at any time, any where. Jeremiah 29:12-14 says, “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13) You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14) I will be found by you, declares the Lord” (NIV). The New American Standard version says…”and I will be found by you, declares the Lord” showing that seeking results in finding.

God desires us to seek him, find him and worship him and him alone. Re-read the scripture for this devotion again slowly, and let your mind  analyze and dwell on its meaning. He’s speaking to you and me today. He is a gracious and loving God who desires that “all come to repentance.” Our sins like idol worship prevent us from knowing and worshiping him. Please search your heart and ask the Lord to reveal to you if there are idols in your life that need to be given up for him. The time is now to worship God alone!

No One Else

Things aren’t right. Something feels amiss. I’ve heard people say there is an air of expectancy. As if something is going to happen soon, but no one knows what. Have you ever felt that way? Are you feeling that way now? What would you attribute it to? Who would you attribute it to?

The world is changing so fast, as are people, technology, politics and world events. The Bible teaches that only through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ can we experience personal stability and security in a changing world. I believe that whole-heartedly!  The more things change, the more consistent scripture reads.

In this air of expectancy we’re getting the message from the world to try this. Buy that. Change your views/beliefs. Be more tolerant.  Let’s fix what isn’t broken. The bombardment of those messages fosters confusion, chaos and breeds more instability in an already unstable environment.

In my daily readings I felt lead to the following passages of scripture; Deuteronomy 8:19-20, Moses is speaking to the Israelites about their on-again, off-again relationship with God. “If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed, 20) Like the nations the Lord destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God.” (NIV)

Acts 4:12, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” In this portion of Acts Jesus had risen from the dead and ascended into heaven. The disciples had experienced being filled with the Holy Spirit. Peter and John had met and healed a crippled beggar outside the temple. The man had been crippled for over forty years (Acts 4:21). The Sanhedrin (religious rulers) had Peter and John brought before them to question them about this healing, and to inquire by whose power they did so. Peter, emboldened by the Holy Spirit, reported that the healing took place by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth (v. 8-10). He goes on in verse 12 to tell them that no other name under heaven can save men’s souls. Only by believing in and obeying God can one experience healing and forgiveness.

2 Peter 3:9, 14-15,  9) “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promises, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 14) So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this (the day of the Lord’s coming), make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him(God). 15) Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation…” (emphasis added).

OK, let’s draw these three passages together. Deuteronomy tells us we are to worship no other god but the Lord. We are not to forget him. We are to worship Him only and teach our children to worship Him only. Acts tells us there is only one name by which we can be saved from sin and death, that being the name of Jesus. No other religion, belief system or god will do. 2 Peter reassures us that God is patient and desires for all who will, to come to repentance.

I believe the air of expectancy and the feeling of things being amiss is the patience of the Lord attempting to draw as many people to himself as will come, before he returns. His patience means salvation (v.15). He desires all people to repent of their sins and to give control of their lives to him. He is the only God who can and will save men, and by his mercy grant eternal life. Acceptance of any other god or religion will not do. Please do not be deceived by the world’s attempt to convince you there are other gods and belief systems that are just as good and just as righteous. God’s word is “yes and amen.”

Please seek him while he may be found (Isaiah 55:6). Please don’t put off accepting Jesus as your Savior for one more day.