Christianity Archives

August 25, 2023August 24, 2023

An Unnecessary War

There are many causes of war in our world today. Territory, natural resources, politics, and racial issues are the primary ones. However, one of the oldest is the war over the Temple Mount or Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. This is an unnecessary war.

Muslims know the Dome of the Rock as Haram al-Sharif. They regard it as hugely important, only exceeded by Mecca and Medina. To Jews, it is known as the Temple Mount, and the mosque standing there is an abomination that must be destroyed to make way for a new Jewish temple.

The Dome of the Rock is a beautiful architectural wonder that National Geographic made the centerpiece in its September 2023 issue. Sheikh Omar Kiswani, the director of the 36-acre complex, is quoted as saying, “Any church or synagogue in the Holy Land is a place of peace, only here is it a war zone.”

Complicating this picture even further is the action of various Christian denominations who view Christ’s second coming as a political event in which David’s throne will be re-instated and Christ’s enemies defeated in a military conflict. Like all groups involved in this issue, failing to understand God’s will fuels an unnecessary war.

In Matthew 24, Jesus Christ talks about the future, warning His listeners that there will be wars and rumors of wars. He said, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom,” and warned about natural disasters. When Pilate asked Jesus about His kingdom, Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). Over and over in His ministry, Jesus taught that He came to establish a spiritual kingdom and not a physical one.

The history of the Israelite nation is replete with rejecting God’s instructions and suffering the consequences. The ultimate result, predicted in Daniel and Revelation, was the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD. In John 4:21-24 Jesus makes it clear that worshipping God in the future would not be confined to any physical place or structure.

Jesus taught that church and state are separate entities. We see that in Matthew 22:21, where He said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are God’s.” The conflict over the Dome of the Rock and Jerusalem is an unnecessary war resulting from failure to understand the message of Jesus. The world’s rejection of Jesus Christ and His spiritual message continues to cause war, heartbreak, poverty, and division. The only hope for peace is listening to the words of Christ and acting on what God has told us to do.

Reference: National Geographic

August 19, 2023August 18, 2023

Love for One Another

Jesus Christ brought many new concepts that could solve the world’s problems today. The most important thing is His emphasis on having love for one another. In today’s sex-saturated society, people have lost the true meaning of love. If you only understand “love” as “sex,” you miss the most essential meaning. The New Testament was written in Greek, which is far more helpful than our English translations in understanding what God wants us to know about love.

The Greek language has various words we translate as “love” in English. The Greek word for sexual love (“eros”) is not used in the New Testament. “Phileo,” referring to the love of a friend, is used 22 times. “Storge” refers to family love between spouses and siblings, parents and children. “Agape” is the most common New Testament word for love, used 196 times.

In classical Greek writings, “agape” was rarely used, yet it is the dominant word for love used by Jesus and the New Testament writers. The Bible dictionary says, “Agape is the highest and noblest form of love which sees something infinitely precious in its object.” That’s what it means to have love for one another.

The unique Christian concept of love offers the solution to most of the world’s problems. When Jesus tells His listeners to “love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44), He urges them to consider all humans infinitely precious. If everyone would do that, all war would cease. In writing about marriage in Ephesians 5:28-33, Paul uses the word “agape,” not “eros,” when he refers to a man’s love for his wife. In verse 33, he repeats this admonition to men and combines it with the message to wives to respect their husbands.

The key to ending divorce, infidelity, racism, broken homes, abandoned children, and gender confusion is for everyone to “agape” all other humans. Jesus has given us the solutions to life’s biggest problems, and the wisdom of His teaching speaks of His divine nature. The best way to oppose selfishness, greed, abuse, prejudice, and conflict is to follow what Jesus told His followers: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love (agape) one another … by this shall all men know you are my disciples if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35.

Reference: The Eerdman’s Bible Dictionary, Eerdman Publishing, Grand Rapids.

August 16, 2023August 15, 2023

The Growing Suicide Problem

On August 11, 2023. the Centers for Disease Control released data for 2022, showing 50,000 suicides, a 2.6% increase over 2021. The governmental response to the growing suicide problem has been chiefly hand-wringing, with no reasonable attempt to understand why it’s happening. Those of us who work with young people and talk with them regularly can see several causes.

Mental health issues begin at an early age. Children are born with no control over the actions of their parents or the condition of their home situation. The life plan Jesus gave, and which the Bible clearly teaches, is the nuclear family with a mother and father having clear-cut responsibilities in a loving, stable relationship. It is difficult to misunderstand passages like Ephesians 5:28-6:4. We hear “experts” and popular figures saying that marriage is an outdated tradition, but collateral damage from alternatives to the nuclear family includes badly disturbed children leading to the growing suicide problem.

Kids react to the instability in their homes in various ways. Some want to change their gender thinking that will improve their lives. Others rely on substances that affect their mental state. Whether marijuana, alcohol, or a hard drug, the effect is temporary, and the damage is long-lasting. Kids without a stable family at home look for a substitute at school or in a club or in a gang with peers who have the same problems. All of those choices are temporary and in most cases a dead end. For many, suicide is an easy option.

Instead of supporting the efforts of Christians to address these issues, the government is making it harder for churches to do what Jesus has called us to do. Even prison ministry, which we are heavily involved in, is being subjected to increasing rules and requirements. Governments are regulating Christian adoption and foster care programs out of existence by conditions that violate Christian principles.

Voters must start asking questions about the beliefs of political candidates and how they will address the needs of families and young adults. The alternative is a continually growing suicide problem and other social issues among our young people.

Reference: cdc.gov

August 11, 2023August 10, 2023

What Jesus Looked Like

What did Jesus Christ look like? In my travels, I have seen pictures of Jesus with Asian features, caucasian features, Hispanic features, and features of people of color. We don’t know what Jesus looked like, and we really shouldn’t care. The fact that He could slip through a crowd unnoticed (Luke 4:28-30) and Judas had to use a kiss to identify him (Matthew 26:48-49) indicates that He must have looked pretty much like a typical Jewish man of His time.

The important thing about Jesus is not His appearance but His message. If you read Matthew 5, 6, and 7, you won’t see a picture of Jesus, but you will get a good look at the uniqueness and practical value of His teachings. Time magazine recently (August 24, 2023) reviewed the various cover images of Jesus they published over the years. They would have done better to publish what Jesus taught in those chapters of Matthew’s gospel. That is what our society needs today.

Read Acts 2:37-42 and notice how the people who listened to Peter’s message about Jesus responded to God’s invitation. They weren’t concerned about what Jesus looked like. They were changed by what Jesus taught and what He did. They were baptized, not as an emotional response to a speaker but to receive the gift God offered to them through Jesus.

Read Romans 6 and notice what baptism is about. It isn’t like joining a club and isn’t dependent on hearing a preacher. Baptism is a personal response to God and a change in one’s life. It is also the way to bring God’s Spirit into our feeble human existence so we can live a new life. Reading and acting on God’s Word can make an incredible difference in our lives and future.

August 2, 2023July 31, 2023

Diversity in Jesus Christ’s Apostles

In today’s world, a common requirement for businesses is diversity in the workforce. The idea is that you can’t serve all the people if you don’t have those who can relate to their needs. The evil of segregation is not just isolation. It is also the failure to have a variety of approaches to the issues of the day. We see diversity in Jesus Christ’s apostles. Consider the diversity of the apostles He chose and others who helped spread the gospel:

PETER – An impetuous fisherman and his brother ANDREW – Fishing was the lowest of all occupations, and Matthew 4:18-20 indicates Peter and Andrew may not have had a boat but cast their nets from the shore.

JAMES and JOHN – Fishermen brothers who had a boat. They were control freaks who didn’t understand the mission of Jesus. (See Luke 9:52-56 and Mark 3:17.)

PHILIP – The naysayer who was always asking questions. (See John 6:5-7.)

THADDAEUS – His name indicates a warmth of character.

SIMON THE ZEALOT – He was from the Zealots, a politically incorrect group at risk with the Roman government.

THOMAS – A doubter who was paralyzed by peer pressure and science. (See John 20:24-28.)

MATTHEW – A hated tax collector ( publican) despised by the general population.

BARTHOLOMEW and JAMES THE SON OF ALPHAEUS – The invisible apostles who apparently worked behind the scenes to do the will of Christ.

JUDAS – A thief. (John 12:4-8.)

PAUL – A highly educated Jewish scholar.

LUKE – A medical doctor.

Today we understand the importance of diversity. In Jesus’ day, people didn’t understand His message or the choice of His followers. Luke 8:3 tells us of how the ministry of Jesus was carried on, with a wealthy woman and one who had come out of bad situations providing financial support. In addition to the diversity in Jesus Christ’s apostles, there are many lessons for us to learn as we look at Jesus’s teachings and what He did to spread HIs message to the people of His day.

August 1, 2023July 31, 2023

Following the Rules of Debate

Recently media debates have occurred in discussions about climate change, global warming, fracking, abortion, evolution, vaccinations, immigration, and the existence of God. The problem with debates in the media generally is that they are not following the rules of debate.

Not too long ago, I had a radio debate with a talk show host in Pittsburg. I presented scientific evidence from cosmology showing that time and space came from God. From scientific data and probability, I then showed that design as the causal agent of creation in the natural world is more reasonable than chance theories. The talk show host admitted that he had not studied the evidence I presented and had no answer for it, nor did his listeners. With 30 seconds left in the program, he said, “I still don’t believe that the Bible’s teaching on morality makes any sense, and that proves that there is no God.” He then said he was an atheist, and I had not changed his mind. He signed off by claiming that, once again, he had won a debate with a Christian.

This is an example of not following the rules of debate, which is not confined to atheists and skeptics. The National Center for Science Education (NCSE) coined the term “Gish Gallop” to describe the techniques of the Institute for Creation Research, a creationist ministry using dispensational theology to promote their denominational beliefs.

Eugenie Scott of the NCSE describes Gish Gallop as: “dishing out a ton of information, accurate or not, that your opponent has no way to answer in the time available. It is an effective if ultimately shallow debate trick.” Scott goes on to say, “Debate is a sport. It is not a way of convincing an audience or the public of the accuracy of an opinion. It is played by rules that are different from those of logic and empirical evidence.”

A formal debate can be helpful when it has restrictions on what topics will be discussed and held between people with integrity who are following the rules of debate. We have quit doing debates because, in our experience, both atheists and creationist organizations cannot be trusted to allow reasonable discussion on the evidence. Be careful what you read in the media about viruses, climate change, the age of the Earth, etc., and make sure that statements and claims are well documented with reliable sources.

July 31, 2023July 30, 2023

The Thinking of Hitler and Dawkins

We sometimes get nasty letters and even threats when we point out the logical consequences of atheism and naturalism. A 1953 translation of Adolph Hitler’s “Table Talk” document clearly shows the thinking of Hitler and his justification for killing millions of Jews. It sounds very much like the modern writings of celebrated atheist Richard Dawkins. Hitler’s statement is:

“Today, war is nothing but a struggle for the riches of nature. By virtue of an inherent law, these riches belong to him who conquers them… That’s in accordance with the laws of nature. By means of the struggle, the elites are continually renewed. The law of (natural) selection justifies this incessant struggle by allowing the survival of the fittest. Christianity is a rebellion against natural law, a protest against nature. Taken to its logical extreme, Christianity would mean the systematic cultivation of the human failure.”

We can further see the thinking of Hitler in a film that was shown in all German movie theaters at the time. The narration of the film says:

“Wherever fate outs us, whatever station we must occupy, only the strong will prevail in the end. Everything in the natural world that is weak for life will ineluctably be destroyed. In the last few decades, mankind has sinned terribly against the law of natural selection. We haven’t just maintained life unworthy of life, we have even allowed it to multiply! The descendants of these sick people look like this.”

Shortly after this film was released, German mental institutions began gassing to death thousands of innocent patients. In America today, we have “experts” like Peter Singer at Princeton University suggesting that we should euthanize those who are mentally ill or in prison. Richard Dawkins has written, “This is one of the hardest lessons for humans to learn. We cannot admit that things might be neither good nor evil, neither cruel nor kind, but simply callous – indifferent to all suffering, lacking all purpose.” These leaders are repeating the thinking of Hitler.

The Christian belief is that the body is the dwelling place of God’s Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16), and all humans are of infinite value (Galatians 3:26-29) because we are created in God’s image (James 3:9). Leaders in our culture today challenge that idea. If we don’t learn from past human mistakes, we are doomed to repeat them. Looking at the world today, it seems we are well on our way to repeating what happened in Germany.

Quotes from Reflections on the Existence of God by Richard Simmons pp 24-25.

July 25, 2023July 24, 2023

Acceleration of Time in the Cosmos

The Webb space telescope has shown an acceleration of time in the cosmos. Dr. Geraint Lewis and Dr. Brendon Brewer at the University of Sydney’s School of Physics and Astronomy authored a study of quasars that provides a way to measure time.

Quasars are highly luminous objects in space powered by supermassive black holes. The Webb telescope has observed a quasar that is so luminous it outshines the Milky Way galaxy by 100 times. As a quasar, its variations in brightness act as a cosmic clock. The researchers have determined that time flowed five times slower in the past than in our galaxy today.

This makes no sense to most of us until we remember that God created time. Time had a beginning, and the Hebrew of Genesis 1:1 makes that clear. The Bible also talks about things that happened before time began and describes God as being outside of time. (See Proverbs 8:23. Revelation 1:8, 1:11, 21:6, and 22:13/) The discoveries of the Webb telescope and quantum mechanics clearly show that time is not an ethereal substance but a created thing that flows through the physical world.

The measurements of time by the Webb telescope and in laboratories on Earth show an acceleration of time in the cosmos. The Bible refers to God stretching out the cosmos (Isaiah 40:22, 44:24, 45:12, and 51:13). That fits well with the evidence that the creation began with a singularity that was not merely a physical process but also the creation of space and time by the God who exists outside of space and time.

Ancient people looked to the sky and were amazed at the creation they observed. Now that we have better tools and a fuller understanding of the processes, the wonder of creation is even greater than it was in Moses’ day.

Reference: The journal Nature Astronomy for July 3, 2023

July 24, 2023July 23, 2023

Loneliness Contributes to Bad Health

Medical science has now shown that loneliness contributes to bad health. One of the benefits of being a Christian is what the Bible calls “koinonia.” That Greek word can be translated “fellowship” or “communion.” In Acts 2:42, the first-century Church met in constant fellowship, and Hebrews 10:25 urged Christians not to forsake gathering together. We see in the scriptures that Christ’s disciples were together constantly. Today, fellowship with people who share your values and beliefs is a significant contributor to good health.

A study of 18,000 diabetic adults in the United Kingdom showed that “loneliness may be a bigger risk for heart disease in diabetes patients than a bad diet, smoking or a lack of exercise or depression.” Researchers found that over ten years, the chance of developing cardiovascular disease was up to 26% higher in patients with high loneliness scores. Dr. Lu Qi, a professor at Tulane University, said, “We should not downplay the importance of loneliness on physical and emotional health. I encourage my patients with diabetes who feel lonely to join a group or class and try to make friends with people who have shared interests.”

God’s statement that “it is not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18) should not be restricted to the marriage relationship. Loneliness contributes to bad health, and God knows what humans need for good health. I have observed that men who lose their wives and live alone have a reduced life expectancy, but the Church provides a remedy for that loneliness. On a personal note, I remember vividly the negative effect my wife’s death had on my health. My relationship with other Christians in the months following her death has contributed to my living to see my 85th birthday.

Reference: “Insider Report” from Yahoo News for June 2023.

July 17, 2023July 16, 2023

An Astronaut Who Believes in the Bible and Science

“There are no atheists…on top of rockets” is the title of an article by B. T. Irwin, interviewing NASA astronaut Victor Glover. Glover has served on the International Space Station and will pilot NASA’s Artemis II Mission to the Moon next year. Glover is an astronaut who believes in the Bible and science. He talks about how the creation gives evidence for the existence of God.

What is especially interesting is that Glover’s interview was published in The Christian Chronicle, a Church of Christ periodical. The Christian Chronicle has been antagonistic to our ministry because we refuse to dogmatically say the Earth is less than 10,000 years old. The Chronicle has also supported dispensational efforts by promoting Ken Ham’s material and the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter amusement park. Ham’s program promotes the 6000-year age of the Earth to support his dispensational doctrinal views. Victor Glover is an astronaut who believes in the Bible and science, as he explained it in these words:

“The moon is a time capsule for the Earth, and we think it’s old – about 4.5 billion years. And my preacher used to say to me, ‘Yeah, but NASA is wrong because I know the Earth is about 10,000 years old.’ I said, ‘How do you know that?’ He walked me through the lineages in the Bible, and I said, ‘But that doesn’t mark any specific time period.’ And it doesn’t need to because the power of the Gospel is not in a timeline. It’s in that message, in that promise, and that promise being kept. So they don’t actually work against each other like some people like to claim that they do. I had to navigate that because of my faith and my belief in science. I believe in both, and I don’t find them to be in conflict. And I think it’s helped me to be an ambassador to both sides.”

For 55 years, the “Does God Exist?” ministry has shown that science is a friend of faith. We have seen much opposition from the religious establishment as we struggle to undo the collateral damage of the rejection of science. Physical evidence continues to reveal the truth of the Bible. Even when it conflicts with human religious tradition, science is in total agreement with what the Bible says. Let us all pray that some who will not listen to us will listen to an astronaut who believes in the Bible and science. Many young souls are at stake in this false conflict between science and faith.

Reference: The Christian Chronicle for July 2023, pages 22-23.