Already in Place . . .

I have been fascinated in the road of study God has taken me down lately, which it seems He keeps centering on the church's early 1800s collapse from believing a literal six-day Genesis Creation to believing alternatives like a gap theory or that the "days" of Genesis mean much more than a literal day (despite God saying there was evening and there was morning for them). I thought you might be interested in a brief summary of what I've learned so far . . .

Shoshone Falls area of Idaho. One of many places we saw
on our trip that now attribute the terrain to a short duration
catastrophic flood event instead of a gradual carving out
over long periods of time.

If you'd ask most Christians when the collapse of Genesis belief occurred my guess is that many would say it began with Darwin. The reality is that well before Darwin uniformitarian geology was gaining strength. This basically says that the present is the key to the past (change is uniform) so therefore, since we see earth changing so slowly now, to arrive at where we are now at this rate of change would take vast periods of time. In opposition to them were catastrophists who believe that the earth's surface was explained by a major (or multiple major) catastrophe(s) . . . i.e. a global flood.

Over the early decades of the 1800s it appears the catastrophists were shut out as the dominate voice, with a few "Scriptural Geologists" trying to hold the gates closed, but Christian leader after Christian leader collapsing under the pressure and assumption that the latest geological "evidence" was true. So, scrambling to find a way to "preserve" the inspiration and truth of Scripture these other theories surfaced that tried to reconcile the two, giving room for vast periods of time and Scripture to still be true.

By the time Darwin published his On the Origin of Species book in 1859 the church had already, for the most part, caved to old earth theories—"reinterpreting" Scripture to fit "nature" instead of interpreting nature in light of Scripture. At this point in the early to mid-1800s it seems to me that it is mainly geology and the earth that seem to be discussed, but then, along comes Darwin—strongly influenced in old earth gradual change theory—who publishes a theory of life that has man evolving from primitive life forms over ages and ages of time.

"Oh no! What do we do? Man made in God's image from apes! Death before sin! Heaven forbid!" I can assume many cries like that went up from Christians based on many of the responses to Darwin's book I've read about . . . but, it is the church who'd already put in place from their pulpits the two primary tenets needed to believe in evolution across species (the earth is vast periods of time old, and Scripture doesn't mean what it clearly says it means and confirms in other places in Scripture), and who'd already set the precedent of reinterpreting Scripture to "science."

Well, now the church has to explain how and why the rest of Scripture and God's promises and the revelations of God's character and nature are true when they've already put themselves as the judge and jury in arbitrarily declaring parts of it true and parts not. And, they have to explain in a way that doesn't keep "reinterpreting" Scripture, how death entered through sin if there was death before sin, how a brutal and self-centered killing idea of survival of the fittest could possibly be declared "as good" by God, why Jesus' genealogy goes to Adam, how sin entered through "one man," and so on and so on and so on.

I actually find it stunning in the inconsistency of a church submitting God's Word to purported "science" in the origins and age of the earth issue, but then standing adamantly against that same "science" that equally declares impossible or "false" things like resurrection from the dead, virgin birth, multiplying of loaves and fishes, miraculous healings, parting of oceans, walking on water, demonic and angelic activity, Heaven, Hell, etc. Is it any wonder the world gives us so little credit when we are so inconsistent and arbitrary?

Anyway, I found that insight into the early/mid-1800s compromise fascinating and eye-opening as it sheds light on why, when Darwin pops up, we fell so fast. Maybe it interests you as well. I believe that this issue is tremendously critical as the foundation of our faith in the Bible, how we interpret the Bible, and the foundation of what we submit as the highest source of truth are at stake. And, despite what the media and everyone else tells us, a little research will reveal multitudes of Ph.D. and other scientists who believe the evidence supports a literal young-earth Creation as recorded in Genesis.

Note: Today it is fascinating how many geological sites (some of which we visited on our Fall "Creation Trip" up into Yellowstone) now attribute significant terrain features to massive interior seas that breached in the past and carved out stunning canyons and topography on their way to the major oceans. Of course none of these sites attribute any of that to the receding flood waters of Noah's flood, or mention that these interior seas likely formed during the flood and subsequent Ice Age, but it is interesting to see the word "catastrophe" returning in different forms in secular geologic theories since it was so "taboo" to even hint at it for so many decades and possibly give Creationists and "Flood people" any chance of credibility.

Foolish Brilliance

Bethany & Abigail beneath the shuttle.

Last week our family was blessed to be able to see the Space Shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. I can't effectively describe the awe and emotion Mary Ann and I felt when we entered the room and there it was, sitting about 10 feet off the ground. We just stood there. I felt almost choked up. There was something about seeing that massive craft, and the brilliance that it took to engineer that program, and to see the wear and tear on it, and to realize it had been in space over 25 times and it was only feet away. Simply hearing a guide describe the process of re-entry and landing in and of itself left me in awe, and that was just a tiny fraction of the thought and research and intelligence that went in to making that program possible (or sending men to the moon and back for that matter). Having watched many Shuttle launches on TV, and having read so much about it in displays before actually seeing it, just enhanced how moved I felt to be there. I was actually caught off guard by how much it affected me.

And then, in the gift shop, they have a mug for sale (I wish I'd thought to take a picture of it!) which shows, wrapping around it, the "evolution" of apes into neanderthals into men into men wearing space suits. It was a stunning contrast to see in that mug both a picture of the utter brilliance of man, and a reminder of the utter foolishness and lack of wisdom of man. It was one of those pictures that show so clearly that you can be very intelligent and not be very wise—that you can be very smart and still be very ignorant. Some times I am stunned that many of the same minds that can create a space program can believe that from nothing and by nothing something happened and from that something, accident upon accident upon accident billions of times over, all this ended up happening without any divine guidance or hand . . . including their own brilliant minds!

Our family at the shuttle exhibit.

Yet, I remember all to well the years of my life I was lost in my intellectual arrogance and pride, thinking myself smart when I was a fool—mocking God and Christians and the Bible. That mug, in a hall of science that showcased some of man's most brilliant moments, was a strong reminder to me, in a culture that almost worships college degrees and those scientist who believe in evolution, that we can have an amazing mind (we ARE made in God's image!), and still be fooled and foolish. Once again I find myself reminded that the "wisdom" of the world and the wisdom of God and His written Word and in conflict, and I must not be surprised when the world mocks what I believe . . . nor must I be ashamed of what I believe, or shrink back from it. Will following and believing God always require faith? Yes. But the more I look at the claims of evolution the more I realize that the faith required to believe in that dwarfs the faith I need to believe in God and His Word.

Maybe I should have bought that mug. Putting it in my office would be a strong reminder to me that while we are in this world, we are not of it. I should never be surprised when the world mocks and rejects my faith. To the contrary, I should probably be concerned about my walk and testimony when the world is too comfortable around me.

The Sum of it All

It is hard to believe that yesterday marked three years since I started this blog as a place to share thoughts, slices of my life, and things God is showing me. I wanted to keep it personal, not tied into my position as pastor, to give me freedom to share things separate from our fellowship—maybe thoughts on a candidate, etc. I had hoped for a "community" to form with lots of comments and sharing back and forth, but that hasn't happened, and that's OK. Now and then (often when I'm about to quit the blog) someone will tell me it really touched or helped them and I'll get a little fire to continue as I'll realize it is being read, and is doing some good. Well, this post is sort of a "sum of it all" for me. I know it's rather long but, hey, it's only once a year you get to "sum it all up" . . .

Reflecting on these three years and the things that have happened in them in the world, in my life, and on this blog, I think I am noticing something that is at the center of almost every issue we face. It is the absence of absolutes. It is really stunning in its simplicity, but that is the sum of it all, in a way. If you look around at the world and the issues in our nation and the lives of many Christians it can be summed up as revolving around absolutes, or the lack of.

Interestingly (and encouraging to me) is that as it seems the world is heading farther and farther from recognizing absolutes, and farther and farther into a realm of opinion and tolerance and relativism, I have noticed myself becoming even more firmly convinced of the absolute truth of Genesis (Creation and the Flood), and hence the Bible, and hence of God—to borrow an expression on a t-shirt I was given, "God said it. I believe it. That's settles it."

Whether the issue is gay marriage, abortion, adultery, fornication, how we use our time, how we use our resources, what we vote on, what purpose we find in our life, what we think about things like miracles today or spiritual warfare or the origin of life, or whatever, it really comes down to one of two things. Either everyone has a valid opinion, and everyone's opinion is equal, and we can argue into infinity with each other about our opinions . . . or God has something to say about something and what He says matters, and what we say doesn't. That's it, really. If God is real, and if His Word is trustworthy, then what He says defines right and wrong. President Obama (or anyone else) can express his stands on issues and give his opinions on them all he wants. If God is real, and the Bible is real, and the President's opinions don't line up with God's, then he is wrong. Plain and simple.

I hear way too much these days that begins with, "I think . . ." or "I feel . . ." or "In my opinion . . ." Honestly, it really doesn't matter to me. (I care about you, so what you think and feel is important to me to help me understand you, but not in affecting my views.) Why? Because Jesus said that God alone is good. Therefore if He is real then He alone can define good and right. So all that really matters is if I am aligned with Him or not. Even our evangelism is so wishy washy and arrogant. We "persuade" people to "try" Jesus. Either He is real, and He is holy, and galaxies are birthed in Him, and He speaks and worlds are created, and if we come into His presence our way and not His we are consumed .  . . or He's not. That's it. Period. If those things are true it is sheer arrogance and pride heading to damnation to "decide" if we are going to trust Him, or believe Him, or follow Him, or to decide on moral issues based on our opinion instead of what He says. And if He's not real, and not those things, then party on. Debate ad naseum your opinion against another's and realize in the end it doesn't matter because we'll all die and feed worms and that's the end. Or, as Paul wrote, "What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.' " (1 Corinthians 15:32)

I was really awakened the other day listening to an audio drama (Jonathan Park) that our family enjoys when they took quotes from Darwin's life chronicling his journey from religion to evolution and total rejection of Jesus. He rejected Genesis, then the Bible, then Jesus. It was a journey, and I see that happening all around us. It is sad, because if the evidence were simply shown, without the bias and tainting of scientists trying to squash and conform it into their millions and billions of years framework, it would clearly point to a literal Creation and flood as described in the Bible. But, we have made bad science our god, and from it rejected the Bible, and from that rejected absolutes. And, it is a rejection of absolutes, stemming from a rejection of the Bible, that has us exactly where we are now—a sea of opinions and a worship of college degrees that we call "enlightenment" but which are really journeys into darkness.

Isn't it funny how many people reject an absolute standard of right and wrong, but are the first to cry out, "It's not fair" or "It's not right" or "this should be allowed and not that" or who profess to be right and that others are wrong? By what standard? Says who? Even more funny (because if I don't laugh, I'll get angry or cry) are the number of professing Christians who claim to believe in a God and absolutes, and then live (and speak) based on their opinions and sense of right and wrong, and not on His. I don't know. Maybe I'm getting cranky, but a person's opinion, including my own, matters less and less to me the older I get. I just want to know, "What does God say?" and then make that my own. His opinion is all that matters. He alone is good. And, I guess, that is the "sum of it all" for me. Life is too short to waste days and years of it chasing vain ideas and opinions. Let God be God, and don't try and be Him for Him. He alone is worthy and our lives are best spent worshipping Him, following Him, sharing Him, and standing for Him, no matter the cost in this world—we have all of eternity to share in the pleasures He has prepared for us.

Does it Matter?

Note: I don't normally post links to the teachings I give at True Life Christian Fellowship in my blog. If anyone is ever interested, there is a link in the "About Me" page (above) to our church's page where you can download recent teachings if you are interested. This Sunday, however, is an exception.

This photo is recorded to be of Ota Benga, a man from the Congo put on exhibit in a zoo in the early 1900s. He later committed suicide. I could not find copyright information about this picture. If I have violated any copyright in using it please let me know and I will promptly remove it.

This morning for our Family Service in which we keep 3rd-grade and older in I taught on Theistic Evolution, which, in a nutshell, is a "compromise" position in which a Creator is acknowledged, but then it is believed that He used evolution to bring life to its current place. In my mind this is one of the most dangerous places a Christian can fall in to—and possibly the most likely place for Christians to turn to who don't want to completely reject their faith or the Bible, but who hold man's view above God's Word (whether or not they recognize that they do). I believe that this trap is one that our youth will be especially prone to fall in to as they are bombarded with the false "facts" of evolution, but don't want to completely reject Jesus.

This morning's teaching was directed completely to the Christian, and it dealt with the theological problems of Theistic Evolution (I have already taught for many prior Family Services on the vast wealth of scientific evidence giving legitimate basis for us having a faith-based belief in Creation and a literal interpretation of Genesis 1 and 2). The questions I raise in this teaching would have no effect on a non-Christian as they come from the problems a belief in Theistic Evolution causes with the Gospel and the rest of the Bible, which they don't accept anyway.

I highly encourage you to listen to this teaching. I believe the questions it raises are very important, and any Christian needs to be equipped to present them to another, or answer them on their own. I conclude the teaching with the question, "Does it matter?" and I share what, to me, was staggering and shocking information on the American Eugenics movement which, stemming out of evolution, forcibly sterilized 60,000+ Americans and did not end until 1963 (20,000 were in California alone)! I was introduced to this in the Creation-based movie on the Gallapagos called The Mysterious Island, and with further research found myself stunned at what went on in our nation's recent history—actions that the Nazis later used to try and justify their actions at the Nuremburg war crimes trials!

I can not stress this point enough—what we believe matters! The logical extensions of evolution verses Creation head to polar opposites with no middle ground to meet in. Please consider listening to this teaching. I believe it will bless and equip you. God bless you all. Thanks for reading. May you have a wonderful, Spirit-filled week in which His love and peace and presence and joy are tangible to you, and you rest in them like you never have before.

Mp3 audio (35 minutes) of Theistic Evolution: Does it Matter?

Note: In the teaching I mention that Aborigines were put in zoos. Actually, correcting that, the most famous case of a human zoo that I am aware of was a person from Congo. But, the horrific treatment of Aborigines and other humans, as well as forcible sterilizations and prohibitions against marriage between certain people that were done under the framework of evolution and Eugenics, is well documented and easily discovered with a cursory Google search.