March 4, 2019

Changes by Gary Rose



I looked in the mirror today and thought: Wow, how I have changed. Then, I realized that I have been constantly changing- just like the man in the photo. But, some things have not changed; things on the inside. I still think and feel (and sometimes act) like I did decades ago. Yet, I know that this too will eventually change. The 13th chapter of 1stCorinthians taught me this...



1 Corinthians 13 ( World English Bible )
1Co 13:1, If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.
1Co 13:2, If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don’t have love, I am nothing.
1Co 13:3, If I dole out all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don’t have love, it profits me nothing.
1Co 13:4, Love is patient and is kind; love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud,
1Co 13:5, doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil;
1Co 13:6, doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
1Co 13:7, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1Co 13:8, Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will be done away with. Where there are various languages, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will be done away with.
1Co 13:9, For we know in part, and we prophesy in part;
1Co 13:10, but when that which is complete has come, then that which is partial will be done away with.
1Co 13:11, When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child. Now that I have become a man, I have put away childish things.
1Co 13:12, For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, even as I was also fully known.
1Co 13:13, But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love. (emphasis added)



There is one more picture that should be added to that one showing the stages of life. It is a picture of what this person will look like as a resurrected being. I have no idea exactly what it will look like, but I do know from other Scriptures that it will be recognizable. How old will we appear in our resurrected bodies? Good question; I just plainly do not know. Since some people only knew us at different stages of our lives, so perhaps we will look different to different people? So, will there be a constant identifier for everyone to recognize us? My answer is a resounding “YES”- LOVE!

Message to self: Love more, for all the right reasons, because it is the only thing that will really endure.

Bible Reading March 4,5 by Gary Rose


Bible Reading  March 4,5

World English Bible


Mar. 4
Exodus 14

Exo 14:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
Exo 14:2 "Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn back and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal Zephon. You shall encamp opposite it by the sea.
Exo 14:3 Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, 'They are entangled in the land. The wilderness has shut them in.'
Exo 14:4 I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will follow after them; and I will get honor over Pharaoh, and over all his armies; and the Egyptians shall know that I am Yahweh." They did so.
Exo 14:5 It was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled; and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was changed towards the people, and they said, "What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?"
Exo 14:6 He made ready his chariot, and took his army with him;
Exo 14:7 and he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over all of them.
Exo 14:8 Yahweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel; for the children of Israel went out with a high hand.
Exo 14:9 The Egyptians pursued after them: all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen, and his army; and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baal Zephon.
Exo 14:10 When Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them; and they were very afraid. The children of Israel cried out to Yahweh.
Exo 14:11 They said to Moses, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you treated us this way, to bring us forth out of Egypt?
Exo 14:12 Isn't this the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, 'Leave us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians?' For it were better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness."
Exo 14:13 Moses said to the people, "Don't be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of Yahweh, which he will work for you today: for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you shall never see them again.
Exo 14:14 Yahweh will fight for you, and you shall be still."
Exo 14:15 Yahweh said to Moses, "Why do you cry to me? Speak to the children of Israel, that they go forward.
Exo 14:16 Lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go into the midst of the sea on dry ground.
Exo 14:17 I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall go in after them: and I will get myself honor over Pharaoh, and over all his armies, over his chariots, and over his horsemen.
Exo 14:18 The Egyptians shall know that I am Yahweh, when I have gotten myself honor over Pharaoh, over his chariots, and over his horsemen."
Exo 14:19 The angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them, and stood behind them.
Exo 14:20 It came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud and the darkness, yet gave it light by night: and the one didn't come near the other all the night.
Exo 14:21 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and Yahweh caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all the night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
Exo 14:22 The children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand, and on their left.
Exo 14:23 The Egyptians pursued, and went in after them into the midst of the sea: all of Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
Exo 14:24 It happened in the morning watch, that Yahweh looked out on the Egyptian army through the pillar of fire and of cloud, and confused the Egyptian army.
Exo 14:25 He took off their chariot wheels, and they drove them heavily; so that the Egyptians said, "Let's flee from the face of Israel, for Yahweh fights for them against the Egyptians!"
Exo 14:26 Yahweh said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come again on the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen."
Exo 14:27 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it. Yahweh overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
Exo 14:28 The waters returned, and covered the chariots and the horsemen, even all Pharaoh's army that went in after them into the sea. There remained not so much as one of them.
Exo 14:29 But the children of Israel walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand, and on their left.
Exo 14:30 Thus Yahweh saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.
Exo 14:31 Israel saw the great work which Yahweh did to the Egyptians, and the people feared Yahweh; and they believed in Yahweh, and in his servant Moses.

Mar. 5
Exodus 15

Exo 15:1 Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to Yahweh, and said, "I will sing to Yahweh, for he has triumphed gloriously. The horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.
Exo 15:2 Yah is my strength and song. He has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise him; my father's God, and I will exalt him.
Exo 15:3 Yahweh is a man of war. Yahweh is his name.
Exo 15:4 He has cast Pharaoh's chariots and his army into the sea. His chosen captains are sunk in the Red Sea.
Exo 15:5 The deeps cover them. They went down into the depths like a stone.
Exo 15:6 Your right hand, Yahweh, is glorious in power. Your right hand, Yahweh, dashes the enemy in pieces.
Exo 15:7 In the greatness of your excellency, you overthrow those who rise up against you. You send forth your wrath. It consumes them as stubble.
Exo 15:8 With the blast of your nostrils, the waters were piled up. The floods stood upright as a heap. The deeps were congealed in the heart of the sea.
Exo 15:9 The enemy said, 'I will pursue. I will overtake. I will divide the spoil. My desire shall be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.'
Exo 15:10 You blew with your wind. The sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters.
Exo 15:11 Who is like you, Yahweh, among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
Exo 15:12 You stretched out your right hand. The earth swallowed them.
Exo 15:13 "You, in your loving kindness, have led the people that you have redeemed. You have guided them in your strength to your holy habitation.
Exo 15:14 The peoples have heard. They tremble. Pangs have taken hold on the inhabitants of Philistia.
Exo 15:15 Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed. Trembling takes hold of the mighty men of Moab. All the inhabitants of Canaan are melted away.
Exo 15:16 Terror and dread falls on them. By the greatness of your arm they are as still as a stone-- until your people pass over, Yahweh, until the people pass over who you have purchased.
Exo 15:17 You shall bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of your inheritance, the place, Yahweh, which you have made for yourself to dwell in; the sanctuary, Lord, which your hands have established.
Exo 15:18 Yahweh shall reign forever and ever."
Exo 15:19 For the horses of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and Yahweh brought back the waters of the sea on them; but the children of Israel walked on dry land in the midst of the sea.
Exo 15:20 Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dances.
Exo 15:21 Miriam answered them, "Sing to Yahweh, for he has triumphed gloriously. The horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea."
Exo 15:22 Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
Exo 15:23 When they came to Marah, they couldn't drink from the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore its name was called Marah.
Exo 15:24 The people murmured against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?"
Exo 15:25 Then he cried to Yahweh. Yahweh showed him a tree, and he threw it into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. There he made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there he tested them;
Exo 15:26 and he said, "If you will diligently listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, and will do that which is right in his eyes, and will pay attention to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you, which I have put on the Egyptians; for I am Yahweh who heals you."
Exo 15:27 They came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water, and seventy palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.

Mar. 4

Mark 4

Mar 4:1 Again he began to teach by the seaside. A great multitude was gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat in the sea, and sat down. All the multitude were on the land by the sea.
Mar 4:2 He taught them many things in parables, and told them in his teaching,
Mar 4:3 "Listen! Behold, the farmer went out to sow,
Mar 4:4 and it happened, as he sowed, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and devoured it.
Mar 4:5 Others fell on the rocky ground, where it had little soil, and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of soil.
Mar 4:6 When the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
Mar 4:7 Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
Mar 4:8 Others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing. Some brought forth thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times as much."
Mar 4:9 He said, "Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear."
Mar 4:10 When he was alone, those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.
Mar 4:11 He said to them, "To you is given the mystery of the Kingdom of God, but to those who are outside, all things are done in parables,
Mar 4:12 that 'seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest perhaps they should turn again, and their sins should be forgiven them.' "
Mar 4:13 He said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How will you understand all of the parables?
Mar 4:14 The farmer sows the word.
Mar 4:15 The ones by the road are the ones where the word is sown; and when they have heard, immediately Satan comes, and takes away the word which has been sown in them.
Mar 4:16 These in like manner are those who are sown on the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy.
Mar 4:17 They have no root in themselves, but are short-lived. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble.
Mar 4:18 Others are those who are sown among the thorns. These are those who have heard the word,
Mar 4:19 and the cares of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
Mar 4:20 Those which were sown on the good ground are those who hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times."
Mar 4:21 He said to them, "Is the lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn't it put on a stand?
Mar 4:22 For there is nothing hidden, except that it should be made known; neither was anything made secret, but that it should come to light.
Mar 4:23 If any man has ears to hear, let him hear."
Mar 4:24 He said to them, "Take heed what you hear. With whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you, and more will be given to you who hear.
Mar 4:25 For whoever has, to him will more be given, and he who doesn't have, even that which he has will be taken away from him."
Mar 4:26 He said, "The Kingdom of God is as if a man should cast seed on the earth,
Mar 4:27 and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he doesn't know how.
Mar 4:28 For the earth bears fruit: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
Mar 4:29 But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts forth the sickle, because the harvest has come."
Mar 4:30 He said, "How will we liken the Kingdom of God? Or with what parable will we illustrate it?
Mar 4:31 It's like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, though it is less than all the seeds that are on the earth,
Mar 4:32 yet when it is sown, grows up, and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts out great branches, so that the birds of the sky can lodge under its shadow."
Mar 4:33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.
Mar 4:34 Without a parable he didn't speak to them; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
Mar 4:35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let's go over to the other side."
Mar 4:36 Leaving the multitude, they took him with them, even as he was, in the boat. Other small boats were also with him.
Mar 4:37 A big wind storm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so much that the boat was already filled.
Mar 4:38 He himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke him up, and told him, "Teacher, don't you care that we are dying?"
Mar 4:39 He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Mar 4:40 He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?"
Mar 4:41 They were greatly afraid, and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

Mar. 5
Mark 5

Mar 5:1 They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.
Mar 5:2 When he had come out of the boat, immediately a man with an unclean spirit met him out of the tombs.
Mar 5:3 He lived in the tombs. Nobody could bind him any more, not even with chains,
Mar 5:4 because he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him, and the fetters broken in pieces. Nobody had the strength to tame him.
Mar 5:5 Always, night and day, in the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out, and cutting himself with stones.
Mar 5:6 When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and bowed down to him,
Mar 5:7 and crying out with a loud voice, he said, "What have I to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, don't torment me."
Mar 5:8 For he said to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!"
Mar 5:9 He asked him, "What is your name?" He said to him, "My name is Legion, for we are many."
Mar 5:10 He begged him much that he would not send them away out of the country.
Mar 5:11 Now on the mountainside there was a great herd of pigs feeding.
Mar 5:12 All the demons begged him, saying, "Send us into the pigs, that we may enter into them."
Mar 5:13 At once Jesus gave them permission. The unclean spirits came out and entered into the pigs. The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and they were drowned in the sea.
Mar 5:14 Those who fed them fled, and told it in the city and in the country. The people came to see what it was that had happened.
Mar 5:15 They came to Jesus, and saw him who had been possessed by demons sitting, clothed, and in his right mind, even him who had the legion; and they were afraid.
Mar 5:16 Those who saw it declared to them how it happened to him who was possessed by demons, and about the pigs.
Mar 5:17 They began to beg him to depart from their region.
Mar 5:18 As he was entering into the boat, he who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him.
Mar 5:19 He didn't allow him, but said to him, "Go to your house, to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how he had mercy on you."
Mar 5:20 He went his way, and began to proclaim in Decapolis how Jesus had done great things for him, and everyone marveled.
Mar 5:21 When Jesus had crossed back over in the boat to the other side, a great multitude was gathered to him; and he was by the sea.
Mar 5:22 Behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, came; and seeing him, he fell at his feet,
Mar 5:23 and begged him much, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Please come and lay your hands on her, that she may be made healthy, and live."
Mar 5:24 He went with him, and a great multitude followed him, and they pressed upon him on all sides.
Mar 5:25 A certain woman, who had an issue of blood for twelve years,
Mar 5:26 and had suffered many things by many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better, but rather grew worse,
Mar 5:27 having heard the things concerning Jesus, came up behind him in the crowd, and touched his clothes.
Mar 5:28 For she said, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be made well."
Mar 5:29 Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
Mar 5:30 Immediately Jesus, perceiving in himself that the power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd, and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"
Mar 5:31 His disciples said to him, "You see the multitude pressing against you, and you say, 'Who touched me?' "
Mar 5:32 He looked around to see her who had done this thing.
Mar 5:33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had been done to her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
Mar 5:34 He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be cured of your disease."
Mar 5:35 While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue ruler's house saying, "Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher any more?"
Mar 5:36 But Jesus, when he heard the message spoken, immediately said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Don't be afraid, only believe."
Mar 5:37 He allowed no one to follow him, except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.
Mar 5:38 He came to the synagogue ruler's house, and he saw an uproar, weeping, and great wailing.
Mar 5:39 When he had entered in, he said to them, "Why do you make an uproar and weep? The child is not dead, but is asleep."
Mar 5:40 They ridiculed him. But he, having put them all out, took the father of the child, her mother, and those who were with him, and went in where the child was lying.
Mar 5:41 Taking the child by the hand, he said to her, "Talitha cumi!" which means, being interpreted, "Girl, I tell you, get up!"
Mar 5:42 Immediately the girl rose up and walked, for she was twelve years old. They were amazed with great amazement.
Mar 5:43 He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and commanded that something should be given to her to eat. 

Now is the Day of Salvation by Roy Davison

http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Davison/Roy/Allen/1940/today.html

Now is the Day of Salvation
"We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: 'In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.' Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:1, 2).
We live our lives one day at a time. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow never comes. Today is the only day we have, to be saved by the grace of God.
Once when Jesus was walking along the road, He saw a man in a tree. Would you climb a tree to see Jesus?
"And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, 'Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.' So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. But when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, 'He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.' Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, 'Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.' And Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost'" (Luke 19:5-10).
Salvation can come to your house today if you will receive the Lord joyfully. Do not be overwhelmed by the sins of the past. Jesus can set you free. Do not put it off until tomorrow. Now is the acceptable time. Now is the day of salvation.
No one dies yesterday and no one dies tomorrow. When we die, we die today. Jesus died for the sins of both men who were crucified with Him, just as He died for our sins. To one of those men Jesus could say: "Today you will be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43).
We need to die with Christ, and live for Christ each day, so we too can hear these words on our last today.
If we believe in Christ as the Son of God, who died for our sins, was buried, and rose from the dead the third day, and if we turn away from our sins, we can die with Christ by being buried with Him in baptism. "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin" (Romans 6:3-6).
Now is the acceptable time. Now is the day of salvation. Today you can be baptized into Christ. You can be born again of water and the Spirit (John 3:3-6). Today you can begin serving God each day.
Maybe you became a Christian in the past, but are not serving God as you should today. For you too, today is the day of salvation. Now is the acceptable time to repent and rededicate your life to God.
Hebrews was written to lukewarm Christians. They were in danger of drifting away (Hebrews 2:1). They had not grown as they should (Hebrews 5:12). Some were neglecting the assembly (Hebrews 10:24, 25).
As a warning, they were reminded of Israel's unfaithfulness: "Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: 'Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me, proved Me, and saw My works forty years. Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, "They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways." So I swore in My wrath, "They shall not enter My rest."' Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called 'Today,' lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: 'Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion'" (Hebrews 3:7-15).
Jesus served God each day: "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work" (John 9:4).
Day after day we must persevere. Paul wrote: "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:12-14).
We must make full use of our time each day. We are told to redeem the time. "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:15, 16). "Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one" (Colossians 4:5, 6).
The time, refers to the time at our disposal, our time, in other words. The concept behind this idiom, redeeming the time, is that we are to "buy up all the time we can." We are to make full use of our time, to use our time to full advantage. This involves being wise, and not being foolish. We must make good use of our time in preparing ourselves to explain our faith in a seasoned manner.
Our minutes, hours, days and years are gifts from God. On the day of judgement we will give account for how we used this valuable treasure: whether we used our time for good or ill; whether we used our time for selfish, self-centered purposes or to honor God and serve our fellow man; whether we used our time to build up or to tear down; whether we accomplished something or wasted our time on earth.
You can wait to spend your money, but you cannot wait to spend your time. Time is passing by. Its proper use requires constant attention.
"This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24 RSV).
"Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2).
Roy Davison
The Scripture quotations in this article are from
The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982,
Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers unless indicated otherwise.
Permission for reference use has been granted.

Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)

What You Are – Part 2 – LIGHT By: Ben Fronczek


http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?p=1526


What You Are – Part 2 – LIGHT

By: Ben Fronczek
Last week I began a new series of lessons called, WHAT YOU ARE. I want to talk about what we are called or referred to as Christians in the Bible. In doing so I hope it will open your eyes as to how important you are and maybe I can help you become more aware of the role and responsibilities that may be laid out for you and me as we live out our life as a Christian.
In the first lesson I talked about what Jesus calls us in Matthew 5, when He referred to us as Salt. In that same context He also refers to us as Light. Let me read that portion of scripture again.   Matt. 5:13-16“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”     
So we are not only the SALT of the earth, we are the LIGHT of the world.
Technically speaking light is a form of electromagnetic radiation which can be detected or seen ny our eyes. Light or this electromagnetic radiation exists in tiny pockets called photons and it shows properties as both waves and particles.
Each wave has a wave length or frequency. The human eye is capable of detecting or seeing only a certain number of these wave lengths or frequencies. Each frequency appears as a different color to us. Rainbows show the entire spectrum or range of visible light or frequencies that we can see; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. Other frequencies or colors beyond our ability to see can only be observed by special cameras or other instruments.
The colors or frequencies beyond the red which we cannot see are called infrared. And the those to the other extreme beyond violet which we can see are called ultraviolet. Even though we cannot see light in these wave lengths does not mean that they are not there. Some animals and insects can see more than we can see because their eyes and brains are equipped to detect light with a higher or lower frequency.
– These light and particle waves travel very fast (186,000 mi/sec. in a vacuum)
– They always move in a straight line and create a shadow when their path is blocked.
– White light is actually made up of the many different color combined. And if white light strikes a prism just right, these different colors can be divided and we see them as a rainbow.
– When we see an object we actually see the light it reflects or emits. People think that certain objects have different colors where in reality, when light strikes an object, depending on what that object is and what it is made of, the object will absorb certain light waves and others will bounce off. The human eye will see these reflected wave lengths that are not absorbed and our brain will combine what we see and leave us with the impression of a color.
Interesting that Jesus would call us the light of the world.
In Bible times there were only a few sources of light; the sun, the moon and stars by night, lightning, and light from fire. There were no electric light bulbs, or street lamps, no head lights or flashlights. But even so, Jesus said that even by the soft glow of oil lamps, torches a city on a hill could not be hid.
So what did Jesus mean when He called us light? As described, there is that electromagnetic radiation which we can detect with our eyes, but the light here is a metaphor for something divine. In the Bible light quite often was a symbol of divine presence. Jesus said that He was the light of the world.
In John 1:1-9 referring to Jesus, John wrote, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  (Life or the Greek word ZOE here refers to a quality of life, life in the fullness, highest sense: the eternal blessed life of God. Light here refers to the divine truth which shine out of Him) He goes on to write:   The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcomeit. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.”
Jesus and what He came to reveal is the light which John the Baptist prepared the way for in his preaching. The light in us is what Jesus revealed.
Jesus is the true source of light, which is a metaphor for a Christ-like divine life which leads men to God. In (John 8:12) we read, “Then Jesus spoke to them again saying I am the light of the world.” He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”  
The Apostle John wrote, “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)
What it comes down to is the fact that Jesus is the true light. We take in or absorb some of His divine light, just like we absorb some of the electromagnetic radiation from the sun which changes us by giving us some color to our skin as well as giving us a healthy dose of Vitamin D. It also strengthens our immune system, increases oxygen content in the blood. Sunlight can penetrates deep into the skin and cleanse the blood and blood vessels. It can lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and it also can help with skin disorders, such as psoriasis, acne, eczema and fungal infections.   And just like we also reflect some of the suns light which others can see, as Christians and also reflect the divine light of Jesus to give them a better spiritual life
So what are some characteristics of light?
#1. It Exposes what’s in the dark: Darkness is expelled as soon as you turn on a light. People are not aware of what’s in the dark until they turn on lights. Light shines not so much that people may see the light itself, but so that they may see other things because of the light that were unseen in the dark.         A question for us is, does my life and presence help others see what’s going on around them or even within them more clearly?
#2. Light can also serve as a guide: Did you ever drive down a country road on a dark night and turn your lights off. Doing so can lead to a disaster. Turn the lights on and it gives us comfort because we can see where we are going and it help others to see the way as well. On a foggy or snowy night I like to follow another car because it helps me see the road better. The question is, as a Christian, am I being a helpful guide to people who are in the darkness of this world, especially helping guide them to Jesus by our good works?.
#3. Light is always light, it never becomes something else. As long as the source is a constant, light travels at a constant speed and seemingly goes on forever. We can see stars that are millions of light years awayIt’s not that the light from others stars isn’t there, we just have limited vision as humans. That’s why we can see so much more with a telescope. Light travels on and on and on. We likewise need to do our best to be a light at all times, not just now and then if we expect having a far reaching effect on others for Jesus. Light may appear as different colors but it is still light. Likewise we are all different with different abilities which can shine forth for Jesus in different ways. Our light shines not so people will be attracted to us but to Jesus.
#4. Most people are attracted to the light. Very few choose to live in total darkness. Some may choose to hide or do things in the dark, but like bugs most of us are drawn to the light. I believe that when we are living as a genuine disciple many are attracted to what we do as we live the life; a life that is meant to glorify our Lord. That’s why so many jump on the band wagon and support good works
John MacArthur writes, “We have that light shining through our lives if our actions reflect the nature of Christ—His love, compassion, and forgiveness.  His light shines through our attitudes, words, and deeds. The Christ-like life is the platform on which individual testimony becomes convincing.
The alternative is for the Christian to live in the dark. Scripture teaches that, “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth”(1 John 1:5-6). If no light shines from your life, either you have no relationship with Christ or you are bringing dishonor to Him. It is a sad thing for someone to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and continue to live an openly sinful life. It brings disrepute to Christ and the gospel. It is a stumbling block for unbelievers. It is certainly not effective in convincing anyone that Christ has the power to transform lives. Our responsibility as disciples and evangelists is to have lives so transformed by the Word and the inward presence of Christ that everyone can see His light reflected in our acts of kindness.” (John MacArthur)
Without light, life on earth would cease. Without this divine light, (Jesus) hope for spirit life would also cease. Every Christian is meant to be a light to help others find the right way, the way to Jesus, the way to salvation. But you don’t have light of your own anymore than the moon has light without the sun. Those talents, gifts, material possessions, wisdom and abilities are all from God and are meant to serve him and bring glory to Him, not you.
In closing I’d like talk about the differences between salt and light 1. Both have their attractive features. We are drawn to light and a proper amount of salt makes things taste better. Salt goes to works silently changing things, seasoning, preserving and healing. You don’t have to give a Bible study to be salt. Your influence, your peace, your meekness, your forgiveness and mercy, and kindness acts like salt in the lives of others.
On the other hand light works differently. Light is visible, it is seen, it works openly. It’s seen when you openly do things, and when openly give glory to God, or share your faith with others about God and Jesus.
People need to experience the effect both; salt and light. They need to be salted with the love of God to season and preserve them and they need to see His light working through you.
But in order for us to be that light, we first have to be plugged into the power source, into Jesus. And we can do this by nurturing a personal relationship with Jesus, by studying God’s word, by praying and by meditating on His word. And by asking him to be with us and work thru us each day.
CONCLUSION:
Where the be-attitudes show us the way to a blessed, happy and have full life, being salt and light is an expression of that life in action. It is a life focused on God’s purpose, not on our own. It touches the lives of those we come in contact with for His Glory.
For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566
All comments can be emailed to: bfronzek@gmail.com

Can Quantum Mechanics Produce a Universe from Nothing? by Jeff Miller, Ph.D.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=4584


Can Quantum Mechanics Produce a Universe from Nothing?

by Jeff Miller, Ph.D.


According to the First Law of Thermodynamics, nothing in the Universe (i.e., matter or energy) can pop into existence from nothing (see Miller, 2013). All of the scientific evidence points to that conclusion. So, the Universe could not have popped into existence before the alleged “big bang” (an event which we do not endorse). Therefore, God must have created the Universe.
One of the popular rebuttals by the atheistic community is that quantum mechanics could have created the Universe. In 1905, Albert Einstein proposed the idea of mass-energy equivalence, resulting in the famous equation, E = mc2 (1905). We now know that matter can be converted to energy, and vice versa. However, energy and mass are conserved, in keeping with the First Law. In the words of the famous evolutionary astronomer, Robert Jastrow, “[T]he principle of the conservation of matter and energy…states that matter and energy can be neither created nor destroyed. Matter can be converted into energy, and vice versa, but the total amount of all matter and energy in the Universe must remain unchanged forever” (1977, p. 32). The idea of matter-energy conversion led one physicist to postulate, in essence, that the cosmic egg that exploded billions of years ago in the alleged “big bang”—commencing the “creation” of the Universe—could have come into existence as an energy-to-matter conversion.
In 1973, physicist Edward Tryon of the Hunter College of the City University of New York published a paper in the British science journal Nature titled, “Is the Universe a Vacuum Fluctuation?” He proposed the idea that the Universe could be a large scale vacuum energy fluctuation. He said, “In answer to the question of why it happened, I offer the modest proposal that our universe is simply one of those things which happen from time to time” (246:397, emp. added). Does it really? Cosmologist and theoretical physicist Alexander Vilenkin, Director of the Institute of Cosmology at Tufts University, said:
Now, what Tryon was suggesting was that our entire universe, with its vast amount of matter, was a huge quantum fluctuation, which somehow failed to disappear for more than 10 billion years. Everybody thought that was a very funny joke. But Tryon was not joking. He was devastated by the reaction of his colleagues… (2006, p. 184).
Though he was originally scoffed at, Tryon’s theory has gained traction among many prominent evolutionary scientists. After all, if true, according to Vilenkin, “such a creation event would not require a cause” for the Universe (pp. 184-185).

SPECULATION VS. OBSERVATION

The fact is, the idea that such an event could happen is pure speculation and conjecture. No such phenomenon—the conversion from energy to matter of an entire Universe—has ever been remotely observed. It is a desperate attempt to hold to naturalistic presuppositions, in spite of the evidence, when a supernatural option that is in keeping with the evidence is staring us in the face. Evolutionary physicist Victor Stenger said,
[T]he universe is probably the result of a random quantum fluctuation in a spaceless, timeless void.... So what had to happen to start the universe was the formation of an empty bubble of highly curved space-time. How did this bubble form? What caused it? Not everything requires a cause. It could have just happened spontaneously as one of the many linear combinations of universes that has the quantum numbers of the void.... Much is still in the speculative stage, and I must admit that there are yetno empirical or observational tests that can be used to test the idea of an accidental origin (1987, 7[3]:26-30, italics in orig., emp. added.).
No evidence. No scientific observation. Just speculation.
Writing in the Skeptical Inquirer in 1994, Ralph Estling voiced strong disapproval of the idea that the Universe could create itself out of nothing. He wrote:
I do not think that what these cosmologists, these quantum theorists, these universe-makers, are doing is science. I can’t help feeling that universes are notoriously disinclined to spring into being, ready-made, out of nothing, even if Edward Tryon (ah, a name at last!) has written that “our universe is simply one of those things which happen from time to time....” Perhaps, although we have the word of many famous scientists for it, our universe is not simply one of those things that happen from time to time(18[4]:430, parenthetical item in orig., emp. added).
Estling’s comments initiated a wave of controversy and letters to the Skeptical Inquirer, eliciting a response by Estling to his critics. Among other observations, he said, “All things begin with speculation, science not excluded. But if no empirical evidence is eventually forthcoming, or can be forthcoming, all speculation is barren.... There is no evidence, so far, that the entire universe, observable and unobservable, emerged from a state of absolute Nothingness” (1995, 19[1]:69-70, emp. added). Therefore, by naturalists’ own definition of science, such an idea is unscientific. There is no evidence that could prove such a thing. The creationist platform is in keeping with observational science and has positive evidence of a divine Being (e.g., the presence of intelligent design in nature, the existence of objective morality, the existence of a Universe which demands a cause, and the existence of a Book that contains supernatural characteristics). However, unlike the creationist platform, those who believe in Tryon’s theory are holding to a blind faith.

WHENCE CAME ENERGY?

Second, even if such a thing were possible—that energy could be converted to matter in the way that Tryon has suggested—one must ask, “Where did the energy come from?” Alan Guth, professor of physics at M.I.T., wrote in response to Tryon: “In this context, a proposal that the universe was created from empty space is no more fundamental than a proposal that the universe was spawned by a piece of rubber. It might be true, but one would still want to ask where the piece of rubber came from” (1997, p. 273, emp. added).
Energy could not have popped into existence without violating the First Law of Thermodynamics. So in reality, when scientists argue that quantum mechanics creates something from nothing, they do not really mean “nothing.” The problem of how everything got here is still present. The matter generated in quantum theory is from a vacuum that is not void. Philip Yam of Scientific American wrote, “Energy in the vacuum, though, is very much real. According to modern physics, a vacuum isn’t a pocket of nothingness. It churns with unseen activity even at absolute zero, the temperature defined as the point at which all molecular motion ceases” (1997, p. 82, emp. added). Prominent humanist mathematician and science writer, Martin Gardner, wrote: “It is fashionable now to conjecture that the big bang was caused by a random quantum fluctuation in a vacuum devoid of space and time. But of course such a vacuum is a far cry from nothing” (2000, p. 303, emp. added). Amanda Gefter, writing in New Scientist, said, “Quantum mechanics tells us that the vacuum of space is not empty; instead, it crackles with energy” (2010, p. 29, emp. added). Physicist Richard Morris wrote:
In modern physics, there is no such thing as “nothing.” Even in a perfect vacuum, pairs of virtual particles are constantly being created [i.e., by briefly “borrowing” energy already in existence—JM] and destroyed. The existence of these particles is no mathematical fiction. Though they cannot be directly observed, the effects they create are quite real. The assumption that they exist leads to predictions that have been confirmed by experiment to a high degree of accuracy (Morris, 1990, p. 25, emp. added).
Astrophysicist Rocky Kolb, chairman of the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago, wrote: “[A] region of seemingly empty space is not really empty, but is a seething froth in which every sort of fundamental particle pops in and out of empty space before annihilating with its antiparticle and disappearing” (1998, 26[2]:43, emp. added). Estling continued his extensive observations in response to his critics (mentioned above), saying:
Quantum cosmologists insist both on this absolute Nothingness and on endowing it with various qualities and characteristics: this particular Nothingness possesses virtual quanta seething in a false vacuum. Quanta, virtual or actual, false or true, are not Nothing, they are definitely Something, although we may argue over what exactly. For one thing, quanta are entities having energy, a vacuum has energy and moreover, extension, i.e., it is something into which other things, such as universes, can be put, i.e., we cannot have our absolute Nothingness and eat it too. If we have quanta and a vacuum as given, we in fact have a pre-existent state of existence that either pre-existed timelessly or brought itself into existence from absolute Nothingness (no quanta, no vacuum, no pre-existing initial conditions) at some precise moment in time; it creates this time, along with the space, matter, and energy, which we call the universe.... I’ve had correspondence with Paul Davies [eminent atheistic theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and astrobiologist of Arizona State University, who advocates the supposition that the Universe created itself from nothing—JM] on cosmological theory, in the course of which, I asked him what he meant by “Nothing.” He wrote back that he had asked Alexander Vilenkin what he meant by it and that Vilenkin had replied, “By Nothing I mean Nothing,” which seemed pretty straightforward at the time, but these quantum cosmologists go on from there to tell us what their particular breed of Nothing consists of. I pointed this out to Davies, who replied that these things are very complicated. I’m willing to admit the truth of that statement, but I think it does not solve the problem (1995, 19[1]:69-70, emp. added).
No wonder Jonathan Sarfati said:
Some physicists assert that quantum mechanics…can produce something from nothing…. But this is a gross misapplication of quantum mechanics. Quantum mechanics never produces something out of nothing…. Theories that the Universe is a quantum fluctuation must presuppose that there was something to fluctuate—their “quantum vacuum” is a lot of matter-antimatter potential—not “nothing” (1998, 12[1]:21, emp. added).
Vilenkin, while explaining the problems inherent in Tryon’s work, said:
A more fundamental problem is that Tryon’s scenario does not really explain the origin of the universe. A quantum fluctuation of the vacuum assumes that there was a vacuum of some pre-existing space. And we now know that “vacuum” is very different from “nothing.” Vacuum, or empty space, has energy and tension, it can bend and warp, so it is unquestionably something (2006, p. 185, ital. in orig., emp. added).
He went on to propose that quantum tunneling could be the answer to the creation of the Universe out of nothing. However, quantum tunneling starts with something and ends with something as well. Particles that can jump or tunnel through barriers still must initially exist to do so. Bottom line: according to renowned atheist, theoretical physicist, and cosmologist of Cambridge University, Stephen Hawking, in order to create a Universe, “you need just three ingredients”: matter, energy, and space (“Curiosity…,” 2011). These three ingredients must exist in order to create a Universe, according to Hawking. So, the problem remains. Where did the ingredients for the Universe soup come from? There must be an ultimate Cause of the Universe.

NON-EXISTENT QUANTUM LAW-MAKER?

Third, even if one were to irrationally accept the premise that quantum theory allows for the possibility that Universes could pop into existence, in the words of astrophysicist Marcus Chown:
If the universe owes its origins to quantum theory, then quantum theory must have existed before the universe. So the next question is surely: where did the laws of quantum theory come from? “We do not know,” admits Vilenkin. “I consider that an entirely different question.” When it comes to the beginning of the universe, in many ways we’re still at the beginning (2012, p. 35, emp. added).
Martin Gardner said,
Imagine that physicists finally discover all the basic waves and their particles, and all the basic laws, and unite everything in one equation. We can then ask, “Why that equation?” It is fashionable now to conjecture that the big bang was caused by a random quantum fluctuation in a vacuum devoid of space and time. But of course such a vacuum is a far cry from nothing. There had to be quantum laws to fluctuate. And why are there quantum laws?... There is no escape from the superultimate questions: Why is there something rather than nothing, and why is the something structured the way it is?(2000, p. 303, emp. added).
In “Curiosity: Did God Create the Universe?” Stephen Hawking boldly claimed that everything in the Universe can be accounted for through atheistic evolution without the need of God. This is untrue, as we have discussed elsewhere (e.g., Miller, 2011), but it seems that Hawking does not even believe that assertion himself. He asked the question, “Did God create the quantum laws that allowed the Big Bang to occur? In a nutshell, did we need a god to set it all up so that the Big Bang could bang?” (“Curiosity…,” emp. added). He then proceeded to offer no answer to the question. In his critique of Hawking, Paul Davies highlighted this very fact, saying, “You need to know where those laws come from. That’s where the mystery lies—the laws” (“The Creation Question…,” 2011). Quantum mechanics, with its governing laws, simply do not leave room for the spontaneous generation of Universes.

RESPONSES

But what if quantum theory could allow for spontaneous generation at the quantum level? What if the First Law of Thermodynamics does not apply at the unobservable molecular world of quantum mechanics but only to the macroscopic world that we can actually see? Even if that were the case (and there is no conclusive evidence to support the contention that there are any exceptionswhatsoever to the First Law of Thermodynamics—see Miller, 2010a), according to the Big Bang model, the quantum level cosmic egg eventually became macroscopic through expansion or inflation. Such an event would have been the equivalent of a breach of the First Law, even under such a speculative definition.
But isn’t it true that “one usually assumes that the current laws of physics did not apply” at the beginning (Linde, 1994)? Assumptions must be reasonable. What evidence could be used to back such a grandiose assumption? And again, who would have written the laws at the moment they became viable? And further, if the laws of physics broke down at the beginning, one cannot use quantum law to bring about matter, which is precisely what the quantum fluctuation theory attempts to do. [NOTE: See Miller, 2010b for more on this contention.]

CONCLUSION

Can quantum mechanics create Universes from nothing? No. Quantum particle generation requires pre-existing energy—a far cry from nothing. Could quantum mechanics spontaneously create Universes from pre-existing (i.e., created by God) energy? There is no scientific evidence to support such a proposition. So it is speculation and conjecture—wishful thinking on par with postulating that aliens brought life to Earth (which some irrationally believe). Tiny quantum particles fluctuating—bouncing around—is one thing. The creation of the entire Universe through a quantum fluctuation? That’s another.
One who wishes to avoid acknowledging the existence of God should be expected to do almost anything to deny it. Reason will be thrown aside, and acceptance of far-fetched theories—theories that are so speculative that they belong in the fiction section of the library along with the The Wizard of Oz—will be latched onto as fact. The Bible gives the rationale for this irrational behavior by explaining that such a person has “itching ears” (2 Timothy 4:3). Such a person will “heap up…teachers” who will tell him what he wants to hear, who sound smart, and therefore, will make him feel good about the blatantly irrational position that he holds (vs. 3). He will turn his “ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (vs. 4). Thus, “professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:22). The quantum fluctuation idea is simply another example of this same mentality, and the admonition to Christians is the same as it was in the first century: “But you be watchful in all things” (vs. 5). “Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge” (1 Timothy 6:20).

REFERENCES

Chown, Marcus (2012), “In the Beginning,” New Scientist, 216[2893]:33-35, December 1.
“The Creation Question: A Curiosity Conversation” (2011), Discovery Channel, August 7.
“Curiosity: Did God Create the Universe?” (2011), Discovery Channel, August 7.
Einstein, Albert (1905), “Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy-Content?” Annals of Physics, 18:639-643, September.
Estling, Ralph (1994), “The Scalp-Tinglin’, Mind-Blowin’, Eye-Poppin’, Heart-Wrenchin’, Stomach-Churnin’, Foot-Stumpin’, Great Big Doodley Science Show!!!,” Skeptical Inquirer, 18[4]:428-430, Summer.
Estling, Ralph (1995), “Letter to the Editor,” Skeptical Inquirer, 19[1]:69-70, January/February.
Gardner, Martin (2000), Did Adam and Eve Have Navels? (New York: W.W. Norton).
Gefter, Amanda (2010), “Touching the Multiverse,” New Scientist, 205[2750]:28-31, March 6.
Guth, Alan (1997), The Inflationary Universe (New York: Perseus Books).
Jastrow, Robert (1977), Until the Sun Dies (New York: W.W. Norton).
Kolb, Rocky (1998), “Planting Primordial Seeds,” Astronomy, 26[2]:42-43.
Linde, Andrei (1994), “The Self-Reproducing Inflationary Universe,” Scientific American, 271[5]:48, November.
Miller, Jeff (2010a), “Couldn’t There Have Been Exceptions to the Laws of Science?” Apologetics Press, http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=3713.
Miller, Jeff (2010b), “Did the Laws of Science Apply in the Beginning?” Apologetics Press, http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=3710.
Miller, Jeff  (2011), “A Review of Discovery Channel’s ‘Curiosity: Did God Create the Universe?’” Reason & Revelation, 31[10]:98-107, http://apologeticspress.org/apPubPage.aspx?pub=1&issue=1004&article=1687.
Miller, Jeff (2013), “Evolution and the Laws of Science: The Laws of Thermodynamics,”  Apologetics Press, http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=9&article= 2786.
Morris, Richard (1990), The Edges of Science (New York: Prentice Hall).
Sarfati, Jonathan D. (1998), “If God Created the Universe, Then Who Created God?,” Creation Ex Nihilo Technical Journal, 12[1]:21.
Stenger, Victor J. (1987), “Was the Universe Created?,” Free Inquiry, 7[3]:26-30, Summer.
Tryon, Edward P. (1973), “Is the Universe a Vacuum Fluctuation?,” Nature, 246:396-397, December 14.
Vilenkin, Alex (2006), Many Worlds in One: The Search for Other Universes (New York: Hill and Wang).
Yam, Philip (1997), “Exploiting Zero-Point Energy,” Scientific American, 277[6]:82-85.