From Gary... Waiting

Reminds me of my dog Pal. My wife tells me that every single time I leave the house he goes to the study and sits patiently in front of the sliding glass door until I return. It makes no difference if its 30 minutes or 6 or more hours, he sits, he waits, he watches, period.

And then I come home. He scratches at the glass, jumps up and down and keeps on doing it until I pet him and redirect his excitement by my usual "in you go"- and he does.

This is love and faithfulness to the nth degree!!!!

Would someone define us a being full of love and faithfulness?

Consider....

1 Thessalonians, Chapter 4 (WEB)

13  But we don’t want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you don’t grieve like the rest, who have no hope.  14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left to the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep.  16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first,  17 then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever.  18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. 

Christians: Patiently wait, Jesus will come!!! Believe it, because its true!!!

From Gary... Bible Reading February 24

Bible Reading  

February 24

The World English Bible

Feb. 24

Exodus 5

Exo 5:1 Afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said to Pharaoh, "This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, 'Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.' "

Exo 5:2 Pharaoh said, "Who is Yahweh, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I don't know Yahweh, and moreover I will not let Israel go."

Exo 5:3 They said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Yahweh, our God, lest he fall on us with pestilence, or with the sword."

Exo 5:4 The king of Egypt said to them, "Why do you, Moses and Aaron, take the people from their work? Get back to your burdens!"

Exo 5:5 Pharaoh said, "Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens."

Exo 5:6 The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,

Exo 5:7 "You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick, as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.

Exo 5:8 The number of the bricks, which they made before, you require from them. You shall not diminish anything of it, for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.'

Exo 5:9 Let heavier work be laid on the men, that they may labor therein; and don't let them pay any attention to lying words."

Exo 5:10 The taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, This is what Pharaoh says: "I will not give you straw.

Exo 5:11 Go yourselves, get straw where you can find it, for nothing of your work shall be diminished."

Exo 5:12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

Exo 5:13 The taskmasters were urgent saying, "Fulfill your work quota daily, as when there was straw!"

Exo 5:14 The officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, "Why haven't you fulfilled your quota both yesterday and today, in making brick as before?"

Exo 5:15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, "Why do you deal this way with your servants?

Exo 5:16 No straw is given to your servants, and they tell us, 'Make brick!' and behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people."

Exo 5:17 But he said, "You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say, 'Let us go and sacrifice to Yahweh.'

Exo 5:18 Go therefore now, and work, for no straw shall be given to you, yet you shall deliver the same number of bricks!"

Exo 5:19 The officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble, when it was said, "You shall not diminish anything from your daily quota of bricks!"

Exo 5:20 They met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:

Exo 5:21 and they said to them, "May Yahweh look at you, and judge, because you have made us a stench to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us."

Exo 5:22 Moses returned to Yahweh, and said, "Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why is it that you have sent me?

Exo 5:23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people; neither have you delivered your people at all."

Feb. 24, 25

Matthew 28

Mat 28:1 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.

Mat 28:2 Behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from the sky, and came and rolled away the stone from the door, and sat on it.

Mat 28:3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.

Mat 28:4 For fear of him, the guards shook, and became like dead men.

Mat 28:5 The angel answered the women, "Don't be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus, who has been crucified.

Mat 28:6 He is not here, for he has risen, just like he said. Come, see the place where the Lord was lying.

Mat 28:7 Go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has risen from the dead, and behold, he goes before you into Galilee; there you will see him.' Behold, I have told you."

Mat 28:8 They departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring his disciples word.

Mat 28:9 As they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!" They came and took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.

Mat 28:10 Then Jesus said to them, "Don't be afraid. Go tell my brothers that they should go into Galilee, and there they will see me."

Mat 28:11 Now while they were going, behold, some of the guards came into the city, and told the chief priests all the things that had happened.

Mat 28:12 When they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave a large amount of silver to the soldiers,

Mat 28:13 saying, "Say that his disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.

Mat 28:14 If this comes to the governor's ears, we will persuade him and make you free of worry."

Mat 28:15 So they took the money and did as they were told. This saying was spread abroad among the Jews, and continues until this day.

Mat 28:16 But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had sent them.

Mat 28:17 When they saw him, they bowed down to him, but some doubted.

Mat 28:18 Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.

Mat 28:19 Therefore go, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Mat 28:20 teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

From Roy Davison... Do you have problems with that sinner in your life?

http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Davison/Roy/Allen/1940/027-thatsinner.html

Do you have problems with that sinner in your life?

The Bible is a disturbing book. From Genesis to Revelation the sinfulness of man is exposed, our sins are exposed, my sins are exposed, your sins are exposed. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin (John 16:8). God’s word is like a mirror (James 1:23). Our sins are reflected in all their ugliness. We see the devastating consequences of sin. Sin is defined, and its nature is revealed. But most important of all, we learn about the one and only solution for the sins of the world.
How did sin enter the world? What are the consequences of sin? Whose fault is sin? What is the solution for sin? These questions are answered in the Scriptures.

How did sin enter the world?

In the beginning there was no sin in the world. “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). Sin entered the world through Adam: “Through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).
We learn much from the first sin. Eve knew precisely what God had said: “Of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die’” (Genesis 3:3). She explained this to the serpent.
But he contradicted God: “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4) and he even impugned God’s motives. According to him, God just wanted to keep them ignorant.
Who is this serpent? “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9). Satan encourages man to sin by lying to him. Notice that the serpent did not force Eve to disobey God. He just suggested that it would be to her advantage.
We also notice that God allows Satan to tempt man. Man’s faith and love for God are tested. Eve has a choice. Who will she believe, God or a snake? She allows herself to be deceived and disobeys God. “The serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness” (2 Corinthians 11:3).
A thought process was involved. “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate” (Genesis 3:6). James describes this process: “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:13-15). The lies of Satan aroused rebellious desires in the heart of Eve.
What is the origin of this serpent?
“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made” (Genesis 3:1). All that God made was good (Genesis 1:31), thus serpents as well. The serpents we know, do not speak, and in the Bible we never again read of a serpent speaking, but we do read of the devil speaking. Satan spoke to Eve as a serpent. He usually comes to us in some disguise. “Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14).
The devil has “sinned from the beginning” (1 John 3:8). He is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). He is the tempter (Matthew 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:5), the adversary (1 Peter 5:8) and the accuser of the faithful (Revelation 12:10). He is “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2). The Archangel Michael and his angels wage war against the devil and his angels (Revelation 12:7-9). Satan is among the angels who sinned as referred to in 2 Peter 2:4 “who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode” (Jude 6).
Thus, like man, Satan was created good. Also like man, he was given the power of choice, which he misused to rebel against God. Angels and men have sinned.

What are the consequences of sin?

After Adam and Eve sinned they were afraid and “hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God” (Genesis 3:8-10). Sin alienated them from God.
Man was evicted from the beautiful garden where all his needs were provided and where he lived in close fellowship with God: “The LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken” (Genesis 3:23). After a life of pain and toil he would die, returning to the ground from which he was taken (Genesis 3:17-19).
Angels who sinned have been cast into Hades and committed to “chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment” (2 Peter 2:4 // Jude 6). At the judgment, the devil and his cohorts will be “cast into the lake of fire” and “will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:10).
At the judgment, sinful men (unless their names are “found written in the book of life”) will be “cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15), they “will go away into eternal punishment,” “into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:46, 41).

Whose fault is sin?

When God asked Adam, “Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” he replied, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate” (Genesis 3:11, 12). Adam tried to transfer at least some of the blame for his sin to his wife, and maybe even to God. That God gave him a wife and that his wife gave him the fruit, did not lessen his responsibility for his own disobedience. God told Adam, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it': cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life” (Genesis 3:17).
From this we learn that each person must answer to God for his own sin, even though he is tempted by someone else. Our own sin is our own fault! It is not God’s fault or the fault of someone who tempted us.
When God asked Eve, “What is this you have done?” she replied, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (Genesis 3:13). How reasonable is that? “Lord, I believed a snake instead of You.” Yet, as unreasonable as it is, that is what mankind has been doing ever since: believing the lies of the snake rather than the word of God. And because people put their faith in the snake, Satan is called “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4) and the deceiver of the whole world (Revelation 12:9).
From this we learn that we must give account to God for our own sin, even if we have been tempted and deceived by Satan. We cannot blame Satan for our sin. Our own sin is our own fault! We are responsible for what we do.
Whose fault was Cain’s sin? We also learn much about sin from this sad occurrence.
Some people try to blame Adam for their sin. Why did Cain kill Abel? Did he do it because of Adam’s sin or because of his own sin? If it was because of Adam’s sin, why was Cain not killed by Abel? Or why did they not murder each other? They both were sons of Adam.
Can sin be inherited? Or is sin something one does.
John tells us why Cain killed Abel. We should not be like “Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous” (1 John 3:12). “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts” (Hebrews 11:4). Jude speaks of certain evil people who “have gone in the way of Cain” (Jude 11).
Abel’s deeds were righteous. He was a man of faith. He was a prophet of God (Luke 11:50, 51). “And the LORD respected Abel and his offering” (Genesis 4:4). Notice that God respected, not only the offering, but Abel himself.
What was “the way of Cain”? He “was of the wicked one,” “his works were evil.” God “did not respect Cain and his offering” (Genesis 4:5).
Why the difference? They were both sons of Adam.
The first time the word “sin” is found in the Bible is when God warns Cain: “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it” (Genesis 4:6, 7).
Cain’s behavior was at that time unacceptable to God. Because his works were evil, God did not accept his offer. Yet, he still had a choice. If he repented and did well, God would accept him.
Before he murdered his brother, God warned Cain: Why are you angry? If you do what is right, you will also be accepted. But if you do not do what is right, sin is ready to pounce.
This passage proves that the Calvinistic doctrine of unconditional election is not true. Otherwise this warning would be senseless. Cain could decide to do good. He was commanded to rule over sin.
But he made the wrong choice. He chose to walk in the way of Satan, rather than to listen to God.
Our sins are our own fault. We cannot blame our sin on Adam.
“Through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). This passage does not say that sin spread to all men because Adam sinned. It says that death spread to all men because all sinned.
God holds people accountable for their own sins, not for the sins of their parents: “Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; the soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4). “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself” (Ezekiel 18:20). “Everyone shall die for his own iniquity” (Jeremiah 31:30).
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). In the last book of the Bible, Jesus tells us, “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Revelation 22:12).
Sin entered the world through Adam and death passed to all men because all sinned. The consequences of sin are death and eternal punishment in hell unless we are among the redeemed. We are responsible for our own sin, and may not attempt to blame those who tempt us, Satan, Adam or God for our sins.
Are we following the example of Cain or Abel?
Are we men and women of faith who listen to God, whose worship is acceptable and whose sins are atoned by the sacrifice of the Lamb of God?
Or do we walk in the way of Cain whose works were evil, who was of the wicked one, and who was angry when God did not accept him and his offer?
Even so, there is hope if we repent. God assures us: “‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die?’” (Ezekiel 33:11).

What is the one and only solution for sin?

“The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11). “Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). He is the solution God has provided for our problem with that sinner in our lives.
After dying on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, and rising from the grave, victorious over death, He told His followers: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:15, 16).
His forgiving arms are open wide to sinners who are willing to repent.
The reply Peter gave to distraught sinners on the Day of Pentecost rings down through the ages: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call" (Acts 2:38, 39).
Heed the call of God and "Be saved from this perverse generation" (Acts 2:40).
Roy Davison

The Scripture quotations in this article are from
The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982, Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers.
Permission for reference use has been granted.

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

From Jim McGuiggan... Genesis Through Deuteronomy and Joshua (1)

Genesis Through Deuteronomy and Joshua (1)

As you might know, the first five books of the Bible are called the “five books of Moses” because the Jewish nation always believed that God wrote them through Moses. (They believed that some men guided by the Spirit did some structuring of Moses’ words after he died—see Deuteronomy 34:5-8). The Jews called those books the torah, which is usually translated “law” though it doesn’t mean “law” in the sheer legal way that we normally do. These books are filled with history and promises and explanations as well as commandments and that’s not the kind of “law” you find in our law-books is it?

Genesis through Deuteronomy rises out of Israel’s relationship with God under Moses so while the story begins with Creation it is written to teach Israel who their God is, what he is like and what he has in mind for them and the world. It’s as if a stunned nation watched God dismantle oppressive Egypt in the plagues (see Exodus 1—14) and asked Moses, “Who is this God and what does he want?” In Leviticus 18:1-5 God said they were not to think of him or serve him as the Egyptians served their gods. And he was taking them to Canaan and they were not to think of him or serve him as the Canaanites served their gods. They were to commit to God and serve him in the way he would make clear and they would enjoy fullness of life with him. That’s what Genesis through Deuteronomy is about. Getting to know and love God and work with him to fulfil his purposes.

The gods of Egypt and the true God

Israel had lived in Egypt for something like 400 years and everything in Egypt was a god or a manifestation of a god. The soil, the river, the animals, the sky, the desert, the crops, the sun, moon and stars and the king himself were all gods. That’s what the Egyptian priests taught the children in school. If a child wanted to know why the sea didn’t come up over the whole land of Egypt, if he wanted to know how you could bury a seed and a plant come up, why the sun came up every day or why there was desert--if he wanted to know anything he was told stories about gods. He was told about gods fighting each other, marrying, dying, lying and so forth.

Moses wrote Genesis to explain that the creation and all the things in it are servants of the one true God. He teaches Israel that these elements were not gods to be feared and they were not to be worshiped. He shows that they were the creation of one God and that they were not his enemies that he had to overcome (as the stories of the gods said). No, Genesis 1 is written to say there is one God who created and so provided all things and that that one God is to be worshiped and served in love.

Genesis and the Fall and God’s redeeming purpose

Moses wrote Genesis to explain why everything is in a mess and what God had undertaken to do about it. If God had made everything and it all worked together in harmony (the sun and moon doing their jobs, the fish in the sea and the birds in the heavens etc) and man and woman rejoicing as lord over it in God’s image how come there was bedlam and oppression and desert now? Moses records the Fall in Genesis 3--11 (these chapters are to be taken as one continuous description of humanity’s rebellion against God and his judicial curse on humanity).

Our sin fragmented us and the result was loss of relationship, peace and home. The loss of home is shown in the expulsion from the garden (Genesis 3), Cain’s loss of home (Genesis 4) and the flood and the scattering of the nations in chapter 9--11. But these judgements by God were redemptive in purpose, that is, he wasn’t washing his hands of us. Sin would be our utter destruction so he moved in judgement to redeem us. Since Israel descended from these nations Israel should resists the later temptation to think that she was some elite nation, she had come from sinful stock like the rest of us.

Immediately following our Fall and scattering (chapters 3--11) God called Abram to be the father of Israel and the one in whom he would work to bring humanity back to himself (end of chapter 11 and into chapter 12). As Adam represents us well on our way from God so Abram (later Abraham) represents us well as on our way back to God. God sent us away in Adam and brings us back to himself in Abraham (see Genesis 12:1-3). Abraham and his seed (Israel) were the elect (not elite, they were no better than the rest of us!) through which God would bless the world and not just Abraham and Israel. Genesis was written to teach Israel that she was not an end in herself and that God was the God of all nations and was working through Israel to bless them all.

Redemption is God’s work and not man’s

Genesis 11:1-9 shows our anger with God and our refusal to accept his judgement. In our arrogance we said we’d make a centre for ourselves, built a reputation for ourselves and make a home for ourselves and put an end to our wandering. Everything we said we’d do for ourselves God put a stop to! Then he called a man with a prematurely old body and with a barren wife and said he would give to them all that he refused to let us make for ourselves (see Genesis 12:1-3 and Read Romans 4:16-22). Abraham and Sarah were incapable of all God had in mind and that is precisely what God wanted to make clear. Throughout Genesis this same note is sounded. Abraham, the other patriarchs all had their flaws and got in trouble and God delivered them and brought good out of evil. All the stories develop the one Story: God is faithful and we are faithless, we are helpless against the powers and forces we have set loose but God is able, we fight and cut one another off and God works to reconcile us all to him and one another.

(You might find my Genesis & Us helpful. See McGuiggan books on the home page.)

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

From Jim McGuiggan... Get yourself baptized

Get yourself baptized

How do you get saved? The very question makes it sound like we save ourselves, and that couldn’t be further from the truth! God alone is the Savior in Jesus Christ. But because God cannot and will not save us against our will, the scriptures call us to respond in free cooperation with the saving Lord. That’s why you hear texts saying, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation" (Acts 2:40). Or 1 Timothy 4:16, which says, "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them. Because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers."

Some people fear such speech because they see a legalist under every bed. They don’t want anyone to get the impression that they can save themselves. This is a legitimate concern but there’s no point in being so "careful" that we don’t call people to do what they’re called by God to do. "What must I do to be saved?" a jailer asked Paul (Acts 16:31). "What must we do [to be forgiven]?" thousands asked Peter (Acts 2:37). "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" a man asked Jesus (Luke 10:25). None of the three acted as though this was a terrible question. No one said to the inquirers, "Ah, now that’s your fundamental mistake because you can’t do anything to be saved." All three told their hearers what to do to be saved.

Responding to the gospel of Jesus Christ in trusting repentance saves you when you get baptized into Jesus Christ. This is what Paul taught the jailer in Acts 16:31-32. This is what Peter taught thousands in Acts 2:37-38 and it’s what Christ told his apostles to teach all nations in Matthew 28:18-19 and Mark 16:15-16. It’s what Ananias told Saul in Acts 22:16 when he wanted the forgiveness of his sins. I’ve stressed in scores of places on this site, and at length, that faith in Jesus Christ is the heart of our response to God’s gospel. That isn’t to be denied. Without a trusting and penitent heart nothing else matters—it’s all in vain for without that trust and repentance which is part of a full-bodied faith there is no true acceptance of Christ. But I need to say plainly that in the New Testament when convicted and now believing people wanted to become Christ’s they were told to be baptized.

It doesn’t matter that some sweet and wise people that we know don’t hold to that. The scriptures are very plain about it. You aren’t required to obey these sweet wise people but you are required to obey the voice of God in scripture. Read the texts on baptism for yourself and if they’re as plain to you and as they are to me, don’t ask anyone’s permission or approval—get yourself baptized and know you are saved.

And it isn’t necessary for you to make judgements on the spiritual condition of everyone you meet. Leave that to God. [Please see Remarks on Baptism (3).] Simply tell them what you’ve read in scripture and what you have done about it and let them make up their minds before God what they’ll do about it. In Acts 22:16 Ananias told a now believing and repentant Saul, "And now, what are you waiting for? Get up, and have yourself baptized and wash your sins away, calling on the name of the Lord." So, if you haven’t done that, "What are you waiting for? Get up, and have yourself baptized and wash your sins away calling on the name of the Lord."

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Were the Iron Chariots Too Powerful? by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

http://apologeticspress.org/AllegedDiscrepancies.aspx?article=301&b=Joshua

Were the Iron Chariots Too Powerful?

by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

[NOTE: During the February 12, 2009 Darwin Day debate with Kyle Butt, Dan Barker listed 14 alleged Bible discrepancies as evidence against God’s existence. He insisted (11 minutes and 24 seconds into his opening speech) that the Bible gives contradictory descriptions of God’s power, because of a statement about the Israelite’s failure to conquer their neighbors who possessed iron chariots. His allegation is refuted in the following article written by Kyle in 2004.]

It has been suggested that the Bible is filled with contradictions. One of the supposed contradictions is between Joshua 17:18 and Judges 1:19. Let us look closely at these verses and their contexts to see if any real contradiction exists.

Joshua 17:18: “But the mountain country shall be yours. Although it is wooded, you shall cut it down, and its farthest extent shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots and are strong.”

Judges 1:19: “So the Lord was with Judah. And they drove out the mountaineers, but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the lowland, because they had chariots of iron.”

After reading the two verses, it may look like they contradict one another. Did the children of Israel defeat the Canaanites with their chariots of iron as Joshua apparently had said they would, or were the chariots just too powerful for the people of Judah to overcome?

These two passages have several plausible ways of reconciliation. And, please remember that the exact way to reconcile any contradiction need not be pinpointed, as long as a possible way can be provided. The rest of this brief answer will deal with only two of the many possible ways to reconcile the passages.

The first way to reconcile the passages is to show that Joshua was informing his listeners that they had the power to drive out the Canaanites only if they would follow God faithfully and be confident in His promises. Judges chapter 2:1-3 says:

Then the Angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said: “I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you. And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.’ ”

God’s promise through Joshua was not an unconditional guarantee that the children of Israel would possess all of the land they had been promised. It was conditional, based upon the faithfulness of the Israelites and their obedience to God’s commandments. After all, God never would force the Israelites to clear the wooded areas against their will. Neither would He force them to conquer the iron chariots. The two verses under discussion easily could be dealing with land that God chose not to clear of its previous inhabitants because of the disobedience of the people of Judah.

A second possible solution could be that the children of Israel did conquer the mountain country and succeeded in driving out its inhabitants for a brief time, but they were unable to maintain control of the cities. Thus, by the time referred to in Judges 1, the cities already could have been retaken by the chariots of iron.

As a final word, notice that Joshua said that “the mountain country” and “its farthest extents” were the promised possession of the Israelites. In Judges 1:19, the children of Israel did, indeed, drive out “the inhabitants of the mountains.” Unless we force the phrase “its farthest extents” in Joshua 17:18 to read “lowland” as in Judges 1:19, then there is absolutely no hint of a contradiction, and this entire explanation is unnecessary.

A Mind to Work by Eric Lyons, M.Min.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=7&article=1645

A Mind to Work

by	Eric Lyons, M.Min.

Recently I spoke with a kind, contrite gentleman who confessed that, up to this point in time, he had lived a slothful life. He admitted that he had never had a real job in 33 years (three years of which were spent in prison). In fact, he had never even filled out a single job application. He begged, borrowed, stole, and sold drugs to get by day after day, year after year. Thankfully, all of that changed only a few weeks ago as he began his first work at a fast-food restaurant.

Many hard-working Americans currently find themselves unemployed and searching for jobs. A number of sincere Christians may be seeking employment as they petition God for opportunities to work and provide for their families and others. These individuals are serious about their search for work, understanding God’s desire for them to be as self-sufficient as possible (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12). But, it is also true that many Americans (even some who call themselves Christians) seem to care very little about work. They have a flippant attitude toward having a job.

Many willfully choose to live lazy lives. They seem to work harder at getting out of work, or at finding ways for others to take care of them, than actually performing a worthwhile job. I once heard a group of pregnant teenage girls say that they deserved to be taken care of (by the government) financially. Why? Because they had children out of wedlock. I know one small business owner who has several employees on “disability,” and yet most of them are more than capable of performing physically demanding construction jobs, much less jobs that require relatively little physical prowess. I spoke with a physical therapist recently who confessed having major frustration with so many patients who are in the process of filing for disability, yet are clearly capable of performing all sorts of jobs. Certainly, many Americans are genuinely disabled and unable to perform basic tasks that are necessary in order to make a normal living, but no doubt thousands, and perhaps even millions, of the 8.7 million disabled Americans are more than capable of working for a living (Jeffrey, 2012). [NOTE: 15% more Americans (1,264,808) are on federal disability than there were just three years ago (Jeffrey).]

The Good Book says to help those in need (Proverbs 28:27; Ephesians 4:28; Luke 3:11). Jesus expects His faithful followers to help the destitute (Matthew 25:34-46). Notice, however, that Jesus’ powerful discourse regarding helping the needy was taught following a story about a “lazy servant” who was cast into outer darkness for his unprofitable slothfulness (Matthew 25:26,30). The same apostle who reminded the Ephesian elders of Jesus’ statement, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” wrote to the church of the Thessalonians, saying, “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, nor working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread” (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12). The inspired wise man candidly rebuked the lazy man, saying,

Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest. How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep—so shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man (Proverbs 6:6-11).

Indeed, “He who gathers in summer is a wise son; he who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame” (Proverbs 10:5). “The desire of the lazy man kills him, for his hands refuse to labor” (Proverbs 21:25).

Depending on the situation, the next time that a healthy, able-bodied person asks you for money, it might be appropriate for you to kindly ask him if he would like to mow your lawn, wash your car, weed your garden, etc. Are you really helping a lazy man if you give him anything more than what the Bible says he needs—the Gospel and an opportunity to work?

“Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need” (Ephesians 4:28, emp. added).

“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men” (Colossians 3:23).

REFERENCE

Jeffrey, Terence (2012), “8,733,461: Workers on Federal ‘Disability’ Exceed Population of New York City,” July 2, http://cnsnews.com/news/article/8733461-workers-federal-disability-exceed-population-new-york-city.

"You Creationists are Not Qualified to Discuss Such Matters!" by Jeff Miller, Ph.D.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=9&article=4546

"You Creationists are Not Qualified to Discuss Such Matters!"

by	Jeff Miller, Ph.D.

A common quibble laid at the feet of the creationist is that he/she is not qualified to speak about scientific matters relating to the creation/evolution controversy. For instance, Mark Isaak, the editor of The Index to Creationist Claims, stated that “for every creationist who claims one thing, there are dozens of scientists (probably more), all with far greater professional qualifications, who say the opposite” (2005, emp. added). Others assert that creationists make “the elementary mistake of trying to discuss a highly specialized field…in which they have little or no training” (Holloway, 2010). Do these assertions have any merit?

First, such assertions are ironic in light of other statements by some in the evolutionary community. For example, in the “General Tips” section of the article, “How to Debate a Creationist,” theCreationism versus Science Web site tells its followers,

you don’t need to become a qualified expert [in relevant evolutionary subject matters—JM]…but you should endeavour to know as much or more about these subjects than your opponent does (which is often a surprisingly easy task, since most creationists learn only the barest superficialities of any given scientific principle before feeling confident enough to pontificate on it) (2007, parenthetical item in orig., emp. added).

It seems that some do not wish to hold all participants to the same standards. It is clear that the author wished for his audience to be able to win a debate, rather than consider the validity of the arguments being posed by creationists.

It is important to realize that when a person wishes to discuss a certain matter, it is not always necessary for the individual to have the relevant experience or credentials (as deemed necessary by the atheistic evolutionary community) in that area. Consider: Are certain qualifications needed before an individual can quote or paraphrase others who are considered “experts” on a certain matter, as do many creationists and evolutionists (especially in the media)? Does one need a B.A. degree in English before he would be considered qualified enough to be able to cite references? And would thatdegree be enough to prove qualification? Perhaps a graduate level degree in English would be necessary? Such a proposition would be preposterous. Even if a person had such qualifications, it would not guarantee that the person is credible, and it certainly would not prove that the person is infallible. The key, of course, is to determine whether or not the quotations and/or paraphrases are done correctly, regardless of whom the commentator is. Creationists and evolutionists, as well as individuals in every professional field, often cite others who are considered “experts.” This is a reasonable and acceptable practice.

Follow this line of reasoning even further. How far are the evolutionists willing to go in their demand for credentials? Should scientists have direct experience in every field in which they make an assertion? If not, why not? If a biology professor’s doctoral research dealt primarily with the characteristics of St. Augustine grass, is he/she qualified to speak about the evolution of apes and humans? If an atheist only received a B.A. degree in religion, would such a person be qualified to speak on the most notable, alleged, atheistic mechanism for the origin of man—namely the General Theory of Evolution? If not, then atheistic debater Dan Barker has no business speaking out about it and should be silenced (see Butt and Barker, 2009). Even Charles Darwin, the “father” of the General Theory of Evolution, only had a degree in theology, having dropped out of the only other fields of formal education he at one time pursued—the medical and law professions (Thompson, 1981, p. 104). Based on the standards being imposed by some in the evolutionary community, he had no business speaking out about matters pertaining to biology and should not have been taken seriously. And yet his free-lance work as a naturalist was considered substantial enough to gain him credibility upon writing The Origin of Species. We would argue that his qualifications were irrelevant. His ideas should be scrutinized to determine their worth, rather than castigating him for his lack of a science degree. However, in order to be consistent, the evolutionary community must deem him unqualified to discuss evolution, and his theory should be rejected. Consider further: should an atheist be required to have credentials in theology in order to be able to speak against God? Should an atheist have credentials in Bible matters to be able to speak against the Bible? A lack of “qualifications” in religious matters does not seem to stop rabid atheists from attacking Christianity. Clearly, a double-standard in the atheistic evolutionary community is at work.

And how much experience is required before a person can be considered qualified? Who defines where the imaginary line is that distinguishes between the “qualified” and the “unqualified”—whose thoughts and research should be considered and whose should be ignored? Who will be the qualifications policemen? Who determines what qualifications the qualifications policemen must have to be able to deem others qualified? And what credentials do those who ordain qualifications policemen have to have? If scientists were held to such standards, progress into new realms could never be made, since by definition, there are no experts in such areas! Thomas Edison received no higher education (“The Life of…,” 1999), and yet he invented the light bulb, founded General Electric Company, and filed 1,093 successful U.S. patent applications for his inventions (“Edison’s Patents,” 2010). In 1997, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers saw fit to establish the “Thomas A. Edison Patent Award” in his honor, again, in spite of his lack of higher learning (McKivor, 2010). Sir Isaac Newton received a bachelor’s degree, but without honors or distinction (Hatch, 2002). Should his work be disregarded? Consider also that his area of study was mathematics. How was he qualified to discuss physics, mechanics, dynamics, and other mechanical engineering concepts that are taught in engineering schools today? The Wright brothers did not even receive high school diplomas, much less receive a college education (Kelly, 1989, p. 37). The Encyclopedia of World Biography notes that Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company, “was a poor student. He never learned to spell or to read well. Ford would write using only the simplest of sentences” (“Henry Ford,” 2010). However, that did not stop people from buying his Model T. Nearly 15,500,000 were sold in the United States alone (“Henry Ford [1863-1947],” 2010). Jesus Christ, Himself, would not have had the credentials deemed necessary by the religious elites of His day to speak on theological matters. And yet, Jesus emphasized that truth is truth, regardless of one’s credentials, and the truth will set men free (John 8:32).

Another relevant point should be considered in this discussion as well. Creationists often speak about various fundamental, non-technical problems with evolution, such as the fact that life cannot come from non-life, the Universe must have a cause, nothing lasts forever or pops into existence, and macroevolution does not happen. These, the creationist rightly contends, disprove atheistic evolution. The evolutionist often attempts to dodge these arguments by claiming that “creationists aren’t qualified” to discuss these matters. But there is a fundamental problem with that assertion. Since no one has ever witnessed, much less been able to study, abiogenesis; or witnessed an effect without a cause; or witnessed kinds of creatures giving rise to other kinds of creatures (e.g., apes giving rise to humans); there is no such thing as being “qualified” in such areas. How can one be qualified to discuss things that do not happen? One person is just as qualified as the next person to discuss such things. If someone has spent his entire life trying to find evidence that fairies fly around inside of children’s eyeballs, all to no avail, does that mean that he is more qualified to discuss that matter than someone else? Of course not. All he has done is waste his time coming to the same conclusion everyone else already intuitively knew. Everyone on Earth has the same amount of experience witnessing the fact that such things as abiogenesis and macroevolution do not happen. So any person is just as qualified as the next person to discuss them. Darwinian evolution is founded on principles for which there is no such thing as “being qualified” enough to discuss them. Conjecture and speculation—not proof—characterize evolutionary theory.

Bottom line: Anyone is eligible to take part in a discussion as long as he or she is not speaking error.That is the critical issue. Consider: does one have to be qualified to speak the truth? Of course not. Truth is truth! It does not matter who speaks it. Unfortunately, many critics of creationists fail to address the creationist’s argument, but instead attack the speaker (e.g., the speaker’s credentials). This sidesteps the argument and attempts to distract hearers from analyzing the argument’s validity, which is a classic example of the ad hominem logical fallacy (“Fallacies,” 2007). Anyone who is able to speak correctly concerning a scientific matter due to personal work or experience, direct study, or through research into the work of others is eligible to take part in scientific discourse on the subject, given that the person is handling the matter accurately. As long as the laws of science are used correctly, anyone can teach their truths and should not be restricted from doing so through the silencing techniques being attempted by the evolutionary community.

As was mentioned above, some evolutionists assert that “there are dozens of scientists (probably more), all with far greater professional qualifications” than creationists (Isaak, 2005)—quite a bold statement, to say the least. It may be true that most scientists have bought into the hoax of evolution, as was the case when scientists believed in geocentricity, or that blood-letting was an appropriate prescription for curing ailments, but appealing to numbers proves nothing, and using such an argument causes one to fall victim to yet another logical fallacy—the ad populum fallacy (i.e., appeal to the majority) (“Fallacies,” 2007).

Although numbers ultimately mean nothing in regard to truth, creationists can certainly come up with an impressive list of “qualified” scientists who have examined the scientific evidence and concluded that the atheistic evolutionary model falls short in explaining our existence. Johannes Kepler, the father of modern astronomy and modern optics, was a firm Bible believer. Robert Boyle, the father of chemistry, was a Bible believer. Samuel F.B. Morse, who invented Morse Code, was a believer. Wernher Von Braun, the father of the space program at NASA, was a strong believer in God and creation, as well as Louis Pasteur, the father of biology, Lord Kelvin, the father of thermodynamics, Sir Isaac Newton, the father of modern physics, and Faraday, the father of electromagnetism. Dozens of other well-known scientists from history could be cited (see Morris, 1990). Creation Ministries International posted a list of some 187 scientists alive today (or recently deceased) who believe in the biblical account of creation (“Creation Scientists…,” 2010). The scientists who are listed all possess a doctorate in a science-related field. Over 90 different scientific fields are represented in the list, including several types of engineers, chemists, geneticists, physicists, and biologists. Astronomers and astrophysicists; geologists and geophysicists; physicians and surgeons; micro-, molecular, and neurobiologists; paleontologists and zoologists are represented, and the list goes on. Jerry Bergman amassed a list of more than 3,000 individuals. Most have a Ph.D. in science, and many more could be added, according to Bergman.

On my list I have well over 3,000 names including Nobel Prize winners, but, unfortunately, a large number of persons that could be added to the public list, including many college professors, did not want their name listed because of real concerns over possible retaliation or harm to their careers (2006).

For over 30 years, we at Apologetics Press have conducted numerous seminars and published hundreds of articles by “qualified,” credentialed scientists who speak out in support of the biblical account of creation as well—scientists with graduate degrees in geology, astrophysics, microbiology, neurobiology, cell biology, medicine, biochemistry, aerospace engineering, nuclear engineering, and biomechanical engineering. Creationists can certainly speak with credibility in scientific matters. However, again, the ultimate question is not how many scientists are standing on either side of the battle line. Majority or “consensus” is not the deciding factor (cf. Miller, 2012). The question is who is speaking the truth? Who is taking the scientific evidence and drawing reasonable, accurate conclusions from the facts? The answer is clear to the unbiased observer. Science supports creation—not evolution.

There is certainly something to be said about the value of having credentials and experience in the area in which one is speaking, because that person will often have a broader perspective about a subject than the next person. But it is also true that that person should not be blindly accepted without critical thinking. Regardless of one’s credentials, the audience must still consider the validity of the argument being offered. When all is said and done, the theory—not the person discussing it—should be where the emphasis lies. As always, we challenge the audience to disprove our contentions. Truth will always win. It will set us free.

REFERENCES

Bergman, Jerry (2006), “Darwin Skeptics,” http://www.rae.org/darwinskeptics.html.

Butt, Kyle and Dan Barker (2009), The Butt/Barker Debate (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press).

“Creation Scientists and Other Specialists of Interest” (2010), Creation Ministries International,http://creation.com/creation-scientists.

“Edison’s Patents” (2010), The Thomas Edison Papers, Rutgers University,http://edison.rutgers.edu/patents.htm.

“Fallacies” (2007), Handouts and Links, http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/fallacies.html.

Hatch, Robert (2002), “Sir Isaac Newton,” Professor Robert A. Hatch: The Scientific Revolution Homepage, http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/ufhatch/pages/01-courses/current-courses/08sr-newton.htm.

“Henry Ford” (2010), Encyclopedia of World Biography, http://www.notablebiographies.com/Fi-Gi/Ford-Henry.html.

“Henry Ford (1863-1947)” (2010), About.com, Inventors,http://inventors.about.com/od/fstartinventors/a/HenryFord.htm.

Holloway, Robert (2010), “Experts on Thermodynamics Refute Creationist Claims,”http://www.ntanet.net/Thermo-Internet.htm.

“How to Debate a Creationist” (2007), Creationism versus Science, Arguments,http://www.creationtheory.org/Arguments/DebatingTips.xhtml.

Isaak, Mark (2005), “Claim CA118,” The TalkOrigins Archive: Exploring the Creation/Evolution Controversy, http://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/CA/CA118.html.

Kelly, Fred C. (1989), The Wright Brothers: A Biography (New York: Harcourt, Brace, and Company).

“The Life of Thomas A. Edison” (1999), Library of Congress,http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/edhtml/edbio.html.

McKivor, Fran (2010), “Thomas A. Edison Patent Award,” ASME: Setting the Standard,http://www.webcitation.org/5umTifXDW.

Miller, Jeff (2012), “Evolution is the Scientific Consensus—So You Should Believe It!” Apologetics Press, http://www.apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=9&article=4518.

Morris, Henry M. (1990), Men of Science Men of God: Great Scientists Who Believed in the Bible (El Cajon, CA: Master Books), third printing.

Thompson, Bert (1981), The History of Evolutionary Thought (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press).