From Gary... Life, Death and a lesson from a TURTLE

About three weeks ago, I was traveling southbound on old 35a and I spotted a rather large turtle crossing the road "rapidly". I noticed it because of its size and the fact that it had fully extended its head from its shell. I only saw it briefly, as a 16 wheeler came barreling northward and killed the animal with a loud "crunch"!  

And I thought- HOW SAD!!! Yet, that turtle has continued to be on my mind since I saw it that bright sunny afternoon.

Today, this picture reminded me of that adventurous little creature and the more I thought about it, the more I considered the important matters of life and death. The apostle Paul did too... 

Philippians, Chapter 1 (WEB)

 12  Now I desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the Good News;  13 so that it became evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my bonds are in Christ;  14 and that most of the brothers in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear.  15 Some indeed preach Christ even out of envy and strife, and some also out of good will.  16 The former insincerely preach Christ from selfish ambition, thinking that they add affliction to my chains;  17 but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the Good News. 

  18  What does it matter? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed. I rejoice in this, yes, and will rejoice.  19 For I know that this will turn out to my salvation, through your supplication and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,  20 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will in no way be disappointed, but with all boldness, as always, now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death.  21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will bring fruit from my work; yet I don’t know what I will choose.  23 But I am in a dilemma between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.  24 Yet, to remain in the flesh is more needful for your sake.  25 Having this confidence, I know that I will remain, yes, and remain with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith,  26 that your rejoicing may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my presence with you again. 

Christians are given a new life at the moment of their baptism, and that life is meant to be lived to the fullest. Like Paul, we may encounter obstacles, but we still need to pursue the life God has given us with all the gusto we have within us. And I think that that is worth sticking your neck out for, don't you? Whatever happens- we win!!!

From Gary... Bible Reading March 10

Bible Reading  

March 10

The World English Bible

Mar. 10

Exodus 20

Exo 20:1 God spoke all these words, saying,

Exo 20:2 "I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

Exo 20:3 You shall have no other gods before me.

Exo 20:4 "You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

Exo 20:5 you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me,

Exo 20:6 and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Exo 20:7 "You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

Exo 20:8 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Exo 20:9 You shall labor six days, and do all your work,

Exo 20:10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates;

Exo 20:11 for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy.

Exo 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.

Exo 20:13 "You shall not murder.

Exo 20:14 "You shall not commit adultery.

Exo 20:15 "You shall not steal.

Exo 20:16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

Exo 20:17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's."

Exo 20:18 All the people perceived the thunderings, the lightnings, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking. When the people saw it, they trembled, and stayed at a distance.

Exo 20:19 They said to Moses, "Speak with us yourself, and we will listen; but don't let God speak with us, lest we die."

Exo 20:20 Moses said to the people, "Don't be afraid, for God has come to test you, and that his fear may be before you, that you won't sin."

Exo 20:21 The people stayed at a distance, and Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

Exo 20:22 Yahweh said to Moses, "This is what you shall tell the children of Israel: 'You yourselves have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.

Exo 20:23 You shall most certainly not make alongside of me gods of silver, or gods of gold for yourselves.

Exo 20:24 You shall make an altar of earth for me, and shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your cattle. In every place where I record my name I will come to you and I will bless you.

Exo 20:25 If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of cut stones; for if you lift up your tool on it, you have polluted it.

Exo 20:26 Neither shall you go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed to it.'

Mar. 9, 10

Mark 7

Mar 7:1 Then the Pharisees, and some of the scribes gathered together to him, having come from Jerusalem.

Mar 7:2 Now when they saw some of his disciples eating bread with defiled, that is, unwashed, hands, they found fault.

Mar 7:3 (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, don't eat unless they wash their hands and forearms, holding to the tradition of the elders.

Mar 7:4 They don't eat when they come from the marketplace, unless they bathe themselves, and there are many other things, which they have received to hold to: washings of cups, pitchers, bronze vessels, and couches.)

Mar 7:5 The Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why don't your disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with unwashed hands?"

Mar 7:6 He answered them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

Mar 7:7 But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'

Mar 7:8 "For you set aside the commandment of God, and hold tightly to the tradition of men-the washing of pitchers and cups, and you do many other such things."

Mar 7:9 He said to them, "Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.

Mar 7:10 For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother;' and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.'

Mar 7:11 But you say, 'If a man tells his father or his mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban, that is to say, given to God;" '

Mar 7:12 then you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother,

Mar 7:13 making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have handed down. You do many things like this."

Mar 7:14 He called all the multitude to himself, and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand.

Mar 7:15 There is nothing from outside of the man, that going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man.

Mar 7:16 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"

Mar 7:17 When he had entered into a house away from the multitude, his disciples asked him about the parable.

Mar 7:18 He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also? Don't you perceive that whatever goes into the man from outside can't defile him,

Mar 7:19 because it doesn't go into his heart, but into his stomach, then into the latrine, thus making all foods clean?"

Mar 7:20 He said, "That which proceeds out of the man, that defiles the man.

Mar 7:21 For from within, out of the hearts of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, sexual sins, murders, thefts,

Mar 7:22 covetings, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness.

Mar 7:23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man."

Mar 7:24 From there he arose, and went away into the borders of Tyre and Sidon. He entered into a house, and didn't want anyone to know it, but he couldn't escape notice.

Mar 7:25 For a woman, whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, having heard of him, came and fell down at his feet.

Mar 7:26 Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. She begged him that he would cast the demon out of her daughter.

Mar 7:27 But Jesus said to her, "Let the children be filled first, for it is not appropriate to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."

Mar 7:28 But she answered him, "Yes, Lord. Yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs."

Mar 7:29 He said to her, "For this saying, go your way. The demon has gone out of your daughter."

Mar 7:30 She went away to her house, and found the child having been laid on the bed, with the demon gone out.

Mar 7:31 Again he departed from the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and came to the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the region of Decapolis.

Mar 7:32 They brought to him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech. They begged him to lay his hand on him.

Mar 7:33 He took him aside from the multitude, privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue.

Mar 7:34 Looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha!" that is, "Be opened!"

Mar 7:35 Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was released, and he spoke clearly.

Mar 7:36 He commanded them that they should tell no one, but the more he commanded them, so much the more widely they proclaimed it.

Mar 7:37 They were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well. He makes even the deaf hear, and the mute speak!"

From Roy Davison... It is Time to Wake Up

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

It is Time to Wake Up

"Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light" (Ephesians 5:14).

God tells us to wake up. We all need physical sleep, so there is nothing wrong with sleeping at the proper time. But when it is time to wake up, it can be disastrous not to do so.

"The Herald of Free Enterprise" was a car ferry plying between Dover, England and Zeebrugge, Belgium. The whole front of the ship opened so cars and lorries could be loaded onto the lower decks.

One winter night, with the vehicles loaded and 563 passengers on board, Captain David Lewry put to sea. It was dark, 7 pm. All went well in the sheltered harbour. But one mile out, when they hit high seas, the ship capsized in 90 seconds and sank within five minutes. It was the 6th of March, 1987. One hundred ninety-three people drowned.

The ship put to sea with its front loading doors wide open. There was no indicator light on the bridge. The captain assumed that the seaman responsible for closing the doors had done so. Instead, he was asleep in his cabin. Because assistant bosun Mark Stanley was asleep on the job, one hundred ninety-three people died.

In Proverbs we are warned about sleeping too much or at the wrong time.

"Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty; Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread" (Proverbs 20:13). It is not wrong to sleep, but it is wrong tolove sleep. Sleep is not an end in itself, but is a means to an end. We sleep for rejuvenation so we can work again the next day.

"He who gathers in summer is a wise son, But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame" (Proverbs 10:5). There are occasions when no extra time may be taken for sleep. When the grain is ripe and the weather favorable, the harvest must be brought in without delay, or a whole summer's work can be lost to decay.

One fall, when I was fifteen, I helped with the harvest in Saskatchewan. We shovelled grain from early morning till late at night. Three hearty meals were none too much. The night's sleep was soon over and a new day's work began.

Even if we are not farmers, we all have our times of harvest, times when hard work must be done without delay.

"How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep?" (Proverbs 6:9).

"A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest; So your poverty will come like a prowler, And your want like an armed man" (Proverbs 24:33,34).

"Slothfulness casts one into a deep sleep, And an idle person will suffer hunger" (Proverbs 19:15). There are different kinds of sleep. This "deep sleep" of slothfulness is not physical sleep. It is a lazy lifestyle in which one does not meet his responsibilities.

We are also warned not to sleep spiritually. And if we are asleep spiritually, we are told to wake up. The Bible is our spiritual alarm clock. And just because we get out of bed to go to services on Sunday, does not necessarily mean we are awake spiritually. Most of the wake-up calls in Scripture are addressed to believers.

God told Jonah to preach to Nineveh. He took a ship for Tarsus instead. God was angry with Jonah and sent a storm. The ship was overwhelmed by the waves and was sinking. The others were praying to their non-existent gods to no avail. What was the prophet of God doing?

"But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep. So the captain came to him, and said to him, 'What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish'" (Jonah 1:5,6). A pagan had to wake up the prophet of God and tell him to pray.

God wanted Jonah to warn Nineveh that they would perish if they did not repent. Jonah did not want to do it.

Of what value is a lazy watchdog? "His watchmen are blind, They are all ignorant; They are all dumb dogs, They cannot bark; Sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber" (Isaiah 56:10).

Ancient cities posted watchmen on the walls to warn of approaching danger. God appointed Ezekiel as a spiritual watchman: "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: When I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul" (Ezekiel 3:17-21).

As Christians, we too are watchmen. We must warn the lost of pending destruction. We must call them to repentance. Do we run away like Jonah? Do we sleep like lazy watchdogs?

When Jesus was in the garden, praying to His Father, knowing that His hour of suffering had come, He asked Peter, James and John to stand guard.

"Then He said to them, 'My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch'" (Mark 14:34).

"Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, 'Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.' Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words. And when he returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him. Then He came the third time and said to them, 'Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners'" (Mark 14:37-41).

Do we sleep when we should be praying?

The night is dark. But then the sun comes up and a new day begins. It is time to wake up. We remove our night clothes and put on our day clothes. This imagery is used in Scripture to describe our spiritual awakening from the darkness of sin.

"And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in licentiousness and lewdness, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts" (Romans 13:11-14).

A new day is dawning. We must lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. We are to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27). "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14).

"Awake, Awake! Put on your strength, O Zion; Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city!" (Isaiah 52:1).

"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: 'Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.' See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:11-16).

"But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him" (1 Thessalonians 5:4-10).

"Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame" (1 Corinthians 15:34).

Jesus said: "Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming -- in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning -- lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!" (Mark 13:33-37).

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... Centre In Which God?

Centre In Which God?

I've been told that the vaguest word in the English language is the word "God". I don't know how they know such things but that's what some literary people I know tell us and I'm inclined to believe it.

There's a silly but popular view that makes the rounds that really is silly despite its popularity. It's the view that all religions are essentially the same. On the surface that looks like a deep remark but when you go deep it's really a very surface remark because there are many and profound differences between major religions. Their views of "the meaning" of life, death, existence, destiny, mission and, above all, God are widely different.

In a Western society where it seems the supreme virtue is religious tolerance some people tell us, "All these names are different names for the one God and we're all going in the same direction." You only have to allow these major faiths to tell their own story to know that's just not true. I often think that the people who tell us "it's all the same thing" are those who just can't be bothered with all the arguments and would like it to go away. Not being especially interested themselves they find it a bit tedious that others go on and on about it.

I know it is especially offensive in a pluralist society where everyone has a right to his or her own religious views for someone to stand up and say, "This is the one true God!" but that's just how the New Testament comes across. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 8:5-6, "For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth...yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live."

Can you imagine walking into a Greco-Roman province and saying that, in the face of all the idol temples and in the face of signs everywhere that said Caesar was Lord? He had his nerve that Paul, didn't he? But the truth is Paul had met the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ one day when he was on his way to kill off the followers of Jesus Christ (Acts 22:1-21) and now he was proclaiming what he was told to say.

And it was a strange Story right enough. He claimed that the one true God had shown himself in and as the crucified Jesus of Nazareth and that he had come to set the world right even as he had promised. And in the person of Jesus of Nazareth he underwent the world's great wrongs, suffered at the hands of sin and death and rose again to glorious immortality. He experienced all that in the individual called Jesus but, and this many feel to be even harder to believe, he did it in the name of humanity for our sake. What we see and hear to have happened in Christ is to be the destiny of all who belong to God through him. This is the one true God in whom we should centre our lives and thoughts--a God with a cross as his badge of honour and triumph who did it for his wayward humanity.

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

Did Michal Have Children? by Caleb Colley, Ph.D.

http://apologeticspress.org/AllegedDiscrepancies.aspx?article=1498&b=2%20Samuel

Did Michal Have Children?

by Caleb Colley, Ph.D.

Michal enjoyed the delicacies, privileges, and riches of the king’s palace, but she was never blessed with children. Or was she? The passage in 2 Samuel 6:23 reads, “Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death,” yet 2 Samuel 21:8 reads, “So the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite” (emp. added).

Michal was the younger daughter of the first king of Israel, Saul (1 Samuel 14:49), and she married the successor to the throne, David (1 Samuel 18:27). Because Saul wanted to kill David, David had to flee, leaving his bride behind (1 Samuel 19:11-12). When David returned some years later, Saul had cancelled the marriage, and Michal was married to Phalti (1 Samuel 25:44). David reclaimed her, but both Michal and David were very different people by this time, and a sharp disagreement drove them apart (2 Samuel 6:12-23). It is in the context of the disturbance of Michal’s marriage to David that the Bible reveals she had no children until the day of her death. If Michal indeed had no children, it might seem that the Bible has contradicted itself in this instance.

Before believing that the inspired writer got “mixed up,” consider the following: Michal’s sister, Merab, married Adriel the Meholathite (1 Samuel 18:19), and it was Adriel’s children that, according to 2 Samuel 21:8, belonged to Michal and were “brought up” by Michal. The Hebrew word translated “brought up” could mean that Michal actually gave birth to the children, but it also could mean that Michal acted as a midwife when the children were born, or that she reared the children. It is altogether possible that Merab died, and Michal, having the resources to provide for a family, and being childless herself, “adopted” Merab’s children (Coffman, 1992, p. 297). In that case, it would be perfectly reasonable to assume that the children, for all practical purposes, belonged to Michal, and that Michal “brought them up.”

Another possibility is that a copyist of the Hebrew Old Testament made a mistake. Since it is clear that Michal was married to David and not Adriel, and that Michal had no offspring, some have suggested that a copyist of long ago simply got the two sisters confused (Clarke, n.d., p. 367). There are manuscripts, including the Kennicott and Chaldee, that use the name of Merab in the place of Michal in 2 Samuel 21:8 (p. 367). Some translations, including the New American Standard Bible, the New International Version, and the English Standard Version, also render 2 Samuel 21:8 with the name of Merab rather than Michal.

We know that Michal had no children, but we will probably always be uncertain of what role (if any) Michal played in the rearing of the children of Adriel. With the two possible explanations given, we can see that a contradiction does not exist in this case.

REFERENCES

Clarke, Adam (no date), Clarke’s Commentary: Joshua-Esther (Nashville, TN: Abingdon).

Coffman, James Burton (1992), Commentary on Second Samuel (Abilene, TX: ACU Press).

Adult Cells Still the Better Option for Therapeutic Research by Caleb Colley, Ph.D.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=7&article=2589

Adult Cells Still the Better Option for Therapeutic Research

by	Caleb Colley, Ph.D.

For years, ethical issues have plagued the development of embryonic stem-cell research in America (cf. Bush, 2001). Despite its slight potential for therapeutic benefits in the distant future, embryonic stem-cell research has been shown to be unethical because it necessitates killing people (seeThompson and Harrub, 2001; cf. Gibson, 2007; Colley, 2007b). Scientists also have known for several years that adult stem-cell research has yielded greater results than embryonic stem-cell research (see Harrub and Thompson, 2004; Saunders and Prentice, 2006; “Stem Cell Research: Facts...,” 2001; Miller, 2007). Unlike embryonic stem cells, however, adult stem cells are only partially pluripotent, “capable of forming several cell types—principally blood, muscle, and nerve cells. It has been possible to recognize, select, and develop them to the point that they form mature cell types with the help of growth factors and regulating proteins” (Lillge, 2001; cf. “Stem Cell Basics,” 2006). In 2007, researchers determined that adult stem cells may be transformed into “blank slates that should be able to turn into any of the 220 cell types of the human body, be it heart, brain, blood or bone” (Kolata, 2007). This method allows for the development of truly pluripotent cells without resorting to “therapeutic” cloning or the destruction of embryos (see Kolata). Stem cells from adults may offer hope of developing therapies for patients suffering from diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s (see Takahashi, et al., 2007; cf. McIlroy, 2007; Colley, 2007a).

Not only have scientists changed adult stem cells into “iPS,” or pluripotent cells that carry the same possibilities for regenerative medicine as do embryonic stem cells (see Vogel and Holden, 2007), but now scientists have “transformed one type of fully developed adult cell directly into another inside a living animal” (Stein, 2008). Harvard biologists have “pinpointed three crucial molecular switches that, when flipped, completely convert a common [adult] cell in the pancreas into the more precious insulin-producing ones that diabetics need to survive” (Stein, bracketed item added; cf. Zhou, et al., 2007). This raises the possibility that “patients suffering from not only diabetes but also heart disease, strokes and many other ailments could eventually have some of their cells reprogrammed to cure their afflictions without the need for drugs, transplants or other therapies” (Stein). Zhou and colleagues discussed their research, in Nature:

Here...we identify a specific combination of three transcription factors (Ngn3 (also known as Neurog3) Pdx1 and Mafa) that reprograms differentiated pancreatic exocrine cells in adult mice into cells that closely resemble β-cells. The induced β-cells are indistinguishable from endogenous islet β-cells in size, shape and ultrastructure. They express genes essential for β-cell function and can ameliorate hyperglycaemiaby remodelling [sic] local vasculature and secreting insulin. This study provides an example of cellular reprogramming using defined factors in an adult organ and suggests a general paradigm for directing cell reprogramming without reversion to a pluripotent stem cell state (2008, parenthetical items in orig., emp. added).

Researchers in the field of regenerative medicine have grand dreams of using adult cells to replace conventional surgery with a sort of genetic substitution (see Stein, 2008).

Those of us at Apologetics Press continue to pray that the Creator’s view of the matter will be paramount in the minds of those who push our society to new limits of biological inquiry. Embryonic stem-cell research is unscriptural and unethical. The scientific community is making it increasingly clear that embryonic stem-cell research is also unnecessary.

REFERENCES

Bush, George W. (2001), “Remarks by the President on Stem-Cell Research,” [On-line], URL:http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/08/20010809-2.html.

Colley, Caleb (2007a), “Adult Stem Cells Match the Potential of Embryonic Stem Cells,” [On-line],URL: http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/3551.

Colley, Caleb (2007b), “Therapeutic Embryonic Stem-Cell Research ‘Just Not Realistic’,” [On-line],URL: http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/3504.

Gibson, Robert (2007), “Stem Cell Research Is Good News for Heart Patients,” The Epoch Times, [On-line], URL: http://en.epochtimes.com/news/7-10-11/60678.html.

Harrub, Brad and Bert Thompson (2004), “Presidential Elections, Superman, Embryonic Stem Cells, Bad Science, and False Hope,” [On-line], URL: http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/2621.

Kolata, Gina (2007), “Scientists Bypass Need for Embryo to Get Stem Cells,” The New York Times, [On-line], URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/21/science/21stem.html.

Lillge, Wolfgang (2001), “The Case for Adult Stem Cell Research,” 21st Century Science and Technology Magazine, [On-line], URL:http://www.21stcenturysciencetech.com/articles/winter01/stem_cell.html.

McIlroy, Anne (2007), “Stem-Cell Method Hailed as ‘Massive Breakthrough’,” The Globe and Mail, [On-line], URL:http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071121.wstemcells21/BNStory/Science/home.

Miller, Dave (2007), “Adult Stem-Cell Research,” [On-line], URL:http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/3272.

Saunders, William L., Jr., and David Prentice (2006), “Adult Stem Cell Treatments–Nine Faces of Success” (Washington, D.C.: Family Research Council), a tract.

Stein, Rob (2008), “Scientists Reprogram Adult Cells’ Function,” The Washington Post, [On-line],URL: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/27/AR2008082701829.html.

“Stem Cell Basics” (2006), The National Institutes of Health, [On-line], URL:http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/basics5.asp.

“Stem Cell Research: Facts and Fallacies” (2001), National Right to Life, [On-line], URL:http://www.nrlc.org/Factsheets/FS08_StemCellResearch.pdf.

Takahashi, Kazutoshi, et al. (2007), “Induction of Pluripotent Stem Cells from Adult Human Fibroblasts by Defined Factors,” Cell, 131:1-12, November, [On-line], URL:http://images.cell.com/images/Edimages/Cell/IEPs/3661.pdf.

Thompson, Bert and Brad Harrub (2001), “Human Cloning and Stem-Cell Research—Science’s ‘Slippery Slope’ [Part III],” [On-line], URL: http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/2510.

Vogel, Gretchen and Constance Holden (2007), “Field Leaps Forward With New Stem Cell Advances,” Science, 318:1224-1225, November 23.

Zhou, Qiao, et al. (2008), “In Vivo Reprogramming of Adult Pancreatic Exocrine Cells to β-Cells,”Nature, [On-line], URL: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/nature07314.html.

“Why Are Dinosaurs Not Mentioned in the Bible?” by Eric Lyons, M.Min.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=9&article=936

“Why Are Dinosaurs Not Mentioned in the Bible?”

by	Eric Lyons, M.Min.

A college student visited our offices some time ago and asked what he believed were troubling questions about the coexistence of dinosaurs and humans. One question that puzzled him was why dinosaurs are not mentioned in the Bible. “If God really did create dinosaurs, and if humans cohabited the Earth with them in the past, then surely we would read the word ‘dinosaur’ at least once in the Bible.”

Admittedly, a person will not find the word “dinosaur” in most English translations of the Bible. However, this does not negate the fact that dinosaurs once cohabited the Earth with man. First, we must keep in mind that the Bible is not a taxonomical book. The Bible’s main purpose is to tell us about God and His scheme of redemption, not to list every animal God created. The Bible mentions avariety of animals (including snakes, chickens, horses, goats, etc.), but not every animal. Simply because the Scriptures do not mention an animal does not mean that the Bible teaches the animal never existed alongside humans. There are many animals the Bible never specifically mentions, including cats, kangaroos, elephants, aardvarks, anteaters, platypuses, and penguins. To say that these animals do not cohabit the Earth with man because the Bible does not mention them, would, of course, be false. To assume dinosaurs and humans never lived together because “the Bible doesn’t mention dinosaurs,” is equally erroneous.

Second, one must recognize that whereas the Bible was completed 1,900 years ago and was translated fully into English by 1535 (by Miles Coverdale), the English word “dinosaur” was not coined until 1842—more than 300 years after the first complete English translation of the Old and New Testaments. Obviously, one would not expect to find the English term dinosaur—meaning “fearfully great” (deinos) “lizard” or “reptile” (sauros)—in a translation of the Bible that preceded its coinage.

Third, though most modern English Bible translators have elected to omit the term “dinosaur” in translations produced after 1842, such exclusion does not necessarily mean that Bible writers refrained from mentioning dinosaurs or dinosaur-like creatures. Consider the Hebrew term tannin. In Job 7:12, it is translated “sea monster” (ASV, NASB, RSV), “monster of the deep” (NIV), or “sea serpent” (NKJV). In Genesis 1:21 and Psalm 148:7 where the plural form of tannin is used (tannim) in literal contexts (like Job 7:12), the word is translated “great sea creatures/monsters” (NKJV, NIV; ASV, NASB, RSV). What are these “monsters” of the sea? No one knows for sure. It is possible that these are references to dinosaur-like, water-living reptiles (e.g., plesiosaurs). Also of interest is the fact that Isaiah referred to the “flying serpent” (30:6). Although it is impossible to know the exact identity of the “flying serpent,” we know that flying reptiles with long tails and slender bodies (e.g., Rhamphorynchus, Dimorphodon) once lived (cf. Herodotus, 1850, pp. 75-76). What’s more, the Bible gives God’s description of two massive creatures in Job 40-41, behemoth and leviathan, which sound exactly like dinosaurs or dinosaur-like, water-living reptiles (see Lyons, 2001).

Finally, regardless of whether dinosaurs are mentioned specifically in the Bible or not, one can know that they were created alongside man during the Creation week (Genesis 1), and not millions of years earlier. “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them” (Exodus 20:11, emp. added).

REFERENCES

Herodotus (1850 reprint), Historiae, trans. Henry Clay (London: Henry G. Bohn).

Lyons, Eric (2001), “Behemoth and Leviathan—Creatures of Controversy,” Reason & Revelation, 21[1]:1-7, January, [On-line], URL: http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/154.

If He Were a Prophet... by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=10&article=2170

If He Were a Prophet...

by	Kyle Butt, M.Div.

The gospel accounts paint a picture of the character of Jesus unrivaled by any other personality in human history. On one memorable occasion, Jesus was invited to eat with a Pharisee named Simon (Luke 7:36-50). During his stay, a woman who was known in the area for her sinful lifestyle approached Jesus. She proceeded to wash His feet with her tears, dry them with her hair, and anoint Jesus with fragrant oil.

Simon, seeing the sinful woman’s behavior, said to himself, “This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner” (Luke 7:39). Notice two important aspects of Simon’s response. First, he spoke to himself. There is no indication that his thoughts were verbalized or in any way audible to those around him. Second, the criterion he set to determine whether Christ was a prophet was knowledge of the woman’s sinful lifestyle.

Jesus’ response to Simon proved that He was far more than a prophet. He answered the Pharisee by explaining that those who have sinned much and been forgiven of their sins will love God more than those who feel they have few sins to forgive. Jesus then forgave the woman’s sins. His response exhibited a knowledge, not only of the spiritual condition of the woman, but also of Simon’s inner conversation with himself. Not only did Jesus know the woman was a sinner, but He knew the conversation Simon had with himself about Jesus’ reaction to the woman. What did Jesus’ reaction prove? It should have proved to Simon that Jesus was far more than a prophet. When Jesus forgave the woman’s sins, He proved that He was God in the flesh.

The modern application of this story is profound. Jesus has exhibited far more evidence validating His deity than any reasonable person could demand. His life was prophesied in minute detail hundreds of years before He was born, He accomplished miracles that supported the prophesies, He foretold His own death and resurrection, He showed Himself alive to many witnesses after His resurrection, and ascended to Heaven in the sight of many witnesses as the culmination of His earthly ministry. The honest, reasonable response to Jesus’ personality and power is perfectly summarized in Nathanael’s reaction to Jesus’ miraculous knowledge. After Jesus explained to Nathanael that He had miraculously seen Nathanael under the fig tree, Nathanael exclaimed: “Rabbi, You are the Son of God” (John 1:49)!

Baptism and the New Birth by Dave Miller, Ph.D.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=1516

Baptism and the New Birth

by	Dave Miller, Ph.D.

A major cleavage within Christendom pertains to the point at which the “new birth” occurs. Most of Christendom maintains that a person is born again, and thus has sin washed away by the blood of Christ, when that person “accepts Jesus Christ as his personal savior.” By this expression, it is meant that a person must mentally and/or orally decide to embrace Christ as the Lord of his life. Hence, the new birth is seen simply as a determination of the will—a moment in time when the person accepts Christ in his mind and couples that decision with an oral confession.

The passage in the New Testament that alludes specifically to being born again pertains to a conversation that Jesus had with a high-ranking Jewish official:

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again’ ” (John 3:1-7, emp. added).

In an effort to avoid identifying “water” (vs. 5) as water baptism, many within Christendom in the last half century have proposed a variety of novel interpretations. For example, some have proposed that “water” is a reference to the Holy Spirit. While it certainly is true that John uses the word “water” symbolically to represent the Spirit later in his book (7:38-39), that fact had to be explained by the inspired writer. However, in chapter three, the normal, literal meaning is clearly in view, not only because water baptism throughout the New Testament is consistently associated with the salvation event (e.g., Acts 2:38; 8:12-13,36-38; 9:18; 10:47-48; 16:15,33; 18:8; 19:5; 22:16; Romans 6:3-4; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12; Hebrews 10:22; 1 Peter 3:21), but even in this context, eighteen verses later, the term clearly has a literal meaning: “Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there” (John 3:23). Additionally, if “water” in John 3:5 is an allusion to the Holy Spirit, the result would be nonsensical: “unless one is born of the Spirit and the Spirit.”

Another quibble offered in an effort to avoid the clear import of John 3:5 is that “water” is a symbol for the blood of Jesus. Of course, no rationale exists for making such a connection. Elsewhere John refers explicitly to water and blood, but clearly distinguishes them from each other in their import (1 John 5:6).

Perhaps the most popular notion, advanced only in recent years, is that “water” is a reference to a pregnant woman’s “water”—i.e., the amniotic fluid that accompanies the physical birth of a child. However, this suggestion likewise fails to fit the context of Jesus’ remarks. In fact, Nicodemus himself thought that Jesus was referring to physical birth (“mother’s womb”). But Jesus corrected his misconception, and contrasted such thinking with the intended meaning of “water and Spirit.” Indeed, Jesus would not have told Nicodemus that he needed to be born physically (“water”). He would not have included the act of physical birth in His listing of prerequisites to entering the kingdom. That would make Jesus say that before a person can enter the kingdom he or she must first be a person! What would be the point of stating such a thing? [Would it perhaps be to ensure that everyone understands that non-humans (i.e., animals) cannot enter the kingdom?!] Later in the same chapter, did John baptize near Salim “because there was much amniotic fluid there”?

If one cares to consult the rest of the New Testament in order to allow the Bible to be its own best interpreter, and in order to allow the Bible to harmonize with itself, additional passages shed light on the meaning of John 3:5. According to the rest of the New Testament, spiritual conception occurs when the Gospel (i.e., the seed of the Holy Spirit—Luke 8:11) is implanted in the human heart and mind (James 1:18; 1 Corinthians 4:15; Ephesians 6:17; 1 Peter 1:23). The Word of God, in turn, generates penitent faith in the human heart (Romans 10:17) that leads the individual to obey the Gospel by being baptized in water (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Hebrews 10:22). The resulting condition of the individual is that he or she is now a child of God, a citizen of the kingdom, and member of the church of Christ (Matthew 28:19-20; Galatians 3:26-27; Romans 6:4).

Additional verses in the New Testament clarify and cinch this meaning of John 3:5, pinpointing the “new birth,” while also allowing us to understand the activity of the Holy Spirit in the act of conversion. Consider the following chart (Jackson, 1988):

John 3:5	Spirit	Water	Kingdom
1 Corinthians 12:13	Spirit	Baptized	Body
Ephesians 5:26	Word	Washing/Water	Cleansed Church
Titus 3:5	Renewal of Spirit	Washing of Regeneration	Saved by Mercy

These verses demonstrate that God achieves conversion through the Gospel message authored by the Holy Spirit. When a person comes to an understanding (Acts 8:30) of the that inspired message, his penitent faith leads him to submit to water immersion for the remission of sins (Acts 8:36,38; 10:47). The result of his obedient response to the Gospel is that he is saved and cleansed from past sin and instantaneously placed into the kingdom of Christ.

Notice that submission to the divine plan of salvation does not mean that humans save themselves by effecting their own salvation. Their obedience does not earn or merit their forgiveness. Rather, the terms or conditions of salvation are stipulated by God—not by humans—and are a manifestation ofHis mercy! When people submit to the terms of entrance into the kingdom of Christ, they are saved by the blood of Jesus and the grace of God—not their own effort! Water immersion is not to be viewed as a “work of righteousness which we have done” (Titus 3:5). When we submit to baptism, we are being saved by “the kindness and love of God our Savior” (Titus 3:4). We are being saved “according to His mercy” (Titus 3:5).

REFERENCES

Jackson, Wayne (1988), “The New Birth: What is It?,” Christian Courier, 24:14, August.