Belief in God is not crazy. Saying that Jesus rose from the dead is just as certain as history, told by others, which in a court of law would be called hearsay. What we DO know is that Roman Centurions were under a certain death sentence if they failed at their task......... guarding the tomb.
Scientific knowledge we hang onto with both hands. They are certain, they must be certain. However, they don't say with certainty what nature will be like; they only describe what nature seems to be like. If there were no exceptions to the "laws of nature", there would be no scientific progress. And, of course, the unexplainable healings.......... well, they must be do to a wonderful doctor.
Probability vs Certainty (The Inductive Approach)
We never live our lives in certainty, we could get hit by a bus tomorrow. It's a rational probability that most of us will still be alive when the sun rises. Inductive reasoning argues from a specific to a general truth. In other words, inferring that God exists argues for God as the highest degree of probability based on the sum of observed facts, order and experience.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Life is/is not absurd...........?
Yes, I've been away a while. Friends with cancer. etc, etc. But I'm back and trying to keep up. Here is a short observation, thanks to William Craig. If there is no God, life has no meaning, ultimately. Life is with out significance, value, and purpose.
We ( some of us ) insist on proof. Certainty is based on math and logic. "Religious" statements like Jesus Christ rose from the dead, can't be mathematically or logically certain, neither can statements made about history, physics, astronomy, or any worldview. Nash
Historical knowledge is becoming more of a problem for those who choose not to believe, as archeologists find more artifacts to support a young earth, and document the Bible. All of our history is based on human eyewitnesses. They could be wrong !
Scientific certainty seems to be the one thing a person can rely upon. However, science only describes what nature seems to be like. Miracles are discounted, because the laws of nature can't be changed. However if the laws of nature could never be changed, (regardless of which world view a person has ) there would be no evolution of our knowledge, no progress in understanding, no breakthroughs. It is doubly hard when these people are confronted with miracles.
I could go on, but I have to go............ God bless
We ( some of us ) insist on proof. Certainty is based on math and logic. "Religious" statements like Jesus Christ rose from the dead, can't be mathematically or logically certain, neither can statements made about history, physics, astronomy, or any worldview. Nash
Historical knowledge is becoming more of a problem for those who choose not to believe, as archeologists find more artifacts to support a young earth, and document the Bible. All of our history is based on human eyewitnesses. They could be wrong !
Scientific certainty seems to be the one thing a person can rely upon. However, science only describes what nature seems to be like. Miracles are discounted, because the laws of nature can't be changed. However if the laws of nature could never be changed, (regardless of which world view a person has ) there would be no evolution of our knowledge, no progress in understanding, no breakthroughs. It is doubly hard when these people are confronted with miracles.
I could go on, but I have to go............ God bless
Sunday, July 31, 2011
God: The First Initiator Through the Cosmos and Philisophically
Cosmological means "world", but also can mean order. These arguments spring from the beginning of the world to a principle, being, or a reason. Why is there something instead of nothing? We all know that nothing from nothing leads to nothing, not something.
Just by living life, we can see that things are always changing. And, being human, we seek a reason for these changes. To quote Sproul, Gerstner and Lindsley, "If something exists now, sowething exists necessarily: if anything is, something must have the power of being within itself."
The Law of Causality: Everything is caused by something other than itself.
God is not finite. Time is not finite, nothing connected to time could be included in the construction of the universe. If self-existence is possible, as with God, not everything has to have a cause.....................BUT
1. Whatever begins to exist must have a cause.
2. The universe began to exist.
3. The universe has a cause.
If the universe exists, there are four possibilities:
1. The universe is an illusion.
2. The universe is self created........ violating logic. Because the universe would have power over itself before it was created. This breaks the law of non-contradiction.
3. Self-Existent/Eternal: If whatever starts to exist has a cause, what evidence is there to support the fact that the universe began to exist??
Some of these thoughts are confusing to say the least. Bigger brains than mine came up with them. And once again, I thank Tim Imler for his teaching.
1. We know the universe is NOT an illusion, I hope. What DO you know about the universe.
2. Do you find it more reassuring or less that a loving God created this world for us, and why?
3. Christians aren't a bunch of flakey people. We have evidence for our beliefs, as well as our faith.
We aren't weak, leaning on our God as a crutch. In fact, being a real Christian for many around the world means sticking his/her neck out. For the Christian reader........... What can you do TODAY, to show God's love???????????
Just by living life, we can see that things are always changing. And, being human, we seek a reason for these changes. To quote Sproul, Gerstner and Lindsley, "If something exists now, sowething exists necessarily: if anything is, something must have the power of being within itself."
The Law of Causality: Everything is caused by something other than itself.
God is not finite. Time is not finite, nothing connected to time could be included in the construction of the universe. If self-existence is possible, as with God, not everything has to have a cause.....................BUT
1. Whatever begins to exist must have a cause.
2. The universe began to exist.
3. The universe has a cause.
If the universe exists, there are four possibilities:
1. The universe is an illusion.
2. The universe is self created........ violating logic. Because the universe would have power over itself before it was created. This breaks the law of non-contradiction.
3. Self-Existent/Eternal: If whatever starts to exist has a cause, what evidence is there to support the fact that the universe began to exist??
Some of these thoughts are confusing to say the least. Bigger brains than mine came up with them. And once again, I thank Tim Imler for his teaching.
1. We know the universe is NOT an illusion, I hope. What DO you know about the universe.
2. Do you find it more reassuring or less that a loving God created this world for us, and why?
3. Christians aren't a bunch of flakey people. We have evidence for our beliefs, as well as our faith.
We aren't weak, leaning on our God as a crutch. In fact, being a real Christian for many around the world means sticking his/her neck out. For the Christian reader........... What can you do TODAY, to show God's love???????????
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
The Logic of God's Existence From Geisler and Brooks
1. Some things exist with out question.
2. My nonexistence is possible.
3. Whatever has the possibility not to exist is currently caused to exist by another.
4. There cannot be an infinite regress of current causes of existence.
5. Therefore, a first uncaused cause of my current existence exists.
6. This cause mus be infinite, unchanging, all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-perfect.
7. This infinitely perfect being is appropriately called "God".
8. Therefore God exists.
9. This God who exists is identical to the God described in the Christian Scriptures.
10. Therefore, the God described in the Bible exists.
2. My nonexistence is possible.
3. Whatever has the possibility not to exist is currently caused to exist by another.
4. There cannot be an infinite regress of current causes of existence.
5. Therefore, a first uncaused cause of my current existence exists.
6. This cause mus be infinite, unchanging, all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-perfect.
7. This infinitely perfect being is appropriately called "God".
8. Therefore God exists.
9. This God who exists is identical to the God described in the Christian Scriptures.
10. Therefore, the God described in the Bible exists.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
The Big Bang?
Is it possible that a random explosion caused all of the earth's wonders? Is it possible that a random explosion provided a perfectly balanced universe, and atmosphere on earth? Or....... was there just a random big bang.
Where did the elements for the bang come from? What ignited them? How did they disperse? What started life? There aren't a lot of answers from those who want to ignore God. For our Darwinian friends, the apes skipped several stages. But, let's go back to the earth.
1. Just to tell you how fragile the earth is, and how wonderful the Creator is, if the gravitational force of the earth was changed by 10, followed by 40 zeros, the sun wouldn't exist, and the moon would crash into the earth, or sheer off into space, Even the slightest increase in gravity would make the stars much larger than the sun,causing the sun too burn erratically to continue life on this planet.
2. Oxygen makes up 21 % of our atmosphere. If it were higher, fires would break out, people would suffocate if the oxygen levels were lower than 15%.
3. If the centrifugal force of the planets did not precisely balance the force of gravity, nothing would be held in the sun's orbit.
4 If the universe was growing at a rate one millionth more slowly than it is, the temperature on earth would be 10, 000 degrees.
5. Our galaxy has one hundred billion stars, the average distance between them is 30 trillion miles. If that distance was altered slightly, orbits would become "wobbly", and the temperatures on earth would become erratic. ( Travelling at space shuttle speed, seventeen thousand miles an hour of five miles a second, it would take 201,450 years to travel 30 trillion miles.
6. Any of the laws of physics can be described as a function of the velocity of light (now defined to be 186,282 miles per second ). Even a slight change in in the speed of light would change the other laws of physics and make earth inhospitable to life.
7. Jupiter, in its orbit, plays the role of protecting earth from bombardment from space debris. Its heavy gravitational pull acts as a cosmic "vacuum cleaner" , attracting asteroids, meteors and other debris that may strike Earth.
8. If Earth's crust were any greater, too much oxygen would be transferred to the crust to support life. If it were thinner, volcanic and tectonic activity would make life impossible.
9. If the rotation of the earth too longer than 24 hours, the temperature difference would be too great between night and day. If the rotation period was shorter, atmospheric wind velocities would be too great.
10. Surface temperature differences would be too great if the axial tilt of the earth were altered slightly.
11. If the atmospheric discharges (lightening) rate, were greater, there would be too much fire destruction; if it were less , there would be too little nitrogen in the soil.
12. If there were more seismic activity, much life would be lost. If there were less, nutrients on the ocean floors and river runoff would not be cycled back to the continents through tectonic uplift. Even earthquakes are necessary to sustain life as we know it.
a. Has this changed your thinking?
b. I find it amazing all of the balancing that is required to keep our planet functioning. Much balancing is required to keep our bodies functioning as well. Do you distance yourself? Have a "thin skin" "erupt too much" or take in every problem like it's yours?
Pray about what the Lord would have you do about those things........... write the prayers down.
See you next time
Where did the elements for the bang come from? What ignited them? How did they disperse? What started life? There aren't a lot of answers from those who want to ignore God. For our Darwinian friends, the apes skipped several stages. But, let's go back to the earth.
1. Just to tell you how fragile the earth is, and how wonderful the Creator is, if the gravitational force of the earth was changed by 10, followed by 40 zeros, the sun wouldn't exist, and the moon would crash into the earth, or sheer off into space, Even the slightest increase in gravity would make the stars much larger than the sun,causing the sun too burn erratically to continue life on this planet.
2. Oxygen makes up 21 % of our atmosphere. If it were higher, fires would break out, people would suffocate if the oxygen levels were lower than 15%.
3. If the centrifugal force of the planets did not precisely balance the force of gravity, nothing would be held in the sun's orbit.
4 If the universe was growing at a rate one millionth more slowly than it is, the temperature on earth would be 10, 000 degrees.
5. Our galaxy has one hundred billion stars, the average distance between them is 30 trillion miles. If that distance was altered slightly, orbits would become "wobbly", and the temperatures on earth would become erratic. ( Travelling at space shuttle speed, seventeen thousand miles an hour of five miles a second, it would take 201,450 years to travel 30 trillion miles.
6. Any of the laws of physics can be described as a function of the velocity of light (now defined to be 186,282 miles per second ). Even a slight change in in the speed of light would change the other laws of physics and make earth inhospitable to life.
7. Jupiter, in its orbit, plays the role of protecting earth from bombardment from space debris. Its heavy gravitational pull acts as a cosmic "vacuum cleaner" , attracting asteroids, meteors and other debris that may strike Earth.
8. If Earth's crust were any greater, too much oxygen would be transferred to the crust to support life. If it were thinner, volcanic and tectonic activity would make life impossible.
9. If the rotation of the earth too longer than 24 hours, the temperature difference would be too great between night and day. If the rotation period was shorter, atmospheric wind velocities would be too great.
10. Surface temperature differences would be too great if the axial tilt of the earth were altered slightly.
11. If the atmospheric discharges (lightening) rate, were greater, there would be too much fire destruction; if it were less , there would be too little nitrogen in the soil.
12. If there were more seismic activity, much life would be lost. If there were less, nutrients on the ocean floors and river runoff would not be cycled back to the continents through tectonic uplift. Even earthquakes are necessary to sustain life as we know it.
a. Has this changed your thinking?
b. I find it amazing all of the balancing that is required to keep our planet functioning. Much balancing is required to keep our bodies functioning as well. Do you distance yourself? Have a "thin skin" "erupt too much" or take in every problem like it's yours?
Pray about what the Lord would have you do about those things........... write the prayers down.
See you next time
God's Messages Through Creation
The Logic of God's Existence from When Skeptics Ask , by Geisler and Brooks.
1. Somethings undeniably exist.
2. My nonexistence is possible.
3. What ever has the possibility not to exist currently caused to exist by another
4 .There cannot be an infinite regress of causes of existence.
5. Therefore, a first uncaused cause of my current existence exists.
6. This cause must be infinite, unchanging, all-powerful, all-knowing, and all- perfect.
7. This infinitely perfect being is appropriately called "God".
8. Therefore, God exists.
9. This God, who exists is identical to the God described in the Christian Scriptures.
10. Therefore, the God described in the Bible exists.
1. Somethings undeniably exist.
2. My nonexistence is possible.
3. What ever has the possibility not to exist currently caused to exist by another
4 .There cannot be an infinite regress of causes of existence.
5. Therefore, a first uncaused cause of my current existence exists.
6. This cause must be infinite, unchanging, all-powerful, all-knowing, and all- perfect.
7. This infinitely perfect being is appropriately called "God".
8. Therefore, God exists.
9. This God, who exists is identical to the God described in the Christian Scriptures.
10. Therefore, the God described in the Bible exists.
Monday, June 13, 2011
My Account
My Account
Those pesky lemons........... You know you've had one of those days when Satan has been lobbing lemons at you at will. You woke up late, cut yourself shaving, missed the train, were late to work on the day you had to give a presentation, or you got the crabbiest patients in the world. You left work thinking that once you got home there would be peace and quiet, a hot dinner waiting for you, and that you might get some sleep. Instead......... the kids are shrieking, your spouse is upset because you are late due to traffic, and your dinner is cold. The youngest child has a recital. You don't want to go.................. But you must.
Off to the recital, a grade school rendition of musical torture. In addition to your headache, your ears hurt. The thing seems to last forever.
Then, to cap it off, they play some song about a circus, and your lovely daughter runs up and smashes a lemon pie in your face. It's almost the last straw, and actually, if you were honest, it would have been, if you weren't in public. You grind your teeth some more, especially on the way home. You are so angry that you believe that your fingers will have to be surgically removed from the steering wheel.
But wait, where is the source of the anger? Your expectations that the day would be perfect, or next to it. We sometimes wake up late. Sometimes we miss the train. Sometimes we are late to work, or work with crabby people. Our dinners aren't always as we like them. Thank God we have children. I need to tone down my expectations of life. I can't control what is going to happen. What I can control is how I react to what happens. God is in control. No I don't have all the why's and what not's. But this I know:
1 John 2:15-16 (NLT)Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.
I know that the Father loves me.
1. Where do you see this Scripture in action today?
2. Do you see it in yourself? How can you deal with it?
I know that the Father loves me.
1. Where do you see this Scripture in action today?
2. Do you see it in yourself? How can you deal with it?
Friday, June 10, 2011
In the beginning
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Gen 1:1-2 (NLT) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters
Notice something here: This is the first mention of the Holy Spirit. The Hebrew word for God is plural. The beginning was not the beginning of God, but the beginning of time, or the measure of time. The Spirit of God moved and the word used here is like a hen sitting over, or watching her eggs.
The point obviously, is that God created the earth out of nothing. He created it with special care.
1. Why would the Holy Spirit be mentioned as well?
2. Did you notice how much care God has for this project? Where is it shown?
3. Is this important to you? Why?
Thursday, June 9, 2011
In the Beginning Part one
And God Said...................
Yes, this is a Christian Blog. If you can't deal with it, don't read it, but I hope some of this will help you realize how special you are to God.
What ever begins must have a cause, the universe had a beginning, and therefore, had a cause. SOMETHING had to create the universe. If a person believes in the "Big Bang Theory", what caused the bang? Where did the gases come from? What ignited the explosion?
The First Law of Thermodynamics (I hate to take you back to science class) is that matter and energy can't be created or destroyed. The universe had to begin with order................. where did it come from? SOMETHING had to create the universe.
The Law of Infinite Progress says that things can't go backwards eternally. Everything must have a starting point. In fact, Edwin Hubble, in 1929 discovered that the universe was actually expanding as a result from the light from distant galaxies seeming redder than they should.
The Second Law of Thermodynamics deals with energy. The universe is not eternal and had a starting point. All the energy used for work eventually is used. There is a fixed amount of energy for the universe.
Isaiah 51:6 (NLT)
Look up to the skies above
and gaze down on the earth below. For the skies will disappear like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a piece of clothing. The people of the earth will die like flies, but my salvation lasts forever. My righteous rule will never end!
God's righteous rule will never end, His salvation lasts forever. What does that mean to you?
Where does your energy come from? For whom are you using it?
God's righteous rule will never end, His salvation lasts forever. What does that mean to you?
Where does your energy come from? For whom are you using it?
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Those Beautiful Lemon Trees Part One
The lemon tree is tall and stately, growing to ten to twenty feet. It fills the air with a wonderful aroma, both from its flowers and its oil. But, just like any other beautiful thing in nature, it does have God created defense mechanisms, the twigs have thorns, and the juice of the lemon is acidic. This discourages the birds, and other animals , from climbing up, or flying by and taking a taste. It's just not worth getting a thorn in the beak or in the paw, or sprayed in the eye with acidic juice. Lemon trees can't handle any cold weather, and must be irrigated if it gets too dry. If the wind blows too hard, they lose their leaves, the possibility of a crop as well.
It's time to do some comparisons:
I'm definitely NOT tall, or pretty. I don't permeate the air with a wonderful scent, unless I accept it, because I'm a sinner, but because of Christ, I am a sweet smelling offering to His Father. That's a deep thought. God can't stand the stench of sin, that was one of the many reasons for the continuous offerings in the Temple. Christ's blood covered our sins once and for all. But does His own Father want to smell His Son's blood? I think it's similar to house cleaning, most of the products are lemon scented, you don't want your guests to know that how hard you worked to clean the house, but the aroma remains. God had the solution planned from the beginning to the "sin problem", His Son did not back down. He, God must have wept with both pain and pride.
Now, it's our turn, we have to be proud of Jesus, and accept what He did for us.
Look up these Scriptures:
Num28:6
2 Cor 6: 17-18
Phil 4:18
2 Cor 2:15
The Old Covenant contained a complicated offering system:
1. The burnt offering-covering sins, symbolizing surrender, love, and commitment to God.
2,.The grain offering ( the first of the crops) voluntary, a manner of giving thanks for first fruits.
3. Fellowship or peace offerings are all voluntary, symbolic of fellowship with God.
a. Thank offering--------Thankfulness for a special blessing
b, Vow offering---------Offers a ritual expression of a vow
c. Free will offering-----Symbolizes general thankfulness
4.Sin Offering: mandatory offering with varying degrees of sacrifice based on the economic status of the person giving the offering. It was made by some one who had sinned, or had POTENTIALLY sinned.
Each of these offerings, except the grain, and the sin, for the very poor, required blood sacrifice of an innocent animal. Note how the sin offering included even those who might have sinned . It's a Catch 22. A person who really loves God does not want to be dishonest with Him, but believes he believes he has followed the Law to the letter, but perhaps he slipped up somewhere. So even he must make a sacrifice. All of these people walked with guilt raining on their shoulders.
1. Why is it so important that Christ's blood made His offering atonement for sin once and for all for you?
2. Do you struggle with that? How? What else could the Lord have done to cover your sins?
Dear brothers and sisters I struggled with that for a long time. I thought that one thing I had done was just too awful for the Lord to forgive. A wise man told me I was forgiven when I accepted the Lord. What did I want? Did I want Him beaten more? Crucified again? Of course not. His blood covers it all, the past, the present and the future. The hardest part is getting past the pride, and accepting it. WE want to fix it, just like the two year old saying "Me do it". We can't, only He can.
3. How burdensome would you find this offering system? Remember, your offering had to be perfect, and exchanged for the Temple coins. Would you still worship at the Temple?
4, What do the scriptures I have chosen mean to you?
It's time to do some comparisons:
I'm definitely NOT tall, or pretty. I don't permeate the air with a wonderful scent, unless I accept it, because I'm a sinner, but because of Christ, I am a sweet smelling offering to His Father. That's a deep thought. God can't stand the stench of sin, that was one of the many reasons for the continuous offerings in the Temple. Christ's blood covered our sins once and for all. But does His own Father want to smell His Son's blood? I think it's similar to house cleaning, most of the products are lemon scented, you don't want your guests to know that how hard you worked to clean the house, but the aroma remains. God had the solution planned from the beginning to the "sin problem", His Son did not back down. He, God must have wept with both pain and pride.
Now, it's our turn, we have to be proud of Jesus, and accept what He did for us.
Look up these Scriptures:
Num28:6
2 Cor 6: 17-18
Phil 4:18
2 Cor 2:15
The Old Covenant contained a complicated offering system:
1. The burnt offering-covering sins, symbolizing surrender, love, and commitment to God.
2,.The grain offering ( the first of the crops) voluntary, a manner of giving thanks for first fruits.
3. Fellowship or peace offerings are all voluntary, symbolic of fellowship with God.
a. Thank offering--------Thankfulness for a special blessing
b, Vow offering---------Offers a ritual expression of a vow
c. Free will offering-----Symbolizes general thankfulness
4.Sin Offering: mandatory offering with varying degrees of sacrifice based on the economic status of the person giving the offering. It was made by some one who had sinned, or had POTENTIALLY sinned.
Each of these offerings, except the grain, and the sin, for the very poor, required blood sacrifice of an innocent animal. Note how the sin offering included even those who might have sinned . It's a Catch 22. A person who really loves God does not want to be dishonest with Him, but believes he believes he has followed the Law to the letter, but perhaps he slipped up somewhere. So even he must make a sacrifice. All of these people walked with guilt raining on their shoulders.
1. Why is it so important that Christ's blood made His offering atonement for sin once and for all for you?
2. Do you struggle with that? How? What else could the Lord have done to cover your sins?
Dear brothers and sisters I struggled with that for a long time. I thought that one thing I had done was just too awful for the Lord to forgive. A wise man told me I was forgiven when I accepted the Lord. What did I want? Did I want Him beaten more? Crucified again? Of course not. His blood covers it all, the past, the present and the future. The hardest part is getting past the pride, and accepting it. WE want to fix it, just like the two year old saying "Me do it". We can't, only He can.
3. How burdensome would you find this offering system? Remember, your offering had to be perfect, and exchanged for the Temple coins. Would you still worship at the Temple?
4, What do the scriptures I have chosen mean to you?
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