Showing posts with label Creation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Creation. Show all posts
Sunday, August 18, 2024
Are There Different Races?
Sunday, September 30, 2018
Nature Cannot Speak
"For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God ... They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen." Romans 1:20, 25
In their "Nature Is Speaking" video series, Conservation International enlists the voice talent of actress Julia Roberts speaking as "Nature." The nearly two-minute video goes like this: "Some call me nature. Others call me "Mother Nature." I've been here for over 4.5 billion years. 22,500 times longer than you. I don't really need people. But people need me. Yes, your future depends on me. When I thrive, you thrive. When I falter, you falter. Or worse. But, I've been here for eons. I have fed species greater than you. And I have starved species greater than you. My oceans. My soil. My flowing streams. My forests. They all can take you. Or leave you. How you choose to live each day, whether you regard or disregard me, doesn't really matter to me. One way. Or the other. Your actions will determine your fate. Not mine. I am nature. I will go on. I am prepared to evolve. Are you?" The video ends with, "Nature doesn't need people. People need nature" flashing on the screen. This video is well-produced and the scenery captured is breathtaking. The professional presentation gives one the feeling that they are watching the trailer for an upcoming blockbuster movie. No doubt there have been and will be people who are persuaded by this video, especially since the voice over is done by one of Hollywood's leading actresses. In fact, Conservation International has at least ten more videos in this series that are narrated by popular individuals including Robert Redford, Reese Witherspoon, Harrison Ford, and Lupita Nyong'o. The other videos in the series have these individuals portraying themselves as Sky, Ice, Mountain, Home, The Ocean, Flower, Coral Reef, The Redwood, The Soil and Water. While it is an obvious attempt to put nature on a pedestal and to put mankind in subjection to nature, honestly, it is a blatant attempt to remove God from the equation and elevate nature to the level of a god. Nature, to some degree, has always been deified by people or entire cultures and mankind has been treated as if we are some sort of scourge that needs to "watch our step" so as not to upset "Mother Nature" and face "her" wrath. It has gotten to the point where if a person doesn't put nature first in their lives by going along with commonly held beliefs about things like environmentalism, recycling, animal rights, global warming/climate change, deforestation and so on, you run the risk of being treated like some sort of heretic. But, regardless of how you feel about these topics, the video itself says some things that, from a biblical standpoint, are just plain wrong.
Has nature been around for 4.5 billion years? According to organizations like Answers in Genesis, "Using the Bible’s chronologies and historical data, the age of the earth is calculated to be around 6,000 years; 2,000 years from Adam to Abraham, 2,000 years from Abraham to Christ, and 2,000 years from Christ to today. Numerous lines of evidence confirm this date for the age of the universe." Has nature been around 22.500 times longer than mankind? While nature, i.e. the earth, has been around longer than mankind, it has only been around five days longer than people. God created the heavens and the earth on the first day of creation. He created mankind on the sixth day of creation. It's the equivalent of the earth being created on Sunday and people being created the following Friday. When the video states that we need nature more than it needs us, my first question is to ask, "Then why do we need to worry about taking care of nature with all this environmental activism?" But, I digress. Do we need nature more than it needs us? Yes, and no. Yes, because we need the resources nature provides in order to produce the materials we use daily to live. But, no, in the sense that God gave Adam and Eve the Garden of Eden to "tend and watch over it (Genesis 2:15)." Nature needs us to. Even more important is the fact that when God created Adam and Eve, He told them, "Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground (Genesis 1:28).” God gave nature to man, not the other way around. Does our future depend on nature? No. God says, "Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure (Isaiah 46:9-10).’" It is true when nature thrives we can enjoy an abundance and when nature falters, disaster can destroy lives in a heartbeat. However, this isn't because nature is some sort of sentient being giving out blessings and cursings. It is because of sin; "For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time (Romans 8:22)." An eon, in scientific terms, is considered to be about one billion years. We have already established that from a biblical standpoint, nature has been around about 750,000 times less than the 4.5 billion years the evolutionist believes. Has "Mother Nature" fed and starved species greater than man? First of all, there is no species greater than man. Not only did God give the earth and the creatures to man to have dominion over, as we established, but it was Jesus who said, "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they (Matthew 6:26)?" God knows we need food to eat, but we also have sinful people living in the world. As one person puts it, "God is not responsible for the foolishness of man. Neither is He responsible for greed, selfishness, hatred, pride, laziness, hoarding, cruelty, spite, callousness, or any other sin that contributes to world hunger." We have already established that God created nature; the oceans, streams, soil, and forests. Nature will not "go on" like the video states because the Bible says, "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare (2 Peter 3:10)." Ultimately, the only action that will determine your fate is not what you do with "Mother Nature," but what you do with Jesus Christ; God in the flesh. There is only one way to the Father, that is Jesus Christ! Jesus asked His disciples, "Who do you say I am (Matthew 16:15)?" Well?
In their "Nature Is Speaking" video series, Conservation International enlists the voice talent of actress Julia Roberts speaking as "Nature." The nearly two-minute video goes like this: "Some call me nature. Others call me "Mother Nature." I've been here for over 4.5 billion years. 22,500 times longer than you. I don't really need people. But people need me. Yes, your future depends on me. When I thrive, you thrive. When I falter, you falter. Or worse. But, I've been here for eons. I have fed species greater than you. And I have starved species greater than you. My oceans. My soil. My flowing streams. My forests. They all can take you. Or leave you. How you choose to live each day, whether you regard or disregard me, doesn't really matter to me. One way. Or the other. Your actions will determine your fate. Not mine. I am nature. I will go on. I am prepared to evolve. Are you?" The video ends with, "Nature doesn't need people. People need nature" flashing on the screen. This video is well-produced and the scenery captured is breathtaking. The professional presentation gives one the feeling that they are watching the trailer for an upcoming blockbuster movie. No doubt there have been and will be people who are persuaded by this video, especially since the voice over is done by one of Hollywood's leading actresses. In fact, Conservation International has at least ten more videos in this series that are narrated by popular individuals including Robert Redford, Reese Witherspoon, Harrison Ford, and Lupita Nyong'o. The other videos in the series have these individuals portraying themselves as Sky, Ice, Mountain, Home, The Ocean, Flower, Coral Reef, The Redwood, The Soil and Water. While it is an obvious attempt to put nature on a pedestal and to put mankind in subjection to nature, honestly, it is a blatant attempt to remove God from the equation and elevate nature to the level of a god. Nature, to some degree, has always been deified by people or entire cultures and mankind has been treated as if we are some sort of scourge that needs to "watch our step" so as not to upset "Mother Nature" and face "her" wrath. It has gotten to the point where if a person doesn't put nature first in their lives by going along with commonly held beliefs about things like environmentalism, recycling, animal rights, global warming/climate change, deforestation and so on, you run the risk of being treated like some sort of heretic. But, regardless of how you feel about these topics, the video itself says some things that, from a biblical standpoint, are just plain wrong.
Has nature been around for 4.5 billion years? According to organizations like Answers in Genesis, "Using the Bible’s chronologies and historical data, the age of the earth is calculated to be around 6,000 years; 2,000 years from Adam to Abraham, 2,000 years from Abraham to Christ, and 2,000 years from Christ to today. Numerous lines of evidence confirm this date for the age of the universe." Has nature been around 22.500 times longer than mankind? While nature, i.e. the earth, has been around longer than mankind, it has only been around five days longer than people. God created the heavens and the earth on the first day of creation. He created mankind on the sixth day of creation. It's the equivalent of the earth being created on Sunday and people being created the following Friday. When the video states that we need nature more than it needs us, my first question is to ask, "Then why do we need to worry about taking care of nature with all this environmental activism?" But, I digress. Do we need nature more than it needs us? Yes, and no. Yes, because we need the resources nature provides in order to produce the materials we use daily to live. But, no, in the sense that God gave Adam and Eve the Garden of Eden to "tend and watch over it (Genesis 2:15)." Nature needs us to. Even more important is the fact that when God created Adam and Eve, He told them, "Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground (Genesis 1:28).” God gave nature to man, not the other way around. Does our future depend on nature? No. God says, "Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure (Isaiah 46:9-10).’" It is true when nature thrives we can enjoy an abundance and when nature falters, disaster can destroy lives in a heartbeat. However, this isn't because nature is some sort of sentient being giving out blessings and cursings. It is because of sin; "For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time (Romans 8:22)." An eon, in scientific terms, is considered to be about one billion years. We have already established that from a biblical standpoint, nature has been around about 750,000 times less than the 4.5 billion years the evolutionist believes. Has "Mother Nature" fed and starved species greater than man? First of all, there is no species greater than man. Not only did God give the earth and the creatures to man to have dominion over, as we established, but it was Jesus who said, "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they (Matthew 6:26)?" God knows we need food to eat, but we also have sinful people living in the world. As one person puts it, "God is not responsible for the foolishness of man. Neither is He responsible for greed, selfishness, hatred, pride, laziness, hoarding, cruelty, spite, callousness, or any other sin that contributes to world hunger." We have already established that God created nature; the oceans, streams, soil, and forests. Nature will not "go on" like the video states because the Bible says, "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare (2 Peter 3:10)." Ultimately, the only action that will determine your fate is not what you do with "Mother Nature," but what you do with Jesus Christ; God in the flesh. There is only one way to the Father, that is Jesus Christ! Jesus asked His disciples, "Who do you say I am (Matthew 16:15)?" Well?
"Nature is but a name for an effect, whose cause is God." William Cowper, Christian Poet
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Come back to the Sea
In John 8:44, Jesus said, “You are of your father the devil… When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” He called the devil the father of lies. Regarding the Holy Spirit, Jesus said, “when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth (John 16:13).” Now, since born again Christians have the Holy Spirit indwelling us we know that He will guide us into all truth. Why am I saying all this? If any of you watched the Super Bowl on Sunday, you may have seen a commercial by the Carnival Corporation entitled, “Come back to the Sea.” The advertisement uses a recording of former President John F. Kennedy. With beautiful video of the cruise ships in various scenes around the world as a backdrop, the words of President Kennedy play. He says that humans may have a love of the sea “because we all came from it” and that it is a “biological fact that all of us have, in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean.” Did we all come from the sea? The Bible says that, “the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being (Genesis 2:7).” One chapter later we read, “For dust you are, And to dust you shall return (Genesis 3:19)." The Bible clearly states that, one, God created us from the “dust of the ground,” not from the sea, and, two, it is the dust to which we “shall return.” In short, we can’t go “back to sea,” because we are not from it.
But, what about the statement that it is a “biological fact” that we have the same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean? We can turn to science for this answer. Without going into a bunch of detail that is over my head, I will share one true fact. According to Dr. Jerry Bergman, in an article written for Answers in Genesis Ministry, the level of Sodium (i.e. salt) in our blood is about 3,220 mg per liter, whereas the amount of Sodium in seawater is about 10,800 mg per liter. That is far from the “exact same percentage” put forth by President Kennedy. I don’t say any of this to disparage the Carnival Corporation or President Kennedy. I say this because I believe while I was watching this commercial, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and took a brief moment to lead me into the truth of the matter. Saints remember this, “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14).” If you are in Christ, you are no longer a “natural man” who doesn’t “receive the things of the Spirit of God.” You are a spiritual man who receives the things of the Spirit of God that are “spiritually discerned.” God can separate His truth from the devil’s lies at any moment so long as you remain available to the Him to teach you; even during the Super Bowl.
But, what about the statement that it is a “biological fact” that we have the same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean? We can turn to science for this answer. Without going into a bunch of detail that is over my head, I will share one true fact. According to Dr. Jerry Bergman, in an article written for Answers in Genesis Ministry, the level of Sodium (i.e. salt) in our blood is about 3,220 mg per liter, whereas the amount of Sodium in seawater is about 10,800 mg per liter. That is far from the “exact same percentage” put forth by President Kennedy. I don’t say any of this to disparage the Carnival Corporation or President Kennedy. I say this because I believe while I was watching this commercial, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and took a brief moment to lead me into the truth of the matter. Saints remember this, “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14).” If you are in Christ, you are no longer a “natural man” who doesn’t “receive the things of the Spirit of God.” You are a spiritual man who receives the things of the Spirit of God that are “spiritually discerned.” God can separate His truth from the devil’s lies at any moment so long as you remain available to the Him to teach you; even during the Super Bowl.
Saturday, December 27, 2014
Neil deGrasse Tyson
"The heavens declare His righteousness, And all the peoples see His glory." Psalm 97:6
Evolutionary astrophysicist, cosmologist, author and television host Neil deGrasse Tyson made headlines recently regarding what he wrote on Twitter. Tyson, a self-described Agnostic, tweeted the following: "On this day long ago, a child was born who, by age 30, would transform the world. Happy Birthday Isaac Newton b. Dec 25, 1642." To Tyson, Isaac Newton is, "The Man;" the greatest physicist in history. While Isaac Newton may have been born on Christmas Day (some calendars put his birthday as January 4, 1643), the way in which Tyson wrote these words is an obvious dig at Jesus Christ, specifically, and Christianity, in general. Otherwise, he would have simply said, "Happy Birthday Isaac Newton." But to use phrases like, "a child is born," "by age 30" and "transform the world," no matter how universally these terms can be applied. and regardless of whom they can be applied to, is an obvious dig at the Lord. He is free to do this and by the 62,000 retweets he received, many of his followers enjoyed it. But, what is most interesting to note is that Isaac Newton, by many accounts, was a Christian at best and a believer in God at worst. Isaac Newton did not hide his belief in God and did not see his belief as a hindrance to his scientific pursuits.
Regarding the sun and other heavenly bodies, Newton wrote: "This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intellectual Being." On the Lord of the heavens, he wrote: "This being governs all things, not as the soul of the world, but as Lord of all." On atheism, he writes: "Atheism is so senseless. When I look at the solar system, I see the earth at the right distance from the sun to receive the proper amounts of heat and light. This did not happen by chance." When it comes to the solar system, Newton says, "The motions of the planets require a Divine Arm to impress them." On God, his Savior, we read: "The true God is a living, intelligent and powerful being." Newton wrote, in reference to the trials of life: "Trials are medicines which our gracious and wise physician gives because we need them; and he proportions the frequency and weight of them to what the case requires. Let us trust His skill and thank Him for His prescription." About God's presence, he said: "His (God's) duration reaches from eternity to eternity; His presence from infinity to infinity." Finally, Newton wrote on the Bible: "I have a fundamental belief in the Bible as the Word of God, written by men who were inspired. I study the Bible daily." The conclusion can only be that what Neil deGrasse Tyson meant as a thinly veiled condemnation of the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ is really a glorification of the Son of God he is denying.
Regarding the sun and other heavenly bodies, Newton wrote: "This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intellectual Being." On the Lord of the heavens, he wrote: "This being governs all things, not as the soul of the world, but as Lord of all." On atheism, he writes: "Atheism is so senseless. When I look at the solar system, I see the earth at the right distance from the sun to receive the proper amounts of heat and light. This did not happen by chance." When it comes to the solar system, Newton says, "The motions of the planets require a Divine Arm to impress them." On God, his Savior, we read: "The true God is a living, intelligent and powerful being." Newton wrote, in reference to the trials of life: "Trials are medicines which our gracious and wise physician gives because we need them; and he proportions the frequency and weight of them to what the case requires. Let us trust His skill and thank Him for His prescription." About God's presence, he said: "His (God's) duration reaches from eternity to eternity; His presence from infinity to infinity." Finally, Newton wrote on the Bible: "I have a fundamental belief in the Bible as the Word of God, written by men who were inspired. I study the Bible daily." The conclusion can only be that what Neil deGrasse Tyson meant as a thinly veiled condemnation of the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ is really a glorification of the Son of God he is denying.
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