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Think Like Jesus about Scripture

It should stand to reason that people who say they are Christians — followers of Jesus — should give give great value to his view of Scripture. Unfortunately, there is a great deal of biblical illiteracy among Christians. To be direct, many who bear that name are actually heretics . People sure are fond of their opinions. Post something on social(ist) media, you get a passel of "Well, I  think..." responses, and many of those are contradicted by the linked articles they refused to read. Opinionated biblically illiterate heretics are ripe for deception by cults. Bible open to Genesis, Pexels / Luis Quintero Many professing Christians are not committed to the inerrancy of Scripture, and often add in teachings, sayings, traditions, and opinions. We look to the Bible to learn about Jesus and salvation. We also read it to find out about living the Christian life and the return of Jesus. Why bother if it's full of errors or alleged contradictions ? This also a clear rejection o

Working with God to Create

Although the term New Age  is not as common as before, the concept remains. It was misnamed from the beginning because it is a repackaging of Hindu, Astrology, and other Eastern religious views. Essentially, it is religious buffet. For a while, calling something New Age was a marketing scheme. The music under that moniker could be jazz, electronic, nature sounds, and more — although it did not involve spirituality unless the listener added it. Books, board games, and more had New Age trappings. It should not surprise anyone that Christian elements were added and corrupted. Serpent meditating and glowing, made with AI image generator at Bing New Age stuff is not atheistic by nature, but it denies the authority of the Bible. Evolution is an ancient pagan religious idea that is seen in Eastern religions and New Age spirituality. Satan himself was the first evolutionist , rejecting God as Creator and believing that God also evolved just as he himself was doing. The first lie was back in Ge

Gambling on Creation with Christian Colleges

Someone said that he asked people who believe the falsehood that the US Constitution has a separation of church and state clause, "Do you want something that is taught in seminaries also taught in public schools?" They answered in the negative. He pointed out that this subject was evolution. One would expect that a college calling itself  Christian  would believe and teach what is contained in the Bible, and uphold biblical authority. Many have fallen away and teach vague religiosity, and usually shun biblical creation. Faro game at Orient Saloon ca. 1900 / National Archives , colorized at Palette It has been demonstrated that particles-to-professor evolution makes atheists out of people, or causes them compromise their faith so that it becomes almost unrecognizable — even resembling Deism. Parents who care will provide their children with strong teachings in creation and other areas of the faith, and make resources available. This includes biblically-strong sites and weblogs

Why There is no Compromise on Creation

It may seem fair and reasonable for mainstream evangelicals to ask biblical creationists to compromise on literal six-day creation. Indeed, sometimes we are seen as a niche group in an offshoot of the Fundamentalist movement. It is ironic that the Fundamentalists were not exactly biblical creationists . Again, belief in recent six-day creation is not required for salvation. Accepting theistic evolution (TE) is not a disqualifier, nor is acceptance of billions of years. Those beliefs do show, however, that people are not understanding or have a low view of Scripture. Silhouette of group at sunset, Pexels / Min An Some do not understand Scripture or the failings of secular science, and many do not believe Scripture. (I believe that knowledgeable TEs are actually Deists because they reject the inerrancy and authority of God's Word.) Joining in with a group hug and affirming the "Why can't we all just get along?" sentiment involves degrading the Bible. Evolution is not co

God and the Bad Things

Although professing atheists like to say that if God is loving and powerful, he should be able to stop evil in the world. Even Christians ask these kinds of questions (albeit without the sneering). After all, God created a perfect world. It is natural to question and even argue from our own perspective, but we tend to forget about trying to see things from the point of view of someone else. What is God's side of the matter? If people will allow him to speak, he tells us in the Bible. Living and dead trees in the woods via Cowboy Bob Sorensen, modified at PhotoFunia People, plants, animals get sick. Everything that is born, dies. Evolutionists depend  on death because that supposedly gives rise to new life forms that are more equipped to survive. Yet they still resent it instead of celebrating that the aged and sick are out of the way. That's because they know that God is real. Deep inside, we know that death is the enemy, just like the Bible says. This enemy has been defeated b

Building a Solid Dome Sky in Genesis

As we saw before, misotheists and professing Christians with a liberal bent sometimes say that the ancient Hebrews believed the sky was a solid dome, and the waters were above it (Gen. 1:6-8). This idea falls apart under examination . Further, some owlhoots  say the ancient Hebrews borrowed mythologies from their pagan neighbors. C'mon, man, that's malarkey! The song " Denomination Blues " by Washington Phillips has a line, ". . . you can go to the college, and you can go to the school, but if you ain't got Jesus you're an educated fool." That fits what has happened. Sun-God Tablet, Wikimedia Commons / Zunkir ( CC BY-SA 4.0 ) Somehow, it seems to be intellectual to denigrate the Bible — especially Genesis. Such thinking also assumes ancient people were stupid because they had recently evolved. It does a disservice to the monotheistic Jews, and other near-Eastern myths are found in the Bible. These "educated" people had proof of what Mesopo

Filling the Gap Theory

First of all, the word theory  is often used by people who simply have a conjecture or an idea they are making up on the spot. In science, a theory is a step above a hypothesis  and is expected to have an evidential basis. The Gap Theory  has nothing to do with science, but is not just an off-the-cuff speculation, either. Even though it has been refuted long ago, people zombify it and let it roam around, annoying theologians and confusing lay people. Standley Chasm, Unsplash / Stephen Mabbs There are some variations on the Gap Thing (you make my heart sing). It exists as a compromise for professing Christians to say they believe the Bible and also have deep time. The gap supposedly exists between the first two verses of Genesis, but is supported by an illegitimate reading of the text — and a heapin' helpin' of eisegesis. Now we have a gap. Want to see what's in it? Billions of years. The fall of Satan. Lucifer's Flood, which is supposed to explain geology. Ruin and reco

The Trail of the Resurrection from Genesis

As many know, the bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is vitally important to Christianity. While others reject the truth, many Christians have only a superficial knowledge of the Resurrection. There is depth to it that can be traced throughout Scripture. An old expression often found in found in Western stories is  cutting sign . It is used today as well. Basically, it means to look for evidence of an animal or a person and follow their trail. Christians can cut sign beginning in Genesis. Empty tomb,  Free Christian Illustrations The Bible is such that much of it can be understood by us reg'lar folk, but we can keep learning throughout our lives. It certainly keeps theologians busy mining truths. An important procedure is to interpret Scripture with Scripture. We can follow the trail in the Old Testament for the death and Resurrection of Jesus. Working backward, the New Testament tells us that he is our Creator (Col. 1:16, John 1:1-3, Heb. 1:2-3). God the Son came to

Put On the Armor of God

Good teachers tell Christians that we are in spiritual warfare, whether we know it or not. Our main enemies are unseen. Before we came to Christ, we were prisoners of Satan. Now we are defectors and he wants to neutralize us. Christians belong to Jesus, and God has blessed us with the spiritual things we need (Eph. 1:3). Although we belong to Christ, we still have to fight spiritual battles. I am not talking about demons coming into your home (unless you are inviting them by messing with occult things), but even small daily concerns as well as larger battles. We have been given armor and weapons. Roman soldiers defensive group, Flickr / rikdom ( CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 ) Roman soldiers were a disciplined, ruthless, efficient fighting force. If I got word they were going to attack my place, I'd light a shuck out of there, you betcha! The apostle Paul was being guarded by these guys (who also protected him very handily in Acts 23:12-25). Imagine him writing to the Ephesians and contemplati

William Shatner and other Legacies

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen Every once in a while, celebrities make remarks about their legacies and the public also gets involved for a spell. Perhaps we all want to be remembered. Most of us want to have a legacy that is kind to us, but others may strive for a legacy of crime and evil. A song by Blue Öyster Cult titled "Goin' through the Motions" has several possible meanings , the most likely being about troubled relationships. It referenced earlier dreadful lyrics , but was a mite touching here: To thee, I dedicate this photograph  I'll even sign it "love to you" again And when it's faded and forgotten in some book You'll sometimes look... A celebrity was important enough to someone to want an autograph, but the singer knew he would be mostly forgotten. Will we forget Bill Shatner? Truth Jabs  by Dan Lietha, used with permission (click for larger) People probably know him from the Star Trek  franchise and hosting The UnXplained  documentary series, am

Pain and the Curse in Genesis

A common argument from misotheists against the existence of God is that since there is suffering in the world, God either does not exist or does not care. Some suggest he does not have much power. Christians also wonder why pain exists. God is condemned by unrighteous people to justify their rebellion (Job 40:8), but they do not see things from his perspective. They use prejudicial conjecture and statements without knowledge. Darwinists will say that pain evolved to help organisms survive; keep your fingers out of the fire. Cross and crown of thorns, RGBStock / Adrian van Leen Six days ago, this cowboy had torn meniscus surgery. It's a comparatively minor knee surgery and I went home the same day. It still hurts there and in other parts of the leg. Ibuprofen helps somewhat, but I really don't want to take the prescribed opioid. Naturalism relies on the complex scientific principle of Making Things Up™ because they are working from other conjectures that are also made up. While

The New Creation of the World

People have been fascinated by ideas about the end of the world almost since it began — maybe Adam and Eve speculated on the subject. People lived for decades in terror of nuclear annihilation, and that specter looms again. NASA tells us why the Mayan prophecy of 2012 was wrong, but they  are incorrect because they speak from a naturalistic paradigm. Some consult the vague stuff of Nostradamus and various fortune tellers, others expect a giant rock from space. All wrong. The world will  end, but not in any way these folks expect. End of the World, Pixabay / Geralt (Gerd Altmann) When people say that the Genesis Flood is just an allegory, point out that Peter referred to the Flood as real when he wrote about the coming Big Bang at the end of the world in 2 Peter 3:5-10. Also, Jesus likened the end to the Flood in Matthew 24:37-39. There is a Judgment coming, and people need to be ready. There are people who think that perhaps the world will not be destroyed and remade, but more like i

How to Correctly Answer the Skeptic

When someone claims to be a skeptic , the word can have various meanings. Absolute Skepticism is a philosophy that nothing can be known except for the knowledge that nothing can be known. So how do you know even that is true? More commonly, people are skeptical of news or claims. Healthy skepticism demands support or verification of claims and helps people from being gullible. When it comes to atheists who claim to be skeptics, they usually make it clear that they cannot be convinced about God. Atheists often ridicule God, the Bible, Christians, and so on. These should be considered scoffers and misotheists, since a skeptic (in common usage) will consider evidence. On occasion, an unbeliever will want to have a discussion about evidence for the existence of God. Christians often argue in the worst possible way: Letting the unbeliever dictate the terms of discussion, and when asked to argue "on neutral ground," they are actually admitting that the Bible is wrong! Learn this we

Christian Students and Advanced Degrees

Some Christians may be reluctant to obtain advanced degrees, and it is possible to see why. The secular science industry has its tendrils in academia and such an environment is predominantly atheistic. Some professors actively seek to destroy the faith of Christian students. The world needs Christians being salt and light in various occupations, especially those in the sciences. Some scientists who are biblical creationists advise, in essence, that creationist students should keep low profiles about their beliefs so they can get the training and graduate. Graduation paper, Pexels / Ekrulila It has been rightly said that evolution makes atheists out of people, and there are people who professed to be Christians who lost their faith at universities. Maneuvering the secular minefield can be scary for Christian students who want to advance in their learning, but it doesn't have to be disastrous for them. Yes, learn what they are teaching — but you don't have to accept fake science.

Faith in Evolution from Nothing, or in Creation from Nothing?

Misotheists and other evolutionists ridicule Bible-believing Christians for saying that God created the universe out of nothing. It is common for them to say that we believe in magic, using a definition of that word that appears to support their charge. However, materialists believe that the universe came from nothing. This is not empirical science even though some cosmogonists claim that it is entirely scientific. Not only do their  views fit the same accusation of magic leveled against us, but they disingenuously redefine nothing  to mean...well, something that is not nothing. Stargazing silhouettes, Pexels / Kendall Hoopes Some Christian compromisers add to the Word of God, inserting the pagan idea that God created everything by using existing materials. Interesting that unbelievers also have nothing but is really something that created the universe. You  can be a part of  Question Evolution Day , no charge, no sign-up! The fact is that God created ex nihilo , which is out of nothin

The Word in Creation

People get a mite confused about the Word. The word Word has several meanings, whether in English or usage in the Bible — you have my word on that. Christians refer to the Bible as the Word of God, and Jesus is also identified in the same way. Sometimes it helps to add written  Word when referring to the Bible. What was the apostle doing in John 1:1? Was he assigning a new title to Jesus? After all, we know that Jesus is the Creator (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16, Hebrews 1;8), and in Genesis, God spoke words when creating. Some of us simply accept it that Jesus is the Word, but there are reasons. John 1, Unsplash / Anthony Garand John affirmed that Jesus is God and the Creator, and it turns out that Scripture refers to the Word as a person in other ways, and he is part of the Trinity. All this links back to Genesis. To determine these things requires knowledge of the original languages, and help can be found by consulting some ancient writings. We don't need to do all that, thankfully

Bad Reasons to be a Creationist

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  Biblical creation science is in a special niche of evangelical Christianity, and is not extremely popular. Many people who do follow it are enthusiastic and attentive. Because creation science is more intellectual than other areas that interest professing Christians, many people have little use for it. Take a look at the name: It has Bible, creation, and science. Another name that is commonly used is young-earth creation (YEC), but many of us are using that much less than before because we follow what the Bible teaches, and are not trying to force-fit science into Scripture. Creation, Pixabay / Karin Henseler It seems reasonable to assume that those involved in a smaller area of interest would be glad to have other people join us. Sure, it's great to fellowship with like-minded individuals, but this is not just a religious social club. Someone who identifies as a creationist isn't necessarily a Christian. In fact, there are a few reasons that people shou

Genesis and the Waters Above

Genesis 1:6-8 has caused controversy for a mighty long time, and God is under no obligation to give us a full explanation for everything he says. We try to figure out things with science and theology. Sometimes we are successful, and other times debates continue. Let me say again that models and hypotheses come and go, but biblical creationists hold to the Word of God above all else — as it should be. People often have to delve into the original languages and the contexts of biblical passages. Some sections are very difficult to translate correctly, such as in this subject. ESA / Hubble & NASA, Sarajedini et al (Usage does not imply endorsement of site content) Creation scientists, like secular scientists, debate models and such. F'rinstance, the water vapor canopy over the earth was popular for a few years but was mostly abandoned because of both scientific and theological considerations. It doesn't help that some people believe that Genesis teaches Earth has a solid dom

Biblical Interpretation and Proper Context

When dealing with professing atheists and other religious groups, we expect them to take passages of the Bible out of context. These things can often be refuted quickly by examining the larger context. Sometimes it may require digging into the contexts of history, culture, language, and so on, but not always. (Indeed, most alleged contradictions in the Bible that were refuted by Veritas Domain were based on context tampering.) Some atheists object to our pointing out how they take things out of context, but it happens a great deal. Genesis and reading glasses, FreeDigitalPhotos / Janaka Dharmasena Christians tamper with the context as well. Those who actually believe the Bible probably do not do this intentionally, but it can easily happen. Especially when someone is teaching and mislead his hearers. (James 3:1 has a warning for teachers of God's Word — I reckon those who use bad hermeneutics make the Bible about us are in big trouble.) We should ride up on the hill for the bigger

Why Sin is Serious

It is common to hear people make an appeal to a form of religiosity by declaring something is a sin. Presumably this is done to give their declaration some form of power or impact, but it usually just sounds trite. My wife's parents said it was a sin to throw away food. I say it's a sin to eat Brussels sprouts. Anyone can make such a claim, but can seldom support it with Bible verses or scriptural principles. This is not surprising, since most professing Christians are biblically illiterate. Worse, t hey are functional heretics and are unsaved ! To say that something is sinful without having knowledge is trivializing sin and the death of Jesus on the cross. Kneeling at the Cross, PxHere When posting material that refutes the idea that Christmas and Easter are of pagan origin, I see many professing Christians clinging to their uninformed opinions and traditions rather than examining the well-researched material. They were judging knowledgeable Christians and acting like they wer