Biblical Creation and Evangelism

If you ask around about the identity of Jesus, you will get a variety of answers. Some history deniers try to pretend he never existed, there are "atheist Christians" who use that title because they like some of the things he said, plus vague or even biblical answers. While it may be interesting to get opinions from coworkers or someone at the deli, it is best to go to the sources. The Bible has sections written by eyewitnesses. Church history by people who were not far removed from the events is often useful. Man kneeling and reading the Bible, Unsplash /  Ben White Jesus is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. He was given and received worship, such as in John 20:28 when "doubting" Thomas exclaimed, "My Lord and my God!" (Note that Thomas didn't believe the Resurrection testimony of the others and wanted to touch the wounds himself. He made the above exclamation when Jesus appeared to him, but nowhere does it mention that he followed throug

Someone may claim to be a perfectionist, and another might assume that the other simply wants to do things as correctly as possible. Sure, many people strive for excellence. However, perfectionism is quite often a trap. Perfectionists may obsess over their appearance, constantly adjust something unnecessarily that was fine already, and more. It can also stop people from even beginning something because they doubt that it will be perfect.* Consider the fact that "perfect" is often subjective. More than the physical and psychological aspects, perfectionism can be a spiritual hindrance. Imperfect blurred woods, photo by Cowboy Bob Sorensen Yes, the Bible tells us to "be perfect," but that is an inadequate translation. It is better rendered complete  or mature  in many instances — especially when the passages are used regarding our spiritual goals. A perfectionist may walk away from the Word of God and attempt to be spiritually or morally perfect by his own standard . T

People who are involved in Christian apologetics ministries (especially biblical creationists) are often ridiculed by atheists as "reality deniers" or with similar epithets. Critics claim the intellectual high ground because they believe reality and Christians do not, but that is posturing — and unwarranted. Everyone has the same facts, but their worldviews dictate how facts are interpreted. When atheists claim that that material things are all that exist and that  is reality, those are just arbitrary assertions. They have no facts. People who believe the Bible can see that atheists are blocked from reality. Gate - You shall not pass, Unsplash / Cowboy Bob Sorensen Unfortunately, it is not just misotheists who are blocked. Many Christians are being harmed by the denial of the truth and authority of God's written Word. Evolution is a stumbling block for both believers and unbelievers, as people are told that particles-to-pastor evolution is a proven fact. (Indeed, evolutio

A spell back, I emailed a pastor to enquire his stance on creation and Genesis. His reply was disheartening. I disremember what he said exactly, but he said he never really thought about it, and he thought maybe the Framework Hypothesis was his view of creation. He wrote it like someone choosing a hat for the day. Very foolish. A pastor who is so casual about the first book of the Bible should raise a red flag to any knowledgeable Christian. The Framework Hypothesis is an absurd attempt to compromise long ages with the Bible. Genesis, RGBStock /  Billy Frank Alexander People like this do not think things through, not realizing how their worldview affects their understanding of Scripture. One big question keeps cropping up in these situations: Why are so many Christians, especially pastors, determined to insert millions of years into Scripture? Another question is like it: Why do they give materialistic philosophies authority of the Bible that they claim to believe? The same enemies of

The doctrine of the Trinity is as confusing as it is mysterious. Christians believe in one God, but he is also three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There are many articles and videos available online that discuss it, but we have to admit that this doctrine — vital to our salvation — is taken by faith. Some may find the Holy Spirit the most difficult. He descended on Jesus like a dove (Luke 3:22), but apparently does not take physical form, even in visions. Some folks adore him because he makes them feel ecstatic at times, but forget that he testifies of Jesus (John 15:26). Holy Spirit like a dove, Pixabay / jplenio Many professing Christians are so caught up in what they consider to be spiritual gifts that they are scripturally shallow, and lack knowledge about who the Spirit is and what he does. Some people think he speaks audibly to them, but such claims seem to be based on emotion (and, let's face it, charlatans making money). On the other hand, this child beli

Humans are a strange lot when it comes to knowledge of the future. Some say that nobody knows, others consult spirits, the stars, tarot cards, and other things. (Why the dead know about the future has not been adequately explained.) Some folks say nobody knows the future, but then use fortune tellers. It may be difficult to grasp that God is not subject to the same limitations that face us. He is the Creator of matter, energy, time, and space. A wrong theology called open theism  claims that God does not know the future. Time, Pixabay / Gerd Altmann (geralt) To say that God does not know the future is to demonstrate lack of knowledge or even disbelief about the Bible. In it, he claims to know the future. We also have hundreds of prophecies that have been fulfilled — many of them are very specific. Further, there are prophecies about the end times that are yet to be fulfilled. God's knowledge of the future is important to us as Christians. In a fallen world filled with death, suffe

The title of this post should not be news to people who believe the Bible and its authority, as we believe that it means what it says. There are times when people will honestly disagree about the meaning of certain texts, but the global Flood is made clear. People began trying to find ways to grease the pig of deep time and slip in through the fence. Several efforts at compromise have been discussed on this site alone, but one of those most amazing attempts is to claim that the Genesis Flood was a local event. Noah's Ark at Ark Encounter, Wikimedia Commons / Cimerondagert ( CC by-SA 4.0 ) In some ways, the article linked below reinforces what many know, but it may also open the eyes of others. I'd be much obliged if you would let it show you how  to think biblically, and when you read not only Genesis but other parts of the Bible, keep an eye out for the many ways that the idea of a local flood is ridiculous. Here is a nugget for you to keep in your pocket and take it out to l

The most famous thing about Cain is that he killed his brother. Also, that he lived in the land of Nod as part of his punishment . Further, people have puzzled and puzzled until their puzzlers were sore, wondering where Cain got his wife. It was a mystery for the ages. Not really. People made things more difficult than they needed to be. Carefully reading the text, paying attention, and believing  the Bible in the first place can solve many difficulties. Paying attention to context also solves many apparent problems and alleged contradictions . Man and woman on beach, Pexels / cottonbro studio Some ideas about Cain's wife are...truly bizarre. One is that because Genesis only records the names of three offspring yet Cain got a wife, Genesis simply isn't true. Another is that God used evolution. Worse, Adam and Eve were created, but Cain married up with a female product of evolution, which negates Jesus as our Kinsman Redeemer . The answer is simple but shocking to many: Cain mar

To say someone has a hole in the heart is imprecise, as there are several conditions that qualify . Most of the time people are born with it, others develop one of the problems later in life. Unless treated, they can be debilitating. Christian denominations have been compromising and even abandoning their foundations for quite some time. Even atheists see that churches are more interested in being "relevant" and keeping up with the trends rather than staying with their true calling — but most churches are oblivious to the correlation between leaving their foundations and churches closing. Black Church of Budir, Iceland, Unsplash / Cassidy Dickens Just recently, my pastor mentioned that James 3:1 tells us teachers receive stricter judgment. That is something I take seriously. Although I am not in a formal setting, I am indeed teaching or offering teachings from others. I pray for wisdom, to glorify God, to edify the saints. Someone who has been trained in a theological cemeter

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  Many people know the truism about being good to other people, you do not know what they may be going through. (That helps curb judgmental attitudes.) I hope that people will be considerate because of my apparently stupid actions because of bereavement. Holding the two items I needed, I stood in the line for the self checkout. There was an old man at one of them who was moving mighty slow. I passed up a chance to move to a line with a cashier. He  had  to be done in a minute, right? Not hardly! Self checkout, Flickr / pin add ( CC by 2.0 ) (modified with FotoSketcher ) As I gaped in frustration, I had time to think. It struck me that this could be me in twenty years. Would I be moving so slowly? Mayhaps it was from pain, lethargy, or something else. Was he a widower like myself? If so, had come to terms with his loss? When a kiosk opened up for me, I got through it quickly enough but I think he was still there when I left. Expressing irritation at people like th

Once again, people in the Western world get wrapped up their traditions and habits to supposedly celebrate Christmas. If you study on it, God is probably not glorified by people being frantic and going into debt buying presents out of obligation. I reckon that the coddling of miscreant waifs is not pleasing to him, either —  especially since both adults and children are probably unable to give more than a thirty-second answer as to what Christmas means. We all need to learn about and focus on what is truly important. Nativity scene, Unsplash / Debby Hudson People are likely to know of the virgin birth, but more precisely, it's the virgin conception that is a miracle. That was a big part of God's perfect timing, which was prophesied back in Genesis 3:15 and in many other places of the Bible (I like how the birthplace of Jesus was foretold in Micah 5:2, as Micah was not a "major" prophet, nor was Bethlehem a big, important city.) Jesus had to be  a descendant of Adam s

It has been rightly pointed out that when someone or something is given more importance in the lives of people than God, those become idols. Essentially, false gods. They get money, attention, study, adoration — there are people who know sports teams inside out. Others understand politics so well, they could run countries. Although there are no overt and formal acts of worship, we are effectively a polytheistic society. No wonder the real God is judging us! Ancient Israel was monotheistic at first, but one jasper thinks they were polytheistic before they believed in Yahweh. Prayer of Moses after the Israelites go through the Red Sea , Ivan Kramskoy, 1861 Yes, the neighboring nations of Israel were polytheistic. We know that. For a supposed scholar of biblical archaeology to disregard the biblical text and agree with some scholars who reject biblical authority is baffling. The Bible is known for being historically accurate, and it clearly attests to ancient Israel knowing the true God.

For centuries, people took the Bible as written. This includes a literal six-day recent creation. For some reason, many decided to give secular science views preeminence over Scripture. Some rejected the Bible outright, others had a pretense of belief with a modified view. Something I cannot understand is why such people essentially tell God what he says and means about creation week. Do they prefer the applause of atheists for their compromises on recent creation? Some are essentially Deists, adding not only billions of years, but evolution to their pusillanimous religion. Ten Commandments section of Bible image, Unsplash  Tim Wildsmith (modified) To be blunt, sometimes when professing Christians are particularly enamored with a faulty belief, they reason like atheists. F'rinstance, the Hebrew word yom  does not always mean a literal day. Although it is used with what I call qualifiers in creation week that clearly indicate that those are literal days, some folks find when the wo

Although it is an old word and often used when movie studios mock Christians who are the villains shout it, heresy is useful. Heresies about Jesus abound. Perhaps it is a heresy when an atheist claims there is no God (or the absurdity that he never existed), but we will focus on heresies among professing Christians. Unfortunately, people believe at least three of the most common false teachings. Why do they believe them? Because they are easily deceived. Bluntly, this usually comes from spiritual laziness and biblical illiteracy. The Good Shepherd , Public Domain Pictures / Bernard Plockhorst, mid-1800s As mentioned before, I was raised in a theologically liberal denomination. When I went to a conservative Christian school for my last three years, I had no understanding of the Trinity or that Jesus is God the Son. Yes, the Trinity cannot be fully understood and must be taken by faith, but we can learn basic teachings in the Bible. Some teachings are not heresies but are heterodox, oft

There are several literary terms that apply to the historical events in the Bible, such as foreshadowing. In stories (including movies), people are given hints as to what will happen later. There are also types  involving events and people (e.g., 1 Cor. 10:11, Rom. 5:14). It is interesting that in the Bible, historical events actually happened and people really lived who were paralleling what was to come. (Indeed, there are startling similarities between the sacrifices of Isaac and Jesus .) Strong links between Noah, Moses, and Jesus can be seen. Public domain images of Noah, Moses, and Jesus via Breadsite People who read their Bibles and pay attention to good teaching know that the Scripture has a large number of prophecies. Many have been fulfilled (especially surrounding the birth, death, and Resurrection of Jesus) and others are yet to be filled. Perhaps the parallels between Noah, Moses, and Jesus can be considered somewhat prophetic, since prophecy is not difficult for God. They

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

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

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

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

Anti-Christians have said that there is a war between science and religion, but these types of people are not exactly skilled at deep thinking. Science and religion are on good terms but secularists pretend that they are at odds. Logic, science, and more have been (and still are) used by Christians to advance science. We see origins, a historical science , at odds with biblical Christianity. It is not because one side has better facts. Instead, it is a question of people interpreting facts according to their worldviews. One side honors God the Creator and Redeemer, the other side is essentially pagan. Skye, Unsplash / Robert Lukeman Paganism is not a single religion, and has many facets. A pagan can be a witch in a coven, a New Age crystal enthusiast, or someone who has a vague "spirituality." I reckon many people are pagans and don't even realize it. Professing atheists claim that they do not have a religion because they do not worship a deity. Such a claim helps reveal