Biblical Creation and Evangelism

Professing atheists are found in several types, ranging from those who simply do not care about God to those who want to exterminate Christians. In my experience, they deny being religious because they do not worship a deity. Those are disingenuous because they ignore the other dictionary definitions of religion. One of the forms their religion takes is Scientism . This is all about knowledge through science and reason, but cannot be lived consistently. Beauty, love, logic and other things cannot be consistently lived through atheism. Especially morality and ethics. Many smugly claim to be "good without God." 1889 guy colorized, then run through FotoSketcher What is their standard? Some will trumpet the things they never do, such as steal, lie, cheat on their spouses, and other things. They may also follow up with their good works. They can be good without God, so we should all grow up and leave God behind. However, we do not know if such braggarts are being truthful. More im...

DOVELAND, WISCONSIN — Local creationist Jonathan J. Johnson has been on various platforms for several years, mainly to argue with atheists about the existence of God. He gets really excited when the subject invariably turns to evolution because, he says, it is his strong suit. "I've studied creation science for years. Look at all the books and videos!" he exclaimed, gesturing to his bookcase. "Also, I follow creation ministries and stuff." When asked how many he watched or read, he said, "Atheist spout off and I let them have it!"  New year 2025, Pixabay / Alexandra Koch "I really like memes, short sayings, captioned pictures and stuff, but articles and videos, not so much." He said all that changed when he dealt with more knowledgeable atheists and, as predicted, "had is clock cleaned." Jonathan added, "It was a wake-up call. I wasn't really prepared after all and got verbally slapped down. That, and a sermon I just heard ...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  On Christmas Eve 2024, I attended the evening church service. Scriptures read, songssung, sermon preached. The conclusion brought everything home to the attenders, as on the way in, we were given small candles with clear plastic cups as shields. The lights were dimmed and the pastor took his flame from the Advent candle. He then lit the candles of other people. It did not take long before the sanctuary had many glows, then we sang "Silent Night." But there was almost a problem. Candle at Christmas Eve service (cropped), Unsplash / Zac Cain Having a view from the balcony, I saw that someone below was having a problem. Her light was dimming and there would be no flame in just a few seconds. She was given help from the person next to her, and I saw an illustration of something that should be  a major part of every Christian's life. Centuries ago, I heard a sermon that exhorted Christians to be "need meters." Aside from the silly mental image...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  A big red flag for many Christians is when someone says, "God gave me a message for you." Not hardly! I do not think I am being hypocritical going down from that a notch and saying, "God gave me an inspiration for an article," however. Just after the church service, I got a scam text message. Some scammers are very sophisticated, even using artificial intelligence to record someone's voice and then call a friend or relative. (Also, never  answer the phone with "yes".) I have enough knowledge to laugh at this one. Aside from not having such an account, I've had other scam text messages that even had the name of the company wrong. Let's just pretend for a moment that you get an alarming text or email from a company you have an account with. Never click or tap on a link. Instead, call the company from a number on file, or go to their site without clicking a link the probably scammer provided. Deal with genuine customer serv...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  If someone says that becoming a Christian means life will be a happy road all the time, they are out of touch with reality. We have struggles like everybody else. (Christians who stand for the truth of God's Word often have additional problems.) There are times when inconveniences may actually be God at work on our behalf. There is a story circulating about a conversation between someone and God. Why did God allow such an annoying day to happen? Those annoyances were caused by him , but the person did not know it. Tires, Pixnio / Bicanski After suffering through the annoyance of a slow tire leak, I took the car to my wife's favorite service center. It took a while and cost over fifty  simoleons . Well, I am set up to go to an oral surgeon at Westchester Medical Center. It will be quick outpatient surgery, but under general anesthetic. That causes serious problems with transportation, but at least the leak problem is solved. It came back a few days later...

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...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  It seems that people began speaking freely about near-death experiences (NDEs) after the book Life After Life  by Raymond Moody was published in 1975. There are numerous books, documentaries, personal anecdotes and more about NDEs. The subject is also very controversial — especially among scientists. Many experiences are dismissed as the brain having hallucinations at the time of death, but certain experiences are not so easy to reject because of details reported. Most of the accounts of the great beyond are pleasant, but there are some about going to Hell. Climbing stairs to Heaven, Pixabay / Tumisu A large number of natural scientists are materialists — essentially, they are atheists because nothing exists to them except material things such as molecules and atoms. Some tried to find a place in the brain where consciousness or the soul resides (those that admit that such things exist, that is) or try to find other explanations that don't conflict with...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  Yes, it is a part of our job description, as found in 2 Corinthians 5:20. We are ambassadors for Christ, imploring others to be reconciled to God. As we can see, ambassador is an ancient title. Those people would represent the interests of their countries to rulers in other countries. Back in the old days, ambassadors were important dignitaries and accorded great respect. Although comedic, the Marx brothers Duck Soup  shows Rufus T. Firefly insulting the ambassador of Sylvania, which was considered an act of war. Ambassadors nowadays are less imposing, and numerous; there are many from and to the formerly United States. Cincinnatus Receiving the Ambassadors From Rome / Alexandre Cabanel, 1843 An ambassador can also be considered a representative. People are representatives of their employers, especially when in uniform. Two unfortunate examples come to mind. First, when I was hired into a job, the manager told me that someone committed a crime (possib...

It takes a lifetime to master some parts of the Bible, but no human can fully understand all of it. In my own life, there are parts that I find desperately dull and have even asked the Lord why he preserved them. Sometimes a teacher will come along and make certain areas interesting. The main reason we wear clothing (aside from cold weather) is found in Genesis after Adam and Eve sinned. An area that is difficult to understand is the minute detail given to garments, especially in the Old Testament. These actually build on the themes of sin, covering, and eventual atonement. Clothes hanging, Pexels / mali maeder Intertwined with the passages on clothing you will often read about blood. Priestly garments had to be pure and unsoiled by blood, yet the blood of sacrifice makes them pure. Jump ahead to the New Testament, and see that we are told to "put on Christ" (Rom. 3:14) like a garment. There are many references to whiteness of clothing, because the blood of Christ purifies. T...

There are different kinds of soil which are suited to different kinds of plants. A person does not simply dig it up from the yard and expect a plant to flourish, it may be a persnickety plant. Soil has unique compositions that can be detected with special analysis. People who watch detective shows set in modern times have probably seen lab work where certain soil on shoes, tires, carpet, or whatever is found. Forensic science is historical science (so is the study of origins), using what is observed in the present in an effort to reconstruct the past. Planting in the soil, Freeimages / Dieter Joel Jagnow In Mark 4:13, Jesus indicates that the Parable of the Sower is important to understanding all of the parables. It does not matter what kind of seed is sown, nor is the good soil identified. Of the four kinds of soil, one was right for the seed. On a spiritual level, professing Christians may seem enthusiastic and pretend to care about important things related to the Kingdom of God, but...

There are many ideas that seem good, even biblical, on the surface but are actually carriers of insidious ideas. Taking care of the environment is actually a biblical concept , but is a Trojan Horse for Marxism and other views. People may say something that is agreeable but mean something else. Years ago, I expressed disdain for New Year's resolutions. Then I was asked, "Are you against setting goals?" She had a belief and made me into a villain for not thinking her way. Examine wording on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Hands of diverse group, Pexels / fauxels Years ago, people were excluded from services, employment, and basic human dignity because of ethnicities and other things. Things have changed. For example, now we see signs and training modules in our jobs that stress how The Company values diversity and will not discriminate. (Of course, their policy also echoes the law, so they are not exactly heroes in this.) I work with people who have religious views and l...

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 ...

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...

As many professing Christians claim, the Bible is essential for Christianity. It contains the words of life everlasting and the love of God — but far too many cannot be bothered to read it. When it is pointed out that all of us  are to be able to present the gospel, people clutch their pearls and walk away. They cannot present or defend the gospel message, just like far too many professing biblical creationists do go beyond reading picture captions. Those folks try to stand up to atheists but get their clocks cleaned because atheists and evolutionists know their talking points. The very basis of it all is understanding basic Bible interpretation. Reading the Bible , N.C. Wyeth, 1920 Christians must presuppose several things, not the least of which is that the Bible is true. It is also necessary to respect its authority, which is something that other biblical creationists and I have stressed many times. In addition, rational thinking (which has practical applications in every area o...

The season of fear. Although people watch horror movies throughout the year, many put a great deal of effort and money into celebrating images of evil and death on Halloween. Long ago, this child was into it. Now I dislike it, and I reckon part of the reason is that I hate fear. Have you ever watched a movie about werewolves, demons, or other monsters of darkness and then glanced around your home with unease? We know they are imaginary, but we still get the heebie-jeebies after watching a show. Pixabay /  Lothar Dieterich When people prepare for the "zombie apocalypse", I think most consider it as fun, but it seems that some really believe it's possible. (Are they really unaware that the zombie mythos is based on movies, and that it has little resemblance to zombie folklore based on Haitian voodoo?) The Centers for Disease Control used the fad to promote the more serious subject of disaster preparedness . Nothing to fear here, Horace. Speaking of mythologies, there are se...

For Bible-believing Christians, there are times when we become keenly aware of the blessings of God and a sense of awe overtakes us. We can respond in praise and thanksgiving for what we have, and for the majesty of creation. If you study on it, we could even thank God for the laws of nature that allow us to appreciate things. (In my view, the universe has been damaged by the Fall of Man and the Flood, but God made it so that even after all that, we perceive amazing beauty.) Romans 8:20-21 tells us that all creation has been subjected to futility. Unsplash / Joshua Earle Psalmists poetically say that all creation praises God and sings. Such language is probably based on the coming release from futility after the return of Jesus at the consummation of all things at the end. Animals generally don't express a sense of awe. Our alleged evolutionary cousins just go about their ape business. No, awe is unique to humans and helps us relate to our Father. Materialists may have a sense of a...

Something that this child learned several years ago is the importance of worldviews, including how they are made and the way they impact our lives. I bring these things up every once in a while because they are crucial, especially for Christians. Many professing Christians do not know what and why  they believe things, and are essentially heretics. They are riding to perdition in a handcar. We must not only make sure of our salvation , but have a proper worldview and submit to the authority of God's Word. Spectacles by kkiser at FreeImages Everyone has a worldview. It's how we interpret reality and respond to life. People may not know that word, and I doubt that they have analyzed the components and developed their own. Worldviews are mostly built on our presuppositions — those things we take as basic truths, though they are not tested or proven true. For more about this, see " What’s Your Worldview? " Unfortunately, many Christians are into tribalism, a kind of ...

It is easy to be a professing Christian in much of the Western world, provided we do not take a stand for Jesus. Complacency is not in the Bible. We do find, however, that we are in a spiritual warfare and need to be soldiers for Christ (Eph. 6:10-19, 2 Cor. 10:4-5, 2 Tim. 2:3) and the godly suffer persecution (Mark 4:17, 2 Tim. 3:12). If you study on Ephesians 5:16, there is a rather startling admonition there as well as the reasons behind it. RGBStock / Hanspeter Klasser As mentioned above, we are in a war and those actively living a godly life can expect persecution. Why? We are salt and light (Matt. 5:13-16), and an irritant to those who are perishing (2 Cor. 2:15-16). Ministries exist to edify and equip the saints to do the work of sharing the gospel message and standing for the truth in this fallen world. My parents took [Ephesians 5:16] to heart and did their best to take whatever opportunity arose to proclaim God’s Word and the saving gospel message. . . . . . . Since my father...

Ask around, and people have many definitions for courage. Some folks have the mistaken notion that courage  includes doing something reckless. "Yep, took lots of courage to try to jump that active volcano with a bicycle." No, that is stupidity.  Bravery  is often used synonymously with courage, but  there are differences . A person can be courageous and scared silly, but doing what is right is more important than giving in to fear.  Christians need to cowboy up and show courage, standing up for the truth. Pixabay / Bruce Courage is an act of will. There are people who are vainglorious, but the truth is revealed when danger falls from a tree, they turn their backs and bravely flee. Other times, some people are surprising when they show courage in the face of danger. What dangers do biblical creationists face? In Western countries, it is mostly fear of ridicule from unbelievers. They should ask themselves if enemies of God are people from whom they want admiration...