Biblical Creation and Evangelism

Misotheists often level a complaint about Christianity that there is no free will, sometimes indicating that God is a marionettist pulling our strings. When we sin, he punishes us even though it is not our fault. Admittedly, questions about free will have been debated by Christians for centuries. When such shallow attempts at theology are made by atheists, they conveniently ignore the fact that in their worldview , free will is impossible. Materialists reject the existence of God, so everything — even morality — does not make sense. Modified from image of train tracks merging, Unsplash / Cowboy Bob Sorensen Some believers in fish-to-fool evolution admit that the logical conclusion of their worldview is that we are all dancing to our chemicals in the pale moonlight. There are some who presuppose evolution believe it provides free will. Debate in their camp ensues. A big problem here is that people do not understand the meaning of free will. We can make choices that are only consistent w

It is both annoying and baffling how some folks do not want to take the Bible at face value, instead elevating their opinions or secular science views above Scripture. If you study on it a spell, false religions do something similar: We  will tell you what the passages mean, do not think you  can understand it. When someone cites William Lane Craig, I am on guard. While he can dismantle atheism, he has compromised in key areas of Christian doctrine . One of these is original sin. The Garden of Eden with the Fall of Man , Jan Brueghel the Elder and Peter Paul Rubens,1615 I'll allow that the words  original sin  do not appear in the Bible, but other essential Christian doctrines, such as the Trinity, are not found under the names we know. That does not make them any less real. Although Craig mocks original sin (Adam and Eve at the forbidden fruit, and we inherit the sin nature), it is clearly evident from a plain reading of Scripture. This heresy is serious, and people should be very

People often use the word demon  metaphorically to describe recurring tormets, such as dealing with the demons in their lives. Many also believe that demons are literal beings who were cast out of Heaven during the rebellion of Satan. What do they look like? While people may think those scary nightmare-fuel being depicted in modern art, comic books, movies, and such, the reality can be far different. Satan and his minions can take whatever appearance suits them so they can influence and affect people. Tamara and Demon by Konstantin Makovsky, 1889 Perhaps the extreme portrayals of the devil and demons are one reason people disbelieve in their existence (similar to  toy boat depictions of Noah's Ark contribute to rejections of the real thing). Strangely enough, people try to not only disbelieve but also believe at the same time — including atheists . If demons want to be glowing-eyed scary, they will. Or fleeting shadows. Or space aliens. Or preachers in nice suits (consider 2 Cor.

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  Go down the short hallway, past the bathroom, through the open door of the bedroom. Look behind the door. You see several things such as mostly unused crutches from my knee surgery, a clothes drying rack, two 3-drawer plastic storage units, and more. On top of a storage unit are a pair of pants, a shirt, and shoes. Unpretentious clothes. Charlene had efficiently laid them out so she could use them when she returned from her surgery. She is not coming back for them. Ever. This is being posted four weeks from the day she passed away. My beloved wife's clothes are waiting in vain for her return Most everyone has heard it said that we are not guaranteed tomorrow. In her case, she did not finish "today," the day of her surgery, when she was stricken. In the midst of my bitter tears, I know that she was a child of the living God. When the angel came to escort her to Jesus, Charlene must have been thrilled to be free of a life that had so much physical an

Gardens. Many people make gardening a major hobby, spending hours in them, weeding, pruning, planting, and doing all sorts of things to gussie them up. The results can be quite impressive. Then some folks do just enough to keep their small patch going. People who read classic (in this case, old) literature, they have probably noticed gardens being mentioned or even playing significant parts in the stories. If you study on it, you should remember that gardens were in the Bible. The first was Genesis 2:8 when God planted a garden in  Eden. Church garden, RGBStock / Adrian van Leen Biblical creationists talk about the dominion mandate , which is when God told mankind to subdue and rule over the earth as stewards. That means we take care of it for its benefit , not exploit or run roughshod over it. Environmental extremists have an evolutionary view that makes Earth more important than humanity. One approach is rewilding , which is essentially to just l et everything go and have nature take

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

We admire things in nature such as a sunset, galloping horses, gorgeous fishes, and much more. Many things inspire a sense of awe  — which is something animals are incapable of having. Some folks find beauty in the orderliness and intricacies of mathematics. There are several reasons that we appreciate beauty. One is that it is a gift of our Creator, who gave us many things to help us survive and thrive. Not only survive, but to make our journeys more peasant. Creation itself testifies of God (Rom. 1:18). Forest Morning, RGBStock / Alex Bruda It may surprise some people, but this is a wrecked world! That's right, it's beauty before the Genesis Flood is probably beyond imagining. Even so, God made it so that even after the devastation of the Flood, the world would still be filled with tremendous beauty. Such splendor is a part of God's own nature, and we are created in his image, so we appreciate it as well. Have you ever wondered why a sunset on a beach is captivating, sno

Professing atheists and others who reject the authority of the Bible look for excuses to say it contains errors and contradictions. When given serious attention, charges of contradictions are quickly refuted . It seems that atheists and other scoffers pass along talking points, no matter how vacuous, instead of thinking. At first glance, the first two chapters of Genesis may give someone a reason to pause. An honest reading shows that they are not contradictory. Indeed, they were written to be read one after the other. Fall of Adam and Eve via Hippopx It may seem that the second chapter of Genesis contradicts the first chapter in the order of creation, but take a closer look. Notice that other aspects of creation are not discussed. Indeed, it becomes clear that the sections are complementary , not contradictory. The second chapter spells out details about the creation of man. Also, the original language and grammar give us important clues. Between the creation of Adam and the creation

An interesting expression is that some concept is not a hill to die on . This implies that the speaker does not consider the idea to be all that important, or that it is something a bit interesting but he does not have enough information or motivation to argue it. Similarly, some people say that the age of the earth is a side issue; it is not a hill to die on. While informed creationists say that belief in recent creation or the age of the earth are not requirements for salvation, they are still important  issues. Edinburgh Castle on Castle Rock, Wikimedia Commons / Scglossop1 ( CC BY-SA 4.0 ) In settlements and the military, people would want to fortify the higher ground because it was easier to defend. It could be costly for opposing forces to lead a charge up that hill. Conversely, those making the defense should be aware that they are defending the correct hill and not ignoring the importance of another hill nearby. It may be surprising, but defending the hill of the young earth a

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  When using the word nurse , context is very important because of the variety of possible meanings. For many people, it is the noble field dominated by females who provide medical services. Many are usually under the authority of doctors or nurses with higher training and education levels.  My recent surprise hospital admission caused me to think on a number of things, sometimes helping me complete thoughts from those thrilling days of yesteryear. This time it is about personal modesty. Nurses and IV pole, Pexels / Anna Shvets Nurses in hospitals, clinics, and so on have pretty much "seen it all." This is something that I discussed with various nurses. People are often at their most vulnerable and are dependent on medical folks on many levels. Many actually care about patients. I have had my private parts exposed and touched (the Foley catheter hurt me plenty, especially since they couldn't get it right until the fourth attempt .) Worse, it is impo