Biblical Creation and Evangelism

When Bible-believing Christians say that faith in Jesus is the only way to salvation, some people become indignant. They believe, without reason, that there are many roads. Such a thing is not possible. The Crucifixion of Jesus proves it. Reading one of the four Gospels, one may get the notion that circumstances and also the blunt words of Jesus came together to get him nailed to a cross. Those things and people who hated him were a part of it. However, the greater context takes us back to Genesis. Red and white neon cross, Unsplash / Rod Long Adam and Eve sinned against God, who is holy. He had no reason to do anything other than let us go on our self-destructive path. However, humanity earned  death because of sin, but God loved us even then, and offered the gift of life (Rom. 6:23, Gal. 2:28, John 1:12). There was only one way possible for all this to come together. It was a mystery, and if Satan understood, he and his minions would not have crucified Jesus (1 Cor. 2:7-8). Friday wa

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

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

Recently on X, the service formerly known  as Twitter, I had to deal with vituperation from angry atheists for some of my posts that pointed out flaws in evolution and supported creation science. Such things are expected and common, but seem to be increasing lately. Misotheists seem to have limited original thought, instead using rhetoric and attacks that are common to their group. Instead of dealing with the subject matter, they attack the person who posted it or the authors of the linked material. Then they fustigate the Bible while demanding proof of God's existence. Hedge bindweed photo by Cowboy Bob Sorensen, modified at PhotoFunia There are honest inquirers and there are mockers, and I'll allow that sometimes it's difficult to tell the difference. My guideline is that if someone is blasphemous from the get-go, there's no need to waste time on evidence; evidence is for believers . When I realize I'm being played, I move on. More importantly, evidence for God an

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

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

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  Centuries ago, I was talking with someone and offered to present the gospel message. He declined, adding something to the effect of being glad I found something that works for me. Nowadays he might have said that I have my  truth but he had to find his  truth. A few months ago, I was hit with a surprise triple-bypass open-heart surgery. Then my beloved Charlene suddenly died a month later. This led to me having telephone counseling with several people. Some have said that "the universe" sends me signals or watches out for me and some made comments that resemble "your truth," which they did not seem to share. Witches Sabbath , Francisco Goya, 1789 You see what people mean by those statements, don't you? That there is no absolute truth, only what someone wants to accept. There are some ways individual truth exists on a lower level. I have to do laundry or have supper in whatever way is best for me. Not many truths to consider, just personal

The identities of two critters in the biblical book of Job, behemoth and leviathan, cause a passel of speculation and debate. Biblical creationists point out that the detailed descriptions do not match anything living today, and compromise into evolutionary thinking has many church folks rejecting the probability that the Bible mentions dinosaurs. No, not by that word because Richard Owen did not coin it until 1842. As we have seen through history and archaeology, the Bible has been vindicated over and over. Mosasaurus trading card There are several candidates for the identity of leviathan including a crocodilian, pliosaur, and a mosasaurus. The contention is not that those animals existed, but that humans lived at the same time as they did. Worse for deep time thinking, there are fossils all over the world that had to have been buried rapidly in the Genesis Flood. No, this is not about the Loch Ness Monster. It’s not about any other claims of living creatures that resemble dinosaurs.

Upon reading the Epic of Gilgamesh , one quickly realizes that the gods and goddesses are petty and childish . It is much the same way in mythologies as well. Allegedly divine beings can do what they will, and meddle in human affairs as if people their playthings. Creation myths are downright silly. Contrast them with the Bible, which has specifics such as matter, energy, time, and space in Genesis 1:1. Readers learn there are acts of creation for each of the six days, and then God rested (ceased that act of creation) on the seventh. Sunrise over the Pacific, International Space Station, June 20, 2023 / NASA But why six days? Myths have things pop into existence, or in the cosmic evolution myth, it takes billions of years. (Those who insist on long ages and not literal days have to contend with Exodus 20:11, 31:17 as well as other areas in the Bible.) While God is not confined to space and time, he is still very much with us — which is one reason for the six days of creation. Some peop