Biblical Creation and Evangelism

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...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  There are people who are so determined to force enthusiastic acceptance of LGTBQ+ lifestyles on everyone, they see references for it in the Bible that do not exist. The relationship between David and Jonathan is a favorite target of these people. Like making long ages for compromisers with secular science views, massive eisegesis is necessary to twist Scripture so that it indicates an erotic relationship between Jonathan and David. Interpreting the text and culture of their time with contemporary views exacerbates the problem. David and Jonathan / Rembrandt (1642) In my school days, boys would put their arms around each other's shoulders because we were "buddies." That faded from my experience and I did not see it again after we moved to another city. In the nineteenth century, men would hold hands or put their arms around each other. This showed affection and friendship , and was not tainted by suspicions of homosexuality. Indeed, I have affecti...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  Whatever your opinion of Donald J. Trump, put it in the corral over yonder and you can pick it up in a few minutes. Something I keep emphasizing is the importance of worldviews . Everyone has a worldview , which is a collection of things assumed to be true, experience, values, convictions and so on that people use as a framework to understand life. Obviously, they also influence our thoughts, and those affect our conduct. Political parties are secular in nature. Some actively oppose the things of God and embrace things he hates (such as materialism, evolution, disdain for human life, abortion, and other sex-related beliefs), other parties have members who hold Christian worldviews.  Colorful crosshairs, Pixabay / Gerd Altmann (geralt) Leftists in the Democrat party have been using violent talk for quite some time, demonizing Trump and saying he is a "threat" to our democracy. (No, it is a constitutional republic with democratic processes. Big differen...

For some reason, many professing Christians are determined to get long ages out of the first two chapters of Genesis. The word under fire is  yôm , which means literal day (or part of a day) when qualifiers are used, otherwise it can mean an indefinite  period of time. Why those people want to take the only word that can mean literal day and confuse the issue so they can have millions of years in Genesis is baffling. They take the rest of Genesis and the Old Testament at face value, relying on context, when  yôm is used. Bible and pathway, Unsplash /  Aaron Burden If God wanted to indicate long ages, there are other words available. Several popular efforts have been made to compromise with the enemies of God and make creation seem to be older than God's Word tells us. (Do they really  believe the Bible, or is it just for show?) These compromises include the " Gap Theory ," the " Framework Hypothesis ," theistic evolution, and others. One of the others is the po...

There are two views on losing salvation: You can, or you cannot. The Arminian view generally affirms that loss of salvation is possible, but there are variations. Then the Reformed (Calvinist) view is that the doctrine of election settles it, the elect cannot lose their salvation. Some seem to believe that any unconfessed sin sends you to Hell (which is a very low view of the work of Jesus). That would cause fearful professing Christians. Another is that salvation can be lost by deliberate renunciation, but that downplays many verses to the contrary. Rail trail bridge, Unsplash / Cowboy Bob Sorensen Opponents of what is called eternal security  (or somewhat disparagingly as "once saved, always saved") do indeed have some Bible verses that may at first glance appear to indicate loss of salvation is possible. Those are usually take out of context, whether immediate (surrounding verses) or a greater context. Having come from an Arminian tradition and now accept eternal security,...

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 enemie...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  An expression that most people know bears repeating, that we do not know what is happening in the hearts and minds of people. In the 1976 ballad "I Never Cry", Alice Cooper (who became a Christian in the late 1980s) said, " I may be lonely, but I'm never alone ." It was about his struggles with alcoholism. That feeling of isolation can happen in a crowd as well as being physically alone. Sometimes loneliness can be overwhelming. Chuck Girard wrote " Plain ol' Joe " about a lonely person who ended his own life. People are complicated, where some want to be left alone, others are alone and want to let someone in. Yes, there are those who are masterful at putting on masks. The Lonely Ones , Edvard Munch, 1899 As people, do we show interest in others and try to connect beyond superficial levels? I'll allow it's not easy because there are so many that cross out paths. Many build walls which serve to keep others out but im...