Ticket to Ride

For some people their belief that they can get to heaven is based on the belief that they can attain heaven by their own goodness.

Many major religions and too many Christ-followers hold the belief that goodness earns you a ticket to the best ride of all: heaven. But Christians who draw their understanding of salvation and heaven disagree strongly with this idea. So what does the Bible say about this all-important question?

1. Sin is universal in the human race. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23 From Genesis to Revelation sin is an overwhelming theme. Humanity’s inability to be good expresses itself time and time again. Sin ultimately is the rebellion and failure of man to be good. Sin began in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3) and that sinful nature has been passed down through countless generations since our very auspicious beginnings.

A human being is a fallen creature with a mind corrupted by sin (Romans 1: 28) blinded by Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4) and gripped by a seared conscience (1 Timothy 4:2). Based on this, every member of the human race is born into sin. This includes even those people who think of themselves as good enough to get to heaven. No one is excluded from this problem.

2. Sin resulted in universal spiritual death. “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered, the world, and death

Through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12) Universal sin resulted in spiritual death—a condition scripture refers to as “in trespasses and sin”(Ephesians 2:1) Just as physical death separates the soul from God.

Jesus knew that humans, in their natural state, were spiritually dead. So He drove home the necessity of new birth to Nicodemus, the inquiring Pharisee. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) This is the only cure for our condition of spiritual rigor mortise.

3. Salvation is not by goodness but by grace In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accord with the riches of God” In essence, grace is God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense. Without Christ and his propitiatory death on the cross we have no standing before God. Our right-ness is seen as filthy rags before God.

Sadly, anyone devoted to man-made religions, cults, or any of the various isms that teach reliance on human goodness as ticket to the ultimate ride of heaven, are deceived. We are all sinners unable to save ourselves. Unless we trust in Jesus Christ alone for our salvation, we no hope of life eternal with God.

Goodness and service pleasing to God flows naturally from a regenerated and forever grateful Christian life. Goodness is not a means of salvation, but the result of it, showing up in the conduct of anyone who has accepted the gift of eternal life. The assurance of heaven by faith in Christ changes us into different people who manifest the fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit, including goodness.

Your ticket to heaven, was already signed, sealed, and delivered long before your birth by the loving, gracious sacrifice of the Son of God. All you have to do is accept the ticket.

Why is goodness the result of salvation but not the means to achieve it?

Thank you for joining us on this journey. A new adventure starts Sunday, Finding the Kingdom of God with Indiana Jones.

Irreconcilable DifferencesSome

Some people believe that regardless of what people believe the way they practice their religion, we will all wind up in the same place and find their way to God. Each group would find God in their own way,the Muslim in his way, the Hindu in his and the Christian in his own way. Let’s kind of run with that view point for a while.

One day I’m walking and I meet another walker. We exchange greetings, and he mentions he’s on a religious pilgrimage to the The Little Chapel of the West. Now, I know the chapel is on the east of us and he’s headed west, but I’m not going to rain on his religious parade. He’s entitled to his opinion. And really, it’s the journey that matters, not the destination.

This scenario is rather ludicrous. In the name of tolerance, I’m doing this man a great disservice. Isn’t this same as the view of the tolerant God? According to a recent poll by George Barna, 40 percent of American adults believe when Christians, Jews, Buddists, and others pray to their god, they’re praying to the same god, but still using different names for that diety.

Magatma Gandhi of India would have agreed. He once said, “The soul of religion is one, but it is encased in a multitude of forms.” Is this true? In actuality, the word god means different things within different religious frameworks.

• Hinduism says that everything is God. You’re God . I’m God. This blog is God.
• Islam believes Allah and his prophet Mohammed. It denies that Jesus is God and He died for our sins.
• Buddism is atheistic, believing there is no objective god or gods
• Christianity says there is one eternal God who created the universe and exists as three persons; God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit who came to earth as Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man.

Of the world’s major religions, Jesus is the only leader who claimed to be God in the flesh. Not Moses or Mohammed or Budda or any other leader of a religious group claimed to be God. C.S. Lewis wrote, “There is no parallel in other religions. If you had gone to Budda and asked “Are you the son of Bramah” he would said, ‘My son, you are still in the vale of illusion.” If you had gone to Socrates and asked, “Are you Zeus?” he would have laughed at you. If you asked Mohammed, “Are you Allah?” he would first tear his clothes in anger and then cut off you head.

Dr. Michael Green is an internationally respected author, speaker, scholar, and is currently Senior Research Fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University. He recently authored the book, But Don’t All Religions Lead to God? Navigating the Mulit-Faith Maze(Baker Book House, 2002) Green wrote, “Perhaps the greatest difference of all(among religious views) lies in the Christian assertion that none of us can save ourselves and make ourselves acceptable to God…all the other faiths assert that by keeping their teachings a person will be saved, fulfilled or reborn.”

With the exception of Christianity, all religions have an established set of religious rites, commands, and ethical principles that, if followed, lead to salvation. Their human origins are evidenced in that salvation is humanly attainable.

In contrast, the Bible sets its moral and ethical standard as the very holiness and perfection of God Himself, demanding nothing less for salvation. No man would invent a standard so utterly impossible for man to achieve. Christ alone offers salvation by grace, received only through faith in Him. True Christianity is not a religion, but a person—Jesus Christ. He is the world’s Creator and its only true Redeemer. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved”(Acts 4:12)

Every other religion is based on trying to win favor with God. Jesus taught the opposite of what other religions teach. He said we can’t get to heaven of our own account. We’re all guilty of wrongdoing and it is what separates us from our holy and perfect God. Because God is a righteous judge, oour wrongdoing has to be paid for. So our of His love, Jesus voluntarily offered himself as our substitute to pay the penalty that we owed for our sin. When we receive His sacrifice, we are reunited with God for eternity.

Other religious leaders offer wise and helpful insights, but none of them ever offered themselves as payment for our wrongdoing. Only Jesus Christ, the perfect Son of God, was qualified to sacrificially offer Himself as our substitute, paying the penalty for our sin and guaranteeing salvation to all who come to Him. Now does that sound like an intolerant God?

Not all religious are the same. In fact, Christianity is distinct from as the rest. Every religion advocates a system or rules or principles for man to earn God’s approval. The Christian gospels proclaim God’s love and favor for all who believe.

Read John 3

The Resurrection Power

Many compassionate people have a difficult time accepting that believers of other religions will find themselves separated from God. Why shouldn’t Hindus, Confucianists, Shintos, Muslims, and adherents of all religions cults and isms have a place in heaven? Who’s to say that Christianity alone provides the exclusive key to eternal bliss?

The issue of Christ being the one and only way to heaven must be settled on fact, not wishful thinking or even empathy for others. One historical event distinguishes Christian faith from all religions. That fact is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Aside from Christ, the bones of every founder of all religions throughout history are to this day in an earthly grave or tomb.

But the body of Jesus, confirmed dead by Roman crucifixion and placed in a well-guarded and heavily sealed rock tomb, is nowhere to be found. Three days after his burial, his tomb is found to be empty; at first, even His followers were dumbfounded. Then they began to recall Jesus’ earlier predictions of both His death and resurrection (Matt. 16:21, Mark 9:31; Luke 18:33; John 10: 17-18)

Evidence that Jesus Christ rose from the dead is beyond rational dispute. Dr. Simon Greenleaf is widely acclaimed as the greatest authority on legal evidence in the nineteenth century and has studied the eyewitness accounts of the resurrection of Christ. Why did he focus on the eyewitness accounts? Because eyewitness accounts are the most admissible evidence in any court of law ascertaining truth. In the end, he concluded the eyewitnesses in this case were notable for their integrity, ability and truth. At least seventeen appearances of Christ after His resurrection are part of the historical record. Take a look at some of the eyewitnesses Greenleaf studied.

ü Mary Magdelene (John 20: 11-17)

ü The women (Matthew 28:9-10)

ü Simon Peter (Luke 24:34)

ü The disciples on the road to Emmaus (Mark 16:12-13

ü Eleven of the disciples (Mark 16:14

ü Eleven disciples a week after His resurrection (John 20:26-29)

ü Seven disciples by the Sea of Galilee (John 21:1-23)

ü More than five hundred people at one time (I Corinthians 15:6)

ü James, the Lord’s brother (I Corinthians 15:7)

ü All the disciples (I Corinthians 15:7)

ü Eleven apostles on a mountain in Galilee (Matthew 28: 16-20)

ü His disciples when He ascended from the Mount of Olives (Luke 24: 44-53)

ü Stephen, prior to his martyrdom (Acts 7: 55-56)

ü Paul on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-6)

ü Paul in the temple (Acts 22: 17-21)

ü Paul in a Caesarea prison (Acts 23: 11)

ü The Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos (Revelation 1: 12-20)

The resurrection of Jesus is one of the best documented historical events in all of history. The profound reality is this, the disciples in realizing that Jesus was alive, were willing to risk everything, including death, to spread His message. Their story is well documented not only in scripture but by Roman and Egyptian historians. Does all of that prove He is the only way to heaven? Let’s consider the following.

1. The resurrection of Christ validates not only His person, but his teachings as well.

2. The resurrection of Christ proves He is not an imposter but exactly who he claims to be-the divine Son of the Living God.

3. The resurrection of Christ authenticates the value of His redemptive work for lost people who place their faith in Him.

4. The resurrection of Christ guarantees the resurrection of those who trust in Him.

5. The resurrection of Christ means He is our own source of power for Christian living, testimony, and service.

6. The resurrection of Christ means He is now above all principality, power, and dominion-the living leader of the universal body of believers known as the church-the body of Christ.

7. The resurrection of Christ means God the Father has given us an inheritance in heaven.

The question is this…either Jesus was a lunatic and the greatest liar that has ever lived or he is exactly what he says he is..the Son of God.

How does the resurrection of Jesus validate his claims?

Read I Corinthians 15

Isn’t Sincerity Sufficient for Salvation?

If you believe something deep down in your soul without question or hesitation, does that make it true? I think most people would say no. We have all had some belief or two that have been shattered by the facts. My mom used to always say to me, “don’t confuse the situation with the facts!”. She was funny that way. Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, or the tooth fairy are examples of things that have been perpetuated as truth.

I have met some seriously sincere people throughout the years. Some believed just being a good person was good enough for salvation, or going to church on Christmas and Easter, going to confession once a year or praying the rosary. Some people believe that it really doesn’t matter what you believe but as long as you are sincere you will spend eternity with God. Here are a few examples of sincere beliefs. See what you think.

· Mormon prophet Joseph Smith found a unique stone and sincerely believed that it was a seer stone. Staring at it intently, he believed he received a revelation that people of medium stature and a life span of nearly a thousand years inhabit the moon.

· Hindus sincerely believe that both human and animal spirits will reincarnate and return to earth many times in various life forms.

· After his death, follower of Confucious built a temple to honor him. They sincerely believed his spirit resided there, so they worshiped and offered sacrifices to it.

· Taoists sincerely believe that there are seven gods, and Yu-huang is the god of gods to whom all other gods must report.

· Buddhists sincerely believe that a desire for existence perpetuates a cycle of successive reincarnations.

· Certain Muslim makes sincerely believe that by sacrificing themselves to kill others, they’ll gain possession of seventy-two sexually anxious, virgin females in paradise.

· If I stare at my putter long enough, I am Tiger Woods!

Sincere belief of a lie has tragic consequences.

What does God think of sincere believers who worship other gods? Let’s look at one example recorded in 1 Kings 18.

A succession of ill-fated kings had brought Israel to an all-time low and Ahab, the evil king was currently presiding with his corrupt queen, Jezebel. The living God is all but forgotten. Israel’s popular gods were Baal, the storm god, and Asherah, the sex goddess. Not one to sit back while His people self-destructed, God sent Elijah to confront the king and deal with the worship of these pagan gods.

Ahab arranged a show down of sorts between the prophets of Baal and Elijah. Picture this! A huge crowd (super bowl sized) gathers to watch these prophets and Elijah go at it in the very first “Sincerity Bowl”. “If the Lord is God, follow Him; but is Baal (pronounced bah-all) is God follow him” Elijah says. The test is each side would put a bonfire together and wait for their god to light the fire. The prophets of Baal prayed, they danced, they implored their god to light the fire. They even cut themselves to show how sincere they were but nothing happened. Elijah, tired of all the theatrics, goes to God in prayer after poring water on his stack of wood. Not only did God light that fire but also lit the wood of the prophets of Baal until all of it was consumed totally. Wow! This story can be read in its entirety in I Kings 18 in the Old Testament.

Belief in a lie has tragic consequences. A false religion is a lie conjured up by human imagination.

Sincere belief in truth results in salvation and the certainty of heaven.

We began by looking at sincerity. Now let’s take a look at truth. Webster defines truth as “that which accords with reality.”

Belief that a god whittled from wood decides you destiny, arsenic is health food, or that a coral snake is a dove simply doesn’t accord with reality. The greater the sincerity of such beliefs, the greater the peril. God puts a high premium on truth and reality. Jesus identifies Himself as the personification of truth, “I am the way, the truth, and the life”, He affirms. “No one comes to the Father except through Me”. (John 14:6)

In contrast to false beliefs in man-made religions is Christ—who appeared among us, taught as no man could teach, perform miracle no man could perform, died for our sins and validated his redemptive work on our behalf by His widely attested resurrection. Jesus Christ accords with reality. He is a real person. Not something made up from someone’s imagination. He expects us to believe nothing without proof. His message and His mission which was to suffer the penalty for human sin and save for eternity all those who trust in Him alone for salvation. Do you?

Sincerity does not make something true. A person can be sincerely wrong. Sincerity must align with truth to affective. Trust sincerely in what is true and reject sincerely what is false. Never rely on sincerity alone to lead the way.

What do you sincerely believe? Is it true? How do you know?

Read I Kings 18

The Religious Elephant

Most of us wonder if religious leaders aren’t a bit like the three blind men asked to describe an elephant. One approached the beast, grabbed its trunk, and exclaimed confidently, “An elephant is long and tubular, capable of great contortions of shape.” The second encountered the elephant, and after placing his hands on the animal’s side said, “No, no, an elephant is very broad and leathery, hardly capable of bending at all.”

The third man grasped the elephant’s tail and remarked with disgust, “You’re both wrong. An elephant is quite thin and smooth with a wiry brush on the end.”

These three men encountered the same elephant, and each came away with very different, even contradictory, views. Most people believe the same to be true of the relationship between different religions. These people say all religions have partial truths, but no one religion has the whole truth. At most, each religion grasps only a piece of the truth about the vastness of God.

Believing all religions are partially true and that none capture the whole truth can lead to viewing truth as relative. Without the standard of absolute truth, then what is true for you can be different than what is true for me. Truth becomes based not on fact but on whether or not you believe it – therefore leading to a belief in many pathways to God.

In John 14:6 Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me.” With this one statement, Jesus boldly puts Christianity in a class by itself. Think about it. If the path to God is through Jesus, then Christianity cannot be reconciled with any other religion. Jesus was unique among the founders of world religions. Religions promote their teachings as the only way to God, but Jesus promoted Himself as the only way to God. This uniqueness of Christianity is rooted in the uniqueness of Jesus Himself. Simply and clearly, Jesus says to focus your life on Him.

How do we know Jesus is who He says He is?

We know this by the way Jesus backs up His claim. Lee Strobel writes in his book, “The Case for Christ”, that Jesus validated His declaration of being God by fulfilling dozens of centuries-old prophecies that defy every mathematical odd. These prophecies were as unique as a fingerprint; one that only the Messiah could match, and in all of history, only Jesus has proven a perfect match.

Jesus didn’t just say He was the one and only Son of God; He validated His claim like nobody else in history. He came to earth in human form to find you and lead you back to God. No other religion can point to a moment in history and say, “This is what God has done for you!” Remember, religion is our attempt to find God, but Christianity is God’s attempt to find us. Think about it; God sent Jesus to lead us back to Himself.

This takes some pressure off of me. I don’t have to perform in the right way, earn God’s favor, or find a pathway to God. No, He makes it unmistakably clear that this pathway is based solely on what He already did for me. Jesus’ life is the pathway to God, and God makes Jesus available to me. That’s a big weight off my shoulders!

Jesus is unique! You know, it really does matter which path you follow in your spiritual journey. Jesus’ own words and life dispel the myth that all paths lead to God.

So which path are you on, man’s or God’s?

Question to Consider: What fulfilled prophecies validate the claim of Jesus to the way, the truth, and the life?

The Radical Claims of Jesus

A widow sat with family and friends after her husband’s funeral. With the painful knowledge that her husband had never accepted Christ, she said through her tears, “He was such a good and generous man. How could God refuse him entry into heaven?”

A bright, young student once asked his professor, “What about Gandhi? He was a good man. Doesn’t God take that into account when granting admission into heaven?”

An intense cocktail party conversation revolves around a hotly debated question, “How can a loving God reject people who’ve never heard of Jesus?”

Have you ever pondered those kind of questions? I’ve wrestled with them myself and at times I have even delved deeper with questions like these:

• How do we know Jesus is who He says He is?
• Doesn’t sincerity count for something?
• Did Jesus really rise from the dead?
• Do all religions lead to God?
• Isn’t being a good person what God is looking for?

There’s a bigger question behind all of these, and this is, “Is Jesus really the only way to God?” For many, there’s no such thing as absolute truth. Truth to them is whether or note anyone believe something. They say, “There’s truth for you, and truth for me,” which leads to the belief that there are multiple pathways to God.

Is Jesus really the only way to God?

Jesus often made radical statements that contradicted the norm and caused people to stop in their tracks. He said things like, “The first will be last; rejoice in persecution; pray for your enemies; it’s better to give than receive; and turn the other cheek.”

But by far the most shocking statement that Jesus ever made was when He declared, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, but by Me.” (John 14:6) Today this statement still infuriates people like no other. Many consider it arrogant and narrow-minded. If you’re seeking spiritual truths there may be something about this statement that bothers you deep down inside.

The Apostles recognized Jesus as God and the only pathway to God. John made this clear when he described Christ as “the Word. (John 1:1) Paul spoke of Jesus as the one who created all things and who holds all things together with His divine power. (Colossians 1:16-17) He also addressed Jesus was “our great God and Savior.” (Titus 2:13)

The Bible is clear. Jesus not only claims to be God; but also that He is the only way to God. Take some time during your day and let this claim resonate in your heart and mind.

Question to Consider: Why is it so difficult for people to believe that Jesus is the only way?

Intelligent Design vs. The Blind Watchmaker

Regarding science and faith, Christians have not only challenged evolutionary theory, but are often challenging other Christians. The core of the debate focuses on the age of the universe and the days of creation.

The conflict between science and faith boils down to one’s philosophy of science. It’s really not a scientific issue at all. Rather it’s the assumptions we bring to science. The gatekeepers of science have not allowed supernatural intelligence or God to be considered in the discussion. Richard Lewontin, professor of genetics at Harvard University, expressed the following sentiment in an essay in the New York Review of Books in January 1997:

“The primary problem is not to provide the public with knowledge of how far it is to the nearest star and what genes are made of…rather, the problem is to get them to reject irrational and supernatural explanations of the world, the demons that exist only in their imaginations, and to accept a social and intellectual apparatus, Science, as the only begetter of truth.”

If Lewontin is right, science is the gatekeeper of truth and belief in God is limited to personal belief. Darwin and his system of natural selection dismissed any reason for an intelligent cause of the universe. His theory became so popular because he got religion out of science. Christians need to shift the debate from questions about the age of the universe and the days of Genesis to intelligent design versus blind watchmaker.

What is a blind watchmaker?

Evolutionary biologist and Oxford University Professor Richard Dawkins wrote:

“Natural selection, the blind, unconscious, automatic process which Darwin discovered, and which we now know is the explanation for the existence and apparently purposeful form of all life, has no purpose in mind. It has no mind and no mind’s eye. It does not plan for the future. It has no vision, no foresight, and no sight at all. If it can be said to play the role of watchmaker in nature, it is only the blind watchmaker.”

What is intelligent design?

The good news is there are some exciting developments in science. A new program of scientific research known as intelligent design is beginning to challenge the blind watchmaker. Some even think we could be on the verge of a worldwide revolution in science equivalent to Galileo or Darwin. Philosopher, mathematician, and leading intelligent design proponent William Dembski defines it this way: “Intelligent design is neither repackaged creationism nor religion masquerading as science. Intelligent design is a theory for making sense of intelligent causes.” In other words, intelligent design is purposeful; there’s a meaning behind the complexity of biological cells.

Evidence of Intelligent Design: The Anthropic Principle

The anthropic principle states that the universe was fitted from the very first moment of its existence for the emergence of life in general and human life in particular. This scientific principle points to an intelligent designer. Consider these examples.

1. The universe began to exist and bangs have bangers.

The universe has not always existed but began to exist sometime in the past. Science refers to this as the big bang theory. This implies, at some level, that someone had to do initiate the banging.

2. The universe is finely tuned.

There are more than thirty constants of nature we cannot live without. One example, if gravitational force was altered by 1 part in 1040 power, the sun would not exist and the moon would crash into the earth or blast off into space..

3. The incredible complexity of the universe.

This refers to a system that is composed of several interacting parts, where the removal of any of the parts causes the system to cease functioning. This kind of complexity requires intelligent design.

4. The origin of the mind.

Non-intelligence cannot produce intelligence and matter cannot produce mind. If you begin with a conscious being like God, then there is not problem accounting for the origin of the mind and consciousness.

Question to Consider: How do you feel about intelligent design not being a special creation theory, but a working scientific model offered to rationally explain and detect intelligent causes in nature?

The "Days" of Genesis

Christians have a responsibility to know the Bible. We should desire to know the truth wherever it may be found. If we follow St. Augustine’s advice then we have a duty to show that Scripture does not contradict what we have reason to believe from other reliable sources. In other words, we must demonstrate that the early chapters of Genesis do not contradict known scientific truth. So how do we reconcile them since the Bible offers no scientific theories or explanations?

There are basically three major explanations. For the sake of brevity, we will give you a snapshot of each of these explanations. The word day appears sixteen times in the Genesis text. So that begs the question “Are they literal 24 hour days or are they longer periods of time?

· Young Earth Creationism. Young Earth creationists believe that these days were literal one rotation of the earth. Basically what we experience today. They believe that the earth is 10 to 50 thousand years old and that the flood of Noah (Genesis 6-9) was a universal flood that would generally explain the earth’s geological structure.

· Old Earth Creationism. Old Earth creationists agree with young earth creationists that the Darwinian theory of evolution is false. They believe the earth was created supernaturally. Unlike the young earth viewpoint, however, the days of Genesis represent unspecified progressive periods of time, or the periods in between the actual days represent eons of time.

The strength of this viewpoint is that it complements the findings of science better than the young earth view. Old earth proponents argue the Hebrew word day or yom, is used in various ways throughout the Old Testament and is not limited to a twenty-four hour interpretation. Depending on the context, this Hebrew word can be interpreted several ways.

The words evening and morning are used as literary devices used by the author.

Old earth creationists argue that there is so much activity that it is absurd to believe that this happened in one literal 24 hour period of time. Even to name all the animals would be a formidable task in one day.

The question of when death entered the world separates young earth and old earth creationists. God told Adam that on the day he ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he would surely die. (Genesis 2:17) An old earth view requires animal death to occur long before the creation of humanity. The question to be solved is just what is meant by death in Genesis 2. With a young earth view, there is no problem whether death means physical or spiritual or both.

• Theistic Evolution.. Theistic evolution holds that Darwin’s theory is true. Genesis explains the who and why of creation, but no the how. This is the job of science. Theistic evolution attempts the greatest integration with science theory by recognizing that God’s method of creation was a gradual process observed in the fossil record of the earth.

There are different variations to each of these views. Recognizing that there are diverse opinions within the Christian community, we need to leave room for disagreement and realize this not as important as other topics. The fight is not over the days of Genesis or the age of the universe. As we will see tomorrow, the stakes are much higher.

Of the three views mentioned today, which one makes the most sense to you? Why or why not?

Google all three views.

Read Genesis 2:4-18

Genesis: History or Science?

Many people read the book of Genesis and assume because it explains creation that it is a book of science. The Bible is a human record of the acts of a divine God. It begins with God’s revelation to His people beginning with ancient Israel with its culmination in the New Testament with Jesus Christ. So how does a Christian interpret the Bible when questions of science arise?

Why Genesis Isn’t a Science Book

When reading any piece of literature, it’s always important to know a little about the context, time frame and the original audience. Genesis, chapters one and two, introduces two main subjects of the Bible—God the creator and humanity as His creation. Genesis’ main theme is not science but relationship. The story is of a relationship of God and his creation. It’s the opening of the Torah, the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible), which explain the beginnings of the Jewish people.

These books offer no scientific theories; rather they present the who of creation (God) more than the what (the actual process) of creation. I was once asked by a junior high student, why God had not just told us how he created the world. I explained that first of all, all the books in the world could not contain it and secondly who would be able to understand it beside God. The Bible is not scientific but relational and theological.

The first few chapters of Genesis answer the question, who the real God is, in comparison to the pagan gods that some of people of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the ancient Near East.

Genesis, chapter one, does away with many of the gods worshiped in Egypt and surrounding nations. Conrad Hyers explains, “On the first day the gods of light and darkness are dismissed. On the second day, the gods of sky and sea. On the third day, earth gods and gods of vegetation. On the fourth day, sun, moon, and star gods. The fifth and sixth days take away any associations with divinity from the animal kingdom,” With that as a background, how can we begin to understand Genesis, chapters one and two?

Author Paul Copan, in his book, That’s Just Your Interpretation, offers some interesting theories about interpreting the book of Genesis. He suggests our approach to these creation texts can either create barriers or open doors for a person on a spiritual journey.

We can be assured that Genesis is not a myth because it recounts history. Jesus affirms the historical existence of Adam and Eve in Mark 10:2-9. All through the New Testament, the book of Genesis is seen as a reference book for the writers of that literature. The Biblical writers used observational language. Observational language is used everyday such as the sun rises at 6:52 am or sets at 6:30 pm. We all know that the sun does not really set but is still used to explain a scientific happening.

Because Genesis recounts history, has a specific literary structure, and uses observational language, we cannot read it as a scientific textbook. Rather, we must read it as a historical account that can inform science.

Do you agree that one should read Genesis as poetic-historical literature rather than as a science textbook? Why or why not?

Read Mark 10: 1-10

Molecule to Man: The Theory of Evolution

Every culture in the history of the world has held to a dominant creation myth. The term "myth" is not defined as something false, but as the dominant story or belief that brings meaning and understanding to a particular culture. Mythology in the ancient world provided a way of thinking. Creation myths were what ancient cultures believed about the origin of life and all existence. They have been found in Babylon, Canaan, Egypt, and many other locations.

The theory of evolution is a modern-day creation myth. In its various forms it has become the dominant view - particularly in the academic world. Most scientists view the theory of evolution as they would the theory of relativity or the theory of continental drift.

What do you think most people would say about evolution? Is it fact or fiction? A popular high school biology textbook tells students, "Of course, there have never been any kind of plan to evolution because evolution works without either plan or purpose...it is important to keep this concept in mind: evolution is random and undirected."

The confusion for most people lies in the way evolution is defined, or more often, not defined. We can think of evolution in two ways. First, microevolution is the idea of small change or variations within species. For example, people grow taller, flies and mosquitoes become immune to insecticides, and animals adapt to varying conditions in order to survive. If they don't adapt, they don't survive. Nobody denies the reality of microevolution.

However, evolution as envisioned by Charles Darwin may be more accurately described as macroevolution. This is the idea that all species, including you, can be accounted for through small, gradual changes taking place over long periods of time without the intervention of God. The whole process is guided by natural selection - the concept of the survival of the fittest, a completely random and blind process. In summary, evolution can be defined as gradual change over time, moving from simple forms of life to the more complext, all the while being guided by blind processes as if by nothing but nature itself.

Three Challenges to Macroevolution

The first problem lies with the myth of some primordial soup, that is bringing life from non-life. How does that happen? No one knows the answer - it's a mystery. The distinguished astronomer Sir Frederick Hoyle assessed the odds of life coming from non-life with the analogy: "What are the chances that a tornado might blow through a junkyard containing all the parts of a 747, accidentally assemble them into a plane ready for take-off? The possibilities are so small..." I can't speak for you, but I sure wouldn't get on that plane!

The second problem concerns the fossil record. According to evolution, the fossil record should uncover the slow, gradual development of life found in the drawings of geological textbooks. Instead, the fossil record reveals what is known as the Cambrian explosion. There is no gradual development, but only complete development of animal life, fully formed and unchanged up to the present with no record of fossil ancestors prior to them. In other words, horses have always been horses and sheep have always been sheep and humans have always been humans.

The third problem with the evolutionary theory is the complexity of living cells. Science has uncovered wonderful discoveries about the complexity of them. Bruce Alberts, President of the National Academy of Sciences, wrote: "We have always underestimated the cell...the entire cell can be viewed as a factory that contains an elaborate network of interlocking assembly lines, each of which is composed of a set of large protein machines."

All these machines are composed of complicated moving parts. Take one part away and the machine won't function properly. They are undeniably complex. How did cells spontaneously develop to these levels of functioning complexities without an intelligent designer? Blind processes cannot account for these complexities.

Is Darwinian evolution an established fact of science? Consider the words of Cambridge anatomist Sir Arthur Keith: "Evolution is unproved and unprovable. We believe it only because the only alternative is special creation, and that is unthinkable."

Question to Consider: How might you explain the difference between macro and microevolution to a friend?

The Big Bang: Friend or Foe?

Genesis 1:1 states, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

Today science says, "In the beginning, bang, there was the whole universe." Is the big bang theory a friend or foe of Christianity? Do the Bible and science conflict on the most fundamental issue of all - the beginning of all things? These are reasonable questions - some of you may be asking yourself or are being asked by someone else.

Today the vast majority of scientists recognize, some reluctantly, that universe began to exist a finite time ago. Prior to the 1920s science could deny the need for a creator or banger by appealing to an infinitely old universe. The universe, they said, was eternal: it had never not been! Why is it that scientifically this theory cannot be maintained any longer?

It's interesting that often times that scientists' explanation of the earth's origin's sound similar to the Bible. As scientist Robert Jastrow, puts it: "What is the ultimate solution to the origin of the universe? The answers provided by the astronomers are disconcerting and remarkable. Most remarkable of all is the fact that in science, as in the Bible, the world begins with an act of creation."

Philosopher William Lane Craig summed it up in this way: "Isn't it incredible that the big bang theory thus fits in with what the Christian theist has always believed; that in the beginning God created the universe? Now I put it to you, which makes more sense? That the theist is right or that the universe popped into being uncaused, out of nothing? I, at least, have no trouble assessing these alternatives!"

The big bang theory, rather than doing away with a creator, has served to demonstrate that it's scientifically and philosophically more intelligent to believe that God created the universe a finite time ago - just as the Bible has always taught. The big bang is a friend of Christianity, not a foe.

Question to Consider: How has your understanding of the big bang theory given you more confidence in the Bible's teaching that God created the universe.

In the Beginning...

***Editor's note: I apologize for getting this entry in late (Darrel's fault)***

A few weeks ago my 14 year old son, Carter and I were leaving our church when we noticed fast-moving clouds passing over a silvery full moon. Carter remarked how incredible it looked and I agreed. Over the years I've seen God's beauty hundreds of times in the nature around me.

What in nature leaves you speechless? Maybe it's the glory of a breathtaking sunset, the beauty of a morning sunrise, or some natural wonder like the Grand Canyon.

The psalmist expressed it this way-

The heavens declare the glory of God: the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens has has pitched a tent for the sun... (Psalm 19:1-4)

The Bible does not attempt to explain how the universe was created as much as it says who created it. Because of this, the Bible doesn't limit its teaching about God as the Creator to the book of Genesis. All the biblical writers acknowledge God as the cause and Creator of all existence.

There are several things the Bible implies about God and His creation-

>God created all things out of nothing. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. (Colossians 1:6) This is unlike pagan cultures and their creation stories. They always begin with pre-existing matter.

>God is the author of life, specifically human life. The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of lie, and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7) All the biblical writers acknowledge the historical reality of the first human couple, Adam and Eve.

>God's purpose in creating the universe was to display His own glory and honor. Isaiah speaks of God's sons and daughters as those... "whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." The evidence of God in creation demonstrates HIs great power.

>God delights in His creation. God is pleased with the result of His work. He declares His creation good after each stage. (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21 ,25) It culminates in Genesis 1:31, "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.. And there was evening, and there was morning - the sixth day."

The Bible is very clear about God and His creation. Spend some time today acknowledging His greatness and enjoying all that He made.

Question to Consider: Is God the crowning passion of your life?

What is Faith?

Many people view science as fascinating and full of mystery. We absolutely benefit from the scientific discoveries of recent years. Just consider the progress in medical science. Heart surgery some years ago was extremely risky and now is considered very common place. I had a friend who was the heart association poster child back in the 60’s because she had had open heart surgery and it was considered experimental back then but now we see operations to correct heart defects while still in the womb. Amazing stuff!

Many questions of faith and religion are not answered through scientific experiments. Some people say either you believe or you don’t and that’s what faith is. Others might have a religious experience of some sort, like God speaking to them, so they feel compelled to believe. To many people outside the church walls, faith is both blind and irrational. Here are some examples.

Mark Twain joked that faith is “believing what you know ain’t so,” H.L. Mencken, the American anti-supernaturalist critic of Christianity, once said, “Faith may be defined briefly as an illogical belief in the occurrence of the improbable”. Evolutionary biologist, professor and famous atheist Richard Dawkins said, “Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence. Faith is belief in spite of, even because of, the lack of evidence. Christian author and professor Paul Little told a story of a Sunday school teacher who asked the question, “What is faith?”. To answer the question a boy quickly popped up with “ believing something you know isn’t true”. Wonder where that came from?

From the time of Jesus, faith has never been unreasonable. The overarching issue as we begin this week is whether or not thinking people can embrace faith in an age of scientific discovery. We’ll tackle questions like, “Has science made God obsolete? Are faith in God and scientific knowledge incompatible? Does knowledge from science outweigh religious knowledge? Which one is more reliable, and what do we do when they contradict each other?”

Compared to scientific discovery, religious claims in modern day culture are viewed with less credibility. In the realm of science, faith in God, the Bible, and Jesus Christ are seen as personal-based claims unlike the knowledge-based claims of science.

Christians have always understood there are two books: the book of nature and the book of revelation(the Bible). The book of nature is the observable universe with the discipline of science as her reader. The book of revelation is God’s spoken truth to humanity. For Christians, both of these books have the same author and therefore should be intergrated at some level. So the real question becomes: “Can science be done with God in mind?”

The modern day champions of science say “absolutely NO!”. They also say, “Sure you can believe in God, but in the real world, science is equated with knowledge and religion with faith. These two are not equal”

Science has become the owner of knowledge in society, accompanied by the modern philosophy of naturalism. This is the view that all life rose spontaneously from non-living matter and then evolved by purely naturalistic means. In other words, chance combined with physical law created life on this planet and evolved to its present state. This idea is embodied by Carl Sagan’s famous words, “The Cosmos is al that is or ever was or ever will be.” God is excluded. He’s not required to explain anything having to do with the natural world. Scientific explanations are limited to natural processes and the laws of nature, so supernatural explanations cannot be offered to inform or augment science in any way.

However, both science and faith (theology) do make knowledge claims. For example, Christian belief is founded on history and evidence. Arguments for God’s existence can be offered as evidence for our knowledge of Him. The difference is that science and faith view reality through two different windows. The late Stephen Jay Gould, famous Harvard paleontologist and champion of Darwinian evolution, believed science and faith occupy different domains. He called his philosophy NOMA (non-overlapping magisterial). Gould said “the net of science cover the empirical universe…(while) the net of religion extends over questions of moral meaning and value.” Galileo said, “Science tells you how the heavens go, and the Bible tells you how to go to heaven.” Are science and faith in conflict? We’ll look at some of the details this week.

If you ask God, “Wisdom and knowledge will be given to you” (2 Chronicles 1:12) God will bless your efforts to learn more about Him.

What evidence do you rely on for your faith?

Read Psalm 19 as you answer that question

A Different View of Death

I can remember the exact details, the smells and where I was when that phone call came that everyone dreads, “Mr. Drake, your son has been in an accident, and we need your consent for surgery.” My Dad was an extremely tough, strong guy but I remember vividly, the ashen look on his face as he hung up the phone and told my Mom that my brother Barry had been in a car accident and they needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible. My brother died an hour later. Years ago my sister died of cancer. In the realm of pain and suffering, death certainly ranks near the top. Maybe you have received similar phone calls. The loss of our life or the loss of someone we love is generally considered one of life’s greatest experiences of pain and suffering.

Followers of Christ can experience the genuine sadness that actually accompanies the death of a loved one from a different viewpoint. They can even look at their own death from a completely different perspective. The Apostle Paul wrote to some Christians who had experienced the death of a few of their friends. He told them that he does not want them to “grieve like the rest of men who have no hope” (I Thessalonians 4:13) Notice here that he did not tell them not to grieve, but rather grieve from a rich vantage point of hope. Do I miss my brother and sister? Sure, but I know because of their relationship with Christ that one day we will be reunited and “live with the Lord forever” (I Thessalonians 4:17) The promise of eternal life completely change our view of death. For the Christian it is a beginning rather than an ending. This prompted the apostle Paul to write, “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where O death is your sting?”(I Corinthians 15:54b-55)

The truth of eternal life caused the apostle Paul to look at his own death a gain. He wrote to the church at Philippi, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far, but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body”(Philippians 1: 21-24) When we are following Christ and growing to love Him, we can also look forward to the day that we will get to be with Him forever. Our view of death can change. The Bible speaks of this internal desire to eventually come to our heavenly home. II Corinthians 5:1-2 says, “Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling.”

The truth of eternal life will not only change our view of death, it will also help followers of Christ gain a different perspective about our suffering here on earth. The grandeur and a life spent with God forever can make the temporary nature of our sufferings on earth seem different to us. Paul wrote “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we a wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal”(II Corinthians 4:16-18) Paul also wrote “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us”(Romans 8:18). So the apostle Paul, who experienced tremendous suffering in his life, helps us to see the pain and difficulty we experience here on earth from a different vantage point.

The Bible doesn’t give us a lot of detail about what happens after we die, but it does give us two really important facts:1) there is life after death, and 2) followers of Christ will go to a place of unspeakable joy and experience life with God that will last forever. Death is not the end. Jesus said, “I am going there (heaven) to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14: 2-3)

How will an eternal perspective help me change my thoughts about life and suffering?

Read John 14:1-14

How Do I Know That God Loves Me?

When we face pain and hardship in our life it causes us to ask some hard questions-

• Does God see what it happening to me?
• Does God care about what I am going through?
• Is God on my side?

The writer of the Psalms wrestled with these questions and cried out, "My soul is in anguish. How long, O Lord, how long? Turn O Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love." (Psalm 6:3-4)

When you sift these tough questions down to their cores, they are really asking, God, do you love me? There is a longing to know that God not only sees what we are going through and cares, but that He truly loves us.

From the beginning of the Bible, God is pictured as a personal God. He talks with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He talks with Noah, Abraham and many others. He establishes special relationships with people. He gives people laws that show people how to relate to Him and to each other. He saves them from difficulty, delivers them from slavery, does incredible deeds for them, and promises that He will never leave them.

But someone might say, "These are very nice stories, but they don't have a lot to do with me today. Those things happened thousands of years ago. God feels very distant from me today."

How can I really know that God loves me?

The answer is Jesus. No one forced Jesus to become a human being and die for us. He did it out of love. The apostle John says, "This is how we know what love it: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us...We love because He first loved us." (1 John 3:16, 4:19) God loved us enough to send His Son to die for us. Then He sent the Holy Spirit to live in His people so that they could love us too. That's how we know God loves us.

Question to Consider: What does God's love mean to you? How would you try to describe that love to someone else.?

How Can I Live Without Fear?

How does a young child conquer fear?

Whether the child is afraid of roller skating, riding a bicycle, going down a slide, or stepping onto an escalator, the solution of choice is usually the same.

The child holds on to a parent's hand - then proceeds without fear.

Why does this work? As long as the child can feel the supporting hand of someone he or she loves and trusts, fear stays away. In fact, what was a fearful prospect just a few minutes earlier is often transformed into an adventure! Instead of crying and cowering in fear, the child is giggling in eager anticipation.

As we grow up, we're told that we no longer need this kind of support. We're big people. We should be able to handle problems on our own. So we put on a brave face, hide our fear, and stoically keep trudging forward. We want to look brave, even when we're quaking inside.

God doesn't expect us to live that way. Even though we face pain and suffering in this world, and we encounter things that cause anxiety and fear - God wants us to trust Him.

How can we look directly at our fear, realize its seriousness, and still find the strength to go on? The same way a child finds courage from a parent. Jesus said that if we bring our troubles and concerns to Him, He will give us rest (Matthew 11:29) The apostle Peter says we can cast all our anxieties on Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7) The apostle John tells us that God is love (1 John 4:16) and that perfect love drives out fear (4:18).

When we cling to God, who loves us perfectly, our fear goes away. His love drives out fear - just as a child's fear disappears when holding a loving parent's hand.

Question to Consider: Think about when you were going through a fearful time. In what ways were you able to sense the presence of God? Take some time to thank Him for His presence with you.

Where is God when Disaster Comes?

Have you ever thought of the similarities between Jesus and the comic-book hero Superman?

• Both existed somewhere else before they came to earth.
• Both cames to earth as babies.
• Both grew up like regular people.
• Both had a "normal" identity.
• Both possessed the power to do amazing things.
• Both used their powers to help people.

There are some significant differences, however. In the comics, when people needed help, Clark Kent would sneak away to change, and Superman would appear to save the day. He would catch the bridge as it fell, keep the airliner from crashing, stand in front of flying bullets - to prevent the disaster or to fix everything afterwards.

Jesus wasn't that kind of superhero. He was always who He was. People knew what He looked like, where He came from, how He talked. When He did a miracle, He did it as Jesus. He didn't go somewhere to put on a costume. And He didn't always prevent disaster. Some sick people died before He got there, so He raised them from the dead. And most of the miracles involved helping people one-on-one.

When disaster comes, many of us would like Jesus to act like a superhero who will fly in and dramatically fix everything for us. Jesus does not operate the same way that Superman does, but He is a lot more help than any comic-book superhero could ever be. All we need to do is call on Him, and He's there. He has promised never to abandon us in times of trouble. He usually doesn't choose to do away with the disaster and fix all our problems. But He's there to help us through whatever we experience.

If you're in the middle of a personal disaster, look around for evidence of God's presence. He's there in the hearts and hands of His people who care for the poor, the sick and the suffering. He can encourage you, comfort you, advise you, meet your needs, and give you the strength to keep going. And when the disaster has passed, He's there to guide you and walk beside you for the rest of your life.

Question to Consider: Do you know someone who is suffering? What can you do today to show the love of God to that person?

Why Do Good People Suffer?

This is a reasonable question.

We naturally experience a strong emotional reaction when we see or experience suffering in our world. When we see good people suffer we wonder, why did this happen to them? Where is the fairness? Where was God?

If you think about it, you will begin to realize that today's question is based on several unreasonable assumptions. One assumption is that God's purpose is to protect us from pain. Another assumption is that there are people that exist who are so good that they deserve a pain-free life.

Some of the people who listened to Jesus made similar assumptions. They thought that human suffering was a consequence of sin. If a person was injured in an accident, they assumed that the person must have done something to deserve the pain.

In Luke 13:1-5, Jesus addresses the issue. He mentions two events as examples. The first was an atrocity. Pilate's soldiers had killed some people from Galilee as they were worshiping in the temple. Jesus asked whether these people were more sinful than other Galileans. The second event was an accident. A tower had fallen, killing eighteen men. Jesus asked whether these people were the worst sinners in Jerusalem. Jesus intended His hearers to answer "no" to both questions.

So what reason did Jesus give for these tragedies? He gave no reasons at all. Essentially Jesus is teaching the people that suffering is going to happen. Suffering comes to everyone regardless of whether they live a good life or not. In fact, Jesus promised in John 16:33, "in this world you will have trouble."

If God's purpose is to keep us from pain, then this is not a loving response. But what if that assumption is wrong? What if God has a different purpose for us? Luke 19:10 says that Jesus came to seek and save those who are lost. And Romans 3:23 says that all of us are imperfect, that we are sinners. Jesus didn't come to make people think they were good enough to make it on their own. He came to help them see their need for salvation so that they would come to Him and be saved from their sin.

Question to Consider: How does the suffering of Jesus affect the way we think about our own suffering? How has God ussed your hurt or pain to produce good?