” In the Beginning”

 

 

 

FACTS AND FICTIONS ABOUT

THE ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES

 

 

“Do you not know? Do you not hear?

      Has it not been declared to you from the beginning?

      Have you not understood the foundations of the earth?

Do you not know? Have you not heard of ...

      YHWH, the Eternal God,

      the Creator of the ends of the earth?”

(Isaiah  40:21, 28)

 

 

 

 

By  DON  E.  STANTON

and  other  contributors

 

 

 

 

Maranatha  Revival  Crusade,

APPLECROSS, West Australia

 

 

 

 

 

CONTENTS

 

Dictionary                                                                      

Charles Darwin’s 200th Anniversary                           

Darwin’s Journey from Bible to Naturalism              

The Species                                                                     

Darwin’s Contribution?                                                

Darwin’s Tragic Message                                             

Did Darwin Renounce his Theory?                             

Evolutionary Theories long before Darwin                

In the Beginning  - the Teaching of the Bible              

Theistic Evolution                                                         

Intelligent Design or Random Mutation?`                  

Vatican: “Evolution and Bible Compatible”              

Evolution Wars in the U.S.                                          

What about the Bible?                                                   

The Origin of the Universe                                           

How did it all Begin?                                                     

Will the Witness Please Speak Up?                              

The Origin of the Species                                              

And What is Man?                                                        

Science and the Bible                                                     

Science and Creation                                                     

Scientific Phenomena in the Bible                               

“Natural” and “Scientific” Laws                                 

Palaeontology - The Study of Fossils                           

The Geographical Column - chart                               

The Biblical Account of the Flood                               

Dinosaurs and Giant Forms                                         

The Big Splash - Asteroid Tilts the Earth                    

6,000 Years or 4½ billion years?                                   

What is Man?                                                                 

Man’s Tragic Fall                                                          

Remember Now, Your Creator!                                        

 

 

 

DICTIONARY

Creation. The Biblical teaching that all things were created by God, and did not gradually evolve.

Evolution. The theory that life began and developed spontaneously over billions of years; and that life did not come into being by an intelligent being - God.

Fossils. Recognisable remains of plant or animal life, preserved in the rock strata.

Homo-sapiens. Modern man, as regarded as a species.

Monstrosity. A monstrous or distorted being.

Palaeontology. Study of geological periods and fossils.

Protoplasm. Semi-fluid, semi-transparent, colourless substance consisting of oxygen, hydrogen, carbon and nitrogen.

Sediment. Matter that settles on the bottom of liquid; the mud and mush left after a flood.

Strata.  Layers of rock forming the earth’s crust.

Species.  A group, or groups, types or kinds.

Trilobites. Earliest forms of life, according to evolut­ionists.

Uniformitarianism. The teaching that uniformity has prevailed in physical causes and effects in all ages; opposite to catastrophism.

Catastrophism. The teaching concerning catastrophes - disastrous, ruinous events, such as floods, volcanoes, tsunamis and earthquakes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHARLES DARWIN’S 200TH ANNIVERSARY 

 

FEBRUARY 12, 2009

 

THE world has just had a grand celebration of the 200^th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, the sceptic, agnostic, and “father of modern evolution.”

Darwin is credited with bringing about a worldwide change in man’s thinking about the origins of life. Although Darwin wasn’t the first to espouse the theory of evolution, he certainly got most of the credit.

2009 is not the first time Darwin has been celebrated. Over the last few years, an “Evolution Sunday” has been held in many Christian churches. So it does not come as a surprise that Darwin’s 200^th has been trumpeted around the world this month  - February 2009.

“EVOLUTION SUNDAY”

Evolution Sunday is a celebration conducted in a number of Christian churches to honour Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution. The Sunday chosen is the closest Sunday to Darwin’s birthday, 12 February.

The main goals of “Evolution Sunday,” according to founder Michael Zimmerman, are, 1. To demonstrate that religion and modern science are compatible. 2. To reach out to thousands of parishioners across the country. 3. To elevate the national dialogue on the topic of religion and evolution

The celebration originated in America in 2006 with 467 congregations from all 50 states and the District of Columbia participating. Organizers reported that 618 congregations, from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the US Virgin Islands and five different countries, including congregations in Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and Nigeria, celebrated Evolution Sunday in 2007. 

In 2008, the event was renamed “Evolution Weekend” to include more faith traditions, and 814 congregations from the United States and 9 foreign countries participated.

Michael Zimmerman dismisses creationist claims that Christians must choose between religion and science, and says “if you have enough faith, you don’t need science to ratify God’s existence.”  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_Sunday

           DARWIN’S JOURNEY FROM BIBLE TO NATURALISM

                                                                                         

 

Charles Robert Darwin was born in England on Feb 12, 1809. He studied medicine at Edinburgh, and then completed three years of theological studies at Christ’s College, Cambridge, but he lost interest in both pro­fessions, and became attracted to the study of natural history.

Despite all the religious influences in his life, the decline of Darwin’s faith began when he first started to doubt the truth of the first chapters of Genesis. His Christian beliefs, whatever they might have been, waned after his decent into naturalism.

He became a friend of a botanist, J. S. Henslow, and through this man, he was able to avail of the opportunity to make a 5-year cruise as official naturalist aboard the “Beagle.” This started Darwin on a career of collecting data, which resulted in the publication of two major books; “On the Origin of Species by Natural Selection” (1859); and “The Descent of Man.” (1871)

(1859 was also the year when God was moving mightily in a great spiritual revival in Ulster, Ireland.  Darwin’s “origins” was, no doubt, Satan’s response to the powerful moving of the Holy Spirit.)

Darwin did not actually say much that was new, but he did present his theory after much research, and with much supporting “evidence.”

On the Galapagos Islands, off the coast of South America, Darwin noticed that the species on the Islands resembled those on the mainland, but were not identical to them. For example, there seemed to be a special race of giant tortoise on each island. Darwin began to think that all these races had descended from a common type. The finches on islands interested him even more. There were many different species and he reckoned that they had all descended from a single pair. He believed he could see transitional types where one species was changing into another.

He argued that here was proof that one species of finch had evolved into another. He then suggested that in a similar way, all living organisms had evolved from a very simple organism.

At first the scientific world was almost entirely against Darwin, but through the support of a brilliant scientist, Thomas Henry Huxley, Darwinism advanced quite rapidly. Several factors helped its popularity:

1.   The seeming mass of evidence compiled by Darwin.

2.   That was an era of scientific development, when intellectuals were eager to believe anything except God.

3.   The Christian church largely compromised by maintaining      

that it was possible to believe in both Genesis and evolution. Modernism and Illuminati doctrine were already infiltrating the church and seminaries, denying the literalness of Scripture.

4.   Christian arguments against evolution were so often faulty and showed ignorance of the subject. Some­times Christians were arguing about man-made ideas rather than about what the Bible actually said.

5.   Darwin did describe some true phenomena regarding species, which seemed very convincing, but which did not actually prove evolution. He pointed out, for example, that with varieties of birds, some were of the same type, and others were similar but different.

THE SPECIES  

 

We have no objection to the belief that various types of finches all came from one original pair, for that is exactly what the Bible teaches regarding the species. All the races on the earth have sprung from common ancestors, Noah and Mrs. Noah.

Their three sons, of course, were not identical triplets.  They had their different features, and those features have become more and more pronounced as nations have developed, so that today we have a very wide range of human races - red, yellow, black, tan and white, tall, dwarf, Afro, Mongoloid, Aryan, Dravidian, blond and redheads.

All these species of people have all come from one origin. That is true. But that does not prove evolution, and it does not even suggest that man came from ape.

The fact is that God made every type of creature “after their kind.” That is why you will get a whole range of people, a whole range of apes, a whole range of cattle, a whole range of dogs, or a whole range of cats, etc, etc. But you never get ape-men, animal-men, or dogs-cats, or horse-cows, or animal-trees, or people-plants, or bird-lizards, or lion-sheep, or crocodile-kangaroos.

Geneticists are trying, of course, to produce hybrids by mixing genes. And if evolution were true, they would have no great difficulty in pro­ducing the cross species they envisage.

They might succeed in grafting some animal tissue onto a bush. But to evolve a tree that thinks some­thing like an animal, or that obeys commands, is rather beyond man’s engineering. After all, “nature,” which has produced such marvellous things as the computer-mind of man, has not, in all these supposed “billion of years,” come up with any-thing like a cross-species.

                         HAVE A LAUGH!                                 

       You may have heard these jokes about cross­ed species.

            What is a cross between a kangaroo and a sheep?   

                        Woolly jumpers!

            And what is the result of a cross between a kangaroo and an elephant?

                        Thump­ing big holes all over the place!

~     ~     ~     ~     ~    ~    ~    ~

Praise God, we don’t have a kangaroo-elephant crossed species. And isn’t it strange that “blind evolution” has not gotten out of control?

How is it that “blind evolution” has produced only perfect species, and not some really peculiar types of creatures, such as a six-headed tiger made of jelly. I don’t doubt you might be able to get a six-headed monstrosity - but it would be simply a single monstrosity, not a whole species of six-headed creatures.

But go to a zoo, and you will not find one exhibit of a really peculiar species. Each one is perfect in his own way - fearfully and wonderfully made - made by a single Designer.

And as we consider even the simplest living creature, and the various body cells and systems it contains, we are amazed at the complexity. It defies the imagination to accept the suggestion that they evolved from “lower and inferior forms.”

The ant, the lizard, the wasp, the dolphin, the octo­pus, the bat, the centipede, the worm, the cockroach - all are so amazingly complex - each one made for his own environment. And many of these have physi­cal systems just as great as those of man. Each one bears the imprint of the Designer.

 

      DARWIN’S  CONTRIBUTION?  

       by Don Batten

Reproduced by permission from Creation magazine,

<CreationOnTheWeb.com>

 

In a video distributed by the American Skeptics Society, Dr Michael Shermer says Charles Darwin contributed seven notable things to the world. How do these seven contributions of Darwin compare with what the Bible says?

1. Darwin ‘changed the world from being seen as static to evolving’ (changing). That is, microbes, over billions of years, changed into trees, animals and men. Living things do not reproduce true to their type after all, but change into different things, the evolutionist believes.

The Bible: ‘And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good’ (Genesis 1:11-12).

Things reproduce after their kind.

2. Darwin ‘established the implausibility of creationism’. God did not create things; they arose through natural processes.

The Bible: ‘For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them.’ (Exodus 20:11)

3. Darwin ‘refuted cosmic teleology’ (that is, that the universe has a purpose). The existence of the universe is just a giant accident; it has no purpose.

The Bible: ‘The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork’ (Psalm 19:1)

4. Darwin ‘established materialistic / naturalistic philosophy.’  That is, God is an unnecessary hypothesis.

The Bible: “The fool hath said in his heart, ‘There is no God’.” (Psalm 14:1)

5. Darwin ‘ended Aristotelian essentialism’ (that is, the belief that things live because of some vital essence, life force, or spirit, rather than because of mechanisms understandable to scientists).2

The Bible: The (Darwinian) belief that life would carry on without God is not biblical. ‘And he [Jesus] is before all things, and by him all things consist’ [hold together] (Colossians 1:17)

6. Darwin ‘refuted catastrophism’. For Darwin, present processes operating over long periods of time accounted for the world and everything in it.

The Bible: “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.’ For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished.” (2 Peter 3:3-6)

7. Darwin ‘ended absolute anthropocentrism’. That is, Shermer claims that Darwin established that man is just an animal; man is nothing special. He is just another accident of cosmic evolution, with no ultimate purpose.

The Bible: ‘And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them’ (Genesis 1:26-27)

‘The heavens declare the glory of God’ (Psalm 19:1)

It should be obvious that the Bible contradicts all seven ‘contributions’ of Darwin in some way. Mixing the two results in an unholy mess. Do oil and water mix? What fellowship has light with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14)

Let us not try to mix evolution and the Bible - they just don’t go together!

References and notes:

1.   Michael Shermer, 1994, ‘Evolution versus creationism: history of a controversy’, American Skeptics Society Video. Shermer attributes much more to Darwin than is warranted — Shermer uses ‘Darwin’ to encompass the whole evolutionary worldview. Acceptance of Darwin’s ideas certainly led to the common acceptance of the seven propositions Shermer presents.

2.   Note that this belief came from a (pagan) Greek philosopher, Aristotle, not the Bible. Actually, Christian creationists such as Louis Pasteur were more instrumental in overturning this concept than Darwin. Indeed, belief in evolution has driven some back to believe in ‘life forces’ in the guise of ‘Gaia’, or ‘Mother Earth’.

                       http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/1501/

 

DARWIN’S TRAGIC MESSAGE

Harvard’s renowned Professor Stephen Jay Gould is a vigorous anti-creationist (and Marxist), and perhaps the most knowledgeable student of the history of evolutionary thought and all things Darwinian. Gould argues that Darwin’s theory is inherently

anti-plan

anti-purpose

anti-meaning

In other words, it’s pure

philosophical materialism

Also Gould says that Darwin himself knew this very well and meant it to be so.

For a good article on this subject by Carl Wieland of Creation Ministries Intl, go to ... http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/1877/

 

In April 1882, Charles Darwin, the apostle of evolution, died at the age of 73, and was buried in Westminister Abbey.  At that time, the Pall Mall Gazette labeled him as “the greatest Englishman since Newton.”

 

DID DARWIN RENOUNCE HIS THEORY?

 

In the years following his death, several reports surfaced that Darwin had undergone a death-bed conversion and renounced evolution. But these reports were evidently not true.  Darwin’s wife Emma, who was a believer, for most of her married life was deeply pained by the irreligious nature of Charles’s views, and she would have been strongly motivated to confirm any story of Darwin’s genuine conversion, if such had occurred. But she never did.

Darwin himself, though reticent about his religious views, in 1879 responded that he had never been an atheist in the sense of denying the existence of a God, and that generally, “an agnostic would be the more correct description of my state of mind.”

DELUDED

In a recent DVD, Dr A J Monty White of Biblical Foundations, shows that Darwin was deluded through wrong theological teaching and thought process.

He was deluded in believing that life arose in a warm little puddle on Earth, and he was deluded into thinking he could see evolution occurring in the fossil record.

Long ago, an evolutionist Professor at Kansas State University, Ronald R West, PhD, in his book, “Palaeontology and Uniformitarianism” Compass, vol 45, May 1968, p, 216, wrote:

“Contrary to what most scientists write, the fossil record does not support the Darwinian theory of evolution because it is this theory (among several) which we use to interpret the fossil record. By doing so we are guilty of circular reasoning if we say the fossil record supports their theory.”

 

EVOLUTIONARY THEORIES

LONG BEFORE DARWIN

 

Evolutionary theories had circulated for centuries - long before Darwin. They can be found in the teachings of the ancient Greeks. Anaximander taught, for exam­ple, that men had evolved from fish; and Empedocles asserted that animals had been derived from plants. These views, however, were not generally accepted.

A more popular idea which continued up into the 19th century was “Spontaneous Generation.” Aristotle and others first put this forward in 400 B.C. They believed that they could see insects and flies suddenly appearing out of mud; and if that could happen to insects, then why not to all creatures?  This theory was just as unbiblical and unscientific as that of evolution.

Gregory pointed out in 400 A.D., that if slime was the cause of all living things, then there was no need to believe in God as Creator.

The reason people believed such a fanciful theory is the same reason why many today believe in evolution - because they do not want to accept the alternative - God the Creator.

If you admit God created man, then you must also admit that man is accountable to God. Man has an obligation to honour and obey his Maker. Sadly, many are not pre­pared for that; and so they will try to prove to their dying breath, that man came into being by chance, and that therefore there is no God to worry about!

The social degradation we see throughout the nations today stems largely from the fact that . . .

“since they did not see fit to acknowledge YHWH God, any longer, He gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which ought not to be done. They became filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice ....”  etc. (Romans 1:28-29)

 

“In the Beginning”

 

 

CREATION  -  THE TEACHING OF THE BIBLE

 

The Bible begins with the straight-forward statement:

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”  (Genesis 1:1)

The Gospel of John begins with these words:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him; and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” (John 1:1-3)

“The Word” as used here by John the Apostle, refers to no other than Jesus Christ. Jesus - or to use His original Hebrew Name, Y’shua the Messiah - is the eternal Creator. He made everything, and He upholds everything by the power of His Word.

“The Son being the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His very being and nature, upholds all things by His powerful word.”  (Hebrews 1:3)

These statements concerning the origins, given in the Bible, are presented by its Author, not as a theory, but as a FACT.

Some people will throw up their hands and say, “But that’s only the Bible; that’s just religion; and it’s so contrary to the evidence of modern science.”

No! It is not religion. It is revelation. And the revelation that God created the world is fully backed by the authority of the Eternal One.

It is the theory which says that matter and life came about by chance, that the earth was formed some 4 billion years ago, and that man descended from apes, and that all species came from one source - it is that theory that I believe is FICTION.

Surely, if there is a Creator, man should not be zealous to ignore Him. We would call the man a fool who proclaimed there is no such thing as electricity, and then took hold of two live wires to prove his point. And equally foolish is he who says, “I will prove there is no God” and takes hold of the theory of evolution.

There are many people who are very sincere, and who feel that life must have evolved over millions of years, because of a number of scientific observations in the universe - facts which seem to give an overwhelming weight of “proof” in favor of evolution.

Tragically, Darwin’s theory of evolution is promoted as a fact even though there is much evidence against it.  But to one who does not accept the Bible’s teaching, there does not seem to be an option to some form of evolution.  

Man in all his diligence has never found any intermediate fossils. This means scientists have no proof of anything evolving from a lower life form into a higher life form. And man has never found or observed a gradual change in any life form in all the billions of fossils that have been dug up in all the years he has been searching.

Mutations and adaptations happen, but there is no observable evidence pointing to a transition from one life form to another. That fact alone demolishes the theory of evolution.

If Darwin were alive today, and presented with the real scientific facts we now have, most likely he would not believe in his own theory.

 

THEISTIC EVOLUTION

 

There is another type of intellectual who says he believes in God and evolution. He is a “theistic evolutionist.” He says that God used the evolutionary method to create and form life and matter. He seeks to reconcile evolution and creation. But this is an attempt to reconcile fact and fiction. Usually the attempt is to reconcile the Bible to evolution - not vice versa.

The Biblical account of creation, and the formation of man, is quite opposed to the general theory of evolution. To attempt to reconcile two opposites means compromise. And the Bible cannot be compromised without doing great injustice to its Author, and the truth.

Reject the Bible, if you insist, and embrace whatever theories you like! But don’t seek to compromise that which has been revealed by Somebody far greater than you and I.

But why should the Bible need to be reconciled to a theory? First conclusively prove the theory; then we’ll talk about reconciliation! The fact is that evolution is not only unproven, but is a discredited theory. Evolution is an incredible hoax. It is incredible fiction.

Atheistic evolution does not give a satisfactory answer to “How did the beginning begin?” Or, “What was there before the big bang.”

Theistic evolution denies the central teachings of the Bible, but it employs God to begin the evolutionary process. In this system God is not the omnipotent Lord of all things, whose Word has to be taken seriously by all men, but He is integrated into the evolutionary philosophy.

To study more on this false system, check out ….

 

10 DANGERS OF THEISTIC EVOLUTION

 

Werner Gitt lists these dangers, on the Creation Ministries Intl website …

http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/1749/

The tragedy today is that children are being taught that evolution is a fact - that their forefathers were apes, and that man is improving, and that in time he will evolve into something more superior.

My dear reader, if you, have been disposed to give credence to the theory of Darwin, don’t pour contempt on creation teaching until you have thoroughly examined the Bible’s teachings, and also what is being presented by creationists. A wealth of information is available from …

Creation magazine, and <CreationOnTheWeb.com>

 

STATEMENTS FROM

SCIENTISTS WHO REFUTE EVOLUTION

 

Another fiction is the propaganda that if you are intelligent, educated and scientific, you have got to believe in evolution! Not at all! There are many thousands of scientists of all types, all around the world, (including the two quoted below), who have some of the most developed minds, and who believe without a shadow of doubt that evolution is a false theory and that this whole universe was created by God, just as the Bible says.

Dr. EDWARD BLICK, Aerospace Scientist, was Pro­fessor of Aerospace, Mechanical, and Nuclear Engineering and formerly Associate Dean of Engineering at the University of Oklahoma. He said:

“Evolution is a scientific fairy-tale just as the ‘flat-earth theory’ was in the 12th century. Evolution directly contradicts the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which states that unless an intelligent planner is directing a system, it will always go in the direction of disorder and deterioration.

Based on simple mathematics, it is possible to show that the odds against forming even the simplest protein molecule by random chance is far greater than 1067 to one! (ten followed by 67 zeros).

Evolution requires a faith that is incomprehensible! Biblical Creation is the only sensible alternative.”

 

GARY E. PARKER, Biologist, received his M.S. (1965) and Ed.D. (1973) degrees from Ball State University, majoring in Biology, with additional work in Physiology and Palaeontology. He wrote:

“In my first year of college teaching, I was enthu­siastic about teaching evolution and tried diligently to get Christian students to fit their beliefs into the evolu­tionary mold.

“As God changed my heart with regard to His Word in Scripture, I began the long process of re-examining the data concerning evolution and was finally appalled to find how much evolutionary fiction I had accepted as fact, and how much data pointing to­ward creation God had built into His World.

“It is now my joy to work with students in developing and using scientific models reflecting the ultimate harmony between God’s World and God’s Word, revealing God as Creator, Sustainer, Judge, and Redeemer of all that He has made.”

I D INTELLIGENT DESIGN

OR RANDOM MUTATION?

 

This is a question that is commanding the attention of millions of people around the world today – intelligentsia, scientists, theologians, and college students.

Since the days of Charles Darwin in the 19th c. a battle has been waged between Creationists who believe God created the universe, and all the living species of life on the earth, and Evolutionists who believe the universe and life came into being by chance – by random mutation and not by an intelligent being.

All along there have been scientists on both sides of the debate on origins.

WHAT IS INTELLIGENT DESIGN?

IN recent times an “Intelligent Design” movement surfaced as an alternate theory to evolution. It has been sweeping through the United States, and is now being taught along with evolution in some schools.

The ID theory claims there are natural systems that cannot be adequately explained without attributing their design to an intelligent agent. The complex DNA code required for life from the beginning couldn’t have happened by chance; some organisms are so complicated that they could not have evolved from nothing, or from something else.

  For example, evolution cannot explain how something as complex as the human eye could have evolved. The eye only works because all the components work together in a complex whole. The components therefore cannot evolve into the whole but must have been designed that way.

Proponents argue that there are large gaps in Darwin’s theory which, in the mid 19th century, attempted to explain the development of life through processes such as natural selection and random mutations. Life is so complex there must have been a higher intelligence involved.

ID doesn’t fully support the creationist view that the universe was created in six days, and that the world was made some 6000 years ago. It accepts some evolutionary developments, and doesn’t actually say who the designer is. But it attacks Darwin’s theory that life evolved by numerous, random, successive, slight modifications.

Creationists believe that the Intelligent Designer is God, as the Bible teaches, and that His handiwork is clearly evident throughout the universe, and in all species of life.

FIERCE BATTLE RAGING

Critics say ID is a religious belief and it properly belongs to religion or to a philosophy course. They say it does not hold up as a scientific theory because its claims cannot be scientifically tested.

And so a new battle is being waged over what we should believe about the origin of life. And at the heart of the battle are the questions, “Is there a Creator – God!” and, “Is the Bible inspired of God, or is it merely the work of ancient philosophers’ imaginations?”

<The principal of Sydney’s Pacific Hills Christian School, Ted Boyce, said that ID has emerged from the creationist versus evolution­ist arguments, and that it is somewhere in between the two. “Evolution is taught in the school system as if it’s a universally accepted theory and that there’s no other way to view the origin of man and creation.  I have trouble with this. We would teach evolution as a theory and ID as an alternative theory,” he said.>  - * RE

*RE indicates quotes in the following 5 pages from an article, “Designed to put God into the gaps” - by Roy Eccleston, / The Weekend Australian / 3-4 Sep 05. Used by permission of NewsLimited.

But there is fierce opposition to this position.  The Dean of Science at the University of NSW, Mike Archer, wrote in the Adelaide Advertiser (Oct 21/ 05); “Intelligent Design is not science. As Australian scientists and science educators, we are gravely concerned that so-called ‘intelligent design’ might be taught in any school as a valid alternative to evolution.”

 

SCIENTISTS SEEK BAN ON ALTERNATIVE LESSONS

 

According to the Adelaide Advertiser, (Oct 21/05), 70,000 scientists have compared Intelligent Design to ‘spoon-bending and alien abductions’ and have called for this controversial alternative to evolutionary theory to be banned from schools. In an open letter to major news-papers, the unprecedented collaboration says the idea – suggesting life is too complex to have come about without a guiding intelligence – fails to be science ‘on every level.’

While some schools are planning to add ID to their curriculum, the Australian Science Teachers Association says it’s a belief system, not science, and the associa­tion has agreed to resist any pressure to have it taught in science classes.

Australian federal Education, Science and Training Minister, Brendan Nelson, entered the debate, saying that while he opposed teaching ID as a replacement for evolutionary theory, if their parents and schools agreed, children should be exposed to it - but not in science classes.

The Catholic Church includes some power­ful supporters of ID as a balance to the teaching of evolution.

<In Australia, Archbishop George Pell says the theory of evolution is compatible with the church’s teaching but it is sometimes taught “in an anti-God way.” “If that’s the case, I’d be happy for them to talk about design or intelligent design,” he says of science teachers.”>  *RE

In Western Australia, Catholic Archbishop Barry Hickey, said Intelligent Design, while not itself demanding belief in a Creator, nevertheless sat comfortably with Catholics and should be taught alongside evolutionary theory in science lessons.

“Intelligent Design is a far more elegant description of historical changes than an entirely evolutionary approach, and it therefore should not be ignored in the classroom,” he said. “The problem in our society is that the theory of evolution has been installed in our education system and is defended by too many educators as the sole scientific approach to the existence of the universe and the appearance of the many forms of life.

“One result is that too many stu­dents are unable to protect them­selves from the conscious or subcon­scious assumption that human life has no purpose or meaning.”

THE VATICAN:

“EVOLUTION AND BIBLE COMPATIBLE”

 

The Vatican, however, has issued a stout defence of Charles Darwin, voicing strong criti­cism of Christian fundamentalists who reject his theory of evolution and interpret the biblical account of creation literally.

Cardinal Paul Poupard, head of the Pontifical Council for Culture, said the Genesis description of how God created the universe and Darwin’s theory of evolution were “perfectly compatible” if the Bible were read correctly. His statement was a clear attack on creationist campaigners in the US, who see evolution and the Genesis account as mutually exclusive.

“The fundamentalists want to give a scientific meaning to words that had no scientific aim,” he said at a Vatican press conference. He said the real message in Genesis was that “the universe didn’t make itself and had a creator.” His statements were interpreted in Italy as a rejection of the “intelligent design” view.  - The Times  / Nov 7/05

CAMPUS CRUSADE PROMOTES ID DVD    

BILL Hodgson, national director of Campus Crusade for Christ in Australia, is not deterred by the fierce debate, having been very impressed by a DVD, Unlocking the Mystery of Life.

The DVD has been produced by pro-ID scientists who argue that Charles Darwin’s theories are badly flawed.

Hodgson denies he is evangelising by stealth.

“Our interest is providing people with the resources that can help stimulate interest and discussion, among young people, on the bigger questions of life,” he says. “The DVD asks some big questions. Our view is that it is moderate, brilliantly done and has scientific merit; that is, these are scientists presenting their case, they are not laymen.”

Hodgson says ID has testable theories that show why the complexity of some living things is beyond chance. Hodgson has discussed the idea with Education, Science and Training Minister Brendan Nelson, and provided copies of the DVD.>   - * RE

<Focus on the Family, a Melbourne Christian group that has sold about 1,000 copies of the DVD in the past couple of years, believes ID should be a science class discussion.

A leader, Colin Bunnett, says, “Telling kids they are a random chance, they start to lose meaning in their lives. You see problems of drugs, alcohol, and suicide. If you believe you are just a random chance, the way you look at your life is quite different to if you see evidence of intelligent design.”

Richard Drew, a biologist at Griffith University in Brisbane, sees merit in the viewpoint of the DVD. “I believe it’s possible to be a scientist and consider that there is evidence for intelligent design.”

He specializes in fruit flies, and can see how they have evolved rapidly through muta­tions. “But,” he says, “Through science I have never been able to under-stand the beginning of the world,” he says.>  - * RE

<Australian’s world-renowned physicist, Paul Davies, says ID is not scientific because its theories cannot be tested. “It’s a creationist perversion,” he says.

And yet Davies argues for a God who makes the laws of the cosmos, allowing life and consciousness to emerge naturally.

“The problem with the ID theory is that it puts God into the gaps,” he argues, meaning that proponents look for where science has no clear answer, and then claim it is evidence of God’s handiwork.

“There was a time when rain was a mystery, so rain gods were invented. But now we can explain it and we don’t need a rain god or anybody else. But just because we have gaps in the scientific account it does not mean we have to have miracles.”> - * RE

 

EVOLUTION WARS IN THE UNITED STATES

<TWO prominent ID proponents are US biologist Michael Behe and mathematician William Dembski. Behe’s argument focuses on cells, where molecular machines of great complexity operate in a way that Darwin could not know.

Behe argues that some of these could not have been formed by successive modifications because they were “irreducibly complex.” He uses the analogy of a mousetrap, which needs all its pieces to be present to work. You cannot start catching mice with the wooden platform and spring before adding the other bits to improve it.

Behe’s big ID example is the flagella of bacteria, the long whip-like propellers that move them along. The flagellum has 40 parts, from molecular motor to propeller, and is worked by dozens of proteins, he says. It must have been designed, since, like a mousetrap, it could not have evolved from anything else.  

The counter-argument is that the flagellum’s parts, like parts of a mousetrap, can function on their own in different ways. They may have been co-opted from other jobs, such as spare parts. Some proteins from the flagellum, for example, are used by bacteria to inject poison into other cells.

Mathematician Dembski argues that ID is proved by what he calls “specified complex­ity.” This is evidence of a complex system not easily repeatable through chance and that shows an independent pattern. An example would be a signal from space, encoded with prime numbers under 100. That would have to be the work of a mind.

In his books, Dembski claims to show by mathematics that Darwin’s undirected nat­ural processes of evolution “are incapable of generating the specified complexity that exists in biological organisms.”>  - * RE

In early August, President George W. Bush weighed in on the issue and expressed support for the idea of combining lessons in evolution with a discussion of Intelligent Design - which TIME magazine described as ‘a subtler way of finding God’s fingerprints in nature than traditional creationism.’  “Both sides ought to be properly taught,” the President said.

           TIME magazine, (Aug 15/05), ran a cover story entitled The Evolution Wars. It reported that a Harris poll conducted in June 05, found 55% of 1,000 adults surveyed said children should be taught creationism and intelligent design along with evolution in public schools.

The polls indicated also that about 45% of Americans believe that God created the world and all its creatures in six days. Parents and students are pressing for lessons on ID and creation to be included in science classes.

US Supreme Court rulings in 1982 and 1987 put an end to the teaching of “Creation science,” on the grounds that it violated the First Amendment’s separation of church and state.

New laws that now challenge the teaching of evolution are pending, or have been considered, in 20 states across the US.  Ohio, for one, has changed science standards to include critical analysis of evolution. Other states are calling for equal time for ID and creationism also.

For the Bible believer, it is very definite: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” (Genesis 1:1), and, He created everything through and for His Beloved Son:

“He delivered us from the power and dominion of darkness, and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. And He is the image of the invisible God, the “First-born” (the Origin, Model, Supreme Head and Heir) of all creation. For in Him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things have been created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”    (Colossians 1:13-17)

The Bible believer knows full well that humans are a special creation, made in God’s image, with no physical evolution from any other species. And he knows the Bible teaches that God is involved in every aspect and moment in the life of His creation and the universe.

But over the past century particularly, this belief has been zealously challenged by an increasingly sceptical intellectual world. And if science can explain what seems inexplicable, then God is diminished.

Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theo-logical Seminary, US, comments: “Many of evolution’s most ardent academic defenders have moved away from the old claim that evolution is God’s means to bring life into being in its various forms. More of them are saying that a truly informed belief in evolution entails a stance that the material world is all there is and that the natural must be explained in purely natural terms. They’re saying that anyone who truly feels this way must exclude God from the story.”  - Time /Aug 15/05

And that’s really the bottom line in the evolution versus creation battle. “Should God be excluded from our thinking and our lives?”

Oh, the awful tragedy of man without God! The Scripture declares:

“The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident among them; for God has shown it to them.

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

“For even though they knew God (Yahweh), they did not honour Him as the Almighty One, nor were thankful; but they became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (Romans 1:18-21)

My believing readers, let us boldly proclaim the Truth, and not suppress it. And let Y’shua be magnified!

 

    WHAT ABOUT THE BIBLE ?

The Bible does not claim to be a “philosophy” or a “religion”; it claims to be a revelation - the Word of God. The Bible says of itself ...

“All Scripture is divinely-inspired - God-breathed, and is profitable for  teaching, for conviction and  reproof,  for correction, for training in righteousness.”   (2 Timothy 3:16)

The Bible is a history Book, but much more;

it is a prophetic Book;

it is a Book of origins, and a Book of endings;

it is an accurate Book; it is understandable;

it is a Book of truth; it is a divinely-inspired Book;

it is a holy Book; it is a devotional Book;

it is a Book of revelation; it is a Book of salvation;

it is a Book that convicts, guides, corrects, and a Book that encourages;

it is a Book that is intricately woven as a cohesive unity,

and its doctrines and themes have the stamp Divine Authority.

The Bible is the Book that has been railed against more than any other book; armies have marched against it; enemies have tried to destroy it, but the Word of God has prevailed. Many opponents who have tried to prove it false, have been converted as they scrutinised the written Word.

The Bible is the world’s most translated, and most published Book in the world. The whole Bible, or portions of it, has been printed in some 2,300 languages, and new translations are coming out regularly.

The world’s main Bible translation organization, Wycliffe Bible Translators, has recently unveiled a plan to ensure that every person in the world will be able to read the best-selling and most-translated book of all-time in its own language by 2025.

Wycliffe said its initiative, Last Languages, will involve translating the Bible in the last remaining 2,400 languages within 20 years. It said it has currently some 6,400 workers in the field in 93 countries

Millions of people have studied the Bible and have found the answers to their questions. The Bible has the information that you and I are eagerly looking for.

My dear reader, if you are not convinced that the Bible is indeed, God’s inspired Word, be sure to read our book …

“GOD’S NUMERICAL DESIGN  - 777”         

ÆÆÆÆ

The numerical makeup of the Bible (in the original Hebrew and Greek Languages) is truly amazing. The perfect number, 7, is a continual phenomenon throughout the whole Bible. 

For example, the very first verse of the Bible, Genesis 1:1, consists of seven Hebrew words and within these are seven words there are seven more “7 features.” 

After studying the details of this book, no-one except a devout atheist, or a hardened mind, can avoid the conclusion that the Bible could not have been written except by the powerful inspiration of the Intelligent Designer of the Word, who is far greater than the Universe which is His handiwork.

God’s Numerical Design is also available on our webpage:

         www.maranathaMRC.com

 

THE ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE

 

 

MAN has always been intrigued and mystified by the Universe. Once we thought there were about two thousands stars in space. After telescopes were invented we came to understand that there are billions of stars out there.

Once we thought our Earth was quite a big place, but now we fly around the world in a couple of days; and our satellites encircle the globe within an hour. Now we must admit that in relation to the universe, Earth is like a small pebble in the Grand Canyon.

We know that there are nine, or possibly ten, planets that orbit the Sun of our Solar System; and Earth is not the biggest. Jupiter is 300 times bigger than our world, and it has 63 known moons.

We also know our Solar System is only one small complex in the giant circular galaxy which we call The Milky Way. Our system is just like one small apartment building in a great city.

The Milky Way galaxy is made up of at least 100 billion stars. The width of the galaxy is believed to be about 100,000 light-years. (A light-year is the distance light travels in a year - about 6 trillion miles.) So  the  width  of  the  Milky  Way  galaxy,  which  you can  see,  in  part,  on  a  clear  night,  is  something like six hundred thousand trillion miles - (600,000,000,000,000,000 miles).

And the Milky Way is just one galaxy. It’s just like one village in a nation like India. Telescopes seem to indicate that there are at least as many galaxies in the Universe as there are stars in the Milky Way - at least 100 billion galaxies.

But that is not the end. Galaxies tend to be grouped together into clusters, and clusters are grouped into Super-clusters. Is there anything larger than a super-cluster?  We’re trying to find out!

But there are other fascinating objects out there. What about Quasars and Black Holes?

Astronomers think that quasars, which are 8 to 10 billion light years from the earth, may be the most distant objects in the Universe. Quasars are among the most exciting discoveries of the 20th century, but they appear as faint dots of lights on ordinary telescopes. They seem to be super-luminous, radiating enormous energy. What makes quasars so powerful?

Other mysterious space phenomena are called “Black Holes.” These “non-objects” are believed to be the result of dying stars. They have been called celestial vacuum cleaners as they devour everything that crosses their path. They have been called “bottomless pits” into which even massive stars disappear without trace. Could there be millions of blacks holes out there, as some astronomers believe?

Scientists and astronomers are seeking answers to these and many other questions. To find some of the answers, the United States and Europe have placed very expensive giant telescopes in space, including the Hubble Space Telescope in 1990. 

In July 1999, NASA deployed an even more powerful space telescope - the Chandra . “Extraordinary first images from the Chandra X-ray Observatory trace the aftermath of a gigantic stellar explosion in such stunning detail that scientists can see evidence of what may be a neutron star or black-hole near the centre.

“Another image shows a powerful X-ray jet blasting 200,000 light years into intergalactic space from a distant quasar. The quasar radiates with the power of 10 trillion suns’ energy which scientists believe comes from a super-massive black hole at its centre.”   - January 2000 / <http://chandra.nasa/chandra.html>

In Dec 1999, the European Space Agency deployed the XMM, the world’s most powerful X-ray telescope. The $1 billion orbital observatory, scientists hope, will give an insight into the origins of the universe. Astrophysicists say the XMM is five times more sensitive than the Chandra.

The study and enhanced viewing of the Universe is certainly intriguing. For most of us, the Universe is simply mind-boggling, and like King David of old we exclaim:

“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit and inspect him?”  (Psalm 8:3-4)

The more we learn of deep space, the more unending the Universe becomes. It’s like “Eternity.” 

Man, for sure, is discovering a lot of hitherto unknown scientific data, both in the Universe “above” us, as well as in the microscopic world “within us” - our human genetic system.

But to gather enormous amounts of data without knowing the One who has created and provided the data, would be like gaining the whole world but losing one’s own soul. Blessed is the astronomer who can heartily say, and sing ...

 

O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder,

Consider all the works Your hands have made.

I see the stars, I hear the roaring thunder,

Your power throughout the Universe displayed ...

Then sings my soul, my Saviour, God, to You,

How great You are, how great You are!

 

“To stand in awe of YAHWEH the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”  (Proverbs 9:10)

 

                                   

THE MILKY WAY GALAXY.   OUR SUN IS ONE OF THE

 HUNDRED BILLION STARS THAT CO-EXIST IN THE GALAXY

 

HOW DID IT ALL BEGIN?

THE immense size of “space”; the sheer beauty; the orderliness of the heavens; and the laws of celestial mechanics - how it all works - is all very intriguing, whether you are a scientist, or a simple star-gazer.

And naturally the question comes up, “How did the Universe begin? Did all this happen through a ‘big bang’? Is it all the result of random chemical reaction?”

While the searching of the heavens brings new exciting discoveries every year, we can be sure the searching of the heavens will not reveal the actual origin of the Universe, and life. Telescopes and exploratory space-craft reveal the results, not the origins. The origin is not in the physical, but in the spiritual.

“The beginning” is discovered in the Word of God.

The Bible begins with the unequivocal statement ...

 

“IN THE BEGINNING God created THE

heavens and the earth.”

(Genesis 1:1)

The Book of Hebrews adds:

“By faith we understand that the universe was formed by the spoken Word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.” (Hebrews 11:3)                       

Yes, we can understand the Origin, by faith - not “blind faith,” but by faith in the revelation that God has given in His Word.

“Your Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path. The sum total of Your Word is truth.” (Psalm 119:105, 160)

The Bible is not a scientific textbook, but it is the Book of the Origins. It reveals the origin of the Universe, the origin of the world, the origin of angels, the origin of evil, the origin of the species, and the origin of man.

The Universe did not start with a “big bang.”  It began with the spoken Word of God.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He (the Eternal Son) was with God in the beginning before all time. All things came into being through Him; and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life; and that life was the light of men.”  (John 1:1-4)

“Then God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth’; and it was so.

“Then God made the two great lights; the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night. He made the stars also. And God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:14-18)

“He appoints the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them.”  (Psalm 147:4)

Who is God?  Who is this great Creator? 

The Almighty God has revealed His name, His characteristics, and the fact that He has created the universe, in the original Hebrew Bible:

“Thus says Yahweh, who gives the sun for a light by day, and the laws of the moon and the stars for a light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; Yahweh of Hosts is His Name.”  (Jeremiah 31:35)  

“He who made the Pleiades and Orion and turns deep darkness into morning, who also makes the day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the surface of the earth. Yahweh is His Name.”            (Amos 5:8)

“Thus says Yahweh, your Redeemer, and the One who formed you from the womb, ‘I, Yahweh, am the Maker of all things, stretching out the heavens by Myself and spreading out the earth - who else was with Me?”  (Isaiah 44:24)

 

(The personal Name of the Heavenly Father is revealed in the Hebrew Bible.  Written some 6,855 times as ...

the Name of Yahweh was revealed first to Adam and Eve. It was known by Abraham, and later was revealed anew to Moses at the burning bush.

The Name is connected to the Hebrew verb hayah - to be, to live, and to the title “I AM” of Exodus 3:14. The meaning of Yahweh is “The Eternal One.”

Unfortunately most of our English Bibles use a substitute word, LORD - 4 capitals - instead of the Name.) 

 

WILL THE WITNESS PLEASE SPEAK UP?

Was anyone there at “the beginning” to witness the creation?  We might expect the answer, “No-one!” But there is a voice that speaks up:

“When He prepared the heavens, I was there.

When He ordained a circle on the face of the deep;

when He strengthened the clouds above;

when He established the fountains of the deep;

when He set boundaries for the sea

so that the water would not transgress His command;

when He marked out the foundations of the earth;

then I was beside Him, as a master craftsman;

and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him,

rejoicing in His inhabited world,

and My delight was with the sons of men.” 

(Proverbs 8:27-31)

The voice is that of Wisdom. And yet it is not an im-personal wisdom. “Wisdom” here is the voice and Person of the Eternal Son - “the Only Begotten Son of God.”

In 1 Corinthians 1:24 the apostle Paul says:  

“The Messiah is the power and wisdom of God.”

And in Colossians 2:2-3, Paul adds:

“... the Messiah, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Was the Son of God, Jesus the Messiah, involved in the creation?  Yes, very much so! The Son was “the Word,” who existed with the Father, and who, Himself, was God. The following three Scriptures make it clear that Y’shua, Jesus, is the eternal Word.

“The Messiah, Y’shua, who, although existing in the form of God - being in very nature God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, being made in human likeness.” (Philippians 2:5-7)

“In the past, God, Yahweh, spoke in many and various ways to our forefathers through the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom also He made the ages and the universe. The Son being the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His very being and nature, upholds all things by His powerful word.” (Hebrews 1:1-3)

“And He is the visible image of the invisible God, the ‘First-born’ (the Origin, Model, and Heir) of all creation. For in Him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things have been created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:15-17)

   Y’SHUA

The Messiah means “The Anointed.” He has many titles, including, The Word, Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, the Saviour, the King of Kings. His Name given to His humanity is Jesus, or in Hebrew, Y’shua, which means, “Yahweh is Salvation.”

 

THE ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES

MAN’S physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual makeup is absolutely amazing! We may not appreciate everything about man, but we must admit that he (and she), is a “skillfully woven creature.”

King David was very aware, as most of us are, of the amazing complexities of man’s physical makeup.  David’s perception:

“I will confess and praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. My bones were not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully woven ‘in the depths of the earth.’ Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book they were all written - everything about me, including the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them. And how precious are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great has been the sum of them!” (Psalm 139:14-17)

“Fearfully and wonderfully made” could likewise be applied to every type of living species, from the bee and the butterfly, to the beaver and the beast.  It is very hard to find a species that has been carelessly made. It’s true, we find an occasional quirk of nature - a deformed or three-headed monster. But that’s a genetic breakdown - it’s not the whole of the species.

An ape, or an octopus, is no less wonderfully made than man - but they are members of quite different species. Every species has been designed individually and meticulously.  And yet some people say all species came from one original gene, which happened to come into being by the force of random selection.

The Bible says God made them all, and as separate species.

“Then God said, ‘Let the earth produce grass and vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with seed in them, on the earth’; and it was so. And the earth produced grass and vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with seed in them, after their kind. And God saw that it was good . . .

“Then God said, ‘Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.’  And God created the great sea creatures, and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird and fowl after its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let the birds and fowls multiply on the earth.’ ...

“Then God said, ‘Let the earth produce living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind’; and it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind. And God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:11-12, 20-22, 24-25)

The Bible emphasizes the species were created individually, and for various purposes. A careful study of the various species reveals how different many are. Man is supposed to be the most “evolved” creature, but he lacks some of the unique systems that animals have - such as the inbuilt sonar system of the dolphin, the radar system of the bat, the navigational system of pigeons, and even the amazing digestive system of the worm. 

Just look at the worm ...

THE WONDER OF EARTHWORMS   

 

Earthworms are not accidents! They are highly specialized creatures, designed for their important task of burrowing through soil. They burrow into the ground in all parts of the world, making an important contribution to the fertilization, aeration and drainage of the soil.

They swallow huge amounts of soil, digest the nutritional matter it contains, then cast up the remains on the surface of the ground or in their burrows.  In this way they work at a constant and effective system of ploughing.

An average acre of soil may house 3 million earthworms which can move about 18 tons of soil in a year. Their work is so thorough that in the areas in which they live, almost all the soil to a depth of many centimetres has passed through the alimentary tract of a worm.

What a humble but important “floppy tube of

genetic material” that little creature is!

                        AND  WHAT  IS  MAN ?     

Man may not be so floppy. Someone has described man as “a bipeded packet of complicated genetic instructions.” 

In which way is man superior to the worm, and other species - if indeed he is superior?

Most of us, I feel, are inclined to regard people as superior to worms and animals. Fair enough. Just look at man’s brain.

A Creation Science message I received recently emphasized that man is indeed “skillfully woven” by divine hands. It explained:

“The human brain is an unlikely looking package, but oh the wonders that lie within! If visible to the eye, the electro-magnetic chemical reaction of the brain cells would probably resemble the random flickering of countless stars in an endless universe. The 12 billion cells of the brain form approximately 120 trillion connections; and every cubic inch of the brain contains at least a hundred million nerve cells interconnected by 10,000 miles of fibre.

“It has been said that man’s brain is the most ordered arrangement of matter in the entire universe. Its capabilities and potential stagger the imagination.  Could such a wonder simply evolve by time and chance?”

Amazing! All that complicated genetic instruction!

But why was man so skillfully woven, and endowed with a compulsive capacity to search, to figure out, and to “create”? And why is he such a “religious creature”? 

The Bible gives us the answer:

“What is man that You, the Almighty, are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit and inspect him? You have made him a little less than the angels of God, and have crowned him with glory and honour! You made him rule over the works of Your hands; You put everything under his feet.”  (Psalm 8:4-6)

In Genesis one, the first chapter in the Bible, we read that man was made very uniquely - in the image of Yahweh, the one true God who has revealed Himself as the “Three-in-one”  -  the Eternal Father, Son and Spirit. Man was made to have fellowship with Yahweh, and to share His life and plans forever.

“Then God, Yahweh ... created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves on the earth.’.”   (Genesis 1:27-28)

“Everyone who is called by My Name whom I have created for My glory, whom I have formed, yes, whom I have made ... This people I have formed for Myself; they will declare My praise.” (Isaiah 43:7, 21)

Therefore the Scripture says:

“Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, ‘I have no pleasure in them’.”            (Ecclesiastes 12:1)

But many people say, “No! Not youth!  Old age is the time to remember God!”

Many refuse to honour God in their youth, and then, sooner than they expected, they reach old age. But even then they neglect their Creator, and their salvation, and die as they have lived  -  without God.

Why must we remember our Creator in our youth? Because we need Him at the beginning of our lives, as well as at the end. We will all meet Him, sooner or later, and when we do, we need to be secure “in Christ.” 

“And just as it is appointed for all men to die once, and after that to face judgment, so the Messiah (Christ), the Anointed One, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not bearing sin again, but bringing salvation to those who are eagerly expecting Him.”  (Hebrews 9:27-28)

SCIENCE and THE BIBLE   

By Perth Christian Bible Ministries

 

1   There is never a conflict between what the Bible says in the original languages, and the true observations of such sciences as cosmology, geology, astronomy, chemistry, anatomy, anthropology and psychology.

2   However, actual scientific data and information in the Bible is extremely limited. The Bible is not a scientific text book, nor was it designed to be one.

3   Being a Book of God’s doctrines, and filled with spiritual phenomena, it is obvious that the Bible will occasionally allude to or comment on what we classify as scientific subjects.

4   Wherever the Bible comments on scientific subjects, the Bible is always accurate in the original languages. God is the origin of all the laws and all the phenomena which science is based upon. Therefore, science does not confirm the Bible but occasionally the Bible confirms scientific data or some scientific classification.

5   If scientific speculation does not line up with the Bible then such speculation is inaccurate. If there is a true conflict between scientific speculation and what the Bible says, the Bible is right. Just as when there is a conflict between some historical interpretation and what the Bible says, the Bible is right. In other words where the Bible comments on science, science must agree with the Bible. The Bible is not required to agree with science.

6   The continuation of the universe and the earth, including man, animal life, plant life, the stable state of the atmosphere with its various components all depends on the all-powerful and unchangeable characteristics of Jesus Christ. (Colossians1:17, Hebrews 1:13)

7   “Scientific laws” is a misnomer. Scientific laws as such, do not exist because science did not develop these laws and science cannot enforce them. For example in chemistry God decrees that when certain elements are combined, certain results will follow. This is a DIVINE LAW, not a scientific law.

8   With regard to the antiquity of the earth, neither science nor the Bible gives us a clear picture. We have some methods of measuring age, such as carbon dating and carbon 14, but these are not accurate in determining the antiquity of the earth.

9   So-called scientific laws are based on the assumption that the universe, which operates according to a fixed norm, will continue to do so. Science can observe and classify certain divine laws and then apply them productively, but only God in His sovereignty can guarantee the continuation of these laws.

10   The universe, with its function of matter and energy, will not always exist as it does at the present time. (2 Peter 3:10-12, Revelation 20:11)

11  Known scientific laws and phenomena, which man has been able to observe, classify and apply, depend entirely on the faithfulness of God. Jesus Christ at the present time is guaranteeing the function of every “scientific” law. (Colossians 1:17)

12  The Word of God will survive the destruction of the universe, for the Word of God and Bible doctrine exist forever.  (Psalm 119:89)

13   Regenerate man in a resurrection body will live forever and survive the changes in the universe, even surviving the destruction of the present universe.

14  It is the Eternal Son of God who holds the universe together by the power of His Word. (Hebrews 1:3). At the same time He is “holding back eternity” in order for the human race to have the opportunity to believe in Jesus Christ.

 - From The Bible Topic Book, vol 1 / Perth Christian Bible Ministries

 

SCIENCE      and   CREATION

 

By Perth Christian Bible Ministries

 

The following are brief comments in various categories which support the creationist view of life, and confirm the biblical statements on science. Science supports creation rather than the theory of evolution.

1    Moses

In Genesis 1 & 2, assuming Moses guessed the order of creation the chances of him completely accurately forecasting the order in its correct mode as it appears in those chapters is 1 in 10360.  

But Moses was given the revelation by God. (2 Peter 1:20-21)

2    Atmosphere 

      (a) Carbon 14

Scientists say that the production of Carbon 14 should reach equilibrium with Carbon 12 when the atmosphere is 40,000 years old. Modern calculations show that Carbon 14 is being produced at 31% greater rate than it is decaying. This indicates the atmosphere is less than 10,000 years old. Carbon dating is based on the speed of light which has been found to be not constant but gradually reducing in speed.

      (b) Helium

Produced by the action of cosmic rays on the atmosphere, the amount of helium present in the atmosphere indicates an approximate age of 10,000 years. With no atmosphere before 10,000 years ago, there was no earlier life, and therefore fossils and men are contemporaries.

3    Oceans

Cosmic dust enters the atmosphere at 14.3 million tons per annum. If the earth was 4.5 billion years old, the earth should have a dust blanket in excess of 100 feet in depth. This doesn’t allow for the greater rate of dust deposit which most scientists believe occurred in ancient times. The dust is not evident. This dust has been subject to rain translating the dust from the land via the new system to the oceans.

      (a) Nickel

Assuming that the oceans were initially of absolutely pure water, we would expect a certain amount of nickel deposits in the ocean. Although somewhat rare on earth, nickel is common in cosmic dust. There should be 950 lbs of nickel per square foot of ocean floor if the earth is 4.5 million years old. The amount of nickel present in the ocean indicates an age of 9,000 years for the ocean.

      (b) Uranium and Silicon

      Similar readings with uranium and silicon give the ocean an age of approximately 10,000 years only.

4    The Earth’s Crust

      (a) Magnetic Field

The magnetic field of the earth has a half life of 1,400 years. This means that 1,400 years ago the magnetic field was twice as strong, 2,800 years ago four times as strong and so on.

By continuing this process back into history, it has been calculated that by 8000 B.C. the magnetic field would be the same as a magnetic star, precluding life on the planet. A magnetic star maintains its field by thermo nuclear reaction.

Projecting forward, by 3100 A.D. the magnetic field, decaying at its present rate, will collapse causing the Van Allan belt to disintegrate allowing massive radiation of the earth which will end life on this planet. (This excludes divine intervention in the Millennium).

The magnetic field is less than 10,000 years old.

      (b) Earth’s Molten Core

The famous scientist Lord Kelvin calculated the heat loss from the molten core of the earth through the earth’s crust, and showed that the earth was far younger than its estimated 4,500 million years. He also estimated the age of the sun as being young.

5    Biology

      (a) Mules

Mules are formed by crossing horses and donkeys. While male mules are always infertile, occasion­ally a female mule can produce offspring. By crossing a male horse with the mule, a horse will always result. Similarly a male donkey will produce a donkey. Nature will revert back to its own kind.

      (b) Cereals

Hybrid grains can be grown but are generally infertile. With the re-crossing of wheat or oats with the hybrid, wheat or oats are formed, never the hybrid.

6    Geology

(a)  The Geological Column according to evolutionary theory ranges from  Pleistocene  in  the  Age  of  Mammals  to Pre-Cambrian of 570 million years or more. There are 15 subdivisions in this column. Nowhere in the world does the geological column exist in its correct order in nature.

(b)  In the column Trilobites are in the Cambrian period of 500 to 570 million years. In recent years a fossil of a trilobite has been found with a human sandal print superimposed over it showing trilobites and man co-existed on the earth at the same time.

(c)  In the Paluxy River, Texas, along the river bed are lines of dinosaur foot prints, foot prints of man and children together with giant foot prints 18" long, (Genesis 6:1-6). Giants in the land.

(d) In the Appaluchian Mountains from Maine to Georgia are human foot prints in granite.

(e)  Missing links in humanity.

(i)  Neanderthal Man is now considered to be modern man.  The famous French general Lafayette had a perfect Neanderthal skull.

(ii) Cro-Magnon Man had a brain capacity of 1450 cc towards the upper limit of human craniums which now-a-days range from 900 cc to 1500 cc. Cro-Magnon had a skull exactly like Charles Darwin.

(iii)      Pitdown Man, found in East Sussex, was found to be an elaborate hoax which fooled the scientific community for over 40 years.

(iv) Nebraska Man was created from a tooth. The tooth was eventually identified as a pig’s tooth.

(v)  Java Man was constructed from a cranium and jaw found many meters apart in a gravel bed in Java.

7    Astronomy

(a)  Jupiter and Saturn both give out 2½ times the heat received from the sun showing they are young bodies.

(b)  Io, one of the moons of Jupiter, not only has an atmosphere but has active volcanoes.

(c)  Titan, the largest moon of Saturn also has an atmosphere. This indicated that that moon is less than 10,000 years old.

(d) The rings of Saturn are undulating not smooth. By the gravitational pull of Saturn it is estimated that the rings would have smoothed out completely between 10,000 and 100,000 years.

(e)  Astronomers agree that comets have a life of no more than 10,000 years. Assuming that comets are not being created this shows a solar system of less than 10,000 years.

(f)  When the first space ships landed on the moon, NASA expected that there would be a 28 mile thick layer of dust of the consistency of icing sugar. NASA spent $1,000 million experimenting for a successful soft landing. When Neil Armstrong stepped on to the moon he found the dust on the surface averaged 3" in thickness, indicating some 8,000 years in age.

(g)  Space probes were sent to Mars and Venus to try to find life. Both were unsuccessful.

8    Thermodynamics

1st Law - Energy is neither created or destroyed. It changes from one state to another - this supports creation.

2nd Law - When changes take place, the structure always becomes less organized, never more complex.  Creation confirms this.  Evolution is based on the opposite stance of   simple systems becoming more organized or complex.

This very brief topic shows clearly how science supports the fact of creation rather than the theory of evolution with a likely date of original creation less than 10,000 years ago.

   - Bible Topic Book, vol 1/ Perth Christian Bible Ministries

 

THERE IS A TIME TO LAUGH!    

A Yahoo science report on Internet (18 Jan 00) says:

“A 400-million-year-old fossilized fish recently discovered

near an Australian dam may be one of

the human race’s earliest relatives,

according to researchers at the Australian Museum.”

 

 

    Scientific Phenomena in the BIBLE

By Perth Christian Bible Ministries

 

(a)  The Laws of the Universe, the Positions and Movements of Planets, and their Influence on the earth.

“Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades, or loosen the cords of Orion?  Can you lead forth the constellations in their seasons, and guide the Bear with her satellites? Do you know the laws of the heavens, or fix their rule over the earth?” (Job 38, 31-33)

The galaxies of the Universe are extremely orderly. The systems are held together (“chains and cords”) according to divine laws, including gravity.

(b)  Static Electricity  (Jeremiah 10:13)

“When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and He causes vapours to rise from the ends of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain, and brings       out the wind from His storehouses.”

This indicates that static electricity may be formed by the condensation of vapour.

(c)  The Earth is Spherical  (Isaiah 40:22, Proverbs 8:27)

“He who sits above the circle of the earth, and sees its inhabitants like grasshoppers - it is He who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.”  (Isaiah 40:22)

“When He prepared the heavens, I was there. When He ordained a circle on the face of the deep.” (Proverbs 8:27)

The words translated circle in these verses should be translated spherical.

(d)  Air has weight  (Job 28:25) 

            “Discovered” in 1630 by Galileo.

“When He imparted weight to the wind, and meted out the waters by measure.”

(e)  Winds have circuits. The Laws of Evaporation   and Precipitation

         Discovered in 1630 by Galileo.

“Blowing toward the south, then turning toward the north, the wind continues swirling around; and on its circular courses the wind returns.” (Ecclesiastes 1:6)

“... before the sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain.” (Ecclesiastes 12:2)

(f)  Radiation and Polarisation of Lights   (Psalm 65:8)

“They who live in the farthest parts stand in awe of Your signs. You cause the outgoings of morning and evening - the dawn and sunset - to sing for joy.”

(g)  Messages are sent by Lightning  (Job 38:35)

Who invented telegraphy? - God did!

“Can you send forth lightning that they may go and say to you, ‘Here we are’?”

(h)  Quarantine for Communicable Diseases   (Leviticus 13:45-46)

“Discovered” in recent years by medical research.

“As for the leper who has the infection, his clothes shall be torn, and his head shall be uncovered, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ He shall remain unclean all the days during which he has the infection; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.”

      - From The Bible Topic Book, vol 1 / Perth Christian Bible Ministries

“NATURAL” AND  “SCIENTIFIC” LAWS?

“Scientific laws” are a misnomer.  There are no “scientific laws,” as such, because science did not develop them, nor does science enforce them.

But there are true natural divinely established laws and phenomena which men have been able to observe, classify, recognize and interpret. They are God’s laws, and they depend entirely upon the faithfulness of God.  Jesus Christ holds the universe together by the word of His power. (Hebrews 1:3)

“He’s got the whole wide world, in His Hands.”     

The continuation of the universe and all of its creatures and the stable state of the atmosphere depends entirely on the omnipotence and immutability (unchanging attribute) of Jesus Christ.   

“Y’shua the anointed Messiah is the same yesterday, and today, and for ever!” (Hebrews 13:8)

“For in Him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things have been created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:16-17)

Every discovery of the laws of the universe is a treatise on the faithfulness of Jesus Christ, who at the present time is guaranteeing the function of every bonified “scientific” law.

Science can observe and apply laws, but the speculation of science is what is often in conflict with the Bible.  The so-called “scientific laws” are based on the statistical assumption that the universe, which operates according to a fixed norm, will continue to do so.  But the universe with its matter, energy, and operating laws of God will not always exist as it does at the present time. (2 Pet 3:10-12; Rev 20:11). Science can observe certain laws, but cannot guarantee their continuance.

True scientific laws are simply the faithfulness of Jesus Christ holding the universe together, and at the same time holding back eternity, so that the human race will have the opportunity to appropriate the grace of God, and so that ultimately God will be glorified forever.

UNBELIEF

Y’shua said to the intellectual community of His time:

“You refuse to come to Me that you may have life.”  (John 5:40)

And He could say the same to our modern “science-minded” generation.

So many people cannot bring themselves to believe that an intel­ligent, almighty Creator made the universe, but they are prepared to believe that all the laws of nature and science, some­how came into existence spontaneously, producing the vast and complicated life forms.  Let’s reason together!

Are we to believe that the human brain is a fluke of nature?     

It does not look very pretty, but it is an incredible “super computer.”

Are we prepared to believe also that if you put a cupful of sand into a mixing machine, along with a few other chemicals, that when you turn the machine off after a few millions years, you’ll be able to extract dozens of quarter-inch square silicon microchips?

Some may say that that is not a fair comparison, for only under certain laws and in suitable environments, can matter or life evolve.

But there is a big question - how did those laws come about, which enable the progress of life and matter? You come to a full stop! Go back as far as you can, and you come to that same full stop - where did the first protoplasm come from?

The evolutionist, of course, must admit he does not know. And of course we would not expect him to know. But the Christian can confidently answer, it all began with God.

The evolutionist will quickly respond and ask, “And who created God?” The answer is, No one! And that is not our guess or theory. The Bible reveals that God had no beginning. He is eternal.

That, of course, is hard for our finite minds to understand - but one thing you must admit, is that the human mind, although so wonderfully com­plex, is still so very limited; and while so many simple things are still baffling the best of us, I would not ex­pect to understand the infinite. The theories of origins prove that man is still groping in the dark.

“All Scripture is divinely-inspired - God-breathed, and is profitable for teaching, for conviction and reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.”  (2 Timothy 3:16)

The Word of God will survive the destruction of the universe.

“The grass withers, and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)

 

 PALAEONTOLOGY - THE STUDY OF FOSSILS

 

The best evidence for evolution, it is generally believed, comes from fossils which are the remains of plants, animals and humans. These are mostly bones, shells, etc., which have not decayed and disintegrated, but have been preserved in the rock strata of the earth.

On the basis of fossils discovered, a geological timetable has been compiled by evolutionary scientists. They have fixed the age, in millions of years, of the various layers.

The bottom layer of the strata, they say, was laid more than 570 million years ago as in the chart on next page.

 

The Geological Column

According to Evolutionary Theory

                                        

Period                                                                                                   Millions

                                                                                                                of years

                                                THE AGE OF MAMMALS

Pleistocene                      Man                                                                          2

Pliocene                          Elephants                                                                 7

Miocene                          etc.                                                                          26

Oligocene                                                                                                        37

Eocene                            Mastodon                                                              54

 

                                                THE AGE OF REPTILES

Cretaceous                      Pteranodon (Birds)                                             136

Jurassic                           Struthiomimus,  Dinosaurs                               190

                                         Ammonite, Shells
Triassic                           Ruttodon, Lizards, crocodiles                          225

 

                                                THE AGE OF AMPHIBIANS

Permian                          Dimetrodon                                                         280

Carboniferous                Dragonfly, Ichthyostega                                     345

 

                                                THE AGE OF FISHES

Devonian                        Eusthenopteron                                                   395

Silurian                           Hemicylaspis                                                       430

 

                                                THE AGE OF INVERTEBRATES

Ordovician                     Coral, Starfish, Brachiopods                             500

Cambrian                       Trilobite Echinoderm                                         570

Pre-Cambrian                                                                                   before 570

                                        

Evolutionists say that each of these strata took millions of years to form. This theory is based on the concept of Uniformitarianism, which maintains that the process has continued throughout the ages without any major catastrophe.

Evolution does not believe in or allow for the Great Flood.

Creationists believe, on the contrary, that the rock strata was formed suddenly, layer upon layer by the upheaval caused by the worldwide flood of Noah’s day - about 4,500 years ago.

The Biblical Account of the Flood    

Genesis chapter one tells us that God created the earth and that it was covered with water. He created day and night and divided the waters. Water still covered the earth but there was also an expanse or firmament - a water canopy (a covering) above the atmosphere which would have had a beneficial effect on the climate of the earth. It would have caused the earth to have an even, warm climate all over, with no extreme fluctuations of heat or cold.

After He had created the water canopy, God gathered the water that remained on earth into one place and dry land appeared; in other words there was one ocean, and one land mass. After this, God created plants, the sun and moon, animals and finally man.

There is definite evidence that at one time the earth had a universally warm, sub-tropical climate. Three examples of evidence out of many:

1.    Corals, which at present are limited to water that is at least 68°F (20°C) once grew near the poles - a fact shown in that fossil corals have been found there.

2.    Coal seams are also found near the poles, indi­cating that abundant sub-tropical vegetation once grew there.

3.    The remains of animals now confined to warm regions are found all over the earth.

The remains of dinosaurs, those cold-blooded animals that would have required a warm climate, are found virtually everywhere. The frozen mammoths of Siberia contained in their mouths the remains of plants that grew in warm regions, showing that they were living in a warm climate before they died.

So abundant is the evidence for this original worldwide warm climate that scientists universally admit the fact. It poses a major problem for the evolutionist, but can be easily explained by the past existence of a water vapour canopy. Further evidence of such a canopy has come from the study of isotopic helium at present in the atmosphere.

There is much evidence that both vegetation and animal life were more abundant in the past. Coal, oil and natural gas are all present throughout the earth in vast amounts, giving an indication of how much plant life there once was. The huge number of fossil animals also speak of a very well populated earth.

Man lived in a beautiful environment, but after he yielded to temptation and disobeyed God, a curse was pronounced, and the creation, including man, was sub­jected to decay and corruption. As a result, man, instead of advancing, began to grow more wicked and corrupt. This resulted in the Great Flood - the judg­ment of God that destroyed the whole world, except for all who were in the ark that Noah built according to the specifications given by God.

What evidence is there that such a flood actually happened, and that life on earth today stems from the handful of survivors of the flood?

The evidence is abundant and overwhelming. Some main points are given below.

1.    In every part of the world there are traditions found which speak of a great flood which once covered the earth and destroyed all but a tiny remnant of the human race. Many of them speak of a great boat that saved some men and animals and finally landed on a mountain.

2.    There is no trustworthy, recorded history dating earlier than about 3,000 BC. Many different lines of historical evidence point back to a time about 5,000 years ago (3,000 BC) as dating the beginning of true civilisation.

3.    There is evidence that the sea level was once much lower relative to land surfaces than it is now. Some islands, 1,000 fathoms below the surface of the oceans, show evidence of once having been above the surface.  Some great canyons extend out into the ocean as continuations of river valleys on land; for example, a submarine canyon extends some 3,000 miles from the mouth of the Hudson River (New York) to the edge of the Continental Shelf. The clear impression is that these drowned valleys were once normal river valleys above sea level.

4.    The dating of trees, by counting their annual growth rings, has revealed that there are many living trees - bristlecone pines and sequoias - of about 4,000 years of age, but none older than this. These are the oldest known living things and are virtually indestructible.

5.    The present world population figure of nearly 7 billion is not consistent with the view that man has existed for millions of years.  In fact it would only require about 5,000 years for this figure to be reached.

6.    Despite the denials of geologists and evolutionists, the findings of geology and palaeontology point unmis­takably to a great catastrophe.

*     At least three-quarters of the earth’s surface, including the tops of most mountains, is covered with sedimentary rock. The sediment must obviously have been eroded from some previous locations, then was carried and deposited. This is exactly what happens during a flood.

*     Tree trunks are found extending through several strata, showing that the thick layers of sediment were deposited within a very short time, and not over millions of years.

*     The study of coal provides evidence of a flood. There are all over the world, vast deposits of coal and oil, both of which are derived from remains of living organisms.

*     The fossil record gives abundant evidence of a devastating, worldwide flood.  The order in which fos­sils are found is explained by the flood. Millions upon millions of fossilized animal remains are to be found in various places, often grouped together in huge “graveyards.”

Evolutionists are unable to explain these things, for evolutionary theory rests on the concept of Uniformitarianism, which says everything has gradually advanc­ed with no major catastrophe ever having taken place.

There are certainly no processes going on today which could gradually produce such effects. But the evidence does point to the flood which covered the whole earth.

Now let’s consider what the fossil records should reveal ...

If evolution were true:

1.    At the bottom of the geological column, in the oldest rocks, very simple organisms should be found. As we progress up through the various rock strata towards more recent rocks, the organisms should become more and more complex.

2.    “Link fossils” would also be expected. These would be the remains of the “missing links”— the in-between forms of species that evolutionists say must have existed. For example, the creatures that were in between the reptile and the mammals. We should expect to find clear evidence of ape-like men.

3.    We would expect to always find the rock strata in the order given by the geological column, with the oldest at or near the bottom, and the most recent at the top.

Now what we would expect to find ...

In the light of creation?

If the Flood was universal, what should the fossil record show?

1.    It would show the remains of vast numbers of living creatures which were wiped out suddenly. There should be evidence in the form of huge numbers of skeletons bearing the marks of sudden and violent death.

2.    We would expect the flood to have left thick layers of sediment, since this is always the result of flooding. These layers would have become consolidated, forming sedimentary rock over most of the earth’s surface.

3.    As the flood would have been of a tidal nature, we would expect to see layering caused by sediment deposited by the different tides; this layering would be confused and indistinct in many places, because of the chaotic nature of the catastrophe as a whole.

4.    Because of the upheaval, which flooded the world and changed the even climate of the world, we could expect also to find remains of animals more or less all over the earth, even in areas that are now ice­bound.

What does the Fossil Record

actually show?

Does the fossil record show evidence of a gradual development through the rock from simple to complex organisms, such as we would expect to find if evolution were true?

No! In fact, fossils of many different kinds of animals appear suddenly in great numbers at a certain level in the earth’s rocks. This is the level that evolutionists call ‘the Cambrian’. Below this level, in rocks known as ‘pre-Cambrian,’ virtually no fossils are found at all.

There is no gradual progression from very simple organisms to complex ones in the Cambrian rocks; rather, fossils suddenly appear representing every major group of organisms alive today. It is significant, more­over, that those fossils are not the simplest, least com­plex representatives of these groups. This fact labels evolution as fiction and it is very embarrassing to the evolutionist.

Trilobites are supposed to be some of the earliest forms of life - 500 to 550 million years ago. But an interesting discovery has been made of a human shoe footprint, along with some crushed trilobites, in Cam­brian rock. Man and trilobite appear together, and yet, according to evolutionary theory, man should not have appeared until 550 million years after the trilobites.

Cambrian rocks, being the oldest strata, should contain many fossils of the simplest organisms. But they do not.

The foregoing are a few examples to show that the evidence of the fossil record does not support the theory of a gradual development from very tiny organisms to complex ones; rather, the evidence shows many complex forms appearing suddenly in the rocks. This is just what we would expect to find, after studying the Bible’s account of the flood.

 

 

Dinosaurs and Giant Forms   

 

Evolution teaches that as an animal evolves to a more complex form, it also increases in size. But among the fossils, giant forms have been discovered of almost every kind of creature alive today. Among the reptiles there were those enormous dinosaurs, as well as giant turtles. Mammals were often twice the size of their current counterparts. For example, giant forms of all the following mammals have been found: bears, camels, panthers, pigs, rhinos, elephants, tigers and wolves. Giant fossil birds have been found, as have insects such as dragonflies with 20 to 30 inch wing spans.

The very existence of these giant forms is naturally an embarrassment to the evolutionist, and the subject is usually ignored by them as far as is possible. It is a bit difficult, though, to ignore the huge size of the dinos­aurs.

It is very clear that dinosaurs and other giant forms did not evolve into something larger, (and I’m rather pleased about that); but they have either reduced in size, or become largely extinct.

What happened to the dinosaurs? They did not progress into something greater, but rather they seem to have been wiped out suddenly. Evolutionists admit that they are baffled by the fact that these strong, complex, well-established species suddenly disappear from the fossil record. They suggest that a sudden change in climate might have been responsible for the extinction of dinosaurs. Some have said a comet destroyed them millions of years ago. 

And there was this rather quaint explanation …

Biologist, Mr. L. R. Crawford of Salford University, suggested the dinosaurs that roamed the earth for 150 million years, may have died out because of eye cataracts which blinded them after an increase in the sun’s radia­tion while the atmosphere was still evolving.  - Adelaide Advertiser, May 1982

I guess he is serious. Well, maybe the dinos lost their way, and fell into a half frozen lake.

On the basis of Scripture, however, it is not hard to imagine how the species were wiped out. They suffer­ed the same tragedy as the mammoths, and the other species of creatures which were suddenly fossilised - they were destroyed suddenly by the flood.

Presumably, Noah must have taken two dinosaurs into the ark along with the rest. (The ark was big enough to carry at least 50,000 pairs of creatures!) But the cold­-blooded, dinosaurs evidently did not survive for long because of the great fluctuations of temperature after the Flood.

“THE BIG SPLASH”

According to three scientists, Shoemaker, Emiliani and Kraus, who have published their ideas in a book entitled, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, a 16 km-wide asteroid may have slammed into the earth 63 mill­ion years ago. Since earth is two-thirds water, the chances are that it would have hit the ocean, with an impact equivalent of at least 100 million megatons of TNT (or 100 million times the power of a hydrogen bomb.)

According to their theory, the big splash would have kicked up some 20 trillion tonnes of water. The lower atmosphere would have readily lost this moisture as rain, but in the upper atmosphere, water would have been retained for years as a thick fog. The moisture would have acted as a blanket, preventing heat loss and raising earth’s temper­ature by at least 100 C. This would have led to the extinction of large number of plants and animals.

This is admitted by the scientists to be a speculat­ion.

In 1980, other researchers proposed that a giant asteroid may have hit a continent and kicked up a huge dust cloud. This would have blocked out the sun, causing the wide-spread death of plants and animals.

An article, The Glory of the Dinosaurs, in Omega Science Digest (Jan-Feb. 82) starts with:

“Sixty-four million years after they vanished abruptly and mysteriously from the face of the earth, dinosaurs are still making news. A renaissance in field palaeontology over the past two dec­ades has led to the unearthing of astonishing and unex­pected finds; new dinosaurs.”

At the Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta, Canada, palaeontologists are having lots of fun with bones - 80 square kilometers of choice dinosaur fossils. The bones are thoroughly mixed up, but are so dense that it is diffic­ult to walk over the area without stepping on specimens.

Director Philip J. Currie said: “We strongly suspect that each bone bed represents the demise of a single herd of dinosaurs in a common disaster, such as a flash flood or an epidemic. The shallowness of the bedding planes and their uniform composition pretty much exclude the possibility that the bone beds accumulated over longer stretches of time.”

The article comments on the theories of catastrophe:

“Most palaeontologists regard catastrophist theories as unnecessary. Considerable evidence is being found of a gradual decline in dinosaur diversity at the end of the Mesozoic age. But while every catastrophist theory fails to explain the survival of large reptiles such as crocodiles, every gradualist theory fails to explain the simultaneity of extinction.”

The article goes on to describe various creatures up to 25 meters long, and weighing up to 80 tonnes. It speaks of extensive strata in Colorado, Utah and Wyom­ing, USA, which comprises giant dinosaur graveyards. Some impressive colour illustrations of various dino­saurs are given with the article, but it also has a note about Resurrecting Giants:

“Re-creating the giant reptiles of 100 million years also, takes the patience of a saint, an intimate understanding of anatomy, and a fertile imagination. Dinosaur reconstructions are done bone by bone. Scientists start with the principle that the hipbones connected to the thigh bone, and gradually piece together a skeleton from fossils. When a bone is missing, the blank is filled by casting an appropriate skeletal piece from a bone that already exists . . . Scientists have been able to theorise about how to reconstruct an entire dinosaur from only a footprint or part of a bone.”

Wow! Such evolutionary scientists are mis-named! They really are, if they would only admit it, creationists!

ASTEROID TILTS THE EARTH 

Many Creation Scientists believe that a massive asteroid did hit the earth - not millions of years but just about 4,500 years ago. Evidence for this belief is provided through the research of the late George Dowell (B.A., FRAS., and South Australian Government astronomer) who discovered from the measurements of solar shadows, that the earth had behaved like a spinn­ing top that has been knocked.

According to his charts, the earth was pushed over 27 degrees, in 2345 B.C. From that time the earth gradually righted itself, up until 1850 when it settled on its present 23½ degree axis.

Dodwell maintained that the Pacific Ocean basin shows much evidence of having been the site of such an asteroid or comet impact. The Pacific is surrounded by big mountain chains which were evidently formed by the collision.

Not only would the asteroid hit have tilted the earth, but the exploding debris, ricocheting up into the atmo­sphere, could have caused the water canopy to collapse.

The Scripture does not say, of course, that an asteroid hit the earth, but it does say that “the fountains of the deep were broken up,” and “they poured forth water for 150 days.” It also says “the floodgates of the sky were opened, and the rain fell forty days and forty nights.” (Genesis 7:11, 12, 24)

Water would have swirled around the world in tidal waves lasting for several months because of the planet’s oscillation. Thus it is not diffic­ult to account for the millions of animals being swept into massive “graveyards,” and impounded into sedi­ment to become fossils.

6,000 YEARS, or 

4½ BILLION YEARS?

Evolutionists claim the earth is 4½ billion years old. Creationists claim the earth is quite young. Man is only 6,000 or so years old. And the world itself was created in six days at the beginning.

Some may argue that a “day” is with the Lord, as a “thousand years.” Well, if you insist, you can make it 7,000 years for creation, and 6,000 years of human life. But that still would be only 13,000 years - and that’s many light years away from the 4½ billion figures of way-out evolutionists.

God could make it just as easy in six days as in six thousand years, or six billion years.

This reminds me of the professor who was explain­ing the “six days” of creation of Genesis chapter one.

“Six days” the professor said, “is of course symbolical. It can mean any period.”

“Can it mean six billion years, sir”, asked a student.

“Of course.”

“Can is mean even six seconds?”

“Well, I suppose, theoretically, that’s possible.”

“Could it also mean, six days?”

“Six days!  No, no, no, no, no, no, NO !!”

And there was also a young student who asked his Sunday School teacher, “How long did it take God to make the world?”

“Six days,” the teacher replied.

“You mean, six really, truly days?” asked the small boy again.

“Yes, six really, truly days!”

“Oh …” said the perplexed student, “… I wonder why it took Him so long.”

Assumptions

The evolutionist ridicules claims based on the Bible, because he reasons that nothing of any significance could happen in so short a time as 6,000 years.

And creationists ridicule that assumption because some-thing very significant did happen, in one single year - the Flood, which they claim, is the cause of fossils, and the earth’s surface strata.

Evolutionists claim massive time periods because of the speed of light and because of their methods of carbon and uranium dating.

Creationists maintain that evolutionary dating methods are based on erroneous assumptions. One of those assumptions is that light has always travelled at the same speed.

Recent research by some creation scientists into the observed speed of light over several hundred years have caused them to conclude that the speed of light has in fact slowed down dramatically.

Well, some reader may ask, does it really matter if the world began 6,000 years or 4,500,000,000 years ago? After all, we’re here right now, and that’s all that matters!?

Oh! So “that’s all that matters”? Then one important question that we are compelled to ask and answer is; “Why are we here?” If we are here as a result of blind chance, as evolutionists would say, then you are free to go do your own thing without any qualms. It hardly matters. Nothing really matters. Nothing is really right, or really wrong. Even if we blow ourselves into pieces by our highly evolved weapons, it would hardly matter - for everything is a big accident anyway; every­thing is transitory, fleeting, non-eternal; without lasting meaning in the long run.

If it all comes to an end by self-destruc­tion - and a great number of our leading scientists are afraid that it will - it would hardly matter, for wouldn’t non-existence be happier than the world of suffering that is evolving so rapidly in this the “second millionth year” of our Homo-sapiens’ evolving and surfeiting (over-indulgence).

But on the other hand, if it is a fact that we have been created - that we have been placed here by a Supreme Being, as creation­ists believe and teach, then there is a purpose, a reason, a right and wrong. It does matter if we blow ourselves up. It does matter if we bring misery to mankind and ourselves. It does matter if we become delinquents, truants, and social and spiritual calamities.

It is im­portant then to be convinced about whether we are here by chance or by design.

For one who believes the Bible, there is no doubt about creation, and God’s design.

 

In the stars His handiwork I see

In the wind, He speaks with majesty

When I hear a new-born baby cry I know

 .. . it’s not by chance !

 

So let us ask once more  …

 

            WHAT IS MAN?   

When we study the vastness of the universe, and even the grandeur of this planet Earth, we are left with this question in our minds, “What is man?”

Are the billions of people on this planet comparable to grains of sand? Insignificant, tran­sient, virtually meaningless, and without lasting value?

As we study man, his makeup, his talents, his capacity, we cannot come to the conclusion that the only point of an individual is to reproduce, and to make inconsequential contributions to the forces of “nature.”

No one would be so foolish as to say a computer happened by chance; although some may insist that the computer evolved from simple calculating machines until they became veritable “living wizards.” But we all know they did not evolve by chance. They were designed by some very brilliant, human, designers.

But the human brain is itself a computer, and an amazing phenomenon. One estimate of the total storage capacity of the human brain puts it at 1,000,000,000, 000,000 items of information. Man is a very clever creature.

Leave palaeontology and the rocks, and turn to biology. Study, the heart, the eye, the nervous system, and surely you have to admit that man is “wonderfully and fearfully made.” (Psalm 139:14)

It is true that animals and even insects are also intricately designed. But we would all admit that man is intellectually much superior to all animals even though some seem to be very clever indeed.

Man is unique in his capacity to speak, to write his language, to record facts and figures, to build amazing structures, and to overcome and expand his environ­ment. He is able to create, to reason, to assess, to calculate and to invent.

Many imagine that a human baby learns to talk through mimicking his parents. But linguists now be­lieve that speech is innate - inborn. A baby learns to speak because it is human, otherwise it would be limited, like a parrot, to a few select phrases. In fact, you cannot stop a child from talking.

When two dogs meet, they don’t keep on barking, and making all sorts of noises, they communicate through smelling, wagging, etc. Animals, birds, fish communicate in their own ways. Dolphins use a type of radar. Bees communicate by a “waggle-dance.” Dogs bark, cats meow, cows moo, horses neigh; canaries whistle, and other animals give off a various range of meaningful noises. Parrots will even imitate human words and expressions, but no creature except man has developed the power of oral speech.

We do not deny that communication in other species may be quite marvellous and satisfactory to their life­style and environment. And there are certainly amazing instincts such as in birds that are able to find their way across thousands of miles of ocean without a map, and penguins that are able to find their way to their tradit­ional breeding grounds; fish that are able to choose the right wave to carry them ashore to lay their eggs in the sand, without being stranded there.

According to evolution, all species come from the one source. If man and ape came from common ancestors, is it not strange that the ape did not learn to talk coherently also; that he did not learn to write even the simplest forms; that he did not learn to make something. It certainly seems that the ape just does not have it in him, to do these things.

How is it that man alone has learned to invent? How is it that while man has mastered technology and overcome his physical limitations, that animals have made no progress, and are restricted to the very few inbuilt abilities they have?

Birds, animals, reptiles, fish, all have instincts, which are almost exclusively the instinct to survive and to reproduce. Some of the very smallest species are builders - the spider and his web, the bee and her hive, a bird and its nest, the caterpillar and its cocoon, and the ant and its underground “city.” A few species bur­row holes. But with all these, it is just one single talent they have and is a result of instinct, not of a creative mind. But most animals can do nothing creative. A cat can unroll a ball of wool, but it can never roll the wool up again! The only thing a cat can make is a mess. And not one animal uses an invention that it has itself made, such as a spear or a back-scratcher.

My point is; Man is not just a clever animal.

According to the Bible, man is a special species, created by God. He is a person, created with the capacity to share the life and the immense plans of God.

Man is not an acci­dent, nor the product of blind forces. He is not a highly evolved animal, but an intricately formed, intelli­gent, responsible person. But he has also been designed as a free agent - with an inherent conscience, and with the powers of choice and action.

Man was formed in “the image of God.” This, of course, is not referring to physical shape, for God is a spirit.

Man was endowed with certain attributes or characteristics of God - spirituality, so that he has the consciousness of God, and the innate urge to know and worship the Creator; intellectuality, with the power to speak, to reason, to create; morality, and with it volition - the power and responsibility to choose and to make right decisions based on conscience and Divine instruction; and eternity - and a destiny which is determined by his receiving or rejecting God’s grace and calling. 

Man is called to imbibe and to share in the same divine qualities that govern the Creator - selfless love, holiness, righteousness, truth and joy.

It is because of his spiritual capacity and his relationship with God, as Redeemer and Father, a saved man can be called, a “son of God,” even as Adam was. (Luke 3:38)

“To all who received Him, Y’shua, to those who believe in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)

“O YHWH, our Lord, how excellent is Your Name in all the earth,

What is man that You are mindful of Him,

and the Son of Man that You visit and inspect Him?

You have made Him a little lower than the angels of God,

and have crowned Him with glory and honour!

You made Him rule over the works of Your hands.”  (Psalm 8:1, 4-6)

 

MAN’S TRAGIC FALL    

The original man, Adam, was a much superior person than our 21st century degenerates. But Adam made a wrong choice, just like you are I have made countless wrong choices. But Adam’s wrong choice, his disobedience, and his fall into sin, brought great tragedy to the human race and to the planet. It brought corruption and death to all his descendants.

But that was not the end! God did not dispense with man, but rather, He sought the reconciliation of mankind to Himself, and to His purposes. (There was just one occasion when God did wipe out a totally evil generation - that was through the worldwide flood, when only one family - Noah’s - was saved.)  But otherwise, God’s dealings with mankind over the past six thousand years have been towards this end - reconciliation. And beyond reconciliation, His ultimate plans and purposes.

For this reason, God sent His Son into the world that the world through Him might be saved. The Son was sent to reconcile the world to Yahweh the Almighty, and to deliver man from the chains of slavery which man him-self had helped to forge by his foolish independence.

With the fall and rebellion of man, the second law of thermodynamics, became a sad fact. Decay and deterioration set in. Men became old, sick, and subject to death. They became morbid, depraved and hopeless.

But “when we were still weak, the Messiah at the right time died for the ungodly  … Therefore if anyone is in Christ, the Messiah, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; see, all things have become renewed. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Y’shua the Messiah, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was personally present in the Messiah reconciling the world to Himself, not counting men’s trespasses against them; and He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.”  (Romans 5:6. 2 Cor. 5 : 17-19)

 

REMEMBER NOW, YOUR CREATOR!

 

“For YHWH who created the heavens, who formed and made the earth, and established it, He who did not create it as a waste place, but formed it to be inhabited; He who is God says this: ‘I am YHWH, and there is no other.

“The One forming light and creating darkness … It is I who made the earth, and created man upon it. I stretched out the heavens with My hands, and I ordained all their host.’ ” (Isaiah 45:18, 7, 12)

“Thus says YHWH of hosts ... ‘I have made the earth, the men and the beasts which are on the face of the earth by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and I will give it to whomever it seems right to Me’.”  (Jeremiah 27 : 4-5)

“Thus says God the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and that which comes out of it, who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk in it. I, YHWH, have called You in righteousness.”  (Isaiah 42:5-6)

“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, marked off the heavens by the span, calculated the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains on scales and the hills in a balance?

“Who has meted out the Spirit of YHWH, or as His counsellor taught Him? With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding, and who taught Him in the path of justice? who taught Him knowledge, and showed Him the way of understanding?

“Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood the foundations of the earth?

“He who sits above the circle of the earth, and sees its inhabitants like grasshoppers - it is He who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. It is He who reduces rulers to naught, who makes the judges of the earth as nothing.

“No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the earth, than He blows on them, and they wither, and the whirlwind sweeps them away like stubble.

“To whom then will you compare Me or to whom shall I be equal?’ say the Holy One.

“Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars - the One who brings out the starry host one by one. He calls them all by name; because of His great power and mighty strength. Not one of them is missing.

Do you not know? Have you not heard?

“YHWH, the Eternal God, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired, and His under-standing no-one can fathom.”  (Isaiah 40:12-14; 21-26, 28)

 

It is a wise young man who remembers his Creator before his life is spent. It is a life well-spent that is devoted to the honour and service of the living God. It is wisdom - not expedience - to live in tune with the One who has the whole wide world in His hands.

My reader, we are creatures, not “evolvatures.” We are created beings, not evolva-beasts. We are people fash­ioned by a skilful Designer; we are not protoplasmatoids churned out by the skilful interplay of non-intelligence.

The LORD is our Creator, and we are His creation. Wise, indeed, is he who remembers and acknowledges and honours the LORD God, in the day of Grace, before the calamities befall God-despisers; before the Day of Reckoning.

A prophecy in Ecclesiastes tells of that Day - a day of darkness and despair. And it is in this context that the exhortation is given, to remember your Creator!

“Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, ‘I have no pleasure in them’;

“before the sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened (sight is impaired), and the clouds (of depression) return after the rain; before the day that the watchmen of the house (the limbs) tremble, and mighty men are bent (legs become weak); and the grinders (the teeth) stand idle because they are few, and those who look through the windows (the eyes) see dimly;

“before the doors (the lips) are shut in the street and the sound of the grinding (teeth) becomes low; and when one arises up at the sound of a bird (unable to sleep), and all the daughters of song (the voice and the ear) grow faint; and when old men are also afraid of heights, and of dangers on the road; and when the almond tree (their white hair) blossoms, and even a grasshopper becomes a burden, and when the desire and appetite fail.

“For man goes to his eternal dwelling place while the mourners go about the streets.”  (Ecclesiastes 12:1-5)

 

Some young people say, “Ah, old age is the time to think about God.”

Yes, that’s true! But young age is also the time to re­member God! Because, if you don’t think about God when you are young, there is no guarantee that He is going to think about YOU when you are old!  In fact, there is no guarantee that if you forget God now, you will call upon Him later. In fact, there is no guarantee that you are even going to get old this side of the grave. I think you get what I mean.

To young people I can say confidently, from my experience, youth is the best time to get to know God, and to learn the truth. In fact, it is very important, that amidst all the confusion you experience, in school, university, and in society, that you discover just what the Truth is. This, they say, is an Age of Discovery.  True!  And I trust this book has helped you to discover that you are indeed a special creature, and not an “evolvature.”

It was my privilege at the young age of nine years, to discover God, through the Saviour, the Lord Jesus, and it has been a joy to get to know Him more over the years. I have learned much about Him through nature, through the universe, and through the trials and experiences that have come my way. I have learned so much of Him through the Bible - that amazing, written, Word of God; and I’ve learned a lot about Him as I discovered Him working in my life.

At the very beginning of my discovery, I asked Him to come into my life. And He didn’t waste any time, for as I have also discovered, it is His intention to come into His creatures’ inmost beings, to make them much more than creatures - to make them sons of God. Yes, and  even I can say, ‘I am a son of God’ – not, of course, an eternal Son in the same way as the Lord Jesus is. But nevertheless, I have become a child of God, possessing the eternal life, which He has given to me.

This is a privilege I have, friend, not because I’m Don Stanton - but in spite of my being Don Stanton. And it is a privilege YOU can have also. In fact, it is God’s intention that all Homo-sapiens – that is, all human beings, should become glorious children of God.

Our foreparents, Adam and Eve, were both made in the image of God. And it may seem hard to believe that we, poor, disgruntled, misshapen creatures, whose “godly image” has been so tarnished that you may as well say we’ve lost it completely – it may seem hard to believe, I say, that we are called into fellowship with God, our Creator, who now offers to redeem us, to reconcile us, to rectify us, and to fulfil His glorious intention in us.

Oh just listen, beloved, befuddled, Bedouin (nomad), to these beautiful words which are not extracts from Darwin’s bibliography, but are from the Creator’s Book, the Bible.

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with the Messiah - by grace you have been saved - and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly realms in Messiah Y’shua, that in the ages to come He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Messiah Y’shua.

“For by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God - not as a result of works, lest anyone should boast.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Messiah Y’shua for those good works which God prepared beforehand that we should do and walk in.”  (Ephesians 2:4-10)

“For YHWH, the Almighty God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten, His one-and-only, unique, eternal Son, so that whoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have eternal (everlasting) life.” …

“He came to His own, but His own did not receive Him. But to all who received Him, to those who believe in His Name, Y’shua, He gave the right to become children of God.”  (John 3:16; 1:11-12)

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in the Messiah, Y’shua our Master.”  (Romans 6:23) 

 

“And He is the image of the invisible God, the “First-born” (the Origin, Model, Supreme Head and Heir) of all creation. For in Him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things have been created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together …

“For all the fulness of YHWH El Shaddai was pleased to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven; through Him, I say, having made peace through the blood He shed on His cross.”  (Colossians 1:15-17, 19,20)

 

The greatest FACT about the origin of the World, and of the origin of the Universe, is the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Origin - the One who was, and is, one with the Heavenly Father, and one with the Holy Spirit, who “moved over the surface of the waters,” and who “breathed into man the breath of life.” (Genesis 1:2, 2:7)

The Apostle Paul was given revelation concerning God’s purposes through Jesus Christ. Paul wrote:

“To me, the very least of all God’s set-apart people, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of the Messiah, and to bring to light what is the administration – the plan and purpose, and the working out of the mystery which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God, who created all things through the Messiah, Y’shua.

“His purpose is that now, through the Church – the universal body of those who are in Y’shua the Messiah - the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the angelic rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Y’shua the Messiah, our Master.”  (Ephesians 3:8-11)

My Reader, if you have not yet been reconciled to your Creator, will you acknowledge and honour Him today?

Turn from your doubt and unbelief. Turn from your sin, and call upon the Heavenly Father to save you today. Pray to Him in words like these:

 

DECISION Prayer

 

Heavenly Father, today I come before You as my Creator. I come just as I am, a sinner, deserving nothing but Your wrath, and needing Your salvation.  I call upon You in faith, in the Name of Y’shua, Jesus the Messiah, believing and trusting You for forgiveness of my sin, and for salvation by Your grace.

I believe the Lord Jesus is the One by whom all things were made, and that He is the One, who came to earth and died on the cross to pay the penalty of my sins. By Your grace I yield my life to Him, and I will follow Him from this day on.

I now know that I am not on earth by accident, but You have made me with a purpose. I come to You, Father, for I want to realise Your purpose for my life. And I want to know You, and to be a true child of God.

Y’shua, Master, let Your love and power fill my life. Make me a new creature,  and enable me to live as Your faithful disciple.

Thank You Father, for hearing and answering this humble but sincere prayer, and for making me Your child. Thank You, Y’shua, for paying my penalty, and for saving me.  Thank You, thank You. Amen

 

 

  Signed  ............................................ date ..........

 

 

My dear reader, if you prayed to receive the Lord Jesus as your personal Saviour today, I would love to hear from you, so that we may rejoice with you and pray for you. Write to Don Stanton, at your nearest MRC address (inside front cover)

 

 

TO GROW IN YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE

Receiving Y’shua the Messiah as your personal Saviour is the beginning of a new life. It means you have experienced a spiritual birth - “the New Birth,” and you have received the Holy Spirit -  for He indwells every believer who is indeed born of God. You now are a child of God, and have become a part of His universal family.

From the moment you were born again, you will have noticed various wonderful changes taking place in your life and thinking.  The Scripture now says to you:

“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Master and Saviour, Jesus Christ - (Y’shua the Anointed). To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity - for ever. Amen.” (2 Peter 4:18)

1.   To grow in grace and knowledge you need a daily in-take of the Word of God. Read the Bible daily. It will give you spiritual strength, direction, encouragement and will teach you about your Heavenly Father and Saviour, and His ways.

“Like newborn babes, crave for the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow in respect of salvation, now that you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.” (1 Peter 2:2-3)

2.   Like a small child, learn to talk to your Father. That’s what prayer is - it’s communion or fellowship with God.

“That which we have seen and heard we declare to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son, Y’shua Messiah.” (1 John 1:3)

3.   Make an open stand for the Messiah. Do not be ashamed to own Him as your Saviour and Master. Tell others about His love and salvation. 

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of the Messiah, for it is the power of God for salvation to every one who believes.” (Romans 1:16)

4.  Find a gathering of true believers and have regular fellowship with them. This could be a spiritual home for you, and it will help you to grow stronger in the Messiah.

“Therefore comfort and encourage one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:18)

5.   Walk in the Holy Spirit and let Him fill your life with His power. You need His power to overcome temptation and trials, and to resist Satan and his evil influences.

To walk in, and be filled with, the Holy Spirit, take a note of these important instructions:

i.   Whenever you know you have sinned, don’t cover up your failure, but confess it to your Heavenly Father, and receive His forgiveness and cleansing.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

ii.  Renounce any bad habits, and ask the Master for His victory over the temptations.

“Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Master, Y’shua the Messiah.” (1 Corinthians 15:57)

iii. Forgive those who do wrong to you, and seek to show kindness to everyone with the love of Christ.

“Be kind towards one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in the Messiah also has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

iv.  Give yourself to the Master daily and seek to obey His Word.

“Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God ... And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is - His good, acceptable and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2)

“Y’shua answered him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My Word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our home with him.” (John 14:23). AMEN

 

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