4/30/21

Simultaneous Causation by Jeff Miller, Ph.D.

 

https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=687

Simultaneous Causation

by  Jeff Miller, Ph.D.

In 2011, the renowned atheist, theoretical physicist, and cosmologist of Cambridge University, the late Stephen Hawking, was given a platform to spread his atheistic perspective (“Curiosity…,” 2011). Discovery Channel aired a show titled, “Curiosity: Did God Create the Universe?” Hawking adamantly claimed, “No.” He claimed that there is no need for God in the picture, since he believes everything in the Universe can be explained without Him (see Miller, 2011a for an in depth response to Hawking’s claims in the show).

Towards the end of the episode, Hawking asserted that “[t]he role played by time at the beginning of the Universe is, I believe, the final key to removing the need for a Grand Designer and revealing how the Universe created itself” (“Curiosity…”). According to Hawking and other atheists, the initial moments of the Big Bang were supposedly similar to the nature of a black hole (see Miller, 2011a for a response to this idea). Hawking believes that due to the nature of a black hole, time would not have existed before the Big Bang. He asserts:

You can’t get to a time before the Big Bang, because there was no before the Big Bang. We have finally found something that doesn’t have a cause, because there was no time for a cause to exist in. For me, this means that there is no possibility for a Creator, because there is no time for a Creator to have existed…. Time didn’t exist before the Big Bang. So, there is no time for God to make the Universe in (“Curiosity…,” emp. added).

So, according to Hawking, there could not have been a cause for the Big Bang since that cause had to temporally precede the effect of the Big Bang, and yet time supposedly did not exist prior to the Big Bang. Setting aside the fact that this theoretical black hole, which is speculated to have been in existence at the time of the alleged Big Bang, had to itself have a cause (according to the Law of Causality even if time did not exist before the bang), Hawking still made a blunder in supposing that a Creator could not exist if time did not exist.

It is a common mistake to oversimplify the Law of Causality, assuming that it states: “Every effect must have an adequate cause which preceded it.” In actuality, the law more correctly states: “Every material effect must have an adequate antecedent or simultaneous cause” (see Miller, 2011b for an in depth discussion of the Law of Causality). The Law of Causality as a law of natural science only applies to that which can be empirically observed—namely, the natural Universe (i.e., that which is “material”), not supernatural entities. So, it does not even apply to God. But even if it did apply to the Creator, Hawking’s belief that there’s no room for the Creator since the Law of Causality requires a previous cause—which could not be the case if time did not exist before the Big Bang—is erroneous. Philosopher William Lane Craig explains that this argument rests on a pseudo-dilemma, since the argument does not “consider the obvious alternative that the cause of the [alleged—JM] Big Bang operated at to, that is, simultaneously (or coincidentally) with the Big Bang” (Craig, 1994). Simply put: the Law of Causality allows for simultaneous causes.

When one sits in a seat, his legs form a lap. The effect of creating a lap occurs simultaneously with its cause—the act of sitting—though sitting is obviously the cause of making a lap. So clearly, causes can take place simultaneously with their effects. Renowned German philosopher, Immanuel Kant, in his book, The Critique of Pure Reason, under the heading, “Principle of the Succession of Time According to the Law of Causality: All changes take place according to the law of the connection of Cause and Effect,” explains that, “The principle of the connection of causality among phenomena…applies also when the phenomena exist together in the same time, and that cause and effect may be simultaneous” (Kant, 1787, I.3.3.2.3.3, emp. added). He then proceeds to provide two examples of simultaneous causation, the first being the scenario in which the effect of a heated room occurs simultaneous with its cause—a fire in the fireplace. He explains that, “In this case, then, there is no succession as regards time, between cause and effect, but they are simultaneous; and still the law holds good” (I.3.3.2.3.3). He then provides the example in which a lead ball lies on a cushion and simultaneously causes the effect of an indention or “hollow” in the cushion. Again, the effect occurs simultaneously with its cause. Kant explains:

The greater part of operating causes in nature are simultaneous with their effects, and the succession in time of the latter is produced only because the cause cannot achieve the total of its effect in one moment. But at the moment when the effect first arises, it is always simultaneous with the causality of its cause, because, if the cause had but a moment before ceased to be, the effect could not have arisen…. The time between the causality of the cause and its immediate effect may entirely vanish, and the cause and effect be thus simultaneous, but the relation of the one to the other remains always determinable according to time (Kant, 1787, I.3.3.2.3.3, emp. added).

Logically, a cause can occur simultaneous with its effect. So, for Hawking to argue that a cause for the Big Bang is unnecessary and even impossible since it must precede the Big Bang, is simply incorrect. It seems to imply a shallow understanding of the Law of Causality on the part of Hawking. A proper understanding of the Law of Causality reveals that the Law does not rule out the existence of a Creator even if the Big Bang were true, since the effect of the Universe could occur simultaneous with its causal activity. That said, ultimately, even though Hawking is inaccurate in his use of the Law of Causality, it is irrelevant since the Big Bang Theory is not in keeping with the scientific evidence anyway (see Miller, 2007; Thompson, Harrub, and May, 2003 for a presentation of some of this evidence).

REFERENCES

Craig, William Lane (1994), “Creation and Big Bang Cosmology,” Philosophia Naturalis, 31[1994]:217-224.

“Curiosity: Did God Create the Universe?” (2011), Discovery Channel, August 7.

Kant, Immanuel (1787), The Critique of Pure Reason (South Australia: The University of Adelaide Library), 2nd edition, trans. J.M.D. Meiklejohn, http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/k/kant/immanuel/k16p/.

Miller, Jeff (2007), “God and the Laws of Thermodynamics: A Mechanical Engineer’s Perspective,” Reason & Revelation, 27[4]:25-31, http://www.apologeticspress.org/apPubPage.aspx?pub=1&issue=588&article=643.

Miller, Jeff  (2011a), “A Review of Discovery Channel’s ‘Curiosity: Did God Create the Universe?’” Reason & Revelation, 31[10]:98-107, http://www.apologeticspress.org/apPubPage.aspx?pub=1&issue=1004&article=1687.

Miller, Jeff (2011b), “God and the Laws of Science: The Law of Causality,” Apologetics Press, http://www.apologeticspress.org/article/3716.

Thompson, Bert, Brad Harrub, and Branyon May (2003), “The Big Bang Theory—A Scientific Critique” Reason & Revelation, 23[5]:33-47, http://www.apologeticspress.org/apPubPage.aspx?pub=1&issue=541&article=28.

Shrewbot’s Synthetic Whiskers Detect God by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

 

https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=4210

Shrewbot’s Synthetic Whiskers Detect God

by  Kyle Butt, M.Div.

 

Tiny shrews use their whiskers to locate prey and navigate.

The Etruscan pygmy shrew is a contender for the smallest mammal in the world. But its diminutive size does not detract from its amazing design. Since this little critter is blind, it must rely on its whiskers to navigate and find food. The whiskers of this tiny shrew are highly sensitive and extremely efficient. In fact, the shrew’s whiskers work so well that researchers have been studying them in an attempt to equip robots with similar technology.

Robotics experts from the Bristol Robotics Laboratory in England have been working on a new machine they call Shrewbot. Shrewbot is a small robot fitted with synthetic whiskers that mimic those of the Etruscan shew (Moon, 2012). The primary advantage of this “touchy” technology is that the bot does not rely on vision. Researchers suggest that the sense of touch will enable the bot to explore “dark, dangerous or smoke filled environments” (2012).

When scientists copy designs in nature, it is called biomimicry. At Apologetics Press, we have written several articles about this field of research (see Biomimicry). Each new instance of this practice underscores the intelligent design within the natural world. The implication is simple. If brilliant scientists find complex, proficient designs in nature that are more efficient than any man-made designs, then the Designer of the natural world must be more intelligent than any human designer. It is ironic that one of the world’s smallest mammals provides such a “big” piece of evidence for the existence of God—the Intelligent Designer.

REFERENCES

Biomimicry, /APContent.aspx?category=12&topic=66.

Moon, Mariella (2012), “How the Etruscan Pygmy Shrew Inspired a Bewhiskered Disaster Relief Robot,” http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technology-blog/etruscan-pygmy-shrew-inspired-bewhiskered-disaster-relief-robot-154004920.html.

Seeing the Designer in Shrimp Vision by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

 

https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=5015

Seeing the Designer in Shrimp Vision

by  Kyle Butt, M.Div.

Humans have amazing eyesight. In fact, many camera companies have looked to the eye in an effort to glean useful information in developing better photographic and video technology. As effective as the human eye is, however, there are certain things it cannot do. One of those is to detect ultraviolet light. But researchers have recently discovered a creature with the amazing ability to detect ultraviolet light—the mantis shrimp.

Mantis shrimp are some of the most interesting creatures in the water. They have extremely powerful claws and lightening fast reflexes. But their ability to see ultraviolet light makes their eyesight one of the most remarkable abilities in the animal kingdom. Michael Bok, one of the researchers studying mantis shrimp vision stated: “The overall construction of the mantis shrimp’s visual system is just so unbelievably ridiculous, so this is just another piece of that tapestry” (Pappas, 2014). What makes their vision “unbelievably ridiculous” is that they have 12 photoreceptors in their eyes, while humans only have three (2014). Another interesting element to their vision is that the shrimp uses amino acids that act as sunscreen in their eyes to help them see ultraviolet light.

The design behind mantis shrimp vision, according to those doing the work on it, is “unbelievably ridiculous,” meaning of course that it is so advanced that it takes a team of researchers just to try to understand it, much less figure out a way to copy the technology. Those who contend that the mantis shrimp is a product of evolutionary changes that have taken place over millions of years cannot explain how such advanced capabilities could reside in the shrimp. No amount of mindless tinkering could produce such highly sensitive instruments as mantis shrimp eyes.

The most reasonable explanation for mantis shrimp vision is that an intelligent Creator, Who sees all things (including ultraviolet light), designed the shrimp and its complex eye. When brilliant human researchers come away from such “technology” in awe of the abilities of mantis shrimp vision, the obvious conclusion to draw is that the Designer of such vision possesses an intelligence far superior to that of the humans involved in the research. When the Proverbs writer stated: “The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made both of them” (Proverbs 20:12), that would certainly include a “seeing eye” that uses amino acids as sunscreen and 12 photoreceptors to see light that humans cannot.

Reference

Pappas, Stephanie (2014), “Natural Sunscreen Explains Mantis Shrimp’s Amazing UV Vision,” LiveScience, http://news.yahoo.com/natural-sunscreen-explains-mantis-shrimps-amazing-uv-vision-200152964.html.

"THE GOSPEL OF MARK" Four Preparatory Acts (14:1-16) by Mark Copeland

 







"THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

Four Preparatory Acts (14:1-16) 
 
INTRODUCTION

1. Following the Olivet Discourse in Mark 13, Mark’s gospel turns its
   attention to events that preceded the betrayal and arrest of Jesus...

2. In the first sixteen verses of Mark 14, we are told of "Four
   Preparatory Acts"...
   a. Two done in opposition to Jesus
   b. Two done in service to Jesus

[Once these four preparatory acts are completed, the stage is set for
the last night and day of Jesus’ earthly life.  In Mk 14:1-2, we are told how...]

I. LEADERS PREPARE TO KILL JESUS

   A. THE PLOT THICKENS...
      1. This is not the beginning of their machinations - cf. Mk 3:6;11:18; 12:12
      2. But now it is two days before the feast of Passover - Mk 14:1
         a. "It was now two days before..." - ESV
         b. "Now the Passover and Unleavened Bread were two days
            away..." - NASB
      3. The plot involves the chief priests, scribes, elders, along
         with Caiaphas the high priest - cf. Mt 26:3-4
      4. Their intention is to take Jesus by trickery (stealth)

   B. THEIR INTENTION TO DELAY...
      1. They did not want to do anything during the feast, lest there
         be an uproar - Mk 14:2
      2. For they feared the people - cf. Mk 11:32; Lk 22:2
      3. Despite their intent, the events are not entirely in their hand - cf. Ac 2:23

[Indeed, their plot will be carried out much quicker than intended.  But
before we see why, we read in Mk 14:3-9 that...]

II. MARY PREPARES FOR JESUS’ BURIAL

   A. AT THE HOUSE IN BETHANY...
      1. The home of Simon the leper (perhaps father of Mary, Martha,
         Lazarus) - Mk 14:3
      2. John identifies the woman as Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus
         - cf. Jn 11:2; 12:2-3
      3. Not to be confused with the woman that anointed Jesus earlier
         - cf. Lk 7:36-50

   B. MARY ANOINTS JESUS...
      1. Using an alabaster jar of expensive perfume - Mk 14:3
      2. Breaking the jar, pouring the perfume over His head, anointing
         and wiping His feet with her hair - cf. Jn 12:3

   C. THE DISCIPLES’ INDIGNATION...
      1. They were angry at what they considered wasteful - Mk 14:4
      2. For the perfume was worth 300 denarii (300 days wages), and
         they thought it better to have sold it and given the money to
         the poor - Mk 14:5
      3. Judas Iscariot especially was angry, not that he cared for the
         poor, but because he often pilfered from the money box - Jn 12:4-6
      4. Thus the disciples criticized Mary sharply - Mk 14:5

   D. JESUS’ PRAISE OF MARY...
      1. Leave her alone, she has done a good work - Mk 14:6
      2. There would always be the poor to help, but not so with Jesus- Mk 14:7
      3. She has done what she could, even anointing Jesus for His
         burial (once again, predicting His death) - Mk 14:8
      4. The highest praise?  Mary’s actions will be memorialized - Mk 14:9

[Jesus’ prediction of Mary’s praise was fulfilled by the inclusion of
this story in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John.  Sadly, Mary’s
preparatory act is soon followed by a much different one as...]

III. JUDAS PREPARES TO BETRAY JESUS

   A. JUDAS GOES TO THE CHIEF PRIESTS...
      1. With the intent to betray Jesus to them - Mk 14:10
      2. Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve apostles - cf. Mk 10:4
      3. Whom Jesus knew early on would betray Him - cf. Jn 6:70-71
      4. Luke adds that Satan had entered Judas - cf. Lk 22:3

   B. THE AGREEMENT IS MADE...
      1. The chief priests are glad, and promise to pay Judas - Mk 14:11
      2. Matthew records the price agreed for betrayal:  30 pieces of
         silver - cf. Mt 26:15
      3. Judas had previously manifested his greed for money - cf. Jn 12:4-6
      4. Judas then sought for a convenient time to betray Jesus - Mk 14:11

[What a contrast between the preparatory acts of Mary and Judas!
Finally, let’s briefly consider the preparatory act of the disciples...]

IV. DISCIPLES PREPARE TO KEEP THE PASSOVER

   A. JESUS INSTRUCTS HIS DISCIPLES...
      1. The first day of Unleavened Bread arrived - Mk 14:12
         a. When the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed
         b. The day was likely Thursday, Nisan 14 - ESV Study Bible
         c. His disciples asked where He wanted them to prepare to eat
            the Passover
      2. Jesus gives explicit instructions - Mk 14:13-15
         a. For two of His disciples (Peter and John) - cf. Lk 22:8
         b. With either miraculous foresight, or having made prior arrangements
         c. To meet a man who will provide a large upper room, furnished
            and prepared

   B. THE TWO DISCIPLES DO AS INSTRUCTED...
      1. They go into the city (Jerusalem) - Mk 14:16
      2. They find it just as Jesus predicted
      3. They prepare the Passover

CONCLUSION

1. With these preparatory acts completed, the stage is now set...
   a. For Jesus to keep the Passover
   b. For Judas to betray Him to the chief priests
   c. For the trial, crucifixion, and death that will lead to His burial

2. Perhaps we should ask, "What sort of preparatory acts are we doing
   today...?"
   a. Are they things that would prove to betray our Lord?
   b. Or things which would show our love and devotion to Him?

3. Every day we do things, small though they may be...
   a. That might be preparatory to greater things
   b. That might prepare us to do good or to do evil

How much better to follow the example of Mary and the disciples, rather
than the example of Judas and the chief priests...!             
 
Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2016

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A Passage To Ponder: 2Corinthians 4:16-18 by Ken Weliever, The Preacherman

 

https://thepreachersword.com/2019/09/18/a-passage-to-ponder-2corinthians-416-18/#more-14557

A Passage To Ponder: 2Corinthians 4:16-18

In 1947 NYC bus driver William Cimillo became a “national hero” when he got in his bus one morning and kept on driving…all the way to Florida.

The 38-year-old Bronx native had been driving for almost 20 years and told a reporter later that “ I really got tired of it all, up and down every day, the same people, the same stops, nickels, dimes, transfers… Well I thought I’d try something different, a new route.”

Cimillo said, “I come out of my garage and instead of making a right turn, I made a left turn and went west towards George Washington Bridge. It was a beautiful morning, sun was shining. I stopped for breakfast, and decided to take a little ride… before I knew it I was right in front of the White House.”

After the NYC transit company frantically searched for their missing bus and driver, he was discovered 10 days later in Hollywood, Florida.

Have you ever felt that discouraged, disheartened, and frustrated with your job? Your family? Your church? Your life? That you felt like quitting? Just walking (or driving) away from all of it?

The Bible calls this feeling “losing heart.” And the apostle Paul appeals several times in his epistles “don’t lose heart.” Then he shows us how he overcame discouragement. And how we can too.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 1while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Cor. 4:16-19)

(1) Accept that the Outward Man is Perishing.

Sickness, pain, suffering and physical ailments can be discouraging. They can “take the wind out our sails.” But reality is staring us back in the mirror. We are all getting older.

All of the health foods, vitamins, and exercise in the world, will not keep the outward man from perishing. It may prolong it a bit longer, but will not stop it.

(2) Renew the Inner Man Every Day.

While we can’t control aging, we can continue growing. Spiritually. Outwardly we may be decreasing in strength, agility, and stamina, but inwardly we can be increasing in spiritual knowledge, wisdom, and strength. We are able to add Christian virtues, grow in grace and knowledge and produce the fruit of the spirit.

Take time every day for Bible reading, prayer, and meditation. Think about God. Reflect on your life. Work at getting better. Daily renewal helps us not “lose heart.”

(3) See your Afflictions with the Right Perspective.

Amazingly call Paul called his afflictions “light.” Yet, we read about him being beaten, imprisoned, stoned, shipwrecked and suffering not only physically, but mentally and emotionally (2 Cor. 4:8-10; 6:4-6; 11:23-28). How could he look at his pain in this way?

The answer is found in Romans 8:18. “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

Compared to eternity suffering is short; compared to the reward of Glory the burden is light.

What’s hard and heavy is the burden of sin that brings guilt, shame, and remorse. The consequences of sin long outlive its pleasure. But the rewards of righteousness eternally eclipse whatever obstacles we endure.

(4) Don’t Dwell on what You See

What we see is material. Physical. Temporal. And transitory. Our physical bodies. Our homes. Cars. Clothes. And personal treasures. Even the beauty of nature. All of this will pass away.

We will die and leave it all behind, never to be seen again. And when Christ comes again the world and everything in it will be destroyed. Wordsworth was right, “the world is too much with us…getting and spending we waste our powers.”

(5) Focus on Seeing the Unseen.

Through the eye of faith, we see our Creator, our Savior, and the eternal spirit. We can envision the resurrection of the saints. And through Scripture, we get a glimpse into our heavenly home. A place of eternal bliss, beauty and blessed association with the redeemed of the ages.

Happiness is a choice. You can control your attitude toward life’s hardships. And with the Lord’s help, you can overcome every adversity, heartache, and hurt.

Don’t lose heart.

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman

SEEKING TRUTH BY STEVE FINNELL

 

http://steve-finnell.blogspot.com/2016/11/seeking-truth-by-steve-finnell-if.html

SEEKING TRUTH BY STEVE FINNELL


If seeking God's truth is your goal, what avenue would you take. What would be your source for the truth?

WOULD IT BE?

A. Prayer and studying the Scriptures?

B. Reading the books written by these men Bishop Sheen, Billy Graham, C.S. Lewis, Jimmy Swaggart, John Calvin, Martin Luther, Alexander Campbell, John Wesley, Robert Schuller, Oral Roberts, Rick Warren, Benny Hinn, Max Lucado, Charles H. Spurgen, Paul Washer, John MacAthur, Joel Osteen, T. D. Jakes, Joseph Smith Jr., Chuck Swindoll etc.

C. Read creed books, the Book of Mormon, catechism, statements of faith etc.

B. and C. do not contain the infallible word of God. Why would you search for truth there?

GOD'S WORD IS TRUTH!

2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself  approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed,accurately handling the word of truth.

In order to accurately handle the truth you need to study the source for the truth. THE BIBLE AND THE BIBLE ALONE IS THE ONLY TRUSTWORTHY SOURCE FOR THE TRUTH.

THE APOSTLE'S WORDS WERE TRUTH!

1 Thessalonians 2:13 For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word  of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.

Paul said their word was God's word. Paul  and the rest of the apostles received their words directly from Jesus and the Holy Spirit.


Why would believers in Christ be willing to put their trust in mere men? That is puzzling, at best.

ALL SCRIPTURE IS INSPIRED BY GOD.(2 Timothy 3:16)

THE LISTS B. AND C. ARE NOT PRODUCING SCRIPTURE!

SEEKING TRUTH?----BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU SEEK!


Walk Upright by Sandra F. Cobble

 

http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Cobble/Sandra/Fontaine/1933/walk.html

Walk Upright

The time which our nation has set aside for the giving of thanks is soon approaching. For what do you give thanks? How many of us have considered giving thanks because we are man? Have you every really thought about what you are? Genesis 1:27 reads, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." Verse 31 reads, "And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good." Most of you can probably quote these passages by heart. BUT have you ever really thought about who YOU are?

If we are created in the image of and likeness of a Creator, then does it not follow that we, too, should be creators? Indeed, we see the physical creations of man all about us in the world in which we live. We see the various technologies such as space exploration and computer science being used for the betterment of man's physical world. But there is another facet of our creative ability which is often overlooked -- the ability to create our own manner of the acceptance of the circumstances of our life. Someone has said that the resources of the human mind have not been taped. No one really knows what our minds are capable of achieving.

Do you realize that you have within yourself the ability to create the world in which you live? It is true that we cannot always control the circumstances affecting our lives, but we CAN control their effect on our lives. We CAN create the world in which we live! No, I am not one of those people who has never tasted of heartache, and who looks at the world through rose-colored glasses. Nor am I one who thinks that trouble will disappear if it is ignored. It will seldom do so. I have been a victim of a world few people realize exists. I have known abuse; I have known bitterness, and I have known grief. But as a child of God, created in His image, I am learning that abuse, bitterness and grief are not my masters! As a child, I had no control of the circumstances which placed me in a home where I was not wanted. I had no control over the verbal and psychological abuse which I received. But I did have control over the effect it had on me. I am the one who created the bitterness in my own heart. I am the one who permitted it to be lord over me long after the circumstances had changed. Suppose that, instead of bitterness, I had created love for my enemies. Suppose I had created blessings for those who cursed me. No, it would not have changed the circumstances of my life, for I was cursed not for that which I did. Rather, I was cursed for my mere existence in a place where I was not wanted. It would have, however, made those circumstances easier to bear. What additional pain we create for ourselves!

Romans 8:35-37 reads, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." Generally, when I have heard this passage discussed the emphasis has been on what has been done for us. What has been done for us is indeed wonderful, but let us look closer at what we are to do. Examining the Greek text in verse 37, we find the verb hupernikomen, which is translated "we are more than conquerors." Hupernikomen is in the present tense and in the active voice. When a Greek verb is in the present tense, it means that the action of the verb is continuous. When the active voice is used, it means that the subject of the verb is the one performing the action. The subject of a Greek verb is designated in the verb's personal pronoun ending. The personal pronoun ending of hupernikomen is first person plural. WE are the ones performing the action we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. We are NOW more than conquerors, and we will continue to be more than conquerors!

All creation reflects the glory of God, but man is His only creation that reflects it by choice! For if God created us of His own will, after His image and likeness, does it not follow that one created after His image and likeness would likewise have his own will? Man has the ability to create and to serve other gods. Deuteronomy 5:7 reads, "Thou shalt have none other gods before me." Since we know that there are no other gods besides God, then the gods referred to must be of man's own creation. Romans 6:16 reads, "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" Shall we permit tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword to become our masters? Shall we yield to them to serve them? Yet how often we permit the circumstances of our lives to conquer us! Ecclesiastes 7:29 reads, "Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions." The Greek word hamartia, which is translated "sin" means "to miss the mark." When we do not walk upright as God intended that man should walk, do we not miss the mark? When we choose other masters, we walk with our heads bowed in servitude to those masters. We no longer walk upright. We miss the mark.

Yes, I am thankful that I am man, created in the image and likeness of God. Thankful that I have the power to walk upright and glorify God out of a free will and out of love. Acts 2:36 reads, "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." As a Christian, you have made Jesus your Savior by obeying the gospel, but have you made Him your Lord? Or do you still serve other lords? Does the Scripture teach you that you can serve more than one lord? You already know the answer to that! Through the one who loves you, become conqueror of that which would make you walk with your head bowed in servitude! Let Jesus be Lord of your life. Walk upright before our God. Walk as a man. Walk as God intended man to walk! If you have not believed the Gospel, confessed Jesus to be the Christ, and followed him in Baptism, why have you not done so? Is there something that you think is your master that you can not overcome? Read Romans 8:35-37 again. You have the ability within yourself, through Jesus, to become master of the circumstances of your life. If you have chosen to create and serve other gods, let me ask you, will they be able to save you from wrath in the day of judgment?

Sandra F. Cobble

Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)

Sonrise! by Gary Rose

 


What a beautiful picture! Located somewhere out west, in monument valley or its vicinity, I think. Dawn is the beginning of a new day, with its myriad possibilities. I wonder, what do you think about when you see a sunrise? When I saw this picture, I thought of two things; first a blessing upon the newborn John the baptist and the prediction of his ministry as a forerunner of Jesus and Jesus himself as the light of the world, shining truth, knowledge and direction to all who would come to God for salvation. The Bible says…


Luke 1 ( World English Bible )

76 And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways,

77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins,

78 because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dawn from on high will visit us,

79 to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death; to guide our feet into the way of peace.”


John 8 ( WEB )

12 Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”


2 Corinthians 4 ( WEB )

1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we don’t faint.

2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

3 Even if our Good News is veiled, it is veiled in those who perish;

4 in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the Good News of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn on them.

5 For we don’t preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake;

6 seeing it is God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.


God is light and in HIM is no darkness. With heavenly guidance HE guides us in our entire life. At first, though his Mosaic law and later through the life and teachings of Jesus.


Some people will simply not listen, because their hearts are hardened by sin and the deceptiveness of Satan. But to those who will listen and do the will of God- The blessings of HEAVEN will be theirs.


In truth “The dawn from on high” has visited us, but its up to us to see it. I wonder… What will you do with the light that God has given us through Jesus?


4/28/21

Use the Authoritative STANDARD

 


Whoops, someone made a mistake. Even without the bottom ruler, I can tell that the top ruler is wrong. Just compare the first (inch?) to the second; something is amiss; and not just a little, in fact, three sixteenths of an inch (18.75%).

Unfortunately, some less-than-savvy person could use the top ruler, then his work would be WRONG! That’s the problem with standards; using the wrong one can be very dangerous!


Look around, there are hundreds of hundreds of denominations, even casual consideration will tell you that this is wrong. If each claims to be correct, how can this be? There is one God, HIS truth is THE TRUTH and all else is falsehood. Want to know truth? Listen to Jesus; after all, isn’t he the one who saves? Its not some creed or religious leader or a synod that will get you into heaven; Jesus and only Jesus is your one and only hope.


Consider what the Bible says ABOUT JESUS


He is heir and creator

Hebrews 1 ( World English Bible )

1 God, having in the past spoken to the fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,

2 has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds.



We should listen to Jesus.

Matthew 17 ( WEB )

1 After six days, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain by themselves.

2 He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as the light.

3 Behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them talking with him.

4 Peter answered, and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, let’s make three tents here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. Behold, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.”



The prophet like Moses must be listened to.

Acts 3 ( WEB )

22 For Moses indeed said to the fathers, ‘The Lord God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him in all things whatever he says to you.

23 It will be, that every soul that will not listen to that prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people.’



Jesus rules all, especially his body ( the church )


Ephesians 1 ( WEB )

22 He put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things for the assembly,

23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.



All authority has been given to Jesus ( ALL ! )


Matthew 28 ( WEB )

18 Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.

19 Go, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20 teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.


Want to get into HEAVEN? Forget what people may tell you and just listen to Jesus; especially verses 19 and 20 above. If Jesus says it, that settles it- believe that because it is ABSOLUTELY TRUE!




4/23/21

Seeing is Believing: The Design of the Human Eye by Taylor Richardson

 

https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=1412

Seeing is Believing: The Design of the Human Eye

by  Taylor Richardson

If one of your friends asked you, “How do you know God exists?,” what would you say? There are many different ways to prove God’s existence, because God has given us so much evidence. Sometimes we find that evidence in things we see in the Universe, for example, the Sun. The Sun is like a giant nuclear engine. It gives off more energy in a single second than mankind has produced since the Creation. It converts 8 million tons of matter into energy every single second, and has an interior temperature of more than 20 million degrees Celsius (see Lawton, 1981). Sometimes we find evidence in the animal kingdom. Take the golden orb spider for instance. Pound for pound, the dragline silk of this spider is five times stronger than steel, and is twice as strong as the material that currently makes up SWAT teams’ bulletproof vests. In fact, due to its amazing strength and elasticity, it has been said that you could trap a jumbo jet with spider silk that is the thickness of a pencil.

And sometimes the evidence for God’s existence can even be found within our own bodies. The writer of the book of Hebrews spoke about this evidence when he said: “For every house is built by someone, but he who built all things is God” (3:4).

One of the best examples of design within the human body is the eye. Even Charles Darwin struggled with the problem of how to explain how such a complex organ as the eye could have “evolved” through naturalistic processes. In The Origin of Species he wrote:

To suppose that the eye with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest sense (1859, p. 170, emp. added).

But even though Darwin acknowledged that the eye could not have evolved, he went on to argue that it had, in fact, been produced by natural selection through an evolutionary process. It seems almost as though Darwin could not seem to make up his mind on the matter. But he is not the only one who has struggled to explain, from a naturalistic viewpoint, the intricacy of the eye. Evolutionist Robert Jastrow once wrote:

The eye is a marvelous instrument, resembling a telescope of the highest quality, with a lens, an adjustable focus, a variable diaphragm for controlling the amount of light, and optical corrections for spherical and chromatic aberration. The eye appears to have been designed; no designer of telescopes could have done better. How could this marvelous instrument have evolved by chance, through a succession of random events? (1981, pp. 96-97, emp. added).

How indeed? Though Dr. Jastrow argued that “the fact of evolution is not in doubt,” he confessed that “…there seems to be no direct proof that evolution can work these miracles.… It is hard to accept the evolution of the eye as a product of chance” (1981, pp. 101,97,98, emp. added). Considering the extreme complexity of the eye, it is easy to understand why Jastrow would make such a comment. In his book, Does God Believe in Atheists?, John Blanchard described just how complex the eye really is.

The human eye is a truly amazing phenomenon. Although accounting for just one fourth-thousandth of an adult’s weight, it is the medium which processes some 80% of the information received by its owner from the outside world. The tiny retina contains about 130 million rod-shaped cells, which detect light intensity and transmit impulses to the visual cortex of the brain by means of some one million nerve fibres, while nearly six million cone-shaped cells do the same job, but respond specifically to colour variation. The eyes can handle 500,00 messages simultaneously, and are kept clear by ducts producing just the right amount of fluid with which the lids clean both eyes simultaneously in one five-thousandth of a second (2000, p. 313).

Statements like this proves that the eye was so well designed, and so complicated, that it could not have happened by accident, as evolution teaches.

THE EYE’S DESIGN

The anatomy of the eye was first examined and recorded at Alexandria, Egypt, in the first century A.D. An anatomist, Rufus of Ephesus, described the main parts of the eye, which included the dome-like cornea at the front, the colored iris, the lens, and the vitreous humor (which gives the eye its shiny look). Today, thanks to microscopes, we now know that these, along with many other parts of the eye, work in harmony to produce the gift of sight.

Diagram of the Human Eye

The outer white layer of the eye is called the sclera, more commonly known as the “white of the eye.” This layer is an extremely durable, fibrous tissue that extends from the cornea (the clear front section of the eye) to the optic nerve (at the back of the eye). Six tiny muscles (known as the extraocular muscles, or EOMs) connect to the sclera around the eye and control the eye’s movements. Four of the muscles (known as the rectus muscles) control the horizontal and vertical movement, while two (the oblique muscles) control the rotation. All six muscles work together so that the eye moves smoothly.

The inside of the eye can be divided functionally into two distinct parts. The first is the physical “dioptric” mechanism (from the Greek word dioptra, meaning something through which one looks), which handles incoming light. This includes the cornea, iris, and lens. The cornea is the transparent, dome-shaped window (about eleven millimeters in diameter) that covers the front of the eye. Its most important function is to protect the delicate components of the eye against damage by foreign bodies. Thus, the cornea acts like a watch face, in that it lets us look through the “window” of our eye while protecting the internal components from debris and harmful chemicals. The cornea also takes care of most of the refraction (the ability of the eye to change the direction of light in order to focus it on the retina) and works with the lens to help focus items seen at varying distances as it changes its curvature. The iris and the pupil work together to let in just the right amount of light. There are two opposing sets of muscles that regulate the size of the aperture (the opening, or the pupil) according to the brightness or dimness of the incoming light. If the light is bright, the iris constricts, allowing little light to pass; but if it is dark, the iris dilates or expands, allowing more light to pass through. The light (or image) then moves through a lens that has the ability to adjust its shape to help it clarify the image by changing the focal length of the lens between 40.4 and 69.9 millimeters where it is then focused (in an inverted form) on to the retina.

Between the lens and the retina is a transparent substance (the vitreous fluid) that fills the center of the eye. This substance is important because it not only gives the eye its spherical shape, but also provides nutrition for the retinal vessels inside the eye. In children, the vitreous feels like a gel, but as we age, it gradually thins and becomes more of a liquid.

The second is the receptor area of the retina where the light triggers processes in the nerve cells. The retina plays a key role in visual perception. In his book, The Wonder of Man, Werner Gitt explains how the retina is a masterpiece of engineering design.

One single square millimetre of the retina contains approximately 400,000 optical sensors. To get some idea of such a large number, imagine a sphere, on the surface of which circles are drawn, the size of tennis balls. These circles are separated from each other by the same distance as their diameter. In order to accommodate 400,000 such circles, the sphere must have a diameter of 52 metres... (1999, p. 15).

Alan L. Gillen also praised the design of the retina in his book, Body by Design.

The most amazing component of the eye is the “film,” which is the retina. This light-sensitive layer at the back of the eyeball is thinner than a sheet of plastic wrap and is more sensitive to light than any man-made film. The best camera film can handle a ratio of 1000-to-1 photons in terms of light intensity. By comparison, human retinal cells can handle a ratio of 10 billion-to-1 over the dynamic range of light wavelengths of 380 to 750 nanometers. The human eye can sense as little as a single photon of light in the dark! In bright daylight, the retina can bleach out, turning its “volume control” way down so as not to overload. The light-sensitive cells of the retina are like an extremely complex high-gain amplifier that is able to magnify sounds more than one million times (2001, pp. 97-98, emp. added).

Without a doubt, this thin (only 0.2 mm) layer of nerve tissue is a marvel of engineering. It contains photoreceptor (light-sensitive) cells and four types of nerve cells, as well as structural cells and epithelial pigment cells. The two kinds of photoreceptor cells are referred to as rods and cones because of their shape. Each eye has about 130 million rods and 7 million cones. The rods are very sensitive to light (whether it is bright or dim), and allow the eye to see in black and white. Cones, on the other hand, are not as sensitive as rods, and function only optimally in daylight. There are three different types of cones—red light, green light, and blue light—each of which is sensitive to its respective color of light, and which allow the eye to see in full color. The rods and cones convert the different lights into chemical signals, which then travel along the optic nerve to the brain.

Not only are the images produced by the dioptric mechanism miniaturized and upside-down, but it turns out that they also are left-right inverted. The optic nerves from both eyes split up and cross each other in such a way that the left halves of the images of both eyes are received by the right hemisphere of the brain, while the right halves are received by the left. Each half of the observer’s brain receives information from only one half of the image. As Gitt went on to explain, “Note that, although the brain processes the different parts of the image in various remote locations, the two halves of the field of vision are seamlessly reunited, without any trace of a joint—amazing! This process is still far from being fully understood” (p. 17). It is hard to believe that this inverted system of sight could have been produced through evolution.

Since the eyes are one of the most important organs in the body, they must be taken care of constantly. And God designed just such a built-in cleaning system, consisting of the eyelashes, eyelids, and lacrimal glands. The lacrimal glands produce a steady flow of tears that flush away dust and other foreign materials. The tears also contain a potent anti-microbial agent known as lysozyme that destroys bacteria, viruses, etc. The eyelids and eyelashes work together to keep dirt and other debris from entering the eye. The eyelids act like windshield wipers, blinking 3-6 times a minute to moisten and clean the eye.

For many years, scientists have compared the eye to the modern manmade camera (see Miller, 1960, p. 315; Nourse, 1964, p. 154; Gardener, 1994, p. 105). True, the eye and camera do have many things in common, if the function of the camera demands that it was “made,” does it not stand to reason that the more complex human camera, the eye, also must have had a Maker? Alan Gillen explained it best when he wrote: “No human camera, artificial device, nor computer-enhanced light-sensitive device can match the contrivance of the human eye. Only a master engineer with superior intelligence could manufacture a series of interdependent light sensitive parts and reactions” (p. 99, emp. added). That master engineer was God. The writer of Proverbs knew this when he wrote, “The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both” (20:12).

REFERENCES

Blanchard, John (2000), Does God Believe in Atheists? (Auburn, MA: Evangelical Press).

Darwin, Charles (1859), On the Origin of Species (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; a facsimile of the first edition).

Gardner, Lynn (1994), Christianity Stands True (Joplin, MO: College Press).

Gillen, Alan L. (2001), Body by Design (Green Forest, AR: Master Books).

Gitt, Werner (1999), The Wonder of Man (Bielefeld, Germany: Christliche Literatur-Verbreitung E.V.).

Jastrow, Robert (1981), The Enchanted Loom: Mind in the Universe (New York: Simon and Schuster).

Lawton, April (1981), “From Here to Infinity,” Science Digest, 89[1]:98-105, January/February.

Miller, Benjamin and Goode, Ruth (1960), Man and His Body (New York: Simon and Schuster).

Nourse, Alan E., ed. (1964), The Body (New York: Time, Inc.).

Seeing God in a Box...Fish by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

 

https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=1541

Seeing God in a Box...Fish

by  Kyle Butt, M.Div.

Constant competition between car companies rages to see which one can design the lightest, toughest, most aerodynamic, fuel efficient models. It seems that the DaimlerChrysler Company has recently put itself several steps ahead in the race by designing a remarkably efficient economy car for Mercedes-Benz. The idea that inspired this car was very simple. The designers looked to the natural world to find a model of highly-efficient, aerodynamic design, coupled with a sturdy structure that could withstand collisions. The model on which they finally settled seemed an unlikely candidate: the boxfish.

Boxfish

At first glance, the boxfish’s body does not appear very aerodynamic. As its name implies, it has a rather “boxy” look, and not the streamline “raindrop” shape that is used for many aerodynamic models. Upon further investigation, however, the boxfish’s shape and design happen to be amazingly efficient. As one author put it, “Despite its boxy, cube-shaped body, this tropical fish is in fact outstandingly streamlined and therefore represents an aerodynamic ideal. With an accurately constructed model of the boxfish the engineers in Stuttgart were able to achieve a wind drag coefficient of just 0.06 in the wind tunnel.” In order to grasp the importance of this drag coefficient, it “betters the drag coefficient of today’s compact cars by more than 65 percent” (“Mercedes-Benz Bionic...,” 2005, emp. added).

But the aerodynamic aspects of the boxfish were not the only helpful features used by the DaimlerChrysler engineers. The skin of the boxfish “consists of numerous hexagonal, bony plates which provide maximum strength with minimal weight” (“Mercedes-Benz Bionic...”). By reproducing this skin structure, the car company was able to achieve “up to 40 percent more rigidity...than would be possible with conventional designs.” The report went on to say that if the entire car shell were designed with these hexagonal structures, the weight of the car could be reduced by almost one-third, without forfeiting any safety features during collisions.

Boxfish design

Such copying of the natural world is not a unique event. A popular field of study known as biomimicry has arisen of late in which scientists and technologists look to nature to supply optimal designs and functions. Ironically, the writer of what appears to be the primary article on this amazing boxfish/car relationship misses the logical conclusion of the biomimetic design, as do other scientists who study the field—that design demands an Intelligent Designer. The said writer commented, “[T]he boxfish possesses unique characteristics and is a prime example of the ingenious inventions developed by nature over millions of years of evolution. The basic principle of this evolution is that nothing is superfluous and each part of the body has a purpose—and sometimes several at once” (“Mercedes-Benz Bionic...,” 2005).

Notice the concession made in the writer’s statement that the boxfish, indeed, exhibits “ingenious invention.” Such a statement implies that some type of “genius” or intelligence is behind the invention. Furthermore, evolution has been consistently presented as a process that is maintained by naturalistic, random, chance happenings that are incapable of producing anything “ingenious” or “intelligent.” And finally, the author states that evolution leaves nothing “superfluous,” and that each part of the evolved animal has “a purpose.” This remark is ironic considering the fact that many defenders of evolution continue to use the argument that humans and animals maintain several “vestigial organs” that are supposedly useless leftovers of evolution (see Harrub, 2001, for a discussion of vestigial organs). Indeed, any theory that explains too much, explains too little. On the one hand, evolution maintains an underlying principle that nothing is superfluous, while at the same time evolution is a “fact” because animals and humans supposedly have left-over vestiges that are no longer useful? As one can see, the concept of evolution is so “flexible” and self-contradictory that it sustains no real ability to explain anything.

To the contrary, the only valid explanation for the optimal design in the boxfish is the fact that whenever we see efficient, complex design, there must be an intelligent designer behind it. Considering the fact that many of the most ingenious engineers that the car-manufacturing world can boast spent thousands of hours copying the design of the boxfish, which proved to be 65 percent more efficient in some ways than other designs, one must logically conclude that whoever designed the boxfish has outsmarted the brightest car engineers for many years. “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).

REFERENCES

Harrub, Brad, (2001), “Hey Cut That Out...On Second Thought, Hold That Scalpel!, [On-line], URL: http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/2050.

“Mercedes-Benz Bionic Concept Vehicle,” (2005), [On-line], URL: http://www.germancarfans.com/news.cfm/newsid/2050607.004.

Seal Whiskers Sensing God by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

 

https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=5393

Seal Whiskers Sensing God

by  Kyle Butt, M.Div.

As it turns out, seals (as in the animal, not the trained U.S. military personnel), sport a remarkably well-designed feature for sensing underwater objects: their whiskers.  These little appendages that bristle from the sides of their faces might help seals to look cute, but they also have a far more technical purpose. Seal whiskers have been specially designed to sense activity underwater. Reporting on recent research, Jennifer McDermott from the Associated Press explained how the shape and design of seal whiskers helps seals survive. She wrote: “When a fish swims by, a hungry seal senses the wake with its whiskers. It can tell characteristics of the fish, such as shape and size, and track the location even when it’s murky or dark.1

The benefit of this technology over the current sonar technology the Navy uses is that seals do not have to send any sound or wave out. Their whiskers gather information based solely on what is coming in. McDermott wrote that researchers are attempting to “reverse-engineer the system” that is built into seal whiskers. Such reverse-engineering begs the question: If highly intelligent scientists are attempting—so far without success—to reverse-engineer the technology behind seal whiskers, then the original Engineer must have been more intelligent than those who are now attempting to understand the design. Such examples of humans looking to nature to find usable technology (often called biomimicry) validates the conclusion that there is a Grand Engineer behind the workings of the world. The idea that random, chance processes of evolution worked over millions of years to “design” a system such as that found in seal whiskers does not provide an adequate or rational answer. If it takes intelligence to reverse-engineer it, then it took intelligence to engineer it in the first place.

McDermott went on to state that seal whiskers are not the only natural technology that has peaked the interest of the U.S. Navy. She wrote: “The Navy, which is also funding bio-inspired work at universities, has taken a greater interest in the field in the past decade. Animals do things well that the Navy wants its underwater vehicles to do well.” When we look to the natural world that God, the Grand Engineer, designed, we can truly see that the beasts, cattle, great sea creatures, and even the whiskers on a seal bring praise to the Lord (Psalm 148:7-12).

Endnotes

1 Jennifer McDermott, “The Seal Whiskerers: Navy Looks to Sea Life for New Ships,” Associated Press, 2017, http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/seal-whiskerers-navy-sea-life-ships-46136863.