9/6/21

Wrong is Always Wrong by Wayne Jackson, M.A.

 

https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=234

Wrong is Always Wrong

by  Wayne Jackson, M.A.

Sinful human beings are ever attempting to blur the distinction between “right” and “wrong.” This inclination reaches far back into antiquity. The book of Proverbs declares: “He that justifies the wicked, and he that condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination unto Jehovah” (17:15). Later, the prophet Isaiah affirmed: “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20). Amos spoke of those who “turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth” (Amos 5:7).

“Right” and “wrong” do exist. They are not merely “evolved inclinations” that have been humanly contrived in order to introduce a sense of order and security into society. Nor are “right” and “wrong” subjectively determined so that, practically speaking, each person functions as his own law-maker. Rather, morality is to be measured by the laws and principles of divine revelation, as made known in the inspired writings of the Bible. Ultimately, morality is grounded in the very nature of God Himself. “[A]s he who calls you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy” (1 Peter 1:15). Though such a concept is almost wholly rejected by modern society, there is ample evidence to support it.

Let us contemplate briefly some of the principles contained in Scripture that assist us in putting “right” and “wrong” things into proper focus.

1. “Wrong” is not determined by the perpetrator’s moral sensitivity to an act. A wrong act is still wrong whether or not the violator is aware of it, or whether or not he feels comfortable with the situation. Saul of Tarsus did not know that he was doing wrong when he persecuted Christianity (see Acts 23:1; 26:9; 1 Timothy 1:13), but he was violating the will of God nonetheless. Ignorance is no excuse (Acts 17:30). In modern society, for example, many have entangled themselves in adulterous “marital” relationships. Frequently it is argued that such liaisons may be sustained because the parties “did not know” the intricacies of God’s marriage law when the unions were made. The logic is fallacious. Will a similar argument eventually be offered to defend the concept of same-sex “marriages”?

2. “Right” is not established merely by what man is able to accomplish by means of his genius and/or ability. Pragmatism does not provide the criteria for ethics. One human being presumptively can take another’s life, but that does not make the act moral. Two unmarried youngsters are able to conceive a child apart from the sacred vows of matrimony, but the act is illegitimate nonetheless. “Might” does not make “right,” and autocratic decisions relating to moral matters are condemned in Scripture (see Habakkuk 1:11). Radical attempts at human genetic engineering, or cloning, may be accomplished eventually through the manipulation of genetic laws, but the achievement, in and of itself, does not license the practice as ethical. The issue must ever be: Is a procedure consistent with the principles of God’s inspired revelation?

3. “Right” and “wrong” are not determined by what is legal. In the Roman world of the Caesars, infanticide was legal, but it was not moral. In some ancient cultures, a woman was not a person; she was mere property to be abused, or disposed of, at the whim of her husband. There are few who would defend the ethics of this custom. Homosexuality is legal, but it is moral perversion (Romans 1:26-27). The destruction of human life by means of abortion has the sanction of civil law, but the practice is abominable before the eyes of the Creator (Proverbs 6:17).

4. “Right” and “wrong” are not grounded in what a majority of the population “feels” is ethical. Jesus Christ is a King; He has not implemented a democracy to determine, by majority vote, how human beings ought to live. In the first place, man never can be his own guide. “O Jehovah, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). Second, fallible opinion, multiplied a thousand times, does not change wrong into right. Moses solemnly warned: “Thou shall not follow a multitude to do evil” (Exodus 23:2). It hardly is necessary to remind ourselves that the path of the majority is the way of destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).

5. “Wrong” is wrong, whether or not one is ever caught. In the isolated environment of ancient Egypt, separated from his kinsmen, Joseph might well have rationalized an illicit relationship with Potiphar’s wife on the ground that his indiscretion never would be known by his family. His reasoning, however, was: “[H]ow then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9). There will be a time when the “skeletons come out of the closet” and “the chickens come home to roost.” Many things that have been perpetrated in darkness will be revealed in light, and secret evils will be proclaimed from the rooftops (see Luke 12:3). Secrecy does not sanctify!

6. “Wrong” does not become right by virtue of passing time. It is certainly the case that the public’s conscience sometimes becomes dull with the passing of years, so that what once was horrifying eventually becomes commonplace. But wrong still is wrong, though a millennium passes. Eventually, there will be accountability (2 Corinthians 5:10).

May God help us to examine our practices by the illumination of His glorious Word (Psalm 119:105), and to determine “right” and “wrong” issued upon that reliable basis.

Wonders of God’s Creation by Eric Lyons, M.Min.

 

https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=2629

Wonders of God’s Creation

by  Eric Lyons, M.Min.

According to the General Theory of Evolution, about 14 billion years ago “all the matter in the universe was concentrated into one very dense, very hot region that may have been much smaller than a period on this page. For some unknown reason, this region exploded” (Hurd, et al., p. 61). As a result of the alleged explosion of a period-sized ball of matter, billions of galaxies formed, and eventually planets such as Earth evolved. Supposedly, the evolution of galaxies, and every planet, moon, and star within these galaxies, all came about by non-purposeful, unintelligent accidents. Likewise, every life form that eventually appeared on Earth purportedly evolved by mindless, random chances over millions of years. Some life forms “just happened” to evolve the ability to reproduce asexually, while others “just happened” to develop the capability to reproduce sexually. Some life forms “just happened” to evolve the ability to walk along vertical ledges (e.g., geckos), while others “just happened” to evolve the “gift” of glowing (e.g., glow worms). Some life forms “just happened” to evolve the ability to make silk (e.g., spiders), which, pound-for-pound, is stronger than steel, while others “just happened” to evolve the ability to “turn 90 degrees in under 50 milliseconds” while flying in a straight line (e.g., the blowfly; Mueller, 2008, 213[4]:82). Allegedly, everything has come into existence by random chances over billions of years. According to the General Theory of Evolution, there was no Mind, no Intelligence, and no Designer that created the Universe and everything in it.

Ironically, though atheistic evolutionary scientists insist that the Earth and all living things on it have no grand, intelligent Designer, these same scientists consistently refer to amazing “design” in nature. Consider an example of such paradoxical language in a recent National Geographic article titled, “Biomimetics: Design by Nature” (Mueller, 2008). The word “design” (or one of its derivatives—designs, designed, etc.) appeared no less than seven times in the article in reference to “nature’s designs.” Evolutionary biologist Andrew Parker spoke of his collection of preserved animals as “a treasure-trove of brilliant design” (quoted in Mueller, 2008, 213[4]:75, emp. added). After interviewing Parker, National Geographic writer Tom Mueller noted how the capillaries between the scales of a thorny devil lizard are “evidently designed to guide water toward the lizard’s mouth” (p. 81, emp. added). He then explained how “[i]nsects offer an embarrassment of design riches” (p. 75, emp. added). Mueller referred to nature’s “sophistication” and “clever devices” (p. 79), and praised nature for being able to turn simple materials “into structures of fantastic complexity, strength, and toughness” (p. 79). After learning of the uncanny, complicated maneuverability of a little blowfly, Mueller even confessed to feeling the need to regard the insect “on bended knee in admiration” (p. 82). Why? Because of its “mysterious” and “complicated” design. Brilliant and well-funded scientists around the world admit that living things perform many feats “too mysterious and complicated to be able to replicate” (p. 82). They are “designed,” allegedly, with no “Designer.”

But how can you get design without purpose, intelligence, and deliberate planning? The first three definitions the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary gives for “design” (noun) are as follows: “1a:a particular purpose held in view by an individual or group...b:deliberate purposive planning... 2:a mental project or scheme in which means to an end are laid down; 3a:a deliberate undercover project or scheme” (“Design,” 2008, emp. added). After defining “design” as a drawing, sketch, or “graphic representation of a detailed plan...,” the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language noted that design may be defined as “[t]he purposeful or inventive arrangement of parts or details” (2000, p. 492, emp. added). A design is preceded by “deliberate purposive planning,” “a detailed plan,” or an “inventive arrangement.” A design is the effect, not of time, chance, and unintelligent, random accidents, but of the purposeful planning and deliberate actions of an inventor or designer. A designer brings about a design. Thus, by definition, design demands a designer, and one with some measure of intelligence.

National Geographic purports that nature “blindly cobbles together myriad random experiments over thousands of generations” in order to produce complex, living organisms that the world’s “top scientists have yet to comprehend” (Mueller, 2008, 213[4]:90). We, on the other hand, choose to believe that, just as a painting demands a painter, and a poem a poet, the world’s amazing designs, which continually stump the most intelligent scientists on Earth, demand an intelligent Designer. Consider three wonders of God’s Creation—from the land, sea, and air—that testify on behalf of a grand Designer and against the random, chance processes of mindless evolution.

GIRAFFES

The height of an 18-foot giraffe, the tallest of all land animals, is quite daunting. The clumsy-looking giraffe’s ability to run 34 miles per hour is very impressive. Its minimal sleep requirements—only about 30 minutes a day, often broken up into several short naps—and its ability to go weeks without drinking is remarkable (“Giraffe,” 1999). Its 18-inch, prehensile tongue, eight-foot-long tail, and six-foot-tall newborns are all very striking. Most remarkable, however, is the design of the giraffe’s circulatory system.

Consider that a giraffe’s brain is about eight feet higher than its heart. In order to get blood from its heart up to its brain, a giraffe must have an enormous heart that can pump blood extremely hard against gravity. What’s more, it must maintain such blood pressure as long as the giraffe’s neck is vertically in the air. It should come as no surprise that this long-necked mammal is equipped with a two-foot-long, 20-plus-pound, thick-walled heart that is large enough and strong enough to pump blood eight feet high—creating blood pressure that is about twice that of any other large mammal, and as much as three times that of the average person (Foster, 1977, 152[3]:409).

But what about when a giraffe suddenly lowers its head several feet below its heart to get a drink of water? What happens to all of the blood that the heart normally pumps so powerfully against gravity to the brain? If the design of the giraffe were merely left up to time and chance, one would expect that the first time a giraffe tried to lower its neck to get a drink of water, the heart would pump so much blood to the brain that blood vessels in the brain would explode, or the brain would fill up with blood so quickly that the giraffe would pass out.

How does the giraffe keep from having brain bleeds, or from feeling woozy and passing out every time it bends down and raises back up? A National Geographic article on giraffes explains:

To withstand the surge of blood to and from the brain as its neck sweeps up and down, the giraffe has developed control valves in the jugular veins and a special network of blood vessels in its head. Known as the rete mirabile caroticum—wonder net of the carotids—this circulatory buffer keeps blood pressure constant in the brain” (Foster, p. 409).

A giraffe, then, has intricate valves in its jugular veins that help control how much blood gets to the brain during those times when a giraffe has its head lowered. Working together with these valves is a network of blood vessels that “controls the flow of blood into the head” (p. 411). Then, “[w]hen the head is raised, the same net counters the danger of blackouts from reduced blood pressure” (p. 411).

One might wonder how giraffes, which stand on their feet most of the day and have such high blood pressure, keep their lower extremities from pooling with blood. The fact is, even though “the blood vessels in the lower legs are under great pressure (because of the weight of fluid pressing down on them),” giraffes “have a very tight sheath of thick skin over their lower limbs that maintains high extravascular pressure” (“Giraffe,” 2008, parenthetical comment in orig.). Similar to a fighter pilot’s G-suit that “exerts pressure on the body and legs of the wearer under high acceleration and prevents blackout....[l]eakage from the capillaries in the giraffe’s legs, due to high blood pressure, is also probably prevented by a similar pressure of the tissue fluid outside the cells. In addition, the walls of the giraffe’s arteries are thicker than those in any other mammal” (Kofahl, 1992, 14[2]:23).

So, the giraffe has:

  • “a complex pressure-regulation system” (“Giraffe,” 2008).
  • “unique valves” that prevent overpressure when it lowers its head (Foster, 1977, p. 409).
  • a network of blood vessels that helps stabilize blood pressure as the giraffe moves its neck up and down.
  • a heart powerful enough to send an adequate amount of blood eight feet upwards against gravity.
  • arteries in the lower part of its body thick enough to withstand the high blood pressure.
  • skin tight enough to force blood back upward and keep capillaries in its lower extremities from bursting.
  • oversized lungs (large enough to hold 12 gallons of air) that “compensate for the volume of dead air” in its 10-foot long trachea (Foster, p. 409; “Mammals: Giraffe,” 2008). [“Without this extra air-pumping capacity a giraffe would breathe the same used air over and over” (Foster, p. 409).]

National Geographic would have us believe that “nature” provided giraffes with all of this “special equipment” (Foster, p. 411). Supposedly, giraffes’ specialized, necessary, “unique” control valves are “remarkable adaptations” that “developed” (p. 409, emp. added). In other words, multiplied millions of years of “evolution” have “modified the giraffe’s anatomy to allow this stretched-version mammal to function” (p. 409).

How do the mindless, purposeless, random processes of time and chance adequately explain “unique valves,” “a complex pressure-regulation system,” a “wonder net” that “keeps blood pressure constant in the brain” (whether the giraffe’s neck is raised or lowered), a heart, lungs, and arteries all just the right size, etc.? Even more difficult (impossible) for evolution to explain is how all of these sophisticated body parts came about simultaneously? After all, what good is a big heart without a network of blood vessels that stabilizes blood pressure? And what is the point of the rete mirabile caroticum, if the giraffe did not have a heart powerful enough to pump blood eight feet into the air? Evolutionist Robert Wesson openly addressed this issue in his book, Beyond Natural Selection. He wrote:

All these things had to be accomplished in step, and they must have been done rapidly.... That it could all have come about by synchronized random mutations strains the definition of random. The most critical question, however, is how the original impetus to giraffeness—and a million other adaptations—got started and acquired sufficient utility to have selective value.... The observer must be often tempted to suppose that organisms have responded to their conditions and needs more purposefully than strict Darwinian theory can allow (1991, p. 226, emp. added).

Truly, the amazingly intricate design of the giraffe’s circulatory system, as well as the rest of its anatomy and physiology, demand a better explanation than the random, chance processes of evolution. The fact is, the giraffe is brilliantly designed—a wonder of God’s creation.

CUTTLEFISH

Two colorful, eight-legged cephalopods, known as cuttlefish, recently graced the cover of the journal New Scientist (2008, 198[2653]). With bluish-green blood, iridescent skin, feeding tentacles that shoot from their mouths like birthday party blowers, and eyes like something from a Batman movie, it is no surprise that the editors of New Scientist used the term “alien” in their description of the cuttlefish; the animals do look bizarre—plain and simple. Make no mistake, however, these creatures are anything but simple. In fact, just above the cuttlefish was the cover title, “Alien Intelligence: Secret Code of an Eight-Legged Genius” (Brooks, 2008, emp. added). Michael Brooks, author of the feature article, declared that the cuttlefish is “the world’s most inventive mollusk” (2008, p. 31, emp. added) with a “sophisticated system for talking to one another” (p. 28, emp. added). Scientists have documented “around 40 different cuttlefish body patterns, many of which are used to communicate with other cuttlefish” (p. 29). At other times, cuttlefish send “tailor-made” signals to predators (p. 29, emp. added).

Even more incredible than their communication skills, is the cuttlefishes’ ability to blend in to their surroundings. Brooks described them as having “the world’s best camouflage skills” (p. 29). Similar to how these mollusks (cuttlefish have an internal shell called a cuttlebone, thus, scientists classify them as mollusks) communicate with other animals via a variety of body patterns, they also move their bodies into a variety of positions in hopes of staying hidden. For example, while swimming next to large seaweed, a cuttlefish can mimic the motion of the grass by positioning and waving its eight arms similar to how seaweed sways in water. This makes it very difficult for both attackers and possible prey to locate the cuttlefish. In a recent study, scientists placed either horizontal or vertical stripes on the walls of cuttlefish tanks. How did the cuttlefish react? According to Dr. Roger Hanlon, “If the stripes were vertical they would raise an arm. If the stripes were horizontal they would stretch their bodies out horizontally” (as quoted in Brooks, p. 31). Amazing! Cuttlefish can even change the texture of their skin to mimic the shape of certain barnacle-encrusted rocks or corals.

But what must give other sea life more problems than anything is the cuttlefish’s ability to change color—and to do it so quickly. A cuttlefish can change the color of its entire body in the blink of an eye. If this mollusk wants to change to red, it sends signals from its brain to its “pigment” sacs (called chromatophores) to change to red. Cuttlefish can hide from other sea life by changing to the color of sand or seaweed. They can also appear as a strobe light, blinking “on and off” very quickly. So extraordinary are these “masters of camouflage” (p. 28) that government researchers are even “looking into the possibility of copying cuttlefish camouflage for use in the military” (p. 31). Researchers are enamored with “how cuttlefish achieve their quick and convincing camouflage” (p. 30). Nevertheless, “[i]t’s highly unlikely that anyone could achieve that same level of camouflage” (p. 30). Scientists admittedly find it difficult “mimicking the colour-matching abilities of the cuttlefish...and its texture-matching ability, which utilizes the muscles beneath it” (p. 30). In fact, “[n]o one knows exactly” how cuttlefish match their backgrounds so effectively, especially since “[e]xperiments have shown that cuttlefish don’t look at their skin to check how well it matches the background” (p. 31, emp. added). What’s more, if, as scientists believe, this animal is colorblind, only seeing in shades of green (p. 31), how does it always choose the color most helpful (like changing to the color of sand when on the ocean floor)?

The cuttlefish is a remarkable creature. Evolutionists have called this animal a “genius.” Scientists admit that cuttlefish are “sophisticated,” “intelligent,” “tailor-made” creatures with a “secret code.” Yet “evolution” was the very first word Michael Brooks used in his New Scientist article to explain the existence of cuttlefish (p. 29). But how can intelligence arise from non-intelligence? How can something “tailor-made” have no tailor? No one would suggest that Morse code is the product of time and chance, yet Brooks and other evolutionists would have us believe that the cuttlefish’s “secret code” is the product of millions of years of mindless evolution (p. 31)? Preposterous! Nature cannot explain the cuttlefish. The real Code-Giver, the intelligent Designer Who “tailor-made” the cuttlefish, is God. He “created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind” (Genesis 1:21).

GODWITS

As of the summer of 2008, Usain Bolt was the fastest man alive. During the 2008 Olympics, Bolt set Olympic and World records by running 100 meters in 9.69 seconds. A human running at a speed of 28 miles per hour is quite impressive, but neither Usain Bolt nor any other human can maintain such a speed for more than a few seconds. Marathon runners may be able to run 26.2 miles without stopping, but no one averages more than 13 miles per hour while running great distances. Although the human body is a meticulously designed “machine” (see Jackson, 2000), which functions perfectly for its intended purpose on Earth, there are limits to what a person can do. When these limits are compared to the speed and distance a particular bird flew some time ago, one gains a greater appreciation for God’s wondrous creation.

In February 2007, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey fitted 16 shorebirds, known as bar-tailed godwits, with satellite transmitters. One of the godwits, dubbed E7, made its way from New Zealand to Alaska over the next three months, flying 9,340 miles with one five-week-long layover near the North Korea-China border (Hansford, 2007). After nearly four months, the godwit began its uninterrupted flight back to New Zealand. Amazingly, this little bird, which normally weighs less than one pound, flew 7,145 miles in nine days without stopping, averaging 34.8 mph. Without taking a break to eat, drink, or rest, the godwit flew “the equivalent of making a roundtrip flight between New York and San Francisco, and then flying back again to San Francisco without ever touching down” (“Bird Completes...,” 2007). Equally impressive, the godwit’s approximately 16,500-mile, roundtrip journey ended where it began. Without a map, a compass, or even a parent, godwits can fly tens of thousands of miles without getting lost.

Scientists have studied the migration of birds for decades and still cannot adequately explain this “age-old riddle” (Peterson, 1968, p. 108). Their stamina and sense of direction is mind-boggling. In his book Unsolved Mysteries of Science, evolutionist John Malone reported how much progress man has made over the last few centuries in understanding how birds are able to journey thousands of miles with pinpoint accuracy (2001, pp. 114-122). Yet, he concluded his chapter on bird migration with these words:

Partial explanations abound, but every book or scientific article on bird migration is full of conditional words and phrases: “It may be...but it also might not be.” We know more about how birds might achieve their epic flights around the world, but there are still far more mysteries than there are explanations. The tiny songbird that reappeared to build its nest in the apple tree outside your window—and we know from banding that it can indeed be exactly the same bird—has been to South America and back since you saw it last. How can that be? This is one case where it may be nicer not to know—simply allow yourself to be swept up by awe and wonder (p. 122, emp. added).

Try as they might, evolutionists attempting to explain the complexities of bird migration can only offer woeful (and often contradictory) theories, at best (Peterson, p. 108). How can a person reasonably conclude that non-intelligence, plus time, plus chance, equals a one-pound, bar-tailed godwit flying 7,145 miles in nine days without stopping for food, water, or rest? The “awe and wonder” to which John Malone alluded should be directed toward neither mindless evolution nor the birds themselves, but to the “great and awesome God” (Daniel 9:4) Who has done “wondrous works” and “awesome things” (Psalm 106:22), including endowing birds with the amazing trait we call “instinct.” Truly, it is not by evolution or man’s wisdom that a bird “soars, stretching his wings toward the south” (Job 39:26). Rather, “the stork in the sky knows her seasons; and the turtledove and the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration” (Jeremiah 8:7, NASB), because all-knowing, all-powerful Jehovah is the Creator of them all.

CONCLUSION

Whereas National Geographic highlights “nature” and encourages readers to “learn from what evolution has wrought” (Mueller, 2008, 213[4]:75, emp. added), mankind would do better to heed the example of a noble inventor/designer from the mid-1800s. Samuel Morse, who invented the telegraph system and Morse Code, sent the very first telegraph from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore, Maryland on May 24, 1844 (“Today...,” 2007). His message consisted of a brief quotation from Numbers 23:23: “What hath God wrought!” (emp. added). Samuel Morse unashamedly testified to what everyone should understand: design demands a designer. Morse’s code and the telegraph system were the immediate effects of a designer: Samuel Morse. But, the Grand Designer, Who created Morse and every material thing that Morse used to invent his telegraph system, is God. Morse recognized this marvelous, self-evident truth. Should we not recognize it as well, especially in view of the abilities of giraffes, cuttlefish, and godwits—wonders of God’s creation?

For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God (Hebrews 3:4).

The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; the world and all its fullness, You have founded them. The north and the south, You have created them (Psalm 89:11-12).

This great and wide sea, in which are innumerable teeming things, living things both small and great. O Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all (Psalm 104:25,24, emp. added).

REFERENCES

“Bird Completes Epic Flight Across the Pacific” (2007), ScienceDaily, September 17, [On-line], http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070915131 205.htm.

Brooks, Michael (2008), “Do You Speak Cuttlefish?” New Scientist, 198[2653]: 28-31, April 26.

American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (2000), (Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin), fourth edition.

“Design” (2008), Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, [On-line], URL: http://www.merriam-webster.com/diction ary.

Foster, Bristol (1977), “Africa’s Gentle Giants,” National Geographic, 152[3]:402-417, September.

“Giraffe” (1999), Smithsonian National Zoological Park, [On-line], URL: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/AfricanSavanna/fact-giraffe.cfm.

“Giraffe” (2008), New World Encyclopedia, [On-line], URL: http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Giraffe.

Hansford, Dave (2007), “Alaska Bird Makes Longest Nonstop Flight Ever Measured,” National Geographic News, September 14, [On-line], URL: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/09/070913-longest-flight.html.

Hurd, Dean, George Mathias, and Susan Johnson, eds. (1992), General Science: A Voyage of Discovery (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall).

Jackson, Wayne (2000), The Human Body—Accident or Design? (Stockton, CA: Courier Publications).

Kofahl, Robert (1992), “Do Drinking Giraffes Have Headaches?” Creation, 14[2]:22-23, March, [On-line], URL: http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v14/i2/giraffes.asp.

Malone, John (2001), Unsolved Mysteries of Science (New York: John Wiley & Sons).

“Mammals: Giraffe” (2008), San Diego Zoo, [On-line], URL: http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t- giraffe.html.

Mueller, Tom (2008), “Biomimetics: Design by Nature,” National Geographic, 213[4]:68-91, April.

Peterson, Roger (1968), The Birds (New York: Time-Life).

“Today in History: May 24” (2007), The Library of Congress, [On-line], URL: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/may24.html.

Wesson, Robert (1991), Beyond Natural Selection (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press).

Woe to You When All Men Speak Well of You by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

 

https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=2815


Woe to You When All Men Speak Well of You

by  Kyle Butt, M.Div.

It is true that you can tell a great deal about people or groups by who their friends are, but it is also the case that you can sometimes tell just as much by who their enemies are. In fact, Jesus warned that if His disciples were living such unaffecting lives that all men, regardless of their relationship to God, were speaking well of them, then His disciples would not be faithfully carrying out His mission (Luke 6:26).

We at Apologetics Press can safely say that we do not have the problem of “all men speaking well of us.” In fact, with the advent of new mass media outlets for our materials, we have been faced with several vitriolic rebukes.

For instance, when we posted the video of the complete debate between Dan Barker and myself on YouTube.com, we left the comment section open for viewers to express their opinions about the debate. Here are a few that have come from those in the atheistic community and other detractors from our work:

“Kyle Butt is an ­­­---, no pun intended....”

“I can forgive the name Kyle but his parents should have given him some brains or honesty....”

“What a ­­­­­­­---- preacher....”

“Unbelievable...Kyle Butt is clearly insane.”

“Kyle Butts is an absolute moron.”

In an e-mail regarding an article on our Web site titled, “Does Picking Up Sticks on the Sabbath Deserve the Death Penalty?” Danny wrote:

Thanks Kyle!

I’ve never been more proud and confident in being an Ex-Christian than after reading your warped little justification for outright murder. Also, congratulations for providing me with a wealth of information when I need to counter the notion that your particular social culture tribe is morally superior to other social culture tribes. I’ve saved your post as a pdf for future usage. I expect that it will see a lot of mileage.

Respectfully,

Former Bible Believing Conservative Evangelical Pre-Millennial KJV-Only Used To Pass Out Tracts and go to Wednesday services

Danny.

Regarding our Web site in general, Jack e-mailed us and said:

While your website has been around for ten years, you are thousands of years behind on many of your answers. It’s not so much that you haven’t caught up to modern science, but in many instances you are dead wrong on your answers. Your website is absolutely horrible.

It would be lovely if you could catch up to the 21st century.

One writer posted this statement on his site: “Apologetics Press is so intellectually anorexic, it’s frightening to imagine the base level of research involved in its preparation of creationist material.”

Of course, these are just a few of the many insulting barbs hurled at our work on a regular basis. We could continue with numerous pages of similar quotes and comments. Needless to say, not everyone likes our work. When we see the sources of these comments, however, we are encouraged by the teachings of Christ who stated: “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:18-19). Because of the world’s sinful mentality, we should expect just such attacks against the truth. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said: “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake” (Matthew 5:11). Needless to say, in many, many ways, we at Apologetics Press are blessed.

"THE GOSPEL OF JOHN" For Those Who Will Believe (17:20-26) by Mark Copeland

 








"THE GOSPEL OF JOHN"

For Those Who Will Believe (17:20-26)

INTRODUCTION
  1. In previous lessons devoted to "The Greatest Prayer Ever Prayed", we noted that...
    1. Jesus first prayed for Himself ("Father...Glorify Your Son") - Jn 17:1-5
    2. Jesus next prayed for His apostles ("I Pray For Them") - Jn 17:6-19
  2. Jesus then prayed for "those who will believe through their word"... - Jn 17:20
    1. I.e., those who would come to believe in Jesus through the teaching of the apostles
    2. This would include everyone who believes in Jesus today

[In this third and final part of Jesus' prayer, we learn what was heavy on the mind of Jesus concerning His followers during this difficult time just before His arrest and crucifixion. In our text (Jn 17:20-26), we can read of...]

  1. JESUS' DESIRE FOR US
    1. THAT WE BE ONE...
      1. The nature of the oneness Jesus desires - Jn 17:21,23a
        1. As He and the Father are one
        2. Together with the Father and the Son
      2. The purpose of the oneness Jesus desires - Jn 17:21c, 23b
        1. That the world may believe the Father sent the Son
        2. That the world may know the Father sent Jesus, and loved them
      3. The means to the oneness Jesus desires - Jn 17:22
        1. The glory which God gave Christ - Jn 17:22
        2. B. W. Johnson offers the following insight as to what this glory' might be:
          1. "God gave Christ the glory of Sonship and this resulted in their unity."
          2. "So Christ gives to his disciples the glory of becoming the sons of God (Jn 1:12; 1Jn 3:1)."
          3. "This glory, the adoption and gift of the Spirit, ought to effect that they be one as we are one."
        3. Adam Clarke rephrases Jesus' words in this way:
          1. "I have communicated to all those who believe, or shall believe in me, the glorious privilege of becoming sons of God;"
          2. "that, being all adopted children of the same Father, they may abide in peace, love, and unity."
    2. THAT WE BEHOLD HIS GLORY...
      1. That we be with Him where He is - Jn 17:24a
        1. That is, in heaven, as He had mentioned earlier - Jn 14:3
        2. Using the futuristic present form of speech (e.g., Jn 17:4)
      2. That we behold His glory given to Him by the Father - Jn 17:24b
        1. That glory prayed for earlier - Jn 17:1
        2. The eternal glory He had with the Father before the world was - Jn 17:5
        3. When the Father loved Him before the creation of the world - Jn 17:24c
        4. Glory like that depicted in the visions of Revelation - e.g., Re 5:6-14
    3. THAT WE BE LOVED BY HIS FATHER...
      1. The Father has loved us - Jn 17:23
        1. Manifested by sending His Son - Jn 3:16
        2. Manifested by offering Him as a propitiation - 1Jn 4:10
      2. The Father will love us - Jn 17:26
        1. With the same love He has for His Son!
        2. For all who keep His commandments - cf. Jn 14:21,23

        [Such is Jesus' desire for us as expressed in His prayer: 1) to be one; 2) to behold His glory; and 3) to be loved by His Father! How shall we react to such a prayer? Let me suggest...]

  2. OUR DUTY FOR JESUS
    1. TO WALK IN UNITY...
      1. Preserving the unity of the Spirit - Ep 4:3-6
        1. Keeping that which Jesus accomplished for us
        2. Through doctrinal faithfulness to each of the seven 'ones'
      2. Attaining unity of mind and judgment - 1Co 1:10-13; Php 2:1-5
        1. In our dealings with one another as brethren
        2. By developing and displaying the mind of Christ
        -- That the world might know that God loves them and has sent His Son
    2. TO WALK IN FAITH...
      1. To remain steadfast to the end - He 3:12-14
        1. There is a real danger of developing a heart of unbelief
        2. We are partakers of Christ (and His glory) if we remain steadfast to the end
      2. To receive the crown of life - Re 2:10; 3:21-22
        1. We must remain faithful till death
        2. We must overcome if we are to sit with Him on His throne
        -- That we might behold His glory in heaven and throughout eternity
    3. TO WALK IN LOVE...
      1. Love for God - Mt 22:37-38; Jn 14:15,21; 1Jn 5:3
        1. The greatest commandment of the Old Law
        2. Demonstrated by keeping the commandments of the Lord
      2. Love for the children of God - Ep 5:1-2; 1Jn 5:2
        1. Imitating God who loved us
        2. Demonstrated by keeping the commandments of God
        -- That we might remain in His love
CONCLUSION
  1. If we take Jesus' prayer seriously, we will do all we can to...
    1. Walk in unity
    2. Walk in faith
    3. Walk in love
    -- Are you doing your part to see that His prayer is answered?
  2. We note the concluding words of "The Greatest Prayer Ever Prayed"...
    1. Those apostles with Jesus knew that He was sent by God - Jn 17:25
    2. He taught them that they might know the love of God and the fellowship of Christ - Jn 17:26
  3. Years later, the apostle who recorded Jesus' prayer wrote an epistle...
    1. That we might have share in the fellowship of God and Jesus - 1Jn 1:1-3
    2. That our joy might be full - 1Jn 1:4

Both Jesus and John would have us share in the wonderful love and fellowship with God. May "The Greatest Prayer Ever Prayed" always encourage us to do what we must to experience it...!

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2021
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7 Reasons Why Christians Should Quit Grumbling About Paying Taxes by Ken Weliever, The Preacherman

 

https://thepreachersword.com/2017/04/18/7-reasons-why-christians-should-quit-grumbling-about-paying-taxes/#more-10548

7 Reasons Why Christians Should Quit Grumbling About Paying Taxes

It was Benjamin Franklin who is credited with the often repeated quip, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”

Today is tax day in the United States. Due to the 15th falling on Saturday and Monday being Emancipation Day, the tax deadline was extended until April 18th this year.

According to statistics about 25 percent of Americans wait until the last week to file. Another 17 million will file an extension. And about 99 percent will complain about taxes.

For a long time, I grumbled and griped about taxes. Once I realized it was part of life, I decided to change my attitude. Consider these 7 reasons why you ought to quit complaining.

(1) Paying taxes honors Jesus’ command to “render unto Caesar.”

When the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus by asking “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” He requested a coin.

“Whose image and inscription is on it?” He asked.

“Caesar’s.” They replied.

Jesus responded, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matt 22:15–22).

Sometimes Christians argue that it’s immoral to pay taxes for purposes that we disagree with. Do you suppose Rome engaged in any practices that Jesus condemned? Nevertheless, He admonished them to pay their taxes. When we pay what we owe, we honor Jesus’ command.

(2) Paying taxes fulfills my duty to obey the law.

The Bible teaches that we’re subject to the governing authorities. In fact, they exist because God ordained them. “You must also pay your taxes. The authorities are God’s servants, and it is their duty to take care of these matters. Pay all that you owe, whether it is taxes and fees or respect and honor” (Rom 13:1–7).

Christians are not to be law breakers, but law abiding citizens.

(3) Paying taxes is a way to help the less fortunate.

While we all decry government waste, fraud, and welfare cheats, the fact is some of our money provides assistance for those who genuinely depend upon it for survival. Paying taxes is one way we “give to those who have need” (Eph 4:28).

The late Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Homes once said, “I like to pay taxes. With them, I buy civilization.”

(4) Paying taxes demonstrates my honesty and integrity.

Christians are to be honest and honorable in all of our business and financial dealings (Prov 3:9; Rom 12:17; Prov 13:11). Tax evasion is not only illegal, it is sinful. Indeed “the righteous man walks in his integrity” with regard to fulfilling his fiscal responsibilities, including paying taxes.

(5) Paying taxes means that I earned income.

If you owe taxes, be thankful you earned enough money to be taxed. Many people who don’t pay taxes based on our tax code are living in poverty. If your tax bill is larger this year, that probably means you are more successful financially.  Be thankful for your material blessings.

(6) Paying taxes represents responsible stewardship.

There was a time in my life when April 15th rolled around that I didn’t have the money to pay my taxes. Why? Because I failed to pay quarterly. In truth, I was a poor steward of my money. The command to “owe no man anything” (Rom 13:8) involves all debts and bills, including the government.

(7) Grumbling is opposed to the attitude of Christ.

The Bible commands us to “do all things without grumbling or disputing” (Phil 2:14). Old Testament Israel was condemned for their constant complaining against God’s provisions. Using them as a negative example, Paul warned that we should not be grumblers and murmurers (1 Cor 10:10). “All things” would include paying taxes.

While we all would like lower taxes, a balanced budget, and a federal government that lives within its means, these are things out of our control. What we can control is our attitude. Our honor. Our integrity.

In a sin darkened world, let’s be a shining light. Even as we pay our taxes.

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman

SUBJECT TO INTERPRETATION? by steve finnell

 

http://steve-finnell.blogspot.com/2016/09/subject-to-interpretation-steve-finnell.html

SUBJECT TO INTERPRETATION?  by steve finnell


Is the reason why there are so many different denominations, is that the Bible is a matter of interpretation or because extra-Biblical information has influenced interpretation?

How would you interpret the following Scriptures without the influence of a trained professional?

Mark 16:16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. (NKJV)

A. He who believes is saved and then he is baptized into a local church.

B. He who believes has been saved because God selected him for salvation and then he should be baptized as a testimony of his faith.

C. He who believes is saved by faith only, and water baptism is not essential to salvation.

D. He who believes will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned, however he who rejects baptism will not be condemned.

E. He who has a parent believe for them and is baptized as an infant shall be saved.

F. Just believe what Mark 16:16 says.

Subject for your interpretation.

Romans 6:3-7.......  4 We were, therefore, buried with him by immersion into death; that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, thus we also should walk in newness of life.....(The Better Version of the New Testament by Chester Estes)

A. We were, therefore buried with him by immersion, sprinkling or pouring into death; that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, thus we were walking in a new life the very minute we believed.

B. Just believe what Romans 6:3-7 says.

Subject for your interpretation.

Acts 2:37-38 ....."Men and brethren, what shall we do?" 38 The Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (NKJV)

A. "Men and brethren, what shall we do? Peter said, you do not have to do anything because you have been saved by grace alone, God will give you the gift of faith so you can believe and be saved.

B " Men and brethren, what shall we do? Peter said, nothing at all, your sins were forgiven the minute you believed.

C. "Men and brethren, what shall we do? Peter said, all adults must repent and be baptized for  the forgiveness of sins that they have committed, as well as for Adam's sin, but infants need not repent, nor believe, however, all infants need to be baptized because they are guilty of Adam's original sin.

D. Just believe Acts 2:37-38.

Are there  hundreds of denominations because men believed the Scriptures and the Scriptures alone or because men have let trained professionals interpret the Scriptures for them?

The Bible needs to be read and believed. 


Courage by Sandra F. Cobble

 

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

Courage

This is not the final word on courage, although it may be my final word that you will see published, for my medical prognosis is not what the doctor calls encouraging.

Courage is not a veiled death wish as seen in the lifestyles that defy all reasonable expectations. Courage is not the instantaneous acts that most persons think of as heroic. Though many such acts are to be lauded, there is seldom much thought given to the consequences of one's actions.

Do not the Scriptures teach that we are to exercise wisdom, good judgment, and prudence? Courage analyses all known factors then decides upon a course of action based on that analysis. Yes, one may be fearful of the unknown. He may even be more fearful of known potentials. But courage acts even though harm may be to one's self. When David is talking about the person who will abide in God's presence, he says in Psalm 15:1-4, "LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not." Note that even when a person swore to his own hurt and yet had the courage to keep his oath, David pronounced him blessed.

Courage is preparing to live in such a way as to glorify God despite having been pronounced terminally ill. We are born terminally ill. "For it is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgment" (Heb. 9:27). As we begin to mature and become aware of death we may begin to make some type of arrangements for expiration, even though the idea of our own death seems unreal. We buy insurance. We make wills. And the more mature among us begin thinking about making peace with God, with our neighbor, and with ourselves.

But then comes the announcement, "Your form of cancer has no known cure." "The symptoms can be treated to some extent with radiation and chemotherapy. But you are dying. You should make arrangements to enter a nursing home so someone can care for you."

Generally persons tend to react in one of two ways. Many do not accept what their doctors have told them. They search every where for that elusive cure. Others simply give up. They take to their beds and lie there bemoaning their fate and waiting for death. Some may begin to enjoy the extra attention they are getting. They act in such a way as to evoke the sympathy of others.

But there is a better alternative, one that will glorify God. Even a smile can do wonders for another. So can a simple 'please' or 'thank you.' Taking time to just listen to another's problems of the day can ease his burdens. These simple things glorify God. And a person who is terminally ill can feel freer to ask, "How about a hug?" Both persons will feel better and will glorify God. And when a person comes to cheer up one who is terminally ill and leaves feeling better than when he came, then God has been glorified.

True courage does not ignore obstacles. True courage recognizes obstacles but goes on to glorify God despite all obstacles. Mark Twain put it this way, "Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear -- not absence of fear." William Cullen Bryant said, "So live, that when thy summons comes to join the innumerable caravan which moves to that mysterious realm, where each shall take his chamber in the silent halls of death, thou go not, like the quarry-slave at night, scourged to his dungeon, but, sustained and soothed by an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave, like one that wraps the drapery of his couch about him, and lies down to pleasant dreams."

However, Paul's inspired statement gives more comfort and encouragement than any and all the writings of ordinary men, and he said in Philippians 1:23, "For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better." Those of us who have put our trust in the Lord and accepted His grace through an obedient faith can accept the statement of Paul at face value, and face the future with courage.

Sandra F. Cobble

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

Angels and the Truth of the Gospel


 

This aurora is beautiful; looks like an angel, doesn’t it? Well, it is a heavenly phenomenon, and not a genuine angel. There are real angels and we read about them all the time in the Scriptures. People have been impressed by their beauty and their power and some have even worshiped them. Angels serve God and announce his will, but are not God and should not be worshiped ( See also Luke 2:8-14 and Hebrews 1:1-7 ). The Gospel message has always been about Jesus; his death, burial and resurrection ( 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 ). Some early Christians in the region of Galatia were told that there was another Gospel besides what the apostle Paul had preached to them. AND, when Paul heard about this, wrote the following to them...


Galatians 1 ( World English Bible )

1, Paul, an apostle (not from men, neither through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead),

2, and all the brothers* who are with me, to the assemblies of Galatia:

3, Grace to you and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ,

4, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father—

5, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

6, I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different “good news”;

7, and there isn’t another “good news.” Only there are some who trouble you, and want to pervert the Good News of Christ.

8, But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you any “good news” other than that which we preached to you, let him be cursed.

9, As we have said before, so I now say again: if any man preaches to you any “good news” other than that which you received, let him be cursed.

10, For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? For if I were still pleasing men, I wouldn’t be a servant of Christ.

11, But I make known to you, brothers, concerning the Good News which was preached by me, that it is not according to man.

12, For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ.


The truth is that there is only one savior, one way to eternal life and it is through Jesus ( John 14:6 ). Jesus and Jesus alone is the one that Moses referred to in Deuteronomy 18: 18-19 and that was confirmed in the New Testament ( See Acts 2:22-36; 3:18-23; John 1:45 ). Christians are to rely on The Gospel message and only the Gospel message as defined by the Scriptures themselves ( See Revelation 22:18f; Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32; Proverbs 30:6; 1 Peter 4:11; 1 Corinthians 4:6 ).


The study of angels is worthwhile, but remember that Jesus is the one and only savior of mankind. See Isaiah 43:11 with Luke 19:10, John 1:14-18 and John 14:6. Hold fast to this truth and never, ever depart from it.