The Immutability of God by Caleb Colley, Ph.D.

 

 https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=1398

The Immutability of God

by	Caleb Colley, Ph.D.

[NOTE: During the February 12, 2009 Darwin Day debate with Kyle Butt, Dan Barker listed 14 alleged Bible discrepancies as evidence against God’s existence. His first claim (six minutes and 25 seconds into his opening speech) was that the Bible gives contradictory descriptions of God because it says that God changes and does not change. His allegation is refuted in the following article written by Caleb Colley in 2004.]

The Bible plainly asserts that the qualities of God have never changed, and will never change. Consider a sampling of what the inspired writers penned concerning God’s immutability:

• Psalm 90:2: “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the Earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.”
• Psalm 102:25-27: “Of old You laid the foundation of the Earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will endure; yes, they will all grow old like a garment; like a cloak You will change them, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will have no end.”
• Malachi 3:6: “For I am the Lord, I do not change.”
• Hebrews 13:8: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
• James 1:17: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

Some assert that the concept of an unchanging God is ridiculous. As one critic put it,

Christians believe that [a] their God is “unchanging.” They also believe that [b] their God is jealous, as mentioned explicitly in Exodus 20:5, and that [c] their God is also full of wrath and anger (numerous citations can be found in the Bible which support this). If the Christian believes [a], [b], and [c] above, then according to them their God must always be jealous, angry and wrathful (i.e., God must be pretty miserable) [Thorn, 2000, parenthetical item in orig.].

Of course, the fact that our unchanging God has emotions such as anger and wrath (and emotions that are antithetical to anger and wrath, such as happiness and gladness, which Thorn ignored completely), based on His perfectly righteous nature, does not detract from His deity. After all, if God’s nature did not cause sin to anger Him, and righteousness did not please Him, His nature, as revealed in the Bible, would be both false and irrelevant. God would be incapable of making decisions based on His objective standards, and would be unqualified to be our God.

God, in His relations with humans, is unchanging in that He opposes all sin and unrighteousness, while approving and appreciating righteous living, and giving all men the opportunity to be saved. God certainly is capable of changing His mind without changing His nature. For example, God tested Moses by telling him to get out of the way, so that God could destroy the “stiff-necked” nation of Israel, and make of Moses a great nation (Exodus 32:9-10). Moses, however, pleaded with God, and He “relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people” (verse 14). God knew ahead of time what Moses’ answer would be, just as He knew that Abraham would do His will when He tested Abraham by commanding him to sacrifice his special son, Isaac (see Genesis 22; 1 Chronicles 28:9; Psalm 94:9-10; John 2:25). In this instance, God simply presented Moses (later labeled the meekest man in the entire world—Numbers 12:3) with the opportunity to become the ancestor of the divinely chosen people, but Moses refused, choosing to appeal to God’s mercy. God considered Moses’ humble appeal when He decided to preserve Israel; it was the unchanging nature of God that caused Him, in this particular instance, to act as He did (cf. Genesis 6:6; Jonah 3:10).

God had not promised a particular punishment to the people of Israel for their disobedience—God did not break a promise to Israel. God cannot lie, and He certainly did not do so in this case (see Colley, 2004a). God had merely told Moses what He intended to do, and reciprocated Moses’ “repentance,” on the behalf of the entire nation, with His own.

Inherent in the fact that God cannot lie (see Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29; Romans 3:4; Hebrews 6:18) is the fact that His characteristics do not change. If they did, the righteous attributes of humans that please Him one day might not please Him on the next day, and humans would never know what to do in order to satisfy Him. Worse still, we might approach the judgment seat of Christ in the Day of Judgment (2 Corinthians 5:10), only to discover that God had created different rules, of which we were unaware.

To twist Exodus 32:9-14 into an attack on God’s reliability, then, is blasphemous. Instead, we should understand the clear implications of the passage: (1) the fervent prayers of righteous people really do “avail much” (James 5:16); (2) it is unpleasant for God to destroy His creatures (2 Peter 3:9; see Keil, 1996, 1:468); and (3) God allows Himself to change His purpose when the actions of humans justify it (Jonah 3:10; see Coffman, 1985, p. 444).

Some assert that the Bible is not reliable because it makes evident that God changed the requirements for serving Him when He nailed the Old Law to the cross of Christ (Colossians 2:16). They assert that when God put away the Old Law and brought the New Law into effect, God evinced that He can change, so, even if He does exist, He cannot be trusted. Indeed, if it were true that God’s changing of some requirements rendered His divine nature altered, then the biblical concept of God would be shattered, because, in that case, God frequently would have stood in complete contradiction of Himself. And so would Jesus when He spoke certain teachings while in human form. As one skeptic, writing for Agnostic Review of Christianity, commented: “If Jesus has always existed, has always been the same, and is also God, then this deity is psychotic. He issues laws that he ignores, commands people to obey these laws, rebukes them for trying to follow the laws, and practices situational ethics” (“Sticks and Stones…,” n.d., emp. added). First-century gnostic Christians, in attempting to reconcile perceived differences between the character of the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament, asserted that two distinct gods were responsible for the two testaments. They believed that the Old Testament god, Jehovah, was bumbling and inept, while the god revealed in the New Testament was the true god (see Layton, 1987, p. 134).

However, God did not change His nature in order to bring the New Testament into effect. The New Testament church, in which men can be saved from damnation, was in the mind of God from before the Earth was established; it was His eternal purpose (Ephesians 3:10-11). In fact, the Old Testament contains many prophecies concerning the church (e.g., Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 2:2-3; Daniel 2:44; see Silcox, n.d.), helping us to see that one purpose of the Old Law was to prepare humanity (in several different aspects, not the least of which was the establishment of Christ’s lineage) for the coming of Christ and His Law (Luke 24:44; Galatians 3:24). When the Old Law was nailed to Christ’s cross, the rules for obedience were changed in order to allow men to appropriate the blood of Christ to their souls (to wash away sin; see Acts 22:16). The blood of bulls and goats no longer was necessary in order to appease God’s anger, because the perfect Lamb had been sacrificed once and for all (Hebrews 9:12; 1 Peter 3:18).

Finally, observe that the fact that God is not opposed to all change does not impose upon His immutability. He instituted the changing seasons (Genesis 1:14), and Psalm 102:25-26 illustrates that the Earth can be changed by an unchanging God, a fact that also was illustrated quite graphically by the Noahic Flood (Genesis 6-8). And, when we leave this life to slip into the timeless side of eternity, we will be changed (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

God is not going to budge in His firm stand against sin. Ultimately, unforgiven sin will be punished (Romans 6:23; see Colley, 2004b). However, just as sin always has demanded strict punishment in every dispensation, God always has freely offered salvation to those willing to obey His message. God will pardon, through Christ’s sacrifice, those who repent and obey Him.

REFERENCES

Coffman, James Burton (1985), Commentary on Exodus (Abilene, TX: ACU Press).

Colley, Caleb (2004a), “God Cannot Lie,” [On-line], URL: http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/2561.

Colley, Caleb (2004b), “God’s Mercy and Justice,” [On-line], URL: http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/1860.

Keil, C.F. (1996 reprint), Commentary on the Old Testament—The Pentateuch (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson).

Layton, Bentley (1987), The Gnostic Scriptures (Canterbury: SCM Press).

Silcox, Preston (no date), “The Church Promised and Prophesied,” [On-line], URL: http://www.gospelpreceptor.com/SilcoxP5.htm.

“Sticks and Stones, or, Jesus the Son of God Thumbs His Nose at God the Father” (no date), Agnostic Review of Christianity, [On-Line], URL: http://members.fortunecity.com/brad1/stick_stone.html.

Thorn, Anton (2000), “An Unchanging God?,” [On-line], URL: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Sparta/1019/Unchanging_God.htm.

The Human Skin—Engineered by God by Taylor Richardson

 

https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=1411

The Human Skin—Engineered by God

by	Taylor Richardson

In what single place can you find the following things: 19 million cells, 625 sweat glands, 90 oil glands, 65 hairs, 19 feet of blood vessels, and 19,000 sensory cells? The answer: in one square inch of human skin! The human skin is considered the largest organ in the body (about 16% of your body weight), and covers an area of 20 square feet. Your skin, or integument, has many different protective and metabolic functions that help keep your body stabilized.

SKIN LAYERS

You have two skin layers. The outer layer, the epidermis, consists of rows of cells about 12 to 15 deep, and is between 0.07 and 0.12 millimeters thick (about as thick as a piece of paper). This top layer is composed mainly of dead cells that are being replaced constantly by newer cells. Isaac Asimov explained the process in his book, The Human Body:

The cells at the base of the epidermis are alive, and are constantly growing and multiplying so that cell after cell is pushed upward and away from the dermis. Without a blood supply, the cell dies and much of it, aside from the inert keratin, atrophies. The vicissitudes of existence are constantly rubbing away some of this dead material from the surface of our body, but this is constantly being replaced from below, and we retain our epidermis ever fresh (1963, pp. 258-259).

Sometimes, when areas of the skin are subjected to constant friction, the epidermis responds by thickening itself in that area, creating a callus. These patches of hard skin usually are found on the soles of feet of people who walk barefoot, and on the hands of farmers. It is as though the dermis had traded in its thin plastic gloves for a pair made of leather.

The inner layer, or dermis, is a spongy, leathery area that is about one to two millimeters thick, consisting mainly of collagen (a fibrous protein found in the skin) connective tissue. The dermis is joined to the epidermis by a grooved surface that contains nerves, blood vessels, hair follicles, sebaceous glands, and sweat glands, all of which have important functions. Each hair follicle, for example, contains one hair that transmits the reception of touch to sensory nerves around the follicle. Sebaceous glands produce a waxy secretion called sebum, which helps to waterproof the skin. Sweat glands help to cool the skin and keep the body temperature constant.

FUNCTIONS OF SKIN

One of the most important functions of the skin is to provide us with a sense of touch. Werner Gitt explained it best:

The most important property of the skin is that it contains our sense of touch… The sense of touch is difficult to investigate. All other senses have a definite key organ which can be studied, but the skin is spread over the entire body and cannot easily be delimited or “switched off.” In the case of vision, scientists can observe blind persons to learn more about seeing, and they can study deaf people to learn more about hearing. But this is impossible for the sense of touch (1999, p. 41).

Receptors (from the Latin word receptor, meaning “recorder”) located at the ends of nerve fibers are used to detect stimuli and convert them into neural impulses to be sent to the brain through the peripheral and central nervous systems. Receptors also are located in the internal organs, muscles, and skeletal joints, and can detect information such as the temperature of a cup of coffee or the roughness of sand paper. Although we “touch” with our epidermis, the sense of touch actually is recorded in the dermis and passed on to the central nervous system.

Another important function of the skin is that it helps the body keep a constant temperature. Gillen, et al., wrote: “The word homeostasis comes from two Greek terms, homeo (alike or the same) and stasis (standing or remaining). Thus the word means remaining the same” (1999, italics, parenthetical items, and emp. in orig.). A person’s average body temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, but if it increases by 7 or 8 degrees, and remains there for any of length of time, a person will almost certainly die. So how does the body keep a generally constant temperature? It does so via a method of cooling known as perspiration. The main sources of body heat are the internal organs that work all the time, such as the heart and kidneys. The heat created by these organs is carried off by the blood and distributed evenly throughout the body. This is an efficient way to diffuse the heat at a slow pace, but what happens when the body must get rid of heat quickly? Asimov explained:

We are equipped with tiny glands distributed all over our skin, about two million of them all together, the purpose of which is to bring water to the surface of the skin. On the surface this water is vaporized and heat is in this manner withdrawn from the body. The glands are sweat glands and the liquid produced is sweat or perspiration. A sweat gland consists of a tiny coiled tube, the main body of which situated deep in the dermis. The tube straightens out finally and extends up through the epidermis. The tiny opening on the surface is a pore and is just barley visible to the naked eye. When you are working or playing hard, and heat production is increased, the sweat glands accelerate their production of perspiration. This is also true when the temperature is unusually high. The rate of production may then outstrip the rate of evaporation, particularly if humidity is high, since the rate of evaporation declines with the rise in humidity. Perspiration will then collect on the body in visible drops and we are conscious of sweating (p. 265, italics in orig.).

The temperature determines how many sweat glands a person has, in the same way that the amount of sunlight determines how much melanin is in the skin. People who live in hot, humid climates tend to have more sweat glands, and produce perspiration with a smaller concentration of salt, than people living in colder, drier climates.

The skin also acts like a chemical-processing plant for the entire body. When you are outside, the skin absorbs ultraviolet rays from the Sun, and then uses them to convert chemicals into vitamin D. This vitamin is very important to our body because it helps stimulate the absorption of calcium. Without calcium, our bones grow thin and brittle, eventually leading to diseases such as rickets and osteomalacia (skeletal diseases that weaken bones). In addition, the epidermis contains a special pigment called melanin, which is responsible for the variety of color in our skin. It also acts as a protection against ultraviolet light. The melanin absorbs ultraviolet light without harming itself, and acts as a protective covering over the area beneath it. Like vitamin D, melanin is formed by the exposure to sunlight, so people in tropical regions have more melanin to protect them from the harmful ultraviolet rays, while people in northern regions have little traces of melanin because the Sun is rarely out for long periods of time. But not all people are able to produce melanin in their bodies. Occasionally, individuals are born who are incapable of forming any melanin at all. Their skin and hair are pinkish-white and their eyes are pinkish-red, because the tiny blood vessels are visible in the iris of their eyes (where there are typically colors such as blue, green, hazel, and brown). A person with this condition is referred to as an albino, indicating that they lack pigmentation in their skin. Albinism is not limited just to humans, but also is found in other species of animals as well (e.g., the white rat, the white elephant, the white tiger, etc.).

Furthermore, the skin also helps protect the inside of the body. If you have ever been to an amusement park, you probably have seen the bumper cars that you can drive to bump into other cars. Collisions in those cars are perfectly safe because of the rubber rings that surround the cars. The skin is like those rubber rings in that it acts like a shock absorber when you fall, protecting all of your internal organs. If we didn’t have this “shock absorber,” it would be practically impossible to do physical activities without damaging internal organs or bruising easily.

It is impossible that evolution could have produced such an important and complex organ as the human skin. The many intricacies of its functions are evidence of a Creator. One writer remarked: “The skin is a miracle of evolutionary engineering: it waterproofs the body, blocks out and destroys harmful bacteria, regulates temperature, and continuously communicates with the brain” (McCutcheon, 1989, p. 113). Yes, the skin is a “miracle” all right—but not a miracle of evolution. And yes, the skin was “engineered”—but the engineer was God!

REFERENCES

Asimov, Isaac (1963), The Human Body (New York: New American Library).

Gillen, Alan L., Frank J. Sherwin III, and Alan C. Knowles (1999), The Human Body: An Intelligent Design (St. Joseph, MO: Creation Research Society).

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

McCutcheon, Marc (1989), The Compass in Your Nose (Los Angeles, CA: Jeremy P. Tarcher).

"THE GOSPEL OF MARK" He Is Risen! (16:1-14) by Mark Copeland

 

"THE GOSPEL OF MARK" 

He Is Risen! (16:1-14)

INTRODUCTION

1. After Jesus was buried, His body lay in the tomb until early Sunday morning...
   a. On Saturday evening, three women bought spices to anoint Him - Mk 16:1
   b. On Sunday morning, they came to the tomb as the sun was rising - Mk 16:2

2. The woman were concerned about access to the tomb...
   a. It had been sealed with a large stone - Mk 15:46; 16:3
   b. But the large stone had been rolled away! - Mk 16:4

3. Entering the tomb, they saw a young man...
   a. Clothed in a long white robe (an angel) - Mk 16:5; cf. Mt 28:2
   b. They were alarmed, but he sought to calm their fears - Mk 16:5-6

4. His message to the women...
   a. "You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.  He is risen!"
   b. "See the place where they laid Him."
   c. "But go, tell His disciples -- and Peter -- that He is going before you into Galilee."
   d. "There you will see Him, as He had said to you." - Mk 16:6-7

[The women left amazed and afraid (Mk 16:8).  But soon their fear would
turn into great joy!  Not just for them, but for other disciples as
well.  To appreciate why, let’s survey the appearances of Jesus in all
four gospel accounts, plus those listed by Paul...]

I. THE APPEARANCES OF CHRIST TO HIS DISCIPLES

   A. TO MARY MAGDALENE...
      1. As described in our text - Mk 16:9-11
      2. Expounded by John in his gospel - Jn 20:11-18

   B. TO THE OTHER WOMEN...
      1. As revealed in Matthew’s gospel - Mt 28:9-10
      2. Where Jesus reiterated what the angel had said - ibid.

   C. TO TWO DISCIPLES WALKING IN THE COUNTRY...
      1. As described in our text - Mk 16:12-13
      2. Elaborated by Luke in his gospel - Lk 24:13-32

   D. TO PETER...
      1. Reported after the testimony of the two disciples - Lk 24:33-35
      2. Mentioned by Paul in his epistle to the Corinthians - 1Co 15:5

   E. TO THE APOSTLES WITH THOMAS ABSENT...
      1. Possibly the occasion in our text - Mk 16:14
      2. Described in detail by Luke and John - Lk 24:36-43; Jn 20:19-25

   F. TO THE APOSTLES WITH THOMAS PRESENT...
      1. A week later, as described by John - Jn 20:26-31
      2. Mentioned by Paul in his epistle to the Corinthians - 1Co 15:5

   G. TO SEVEN DISCIPLES BY THE SEA OF GALILEE...
      1. Including Peter, Thomas, Nathaniel, James and John - Jn 21:1-2
      2. While they were fishing, and then eating together - Jn 21:3-25

   H. TO FIVE HUNDRED BRETHREN AT ONCE...
      1. Recorded by Paul in his epistle to the Corinthians - 1Co 15:6
      2. Possibly in Galilee as directed by the angel and Jesus 

           - Mk  16:7; Mt 28:10,16-17
      3. Possibly when the Great Commission was first given - Mt 28:18-20

   I. TO JAMES THE LORD’S BROTHER...
      1. Recorded by Paul in his epistle to the Corinthians - 1Co 15:7
      2. Who previously did not believe, but then became a disciple - Jn 7:5; Ac 1:14

   J. TO THE DISCIPLES WITH ANOTHER COMMISSION...
      1. Recorded by Luke in his gospel - Lk 24:44-49
      2. This time in Jerusalem, shortly before His ascension - Ac 1:3-8

   K. TO THOSE PRESENT AT HIS ASCENSION...
      1. Recorded in Mark’s gospel - Mk 16:19-20
      2. Also by Luke in both of his books - Lk 24:50-53; Ac 1:9-12

[These many appearances were claimed by the disciples of Jesus.  One
might properly ask, "Why should we believe them?"  That we might have
the same joy in believing that "He is risen!", consider...

II. THE STRENGTH OF THE DISCIPLES’ TESTIMONY

   A. DEMONSTRATED BY THE NATURE OF THEIR TESTIMONY...
      1. Their testimony appealed to empirical evidence
         a. I.e., evidence derived from experiment and observation rather than theory
         b. They refused to accept second hand evidence - Mk 16:11,13; Jn 20:25
         c. But for forty days they were given infallible proofs - Ac 1:3; 10:41
         d. They saw, heard, and touched Him - Jn 20:24-28; 1Jn 1:1-2
      2. There is no way they could have been deceived or deluded
         a. If all they had were individual dreams, visions, or hallucinations...perhaps
         b. But they testified that Jesus appeared to them in groups as
            well as to individuals

   B. DEMONSTRATED BY THEIR TRANSFORMATION...
      1. Prior to the resurrection, Jesus’ disciples were afraid and without hope
         a. They fled at his arrest - Mk 14:50
         b. Peter cowardly denied Him three times - Mk 14:66-72
         c. The women mourned His crucifixion - Lk 23:27
         d. After His death, the disciples were sad - Lk 24:13-17
         e. After His death, the disciples hid behind closed doors, for
            fear of the Jews - Jn 20:19
      2. But after the resurrection, they fearlessly praised God and proclaimed Jesus!
         a. Praising God in the temple - Lk 24:52-53
         b. Proclaiming Christ, despite persecution - Ac 5:28-32,41-42
      3. This transformation in their lives is strong evidence for the
         resurrection, as admitted by one Orthodox Jewish scholar:
         a. "If the disciples were totally disappointed and on the verge
            of desperate flight because of the very real reason of the
            crucifixion, it took another very real reason in order to
            transform them from a band of disheartened and dejected Jews
            into the most self-confident missionary society in world
            history."  - Pinchas Lapide, former Chairman of the Applied
            Linguistics Department at Israel’s Bar-Iland University
            (TIME, May 7, 1979)
         b. He concluded that a bodily resurrection could possibly have been that reason!

   C. DEMONSTRATED BY THEIR HIGH MORAL STANDARD...
      1. They taught others to live holy lives - 1Th 4:1-7; Ep 4:25
      2. They lived their own lives in unimpeachable way - 1Th 2:3-12
      -- Does this sound like people who propagate lies when they know better?

   D. DEMONSTRATED BY THE PRICE THEY PAID...
      1. The apostles endured much suffering because of their testimony
         - 1Co 4:9-13; 2Co 11:23-28
      2. All but one died a martyr’s death because of their testimony
      3. Even Jesus’ brother, James, was thrown off the temple and then
         clubbed to death for his testimony
      -- There was no motive for them to persistently lie about Jesus’ resurrection!

CONCLUSION

1. As revealed in Mark’s gospel and those of Matthew, Luke, and John...
   a. Jesus Christ rose from the dead
   b. He appeared to many of His disciples
   c. Who later became witnesses of the resurrection

2. The nature of their witness does not allow for the option of being deceived or deluded...
   a. Again, they professed empirical evidence
   b. They claimed to eat and drink with Him, touch Him, see Him

3. If Jesus was not raised from the dead, there is only one alternative...
   a. These witnesses were liars, deceivers
   b. Even Paul freely admits this is the only alternative - 1Co 15:14-15

4. Is it reasonable to believe they successfully propagated a lie...?
   a. Too many people attested to the same fact
   b. They were not the kind of people to fabricate such a falsehood
   c. They lived noble lives, and were ALL willing to suffer and die for their testimony!

When we carefully examine the lives and testimony of the witnesses of
the resurrection, the only reasonable conclusion to draw is that they
really saw what they claimed concerning Jesus...

                            "He is risen!"             

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2016

Am I Old Yet? by Ken Weliever, The Preacherman

 

https://thepreachersword.com/2020/03/13/am-i-old-yet/#more-15629

Am I Old Yet?

“Old. Just the sound of it incites an almost immediate negative response,” wrote Dee Bowman in The Joy of Growing Old in Christ.

“Old cars break down. Old houses demand work. Old clothes get holes in them. Old equipment doesn’t work right. Old trash stinks. Old tires get slick and dangerous.” And on and on the list goes.

But as Dee suggested there’s a good side to some things that are old. Like a comfortable old pair of shoes, an old shirt, and a grungy old pair of jeans to relax around the house. Of course, there’s nothing better than connecting and enjoying good conversion with an old friend.

Today’s my birthday. I’m turning 72. And I wonder when I will feel old. Maybe I’m like the person who quipped, “To me, old age is always a person 15 years older than I am.” I think a lot of us can relate to Jonathan Swift’s observation, “Every man desires to live long, but no man wants to be old.”

I’m part of that intrepid group of Baby Boomers who are known for their desire to stay young. Look young. And act young. In fact, some have advanced the idea that 70 is the new 50. We struggle with the phrase “senior citizen.” (Although, I’m not adverse to accepting the discount at restaurants). However, all of this is denying the inevitable.

The sobering words of the Psalmist come to mind today.

The days of our lives are seventy years;
And if by reason of strength they are eighty years,
Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow;
For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
–Ps. 90:10

While I’ve been blessed with good health, still feel energetic and am enthusiastic about life, one day, like all others, age with catch up with me. Life on earth will end. And I will fly away. But in the meantime, let me be used for God’s purpose.

I was thinking about a sermon I prepared several years entitled: “Honoring Senior Saints–They Still Bear Fruit in Old Age.” It was designed to encourage the older people in the congregation. I guess I’m now one of them!

Currently, I’m reading The Winter of Life: Redeeming the Time, by Sewell Hall. By the way, he’s old. He’s 89. In it he uses several Bible characters both to remind and warn us about the dangers and delights of growing older.

Moses was 80 and Aaron 83 when they led Israel out of Egypt. Caleb was 85 when he said, “Give me this mountain” as he staked his claim in the promised land of Canaan. Daniel was probably over 80 when he served as Governor of Babylon and thrown into the den of lions. Both Simeon and Anna who were excited to see baby Jesus, serve as an example of faithful, older folks. And of course, “Paul, the aged,” teaches us how to deal with the thorns in the flesh, physical suffering and to “press on toward the prize.” Older people can still bear fruit for the Lord.

While I don’t want to be that old preacher who thinks he’s just as good as he ever was, and refuses to step aside, I still want to be used and bear fruit as long as possible. Whatever wisdom, knowledge or skills I may possess, I trust that I may still use them to the glory of God and for the edification of His people. I know I must release the past with whatever mistakes I’ve made or successes I’ve enjoyed. I must accept the present. And like Paul, “press on.”

Currently, we’re engaged in an itinerant ministry, traveling and combining it with preaching opportunities. In the past 22 months, we’ve been to 23 states, 10 countries and visited and/or preached for 35 different congregations.

2020 is already off to a busy beginning, having preached at 6 different congregations and towns throughout Florida. Soon, however, we are off to Tennessee, Georgia, West Virginia, and Ohio for meetings and preaching appointments. Then we will spend the summer again in Canada working with churches in Ontario.

We’re excited about an opportunity to preach in Brandon, England, for four weeks in August. Following that we hope to travel to Scotland and Ireland. Of course, all of these plans are tempered with the caveat, “if the Lord wills” (Jas. 4:13-15).

I’m grateful on this birthday to celebrate it with my wonderful wife, Norma Jean, who’s been my faithful partner on this journey for the past 51+ years. As we both focus on the future, we want to keep our eyes on the eternal goal. And to go hand in hand to a land where we will never grow old.

“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, while 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. 4:16-18).

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman

WASHED IN THE BLOOD BY STEVE FINNELL

 

http://steve-finnell.blogspot.com/2016/11/washed-in-blood-by-steve-finnell-all.html

WASHED IN THE BLOOD BY STEVE FINNELL

All sins have to be washed in the blood of Jesus in order to be forgiven.

Revelation 1:5 and Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood.

The question is what are the terms men have to meet in order to have the blood applied? At what point do men contact the blood of Jesus Christ?

When did Jesus wash Saul (the apostle Paul) in His blood?

Saul Believed in Jesus on the road to Damascus and ask Him "What shall I do Lord?" (Acts 22:6-10) Did Jesus wash Saul's sins away with His blood at that moment in time? No, Saul was still not forgiven. Saul was not forgiven the minute he believed.

Saul was in Damascus three days later at the house of Ananias. Ananias layed hands on Saul so he could receive his sight. (Acts 22:13) Did Jesus wash away Saul's sins by His blood at that time? No, Saul was still in his sins.

What was the contact point for the blood of Jesus Christ?

Acts 22:16 ' And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.'

1. Jesus did not wash away the sins of Saul, with His own blood, the minute Saul believed while on the road to Damascus.
2. Jesus did not wash away the sins of Saul, with His own blood, the minute Saul repented while on the road to Damascus.
3. Jesus did not wash away the sins of Saul, with His own blood, because Saul prayed for three days while on the road to Damascus.
4. Jesus did not wash away the sins of Saul, with His own blood, until Saul arrived in Damascus three days later, when Saul was baptized in water.  

THE TIME OF CONTACTING THE BLOOD OF CHRIST IS WATER BAPTISM.

The terms for forgiveness. 1. Faith, John 3:16. 2. Repentance, Acts 2:38 3. Confession, Romans 10:9-10 and 4. The point of contacting the blood of Christ---WATER BAPTISM Acts 22:16   

The Word "Baptism" by Sandra F. Cobble

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

 

The Word "Baptism"

Remember when "ain't" was "avoided in standard speech"? Check an up-to- date Webster's dictionary. It is now "used orally in most parts of the U.S. by many educated speakers." And this brings us to an important aspect of word study - RESOURCES. Generally we tend to think of a dictionary or lexicon as "being the final authority" in regard to word meaning or usage. And it is AT THAT GIVEN TIME. But a dictionary does not govern language. Language develops, and a dictionary records that development. As a language changes, so does a dictionary. Thus, to understand what an ancient writer meant, we must consult a dictionary or lexicon that records how HIS language was used IN HIS TIME. To know what Biblical writers meant we must consult a lexicon of biblical words -- NOT a modern dictionary of the English language!

Most scholars, whether religious or secular, agree that "baptism" originates from the Greek "baptizo," which originates from "bapto." They also agree that "bapto" means "dip." "Baptizo" was a familiar word to the Greeks, being found in the classical writings, history, and geography. In Aesop's fables a man dipped (baptizo) tow in oil, bound it to the tail of a fox, and set fire to it. Diodorus, a historian who wrote about 60-30 B.C., writes, "Most of the wild land animals are surrounded by the stream and perish, being submerged (baptized)." Josephus, the noted Biblical historian born A.D. 37, writes, "The ship being just about to be submerged (baptized)." From these writings we may determine that at the time of Christ "baptizo" meant "dip." We may also determine that any religious significance of "baptizo" must be determined from the context in which it is used rather than from the word itself.

Before discussing the significance of Christian baptism, let us look at the words of Martin Luther, a scholar who lived at a time when sprinkling was the accepted mode of "baptism." "The term 'baptism' is a Greek word; it may be rendered into Latin by 'mersia' -- when we immerse any thing in water, that it may be entirely covered with water. And though this custom be quite abolished among the generality (for neither do they entirely dip children, but only sprinkle them with a little water), nevertheless they ought to be wholly immersed, and immediately to be drawn out again, for the etymology of the word seems to require it." Having examined the origin and use of "baptizo" in general, let us now consider Christian baptism. What is its significance and how should it be performed?

Baptism is a burial in water to symbolize Christ's burial. As Christ arose, so we arise to a new life. Our old man of sin has died as we repented of and turned from sin, and then we were buried with Christ (Romans 6:3-8). Therefore, it is not baptism at all when water is sprinkled or poured on a person. This was a practice that started in the Roman Catholic church hundreds of years after Christ died, assumed to be a substitute for baptism for those who were sick or dying and was called "clinical baptism", which is not found in the New Testament. No "baptism" is approved of God unless it is "for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38), a burial (Romans 6:4, Colossians 2:12), and by the authority of Jesus rather than simply by the authority of some man or church (Matthew 28:18-20).

"Buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead" (Colossians 2:12 NKJV).

Sandra F. Cobble

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

 

 

Memorials, cookies and a sacrifice by Gary Rose

 

In the early 80’s, I actually sold monuments. I was never very good at it because I just couldn’t take advantage of people who were grieving over their loved ones and being put in the position of having to purchase a memorial stone or a monument anyway.

Monuments, gravestones, memorials and the like are important because as time goes by and memories fade, they ultimately may become the only thing that people will remember about the deceased.

Today is memorial day. A time when we remember the dear departed; especially those who died for our country. And, the more you care about someone, the more important a day of remembrance becomes.

As we think about these things, consider also this passage from the Bible…

1 Corinthians 11 ( World English Bible )

²³ For I received from the Lord that which also I delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread.

²⁴ When he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me.”

²⁵ In the same way he also took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink, in memory of me.”

²⁶ For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

²⁷ Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks the Lord’s cup in a way unworthy of the Lord will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.

²⁸ But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup.

Yesterday, in church we observed the Lord’s supper. We do this every first day of the week in order to remember the sacrifice of Jesus and the covenant he established by dying for us. For me, this has always been a bitter-sweet event, as it hurts to remember what Jesus went through, but a blessing as well because I know that a way has been provided for me to enter heaven. I am reminded that GOD is a caring and loving being, who actually found a solution to my sin problem. Jesus’ monument is not written in stone, but rather upon the hearts of human beings who love him.

As far as the monument in the picture- well, the cookies are probably tasty, but Oleo; I thought that was bad for you. No matter how good those cookies are, they won’t last forever. But Jesus’ sacrifice will!