Most Wednesdays I take a Bible study group and recently we went through the book of Joshua. As we studied it chapter by chapter we noted how God had opened the Jordan river to allow the Israelites, under Joshua, to cross on dry land. We also noted how they launched a campaign of warfare to capture the promised land.
Using Gigal as their base they struck out to the Southern and Northern areas of this land and defeated many tribal groups. When we looked at Chapter 11 we came across a very interesting verse (20) which basically taught that it was God's will to harden the hearts of the tribal groups in that area so that they would come against the Israelites; this then provoked the Israelites to defeat them so completely that they were shown no mercy, and were annihilated.
This verse presents many people with a problem and even Christians find themselves being perplexed. They reason thus: "if it was God's will to harden their hearts so that they would attack Israel how can they be blamed for doing so, and how can it be just for the Israelites to wipe them out without mercy".
This is the same line of reasoning that we read about in Romans chapter 9. In this chapter (verses 9-18) we read of how God chose Jacob and not Esau and that God shows mercy to whom He wishes to show mercy "and whom He wishes, He hardens". In verse 19 we read of an objection very similar to that contained in the previous paragraph of this article viz. "how can that be fair?".
The answer given in Romans 9 verse 20 is the same answer I would give to those who object to Joshua 11 v 20 - "who are you, o man, to answer back to God?".
If God, in His sovereignty chooses to show mercy to some and not others then that is His prerogative. If He chooses to show mercy to Saul the persecutor of Christians, and covert him to the Christian faith then that is His prerogative. If God chooses not to show mercy to Herod (in Acts chapter 12) but rather to slay him, so that he was eaten by worms, then that is God's prerogative.
What we need to remember is simply this - God does not owe His mercy to anybody. He would be perfectly just to damn us all for all eternity. The fact that He chooses to show mercy by opening peoples' spiritual eyes and implanting the gift of faith is purely down to His infinite kindness and goodness.
As the Bible says: "It is of the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, His compassions they fail not, they are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness." Lamentations 3 v 22-23.
Tuesday, 14 July 2015
Friday, 10 July 2015
Evolution encourages racism
We all know that the discredited "theory" of evolution (there is not even enough evidence for it to be dignified with the term "theory") is so ridiculous it would be funny if it were not so serious, but what makes it so dangerous is that it encourages racism. How is this?
The poor creatures who hold to this view believe that man has evolved from lower life forms into the intelligent being he is today; they believe that a line can be established from ape like creatures into modern man. Indeed, I can remember, as a kid, looking at a "science" text book with these fancy drawings showing this to be so. What the writer of the attached article didn't say is that these ape like creatures were drawn up from fossil remains that were scattered over a wide area and could have come from several different creatures. To put these fossil remains together and create a drawing of an ape/man in order to promote a "scientific" fact is delving into the realms of fantasy.
Darwin believed that because man has supposedly evolved from lower life forms then the races are different from one another in levels of intelligence. He believed that blacks had a lower level of intelligence than whites because, in his misguided opinion, blacks had not evolved into the same level of intelligence and higher life forms as whites. I would challenge readers to google "Was Darwin a racist" and see for themselves that what I am writing actually took place. Darwin really was a racist because his "findings" naturally led him to the conclusion that whites were more intelligent than blacks - it is the logical consequence of the evolutionary "theory".
Not only is this deeply offensive to blacks but it is also virulently opposed to Biblical truth. In the Bible we read that God created man in His image. As we read through God's word we see that all people are precious in His sight. We read that we are all the same as regards to our fallen state with no race of people being any different than another. We also read that God loves all races and doesn't reserve a special place for whites contrary to the belief of the South African Dutch Reformed Church, (AKA the much deformed church), which, at one time, mis-used the Bible to justify apartheid. I trust that they have now moved away from their racist past.
As a Christian evangelist it has been my joy, over the years, to meet many Christians who truly love Christ and His word. I have met White, Black and Asian Christians who are identified by one label only - Christians - followers of Christ; skin colour has no part to play in their conversion to Christ and their daily walk with Him.
Indeed, the Lord Jesus commanded us to "go into all the world and preach the Gospel to everyone" - he did not make any distinction between different "races" of people but wants all to hear the Gospel and for all to be saved through the only way of salvation - faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. As the Bible says "There is salvation in none other, for there is none other name, under Heaven, given among people, whereby we must be saved" - Acts 4 v 12.
The poor creatures who hold to this view believe that man has evolved from lower life forms into the intelligent being he is today; they believe that a line can be established from ape like creatures into modern man. Indeed, I can remember, as a kid, looking at a "science" text book with these fancy drawings showing this to be so. What the writer of the attached article didn't say is that these ape like creatures were drawn up from fossil remains that were scattered over a wide area and could have come from several different creatures. To put these fossil remains together and create a drawing of an ape/man in order to promote a "scientific" fact is delving into the realms of fantasy.
Darwin believed that because man has supposedly evolved from lower life forms then the races are different from one another in levels of intelligence. He believed that blacks had a lower level of intelligence than whites because, in his misguided opinion, blacks had not evolved into the same level of intelligence and higher life forms as whites. I would challenge readers to google "Was Darwin a racist" and see for themselves that what I am writing actually took place. Darwin really was a racist because his "findings" naturally led him to the conclusion that whites were more intelligent than blacks - it is the logical consequence of the evolutionary "theory".
Not only is this deeply offensive to blacks but it is also virulently opposed to Biblical truth. In the Bible we read that God created man in His image. As we read through God's word we see that all people are precious in His sight. We read that we are all the same as regards to our fallen state with no race of people being any different than another. We also read that God loves all races and doesn't reserve a special place for whites contrary to the belief of the South African Dutch Reformed Church, (AKA the much deformed church), which, at one time, mis-used the Bible to justify apartheid. I trust that they have now moved away from their racist past.
As a Christian evangelist it has been my joy, over the years, to meet many Christians who truly love Christ and His word. I have met White, Black and Asian Christians who are identified by one label only - Christians - followers of Christ; skin colour has no part to play in their conversion to Christ and their daily walk with Him.
Indeed, the Lord Jesus commanded us to "go into all the world and preach the Gospel to everyone" - he did not make any distinction between different "races" of people but wants all to hear the Gospel and for all to be saved through the only way of salvation - faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. As the Bible says "There is salvation in none other, for there is none other name, under Heaven, given among people, whereby we must be saved" - Acts 4 v 12.
Saturday, 4 July 2015
Greek catastrophe - proof the Bible is true.
This blog is in no way political but where there is a clear example of how current events prove the Bible then I will write about it here. The latest such event to prove that the Bible is true is the dreadful catastrophe in Greece.
That country has been brought to the point of bankruptcy and millions of people are suffering, why is this? The answer is simple - their prime minister is an atheist.
The Bible teaches that atheists are fools (Psalm 14 v 1) and when Greece decided to elect such a person to run the country then the writing was always going to be on the wall ( and that saying comes from the Bible also, the book of Daniel; reader - see if you can find the reference).
Because atheists don't believe they are accountable to God they behave with breathtaking arrogance and refuse to see reason. They simply will not listen to anybody else's point of view even when such views are backed up with clear evidence as in this case. The evidence for the collapse of the Greek economy has been there for the government to see and yet, given that the PM is an atheist he has continued to pursue a path which has led to this crisis.
I'm not in the least surprised that this has happened. Atheists have a long history of ignoring evidence (that's why they are atheists). They ignore the evidence that there is a God; they ignore the evidence that Jesus is the Son of God, and they ignore the clear, and indisputable proof that the Bible is the inspired and inerrant Word of God.
Why is it that these poor creatures behave in this way? The answer is simple - the devil has blinded and enslaved them. He has caught them and is dangling them like a puppeteer dangles his puppet on a string. If these fools wish to ignore God and end up in Hell then that is their lookout; however, when the consequences are dreadful suffering for millions of people (as in Greece) then that is a profound tragedy indeed. All of the awful suffering of the Greeks over this matter proves beyond any reasonable doubt that the Bible is true - elect an atheist to office and everybody suffers for it, why? because atheists are fools that cannot see reason.
My only hope is that the Greek PM will yet see the error of his ways, that he will yet repent of his folly and turn to Christ for the salvation of his soul. Then, perhaps, Greece might have a secure future.
That country has been brought to the point of bankruptcy and millions of people are suffering, why is this? The answer is simple - their prime minister is an atheist.
The Bible teaches that atheists are fools (Psalm 14 v 1) and when Greece decided to elect such a person to run the country then the writing was always going to be on the wall ( and that saying comes from the Bible also, the book of Daniel; reader - see if you can find the reference).
Because atheists don't believe they are accountable to God they behave with breathtaking arrogance and refuse to see reason. They simply will not listen to anybody else's point of view even when such views are backed up with clear evidence as in this case. The evidence for the collapse of the Greek economy has been there for the government to see and yet, given that the PM is an atheist he has continued to pursue a path which has led to this crisis.
I'm not in the least surprised that this has happened. Atheists have a long history of ignoring evidence (that's why they are atheists). They ignore the evidence that there is a God; they ignore the evidence that Jesus is the Son of God, and they ignore the clear, and indisputable proof that the Bible is the inspired and inerrant Word of God.
Why is it that these poor creatures behave in this way? The answer is simple - the devil has blinded and enslaved them. He has caught them and is dangling them like a puppeteer dangles his puppet on a string. If these fools wish to ignore God and end up in Hell then that is their lookout; however, when the consequences are dreadful suffering for millions of people (as in Greece) then that is a profound tragedy indeed. All of the awful suffering of the Greeks over this matter proves beyond any reasonable doubt that the Bible is true - elect an atheist to office and everybody suffers for it, why? because atheists are fools that cannot see reason.
My only hope is that the Greek PM will yet see the error of his ways, that he will yet repent of his folly and turn to Christ for the salvation of his soul. Then, perhaps, Greece might have a secure future.
Thursday, 2 July 2015
The delusions of Bruce Jenner
Bruce Jenner was a Gold Medal decathlete at the 1976 Olympic Games and was, clearly, every inch a man who was worthy to be called such.
However, a few months ago he showed up on the front page of a particularly vile magazine claiming to be a woman and demanding to be called Caitlyn.
I have no animosity for this poor creature only a deep sense of pity, he is obviously deluding himself. How can it be that a person born a man can suddenly claim himself to be a woman. He is NOT a woman - all he has done is to pay a doctor to mutilate his body, thereby wasting money that could have been used to treat a person who was suffering from a serious illness.
This man should rejoice in the creation of God and stop deluding himself that he can choose his own gender - he can't.
What makes this matter worse is that so many people are queueing up to give their approval to this act of gross wickedness even, no doubt, apostate ministers who think more of popularity than of being faithful to the inspired, infallible and inerrant word of God - the Bible.
God is sovereign, He chooses the birth that we will have; He chooses what sex we will be; He chooses where we will be born and who our parents will be (one man and one woman, not 2 men or 2 women) and woe betide us if we dare to challenge Him on this whole matter of sexuality, such people will face a serious judgement.
When a person claims to be able to change their sex they are, in effect, telling God He has made a mistake - which is blasphemy.
I truly hope that Bruce Jenner (not Caitlyn) will see the error of his ways, that he will repent and accept Christ as his Lord and Saviour. The same applies to all people who think they can tell God He has made a mistake. Bruce Jenner needs to take a good hard look at himself and get right with God.
I close by quoting a line from Daniel 4 v 35 (in this chapter the king, Nebuchadnezzar, thought he was in control of his own destiny and was full of pride and arrogance, but God brought him down until he acknowledged his sin):
God ".....does as He pleases, and no-one can say to Him, what are you doing".
However, a few months ago he showed up on the front page of a particularly vile magazine claiming to be a woman and demanding to be called Caitlyn.
I have no animosity for this poor creature only a deep sense of pity, he is obviously deluding himself. How can it be that a person born a man can suddenly claim himself to be a woman. He is NOT a woman - all he has done is to pay a doctor to mutilate his body, thereby wasting money that could have been used to treat a person who was suffering from a serious illness.
This man should rejoice in the creation of God and stop deluding himself that he can choose his own gender - he can't.
What makes this matter worse is that so many people are queueing up to give their approval to this act of gross wickedness even, no doubt, apostate ministers who think more of popularity than of being faithful to the inspired, infallible and inerrant word of God - the Bible.
God is sovereign, He chooses the birth that we will have; He chooses what sex we will be; He chooses where we will be born and who our parents will be (one man and one woman, not 2 men or 2 women) and woe betide us if we dare to challenge Him on this whole matter of sexuality, such people will face a serious judgement.
When a person claims to be able to change their sex they are, in effect, telling God He has made a mistake - which is blasphemy.
I truly hope that Bruce Jenner (not Caitlyn) will see the error of his ways, that he will repent and accept Christ as his Lord and Saviour. The same applies to all people who think they can tell God He has made a mistake. Bruce Jenner needs to take a good hard look at himself and get right with God.
I close by quoting a line from Daniel 4 v 35 (in this chapter the king, Nebuchadnezzar, thought he was in control of his own destiny and was full of pride and arrogance, but God brought him down until he acknowledged his sin):
God ".....does as He pleases, and no-one can say to Him, what are you doing".
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