Does GOD Exist? Print E-mail In the beginning God... Illustrations taken from: The Macmillan Illustrated Encyclopedia of MYTHS & LEGENDS - by Arthur Cotterell Macmillan Publishing 1989 Myths & Legends by Neil Philip DK Publishing 1999 The god of secularism... In the beginning...Hydrogen... The hydrogen atom Hydrogen’s Timeline... Click for larger image Behold your secular god... Charles Darwin held that “deity” was equivalent to the mind of man.1 Albert Einstein: “belief… in a superior mind that reveals itself in the world of experience, represents my conception of God. In common parlance this may be described as ‘pantheistic’ (Spinoza).” 2 1. Charles Darwin, The Autobiography of Charles Darwin, (New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1882), p. 92 2. Ideas and Opinions by Albert Einstein, Crown Publishers, Noew York, NY, USA, pp. 261-2, 1954 Who is the God of Creation? Lord of heaven and earth... ...The Egyptian people originally believed in one great God.1 “…He heareth the prayer of the oppressed one, he is kind of heart to him that calleth upon him, he delivereth the timid man from the oppressor…He is the Lord of knowledge, and Wisdom is the utterance of his mouth.”2 “…He maketh the green herb whereon the cattle live, and the staff of life whereon men live. He maketh the fish to live in the rivers, and the feathered fowl in the sky.”3 “…The ideas of the ancient Egyptians about God were of a very exalted character, and it is clear that they made in their minds a sharp distinction between God and the ‘gods’…Here then we have One God who was self-created, self-existent and almighty, who created the universe.”4 1. Dr. Clifford Wilson Questions and Answers on Creation (Pacific Christian Ministries, Boronia Victoria Australia) p.69-70 2-4 ibid Creator of the universe... …Who assembled living cells... A living cell contains over 60,000 proteins of 100 different configurations. Chance assemblage is 1 in 104,478,296 Mastropaolo, Joseph, “Evolution Is Biologically Impossible,” Impact # 317 (El Cajon, CA: Institute For Creation Research, 1999) p.4 …Who created the human brain… that can comprehend the universe... …Who designed the immune system cascade... Scientific American The scientific literature has no answers to the question of the origin of the immune system… Showing that the parts can’t be built step by step only tells part of the story, because the parts interact with each other. Just as a car without steering, or a battery, or a carburetor isn’t going to do you much good, an animal that has a clonal selection system won’t get much benefit out of it if there is no way to generate antibody diversity. A large repertoire of antibodies won’t do much good if there is no system to kill invaders. A system to kill invaders won’t do much good if there’s no way to identify them. At each step we are stopped not only by local system problems, but also by requirements of the integrated system.1 1. Michael J. Behe, Darwin’s Black Box (New York: The Free Press, 1996). p 130 …Who engineered the blood clotting cascade... Certain things have to happen for this system to work without damage to the whole body. (1) A blood clot must form to stop the blood flow. (2) The clot must form in the right place, otherwise it could block passage of blood in critical areas. (3) It must form at the right time. (4) The clot must be strong and well enough anchored to withstand the force of a system under pressure.1 1. Dwight K. Nelson Built to Last (Pacific Press Publishing) p 49 When an animal is cut, a protein called Hageman factor sticks to the surface of cells near the wound. Bound Hageman factor is then cleaved by a protein called HMK to yield activated Hageman factor. Immediately the activated Hageman factor converts another protein, called prekallikrein, to its active form, kallikrein. Kallikrein helps HMK speed up the conversion of more Hageman factor to its active form. Activated Hageman factor and HMK then together transform another protein, called PTA, to its active form. Activated PTA in turn, together with the activated form of another protein…called convertin, switch a protein called Christmas factor to its active form. Finally, activated Christmas factor, together with antihemophilic factor (which is itself activated by thrombin in a manner similar to that of proaccelerin) changes Stuart factor to its active form.1 1. Michael J. Behe, Darwin’s Black Box (New York: The Free Press, 1996). p 84 Mosquito Bite Scratcher... A Rube Goldberg machine. Water from drain-pipe (A) drops into flask (B) cork (C) rises with water carrying needle (D) with it-needle punctures paper tumbler (E) containing beverage (F)-Beverage sprinkles over bluebird (G) and he becomes intoxicated and falls on spring (H), which bounces him to platform (I)-he pulls string (J) thinking it is a worm-string fires off cannon (K) which frightens peace-hound (L), causing him to jump in air, landing on back in position (M)-his heavy breathing raises disk (N), which is brought back into its original position by weight (O),-the continual breathing of the dog moves scratcher (P) up and down over mosquito bite, causing no embarrassment while talking to a lady. RUBE GOLDBERG property of and copyright Rube Goldberg Inc. Distributed by United Media. 1. IMPRINTING Genetics, psychological experiences and even smells can trigger romantic reactions to another person. 2. ATTRACTION The brain is revved up by phenylethylamine (PEA) and possibly the neurochemicals dopamine and norepinephrine, all natural amphetamines. These produce feelings of euphoria elation. This stage can last for two to three years, then starts to wane. 3. ATTACHMENT During this stage, larger amounts of endorphins (chemically similar to morphine) flow into the brain, leaving lovers with a sense of security, peace and calm. “CUDDLE CHEMICAL” The brain’s pituitary gland secretes oxytocin (“the cuddle chemical”), which stimulates sensations and produces feelings of relaxed satisfaction and attachment. THE GOD OF CREATION... Observed Effects: Limitless Space... Endless Time... Perpetual Motion... Unbounded Variety... Infinite Complexity Consciousness... Feeling... Will... Ethical Values... Religious Values... Beauty... Righteousness... Justice... Love... Life... …Infinite in Extent …Eternal in Duration …Omnipotent in Power …Omnipresent in Phenomena …Omniscient in intelligence …Personal …Emotional …Volitional …Moral …Spiritual …Aesthetic …Holy …Just …Loving …Living THE GOD OF CREATION IS THE GOD OF THE BIBLE! THE GOD WHO IS REAL! Behold your God... Creator of heaven and earth! Revelation 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. [ back to top ] DIVINE CERTAINTY by Carl E. Baugh (1955) Should the rose lose all its beauty And crumble in mere decay, Should the stream neglect its duty And in motionless silence lay, If the stars should lose their luster And fall from the skies above, If sin should become man’s master And on earth there be found no love, Should by reason no God bear existence And through searching no goodness be found, Should man shun Deity acceptance And the heavens all echo the sound, Still would dwell in my soul the certainty That God lives and will for eternity. Who is Jesus? It is the official position of the Creation Evidence Museum that Jesus Christ is the expression of the Creator God in human flesh. The Biblical record is clear regarding the fact that the Creator entered human history to offer redemption to His fallen creation. The Creation in Symphony Model includes the promises of ultimate harmonic restoration of the entire disrupted universe. Jesus and Creation Creation and the Gospel The Birth of Jesus and Archaeology Where was Jesus Born at Bethlehem? Micah 5:2 “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” Micah 4:8 “And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the, the daughter of Jerusalem” Genesis 35: Jacob came to Bethlehem, where Rachel bare Benjamin as she dies. She called him Benoni (Son of my sorrow), but Jacob called him Benjamin (Son of my right hand.) He is a double type of Christ. Then Jacob traveled beyond the tower of the flock, the place where Benjamin was born. In ancient times this was a military tower to view into the valley near Bethlehem. Near the time of Jesus’ birth it became the tower of the flock, where the priests examined newborn lambs which were designated for sacrifice at the temple in Jerusalem. Luke 2: The angel said, “This shall be a sign unto you, ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.” Only in the shelter of this particular tower did temple priests clean the lambs with swaddling clothes as they examined them for temple sacrifice! The shepherds knew exactly were to go when they heard the angel say that the baby would be wrapped in swaddling clothes! Jesus was born in the shelter of the tower of the flock, just outside Bethlehem; because there was no room for them in the inn-—however, the Bible does not say, He was born in a stable behind the inn. References for the historical places mentioned in this lesson can be found in: The Bible Josephas, Antiquities Robert Faid, A scientific Approach to Biblical Mysteries. The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah—Gabelein For further information on the “The Star of Bethlehem” please see that specific section located on our website. Ten Reasons to Believe the Bible: 1) Its Honesty: The Bible is painfully honest. It shows Jacob, the father of its chosen people, to be a deceiver. It describes Moses, the lawgiver, as an insecure, reluctant leader, who, in his first attempt to come to the aid of his own people, killed a man, and then ran for life to the desert. It portrays David not only as Israels most loved king, general, and spiritual leader, but as one who took another mans wife and then, to cover his own sin, conspired to have her husband killed. At one point, the Scriptures accuse the people of God, the nation of Israel, as being so bad they made Sodom and Gomorrah look good by comparison ( Ezekiel 16:46-52). The Bible represents human nature as hostile to God. It predicts a future full of trouble. It teaches that the road to heaven is narrow and the way to hell is wide. Scripture was clearly not written for those who want simple answers or an easy, optimistic view of religion and human nature. 2) Its Preservation: Just as the modern state of Israel was emerging from thousands of years of dispersion, a bedouin shepherd discovered one of the most important archeological treasures of our time. In a cave of the northwest rim of the Dead Sea, a broken jar yielded documents that had been hidden for two millennia. Additional finds produced manuscripts that predated previous oldest copies by 1,000 years. One of the most important was a copy of Isaiah. It revealed a document that is essentially the same as the book of Isaiah that appearsin our own Bibles. The Dead Sea scrolls emerged from the dust like a symbolic handshake to a nation coming home. They discredited the claims of those who believed that the original Bible had been lost to time and tampering. 3) Its Claims for Itself: Its important to know what the Bible says about itself. If the authors of Scripture had not claimed to speak for God, it would be presumptuous for us to make that claim for them. We would also have a different kind of problem. We would have a collection of unsolved mysteries, embodied in historical and ethical literature. But we would not have a book that has inspired the building of countless churches and synagogues all over the world. A Bible that did not claim to speak in behalf of God would not have become foundational to the faith of hundreds of millions of Christians and Jews (2 Peter 1:16-21). But with much supporting evidence and argument, the Bibles authors did claim to be inspired by God. Because millions have staked their present and eternal well-being on those claims, the Bible cannot be a good book if its authors consistently lied about their source of information. 4) Its Miracles: Israels exodus from Egypt provided a historical basis for believing that God revealed Himself to Israel. If the Red Sea did not part as Moses said it did, the Old Testament loses its authority to speak in behalf of God. The New Testament is just as dependent upon miracles. If Jesus did not rise bodily from the dead, the apostle Paul admits that the Christian faith is built on a lie (1 Corinthians 15:14-17). To show its credibility, the New Testament names its witnesses, and did so within a time-frame that enabled those claims to be tested (1 Corinthians 15:1-8). Many of the witnesses ended up as martyrs, not for abstract moral or spiritual convictions but for their claim that Jesus had risen from the dead. While martyrdom is not unusual, the basis on which these people gave their lives is whats important. Many have died for what they believed to be the truth. But people do not die for what they know to be a lie. 5) Its Unity: Forty different authors writing over a period of 1,600 years penned the 66 books of the Bible. Four hundred silent years separated the 39 books of the Old Testament from the 27 of the New Testament. Yet, from Genesis to Revelation, they tell one unfolding story. Together they give consistent answers to the most important questions we can ask: Why are we here? How can we come to terms with our fears? How can we get along? How can we rise above our circumstances and keep hope alive? How can we make peace with our Maker? The Bibles consistent answers to these questions show that the Scriptures are not many books but one. 6) Its Historical and Geographical Accuracy: Down through the ages, many have doubted the historical and geographical accuracy of the Bible. Yet modern archeologists have repeatedly unearthed evidence of the people, places, and cultures described in the Scriptures. Time after time, the descriptions in the biblical record have been shown to be more reliable than the speculations of scholars. The modern visitor to the museums and lands of the Bible cannot help but come away impressed with the real geographical and historical backdrop of the biblical text. 7) Its Indorsement by Christ: Many have spoken well of the Bible, but no endorsement is as compelling as that of Jesus of Nazareth. He recommended the Bible not only by His words but by His life. In times of personal temptation, public teaching, and personal suffering, He made it clear that He believed the Old Testament Scriptures were more than a national tradition ( Matthew 4:1-11; 5:17-19). He believed the Bible was a book about Himself. To His countrymen He said, You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life (John 5:39-40). 8) Its Prophetic Accuracy: > the days of Moses, the Bible predicted events no one wanted to believe. Before Israel went into the Promised Land, Moses predicted that Israel would be unfaithful, that she would lose the land God was giving her, and that she would be dispersed throughout all the world, regathered, and then re-established ( (Deuteronomy 28-31). Central to Old Testament prophecy was the promise of a Messiah who would save Gods people from their sins and eventually bring judgment and peace to the whole world. 9) Its Survival: The books of Moses were written 500 years before the earliest Hindu Scriptures. Moses wrote Genesis 2,000 years before Muhammad penned the Koran. During that long history, no other book has been as loved or as hated as the Bible. No other book has been so consistently bought, studied, and quoted as this book. While millions of other titles come and go, the Bible is still the book by which all other books are measured. While often ignored by those who are uncomfortable with its teachings, it is still the central book of Western civilization. 10) Its Power to Change Lives: Unbelievers often point to those who claim to believe in the Bible without being changed by it. But history is also marked by those who have been bettered by this book. The Ten Commandments have been a source of moral direction to countless numbers of people. The Psalms of David have offered comfort in times of trouble and loss. Jesus Sermon on the Mount has given millions an antidote for stubborn pride and proud legalism. Pauls description of love in 1 Corinthians 13 has softened angry hearts. The changed lives of people like the apostle Paul, Augustine, Martin Luther, John Newton, Leo Tolstoy, and C. S. Lewis illustrate the difference the Bible can make. Even entire nations or tribes, like the Celts of Ireland, the wild Vikings of Norway, or the Auca Indians of Ecuador have been transformed by the Word of God and the unprecedented life and significance of Jesus Christ. Thus, we can use the Bible to be the standard by which everything can be measured, including ministry groups like Answers in Genesis. Their statement of faith and stand on the Word as being God=92s speech is commendable, for it is consistent with Biblical truth. For example, When the Bible says in Exodus 20 that God made the world in 6 days, AIG believes this to be true. AIG is also to be commended for their financial integrity and scientific accuracy. Read as much from them as you can!
Posted on: Sat, 23 Nov 2013 21:53:14 +0000
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