Believe

Do You Believe in Miracles?

Jesus Christ is Lord. Why can I say this with so much confidence and assurance. Without regard for past events or future hopes, one this day, I can say with confidence Jesus is Lord. I can say it because, He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. I was not alive when Jesus walked the dusty paths of Galilee and Judea, in the distant past doing miracles. Nor can I say, that I will see the glorious return of my Lord in the future. But Today, on this day, in the present. I see. Not with my eyes. My eyes are decaying anyway. As the years tread on they grow dimmer and dimmer. And even at their best, I see the world not only out of focus, but without the full spectrum of light. For I am color blind, unable to see the green’s or red’s as others do. But the condition of my eyesight does not matter. For I am not an eyewitness to the events I am going to describe, but only see them through the window of others words.

What is this modern story that renews my faith in Christ. The miracle of supernatural healing. It was Saturday April 18th and after dinner time, when I heard the news that a friend of mine had collapsed while doing some home improvements. He was not alone, another friend of mine performed CPR on the near lifeless body; while family rushed to call for help. The medical system kicked into high gear and with their expert training began to work to save his life. Yet with all the modern inventions and techiniques of medicine, some conditions are still without remedy. Machines can help the weak and dying breath and pump hearts, but without oxgen tissues die. The question only time would reveal was how much damage was done to the body and mind with dimished oxygen to its tissues. Only time would reveal the aftermath. Days or weeks perhaps even a couple months would need to pass before anyone could know the health of my friend. That is what medical science expects. That is what the world expects. That is what nature tells us.

So friends and family take a pause in our busy lifes, myself included, and drop to our knees and plead for a miracle. Ask and you shall receive. I approach the throne of grace and mercy, the tears in my eyes cloud the view of the King as I plead for the Creator of Life to say the word and heal my friend. Not my will but Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. My tear filled eyes never saw any of the scenes unfold or the hospital rooms, but my Lord looked down from His throne of Majesty and saw it all. Other friends have described the scenes using words like grey, ash, and cold to describe my friend laying on his bed asleep maybe going into the long sleep surrounded by myriads of machines with their beeps and tones. But no sound from the patient. These are words of death. The hope of life hanging on a fragile thread.

But now a week later, I again recieve words from others and even from my friend, that he was healed. There seems to be little or no damage to his body or mind. He is not out of danger or risk from further problems, but as of this present day. He seems to be restored. Again, I say that I see the miracle of my Lord’s healing, having never laid my eyes upon those scenes. The miracle does more than restore the health of a friend. It renews my faith and the faith of others in our God. The world scratches their heads in collective unbelief. They may attribute it to quick response of CPR or expert care in the world’s finest hospitals. But deep down words like luck or miracle are needed to describe it. All Glory be to God.

I believe in miracles and in the power of Jesus to heal not only the body, but the soul, and revive the spirit in all. Do you? He has healed me. and Others.

It was a little more than a year ago, that my wife was having terrible health troubles. Not nearly as dramatic as the one described above, but still severe. In the end, she had her gall bladder removed and has recovered well; but my prayers for her in those days were just as powerful. They also renewed and grew my faith in God just as the answered prayers today do.

So to friend and stranger, Do you need a miracle from God? Are you at the end of all with a circumstance or difficulty in your life? Jesus can heal the body, soul, and spirit. Ask Him. He is the Lord of miracles. Believe in Him. Your heart will lead with the words you need for your plea.

**(( I would only add the following…(1) Good things can happen to evil people, as well as (2) Bad things can happen to Good people. But in it all God is in control, maybe not the direct cause, because the reality of most evil and bad that happens in this world comes from the consequences of sin, either from the fall of Adam (original sin) or later sin by Adam’s children which includes us ))**

Expelled — Movie Review

In an effort to keep my thoughts from drifting into inexpressible emotions, I present this review of the Movie expelled. My thoughts and prayers will drift back to those more personal ones, but they are silent griefs without words for now.

Last night I watched the movie, Expelled. The documentary hosted by Ben Stein. It explores the conflict and one-sided debate surrounding the dogma of the Theory of Evolution versus the theory of Intelligent Design. It is critical of the expulsion of Scientists and Reports that even give mention of the Theory of Intelligent Design. Those few and small who break against the monolith of Darwin’s creation: The origin of Species. Who dare not swallow the pill without first questioning and reviewing the evidence and science of Darwin.

Ben Stein is a Jew. He focused his attention first on the intellectual freedom of science being under attack and then his personal connection to Darwin in investigating the connection that Hitler’s Third Reich, and the Nazi’s had to Darwin’s Theories of Natural Selection and the Origin of Species. He cautiously connected them as Hitler’s fascination with the process of Natural Selection, but his desire to speed up the process to create a more evolved human or a master race. He toured a hospital in The Nazi Empire where undesirables were slaughtered . The place is hollowed ground where thousands of innocents were massacred.

A common thread for all the scientists and advocates that continue to spread the gospel of Darwin is unbelief in any God, whatsoever. And that many of them once had faith in God, but in studying and exploring the theory of Evolution they found the natural process to become their new god.

There was no mention of Genesis chapter one or the bible in any of the discussions. Just the foggy notion that some intelligence was behind the creation of life–and there is the new out for science. Admitting a designer of life, but keeping that designer removed and apart from what was made. The old recycling of the Theist-an absent clockmaker. It will be a slow rising tide, but evidence will eventually lead to Intelligent design just because of the myriads of unanswered questions that continue to go without logical answers or supporting evidence from the Darwinist. Therefore Religion and Science will still be separated and the world will swallow the next lie that does not deny god, but puts god into a little box of being a now absent designer without any regard for the science experiment began in a small petri dish and has now walked away from it and even may have forgotten about it.

In an aside, I still continue in my disciplined study, meditation, and teaching of the bible. I still hold that God–reveal in the Bible–Is the creator of all life and all things. And that I belief in a young earth and that creation was a six day supernatural event, and at the beginning of my academic career studied geology and found the Theory of Catastrophism more in line with the laws of physics than uniformitarianism–particularly the second law of thermodynamics. In fact, this week I have been reading and studying from the Prophet Isaiah. I will share a brief explanation and then shall quote him afterward, these words affirm God as the creator of life and Sovereign of All, even the unbelieving.

God tells the world both a timely message to the Ancients of Judah and to all the world though his prophet. Three basic truths that are still in the headlines more than 2,700 years later.
1) God is the Creator of everything including human life in the womb. (Isaiah 44:24; 45:8, 12)–affirming that human life begins in the womb and each life is a special creation of God. (Isaiah 44:24)
2) God is the only true God there is no other. (Isaiah 45:5)
3) God is the Sovereign of the Universe (Isaiah 45:1-4)
Each of these Truths about God are implied in each verse and throughout the rest of the bible.

The death and decay of the world including America that started with a single taste of the forbidden fruit in paradise will continue as our society blows around in the wind without a solid anchor. Chasing after the pursuit of knowledge but denying wisdom when they see and hear it screaming to them from the complexity of what was suppose to be simple and the simpleness of the answer. In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth. God is still supreme, He was able to use a pagan Persian King to rebuild his holy city and temple, who else will God use for His divine and righteous purposes, even the unbelieving and uncooperative? Maybe even an evolutionist.

I am still waiting for the Evolutionist to explain to me the mechanism for the creation of a seed and its ability to grow into a giant redwood tree or a blade of grass. So much time and effort is made in making man into an animal, that half of the life on this planet continues with no “scientific” theory for its origin? What is the origin of species for a tree? Even the smallest child knows that only God can make a tree.

Isaiah 44:24-45:13 (New King James Version)

24 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer,
And He who formed you from the womb:

“ I am the LORD, who makes all things,
Who stretches out the heavens all alone,
Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;
25 Who frustrates the signs of the babblers,
And drives diviners mad;
Who turns wise men backward,
And makes their knowledge foolishness;
26 Who confirms the word of His servant,
And performs the counsel of His messengers;
Who says to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be inhabited,’
To the cities of Judah, ‘You shall be built,’
And I will raise up her waste places;
27 Who says to the deep, ‘Be dry!
And I will dry up your rivers’;
28 Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd,
And he shall perform all My pleasure,
Saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,”
And to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.”’

Isaiah 45

1 “Thus says the LORD to His anointed,
To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held—
To subdue nations before him
And loose the armor of kings,
To open before him the double doors,
So that the gates will not be shut:
2 ‘ I will go before you
And make the crooked places straight;
I will break in pieces the gates of bronze
And cut the bars of iron.
3 I will give you the treasures of darkness
And hidden riches of secret places,
That you may know that I, the LORD,
Who call you by your name,
Am the God of Israel.
4 For Jacob My servant’s sake,
And Israel My elect,
I have even called you by your name;
I have named you, though you have not known Me.
5 I am the LORD, and there is no other;
There is no God besides Me.
I will gird you, though you have not known Me,
6 That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting
That there is none besides Me.
I am the LORD, and there is no other;
7 I form the light and create darkness,
I make peace and create calamity;
I, the LORD, do all these things.’
8 “ Rain down, you heavens, from above,
And let the skies pour down righteousness;
Let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation,
And let righteousness spring up together.
I, the LORD, have created it.
9 “ Woe to him who strives with his Maker!
Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth!
Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’
Or shall your handiwork say, ‘He has no hands’?
10 Woe to him who says to his father, ‘What are you begetting?’
Or to the woman, ‘What have you brought forth?’”
11 Thus says the LORD,
The Holy One of Israel, and his Maker:

“ Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons;
And concerning the work of My hands, you command Me.
12 I have made the earth,
And created man on it.
I—My hands—stretched out the heavens,
And all their host I have commanded.
13 I have raised him up in righteousness,
And I will direct all his ways;
He shall build My city
And let My exiles go free,
Not for price nor reward,”
Says the LORD of hosts.

My Everquest

I still debate as to whether or not to post this web log, but I took the time to write it, so here it is

For many years when I was younger, not that much younger, I used to spend many late nights logging into a fantasy world that only exists as electronic static within machines. Those not familiar with the game, it is based on a typical fantasy world full of characters of different mythical races like dwarfs and elves, ancient weapons and magic, all wandering through a wilderness of the unknown like the worlds that can be read in fiction books among my favorite: The Lord of the Rings. Players create characters that interact with other players and the world of Everquest. Through the course of playing the game I settled into two main characters. The characters I chose in the game reflect some of my hopes and dreams in the real world, and also some of my fears.

The first character I kept and played was a Human Paladin. This is a knight in shining armor, a defender of good; Champion of light and order against the forces of evil that bring darkness and chaos to the world. The Paladin is a warrior with limited healing magic. Neither as strong as a full warrior or given the ability to heal as well as pure magic users. There are many styles of playing a paladin within the game, my style was to wield a two-handed sword and never retreat, rarely holding a shield, my character was the shield for others. When playing with other players, I would serve as the player locked in combat with the enemies we faced as others would cast their magics or attack with stealth or at a distance against our common foe. When the battle went against us, my character would usually be the first die. The character was the shield to protect the others from the ferocious attacks of the monsters of our quest.

Translation to real life. In my perfect vision of who I would like to be, I would be a champion defending others from the monsters of the real world. Enemies that would harm others. Acting as a guardian or shield for the weaker or more helpless.  Fighting against the chaos and darkness of evil.

As the years passed and my character grew in strength and power it became harder to gain experience in fighting the creatures of this fantasy world. The only creatures that would advance my character became too large or gigantic to handle on my own. I could no longer fight them alone. Most of the time when I played I wanted to fight alone or only in small groups. But at higher levels, I had to always be in large groups, or I would meet a quick death. The diversity of the strengths of different types of characters in battle gave an advantage over the foes, we faced. Some characters could heal wounds, others cast powerful and damaging fireballs, or even attack our foe from the side or behind, while the paladin would stand directly in the path of the foe locked in mortal combat.

Translation to real life. Community is better than loneliness when facing the dangerous enemies that appear in life. There is more strength in a cord weaved and banded together with three or more cords than with a single stranded cord.

My characters last name was StoneBlade. The strength and steadfastness of a stone. Not a rock that is rough and raw, but a stone that is chiseled and shaped for a purpose. The sharp instrument of battle, a blade. Both words represent admirable character traits by themselves but combined to magnify each others strengths. Attributes I would like to see in my real life.

The second main character I would play was a Human Ranger. In the ancient world of fantasy, the sniper or long range warrior armed with the deadly weapon of distance the bow and arrow. His strength came from quickly killing a foe with a well aimed arrow or after shooting disappearing into the cover of the world. In a group always hanging back to inflict the death shot from a distance never completely committing to a battle in locking swords with an enemy, or acting as support in welding two small swords and attack a foe from the side, while the armored knights would take the furry and wrath of the monster. This was not because of fear though, it was because of armor. Rangers do not have the heavy metal armor of a knight only a flimsy shirt and leggings of tightly weaved chains. The light armor allowed for freedom of movement and quickness, but lack the ability to protect from dangerous blows. Rangers are lonely characters and spend most of their quest in solitude, only temporarily joining with others when it suits their objectives.

These two main characters were an expression of my personal struggle with being part of a community and working as a team mate, or in going it alone only joining with others out of my convenience. Some days I crave the solitude of my journey and trying to pit myself against a harsh world. Other days I admit that it is only in community that survival in this harsh world is really the only option.

And now that I am Christian, the bonds that hold the community together best is God–The Father, The Son, and Holy Spirit. A three braided cord of Holiness, Majesty, Love, Justice, Peace, Mercy, and Grace.

So the name of this web log comes from my solo attempt to share with the world myself, the name of my Ranger: Ancientarrow.

It was later when reading through the Bible that I found the references to God as being the Ancient of Days, and arrows being a symbol of children for a father. But the names fits. I am an adopted son of the Ancient of Days, a single arrow within His quiver of weapons to shoot at His enemies. God carefully aimed my life into the vast flow time and space and landed me here in Logan, Utah in 2009. Why am I here? It is to be His instrument or weapon in the war against rebellion and sin. Victory is guaranteed. The enemy is not an equal to God, but a fallen created being. The foe is powerful, but braided together (knitted) with the Lord, my victory is secure in the strength of the Almighty.

Choosing a Church home

Advice for President Obama (although I doubt he will hear it or observe it, but perhaps some else out there will?) in his search for a church home.  I hear he has having some trouble picking which church to attend Easter morning.  Below are six questions in any Christian needs to address when selecting which Church to worship at regardless of position or ethnic background of the person. The questions are asked about the preacher of the church.  He sets the tone for the church (Yes, I said He).  It is about worshiping God, Mr. President, not scoring political points or favor from a special interest groups.

Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Question 1 (Sola Scriptura): Does the preacher ground everything he says in the Bible? Does he , in other words, begin with the authority and sufficiency of Scripture? A reliable carrier of God’s truth seeks to revel in, wrestle with, and expound from, the Bible. He starts with the Bible. All of his comments flow from what a particular passage in the Bible says. He doesn’t simply use the Bible to support what he wants to say. That is, he submits to what the Bible says, he does not seek to submit the Bible to what he says. He cares about both the Old Testament and the New Testament. He refuses to take verses out of context. He recognizes the unity of the Bible. He acknowledges that both the Old Testament and the New Testament tell one story and point to one figure, namely that God saves sinners through the accomplished work of his son Jesus Christ.

Question 2 (Sola Gratia): Does the preacher freely emphasize that because of sin, a right relationship with God can only be established by God’s grace alone? Beware of any teaching that emphasizes man’s ability over God’s ability; man’s freedom over God’s freedom; man’s power over God’s power; man’s initiative over God’s initiative. Beware of any teaching which subtlety communicates that a right relationship with God depends ultimately on human response over Divine sovereignty.

Question 3 (Sola Fide): Does the preacher stress that salvation is not achieved by what we can do, rather salvation is received by faith in what Christ has already done? It has been rightly stated that there really are only two religions: the religion of human accomplishment and the religion of Divine accomplishment. Does the preacher emphasize the former or the latter? A reliable carrier of God’s truth always highlights the fact that God saves sinners; sinners don’t save themselves.

Question 4 (Sola Christus): Does the preacher underline that Christ is the exclusive mediator between God and man? Does the explainer both affirm and proclaim that Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life” and that nobody comes to the Father but by Christ? Does he talk about sin and the necessity of Christ? Remember what I have said on numerous occasions: we will never know Christ as a great Savior until we first know ourselves to be great sinners. Any sermon that does not explicitly include the exposition of sin and the exaltation of Christ is unreliable. Any teaching that leads one to believe that Christ is unnecessary is highly unreliable.

Question 5 (Sola Deo Gloria): Does the preacher exalt God above all? A reliable explainer will always lead you to marvel at God. A true carrier of God’s truth will always lead you to encounter the glory of God. A God-centered teacher is just that: God-centered. He will preach and teach in such a way that you find yourself hungering and thirsting for God. You will listen to sermon after sermon and walk away with grand impressions of Divine personality, not grand impressions of human personality.

I suppose there really is one more question: Does the preacher highlight the Biblical fact that this world is not all that there is? While God calls us to participate in the transformation of this world, we do so by living in this world with the next world in view. In other words, the only way we will ever be of any earthly good is if we are heavenly minded. So, to pick on one recent title of a bestselling book, our best life is not intended to be now. For the Christian, the best is yet to come.

Twelve Apostates

I could not let this one pass by without making a comment or two about it.  From the The Brigham Young University newspaper The Daily Universe on April 6, 2009.

Carefully read this mistake on the caption of this BYU newspaper photograph.  Some us would argue that for once the newspaper finally got it right.  These twelve apostates are voting to sustain another to join them.  Apostate is one who renunciates a religious faith.  Mormon leaders like these have been renouncing Biblical Christianity since the beginning of the church, in their claim that they belong to the only true church.

Finally, the truth of their church has come out.  They have strayed from the gospel of Jesus and replaced it with a sugar coated lie that denies the power of God, but speaks about him affectionately.  God’s salvation is for all.  A gift freely given by God’s power, not earned as a reward for being good.  It really is as simple as John 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”