The Laws of Thermodynamics

God’s Unchanging Hand

“Time is filled with swift transition…” These are words to a well-known song many have sung in worship since childhood. This phrase is all too true. Time is filled with transitions and changes. No one lives very long without noticing some type of change in life. Change has been seen dramatically in the realm of technology. People living 100 years ago couldn’t dream of talking into a palm-sized device and being heard by someone thousands of miles away.

Laws are not theories. Theories should not be treated as truth.

Laws are not theories. Theories should not be treated as truth.

This month marks the 150th anniversary of the release of Charles Darwin’s book Origin of Species [Editors Note: 2009]. Consider for a moment the amount of change that has been witnessed since the ink dried on that book. Considered by many as the father of the evolutionary theory, Darwin opened the floodgates for a godless theory of origins and change.

What affects change? One factor that evolutionists and creationists both recognize is that time results in things running down or wearing out (2nd Law of Thermodynamics). Time affects everything for better or worse. Given enough time, anything God created will change. Since the 6 days of creation less than 10,000 years ago, God’s creation has changed. All of the change, however, is subject to God’s laws of nature He set in place when time began.

This month we want to spend a few minutes looking at humankind. Where did human beings come from and why does it matter? What about the soul—what does being made in the image and likeness of God really mean? The evolutionary theory demands that human beings evolved from some common ancestor, whereas God’s Word indicates humans are the pinnacle of God’s creation. Evolution presupposes that death brought mankind into the world. The creation model indicates that through man death came into the world. Both cannot be correct.

Because of the over-abundance of propaganda supporting creatures like Neanderthal man, Lucy, Homo habilis, and Homo erectus, many assume that there is no question regarding the origin of mankind. Having viewed images in textbooks, popular magazines, and news accounts, many individuals—including Christians—assume there is no debate. As such, many Christians have tried to mesh the evolution of man into God’s Word, never realizing that their compromise is incompatible with the text found in the Bible (e.g., In Mark 10:6 Jesus said: “But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female.” The indication being that man was around from the beginning of creation.) We hope this issue helps firm up the footings for many who are searching for the Truth regarding origins.

God, in His infinite wisdom, created laws that have allowed science to discover many things that have been helpful to humankind. These are laws upon which we depend and are used to our benefit. Two laws that come to mind are the First and Second Law of Thermodynamics.

The First Law of Thermodynamics, simply put, is that matter/energy cannot be created or destroyed but is constant. When God created the heavens and the earth, He created a specific amount of matter. This matter is His creation, which reflects His glory on a daily basis (Psalm 19:1, Romans 1:20). The Second Law of Thermodynamics, simply put, states that this matter/energy deteriorates over time. Change does occur over time!

Some of the changes we may see or be subjected to are not necessarily to our liking. But we continue to follow the guidance of the old song, “Hold to God’s unchanging hand.” This song has as its basis Hebrews 13:8, which says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” No matter what scientists, evolutionists, and atheists may say, we should be able to take comfort in the fact that God will not change. God is steady. God is constant (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17).

A great deal of knowledge has been obtained since Darwin penned his book. Entire new branches of science have been formed as molecular complexity began to reveal incredible design and purpose in cellular organelles. While the heart of man may have changed since Darwin released his book, there is no doubt that the “missing link” evolutionists so strongly need is still missing. Rather than changing their hearts, too many men try to make changes to what God has said and written based on what they believe or want to believe. But we can count on God acting, thinking, and doing as He always has. We can accept the scientific facts taught in the Bible as absolute truth. By accepting these facts as truth (i.e. the worldwide Flood), we will be able to see a clearer, simpler, and more beautiful creation. This in turn will allow us to have a better understanding of our divine maker, God. As always, we hope you will think on these things.

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Opinion as Bible Doctrine?

Is it right for a preacher to preach his opinion as Bible doctrine?

No. I have included this question because I want to go on record as stating that I have no right to teach my opinion as Bible doctrine and neither does any other person have the right to so do. The Bible says in Colossians 3:17 “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” Everything that I say as a preacher must be authorized by God. Everything that I do in my life must be authorized by God. In 1 Peter 4:11 Peter writes, “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.” Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:31 “whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” Everything that I say must 1) be authorized by God, 2) be as the oracles of God, and 3) be to the glory of God. So no, I have no right to preach my opinion as doctrine. This is not to say that when I get in the pulpit to preach the gospel that I have no right to preach the truth of God’s word as I believe it is the truth. It is incumbent upon me, therefore, to make sure that everything that I say whether in Bible class or from the pulpit is the truth of God’s word and that my words have a “thus saith the Lord” behind them.

Now, this does not mean or imply that everything that I say must be inspired of God. That is, it does not mean that all I do is get up in the pulpit and read the Bible. That would not be preaching the gospel at all–that would simply be reading the scriptures. We read in Ezra 7:10 the following words, “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.” Then we read in Nehemiah 8:5, 6, and 8 “And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground�. So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” I want you to notice the connection between these two verses. 1) Ezra prepared to teach. 2) Ezra read in the book of the law. 3) Ezra gave the sense. 4) Ezra caused them to understand the reading. I would be no preacher at all if I did not prepare the things that I preached. I would be no preacher at all if I did not explain what the scriptures mean. I would be no preacher at all if I made no direct and personal applications from God’s word. I would be no preacher at all if I didn’t help others to understand the meaning of the words of God. That, according to the Bible, is part of what the preacher’s job is to do. Now, wherein lies the rub?

There have been on more than one occasion situations where individuals disagree as to what God’s word means. There have been on more than one occasion situations where individuals disagreed on how to apply God’s word to their life. There are some who have studied the scriptures less than others. There are some who do not have a complete understanding about what the Bible says is sin and is not sin. Different people have different levels of understanding and different attitudes toward God’s word. What does one do when two people disagree about how to apply God’s word; that is, what does the Bible teach that we ought to do when one brother believes that something is a sin whereas another brother merely believes that something is opinion? You study the word of God to see if there are any areas of the scripture in which you have overlooked (Acts 17:11). You pray to God for wisdom (James 1:5). If you believe that it is a matter of opinion, you do not act in any way so as to cause your brother to stumble. Romans 15:1, 2 says “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.” If the conflict continues, then you take it to the eldership and let them resolve the dilemma. Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.” If the decision of the elders is unfavorable toward you and you cannot live with that decision, then you need to move on to another location where you can worship in peace. If, however, you choose to stay, you must stay with the knowledge that you have an obligation within God’s word to submit to the eldership. You have no authority within the scriptures to sow division within the local church. Everything that is given within the scriptures is given so that there will be peace and harmony within the local congregation. The person who willfully ignores all of the above scriptural passages sins against God in so doing, whether his understanding of the disagreement is right or wrong. There is a right way and a wrong way to handle these matters whether we ourselves are right or wrong. The eldership has the strongest say in these matters.

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Your Joy Shall Be Full

Your Joy Shall Be Full

Darkness brings sin and heartache (Psalm 107:10–12), but God is light (1 John 1:5) and brings joy to all those who walk in his light (v. 7). The key to faithful Christian living is to walk in His light. This doesn’t mean that we will not sin, for all have sinned and continue to fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23), but it means that we do not give ourselves over to sin (Romans 6:12–14). Every day we give in to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, or the pride of life (1 John 2:16). But do not get up in the morning and say, “Well, I am going to sin anyway so I might as well do it.” No! The faithful Christian realizes that he has a Savior who paid the price for our sins and when we sin we acknowledge it, repent, and ask God, through His Son, to forgive us.

Every morning we ask God to help us be faithful to Him today and when we lay down at night we ask Him to give us the strength to be more like His Son and to live faithfully for Him tomorrow. Knowing Him means keeping his commandments and walking even as He walked.

Walking with God as Enoch did, being obedient and walking by faith (Genesis 5:24; Hebrews 11:5–6), on a daily basis, is the only way to ensure that Jesus take us home to live with Him for eternity when He returns. What does that look like? Con-tinuing to study and grow in your knowledge of His Word, being ever vigilant in prayer, worshipping regularly, associating yourself with other faithful brethren, loving God and each other, sharing the Good News with those who are lost. How are you doing in these areas. Where is there room for improvement? Are you faithful?

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Matthew 5:13 – Salt of the Earth

Matthew 13 – Salt of the Earth

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

Matthew 5:13

Are you the preservative, the flavor, the distinction of the Church of Christ?

Are you the preservative, the flavor, the distinction of the Church of Christ?

Salt is basically good for two things:  enhancing the flavor of food and preservation.  If Jesus considers his disciples to be “the salt of the earth,” that basically means that we make the world flavorful for God, and thus preserve it (keep it in existence longer.)

Think about this, Christian.  Your obedience to the gospel helps make this world more tasteful to God.  He has delayed ending the world in order to give you and everyone else around you time to repent (2 Pet. 3:9-10).  That’s how much he loves you.

There’s something else to consider, however.  What do we do with food that has a taste of which we don’t approve?  We first spit it out of our mouths, and then we throw it out.  Do we want God to do that with us?  If you are “lukewarm,” that is, a Christian-In-Name-Only, a so-called “disciple” who shows up at church on Sunday and lives a sinful, worldly life throughout the rest of the week, God will do exactly that:  “spit you out of my mouth” (Rev. 3:15-16).  That’s why Jesus gives us that warning about being “thrown out” (Matt. 5:13b).

What kind of salt are you?  The kind that makes this world tasteful to God and thus preserves it…or the kind that has lost its taste and is about to be thrown out?  The choice is yours (Josh. 24:15).

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Snow White and the Church of Christ

Snow White and the “Seven Churches”

In a recent conversation, a friend described his experience in visiting a congregation as attending the “Sleepy” Church of Christ. As I thought about this, I thought how so many of the names of the seven dwarfs could be applied to congregations today. Those seven dwarfs are: Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy and Dopey. Think about how many of these names could be applied to some Christians you know.

Do you attend the Sleepy Church of Christ?

Do you attend the Sleepy Church of Christ?

First impressions are so important. I do not know when during the visit my friend began thinking of that congregation as a sleepy church, but each of us should always be aware that the first impression made on visitors can impact the impression they have of a congregation as they leave. What is the impression this church makes on visitors? More importantly, what impression do they form of this church when they first meet you?

God did not intend for the church to be “sleepy.” When the church assembles for worship, there should be an air of joy, excitement and anticipation that something special is about to happen. Every person should realize that the attention of heaven is about to be focused on worshipers. There should be prayers which exalt God. There should be singing that comes from the hearts and brings visual joy to faces of those who are praising Jehovah. There should be an atmosphere of deep reverence as every member focuses together on Christ and the cross during communion.  As we give, we should reflect the fact that we are cheerfully seeing how our offerings are used by God to do His work. Then, there should be preaching that shows the genuine sincerity of those who preach and those who listen. Worship must never be “sleepy.”

Which name of which dwarf describes you? The list is not exhaustive by any means, for there are many positive words which describe most Christians I know. However, have you ever known a Christian or visited a congregation which could be described as “Grumpy”? What about a Christian or congregation who were so “Bashful” they never revealed the glorious family of God? What about a Christian or church whose failure to study His word caused them to be “Dopey”?

I am not sure exactly what happened or did not happen which caused my friend to visit with the bride of Jesus and walk away with the impression he did. I am sure that each of us needs to see that we do our part of revealing true Christianity in all we do when we assemble.

The words of Paul seem so appropriate. “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep…” (Rom. 13:11).

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