Pursue God’s Plan

Pursue God’s Plan

In 2 Samuel 22:33, it states that, “God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.”  Now, many young people believe that this verse is talking about how God gives you desires to achieve a specific goal through all the bumps of life like, being the best cheerleader, or the fastest runner, or the strongest football player.  People further believe that these goals are part of God’s plan for your life.  But, I think we need to look at a couple of verses before vs. 33.

Choose His Plan Get His Results!

Choose His Plan Get His Results!

In vs. 31, it states, “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.  For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God?”  In combination with vs. 33, it is talking about how God provided a pathway for David.  A pathway that is flawless and pure.  And, that way is through the Lord’s word, both written and given by the prophets and it was this way that guided David to safety and success.

Likewise, when we realize that God is our only source of divine help, then we will see that all other ways are a sham.  Other ways cannot shield us from the terrors and troubles of life.  And, the Lord is more than our defense, He is our power.  Therefore, when we find ourselves in a hard situation, remember that God has great plans for your life.  Talk to Him and let Him know that you appreciate His involvement in your life.  Let Him know that in Him you find strength even when you are feeling your weakest.  And when you do this, it will surprise you how the Lord will further bless your life.

Posted in Robert Notgrass | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Pursue God’s Plan

In Vain they do Worship

In Vain they do Worship

God has established he not be worshiped in vain and ignorant ways.

God has established he not be worshiped in vain and ignorant ways.

Jesus had a conversation with a woman at Jacob’s well where He told her, “in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” Paul told Titus not to heed the “commandments of men who turn from the truth” (Titus 1:14) and he taught the Colossians to “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men (Colossians 2:8). Later in that same context, Paul went on to add that those who subject themselves to the ordinances of men will perish and to not even touch or handle them even though they may look appealing. Paul referred to this kind of worship as “will worship” which is of man’s devising and not according to God (V 20-23).

The scriptures teach that God does not accept just any old form of worship that man decides he wants to offer. Concerning worship, Jesus taught in John 4:24 that those who worship God “must worship him in spirit and in truth”. Worship in spirit means from the heart. We are to offer God worship from a desire within ourselves to honor and glorify Him. Those who show up to worship God at the assembly and do not have the right heart are not worshipping Him in the right spirit.

But worshipping in spirit only is not good enough. Paul wrote in Romans 10:2-4, “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.” Paul says all the zeal, heart and spirit in the world is no good if we have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

Therefore our worship must not only be “in spirit”, it must also be “in truth”. God’s word is truth (John 17:17) therefore worship in truth must be according to His word and not according to the devices and innovations of man.

So given the importance of true worship, how then does one be sure their worship is according to God’s righteousness and not according to man’s idea of righteousness? We look to the scriptures and we find the commands and approved examples of worship given to the Christians who lived at the time when the scriptures were written and the church was newly established. We offer those things as worship to God which they did in theirs nearly 2000 years ago. We diligently search His word and we find and practice those things they did which were approved or commanded and we reject anything for which there is no authority or command for in God’s word. We do not want to risk offending God by offering Him a form of worship which He did not ask for.

Christians offered acceptable worship to God in the first century and we have within the sacred pages of God’s word how they did it. If we will learn what they learned, do what they did, live how they lived and worship how they worshipped, we can be absolutely assured of being what they were then. Christians only, glorifying God in Heaven by offering Him the worship we know will please Him. We must always remember that God is the audience and our worship is a spiritual sacrifice offered up to Him from our hearts (1 Peter 2:5).

Posted in David Hersey | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on In Vain they do Worship

Turning the Knob

Turning the Knob

The story is told of a boy who came home from school one day and noticed that all the vehicles were gone.  Realizing that no one was home he just sat on the steps.  Soon it began to rain and he got soaked. When his mother came home she asked him why he didn’t go into the house.  He said, “You weren’t home, how could I?”  She said, “Honey, the house was unlocked.  Did you try turning the knob?”

Great understanding awaits for those willing to use the knob.

Great understanding awaits for those willing to use the knob.

Sometimes we make things more difficult than they need to be simply by failing to be observant.  This is especially true with regard to the gospel of Christ. Holding a closed Bible, a young man asked a visiting preacher, “How in the world could anyone understand the Bible?”  The preacher immediately responded, “Did you ever try opening your Bible in an effort to understand it?”  The young man quipped, “I don’t need to.  My preacher tells us what’s in it – but I still don’t understand it.”  That is truly sad, for if the young man had searched the Scriptures himself he could have found what he was looking for (cf. 2 Tim. 3:14-17).  Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matt. 7:7).

Friends, the door of the gospel is unlocked.  Try turning the knob.

Posted in Aaron Veyon | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Turning the Knob

Fossils, Man, Dinosaurs

Fossils, Humans – Wrong Time, Wrong Place

Billy believed that it was simply just another old rock. But right before he gave it a good hard kick he noticed something unusual. This “rock” had a peculiar shape with weird ridges on it. As he reached down to pick it up he stopped momentarily—as it looked like this “rock” might be alive. As it turned out, Billy had stumbled across a trilobite fossil. This creature, believed to be extinct, allegedly lived over 500 million years ago, long before dinosaurs or man walked the Earth. Or so the story goes.

Fossils and man, what is the story? Ask scripture.

Fossils and man, what is the story? Ask scripture.

Trilobites look similar to horseshoe crabs, and have been found all over the Earth. They are believed to be extinct today, and evolutionists contend these creatures lived 500-600 million years ago.  In fact, evolutionists use the trilobite as an index fossil. They believe that anywhere a trilobite is found is indicative of the age of that strata layer. Thus, if a trilobite is found on the side of a mountain then that strata must be roughly 500 million years old.

After carefully placing the fossil in his pocket, Billy ran home to reveal his prized discovery to his parents. He was excited about his new find, and was anxious to identify the bizarre creature. Unfortunately, his parents did not share his interest, and instead they remained focused on bills, bank accounts, and bonuses. But Billy was not disheartened. He decided he would ask his teacher at school about this unusual fossil. Unlike his parents, Billy’s teacher showed a great interest in the fossil, showing Billy’s discovery to the entire class. She went on to inform her students that trilobites “lived on the Earth 500 million years ago, long before man ever existed.” Thus, a seed was planted into the minds of Billy and his fellow classmates—a seed that would germinate over the next few years—as Billy slowly began to accept and put his faith in the evolutionary theory. Sadly, Billy’s parents never even realized their son’s soul was in jeopardy—for they were still too busy worrying about bills, bank accounts, and bonuses.

The fossil record has caused many Christians to question the Bible. In many cases, honest and sincere hearts absorb media propaganda and turn skeptical toward God’s Word. After all, these scientific findings couldn’t be wrong—could they? Many times the inspired Word of God is forfeited as men blindly cling to manmade theories.

Christians need not compromise when it comes to harmonizing God’s Word with science. God is the Author of science, and as such, valid science will always point directly toward a Creator. [Christians must realize that individuals who have stiffened their necks against the idea of a Supreme Being are going to report their data through biased lenses—lenses that reject a Creator and only support the evolutionary theory. But their “interpretation” does not change the Truth.] For instance, while many textbooks still use a trilobite as an index fossil, we know today that this creature does not fit neatly into the evolutionary timeline. On June 1, 1968, William J. Meister, an amateur fossilologist, was out looking for trilobite fossils near Antelope Springs, Utah, when he made a discovery that is rarely discussed in biology classrooms today. Meister (joined by several friends who served as witnesses), worked his way up the side of a mountain slope and broke open a slab of rock with his hammer to investigate it for fossils. Indeed, he discovered trilobite fossils—imbedded in the sandal print of a human being! According to evolutionists, man has only been on the Earth for the last 3-5 million years, so how could a creature that supposedly existed “before the dinosaurs” be discovered in the sandal print of a human? A close inspection of the fossil reveals the intricate stitching of the sandals. The physical evidence is there. The only question is how can 500 million old trilobites coexist with humans if we’ve only been around for the last 3-5 million years. The owner of the fossil has been offered millions of dollars by evolutionists in exchange for the fossil. They have told him very bluntly their only intention is to destroy it.

This discovery does not even begin to touch the hem of the garment. There are literally thousands of “geologic anomalies” that do not support the evolutionary theory. [Cremo and Thompson’s book Forbidden Archeology is an excellent resource book that documents many of these discoveries, and is available on our Web site at www.Focuspress.org]. Consider the following “anomalies” for which organic evolution cannot account.  Coal was allegedly laid down during the “carboniferous period” roughly 250 million years ago—predating man by approximately 245 million years according to the evolutionary timeline.  However, Ivan Sanderson reported a unique find in the Morrisonville, Illinois, newspaper, the Illinois Times, on June 11, 1891.

A much greater enigma is presented by the items that have been found in coal. This substance has been deposited on the surface of this earth at various times but most notably in what is called the Carboniferous which is calculated to be from 270 to 230 millions of years old…. From it several items have appeared that confound just about everything we believe. For instance, it has been reported that in 1891 a Mrs. Culp of Morrisonville, Illinois dropped a shovelful of coal in transferring it to her cooking range, and a large lump broke in two, disclosing a lovely little gold chain of intricate workmanship neatly coiled and embedded.

A close examination revealed that the chain was ten inches long and made out of 8-karat gold. Who—according to evolutionary timescales—was around 250 million years ago to be making “little gold chains of intricate workmanship”?

Or how do evolutionists explain a human handprint found in Cretaceous rock that is allegedly millions of years older than humans? The fossil handprint is so specific that it displays impressions of the thumbnail, impressions of the tissue webbing between the thumb and index finger, and the impression left by penetration of the middle finger into the mud. This is strong evidence that evolutionary dating methods are erroneous and not to be trusted. The conclusion that is easily drawn from this discovery is that humans have been on the Earth from the beginning of creation.

Another discovery was reported in Scientific American, in an article titled “A Relic of a Bygone Age.” This discovery discussed a metallic vase that was blasted out of rock that was allegedly millions of years older than man. The article stated:

A few days ago a powerful blast was made in the rock at Meeting House Hill, in Dorchester, a few rods south of Rev. Mr. Hall’s meeting house. The blast threw out an immense mass of rock, some of the pieces weighing several tons, and scattered fragments in all directions. Among them was picked up a metallic vessel in two parts, rent asunder by the explosion. On putting the two parts together it formed a bell-shaped vessel, 4-1/2 inches high, 6-1/2 inches at the base, 2-1/2 inches at the top, and about an eighth of an inch in thickness. The body of this vessel resembles zinc in color, or a composition of metal, in which there is a considerable portion of silver. On the side there are six figures or a flower, or bouquet, vine, or wreath, also inlaid with silver. The chasing, carving, and inlaying are exquisitely done by the art of some cunning workman. This curious and unknown vessel was blown out of the solid pudding stone, fifteen feet below the surface…. There is not doubt but that this curiosity was blown out of the rock, as above stated; but will Professor Agassiz, or some other scientific man please tell us how it came there? The matter is worthy of investigation, as there is no deception in the case (1852, p. 298).

The editors of Scientific American followed up by stating: “The above is from the Boston Transcript and the wonder is to us, how the Transcript can suppose Prof. Agassiz qualified to tell how it got there any more than John Doyle, the blacksmith. This is not a question of zoology, botany, or geology, but one relating to an antique metal vessel perhaps made by Tubal Cain, the first inhabitant of Dorchester”

While these geologic “anomalies” do not substantiate the evolutionary timeline, they do fit neatly with the Creation account. The physical evidence indicates man has been here “from the beginning of Creation” (Mark 10:6)—just as Christ himself indicated.

Posted in Brad Harrub | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Fossils, Man, Dinosaurs

Do You Love God?

Do You Love God?

Is your definition of Love the same as God's?

Is your definition of Love the same as God’s?

Let’s say that a survey taker decided to make it his goal to stand outside of every church building  in America each Sunday and ask every person who left the building if they loved God.  How many do you think would answer in the negative?  My guess would be that the overwhelming majority of churchgoers would gladly and sincerely profess their love for God, and I am thankful for that.  It is due to their love of God that they are attending church in the first place.  It’s because of their love of God that they own a Bible and peruse through it from time to time.  Their love of God is a major reason why they love others and help others in their time of need.  Professing a love of God is an important first step.

“’First step’?” you might ask.  “What do you mean, ‘first step’?  I thought loving God is the ultimate, the pinnacle, the highest we can achieve!”  That is true, but consider this.  We say that we love God…but does God agree?  Does God think we love him?  Does God define us loving him the same way that we define loving him?  We might be tempted to assume that he does, but God’s Word suggests otherwise (Is. 55:8-9).  In fact, Jesus said that there would be religious people who call him “Lord” and are involved in many good works who would still be condemned at judgment (Matt. 7:21-23).  Obviously, those who call Jesus “Lord” and do many good things in his name would also gladly say that they love him…so why are they being condemned?

The answer lies in finding out how God defines our love for him, and the way to do that is to go to his Word.  This makes sense when you think about it.  Consider your spouse and your closest friends and the love you have for them.  When you think about it, the love you have for them and they have for you is based upon your mutual knowledge of each other.  You know each other well, you understand each other, and that’s what causes your love for each other to grow more and more.  It’s the same with our relationship with God.  The more we come to know God, the more we will love him…especially when we grow in our understanding of just how much he loves us!  (John 3:16; 1 John 3:16).

But how do we come to know God?  The only way that will happen is by going to his Holy Spirit-inspired Word (2 Pet. 1:19-21; 2 Tim. 3:16-17).  After all, no one knows the mind of God except the Spirit (2 Cor. 2:9-11), and the Spirit revealed the mind of God to the writers of Scripture (John 16:12-15; 1 Cor. 2:9-13; Eph. 3:3-5; 2 Pet. 2:19-21).  When we study and meditate upon God’s Word day and night (Ps. 1:1-3), we grow in our knowledge of God and how he looks at things.  We also grow in our knowledge and understanding of how God defines our love for him.

So just how does God define loving him?  Over and over again, the Scriptures correlate love of God with obeying God (John 14:15, 21, 23-24; 1 John 5:3).  In fact, obeying God is how we come to know him as well as to love him (1 John 2:3-5).  Even in the Old Testament, God always defined the concepts of loving him and obeying him interchangeably (Deut. 6:4-5; 7:9; 10:12-13; 11:1).  So if you obey God, you love him.  If you choose to unrepentantly disobey God, you don’t love him.  If you love him, you obey him.  If you don’t love him, you will not obey him.  It’s that simple.

With this in mind, go back to Matthew 7:21-23.  Why did Jesus condemn some even though they called him “Lord” and did many good things in his name?  He tells us why.  “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”  They weren’t doing the Father’s will.  Perhaps they were doing some of it, but they weren’t obeying him in all areas of their lives.  That’s why he called them “workers of lawlessness.”

Do we love God?  Sure, we might say we do.  We might sincerely think that we do, and perhaps in some areas of our lives we do.  All of that is good and shouldn’t be ignored.  Like I said earlier, it’s an important first step.  However, ask yourselves this.  How well do you know God?  How well do you know the Bible?  How often do you go out of your way to study his Word in depth?  Furthermore, are you obeying his Word?  Are you doing so as best you can in all areas of your life?  Are you willing to obey God even if his revealed will in the Scriptures goes against your most cherished belief?  Are you willing to put God above even family, even above self?  When you disobey him, are you willing to repent?  Are you willing to obey him no matter what?

That, and that alone, shows how much we truly love God.

Posted in Jon Mitchell | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Do You Love God?