Snakes had Limbs?

Snakes had Limbs?

I read a headline today that said, “Prehistoric Snakes Had Limbs.” Evidently, some archaeologist dug up a fossilized body of a snake that had arms and legs. Those who know the Bible will not be shocked to discover this because part of God’s curse on the serpent in Genesis 3:14 was, “On your belly you shall go.” The implication of that seems to be that before this, serpents had some kind of arms and legs and did not crawl on their bellies. Of course, those who found the fossilized remains are claiming that they are “millions” of years old. It seems odd that scientists would find a fossil that verifies the Bible’s truthfulness about serpent biology, but then deny what the Bible says about geology. Why can’t they let the verification of God’s word extend to its claim about the age of the earth as well? Of course, if they did that, then they would have to rewrite decades of textbooks that proclaim evolutionary biology!snakes arms

Here’s the “secret” that evolutionists don’t want anyone to know. Even with all the billions of years that they claim happened in which evolution took place, they still don’t have enough time! This is why they have come up with theories such as punctuated equilibrium which says that at certain times in history evolution took great leaps forward where all of the laws of biology were ignored, and trillions of random beneficial mutations occurred. There is no evidence for that, but that is what must happen for their theory to be true. (It also makes great science fiction and comic books!) The biggest hurdle they face, however, is how life originated to begin with. Life just does not come from non-life, and something doesn’t come from nothing.

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Plans for Tomorrow?

Plans for Tomorrow

It is not wrong to make plans for tomorrow or even for months ahead. Paul’s letter to Rome shows just how far ahead he had planned his life. As he was collecting the funds from the Gentile churches, he reveals his plan. It involved: (1) finishing gathering the funds; (2) making sure they were safely delivered to the church in Jerusalem; (3) delivering the gifts in such a way they would be accepted; (4) arriving in Rome for a visit with that church; (5) and, having been encouraged by the Romans and receiving help from them, to take the gospel to Spain where the church did not exist (Rom. 15:22; 1:12).

So how did all this turn out? The funds were gathered and delivered to the saints, but the rest of this plan simply did not happen. Notice his words in verse 31, “…that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe.” As he continued his journey, God used prophets in every city as he visited them to continually reveal what lay ahead. “And see, now, I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the thing that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me” (Acts 20:22-23). Yet, he still made plans to visit both Rome and Spain. It is not wrong to make plans for our lives, but there is one matter to be remembered.

Paul even mentions this one thing in his letter. He said, “That I may come to you with joy by the will of God.” He said, “by the will of God.” Think of Jesus in Gethsemane. He prayed about the future, knowing that there was no way to escape the cross. In every prayer there He said, “Not as I will, but as You will” (Matt. 26:39).

See that important exception in James chapter four. He does not say we should never say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit.” This planning ahead was not wrong. What should we say? “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this…” (Jas. 4:13, 15).

There is no master plan, which we sometimes think when we say, “if the Lord wills.” His master plan for Jesus was fixed, but such a plan does not exist for us. His master plan is to use you in such a way to help you grow in Christ and arrive in heaven. We have the freedom to make choices as to where and how He uses us. However, as we make plans of any kind, our hearts need to remember to make those plans realizing that we really do not know what awaits on the morrow.

Making plans is not wrong. The Bible is filled with examples of those who did this. Making plans and leaving God out is wrong.

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Answer not a Fool According to his folly

Answer not a Fool According to his Folly

“Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.” (Proverbs 26:4-5 KJV)

“Aha!” exclaimed the atheist, “See here is a contradiction!” Not so fast my friend! There are a number of ways to reconcile this apparent contradiction. First, we need to acknowledge that this could only be a contradiction if the writer is using the same words in the same sense. Words often have more than one meaning, e.g.,  cool, literally, love. Is the writer using the phrase, “according to his folly” in the same sense in each verse? “According to” in verse four could mean answering him by descending to his level of irrationality and in verse five it could mean addressing the foolishness itself while remaining rational. Second, we need to understand the nature of a proverb. They are each inspired of God, yet they are not meant to apply in every circumstance. They are only true when and where they apply.answer not

Is the writer acknowledging that there are more than one kind of circumstance in which one may encounter a fool and his folly? Is he saying there are more than one way of dealing with them? I believe so in both cases. Under the right circumstances,  answering a fool “according to his folly” can make the fool see the irrationality of his actions or words. Under the wrong circumstances, answering a fool “according to his folly” may make both of you look silly. There is a time and place to properly rebuke a fool but there may also be a foolish time to do so. Wisdom will allow you to know the difference between the two.

Read Matthew 21:23-27; 22:15-22

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Pentecost

Pentecost

Of the Jewish feasts, there are three that were considered especially important to the Jews,the Three Pilgrimage Festivals,which requiredall male Jews to travel to the Temple in Jerusalem: Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot (https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/shavu-ot). Shavuot is the Hebrew name, called Pentecost in the Greek language, meaning “50,”referencing the fact it took place seven weeks and one day, or 50 days, after Passover. The full name is “Hag Shavuot”, and it means “Festival of the Weeks,”though it is also sometimes called the Feast of Harves tor the Feast of Firstfruits (Num. 28:26), due to its occurrence being at the grain harvest. Its first mention is in Exo. 23:16: “And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field”(KJV).

The purpose of Pentecost was to commemorate the giving of the Law of Moses, and to celebrate the wheat harvest(Exo. 34:22).This holiday began somewhere around 1440 B.C., after the Exodus from Egypt (Horner). Some have stated that Passover freed the Jews from their physical bondage (from Egypt) while Pentecost freed them from spiritual bondage to idolatry and immorality (https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/shavu-ot). Pentecost did not occur on a particular date or day of the week, it was simply 50 days after Passover. However, it was a holiday in which work was not permitted (Ibid.).

The observance of Pentecost was the first day on which the Israelites could bring their firstfruits, called the“Bikkurim,”of which were seven things the land of Israel was praised for in Deu. 8:8: “A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey;”(KJV)(https://ohr.edu/7864).The firstfruits were identified by the farmers tying a reed around the first ripening fruits from each of the species of plant in their fields (https://templeinstitute.org/shavuot). These fruits would be cut and put in baskets of gold and silver, loaded onto carts driven by oxen whose horns were gilded and laced with garlands of flowers, led in a grand procession to Jerusalem, while being accompanied by music and parades (Ibid.).

Upon reaching the Temple at Jerusalem, each farmer presented his firstfruits to a priest, in such a way that followed the instruction in Deu. 26:1-11, which is a retelling of the history of the Jewish people as they were in Egypt, but then redeemed by God: “1And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein;2 That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name there.3 And thou shalt go unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the LORD thy God, that I am come unto the country which the LORD sware unto our fathers for to give us.4 And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the altar of the LORD thy God.5 And thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous:6 And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage:7 And when we cried unto the LORD God of our fathers, the LORD heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression:8 And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders:9 And he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey.10 And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which thou, O LORD, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before the LORD thy God, and worship before the LORD thy God:11 And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you”(KJV).

Citations:Holy Bible: King James Version. Thunder Bay Press, 2000. Horner, Chuck M. “WVBS COURSE NOTES: Exodus.” World Video Bible School. “Jewish Holidays.” Shavuot, https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/shavu-ot.

Klein, Reuven Chaim. “Stop! It’s Shavuot! by Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein.” Ohr Somayach, 19 May 2018, https://ohr.edu/7864. “Shavuot.” Temple Institute, 3 May 2020, https://templeinstitute.org/shavuot.

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Acts 2 You’ve Got the Holy Spirit?

Acts 2 You’ve Got the Holy Spirit?

Acts 2 is an amazing account of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  It starts with the sound of a great rushing wind and visible tongues of fire above the heads of the apostles.  This was the day of Pentecost.  Pentecost (fiftieth day), comes 50 days after the end of the passover.  It originally marked a celebration of harvest for the Israelites.  But this first Pentecost following the death of Jesus and it would forever change the memory of Pentecost.

As Acts 2 plays out, the apostles begin speaking in tongues (different languages understood by others).  The outpouring of the Spirit accompanied by the sounds of the rushing wind and the apostles speaking inspired languages drew many to their location to see what was happening.  The people were amazed, because what they were seeing did not match the uneducated men making proclamation before them.

Peter’s words are recorded by Acts 2 as he describes the significance of what the people were seeing and hearing.  Significantly, he declares this was prophecy from the prophet Joel.  Joel explains that this pouring out of the Holy Spirit would be characterized by prophecy, visions, dreams, wonders, and signs.  Peter in sharing the words of Joel utters the fact that this promise would be available to all levels of human creation – male, female, or servant.

As Peter shares the connection of these things to the life of Jesus, those present, being devout Jews, realized their part in the death of Jesus.  Their hearts are condemned over their sin.  In earnestness they ask the apostles, “What shall we do?”.  Of course, Peter tells those present what is needed for their salvation.  They have heard the message.  They believe and understand Jesus is their Lord.  Peter calls for their action and upon obedience they are added to the Church by God.

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