Daily Observations

Job–Faith & Suffering

2011-11-13T13:30:00.000+09:00

Last week, Robert started a short series of sermons on Job. He began by looking at Faith in Difficulty and then will continue this week with Faith & Suffering.

Job is such an interesting character and one that is synonymous with patience, perseverance, triumph and is an answer to those who believe that for a follower of the Lord, life will be a bed of roses.

One of the interesting characters in this book is that of Satan. He comes at the beginning of the book and accuses Job. People might be tempted to think that the main subject of chapter 1 is ‘why does evil happen to good people?’, however, a more fitting summary might be, ‘Does Job fear God for nothing?’. In other words, take all that Job has from him and will he still serve the Lord?

Could Satan say the same about us? What if God were to allow all that we had to be taken away, would we still serve Him as faithfully?

Job’s response to all that happens to him in chapter 1 is incredible. He says, ‘naked I came from my mother’s womb, blessed be the name of the Lord’.

One thing that we may wonder is ‘why was Satan allowed to appear before God?’ However, perhaps it isn’t that Satan just arbitarily turns up before the Lord when the other angels are there, but that he is required to be there, he is summoned before the Lord. After all, the Lord is sovereign, and the devil doesn’t have free reign in our world to do as he pleases (this is evident by what enfolds in Job’s life), the devil has to ask God or gain God’s permission before he can afflict Job. This is made clearer when God asks the devil, ‘where have you been?’ This is not a question of God not knowing of course, but of the devil having to give an account of himself. The devil had no choice but to answer God, in the same way that he had no choice but to appear before him.

So, when we understand that the devil must give an account to God and that he cannot simply afflict us at will, it gives us great hope.

Chapter 2

Thirsting for God Conference

2011-08-24T05:09:00.000+09:00

I created this poster for a Faith Mission Canada conference. I used a waterfall graphic for the background to convey the idea of water/thirst and then overlaid it with the poster text. The original was created using Serif DrawPlus 4. The waterfall comes from the following web-site: http://www.forestwander.com/waterfalls/

Graphics for Church

2011-05-14T03:11:00.000+09:00

Part of my job at Emmanuel Baptist is to produce graphics for the various events and ministries associated with the church.

I really enjoy this, as it gives me the opportunity to be a bit more creative.

I've found a few programs on-line for free which really enhances my ability to produce sharp, eye-catching graphics which we can now print with our new Konica-Minolta (Oce branded) colour copier/scanner/printer.

I'm mostly using a program by Serif called DrawPlus and though the free version has limited features, I can draw graphics which are easily scalable in next to no time.

Here are a few of the things I've been doing recently.

Women's Spr-ummer Salad Night

Love One Another - Sermon Graphic

Overflowing Fullness Sermon Graphic

The Gift of Marriage Sermon Graphic

Garage Sale Graphic

Reconciliation Part 2 - Col. 1:21-23

2010-11-30T14:32:00.000+09:00

Here's the latest sermon by our pastor, Robert Murdock, in the current series on Colossians.

2010-09-01T01:11:00.000+09:00

A New Graphic designed using Picasa 3.8 and picnik. Fall Kick-off & Ministry Fair, 2010.

Colossians: Complete Graphic

2010-09-01T01:05:00.000+09:00

A New Sermon Series at Emmanuel Fellowship Baptist Church from Autumn 2010. www.emmanuelvernon.ca I used the new picnic feature in Picasa to put this together.

God will Provide

2010-08-09T12:46:00.002+09:00

In his book called Elijah, A Man of Like Nature, Theodore Epp says the following regarding God's provision for His people, "The promise of Philippians 4:19 is that 'God will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus'. There is no point in us trying to find out how God will do this. Our responsibility is to believe that He will."

The Purpose of Trials & Temptations

2010-04-17T10:52:00.001+09:00

I had a thought too, from Judges chapter 3 this morning.

¹ Now these are the nations which the LORD left, that He might test Israel by them, ³namely, five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who dwelt in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to the entrance of Hamath. ⁴ And they were left, that He might test Israel by them, to know whether they would obey the commandments of the LORD, which He had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.
⁵ Thus the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. ⁶ And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons; and they served their gods.

There are those who think that God does not test His people or perhaps that He should not test them, that He should make their lives comfortable and easy, with no problems, sickness, stress, or temptation. However, untested faith is unproven faith. Just as gold can only be refined of it's impurities through the heat of the fire, so our faith, can only be strengthened if we go through trials and temptations.

1 Cor. 10:13 reminds us that 'No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.'

Scripture does not say that we will not be tempted, but rather that we will not be tempted beyond what (we) are able ... There are some who fold at the first sign of a struggle and give in to the enemy. They figure that because sin seems so strong, that rather than ask the Lord for help to resist the devil that he may flee (James 4:7), they think that they have no choice but to surrender. To put up a fight, they reason in their minds, is only asking for trouble.

Life is full of tests and trials at every stage, even for those who are not Christians. From the time we start school, to the time we start work, we are put through tests. We are tested on our knowledge of certain subjects so that we may prove what we know or the skill we possess. If we do not pass these tests, we will not receive the relevant prize or certificate. How would you like it if everyone who asked for a driving licence was given one, with no regard to whether that person could drive or not?

So, in the Christian life, the next time you face temptation or a test, remember, God does not let you go through it to make you fall, but rather to see what is in your heart, to see how much you love Him and to see whether He can trust you with more responsibility than you currently have. Actually, more often than not, God wants us to see what is in our hearts, to help us realize how much we need His strength every day of our lives.

Let's be determined to glorify Him today and every day, no matter what comes our way today, remembering that God is with us and will strengthen us if we depend on Him.

'Ask the Saviour to help you, comfort, strengthen and keep you, He is able to save you, He will carry you through'.

Out and About

2010-04-10T19:54:00.001+09:00

We went out today in the nice Spring weather and saw some cherry blossoms, probably our last cherry blossoms in Japan.

View Full Album

Where is God When I'm in Trouble?

2010-01-19T09:57:00.001+09:00

Gen 39: 20 Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison. 21 But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

We often assume (wrongly I think) that if the Lord is with us (or a fellow Christian) that we will be protected from harm or danger. However, as is the case in Joseph’s life, he was not kept from trouble but he was kept in it. Though surely God could have prevented the bad things that happened to him from occurring, yet God’s purpose in Joseph’s life would be fulfilled through suffering! If only we could learn this simple lesson, perhaps we would be spared much of the heartache and pain that accompanies our times of trial and grief. Naturally, when we suffer, there is pain which accompanies that experience, but, we need not add to this pain unnecessarily by thinking that God has forsaken us. On the contrary, Joseph could later testify that through all of his trials, God was with him in them.

psalm 119:109

2009-11-29T22:46:00.001+09:00

My life is continually in my hand, Yet I do not forget Your law.

As i thought about this verse today, i thought about the psalmist’s commitment to the Lord no matter what the cost. Despite the many dangers he faced, He was determined to follow the Lord. I wonder could the same be said of you or I.

For many, when times are hard and trials come, they turn back to their old way of life. ‘If God really loved me, these bad things wouldn’t happen’. And yet, if we look throughout God’s Word and read about the lives and experiences of God’s children, we would quickly realize that God often allows trials and difficulties, not because He does not care about us, but because He wants us to be more like Himself and less attached to the world.

Putting the Gospel 'in the way' of sinners

2009-09-20T09:44:00.003+09:00

As I read Spurgeon's Morning & Evening devotional this morning I was struck by what he said about putting the Gospel 'in the way' of sinners!

In today's evangelical world, we are told to make the Gospel 'attractive' or 'interesting' to people, and the thought that we might be guilty of 'pushing' the Gospel onto people or cajoling them against their will to consider the claims of the Gospel, namely that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, is not politically correct.

I might be wrong, but if my memory serves me correctly, I think the only people I have heard using terms such as 'shoving the Gospel down a person's throat' and phrases to that effect, have been other Christians.

Perhaps we like to tell ourselves that the average unsaved person feels this way when presented with the Gospel, and it gives us somewhat of an 'out' for not telling them. After all, we wouldn't want to 'put them off' now would we?

To get back to the devotional thought, he quoted judges 7:20, The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon and proceeded to tell us how important it is to firstly 'let our light shine' and secondly to 'blow the trumpet' of the Gospel. 'Take the gospel to them; carry it to their door; put it in their way; do not suffer them to escape; blow the trumpet right against their ears'.

Now of course, I'm not saying we should be obnoxious in our presentation of the Gospel, but I believe that what Spurgeon is getting at here is closer to what we should be doing. After we have laid a good foundation before sinners with a good testimony, then we need to sound the Gospel clearly and make sure they hear it.

Of course, many may be afraid to tell sinners the Gospel if their own testimony is not as bright as it should be.

Perhaps if we made sure that our walk was right, then people would be more careful to take heed to our talk also.

Let this be a challenge to me and to us all today, for there will come a day, when we will no longer have an opportunity to share this precious Gospel with the lost, for whom Christ died.

Who is Jesus?

2009-08-26T01:49:00.002+09:00

A woman met Jesus in a place called Samaria as He was journeying towards Jerusalem.

In John chapter 4, we read this woman's opinion of who Jesus was:

In v.9 she acknowledges that He is a Jew;
In v.11 she recognizes that He should be respected and calls Him 'sir';
In v.19 she even goes as far as saying that she believes He is a 'prophet'.

However, she did not recognize that He was the Christ (Messiah) until He revealed that to her in v.26.

Many, likewise, today, by means of their own intellect and human understanding, will be quick to give respect to the person of the Lord Jesus, but ONLY revelation from God the Holy Spirit will enable them to see that He is the Messiah!

What about you, who do you say that He (Jesus) is?

True Repentance – Gen. 44 – January 22, 2009

2009-01-22T08:06:00.001+09:00

Gen. 44v31 … it will happen, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die. So your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave.

As Judah relays the story to Joseph about how they came to be back in Egypt, there is no sense in which he tries to excuse himself or his brothers, even though, in actuality, they were innocent this time. They admitted the sin that had been hanging over their heads for so long, kidnapping their brother and selling him into slavery, lying to their father about what happened to him etc.

When our sin is discovered, how do we react? Do we try to put the blame somewhere else, or do we admit that we are guilty and seek forgiveness from God?

Let’s remember that God, who sees everything, right down to the thoughts of our hearts, cannot be fooled. Why not confess your sin to Him today, and know the joy of pardon and forgiveness that comes through Christ’s blood, shed on the cross for this very purpose.

January 16, 2009 - Faith & Unbelief

2009-01-16T07:54:00.001+09:00

Matt. 13:58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. (NKJV)

A terrible indictment on the people of Nazareth, where the Lord Jesus grew up. The saying, ‘familiarity breeds contempt’ would be apt to describe the attitude of those in this passage.

What about you and I. Could the Lord say this of us, ‘I could do no mighty work in his or her life because of their unbelief’?

Let’s be determined today not to be set aside from service or usefulness to our Master because of our unbelief.

January 11, 2009 – The Importance of Faith

2009-01-11T09:15:00.001+09:00

Matt. 9

The Importance of Faith

v. 2 When Jesus saw their faith ...
v.18 While He spoke these things, to them, behold, a ruler came and worshipped Him, saying, 'My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.'
Perhaps this man didn't have faith to the same extent as the Centurion in Matt. 8, but nonetheless his faith was placed in the right Person, the Lord Jesus. The Centurion said, '... but only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.' The father here said 'come and lay Your hand on her and she will live'. The key is not the amount of faith, but rather the Object of it.
v. 22 ... and when (Jesus) saw her, He said, 'Be of good cheer, daughter, your faith has made you well.'
v.24 Conversely, the people here did not have faith in the Lord Jesus. When Jesus said that the girl was 'not dead, but sleeping.' ... they ridiculed Him. The only thing Jesus could do was to put them outside! This is what happens to unbelief ... it is put outside! And one day, when we meet Jesus in judgment, those who have not believed on Him will be put outside forever! Don't be like the foolish people in v.24, but rather like all the others who put their faith in Jesus.
v.29 'According to your faith let it be to you.'

Psalm 11:3

If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? (NKJV)

Do you ever wonder why there seems to be such a relentless attack on the Word of God and it's teachings? Ever ask yourself the question, 'why are evolutionists not content to simply believe what they believe and leave the Bible alone?' They always insist that 'science' (so called) and the Bible are mutually exclusive and yet they are always quick to dismiss it when the opportunity arises and to deride those who believe in its' authenticity and infalibility.

Do you wonder why the homosexual 'school bully' agenda is not content to have their distorted and twisted view of life, and leave the Bible alone. But, oh no, they have to make sure that everyone agrees with their point-of-view, and woe betide anyone who disagrees with them or gets in their way. If you don't agree with them, they will simply 'beat you up' with words and accusations and smears until you do!

When will we wake up to the fact of these things and speak the truth? We don't have to resort to the same tactics, but simply stand on the Word of God and the Lord will honour us for it. Let's be determined not to compromise the truth of God's Word just because it may be politically expedient to do so.

Let's remember that if the foundations be destroyed, we do not have a leg to stand on. The truth of the Word of God is our only sure foundation and the devil knows it!

January 9, 2009 – True Faith

2009-01-09T08:27:00.001+09:00

Gen. 22 1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”And he said, “Here I am.” 2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. (NKJV)

We see evidence here of Abraham's faith and his complete trust in the Lord. Despite Abraham's failures, God still used him. Abraham proved that his desire was to serve the Lord and to put Him first. God knows that we too are human, and prone to sin and failure. Yet, in a similar way, God will use us too, if we are available. Am I available for God to use today?

Matthew 8

5 Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, 6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.” 7 And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! 11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.

This is an amazing account of a man with great faith or rather man with faith in a great Saviour! In fact, the testimony of the Lord Jesus was that He had 'not found such great faith, not even in Israel'! How is your faith today? For what will you trust God in your life today? What answers to prayer will you believe Him for? Remember it's not what you or I say that counts, but what we believe and our actions as a result of that faith and trust in Almighty God. Jesus said to the centurion, 'Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you'. You see, the centurion could have been trying to impress Jesus and saying things he thought the Lord wanted to hear, but ultimately, his servant was healed not because of his words only, but because those words were based on a strong conviction that the Lord Jesus alone could heal his servant! In Matt. 7 we read of the Pharisees who had little or no 'authority' to do the things Jesus did. Why was that? Because they didn't truly believe. Jesus authority came not only from the fact of who He was, but also from the fact that He Himself believed what He was teaching, and He acted upon it. The Pharisees however, were merely repeating things that they knew in their head, but the truth of which had never reached their heart. What about you and I today? Is our faith only in our heads, or has it permeated every part of our being so that people look at us and notice that we too speak with 'authority' and not just words. That is the challenge, will you take it? Who knows what God will do in you and through you as a result.

January 8, 2009

2009-01-08T08:14:00.001+09:00

Gen 18

11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. (NKJV)

God had promised Abraham that He would give him a son and through that son all the nations on earth would be blessed (Gen. 12:3).

Why did God wait until Abraham was 99 and Sarah was 90? (Gen. 17:17) Could He not have made this same promise when Abraham was younger, after all, in every way it would have made more sense? No, and a thousand times no! There may have been a multitude of reasons why God did not make the promise to Abraham earlier in his life. It is likely that he wasn't ready, that he needed to learn to trust God more. Whatever the reason, we can be sure that timing is everything in God's book. He wanted Abraham and Sarah to realize that, in the natural order of things, this promise could never be fulfilled. The only way that Abraham and Sarah could physically have this son of promise, was by a miracle - no other explanation would suffice.

And so it is with us too, we wonder why God tarries and seems not to hear or answer a certain prayer, something close to our hearts. Like Abraham, we need to reach the point where we acknowledge His sovereignty in our lives and recognize that unless He answers our prayers, our cause is hopeless.

v.14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? The answer is a resounding, NO! Have I reached the point where I recognized that not just some things, or most things, but NO THING is too hard for Him?

Sodom and Gomorrah

20 And the LORD said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, 21 I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”

There are those who believe that God is austere and that because He must judge sin, that He is not compassionate. God could easily have seen from heaven and judged these wicked cities, and yet, He takes time to 'go down ... and see'.

We too, would be judged immediately and swiftly for our sin if it were not for God's grace.

Let us remember that God would rather pardon sin than punish it. He waits, long-suffering, that prodigal children everywhere would return to Him.

The very existence of our planet, despite the sin and corruption everywhere, is testimony to the fact that God is NOT willing that ANY should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance. (2 Pet. 3:8)

Gen. 19

1 Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground.

Here we find Lot, Abraham's nephew, trying to live somewhere in the middle between heaven and hell, light and darkness.

We can learn much from Lot, about the consequences of bad decisions and the folly of trying to love the Lord and love the world at the same time.

Lot knew of the true and living God, and yet He was living in Sodom. Not only was he living there, but he had prominence there.

His position was precarious.

Living in Sodom had taken it's toll on Lot. Even though he likely tried to be a good example to his family, his decision to move there all those years earlier, had consequences.

When he tried to warn his family members, they were unconvinced (v.14) when he spoke to them about judgment.

We need to realize that people are watching us all the time. If we live by double-standards, they will quickly see through us. The lesson is, we can only have one master, so let's live for the Lord while we still have time.

An elder in a church I used to attend remarked that he saw a trend among professing Christians as follows: If one can imagine a line drawn between worldliness and godliness. It seems as though Christians, rather than looking at that line and seeing how far away from it they could go, would instead, see how close they could go. To see how close they could be to the world, but at the same time, seeking not to stray over the line.

How foolish to imagine that we could do such a thing. Is this my attitude to living everyday? Do I seek to walk closely to the world, but at the same time deceiving myself into thinking that I'm following the Lord?

Let's determine, by His grace, to keep as far away from the world's standards, ideals and philosophies as possible, so that we may actually be of some use to our Master who sees us and cannot be fooled by our hypocrisy.

January 5, 2009

2009-01-05T09:16:00.001+09:00

Gen 11:4 Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth."

We know that we are heading in the wrong direction spiritually when our primary desire is 'ourselves'.

Beware of any plan or desire that begins with 'me'.

Gen 12:1 The Lord had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.

Wherever Abram went, he built an altar. Worship was the primary focus of his life. Whatever else he would be known for, he wanted worship to be the foremost.

Gen 12:10-13 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "I know what a beautiful woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will let you live. Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you."

Perhaps Abram only intended to be in Egypt a short time, just until the famine was over - we don't read of him building an altar there. However, it seemed that as soon as he took his eyes off the Lord, temptation came. He was tempted not to trust God, but to put his trust in his own reason. He began to make plans based on his own wisdom and told his wife to lie if she was asked who she was!

Sure enough, it's as if Abram knew exactly what would happen. The Egyptians did indeed see Sarai's beauty (v.14) and treated Abram well for her sake (v.16).

Wasn't it a good thing that Abram foresaw this and acted to prevent harm coming to himself? After all, wasn't he going to be blessed by God? Didn't God have plans for Abram's future? Surely Abram couldn't let anything bad happen that might prevent God's plans from being fulfilled.

However, it soon became apparent to the Egyptians that all was not as it seemed and though Abram remained silent, God's judgment began to come upon the Egyptians because of his wife.

Not only this, but because of his actions, his testimony was damaged and the Lord's name was not glorified.

Who was to say that if Abram had just left things be, that things may not have worked out just as favourably and he could have departed from Egypt and left a very different impression on the Egyptians.

The lessons here are clear. No matter what the future may hold for us, God is well able to orchestrate events in order to protect his children. The ends never justify the means.

Don't Worry about Tomorrow

2008-10-13T10:12:00.001+09:00

With all of the recent financial crises to hit the world's major economies, it was refreshing to be reminded of God's promise to His children from Philippians 4:19, which says, 'But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.'

Are you putting your trust in this world's banking system to give you peace and security? Then you DO have something to worry about!

Are you putting your trust in the God of Heaven, Whose resources we can never exhaust and Whose ability to help those who trust Him will never fail? Then you have no reason to worry at all - He will take care of you! Amen.

The Future ...

2008-09-26T11:25:00.002+09:00

James 4:13-14 says ...

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will[d] go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

In a recent BBC World News interview with an MP from Sierra Leone, Bernadette La'Hai, discussing the potential of solar electricity generation from African deserts the reporter asked her about the possibility of seeing such progress. (New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.)

BBC Reporter: Do you think we will see it in our life time?

Bernadette: Well, I don't know how long God has ordained that you are going to live ...

She hits the nail on the head and reminds the reporter that one can speculate about the future, but ultimately, you must not forget to include God in your plans!

Speed up your old desktop/laptop!

2008-06-07T20:30:00.002+09:00

If you're like me, you've been putting off buying that new computer for a while now, in the hope that just around the corner, there's a bargain that will last as long as you've had your current one, right?

One of the cheapest ways of giving your aging computer a speed boost has been to add a bit more RAM.

However, if you have an older computer, the RAM can be hard to come by.

Well, I was surfing the Net today and stumbled across an article entitled, 'Get Vista's Best Features in XP', so I checked it out and they mentioned a program called 'eBoostr'.

A technology in Windows Vista called 'ReadyBoost' enables you to boost your computer's performance by using a flash drive to add 'cache' enabling commonly used programs to open more quickly.

I have a fairly old P4 desktop running WinXP and so I quickly downloaded the program and checked it out. The really nice thing about it is that it gives you full functionality for 4 hours so you can check it out on your own system to see if it improves the performance significantly or not.

I'd recommend you check it out, especially if your computer is 3+ years old. Not only will eBoostr allow you to add cache from a flash drive, but it will enable you to use part of your hard drive or a connected USB drive to speed up performance also! The 'pro' version (which only costs $39 - less than 1gb of RAM) will let you add up to 4 devices.

The Bible vs Hugh Ross

2008-04-21T14:30:00.001+09:00

In Answer to some of Hugh Ross’s (Phd) allegations that the Bible supports his claims to an old universe.

Introduction:

In his summary, Dr. Ross states that ‘Many scientists and others have regarded Christianity as an absurd belief … because the hook on which Christianity is based, the Bible, has been said to date the origin of the universe at 4004 B.C. or some such recent date …’

Is this in fact true. Of course, he doesn’t substantiate such a claim, but does he honestly think that even if this were the ‘stated’ reason or claim by ‘many scientists and others’ as to their rejection of the Bible, that his argument in favour of an old universe would see droves of skeptics and evolutionists recant because ‘well the Bible is really credible after all’.

Does he have examples of those who were out and out evolutionists and skeptics before, who, upon hearing his case for an old universe based on his suppositions, have placed their faith in Christ and come to a place of belief in a Creator God?

On the other hand, the Creation Research Institute (CRI) who defend a literal 6 (24hr) day creation account as recorded in Genesis and a young earth, can give evidence of many Christians who have been helped tremendously to trust implicitly the written Word of God because of their stand. Furthermore, they receive letters and testimonies from many who were formerly atheists and agnostics, who have been brought to a position of trust in the absolute credibility of God’s Word, the Bible, and as a result their lives have been transformed by the power of the God of creation.

Early Biblical Scholarship

Dr. Ross goes on to say that, ‘many of the early church fathers and other Biblical scholars interpreted the creation days of Genesis 1 as long periods of time …’

Interestingly, first on his list of ‘Biblical scholars’ is Josephus (a well known Jewish historian with no particular sympathy to the Christian cause). Last on his list Thomas Aquinas, a Roman Catholic ‘scholar’ who as well as supposedly believing the Bible, also held on to his belief that justification was not a once for all act on God’s behalf, but was something to be worked at. (Thoughts on the Conflict over Justification by Carl F.H. Henry, Christian Research Inst., 1999).

It is unfortunate that of the 6 scholars he does list, two of them could hardly be listed as ardent ‘defenders’ of the faith of the apostle Paul, who claimed that ‘salvation is by faith alone’ (Eph. 2:8,9).

Let us remind ourselves that the Roman Catholic system teaches that church tradition (ie. Man-made doctrines, creeds etc.) are to be viewed alongside Scripture with an equal standing. When the pope of Rome speaks ‘ex-cathedra’ his words are to be taken as ‘infallible’!

One might argue that the credibility of the sources quoted by Dr. Ross is of no special significance, but this argument certainly wouldn’t hold true in a court of law where the character of the witnesses is crucial if their evidence is to be accepted.

Dr. Ross continues by stating that, ‘(various) ‘evidences’ for the antiquity of the universe, of the earth, and of life did not come forth until the 19^th C.’. Or what if we put it another way. People believed the Bible was completely reliable and could be trusted until evolutionary ‘scientists’ came along and introduced their version of the story.

If Archbishop Ussher’s margin notes for the KJV of the Bible ‘canonized’ a creation date of 4000BC, for the universe, what has been the effect on many minds today of the brain-washing ‘canonization’ from the men in white coats, whom it appears, are so

infallible, they cannot be questioned. They are like little ‘popes’ speaking ex-cathedra, and don’t dare to suggest that their ‘theories’ might be false or they’ll hit you on the head with Darwin’s Origin of the Species and tell you to come to your senses.

Let me interject briefly by asking a question. Which is more likely to happen (based on evidence thus far). Will a person who is told that the Bible cannot be trusted to say what it says, and needs to be told that the days he or she reads of in Genesis ch. 1 are indeed long ages come to trust the Bible as God’s Word? Or will a person who is told, ‘the Bible means exactly what it says and in the context it is talking about days as we understand them today’ be more likely to trust God’s Word implicitly?

Dr. Ross continues, ‘fundamentalism got its start …’ claiming that the idea of a young earth is a fundamental. Well, actually, on that point I might agree. But the point he is trying to make is that being fundamental here isn't a good thing, especially when claiming the Bible teaches that the universe is young.

Dual Revelation Theology

First of all, Ross, with his political play on words, suggests that those who have a ‘single revelational view’ (his terminology) ie. Who believe in the absolute and final authority of the Word of God, also proclaim that ‘we must grope in the darkness apart from God’s special revelation in Scripture’.

Actually, in one sense he’s right, because without Scripture to point to, there are certain things which we COULD NOT deduce by ourselves (one of them being how we got here in the first place, and the appearance of everything else for that matter). The Bible makes it clear that it is ‘Through faith (that) we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.’ (Heb. 11:3).

Having said that, he does seem to be confused here as to what those who believe in the final authority of Scripture actually do say and believe.

Firstly, no one wants to think that they are ‘groping in the darkness’, and upon reading this cleverly worded ‘indictment’, we who do believe in the final authority of Scripture alone, might be tempted to think, ‘oh, well if that’s the case, maybe I should re-think’.

Should we trust the Bible or Hugh Ross?

However, because we believe in the final authority of Scripture, we are in a better position to speak with authority than even the eminent Dr. Ross, who’s own interpretation of the meaning of the Bible must reflect the current trends in modern ‘science’.

Of course, although he doesn’t say it, we have never claimed that nature doesn’t speak of God at all, quite the contrary in fact. We believe that nature speaks volumes about the God who created it and have absolutely no problem in pointing to creation to refute the arguments of evolutionists who say there is no God.

However, there is a vast difference between viewing creation as something which can speak to men’s hearts about the nature of God, and believing that nature itself can convict a person of their sin (a work which Scripture states very clearly can only be accomplished by the Holy Spirit Himself).

Does Dr. Ross wish to claim that nature (by itself) is capable of doing that which Scripture says is impossible for it to do?

Rom. Ch. 1 simply states that nature leaves people ‘without excuse’ as far as denying the fact of a Creator God. If we have never read the Word of God, it is true, we still have no excuse for disbelieving what nature tells us about its’ Creator.

A great hymn puts it this way, “Great God, with wonder and with praise, on all Thy works I look! But still Thy wisdom, power and grace, shine brightest in Thy book”

Nature is like a big arrow, pointing to God. However, it is a silent arrow without the Word of God.

Obviously he feels quite at liberty to ‘tamper with the literal meaning of the Bible’ which he derides the ‘single revelation’ theologians for not doing.

So, might I ask a question, if we can’t trust (literally) what the Bible teaches about origins, then what can we trust it about? Good moral stories to tell our children!?

Evidently, when Jesus quoted oftentimes from the Old Testament, He did not have a problem in believing in its literal meaning.

I wonder if Dr. Ross doesn’t believe in a literal Adam & Eve (since there was life, death and bloodshed (according to him) before Adam & Eve. However, without a ‘literal’ Adam & Eve, we can (and many have) logically conclude that we don’t need a ‘literal’ Savior (what are we to be saved from since we evolved from monkeys and when we die that’s it?)

How does Dr. Ross reconcile his belief in human life before Adam & Eve with what the Bible says about the Lord Jesus, whom the New Testament claims is ‘the last Adam’? Rom. 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man (ie. A literal Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

I suppose he would say that there were a race of 'hominoids' in existence before Adam, and death and bloodshed were known to them, but unlike Adam, they didn't have spiritual life. However, at best, this is a highly imaginative theory, and totally unbiblical.

He goes on to say that ‘single revelation theology … contradicts the ‘plain meaning of the Bible’.

Once again, while nature is a wonderful testimony to God’s creative power, without the Word of God to shed light on what we see, we would still be ‘in the dark’. We do not reject the testimony of nature, but we would be even more foolish to play down the importance of God’s revealed Word. The Bible declares in Rom. Ch. 10 ‘14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

But I think if I had the choice, I’d rather be in a prison cell with the Word of God at my side, that be free to roam to the ends of the earth with nature as my guide.

You see, it has been well said that ‘creation reveals God’s glory, but does not speak of His grace; it speaks of creation but not salvation’.

God can be trusted!

Dr. Ross steps onto some very slippery ground with his next set of assumptions. But then, he was on shaky foundations to start with when claiming that nature and God’s Word are 50/50 in telling us about God.

His states: “For God to lie would be a violation of His holiness …” With that I cannot disagree, in fact I would go further to say that for God to lie would be a violation of His deity. God cannot lie nor can God sin in any way, for then He would cease to be God.

He then draws an assumption as follows: “… no contradiction between the facts of nature and the facts of the Bible would be possible. Any apparent contradiction must stem from human interpretation”.

We have a saying where I come from to sum up statements like this and it is says, “that would be the pot calling the kettle black”. In other words, on the one hand he accuses those who take the Bible’s literal 6 day account of creation literally of being guilty of misinterpretation, while of course his assumption that the 6 days of creation are long ages is a proven fact (isn’t that so?)!

I mentioned earlier that I doubted whether Dr. Ross believed in a literal Adam and Eve, due to his assumptions of death before Adam. According to his next assumption that apparent contradictions in nature are simply ‘misinterpretations’, although it is obvious from the context that both Adam and Eve were created adults (or is that an assumption on my part?).

He assumes that if something looks old that it must be old. If he had met Adam & Eve in the garden (which of course is a hypothetical scenario) he would have guessed Adam to be an adult (which of course he was), yet maybe only a matter of days old.

He applies the ‘logic’ that God created nature with in-built mechanisms so that we could figure out how old things where, and thus by doing so, this somehow reinforces the belief in a Creator who made everything.

Of course it is man, with his ‘wisdom’ who comes along and sees the various elements within nature, devises (completely without any bias, assumption or possibility of human misinterpretation of course) a framework and series of experiments through which he seeks to ascertain how old everything is.

Then, he comes along and says, ‘well, if God doesn’t make things fit into my tiny framework, it’s not fair, after all, how is someone supposed to work anything out if he/she doesn’t have some sort of starting point?’

Once again he assumes that God’s purpose in creation (at least in part) is so that man can ‘discern the sequence of events’. He implies that for God to create the world in 6-24hr. days would thwart man’s attempts to chronolog what was created when.

Does he honestly think that God, the Almighty Creator of the universe and all that is in it took longer than the time He said He did simply to help us work out what He was doing and when?

Could you imagine at the olympics, after a 100m race, the judges saying, “well that was very good, your time just under an hour” and the athletes complaining because they ran much faster. To which the judge replies, “my clock only works in periods of 1 hour, anything less is just too fast for me to record”!

Ross remarks that if the days were literally 24-hr. days, then ‘even the most sophisticated measuring techniques available would be totally incapable of discerning the sequence of events …’ Isn’t that a shame! Perhaps we will just have to accept that God did as He said He did, when He did it!

While of course we must concur with the reasoning that the context of Genesis ch. 1 must be taken into account absolutely, Dr. Ross does not have the support he would like to think he has from the scientific or Biblical scholarship community as to his ‘interpreting the creation days of Genesis as long periods of time’.

It is strange how he can adamantly claim that the creation days were long periods of time. Day 7 he claims, ‘represents a minimum of several thousand years and a maximum that is open ended (though finite)’ (of course)

Rather than convince anyone of the ‘fact’ that the creation days were long periods of time (which of course he admits he cannot prove, but merely pleads with us on the basis of his pre-defined assumptions and so-called logic), all he succeeds in doing in my estimation is proving that he cannot and will not accept a meaning in Scripture which requires that the days of Genesis 1 & 2 be literal 24-hr. days.

So, in Dr. Ross’s estimation, why can the 6-days of creation NOT be literal 24-hr. days as one WOULD assume from the context (before hearing his case)?

That … I am afraid … is one question for which he doesn’t attempt to provide an answer.

Conscience

2008-04-20T16:34:00.002+09:00

F.B. Meyer says in his commentary on the life of Elijah: "We all have a wonderful faculty of dismissing from us an unwelcome thought; just as men try to hide from themselves the too-evident symptoms of a disease which is sapping the forces of life."

As I read this again, it made me think of how we treat sin and the thought of God's displeasure at our personal sin, and His ultimate destruction of it (and us if we die unrepentant) in hell.

Food for thought ...

Unallocated Hard Drive Error - Solution

2008-04-18T22:04:00.004+09:00

Although I usually write about Bible stuff, I am also a bit of a computer 'geek' though I hate to admit it.

Yesterday my external USB hard drive (Buffalo) failed. Yes, the one that I keep all of my photos, videos, documents etc. etc. on - and no, I didn't have a backup as I had recently re-installed Windows and hadn't gotten around to putting the data on the internal hard drive :(

I'm embarrassed to say that part of my job as an Office Manager is to back up everyone's data over the office network - I do this at least once every two weeks.

So, what were my options?

1. Try to retrieve the data on my hard drive;
2. Re-format the drive and kiss goodbye to my (and my wife's) photos, documents and other stuff;
3. Toss the hard-drive and start over.

Needless to say I didn't like the thought of option 2 or 3, so I began to search frantically for solutions to my dilemma.

Some of the first comments I read on computer help forums weren't very encouraging. They could be summed up by one person's words, 'your drive is toast' :(

Others suggested that my only option might be to send the drive to a professional to have them recover the data - but that would probably be pretty costly - and I didn't like the sound of that either.

As I had recently been dabbling in some Linux (distros) as they are affectionately called in the community, I came across a few articles by people saying that they had used a 'live' CD (the name given for an OS distribution (particularly Linux) which can be run from a CD without the need to install to a hard-drive - useful for checking out Linux before taking the plunge and installing it on your computer hard-drive.

Some of the advice that I read there steered me in the right direction, and several people mentioned that whatever software you use to try and recover your data, you should NEVER install it on the drive that has failed.

My first port of call for software was www.download.com which often has neat bits of software that can get you out of a jam.

Unfortunately, I couldn't see anything that might help, so I turned to my other, increasingly tried and trusted web-site www.sourceforge.net which hosts thousands and thousands of pieces of 'open-source' software (usually means it's 'free' to download and use).

Voila, I found a bit of software at Sourceforge.net which is (as I write) retrieving my photos, documents and mp3 files! It takes the best part of a day to do (my drive is 250gb) but I have it running on a computer in the office, so no worries.

The software is called PhotoRec and the link is: http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Download

Don't be fooled by the name though. Even though it suggests that it only recovers photos, it has successfully recovered jpg, doc., mp3 and video files so far and has a list of about 100 file types that it will try and recover for you.

I've found that some of the .doc files come out scrambled, but I'd say that it has recovered about 80% of these files in perfect condition - although it re-names the files for some reason to some obscure combination of letters and numbers.

I can't thank the people who wrote the software enough for providing a really easy to use (and free) piece of software.

I hope this article will be a help to someone else who has experience the same or similar problem to me.

Jeremiah 9:23-24

2008-03-30T15:24:00.002+09:00

23 Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:

24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.

We live in a day when many people like to boast of their perceived talents or abilities. However, God's Word reminds us that we have absolutely nothing to boast about apart from knowing Him! Food for thought.

Thought for the day

2008-02-17T08:18:00.001+09:00

"By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.'" Leviticus 10:3

Guilt

2007-10-15T11:35:00.001+09:00

Adrian Rogers says: What is guilt - the feeling when you've done wrong - no, that's a guilt feeling! Psychiatry and Psychology is trying to deal with the guilt 'feeling' but only the blood of Christ can deal with guilt itself!

He also says: "It's not the offering that makes the worshipper acceptable, it's the worshipper that makes the offering acceptable!"

Click here, to listen to the full message: How to Change the Superficial into Supernatural http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Love_Worth_Finding/archives.asp?bcd=2007-10-11

Cool Add-on for your browser

2007-10-01T15:46:00.000+09:00

Check out this cool add-on for Mozilla Firefox (Safari if you use a Mac). It lets you view photos from some photo-sharing web-sites as full-screen slideshows with nice visual effects.

http://www.piclens.com/firefox/

Serious Faith Devotional

2007-05-11T07:26:00.000+09:00

SeriousFaith.com Daily Devotional Message by Brent Riggs:

Virginia Tech & Redemption
On the one hand we live in a world that it getting scarier, meaner and deadlier. It is a fearsome time of growing wickedness and extreme intoleration of true Christianity. It's not fun, but it IS a time of great joy and expectation because each day's evil headlines, startling tragic events and growing threats all serve to remind every true Christian of one thing: our Redemption draws nigh! Jesus is coming to get us, and He will end all this wickedness once and for all in the end. Amen and amen, Lord come quickly!

(Read message here: http://www.seriousfaith.com/dvo/devotion.asp?teachingnumber=558)

Forgiveness

2007-04-24T07:36:00.000+09:00

In a court-room, if you admit your guilt before a judge, you get punished.
However, if we admit our guilt before Almighty God now, we receive pardon!

1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (KJV)

Virginia Tech Massacre - Tuesday, 17 April, 2007

2007-04-19T14:14:00.000+09:00

If there is a God, why did He let the massacre at VT happen? This thought might have occurred to you in the wake of Tuesday's horrific events. I remember reading a leaflet one time called, 'Why doesn't God stop the trouble?' In it, the writer asked the question, 'Have you ever thought what would God need to do to stop the trouble?'

If God were to stop all the trouble all over the world right now, then no one would be left standing, including me!

Why? Because the trouble started with the very first people who ever lived. Adam & Eve. Wait! Yes, it's true, the reason that there is so much bloodshed and violence in the world is one word, 'sIn' Why did I put a capital I in the middle of the word sin? Because ALL sin in my life has 'I' right in the middle.

The Bible makes it clear why God doesn't stop the trouble right now - though He will do one day - perhaps sooner than we think.

2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (NKJV)

If YOU had been caught up in the tragic events of Tuesday, and had lost your life, where would you be now?

Despite what many people seem to believe (or want to believe), you don't cease to exist when you die. You have a soul which will live forever, either with God in Heaven or away from Him in Hell.

I urge you, if God is speaking to your heart, turn to Him in faith, ask Him to forgive your sins and He will.

Acts 16:30,31 "And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

God bless you as you consider these very important things.

True Love seen in the book of Ruth

2007-02-17T11:24:00.000+09:00

Ruth 3:1-13

I came across these notes in my Bible of a message I heard by Don Bridge in May 1994. I don't have any more details, so I hope that Mr Bridge won't mind me putting the notes here on my blog. I was blessed as I re-read them, and I hope that you will be too.

Culturally, the book of Ruth is set in a certain period of time - a historical event that actually happened.

Bethlehem is a place that exists, about 6 miles from Jerusalem.

Christianity is a historic faith, based on actual events.

Customs in the Bible are different, e.g. in Matthew 8:21-23 we read of a man who came to Jesus and wanted to 'bury his father' before following Him wasn't saying that his father had actually died, but rather, it was his way of saying that he wanted to live his own life first before following Christ.

Although the culture was different, the application can be made for today's generation in any culture.

1. Naomi's Advice (Ruth 3:3)

She told Ruth to make herself attractive for Boaz. This was a custom (v.7) and there was nothing immoral or suggestive in her advice.

v.9 Ruth asked Boaz for his protection. Why was Boaz so keen to take Ruth? Because his choice was based on real love for her.

In the Word of God, we are commanded to love - it is not something you simply fall into but must be worked at - it must develop.

The concept of love today is generally flawed. When the average person speaks of love what they are actually talking about is something they want for themselves. As this selfish concept of love increases, true, genunine love will decrease.

Boaz and Ruth were well matched at the beginning. You can't expect to change the person you love but God will change both people if you let Him.

Ruth 4

Here we see love facing a challenge when the claim of the law came upon Ruth. Before Boaz could legally marry Ruth, he first had to advertise his intentions. The law stated that if a man died, then his brother or the nearest male relative had the responsibility of marrying his widow.

So Boaz, being an up-right man, wanting to do all that the law required, made sure that the nearest relative (kinsman) was found and made aware of Ruth's plight.

In Ruth's case, the kinsman who was closer than Boaz refused to marry her and he relinquished his legal duty. Here is where we see the grace of God shining through. Although Boaz had no legal obligation to marry Ruth or to take care of her, because he truly loved her, he was prepared to do this. We see that under the law there is duty, but love goes beyond duty, it is greater than the law. Here is a picture of what Christ did when He came to earth to 'redeem' or 'buy back' those who have broken God's laws by offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice to take away the sins of all who put their trust in Him.

The marriage between Boaz & Ruth was very public (v. 11) and the elders of the city prayed for Ruth.

Marriage is for the benefit of the whole community - it is to be held in honour.

Marriage is a state and office.

Marriage is not failing, but rather we are failing marriage. In the world today, we see the following attitudes prevailing, signifying the selfishness with which people approach relationships and why many are not even prepared to commit to marriage:

"I love you, but ... I'm not going to give you security." "I love you, but ... if it doesn't work out, I'll leave."

Love does not set pre-conditions - love is unconditional. "While we were yet sinners", the Bible reminds us, "Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8)

What is incredible is that Ruth has a child, Obed, who was the great-grandfather of King David. Jesus Christ, God's Son, was born of the line of King David, and was also known as 'Great David's greater Son'.

How we should thank God for examples in the Bible like Boaz & Ruth and for the wonder that, although we are completely undeserving of God's love, yet He has loved us, and continues to love us. Let's show this love to those closest to us, and to a lost world all around us.

Gay Rights Laws Challenge Fails

2007-01-10T13:31:00.000+09:00

Thus read the headline on today's BBC news web-site.

Let me state at the outset that I do not have any personal grudge against homosexuals, but I would be lying if I said that the behaviour of such people didn't upset me. Why? My only grounds for believing that homosexual acts are immoral is what the Bible says.

Gen 1: 27 says, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

It doesn't say that he made them 'heterosexual and homosexual', but male and female.

The Bible later goes on to teach us that it is because of such things as fornication (sex outside of marriage - ie. one man to one woman), uncleanness (any impure lifestyle), covetousness (lusting after something that's not mine) etc. that God will judge men and women.

Eph. 5:3-6

"But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; 4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. "

Why should this change in British law and the shift in 'public' opinion cause us concern?

Because we have entered an age where laws are being passed which are based upon public opinion - or rather, perceived public opinion, and that can't be good.

Once we start walking down the road of 'whatever feels right can't be wrong' to determine which laws to pass and which ones not to, we need to beware.

The Laws in any country have a two-fold purpose: 1. To instruct and punish lawbreakers; and 2. To instruct and protect lawkeepers. Thus, when you or I break the law, we become guilty, and whatever punishment the law determines, that we must pay. When we do something to break a law, we feel guilt as our conscience agrees with the law that we have done something wrong. But if that law is removed or changed, then there is nothing left to cause us to feel guilt.

This is why I feel that these new laws are disastrous because it will no longer be possible for a child, young person or other individual to look to the law for instruction on what is good or evil in this area. Before the law was changed, one could say, if challenged about the subject, 'well, the law says so', but alas, no longer.

Don't forget that in most countries, homosexual acts were outlawed until recent years. Most of the public also viewed homosexuality as a deviation from the 'norm' in the last 10 to 20 years.

Where will this stop? If you think that it's going to stop here at the issue of homosexuality, I'd say, 'think again'.

Think about the perverts we hear about on the news on almost a daily basis. Who am I referring to? Why, paedophiles of course - they are perverts, right? Well, at least that's what the law says, and this time we're in luck, because public opinion is backing the law ... for now.

I won't even continue this theme because it's so awful to think about. Suffice to say that in 10 or 20 years from now, I won't be surprised if certain people start pushing for a change in the law!

If you think that this is impossible, then just think about the logic that has been used to get the law in the UK to support the homosexual cause. We were told, 'it's natural' or 'they can't help it' or 'just because they are different' or 'they were born that way'. Now, that those arguments have well and truly permeated people's thinking, they aren't even needed any longer. It will soon (if not already) become an offence to even suggest that homosexual acts are wrong - and if you don't like it, you'll probably get thrown into jail.

Again, this has all changed quite dramatically. Why? I'd say that the media has a large part of the blame to accept for giving proponents of the homosexual lifestyle a platform on which to stand.

If you don't believe that the media is completely biased in favour of homosexuality, try saying something against it! Whatever happened to 'free speech'. And you thought that censorship was something for countries run by dictatorships!

When things started to shift this way, we were told that we should 'tolerate' the homosexual lifetsyle - a kindof 'each to their own' philosophy. Then we were told that we should not just tolerate it, but accept it as a viable 'alternative' to the 'one man for one woman' norm. When this wasn't enough, we were told that we had to embrace it. Not just be indifferent about it, but to actively support this lifestyle.

I'm just an ordinary person, wanting to share some of the things that are on my heart - it seems that a blog is probably about the only place apart from church where I'd be free to share these things - but maybe they'll get a law passed to change that too.

Thanks for reading.

Fernando Ortega

2006-12-28T11:25:00.000+09:00

Hi There,

I really like this music, check it out:

Quotable Quotes - David Legge

2006-11-11T21:51:00.000+09:00

David Legge is pastor of the Iron Hall Assembly in Belfast. In a series he did on 'Men for the Hour', he spoke about Samson.

"This great hero became the fallen hero. The very enemy God fitted him to defeat, overcame him. He was a He-Man before she-women. Bold before men, he was weak before women."

"The enemy he was raised up to conquer, ended up conquering him!"

You can read or listen to the sermon here: http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/jdg15.shtml

How's Your Intelligence?

2006-11-11T21:49:00.000+09:00

Many like to think that belief in a Creator is a relatively recent thing and believed by those with limited intelligence. However, the truth is that people have a long history of belief in a Creator but have forgotten or neglected that history.

Look Inside Yourself for the Answer?

2006-11-11T21:38:00.000+09:00

We live in a society today that claims (largely) that the answers to your problems lie 'within' and all you need to do is to 'tap into the hidden potential that you already possess' (maybe people are watching too many sci-fi movies :) Of course, this is the one of the devils' oldest lies and he is as happy today when people believe it as he was in the garden of Eden when Eve did too. 'When you eat of the fruit ... You shall be as God'. While people who hold this theory might not think they are claiming to be 'God', by choosing to reject His salvation, they are in effect saying, 'I don't need You', 'I can get by alone'.

However, the evidence to support this theory that the answers 'lie within ourselves' is shallow to say the least. The overwhelming dependence upon doctors, drugs, psychiatrists, psychologists, counsellors, mentors and even the need to be accepted by ones peers and by society at large suggests that rather than being 'independent', we desperately need others, and of course we desperately need God and His forgiveness.

What else can explain the state of our world today?

We have more today (materially) than any generation before us and yet suicide, war, hatred, dissatissfaction has never been greater. Ask yourself why? If all the things we have today can bring us satisfaction, why are we so dissatisfied and if our 'if it feels good, do it' lifestyle is so fulfilling, why does it lead to so much sorrow?

The reason that these things don't satisfy is because we were created for a purpose, and that purpose is to know the True and Living God. ANYTHING else apart from knowing Him cannot satisfy us.

Until we realize this, we may be having 'fun' and we may have lots of things, but in our hearts we will be totally and utterly miserable.

DNA - Humans are different from plants or animals

2006-11-11T21:34:00.000+09:00

A while ago, we were told by the media, who presumably were told by scientists, that humans have very similar DNA to the common fruit fly (check out this story). I'm not sure quite why this should be so fascinating to scientists except that they may be trying to prove that mankind has indeed evolved, and that we are no different to animals - even the fruit fly. But of course, it is NOT just DNA which differentiates mankind from the animal kingdom. Showing that we have similar (or even identical) DNA to flies or monkeys or bananas for that matter does not prove that we are the SAME as these things.

The Human Heart

2006-11-11T21:32:00.000+09:00

We don't have a description of the architecture in Noah's day but we are told about the condition of mens' hearts. (Gen. 6:5) What was true then is true today. God is not interested in the advances in technology or in what man has built or achieved, but in the condition of his heart, which, the Bible says is deceitful & wicked.

Self Esteem

2006-11-11T21:27:00.000+09:00

Self-esteem: really just an attempt to cover our sin; cf. Adam & Eve - the more people delve into sin the less they will want to be around where they will hear about God.

Monday, October 23, 2006

2006-10-23T22:00:00.000+09:00

Proverbs 15:16 "Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith."

As Christians, we can forget this truth, and yet how vital it is. Whatever our material circumstances, they are always better when the Lord is with us.

Jeremiah 14:22 "Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? art not thou he, O LORD our God? therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou hast made all these things."

Nations and people all around us are worshipping idols. Yet, it is evident that these idols cannot do anything for them. Don't waste time on empty religion, let us worship the One and only Living God who alone can do all things.

The Da Vinci Code

2006-05-21T18:49:00.000+09:00

A pastor spoke at church today on the book and movie 'The Da Vinci Code', which had its' world-wide release on May 20th, and I jotted down the following thoughts.

Sony are apparently encouraging people to 'seek the truth' in their advertising campaign for the movie.

Do they really want people to 'seek the truth', or would they rather have people believe the 'truth' contained in the movie without question?

What Dan Brown (who wrote the book) and many others accuse Christians of doing (ie. accepting the Bible without question) they do themselves by accepting the 'truths' of the Da Vinci Code.

The real issue is that the book and movie will give people another excuse for rejecting the true Gospel of Jesus Christ without actually checking it out for themselves.

My advice to you would be, don't believe ANYTHING you read in the Da Vinci Code BEFORE you check it out historically yourself.

Who do you want to trust? God, who wrote the Bible, or Dan Brown who wrote the Da Vinci Code?

It's up to you to 'seek the truth'!

Creation vs. Evolution (contd.)

2005-11-11T12:17:00.000+09:00

Dover Area School Board policy on Intelligent Design

Here's the thing ... the people who are desperate to exclude creation or Intelligent Design (ID) from the classroom debate accuse those promoting ID of promoting Creationism under different terminology.

Well, I must say, although this is not exclusively the case, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt ... well deduced, that was very clever ... I wonder how long it took them to work this out? Hopefully not millions of years, eh!

Let me say something else. These same people will not under any circumstances allow us to talk about God or a Creator or Creationism in the classroom, for that, they say, is 'religon' and church and state should be separate.

So why are they so surprised when we sought to introduce ID into the classroom then? They won't let us talk about God or Creation, so we put it in so-called 'scientific' terms for them ... and what do you know ... they still aren't impressed.

The point that Creationists are often careful to make in this whole debate ... and one that is almost always overlooked is ... 'big bang evolutionism is a model or a theory which has not been proven beyond the shadow of a doubt ie. no one was there to see it happen'. Creation is another model or theory of how life began. Evolutionists and Creationists both start with the same evidence, but interpret it differently. I believe, as do Creationists, that we ALL have a bias, and depending on which bias we lean towards (ie. there is a God who created everything in the beginning, or there is no God and everything came about by chance random processes) this will determine how we interpret the evidence.

I liked what Merrill A. Cohen, a Dover physician, had to say in a recent news report. He noted that nothing had actually changed. Evolution will still be taught in the classroom. ID will not be taught, it will 'merely be made available as an option'.

Merrill poses a very good question to people who want only evolution to be taught in the classroom. "To refuse to allow the problems associated with an idea or a theory to be mentioned is essentially to present that theory as dogma. Why would we want to do that? Evolution is controversial in America. The No Child Left Behind Act of Congress advises that our public schools teach the controversy. I see our current Dover school board as being up to date in its educational requirements." (Click the following link to read the whole article) http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=22042

Also click on the following link for more information on the Creation vs. Evolution debate www.answersingenesis.org

Feng Shui or what?

2005-09-12T14:25:00.000+09:00

Watching a programme on Discovery Channel last night about Hong Kong. A guy from HSBC was being interviewed about the bank's success. When asked whether this had anything to do with Feng Shui, he said, 'of course'.

So, in our modern age of scientific reason and rationale, if someone was to approach the average 'punter' in the street and tell them they could be successful in business and life if they just repositioned the furniture in their house, they would probably reply, 'right on, I'll give it a go'.

Tell the same person that they are a sinner and under the wrath of a holy God and must repent of their sins and ask Him in faith, to make them a new creation in Christ they will likely say, 'You need your head examined' or words to that effect.

Romans 1:18-20
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

London Bombings - July 7 2005

2005-07-08T09:24:00.000+09:00

After just watching the news on TV here in Japan, I was horrified to see what happened in London yesterday, just 1 day after the terrific news that London had been awarded the honour of hosting the 2012 Olympic Games.

Many people who were interviewed in the aftermath were quoted as saying that it wouldn't change them, and they would just go on living as they have done. Perhaps they think that by so doing they are not 'giving in' to terrorists, however I don't think that the people who did this will be too worried by this 'defiant' attitude.

What is my suggestion?

Well for one, I would say that these bombs should remind each of us that our bodies are not going to last forever and two, rather than developing a 'hard' attitude towards the perpetrators of such violence, we should realize that our Creator God has allowed us to be spared - remember, if we lived in London, it could just as easily have been you or I caught up in one of those bombs!

In Luke Chapter 13 Jesus speaks of some terrible things that happened to people. Some were ruthlessly killed by Pilate and others were victims of a tragic accident.

In both cases, the people were 'innocent' in the sense that they had not done anything to deserve the manner of their death (of course, none of us are 'innocent' in regard to sin - we have all sinned - Romans Ch. 3:23).

However, the lesson that Jesus teaches us in verse 3 is, "I tell you ... but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish".

So, my advice is to heed the Word of God and allow these terrible events, not to make us say, 'eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die', but rather to ask, "What must I do to be saved?" "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." (Acts Ch. 16:30,31)

Creation vs. Evolution!

2005-06-10T09:57:00.000+09:00

The 3 words above are sure to elicit a response in your mind and thoughts.

There has been an on-going battle between the two opposing viewpoints. This has been highlighted particuarly in the case of Kansas State Board of Education's decision to allow the theory of 'intelligent design' to be taught along-side of the evolutionary 'model'.

Two thoughts:

1. The word 'evolution' was NOT removed from the curriculum, despite reports in the popular media.
2. If evolution is a scientific 'fact', then what is all the fuss about? Surely if evolution can be proven without shadow of a doubt, then those who support this 'model' have no cause for alarm!

Concluding:

1. Which is more 'scientific' - to hold onto a model or theory which cannot be proven and not allow debate or discussion about alterative theories - or to admit that maybe evolution cannot explain everything that we see around us and we should be open to examining the evidence (yes, evidence) for Creation?

There are some people out there who would like to believe that both 'theories' can be held simultaeneously without contradicting each other - what do you think?

Yes, the folks at www.answersingenesis.org have hit the nail on the head when they say that it is not science (ie. evolution) vs. religion (ie. Creation) that is being debated, but rather the science of one religion (Creationism) vs. the science of another (Evolutionism).

Whether we like it or not, we are placing our 'faith' or 'trust' in human theories (which are constantly changing) if we believe in evolution.

I don't know about you, but I'd rather put my 'faith' in a Creator who was there at the beginning, and has given us a written document telling us all about it.

Check out: http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs/4110.asp if you'd like to follow the debate some more.

The Bible or Koran - which?

2005-06-10T09:39:00.000+09:00

Just a few thoughts on the recent controversy over the alleged mis-treatment of the Koran at Guantanamo Bay.

I was thinking that if this had been about the Bible, then:

1. It would likely never have even made the news in the first place;
2. I suspect that as the media is so blatently anti-Christian in its reporting that it wouldn't surprise me if they sought to justify the mis-treatment of the Bible.

It also raises the question, why is it that society today is seeking to exalt the Koran and the religion of Islam so vehemently?