Whales

Hmmmmm.  Some have tried to explain that it is the result of a giant wave that flung the whales inland.   Hahahahahahahahahahahahah.  Hey, guys, guess what???????????  There was a flood.

 

 

The 'mysterious' whale graveyard discovered in a desert

Scientists play detective after 20 "perfectly intact skeletons" of ancient sea mammals are found thousands of feet away from the Pacific Ocean

posted on November 21, 2011, at 12:33 PM

Whale bones buried in the Namibian sand: A whale graveyard was recently found in Chile, with some fossils as big as a bus. Photo: Diego Lezama Orezzoli/CORBIS SEE ALL 56 PHOTOS

How did more than 75 whale fossils turn up in the middle of Chile's Atacama Desert — one of the world's driest? That's the question puzzling a team of scientists from the Smithsonian Institute, who discovered the "mysterious" whale graveyard over a half-mile away from the ocean.

This article copied from theweek.com

11/10/11

As I've said before, I don't get to write as much as I'd like.  However, something has been on my mind lately.

False Prophets

There is a lot of prosperity gospel being preached out there today.  There are preachers of massive churches standing before their congregations who just preach that God wants you to be prosperous and always have lots of money and for your health to always be good. 

The problem is that Scripture doesn't teach that.  Scripture teaches that as a result of sin that there will be pain and suffering.  Genesis 3 teaches it. 

God allows us to go through things to strengthen our faith in Him and to remind us of His power and ability to help us.  We cannot, and will never be able to, help ourselves. 

Many of those false preachers also refuse to confront sin.  They confront sin in what they call "a different way."  Sorry, fellas, you are wrong.  We are sinners saved by grace and we still sin and we must confront sin, ask forgiveness for sin and accept that forgiveness. 

I've also heard them say that God is the judge of whether someone who does not believe in Jesus goes to Heaven or not.  While I agree that God is the ultimate judge, that doesn't mean Jesus can be removed from the picture.  Any person, religious teaching, preacher, teacher, human being who does not believe Jesus is the way to Heaven is not going to Heaven.  Scripture is absolutely clear on this in John 14:6. 

Until next time...............

Okay, it's been a while.

I know it has been a while, but life happens. 
I don't know that I have much to say other than I am a thankful man. 
I am thankful that in a world of chaos, God is in control.
I am thankful that His grace is sufficient and that no matter what we are faced with that God can get us through.  Sometimes we look at life or life's situations and think that it is hopeless or we wonder why God would do something to us or allow things to happen.  I think that is normal.
But, it is important to understand that everything happens for a reason and though we may not know why here, God gives us NOTHING that He doesn't give us the power and ability and strength to overcome.  He'll help us handle it if we trust in Him.
I am thankful that I serve a Savior that no other religion can say that they have.
Jesus willingly gave His life for me to be saved.  No other religious leader has ever done such a thing and no other religious leader will do such a thing.  To me, that makes Christians followers of a true prophet who laid down His life for us. 
Jesus also was thankful for the broken body.  In the Lord's Supper in the Gospels, Jesus always gives thanks before the bread is broken.  The broken bread and the wine represent His broken body and blood and He gave thanks for it.  No other religious leader can make that claim and surely can't support it. 
I am thankful that I serve the real Savior of the World.  Jesus gives us what no other religious leader or so-called prophet in history has given............His life.
Trust in everything about Him; His provision, His grace, His mercy, His power, His protection.  NOBODY else can offer what Jesus has given. 

Until next time..................

Job ch. 1 (cont.)

So, how does Job react?  How does he respond?

His reaction? 

Job arises from where he was sitting and rents (tears) his mantle.  He responds in a normal way, he mourns.  There is nothing wrong with that. 

Then, Job falls flat on his face to the ground, and worships God. 

How many Christians would react this way in this situation?  He worshipped God after losing almost everything he had. 

What an incredible initial reaction.  He didn't shake his fist at God or ask God why.  He just worshipped.  He humbly placed himself in a worshipping position and humbly worshipped God.

There is something to be said about that.  By worshipping, Job is making it known that he is going to let everyone who is standing around waiting for him that he understands that God is in control.  He understands that God is at the steering wheel of it all and that God will not allow anything to happen to Job that Job cannot get through.  Next time, we'll see Job's response to the situation.  We'll see what he says.

Until next time....................

Waiting on God to push

I read a fb post that said; "I am waiting on God to push me to what He wants me to do next." 

I understand what they are trying to say, but it is vital to our spiritual life to allow God to pull us.  That way, God will be in His proper place in our lives, which is leading. 

If He is having to push us, that means we are trying to lead and expecting Him to follow us and push is not the way we need to be.

Also, waiting on God implies inactivity.  We should always be doing something, even if it is praying that we are in God's will and are, in fact, following Him.

Just a thought.

Until next time..................

Job chapter 1 (cont.)

Satan now has permission to attack Job. 

Remember, Job is one of the richest men in the world. 

Satan attacks and destroys every animal that Job has.  Although that may seem like very little, those animals would be very important.  They are used to plow to grow food.  They are used to sell at market to make money to support the family.  The animals are used to make sacrifices to the Lord.  The animals could also be used for meat for the family as well. 

All of that is gone and then as his 10 children are having a meal together, a wind comes (which was a strong wind common to that area), destroys the house and kills all the children. 

At this point, this attack has become very personal.  All that Job has left is some land and a few servants.  His living and his livelihood and his family (except for his wife) are all gone. 

Imagine what it would be like, in one day, to lose all you have. 

I've known a lot of people who have suffered lost in the last 6 months to a year of their lives.  In each of the situations, I'm sure there were questions about why it all happened or why it happened the way it did. 

That is absolutely understandable from a human standpoint.  However, Job is human.  He is a man like any other man except for he was viewed by God as a man who was perfect (complete), upright, he feared God, and he turn from evil. 

Next couple of posts will show what Job does.  We will attempt to analyze Job's reaction and response and hopefully apply it to our own lives. 

Until next time...............

Job chapter 1 (cont.)

The next thing that Satan does is make a comment to God.  In so many words, Satan tells God that if God will let Satan do some things to Job that Job will curse God to His face. 

God basically tells Satan that he will be allowed to touch Job's life but not Job physically. 

That brings up a great point that we as Christians must never EVER forget. 

Satan attacks.  He uses his demons, minions, etc. to come after us.  But for him to actually do anything to us, he must have God's permission. 

Satan already has control of a lost sinner's life.  But for him to do ANYTHING detrimental to a Christian, he must have God's permission.

That lets us know that God is always watching over us.  God is always taking care of us.  God will not allow ANYTHING to happen to us that isn't already under His control.

Christian, never forget who God is and how good God is. 

Until next time................

More Job

Well, upon digging a little deeper into Job chapter 1, you'll find that there is something about God that is absolutely important. 

First of all, the name Job means hated.  However he is described in several ways:
1) Perfect - complete but also implies gentle and dear.
2) Upright - Straight
3) Feared - morally reverent

He is also described as a man who "eschewed" evil.  That means that he turned evil off.  The word implies to go aside.  He avoided evil. 

Job had 7 sons and 3 daughters.  Read on............

There is a meeting in which the Lord, angels and Satan are talking about what has been going on. 

The Lord asks Satan what he's been up to (in so many words) and Satan says he's been wandering to and fro back and forth on the Earth.  Basically, Satan has been on the Earth causing havoc for as many people as he could suck into his vacuum of worthlessness. 

God asks if Satan had considered, or set aside, Job.  Have you ever taken time to look at Job's life?  Interesting question and more will follow on what happens next and that one aspect and characteristic of God that is vital. 

Until next time..................................

Job Round 1

Started studying Job a few days ago.  I have only really read the first two chapters really closely a few times. 

During a meeting in which the angels are presenting themselves before the Lord, Satan is there.  God calls attention to Job and describes Job as perfect and upright. 

Those two words need definition and perhaps clarification.

Perfect is the English of a Hebrew word meaning complete.

Upright is a similar word which indicates that life was lead in the right way.

Job lived his life as a complete Christian man.  He live his life in a way that was totally pleasing to God. 

Perhaps the next few days will be reports of findings in this first chapter. 

Job is, in fact, considered the oldest book in the Bible and written before the Law of Moses was handed down.  Keep that in mind. 

Until next time...................

Praise the Lord

Today I want to just take a moment and praise the Lord.  I know that not many people, if any, will ever read this post, but it is important. 

Jesus is the reason I am alive.  I find it an honor to breathe His air, to live on His Earth and to even occupy a space in His kingdom.  It is a privilege that I will never take lightly. 

I will never get over the fact that one day I will leave this world and enter into Heaven, where Jesus Christ will catch my eye.  I will get to thank Him, personally, for dying for me.  I will get to, perhaps, sit down to feast with God in the flesh.  I will get to spend time worshipping the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. 

Thank you, Jesus, for all that you did for me and have done for me and continue to do for me.  I love you. 

Good Monday

Yesterday was the Lord's Day. 
However, everyday should be the Lord's day.

I had the privilege of going to a celebration yesterday evening for a man whom I admire, my dad.  He has been the pastor of a church for 20 years now. 

It seems like only yesterday we went there as a family.  There were around 15 people attending that first service and 6 of them were "us,"  Dad, Mom and the 4 children.  Times have certainly changed and the Lord has tremendously blessed my Dad and Mom and their church.  My family and myself have moved to a different ministry and so have one of my sisters and my brother. 

Looking back was very heart warming as we heard stories from back in the day and even sang a song together that we used to sing.  God has truly blessed and I believe that the reason is because my parents are real. 

They aren't perfect, but they never claim to be and they never try to be somebody they aren't. 

God will definitely bless someone who stays with Him as was proven in Joshua and through the lives of many. 

Until next time.................

Creation again

In continuation of yesterday, as I continued to read comments made, there were many valid points. 

Then, I happened to read a comment made by the same poster with whom I was debating earlier.  Again, this was a healthy debate with no anger expressed, just "fact" and "logic." 

I stated a claim that anyone who believes in atheism must indeed have faith.  Faith is defined as accepting something as truth without proof of it being true. 

Indeed believing in God and everything about Him requires faith.  The poster then came back with a claim of his own that atheism did not require any faith at all and that they accept things that are proven as facts. 

The problem with his argument: there is no hard evidence that God does not exist.  Therefore, in order to believe in atheism, or the absence of God, one has to have a tremendous faith.  An atheist's argument that they have no faith or have to have no faith to believe in atheism is as false as claiming that cancer has never caused anyone to die.  It is bogus.

With regards to Creation/evolution, the same poster also said that mankind evolved from one of four humanities, all of which are now extinct.  The problem?  He could not tell any of us which humanity we came from or what the humanitities were.  The other problem with his argument?  Well, it was also stated in the course of the conversation that 98% of our DNA is the same as a chimp's.  Well, 94% of our DNA, from my reading, is the same as a banana.  Maybe the chimp ate the banana and then turned into a human.  It's also worhty to note that our chromosomes, from what I understand, and our heart structure, is more related to a pig than any other animal.

While I recognize that some people would indeed seem to be "piggish," I believe the DNA argument is bogus too.  Based on the 98% argument, some have called Darwin a "god."  Therefore, using the same thought process as the scientists who saw that our DNA in a different letter and sequence order resembles a chimp and still maintaining the same letters, could we then say that Darwin was a dog and it be a logical argument?  According to science, we can. 

Until next time, ponder the thoughts and check back often.  God Bless.

Debate

I must say that I have enjoyed this day.  I am a follower and participant in a fitness program called CrossFit.  It is revolutionary and has changed my life physically.  On the site, there is a discussion board that allows comments and today, on rest day, comments have been posted and eventually have led to discussions on God's existence.

Let me just say that it is very logical to believe in the existence of God.  Belief in God requires faith and so does belief in anything else.

During the discussion, a poster who I have enjoyed debating with posted; "Claims without evidence can be dismissed without evidence."

The same poster also said that the "theory" of evolution is misunderstood because not all of the "theory" has been proven.  So, evolution is a theory that has claims without evidence meaning that an evolutionist is believing in claims without evidence that should be dismissed without evidence and therefore has faith.

My first blog

Yes, I am behind I suppose.  Behind eough to have had my old blog removed.  Oh well. 

My goal is to seek the guidance of God and to constantly remain in His will. 

I desire to see those in need of Christ to come to repentance and I also desire to maintain a blog here to express studies, thoughts and prayers in my spiritual life. 

God Bless all who reads.  Visit soon.