The debate has raged during the last century over the question of the origins of the universe. Has the universe always existed? If not, when did it come into existence—and how did it come into existence?
The answers to these questions have tremendous significance. If the universe has always existed, then the clear implication is that a designer or creator was not necessarily needed or involved. On the other hand, if there was a moment of time when the universe came into existence, logic alone would tell you that a creator was involved.
When one looks at a well-designed painting, for example, he inherently knows that it has not always existed. Scientifically, one could have the wood frame dated, as well as the pigments in the paint, and it would quickly become evident that there was a specific time when the painting was brought into existence. A painter must actually have sat down and painted the canvas.
In the last decade, the Hubble telescope, orbiting the earth, has brought dramatic new evidence that the universe has not always existed. Very clearly, the universe is rapidly moving apart and is constantly expanding. Most scientists now believe that the universe virtually exploded into existence some 14 or more billion years ago.
This evidence of the creation event, which some call the "big bang," is mounting year by year. There has been no past eternity of matter! This is also supported by the existence of radioactive elements that actually decay and decrease in mass. Radioactive materials have a known "half-life"—which means that within a known period of time, half of the radioactive element decays and disappears. If the universe has always existed, the radioactive elements would have decayed themselves totally out of existence.
Amazingly, even Albert Einstein (the most brilliant scientist of our time) laid the foundation of understanding that matter has not always existed, with his most famous "general theory of relativity." This well-accepted principle of physics was used to demonstrate mathematically that the universe had a beginning, and that all matter came into existence from outside the physical realm, outside the laws of physics.
In Hebrews 11:3 we read: "The worlds [the universe: all galaxies] were framed [made] by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen [the entire universe] were not made of things which are visible [matter]."
The Bible clearly states that the universe was not made from pre-existing matter. That fits precisely with the evidence in astronomy and physics. There was a moment in time when the universe burst into existence, before which there was no matter.
So if the universe was not made of pre-existing material or matter, how did it come into existence? Science cannot answer this, but God tells us exactly His method of creation in Jeremiah 10:12. "He has made the earth by His power." Here, God reveals to us the ultimate origin of the universe: God created the earth—and all the universe—from His power, or energy. Nuclear physicists have know for years that energy can theoretically be converted into mass and, conversely, that mass can be converted into energy. This is how the mass of a nuclear bomb is released into energy.
So in the creation event, or "big bang," the Creator God brought the universe into existence by his power or energy. This becomes the missing ingredient that explains what astrophysicists are observing in the universe.
There is one more crucial bit of amazing information about the creation and origin of the universe, which we can find in God’s word and which has recently been proven in astronomy and physics.
Isaiah 40:22: "It is He who sits above the circle of the earth...Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain." The tense of the Hebrew verb translated as "stretches" is present tense. In other words, the universe is still being stretched out by God. This fits precisely with what has been observed by the Hubble telescope: the universe is still rapidly expanding.
In the same verse, we read that God "spreads [the heavens] out like a tent to dwell in."
In this case, the tense of the verb translated as "spreads" is past tense. God’s Word indicates that in the original creation event, He stretched out the heavens (as described in the "Big Bang" theory). We are also told that the universe is still being stretched out in continuing expansion, as seen by the Hubble telescope.
This same information was revealed by the Creator God thousands of years ago in His word. Amazingly, science is finally catching up in understanding with the Bible concerning the origin of the universe.
Blessings to you all in the name of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
Politically correct? By Sheldon Monson
When you look around, do you feel like you’re out of step with the rest of the world? Do you wonder why you seem to be among the few that still stand by your values and principles?
Most people don’t enjoy conflict. As Christians we pray for peace. We want to get along with everyone. We realize that others have different views and opinions than we do, but we do not hate them for it. Conversely, people seem to despise us for the beliefs we hold dear. Do you wonder why the values we embrace make us “politically incorrect?”
As Christians, we don’t want to cause problems. We certainly don’t want to offend anyone, but we believe that there is a difference between right and wrong. Every day we are faced with a choice: do we stand quietly by and say nothing? Or do we cling to our principles and stand up, and speak out?
When we read the scriptures, it becomes clear which approach we should take. We find numerous examples to light our path. We see many examples of men and women embracing the truth, standing by their beliefs, and holding fast to their principles and values. We find Christians who know what they believe. We see men and women of conviction and faith. We read the accounts of those brave souls who possessed the courage to make tough decisions; to swim against the current.
The core values they internalized and the strength of their convictions allowed many of these heroes and heroines to face persecution, and even death, with unwavering resolve. There are the examples of Joshua and Caleb, Esther, Daniel, David, Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego, and many others. When we studying the scriptures, it becomes clear which choice we must make. It is the choice to stand up, to speak out, to go against the grain and let our voice be heard. We must not hide. We must not compromise with what we believe to be right, no matter what consequences follow. For if we deny Christ, He will deny us.
True Christians must “take the path less traveled.” If we find ourselves on the “outside,” if we find ourselves to be “politically incorrect,” then we are in good company, for this is where Christ found himself. He never sinned. He loved His enemies and prayed for them. He brought a message of peace and hope to the world. But in the end, He was crucified for what He believed and taught.
History is replete with the examples of the prophets, apostles, and other disciples of Christ who suffered persecution, torture, and who were put to death for standing up and speaking out for the things they believed. Christians will follow the example Christ set, and, if they are truly “Christians,” their voices will be heard. Their voices must be heard! The world will be a better place because of it.
If we believe that the Word of God is our guide, that it is the final authority defining what is right and what is wrong, and that we must live our lives according to it, we will not be popular. We will come under attack by those who would like to reshape what we are and what we believe. The “politically correct” will attempt to change us into their image, and will be relentless in their pursuit of this goal. They will label what we say as hateful and dangerous. When they do, we must not cave.
We must steadfastly resist the urge to conform and go with the flow, even though it is the easy thing to do; the popular thing to do. We must resolve to do what we know is right as defined by God’s Word. It is not enough to stand quietly by. If we do not have the courage to speak up, who else will? We are the defenders of the truth!
William Penn once said: “Right is right, even if everyone is against it; wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it.” His words ring true yet today.
Our children, and our children’s children, will be affected by what we do now. Our families must be built upon a solid foundation of godly principles. We must teach our children, both in word and example, that the Word of God is the foundation of knowledge, and to live in harmony with that way of life. Our families must know that absolutes do exist, that there is a difference between right and wrong, and that we will not compromise with these things.
Most people don’t enjoy conflict. As Christians we pray for peace. We want to get along with everyone. We realize that others have different views and opinions than we do, but we do not hate them for it. Conversely, people seem to despise us for the beliefs we hold dear. Do you wonder why the values we embrace make us “politically incorrect?”
As Christians, we don’t want to cause problems. We certainly don’t want to offend anyone, but we believe that there is a difference between right and wrong. Every day we are faced with a choice: do we stand quietly by and say nothing? Or do we cling to our principles and stand up, and speak out?
When we read the scriptures, it becomes clear which approach we should take. We find numerous examples to light our path. We see many examples of men and women embracing the truth, standing by their beliefs, and holding fast to their principles and values. We find Christians who know what they believe. We see men and women of conviction and faith. We read the accounts of those brave souls who possessed the courage to make tough decisions; to swim against the current.
The core values they internalized and the strength of their convictions allowed many of these heroes and heroines to face persecution, and even death, with unwavering resolve. There are the examples of Joshua and Caleb, Esther, Daniel, David, Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego, and many others. When we studying the scriptures, it becomes clear which choice we must make. It is the choice to stand up, to speak out, to go against the grain and let our voice be heard. We must not hide. We must not compromise with what we believe to be right, no matter what consequences follow. For if we deny Christ, He will deny us.
True Christians must “take the path less traveled.” If we find ourselves on the “outside,” if we find ourselves to be “politically incorrect,” then we are in good company, for this is where Christ found himself. He never sinned. He loved His enemies and prayed for them. He brought a message of peace and hope to the world. But in the end, He was crucified for what He believed and taught.
History is replete with the examples of the prophets, apostles, and other disciples of Christ who suffered persecution, torture, and who were put to death for standing up and speaking out for the things they believed. Christians will follow the example Christ set, and, if they are truly “Christians,” their voices will be heard. Their voices must be heard! The world will be a better place because of it.
If we believe that the Word of God is our guide, that it is the final authority defining what is right and what is wrong, and that we must live our lives according to it, we will not be popular. We will come under attack by those who would like to reshape what we are and what we believe. The “politically correct” will attempt to change us into their image, and will be relentless in their pursuit of this goal. They will label what we say as hateful and dangerous. When they do, we must not cave.
We must steadfastly resist the urge to conform and go with the flow, even though it is the easy thing to do; the popular thing to do. We must resolve to do what we know is right as defined by God’s Word. It is not enough to stand quietly by. If we do not have the courage to speak up, who else will? We are the defenders of the truth!
William Penn once said: “Right is right, even if everyone is against it; wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it.” His words ring true yet today.
Our children, and our children’s children, will be affected by what we do now. Our families must be built upon a solid foundation of godly principles. We must teach our children, both in word and example, that the Word of God is the foundation of knowledge, and to live in harmony with that way of life. Our families must know that absolutes do exist, that there is a difference between right and wrong, and that we will not compromise with these things.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Mixing God With Worldly Living
Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ,
Forgive me for not having any blog entries for weeks. There is no excuse.
I grow weary with our thought process on how we think we should conduct ourselves on this earth. Especially, this past holiday where everyone was celebrating the Fourth of July. So many celebrated their patriotism and conveyed their commitment to our nation as "One Nation Under God." Are we really one nation under God? My question is how can we claim be one nation under God when we do the following:
***We allowed our nation under God to take prayer away from our classrooms.
***We allowed a small group of people to pass abortion laws.
***Most believers do not pray on a regular basis.
***Most believers do not tithe or give alms to the poor.
***We allow smut in our lives through TV, Internet, movies, and magazines.
***We have idols in the form of sports, movies, and celebrities.
***We have Gods of consumerism, greed, and lust.
***We spend more time worrying than time with God.
***We have allowed our one nation under God to get out of control.
***We don't spread the Good News because we don't read the Bible.
We have put more faith in this world more than we have in Our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus in talking to Pilate says in John 18:36 “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” We are not any better than the Jews in this passage as one nation under God. We don't fight for Jesus either.
We can't put faith in our nation our this world. Look at the results of placing faith in this world. God is looking for you to have faith in Him.
Luke 18:8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
Forgive me for not having any blog entries for weeks. There is no excuse.
I grow weary with our thought process on how we think we should conduct ourselves on this earth. Especially, this past holiday where everyone was celebrating the Fourth of July. So many celebrated their patriotism and conveyed their commitment to our nation as "One Nation Under God." Are we really one nation under God? My question is how can we claim be one nation under God when we do the following:
***We allowed our nation under God to take prayer away from our classrooms.
***We allowed a small group of people to pass abortion laws.
***Most believers do not pray on a regular basis.
***Most believers do not tithe or give alms to the poor.
***We allow smut in our lives through TV, Internet, movies, and magazines.
***We have idols in the form of sports, movies, and celebrities.
***We have Gods of consumerism, greed, and lust.
***We spend more time worrying than time with God.
***We have allowed our one nation under God to get out of control.
***We don't spread the Good News because we don't read the Bible.
We have put more faith in this world more than we have in Our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus in talking to Pilate says in John 18:36 “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” We are not any better than the Jews in this passage as one nation under God. We don't fight for Jesus either.
We can't put faith in our nation our this world. Look at the results of placing faith in this world. God is looking for you to have faith in Him.
Luke 18:8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
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