(by Bruce Malone, used with permission)

In the 1700’s, many scientists believed that life spontaneously generated from non-living matter (such as raw meat or sewage).  In the 1800’s, using careful experimentation, Louis Pasteur proved this concept wrong and verified that life only comes from previously existing life.  Ironically, many scientists have once again returned to the belief that life came from nonlife…in spite of the fact that there is no experimental evidence to show how that could have happened. The reason for the return of this unsupported belief is that science has been defined to eliminate the consideration of the only other alternative—the creation of life by someone who is alive, an intelligent designer, the Creator God.

Even the simplest living cell is an incredibly complex machine.  It must be capable of detecting malfunctions, repairing itself, and reproducing itself.  Man has never succeeded in building a machine capable of these same functions.  Yet, most scientists accept the belief that life arose from non-life despite the ever increasing amount of evidence clearly indicating that it did not and could never happen.  It would be easier to believe that a chemical manufacturing facility found on Mars had built itself.

A classic experiment used to support the belief that life “built itself” was first proposed in 1953 by Stanley Miller.  In this experiment, sparks were discharged into an apparatus through which common gases were circulated.  These gases reacted to form various organic products which were then collected and analyzed.  The experiment succeeded in producing a few of the 20 amino acids required by living cells.  These results have been heralded as proof that life could have arisen by itself.  However, dozens of major problems with this experiment, (clearly understood for more than 30 years), still go unanswered and are not even mentioned to students.1

For instance, our early atmosphere is assumed to have had no oxygen because this would stop amino acid formation.  However, with no oxygen, there would be no ozone shield.  With no ozone shield, life would be impossible.  The fact that oxidized rocks throughout the geological record indicate that oxygen has always been present is ignored.

In addition, the same gases which can react to form amino acids in the presence of sunlight undergo known reactions which remove them from the atmosphere.  The required gases simply could not have been around long enough for life to have developed.  Furthermore, a cold trap was used to keep the reaction products from being destroyed as fast as they formed. Where is this “cold trap” in nature?

The biggest problem is that the amino acids formed in this experiment are always a 50/50 mixture of stereotypes (L and D forms).  Stereotypes are like a drawer full of right-hand and left-hand gloves, identical in every way except a mirror image of each other.  Life uses only L stereotypes of these random amino acids.  Yet, equal proportions of both types are always produced.  How could the first cell have selected only L stereotypes from the random, equally reactive mixture produced in this experiment?  And what about the other required types of amino acids which have never been formed in this experiment?

These are just some of the myriad problems regarding the fanciful idea that life generated itself.  What this experiment really proves is that life could not possibly have developed in this manner.  Yet, students are told just the opposite.

No experiment has ever shown that matter has the ability to come alive.  The best explanation for life is still that life only comes from pre-existing life.  As you search for the truth, perhaps you should consider the possibility that the source of all life… is God.

1. Thaxton, C.B., Bradley, W.L., Olsen,R.L., The Mystery of Life’s Origin, Chapter 4, Philosophical

Library, 1984.

(written by Bruce Malone, used with permission)

Western civilization was founded on the realization that an infinite creator God exists.  It was upon this basis (that the universe was the orderly product of an intelligent being) that the founders of modern science had the confidence to develop the scientific method and modern science.   However, in recent years, this open acknowledgment of a personal creator has been replaced by science as the source of ultimate reality.  This viewpoint shift is primarily justified by the acceptance of evolution (both biological and cosmic) as fact.  The late Christian philosopher, Francis Schaeffer, put it best, “Modern man has two feet firmly planted in midair.”

In essence, modern man has put science in place of God as the foundation for understanding reality. Instead of the starting point, “In the beginning God created…” we now have “In the beginning hydrogen gas…”  However, science can never define reality because it is merely a tool which organizes observations in such a way as to attempt to explain the physical world.  Current observations are extrapolated to explain the past (which can no longer be observed) or to predict the future (which also cannot be observed).  As more observations are gathered, predictions of science (known as hypotheses, theories, and laws) constantly change.  For example, the universal laws of motion developed by Newton in the 1600’s have been expanded by Einstein’s theory of relativity in the 1900’s.  This in turn has been expanded to include other discoveries of modern physics.

The realization that scientific discoveries are ever-changing has been incorrectly extended to all areas of life and has led to the conclusion that there is no absolute truth.  However, just because scientific interpretations are ever-changing does not prove that truth does not exist.  Science can neither prove nor disprove the existence of God.  Furthermore, what we believe about the existence of God has absolutely no bearing on the reality of His existence.  If we only know a fraction of all reality; who are we to assume that the knowledge of God does not exist in the areas we have not mastered?

If God does exist, and has interacted with mankind in the past; there should be some physical evidence for both His existence and this interaction.  The quantity and quality of this evidence is the subject of the articles to follow in future weeks.

Is it possible to discover objective truth?  Is there sufficient evidence to support belief in the existence of a creator God?  Is this God an impersonal force or a personal God who has interacted and communicated with humans?  These are the questions which will be addressed. The foundational assumption of every article is that truth does exist.  Jesus Christ repeatedly claimed to be God. (John 8:19, John 8:58, John 1:1-17, John 5:34-39).  Either He is the creator of the universe or He is not.  The Bible claims to be inspired by God. (Isaiah 40:8, Matthew 5:18, 2 Timothy 3:16). Either this is true or the Bible is just a compilation of men’s ideas.  The Bible describes as factual events an instantaneous creation of separate plant and animal types and a worldwide water catastrophe.  Either these events happened or they did not.  If they did, there should be evidence supporting these events.  The articles to follow will thus examine all areas of science to determine just what is the truth of our past.

More to come!

 Saul was suspicious of everyone – “you have all conspired against me.” Sin always gives the sinner a warped self-perception, and worldview. Those lost in sin never see or perceive reality. They are spiritually blind to the truth of God, which is reality (2 Cor 4:4).

 I. SAUL ASSAILED HIS SERVANTS vs. 6-10

“Then Saul heard that David and the men who were with him had been discovered. Now Saul was sitting in Gibeah, under the tamarisk tree on the height with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing around him. ⁷Saul said to his servants who stood around him, “Hear now, O Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse also give to all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? ⁸ “For all of you have conspired against me so that there is no one who discloses to me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you who is sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me to lie in ambush, as it is this day.” ⁹Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing by the servants of Saul, said, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. ¹⁰ “He inquired of the LORD for him, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

           A. The Rebuke by Saul vs. 6-8

“Then Saul heard that David and the men who were with him had been discovered. Now Saul was sitting in Gibeah, under the tamarisk tree on the height with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing around him. ⁷Saul said to his servants who stood around him, “Hear now, O Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse also give to all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? ⁸ “For all of you have conspired against me so that there is no one who discloses to me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you who is sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me to lie in ambush, as it is this day.”

           B. The Report to Saul vs. 9-10

“Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing by the servants of Saul, said, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. ¹⁰ “He inquired of the LORD for him, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

 II. SAUL WRONGLY ACCUSED AHIMELECH vs. 11-13

“Then the king sent someone to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s household, the priests who were in Nob; and all of them came to the king. ¹²Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.” And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.” ¹³Saul then said to him, “Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him, so that he would rise up against me by lying in ambush as it is this day?”

           A. The Identity of the High Priest vs. 11-12

“Then the king sent someone to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s household, the priests who were in Nob; and all of them came to the king. ¹²Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.” And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.”

           B. The Indictment of the High Priest vs. 13

“Saul then said to him, “Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him, so that he would rise up against me by lying in ambush as it is this day?”

 Saul wrongly accused the priests from Nob as conspiring with David to kill him. Saul is a type of antichrist. He entered into conflict with the priest of the Lord. By opposing the priest, he opposed God. Can you imagine 85 priest of the Lord being slaughtered?

 III. SAUL ASSASSINATED THE PRIEST vs. 14-19

           A. The Innocence of the Priest vs. 14-15

“Then Ahimelech answered the king and said, “And who among all your servants is as faithful as David, even the king’s son-in-law, who is captain over your guard, and is honored in your house? ¹⁵ “Did I just begin to inquire of God for him today? Far be it from me! Do not let the king impute anything to his servant or to any of the household of my father, for your servant knows nothing at all of this whole affair.”

           B. The Sentence Hostile to the Priest vs. 16

“But the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s household!”

           C. The Refusal to Kill the Priest vs. 17

“And the king said to the guards who were attending him, “Turn around and put the priests of the LORD to death, because their hand also is with David and because they knew that he was fleeing and did not reveal it to me.” But the servants of the king were not willing to put forth their hands to attack the priests of the LORD.”

 At this point, we witness a crack in Saul’s power. His own servants refused to follow his order to kill the priest. He is on his last leg politically. Saul’s guards as indicated by David are a group of devout men who loved the LORD (21:5). They were not about to kill the priest of the LORD.

           D. The Execution of the Priest vs. 18-19

“Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn around and attack the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned around and attacked the priests, and he killed that day eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. And he struck Nob the city of the priests with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and infants; also oxen, donkeys, and sheep he struck with the edge of the sword.”

 Saul’s opposition to God actually led to his carrying out the will of God. The Lord had stated that the line of Eli would suffer for Eli’s sin.

 IV. DAVID’S ANGUISHED RESPONSE vs. 20-23

“But one son of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. ²¹Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD. ²²Then David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have brought about the death of every person in your father’s household. ²³“Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life, for you are safe with me.”

 Note: The contrast between, Saul’s treatment of the priest of the Lord, and David’s treatment of them.

King Saul was indeed like the kings of the pagan nations around Israel. He opposed the LORD openly and blatantly.

Closing

Sin is like quick sand, when ventured upon; it will slowly suck you under. Like the proverbial frog in the science beaker of water where the temperature is slowly raised to the boiling point, killing the frog, which was completely unaware of the rising temperature or danger. Sin is like that, it will excite you then bit you; it will thrill you then seek to kill you.

 The word ‘…gain…’ means “…to profit…” It carries the idea of benefiting from a transaction. It would be advantageous for Paul to die and departed (vs. 23) to be with Jesus Christ.  Paul would be the richer spiritually to die and enter into the presence of God. 

 Furthermore, the word ‘die’ refers to the act of dying or the exact moment of death. The verb tense is aorist, indicating point action. Physical death is a onetime occurrence. If you are a Christian when physical death occurs, your spirit separates from your physical body and you are immediately transported into the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle affirmed this in 2 Corinthians 5:8b where he wrote “…to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.” 

 Therefore, the most profitable thing for Paul, as well as for all true followers of Jesus Christ, is to depart from this life into the presence of the Lord. What could be more profitable than being in the presence of the Lord Jesus?

 Caution

 However, if you are not a genuine follower of Jesus Christ, then upon your death you will be immediately cast into Hell, where you will suffer unthinkable agony, torment, which will never cease or lessen in intensity.

 Revelation 20:15 “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

 Closing: 

 Every person’s greatest need in this life is Jesus Christ. Every individual must come to saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. They must come to Jesus Christ for salvation. To come to Jesus for salvation you must first recognize who He is! He is the sovereign Lord of all creation.

 John 13:13 “You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.

Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

 Then you must come to the Lord Jesus on His terms for receiving forgiveness and salvation. You must repent, that is, you must turn away from sin, you must reject a self-centered focus in life, and by faith focus solely on surrendering to and living for Jesus. You must believe in, trust in, and reply upon the Lord Jesus alone for forgiveness and salvation.

 Can you say along with the Apostle Paul “..to die is gain…”? Are you ready to enter into eternity?

 He defined the sum of a Christian’s life, when he wrote in Colossians 3:4a that “…Christ…is our life.” He further echoed that single-mindedness in Galatians 2:20 where he declared, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” 

 Paul’s divinely inspired perspective on living the Christian life and that of the Bible are one and the same. To be a Christian means that one must know and live exclusively for Jesus Christ. Repeatedly the Scriptures assert that the one professing faith in Jesus Christ must live exclusively for the Lord, and not for themselves.

 Matthew 16:24-25 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. ²⁵ “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

 Romans 14:7-8 “For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; ⁸ for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” 

 2 Corinthians 5:15 “and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.” 

 In truth, the Christian life is a Christ-Centered life not a self-centered one. For the Christian, there is one all-encompassing purpose in life, which is knowing, loving, and serving, the Lord Jesus Christ. Like the Apostle Paul, our lives must be intently focused on the Lord Jesus. Those of us who profess faith in Jesus Christ are called by God to live totally for Him. For the Christian, must be committed to Jesus Christ in this life; you are to live your life singularly and radically for Jesus Christ.

 Jesus Christ Is Our Life!

Living in the Bible Belt of the United States, this week before Easter Sunday strikes me as being similar to the preparations carried out in England before a royal event.  Flowers are being ordered, new clothing is purchased for women and children, celebration dinners are being planned with the menu’s being discussed among the family and friends that will be coming together.  On Easter Sunday, the pomp and pageantry will be on full display!  Pastors will have fresh flowers displayed, new paint on the walls, extra volunteers working and a specially prepared sermon on hand.  The churches made up predominantly of older folks will have their pomp done one way, and the younger purpose-driven or postmodern folk will be “keeping it real” by using their own styles (they too will have a special pomp and pageantry for the occasion, even if it’s the way they casually deny that they have pomp & pageantry).  Every church going by the name “Christian” will have something special going on this coming Sunday, with many of the preparations being very similar to those of a royal event.  But the preparations aren’t the only similarities, and fresh flowers aren’t the only things in common on display.

I cannot help but notice that in the same way throngs of people come to hear from a Queen with no real power, throngs of churchgoers do the same as they flock to hear of a Lord with no power.  Please don’t misunderstand…the Lord Jesus Christ has both ultimate power and authority over all creation (so in that the comparison doesn’t stand).  But many, many of the people who are faithful to attend the annual Easter service recoil from the idea of the Lord having authority over them.  They claim that, as with the queen, there is no real-life authority.  They don’t claim it verbally, but they claim it in a more practical way with their take-home reaction of the sermon.  A truly biblical Easter sermon will not only cover the resurrection of Christ, but also why He came in the first place.  It should discuss our guilt in breaking God’s laws, and how the fine must be paid if the judge is to remain just.  Throughout many Easter services over many decades, America’s Bible Belt Christian has heard the message of the King (that we are to believe & repent of all sin) and rejected it with both their words and deeds.  It is as though many inwardly say, “Attending an Easter service is fine but give up my pornography, alcohol, or those lies so needed during the course of business?  Well, now this “religion thing” is going too far!”  It is the standard belief of multitudes that attending church is a good moral influence, a beneficial discipline that should be carried out from time to time, but giving up unmarried sex is out of the question…WAY out of question!!  The queen is a good show, and in the same way so is the message of Jesus.  It is a feel-good tradition of the past that carries no weight.  Good moral influence?  Yes.  Authority that is to be respected and obeyed?  Well…not so much.  Obviously, salvation isn’t earned by the good works performed from someone who reforms after a sermon.  But submission to the call of repentance (a change of mind) will be made evident in the lives of those who have truly repented.  An inward change in one’s view invariably shows itself in the outward life of the believer.  Repentance and faith can indeed be seen on the outside.  If you have ever read 1st John or Matthew 7, you will understand that this is a VERY biblical concept.

For those who attend a church that will preach the whole counsel of God (the good news of salvation preceeded by the bad news of sin and guilt) there seems to be a dangerous tradition of resting in the pew under the delusion that they are at a royal English event.  A great show, but one without authority.  The message given is delivered only for tradition and social custom.  If the queen were to give a speech in which she demanded obedience, these same folks would react with incredulous denial.  They would openly scoff at the idea of England’s Queen ever having real authority over their lives.  If attending the Easter service at the church this Sunday, these same folk would never scoff at Christ openly, but their refusal to humble themselves in repentance and cling to Christ alone has the same element of prideful independence.  The obvious difference in this comparison is that while the Queen really doesn’t have authority, the Lord Jesus Christ does.  Through Him and for Him all things were made, and in the end every knee will bow in acknowledgement of His Lordship!

What about you, dear reader?  Do you have the Easter dinner planned, the flowers selected and the plans in place for where you will view the pomp and pageantry this Sunday?  Are you filling a cultural tradition and your family’s expectations while having no intention whatsoever of humbling yourself, trusting Christ for forgiveness and obeying Him as your Lord (that is His job description not just a religious title, you know)?  Please allow me the freedom to make a suggestion – If you simply want a good show, take a European vacation and visit Buckingham palace.  It would be better for you on the Day of Judgement to have visited the Queen, heard her message, and denied her authority than if you go to church this Sunday and do these same things.  Scripture tells us that from whom much is given, much will be required!  The Lord Jesus Christ has offered forgiveness for those who repent and believe.  Will you?  Will you acknowledge Him as your Lord (meaning you are His slave) also?  The two are inseparable.

Remember, regardless of how fancy your church decorations may be, it isn’t Buckingham Palace and the message inside isn’t from a paper monarch.  The sermon (if you are in a true Bible-believing, law & Gospel, repent and believe kind of church) is the message of the living King.  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:8-10

Salvation leading to good works = Horse and then cart – GOOD!

Good works leading to (or assisting in) salvation = Cart and then horse – BAD!

If you are currently attending a church similar to the ones discussed here, one that has being “relevant” as its’ highest priority, I cannot stress enough the spiritual danger you might be embracing.  Not because they are trying to reach people with the Gospel, but because there is a very high possibility they are reaching people (and you) with a changed gospel.  Another gospel.  Please take the time to pray and study the Scriptures so that you might know for certain as to whether or not you and your children are being fed God’s truth as opposed to a psychology based morality movement.

The one thing missing from this video is a plain proclamation of the true, biblical Gospel as proclaimed by Jesus, Paul, John and all of Scripture.  But before I tell you of the rescue (which is the good news of the Gospel) you must know the bad news, and why all men are in need of rescue.  All men have sinned and broken God’s laws (these are laid out in summary form in the Ten Commandments).  We have all lied, hated, and lusted.  Every one of us has indulged in gossip, wicked fantasies and idolatry.  Because of our guilt, obeying the laws of God now will in no way absolve us of our existing guilt.  Why?  Because God is a just judge, and so a punishment must be handed down.  If no punishment is given, justice would not be upheld.  Because of this situation, we are all guilty and hopelessly headed for eternal torment.  But here is the good news!  God stepped in and sent His only Son to be tortured and killed on the Cross, paying our punishment.  Repenting of our sins (repenting is a change of mind regarding sin, a turning from our own passions) and clinging to Christ alone, trusting that His work alone is what makes us right with God, we are then made in right-standing with in the courts of the almighty.  Upon Him is our sin laid and we inherit the righteousness of Christ.  We are saved through faith in Christ alone (not our own efforts… that is why it is called “good news”!!)  Christ proved to all His true identity and that His sacrifice was acceptable by rising from the dead.  That is the gospel!  It is the good news that helpless and wicked men have a savior who has done the unimaginable in order to save His people!