Category: Writing

Hell – Annihilationism

After much study, it has become my position that Annihilationism, referring to those not found in the Book of Life at the end of all things being destroyed, and ceasing to exist, is a logical position to take, rather than the Orthodox position of ECT (eternal conscious torment).

After much study, it has become my position that Annihilationism, referring to those not found in the Book of Life at the end of all things being destroyed, and ceasing to exist, is a logical position to take, rather than the Orthodox position of ECT (eternal conscious torment).

It was customary for leaders and educators back at the time of the reformation to state plainly their position and be public about it to allow for contradiction, to see if it can be defended. This practice is what led to the 95 theses from Martin Luther. I would stand on the annihilation position, but with a reasonable amount of humility, as I am not seminary trained, nor do I have an advanced degree, and I could most certainly be wrong. I would also not choose to teach it in church, as my church does take the orthodox view, and if ever called to teach, I would operate under parameters we agree on, and would not choose to disagree with the elder-led position. I think that is only fair, and we must respect the umbrella we are under, and have each other’s backs. But I also recognize that healthy disagreement, whether debating free will vs predestination, sprinkled babies or immersed believers, premil or postmil, billions of years or seven days of creation, or any smattering of topics, it is fruitful to disagree, and spar from time to time, so that we may all benefit by staying engaged in the scriptures, seek answers, hone in on truth.

That being said, it is not a salvation issue, and therefore, taking a hard line on it, like I do with Salvation through Christ alone, or the Trinity, is perhaps a bit heavy handed. Nevertheless, despite running in to many Christian brothers who would prefer a more peaceable church journey, I tend to enjoy stirring the pot from time to time, if nothing else, then to at least practice girding up our loins. Iron sharpens iron, after all.

Let’s define the orthodox view:

It would be said by orthodoxy that ECT (Eternal Conscious Torment) Is Clearly Taught in Scripture:

Matthew 25:46 – “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

The Greek word aiōnios (eternal) is used identically for both outcomes: punishment and life. If “eternal life” means unending life with God, “eternal punishment” must likewise mean unending punishment — or else the parallel collapses?

Revelation 14:11 – “The smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night…”

The phrase “forever and ever” (eis aiōnas aiōnōn) is the strongest Greek construction for endless time. The torment described here is conscious and unceasing — “no rest, day or night” — clearly not annihilation, right?

Daniel 12:2 – “…some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”

“Everlasting contempt” (deraon olam) must persist to be meaningful. You can’t contempt something that doesn’t exist. If God is infinite in holiness, then sin against Him carries infinite weight. The consequence must therefore be proportionally infinite. Temporal sin doesn’t mean the punishment must be short-lived — just as a momentary crime (e.g., murder) can yield a lifelong sentence.

Jesus spoke of hell more than anyone else with words like:

“Where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:48) — drawn from Isaiah 66. This imagery suggests unending decay, not quick destruction. This is graphic and strong language to indicate a ceaseless situation. But this ceaseless torment demands we agree with an automatically immortal soul imbued to everyone.

Let us look at where this idea of an immortal soul comes from. If you lived your whole life without Bugs Bunny cartoon depictions of hell, or any preconceived notions of a devil and a pitchfork and roasting forever, and I handed you a Bible, and you simply read through it, imagine what you’d conclude about the end. Probably that you’d “not perish but have everlasting life.” Probably that some would receive a Second Death at the end.

Where would you point to convince yourself there’s millions of years of burning alive? I’m suggesting that as a layperson, without listening to what all these traditions tell us to think, can easily imagine walking away from the scripture and simply concluding a result as it is written; i.e. obvious death.

So why this axiom that a soul is automatically eternal? This is despite compelling verses such as, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” – Matthew 10:28.

The answer is, Plato! It was his assertion during a deeply philosophical time, that the soul was an immortal thing. The soul was to him eternal, immaterial, pre-existent, and indestructible by nature. So, by the time the Old Testament was being completed, and long before the New Testament, Plato’s views were already influencing the wider intellectual world — including the Hellenistic Jews and later Greco-Roman converts to Christianity. In ancient Hebrew though (pre-Plato), the soul (nephesh) was not seen as inherently immortal. People lived, died, and went to Sheol —but there was no clear doctrine of ongoing consciousness or immortality. Egyptian and Babylonian beliefs had afterlife ideas, but those were very different — ritual-based, not philosophical, and often only for the elite, rather than a unilateral belief.

Plato was one of the first to systematically argue for the soul’s immortality as a universal, philosophical truth. So no — the idea that the soul can’t die is not original to Hebrew or early biblical theology. It’s more Greek than God-breathed. But before we had Baptists, and Bugs Bunny, and horror movies, we had early church fathers, during the expansion of Christendom throughout the Greek and Roman world, and those steeped in church history are well aware that much of the culture crept in to early Christianity. The prior rituals were gone, and other than love God, love your neighbor, baptize one another, and take communion, there was not much left to take the place of the highly ritualized polytheistic world view. In the same way, philosophy and culture would have been prevalent even among genuine converts, and Greeks would inherently “know” that the soul was immortal before, and then after adopting the scriptures as true.

Origen (3rd c.) and Augustine (4th–5th c.) both inherited strong Platonic influence. They sincerely tried to synthesize Scripture with what they considered the “best” philosophy of the time — and Plato was the gold standard. So when they spoke of immortal souls, they weren’t quoting Scripture — they were echoing a Greek philosophical paradigm. It sounded right to them because it matched both their culture and their education. Origen in his work On First Principles, wrote:

“By an immortal and eternal law of equity and by the control of divine providence the immortal soul is brought to the height of perfection.”

This reflects his belief in the soul’s pre-existence and its journey toward perfection, concepts aligned with Platonic thought.

Augustine (354–430 AD), in The City of God, stated:

“The soul is therefore called immortal, because in a sense, it does not cease to live and to feel; while the body is called mortal because it can be forsaken of all life, and cannot by itself live at all.” Here, Augustine emphasizes the soul’s continuous existence, a view consistent with Platonic philosophy. These perspectives were not directly derived from Scripture but were interpretations influenced by the cultural and philosophical context of their era.

It wasn’t until the 14th Century that Dante’s Inferno depicted hell as a place of eternal, conscious, tailored torments and vivid, poetic visions that cemented the emotional and visual imagination of hell for centuries. It was this work that truly inspired our modern idea of hell, much like Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind modeled our image of aliens that have never been seen. One could not even engage with the specific medium and still hardly get away from it! While Dante certainly drew from Christian theology, much of the imagery is medieval, philosophical, and poetic, not biblical, and used Greco-Roman mythological structure (e.g., Charon, Minos, the underworld’s geography).

As I build the argument, I can rightly surmise that the origins of general beliefs regarding hell were not always based in scripture, but it does not excuse us from having to dismiss the framework applied to it. So what would a concise (but not exhaustive) rebuttal be? Quite simply, the consistent biblical use of terms like “perish,” “destroy,” and “death” rather than “eternal suffering.” The word eternal that is referred to over and over:

Matthew 25:46: “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

-is to say this is an eternal result, a permanent result. It does indeed determine things for all time, but simply indicates that the result is a permanent one. It’s either permanently life or permanently destruction. These are eternal results, meaning they last forever. But nowhere in scripture, except through faith in Jesus Christ, is life itself offered.

The prior discussed notion within orthodox Christianity that the soul cannot be destroyed is being asserted in ECT, but number one, if God created it then of course he can destroy it – “Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Number two, this automatic right to eternal life is never offered outside of Jesus! It is only congruous with Christ. He is the way and the hope, and the life, whoever believes in Him shall have eternal life, have life and life abundantly – and what is eternal life? It is literally defined for us by our creator as existence with him, and getting to know him:

John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

We literally have the Creator of all things defining eternal life that only He can grant, and it is a perfectly defined truth, and non-existent without Him, in whatever form!

If eternal life is only ever offered to a sheep, as part of the bride of Christ, then what must be the opposite side of that coin? The bible never offers life without Him; quite the opposite, it always offers destruction. And to reiterate the initial point, this resurrection unto damnation, The White Throne Judgment in Revelation is described as the resurrection of those not found in the book of life, who will be cast into hell, explicitly called the second death, again very clear to the layperson.

We cannot just assert, but must back the assertion with scripture, and of course I’d encourage everyone to examine the truthful scriptures, whether to agree or rip me to shreds. But here are a few verses that touch on this repeated idea of a death:

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” – John 3:36

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” – Matthew 7:13-14

There is only one lawgiver and judge, the One [God] who is able to save and destroy. – James 4:12

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing (apollumi); but to those who are being saved, it is the power of God. – 1 Corinthians 1:18

They perish (apollumi) because they refuse to love the truth and be saved. – 2 Thessalonians 2:10b

He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish (apollumi), but everyone to come to repentance. – 2 Peter 3:9

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in me will live even though he dies (apothnesko); 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die (apothnesko). Do you believe this?” – John 11:25-26

if he [God] condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; – 2 Peter 2:6

You should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save that sinner’s soul from death (thanatos). – James 5:20

In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction (olethros) from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. – 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9

The first part of this passage shows that God will punish those who reject the gospel and verse 9 reveals exactly what this punishment will be: everlasting destruction. This obviously refers to destruction that lasts forever and not to an endless process of destroying without ever actually destroying, as supporters of eternal torment declare. After all, to perpetually be in the process of destroying without ever actually succeeding isn’t really destruction at all! This would be everlasting torment, which of course is never once described in scripture.

There are many more verses… so many more, and each reiterating this same obvious theme. We read perish, destroy, die, destruction. We read of chaff, and weeds being no more. This particular beaten horse, if it be not dead, is at the very least in immediate danger of expiring, with just a cursory reading through our Bible.

But, the ECT position may say, what if “death” is separation, not cessation?

In the Garden, God told Adam: “In the day you eat of it, you shall surely die.” But Adam didn’t die physically that day. So what happened? He died spiritually — separated from the life of God. This understanding of death as separation is carried into the New Testament: “You were dead in your trespasses and sins…” (Eph. 2:1)

“She who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives.” (1 Tim. 5:6)

So if “death” means estrangement from the life of God, then the second death could be eternal separation — a living death, conscious and unending. Is “separation” a satisfying interpretation of “death” in Revelation 20:14? Or does it stretch the meaning too far from what the text plainly says?

I do not find this idea of separation while alive, and annihilationism to be mutually exclusive. I think there is great harmony in fact – this spiritual separation leading to an eventual permanent separation in death. The dread of such a solemn fate is taught and pondered and felt, and with it fear and wisdom.

But logically I would push back on someone who uses this as a pillar for their argument and ask this: if God is omnipresent, the creator of both heaven and hell, and his presence and his justice are throughout both, then how else could one actually be separate from God, other than ceasing to exist?

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! – Psalm 139:8

If God is omnipresent. and His justice and authority uphold even hell itself, then true separation — not just relational or moral, but actual existential separation — can only mean nonexistence. As long as something exists, it remains upheld by God. So if ‘death’ is complete separation from God, the only coherent way to understand that is annihilation — because anything else still requires divine sustenance, even if it is some form of ordained torture, as it would remain part of His creation.

This reframes the debate:

For the ECT side to say hell is separation from God, they must clarify: separated how? Not spatially — because God is omnipresent. Not ontologically — because nothing can exist apart from Him. So what is left? Relational separation? That feels weak compared to the finality Scripture seems to portray. This is not metaphorical ruin, but ontological finality — God withdrawing the sustaining breath, and the soul collapsing into nothingness.

This could be expanded into an extensive series of articles, or a book, so again, let us not be exhaustive and obnoxious in our detail. But if we truly believe that death is swallowed up in victory, then immortality is something that we must “put on”, immortality being a gift, and again is only every mentioned in synergy with Christ. We shall not perish but have everlasting life.

One final issue, saved for the end, because it is perhaps the only place in the bible where one could fire back at my position with a particularly poignant verse. I speak of course of this:

“If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured out full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the lamb [Jesus].  And the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast or his image, or anyone who receives the mark of his name.” – Revelation 14:9-ll

The phrase “forever and ever” (eis aiōnas aiōnōn) is the strongest Greek construction for endless time. Would the ECT Christian not be correct in referring to this?

It would seem to fit the narrative if not for a couple of key points. For starters, this is a book of apocalyptic language, obviously steeped in hyperbole, designed to color the pages in extreme illustrations, and to paint the most vivid depictions. Regardless of your position on interpreting Revelation, it is obviously dripping with descriptions beyond our imaginings, and to have a picture of death overstated here is not out of touch with the surrounding literature. Secondly, these verses have a sister verse in Isaiah:

Edom’s streams will be turned into pitch,

 her dust into burning sulfur;

 her land will become blazing pitch!

It will not be quenched night and day;

 its smoke will rise forever. – Isaiah 34:9-10

As we can plainly see, there are terrific parallels in language between the two verses. Do we get the impression that the kingdom of Edom will burn forever and ever? Of course! But the rest of the chapter renders this interpretation impossible. It shows us an Edom that becomes a desert, that is filled with wild animals, where the people are “totally destroyed” and slaughtered. So how can the burning day and night forever mean what it is saying? Let’s view the terminology in parallel:

her dust [will be turned] into burning sulfur               – He will be tormented with burning sulfur

its smoke will rise forever                   – the smoke of their torment rises forever

It will not be quenched night and day                        – There is no rest day or night

Our conclusion must be that just as the rest of the Isaiah passage renders the literal interpretation moot, so it is with the rest of the Revelation passage, as the Lord follows through with His plans for total redemption, and a new heaven and earth. Night and day in this context must obviously mean that it will burn continuously until the utter destruction of the place is carried out in accordance with the will of God. Then we see the ensuing result, a desert fit only for animals, and a destroyed people. In the same manner, so also will the continual burning of the lost be, until they are destroyed; not tortured endlessly in some non-stop incomplete destruction process never to be fully carried out.

With this thought we come to the final crux of the issue at hand – What possible good would it do for redeemed and new world to have a large corner of it designated for endless torture? We imagine the mothers of unsaved children enjoying heaven knowing their kids are roasting in hell the entire time. Are their memories wiped, or can we be honest with ourselves, and say that logically we can all reconcile the justice of God’s wrath without the need for endless torture? We allow for hierarchy in hell, and degrees of punishment, the regret and pain of outer darkness, and gnashing of teeth, of course. But at a certain point it starts to become a warped version of justice, imagining 100,000 years of torment and death because you spent 60 years on earth being selfish. Or how about 1 million years? At what point does it become cruel that the person was ever made? Is this the character of God? Hasn’t this notion always struck caring Christians as a bit maladroit? Does speak well to the character of God, where we all celebrate the redemption of mankind, as millions of people scream in agony forever? Hitler might deserve it, granted, but at some point I’m going to be wishing that the old agnostic lady who made me cookies down the street would be let off the hook.

Bottom line is, when we read the bible without the shackles of cultural dogma, where in the word would we point to convince ourselves there’s millions of years of burning alive?

If I had only the Bible and no cultural baggage — what would I conclude? From the Old Testament:

“The soul that sins shall die” (Ezek. 18:4)

“They shall be as though they had never been” (Obadiah 1:16)

“The wicked are like chaff that the wind drives away” (Psalm 1:4)

From the Gospels and Epistles:

Repeated language: perish, destroy, burned like branches, die, second death.

Jesus warns of Gehenna — a valley of destruction, not eternal torture chambers.

John 3:16 again: the contrast is perishing vs. everlasting life.

From Revelation:

Even the Lake of Fire is explicitly called “the second death” (Rev. 20:14).

No verse shows unending screams — it shows final judgment, then new creation.

So what would I conclude?

Life is offered through Christ. Death — real, irreversible death — awaits those who reject Him.

Do you think the Church is ready to claim this? Or will tradition hold it back?

I imagine the church would remain rigid, unable to differentiate between gentler matters such as this, and serious matters, such as a watered down gospel, or justifying sin. They will see any attempt at weakening orthodoxy as an assault on the whole. Christians will not abide countering  any part of their beloved Confessions of Faith, which of course are lovely, wonderful guardrails and tools for discipling. But they are not scripture, and conversation about any tenants of them can cause defensiveness. Because in their view:

If this piece of doctrine is reconsidered, what’s next?

Is this the beginning of compromise?

Are we letting culture soften us?

Are we undermining the urgency of evangelism?

But I am not trying to attack orthodoxy, within which I am firmly ensconced for the most part. I am simply examining scripture for truth and a cohesive understanding of the Word. Could it be possible that automatic immortality is and was always pagan? If the wages of sin is death — why are we describing it as unending life in torment? And that’s a question that deserves to be heard without suspicion about my motives. There is nothing wrong with earnest study between brothers in Christ, and even if I’m totally wrong, it is worth it to present the argument precisely so it can be refuted. In debates I have been called gross, heretic, stupid, and Satan, by well-meaning Christians who believe so strongly against me that I am a rude offense to them, but we should not be scared to engage if our goals are to seek truth, and simply talk about what the scripture says. And if we part loving brothers in Christ who happen to disagree about something, then we are blessed to have been challenged, and sharpened, and to have sought truth in fellowship together.

Fasting

We’ve so deeply confused comfort with safety that anything that removes indulgence feels like danger—even when it’s actually life-giving.

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” —Psalm 73:26

Fasting is a mechanism of denying self and focusing on God, found in scriptures. When done with the proper mindset, there is a clarity that can be achieved, and both physical and spiritual benefits enjoyed through fasting.

It is not like western medicine to recommend such an age old practice for multiple reasons. If someone were to get lightheaded and pass out on this recommendation, exercise to hard, or approach it unwisely, the doctor could be sued. This is coupled with western cultures ignorance of nutrition, preventative maintenance, and its penchant for treating symptoms with drugs rather than healthy food, exercise, and healthy living.

A clean fast would consist of water, coffee, green tea, and perhaps a bit of salt if needed. This is most difficult, but creates the best health benefits while engaged in the practice. For anyone struggling with eating disorders, it would of course be wise to temper what I say with wisdom and your own situation, because any type of fasting is not slated to be starvation, but instead, strategic subtraction for an intended purpose. That being said, with a proper scheduled time of fasting, the benefits soar with little actual threat to the health of the individual.

All the noise, all the cravings, all the “I’m dying” signals we feel after 12, 24, even 72 hours? They’re not rooted in need—they’re rooted in conditioning. Physiologically, the body is fine—better than fine, it’s healing, adapting, cleaning house. But the mind? The ego? The flesh? We’ve so deeply confused comfort with safety that anything that removes indulgence feels like danger—even when it’s actually life-giving. “Man does not live by bread alone…”
We say we believe it—but fasting exposes whether we actually do.

Fasting is an ancient, built-in, God-ordained response to the very affluence and overindulgence that poisons our souls and bodies today. Not only that, it is a multi-faceted gift. Spiritually, it reorients; Fasting humbles the soul (Psalm 35:13). It confronts pride, distraction, and self-sufficiency. It teaches you to hunger for God, not just comfort or control. Keep in mind too, Jesus assumed His followers would do it:

    “When you fast…” —not if (Matthew 6:16).

    Physically, it restores. In a culture of constant input (calories, dopamine, stress), fasting creates pause, triggering autophagy, fat loss, Hormone regulation, Mental clarity, inflammation reduction, immune rejuvenation, and resets the body’s rhythms.

    Culturally, fasting confronts. We live in a society addicted to immediacy, indulgence, and consumption. Fasting is resistance. It says: “I am not ruled by my cravings. My stomach is not my god. My comfort is not my goal.”

      It is an anti-Babylon, a departure from excess. From Moses to David, from Esther to Daniel, from Jesus to Paul—fasting appears:

      Before battle

      Before calling

      Before breakthrough

      During mourning

      During repentance

      During consecration

      It’s a time-honored tool in the life of God’s people—because it aligns us with dependence, clarity, power, and purity. In our culture today, where food is abundant, attention is scattered, and health is decaying—fasting is countercultural obedience that leads to both spiritual fire and physical healing—definitely one of God’s answers for modern man.

      Theologically we have precedence to fast, and this was done in obedience, without the physiological understanding we possess today:

      Humility & Dependence
      Joel 2:12–13 (ESV)
      “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
      Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.

      Ezra 8:21 (ESV)
      Then I proclaimed a fast there… that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods.

      Wisdom, Guidance & Decision-Making
      Acts 13:2–3 (ESV)
      While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul…” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

      Acts 14:23 (ESV)
      And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

      Fasting wasn’t occasional—it was part of the disciples’ rhythm for hearing God clearly.

      Spiritual Warfare & Strength
      Matthew 4:1–2 (ESV)
      Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

      Jesus didn’t fast to weaken Himself—He fasted to strengthen Himself before temptation.
      He fought Satan with Scripture in His mouth and emptiness in His stomach—and still had more authority.

      Clarity, Power & Breakthrough
      Matthew 6:17–18 (ESV)
      But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others… And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

      Daniel 9:3 (ESV)
      Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.

      Mark 9:29 (ESV, KJV reference)
      “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting.”

      But, how remarkable it is that we know so much about the actual health benefits today when we commit to this ancient practice:

      Autophagy takes place, literally meaning self-eating, is when our body starts breaking down old, damaged cells—junk proteins, cellular debris, even pre-cancerous cells. Autophagy targets misfolded proteins (like those associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s); Damaged mitochondria (energy factories of your cells); Viral remnants and possibly pre-cancerous cells; Debris from oxidative stress; Old immune cells and inflammatory materials.

      Ketosis takes place after about 36 hours, when glycogen stores are depleted. It is perfectly designed to begin fueling your body with ketones, a clean burning, anti-inflammatory fuel that uses your stored fat as energy. White fat is broken down into brown fat, and fat loss can take place between 0.5 and 1 pound per day (this is not an encouragement to use this as a method of fat loss overall, as after 90 hours, the body will have some diminishing health returns such as depleted immune system, muscle loss, and high cortisol as you enter a survival mode).

      Amazingly, after 24–48 hours, human growth hormone (HGH) can rise by 2–5x! This means recovery and lean tissue preservation is an automatic response to fasting. For those who are athletic, work out, and want to keep their gains, within the window of 24-90 hours, your HGH will work to maintain muscle mass while your body burns fat, effecting your overall body composition for the better! It’s like God built a system where once you focus on Him, the more efficient your body becomes—a reverse of the curse of indulgence.

      Your insulin drops to almost zero, and your dopamine receptors reset, creating joys over small things, and deeper moments of prayer and meditation. It is truly a corrective and contemplative journey through a few days of discipline. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” —Matthew 4:4

      When done responsibly, and I’d add the disclaimer for those with diabetes, or health concerns to talk to a doctor, fasting not only gives you an opportunity to spend time with the Lord in a busy affluent culture, but to give your body a much needed moment of reset when pursuing your health goals. To further the benefits of autophagy, stick with water, coffees, green tea, and don’t add calories or proteins that might come from juices or bone broth (a dirty fast). Green tea contains EGCG, which has neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects, and caffeine from coffee increases lipolysis (fat breakdown) and thermogenesis. And with plenty of fat as rocket fuel for a slow steady body, and a sharp and calm mind, the surprising clarity that comes with a 72-80 fast will be a wonderful discipline to try.

      Unholy Trinity

      The legend of the first unholy trinity is an approximate history around the time of Babel. A nexus that would have dire consequences for all remaining time. People often ask if Christianity has borrowed its truths from other myths and cultures, but the bible tells us “…we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12) It is my opinion that every false and opposing religion that detracts from the truth of the gospel has been orchestrated by such powers, and that casting doubt on a plan of redemption known about since the Garden of Eden is an efficient way for enemies of God to muddy waters. Let’s take a look back in time at this important period, where many lies began.

      Noah landed on the mountains of Ararat after the flood around 2350 BC, and our greatest geological features were laid down all over the world. Mountain ranges and gorges were formed, as great spillways washed millions of tons of sediment into oceans. Animals were swirled and broken and buried all over the earth, creating fossil graveyards, placing whale bones in deserts, and burying sea creatures on every continent high above sea level. Pillow lava formed great swatches of land, fault lines settled and cooled, and sedimentary layers were deposited over vast areas of the world. One such rock layer called the Cretaceous chalk beds of southern England can be traced to Ireland, across France and Germany, down to Israel and Egypt, and remarkably all the way to the mid-west United States, all having the same distinctive strata both above and below, and the same fossils within, an impossibility without the world-wide, calamitous flood of Noah. Mud and rock travelled hundreds of miles, exposing layers on canyon walls that had no erosion between, indicating catastrophe and rapid burial. From a Niagara Falls that would not exist had it millions of years to run its course, to the limiting factors of the Sahara Desert and the Great Barrier Reef, I unabashedly believe the great deluge of Noah’s day formed the world we see now.

                  Biblicists can trace all mankind back to that very ark. But the perfect world God had created was no more. You remember your Genesis, yes? Men lived to 900 years old. But the sky fell, the atmosphere changed, and the days of men were reduced. Going by a biblical timeline, people forget that it did not happen right away. This meant that the earliest patriarchs, such as Shem who lived to 600, Heber who lived to 464 years, Terah who lived to 205 years, would have been revered, even idolized by generations of people. Just for reference, Noah who died in 1998 BC could have known a two year old Abram (Abraham) if he had been in the same city. This would have been his great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather.

                  Certainly, if those of the line of Christ lived so long, other lines did as well. As beautifully complete a history as the bible is, it is only a history of the Hebrew nation. But Ham, and Japheth had sons and daughters, and it is quite conceivable that men of old who desired adoration let themselves be perceived as gods. Consider, according to Genesis chapter 10, Ham begat Cush, who begat Nimrod. It says Nimrod was a mighty one in the earth, and the beginning of his kingdom was Babel where history records severe idolatry. He then establishes Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar, which makes up the Khabur Triangle.

      The pieces of the legend begin with what we know from the word of God. In Babel, Nimrod, as this mighty hunter, wished to erect a tower. This building of a great tower was not for the worship of God, but rather in the face of God, and for man’s own exaltation and benefit. Nimrod, this self-proclaimed god-man, was the impetus behind its construction, for the sole purpose of challenging heaven with glorified self. The languages were confused, and the people were dispersed. But they all learned the same wrong way to worship, and all had the same champions to idolize.

                  There is no way to get this next part exactly right, for no ancient history of any peoples is even minutely comparable to the continuous and specific history of the Hebrew witnesses. Archeology often misses this, and it is to their peril, rather than the bible’s. No scholar worth his salt would dismiss biblical records over that of the incomplete, disfigured records of any other culture. And this is not a small point; Hebrews are the only ancient culture to have told the truth when logging their own defeats. The common practice was for losses to be erased from history, so that civilizations, such as Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Assyrian, could retain their perceived glory. But we know who glory belongs to, don’t we?

                              The bible tells us that Nimrod established the next cities, and history says Ninus established cities as well, Nineveh being one of them. Legend says that along the way, Nimrod picked up a bride named Semiramis. Some construed she was found on the street, perhaps engaging in the ‘oldest known profession’. No one knows for sure. But as men followed Nimrod for his prowess and civic leadership, the same citizenry looked to her for guidance in spirituality. Nimrod gave her the reigns as queen, allowing her to control the hearts of men.

                  The kingdoms that were established delved into debauchery. It was the beginning of opiates, and prostitution, and revelries of questionable intensions. There was of course drinking, and plenty of gossipy scandal, but worse than that were the sacrifices made under the guise of religious fervor. Virgins and I’m sorry to say, first born sacrifices were common occurrences. Amidst the cultish practices run amuck, Semiramis became pregnant. Now, who could say if it was Nimrod’s baby, or one of the frequent guests of the palace beds? There is insinuation, however, that the coup which ensued to avoid aspersion was also an epic power play, and quite possibly the most damaging thing the devil has ever concocted.

                  One night during a banquet, an evening of wicked carousing, Semiramis stepped up the intensity in every way. It became a raucous and sexual affair, and the queen made sure that the wine flowed, and the hallucinogens were ardently consumed. At the peak of the celebration, she had convinced her husband to be the sacrifice for the evening. Folklore indicates that he willingly allowed for his limbs to be tied to horses in the courtyard, and in his stupor was convinced he would survive, or be reborn. He was not.

                  Semiramis was not only the queen, but had become the high priestess of this ceremony, and when she gave the word, the party goers obeyed her wish, and goaded the horses into a frenzied gallop, ripping asunder the mighty king. Now, with a son in her belly, and her promising the king would return, she, like the Grinch, thought up a scheme, and thought it up quick. She promised that if his body was ripped apart and spread to the corners of Mesopotamia, or Shinar, then those cities who had a piece of Nimrod would flourish. She then, most promptly, asked for the pieces back, so she could reassemble her husband. She received almost every piece, if you believe the stories, save one. And based on Obelisk monuments built in his honor, I think you can guess which piece did not return to the palace. That’s right, it was his hand… Just kidding, it was his royal man-business.

                  This, of course, disallowed her to perform the reanimation of her late husband, and she convinced the people that since he could not return, his spirit had instead entered the sun, and had become the sun god, Shamash, which later became Baal. Semiramis had her child, and named him Ninus. She also told tales about herself, to dispelled reports that she had been a mere prostitute, and had given birth to someone else’s baby. The myth that she had never been born a baby, but was instead divine, spread throughout the known world. The moon had given birth to her full grown after one of its 28 day cycles by floating a great egg down to the Euphrates River. One distortion suggests that she was birthed by the river, or by the sea, and came to shore on a large seashell, similar to the story the Greeks would adopt about their goddess Aphrodite. This of course meant that Ninus, or Tammuz, had now become the defacto son of a sun god and of a moon goddess. You would think that this would be enough distortion for one super villain, but it was not. The rumor was also spread that Ninus was in fact the reincarnation of Nimrod. This was the justification Semiramis used to marry him.

                  The son of this trinity was known by many names, an amalgamation of real and fictional leaders throughout the ancient world. The name Ninus is not found in any cuneiform literature, the ancient writing of Mesopotamia, but Nineveh is ‘the city of Ninus’ in Greek, and Tammuz, his alternate name, is Akkadian, the language of Mesopotamian cultures such as Assyria and Babylon. He was known to be fond of rabbits, and also became a hunter like his father, which eventually led to his demise. The day came when he was killed by the wild boar he was hunting. The queen told the parishioners that a forty day period of sorrow each year prior to the anniversary of his death was to be recognized. During this time, no meat was to be eaten. Meditation on Tammuz was to be commenced, shown outwardly and publically by making a ‘T’ on ones chest. Semiramis, also known by her Akkadian name Ishtar (pronounced Easter), soon dedicated a day of celebration in spring to her growing and mysterious religion, revering the queen of heaven’s fertility and sexuality, and her birth from the full moon. It became the tradition, of course, to utilize eggs and rabbits, and to dine on a pig, the source of her son’s demise.

      Semiramis was soon worshiped as the ‘queen of heaven’. In Babylon she built the first obelisk, 130 feet high, to honor the husband she destroyed with horses, which of course represents the non-returned phallus. It is interesting to note the obelisks that have been erected – if you will pardon the pun – in history, and by whom. The largest obelisk in the world, for example, is in front of the capitol building in Washington, D.C., the Washington Monument; certainly food for thought. The obelisk in front of St. Peter’s in Rome is one hundred thirty-two feet high and came from Heliopolis in Egypt, where Semiramis took the name Isis, and Ninus was known as Horus, or Osiris. The Egyptian mother and child were worshiped there, with the infant Osiris seated on his mother’s lap, an all too familiar image. The mother and the child. Countless Babylonian monuments show the goddess-mother Semiramis with a baby in her arms. After Babel, different names were applied. Just as Tammuz was an Akkadian name, so Semiramis had the Babylonian alias, Ishtar. Ancient Germans worshipped the virgin Hertha with child; Scandinavians called her Disa; in India, the mother and child were called Devaki and Krishna, and also Isi and Iswara; pagan Rome had Fortuna and Jupiter; in Greece, she was Ceres, or Irene, and he was Plutus; and in parts of Asia they were known as Cybele and Deoius. When Jesuit missionaries finally visited the Far East, they were incredulous to already find Madonna and child in Tibet, Japan, and also China, where Shing Moo was holding a child with glory around her head, painted as if it had been done by Italian artisans.

                  The fallout from this tangle of lives reverberated through the ages, and in these three persons, you have the origin of false idols, polytheism, reincarnation, self worship, virgin and first born sacrifices, prostitution, paganism, and witchcraft. What took place there at Babel so long ago was arguably the most detrimental series of events to mankind’s salvation ever conducted. The unholy trinity of Nimrod, Ninus, and Semiramis saturated the globe with unhealthy rituals, and it peaked in influence when Babylon set the tone for the world. Babylon, Assyria, Ur, they all eventually fell, but the poison had already seeped into every culture. With the languages confused, man spread from that nexus of abomination, and walked aspects of all false religions to come across the earth. The worship of fabricated gods has been a tool of evil ever since these traditions were set in motion, and mankind has suffered in its wake. It was such anathema to the Lord’s will that He wrote

      ‘Ye shall have no other gods before Me’

      with His very finger. A command often mistook, when it is not seen for the love and protection it provides.

      THE IPUWER PAPYRUS

      As a mater of interesting archeology, the Ipuwer papyrus, also known as the ‘Admonitions of Ipuwer’, is an Egyptian text written on papyrus from around 2000 to 1600 BC, which would put it right at the period of time coinciding with the Exodus. This makes the document a very controversial one, for several reasons.

      As a matter of interesting archeology, the Ipuwer papyrus, also known as the ‘Admonitions of Ipuwer’, is an Egyptian text written on papyrus from around 2000 to 1600 BC, which would put it right at the period of time coinciding with the Exodus. This makes the document a very controversial one, for several reasons.

      Firstly it is incomplete, very damaged, and is missing the beginning, and the ending. Secondly, it makes reference to circumstances happening in the surrounding culture that parallel very closely with events of the Exodus. Since the Bible’s critics maintain that the exodus was fictional, and Christians maintain that the old testament records accurate historical narratives, the assertion of bible critics would be to maintain that the two references have no correlation.

      Let’s be clear about a couple things. Christians do not need to find corroborating archeology to believe, or bolster faith. Critics mistakenly insist that evidence must be found outside the Bible, which is an unfair bias, as the Bible itself is a library of many books of antiquity, not only remarkably preserved, but uniquely self-corroborating, despite authors being separated by time and distance. In fact, the Bible’s preservation is so well respected by historians, that if one were to dismiss it outright, they would be forced to dismiss all books of antiquity, all of them having far less evidence of reliability. Critics who demand evidence “other than the Bible,” mistakenly assume it is an invalid source of information.

      Also, Egyptian history is notorious for deleting negative or embarrassing details. Unlike the embarrassing testimony of sin, confusion, and lost battles, recorded truthfully by the Hebrews, it was not uncommon for Egyptian or other cultures to erase kings they didn’t like, destroy records of wars they lost, or keep details of enemies from notoriety. The result being a highly edited, and favorable account of an empire’s history, coupled with an untenable timeline of kings and events.

      That being said, it is always fun when archeology and other sciences do indeed support the authority of scripture, which happens often. As an example, in 2 Kings 18, it says:

      13 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.

      Critics often maintained such a king never existed, the Bible was wrong, and secular lists of ancient kings should be held in higher esteem than made up, untrustworthy scripture… that is until 1849, when Henry Layard uncovered the city of Nineveh, and found Sennacherib’s name at the gates.

      Arguing that because we haven’t found proof yet, means the scripture isn’t accurate is an argument from silence, and joyfully, often backfires when more evidences are found. But, let is digress back to the Papyrus in question.

      Here we have a rare look into some of Egypt’s difficulties, sufferings, and defeats, at a time where most historical records preserve only a sterling façade of power and glory. I highly recommend the documentary Patterns of Evidence regarding the Exodus, if you haven’t seen it, but let’s explore some of what is illustrated by the poetry on this Ipuwer papyrus.

      “The door [keepers] say: “Let us go and plunder.”… and the servant takes what he finds” (Exodus 12:36, The Jews plunder the Egyptians upon leaving)

      “poor men have become owners of wealth, and he who could not make sandals for himself is now a possessor of riches” (took silver and gold)

      “Indeed, the women are barren, and none conceive. Khnum fashions (men) no more because of the condition of the land.” (everything destroyed)

      “pestilence is throughout the land, blood is everywhere” (plagues)

      “the river is blood, yet men drink of it” (Exodus 7:24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile)

      “Indeed, gates, columns and walls are burnt up, while the hall of the palace stands firm and endures… towns are destroyed and Upper Egypt has become an empty waste.”

      “I have separated him and his household slaves”

      “Indeed, runners are fighting over the spoil [of ] the robber, and all his property is carried off.” – (This is an interesting one, because it is possible citizens are fighting over what has been left in the abandoned homes of the “robbers,” those who plundered the great city. They would be fighting over spoils out of great need.)

      Indeed, all animals, their hearts weep; cattle moan because of the state of the land.

      “Indeed, the children of princes are dashed against walls, and the children of the neck are laid out on the high ground.” – (tenth plague, death of Egyptian firstborn – At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as well. 30 Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead.)

      “Behold, the fire has gone up on high, and its burning goes forth against the enemies of the land.” – Pillar of fire)

      “Behold, things have been done which have not happened for a long time past; the king has been deposed by the rabble.” – (slaves victorious over a king)

      “Behold, he who had no property is now a possessor of wealth, and the magnate praises him.”

      “Behold, the poor of the land have become rich, and the [erstwhile owner] of property is one who has nothing.”

      What an amazing document! So many parallels it is hard to ignore. This is by no means exhaustive, and many additional details can be determined by reading all of it, including consequences of the event. Details about barbarians looting afterwards, lead us to believe there was much devastation, and loss of power, opening the city up to looters. Remember, much of the army would have been destroyed in the Red sea.

      Of course, we have the perfect authority of scripture, and Jesus stamp of approval for the Old Testament, which He quoted often, in His fulfilling of the law. There are a great many other evidences as well that support the always trustworthy Scriptures. Kahun as an example could have been a slave village, was poor, and nearby. It had buried infants under the floors, possibly from the Egyptian slaughter of Hebrew babies, as well as evidence that the people left suddenly and definitively.

      The Amarna letters, ancient writing between Egyptian and Middle Eastern rulers, accuse tumult on a group labeled as Habiru, a probable term for Hebrews. Also at this same time we have evidence of cities like Jericho falling, an amazing discovery in its own right, since the walls somehow fell outward, unlike the collapse of normal walls in war.

      The bible, in proper exegesis, interprets itself, and is God breathed and certainly trustworthy. But, wow, is it fun to see amazing historical evidences that paint a clear picture, and support the truth that was known all along.

      Truth: How important is it in a post-modern world?

      It’s an ever-increasing era of metaephysic, existential, new-age, post-modernism, where aside from well-studied philosophers who know the names of Kant, Hume, Foucault, Derrida, and Lyotard, the common layperson stays caught in an elusive and eclectic mindset against any assertion of absolute truth. It has become the focal point of Culture War, of critical theory and CRT, and has damaged judeo-christian moorings within acedemia, and by extension, social responsibility and morality.

      With enough counter-culture arguments to appease anyone looking to be excused from objective moral standards, its followers, again, unless trained in specifics, leave philisophical instruction with just enough bumper-sticker theology, and general malaise to float somewhere between openness or total abandonment of truth.

      Post-Modernism coupled with the inexorable conclusions of being an evolved accident in the universe with no purpose or meaning, has taken its toll on an already fragmented and indifferent society. By most metrics, whether reading, community, fatherlessness in homes, crime, church attendance, not only is the truth missing, but the very desire to seek it.

      And yet, upon study of the word, the truth plays a monumental role in how we percieve the world. Jesus says in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

      1 John 1:8 says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us”; pointing to a moral truth that definitively exists. In 1 John 3:18, children are encouraged to act in truth: 18 “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” Even one of the very 10 commandments demands truth for a stable and moral society set apart by God: 16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.”

      And many times throughout our studies, we find the term, “Amen.” According to Encyclopedia Brittanica, the basic meaning of “Amen” or its Semitic root, is “firm,” “fixed,” or “sure.” The Greek Old Testament usually translates amen as “so be it”; in the English Bible it has frequently been written as “verily,” or “truly.” So every time Jesus says, truly I say to you… these moments of surety and promise, and their truth will outlast the earth itself.

      So what then do we do to bypass these high-minded concepts that alleviate whole societies from the responsibility of standing firm on anything. In the cacophany of social media, it becomes passé to boldly proclaim truth. Any time in a comment section will assure you that there is a much larger crowd that is more comfortable lobbing grenades at any and all truth claims than there are people making them. As one apologist says, it is always much easier to throw rotten eggs than it is to lay a good one.

      But what if that person denying absolute truth was building a new home? Or a person found out they had treatable cancer? Think of when you or someone you know was walking through the stressful decisions aligned with each life event.

      Suddenly when faced with the very real consequence of having a poorly built, or poorly designed home, and wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars on it, finding a reputable builder doesn’t seem relative, does it? It seems imparitive!

      When faced with death unless you attack the cancer in your body in the most effective way, finding an experienced expert in the truth of your diagnosis, your treatment, and the chances of that treatment working, become eessential to your life!

      Suddenly, when the rubber meets the road, whether you teach there is no truth or not, the real, actual, unvarnished truth becomes vital to your well-being. And it isn’t some version of it, one man’s opinion of what it might be. It is the pure, unvarnisheed truth that you are after. Only with a clear scope of reality in these situations, do you have enough trusted information to move forward. If you spoke with 17 doctors, friends, shawmen, witches, and holistic consultants, and trusted each opinion as equally relevant because it was “true for them,” I dare say your path would be unclear, and your disassociation from reality would effect you not only physically, but mentally as well. How can you plan for something so serious without an objective truth to go by?

      It is with this same energy and gravity that one should determine their salvation. Like Philippians says, “with fear and trembling.” When Matthew 10:28 says, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell,” this implies the obvious to us all, that the decisions that affect your eternal life, are of far greater consequence than cancer, or home-building. It’s not even close.

      And yet, it is in this area, where theology meets philosophy, and where we have gotten so comfortable watering down every truth, from who Christ is, what the gospel is, to even what a woman is, that committing to anything at all seems an offense, and a violation of some victim’s civil rights.

      Standing for truth, and especially for truth in the word, will have increasingly difficult consequences in the Western world. Society does not want to hear it, will reject it, will reject you and cancel you for speaking it, and wants to be protected from it. But the truth, the unvarnished, important, vital, absolute truth is, was, and will be, and that will never change.

      School Shootings

      As Christians watching the events of the America, we sit back and wonder how henious acts of evil can be carried out by the youth of our country time and time again. We’d rather not face it, don’t really want to contemplate it; we offer prayers and try to move on, thankful that the blood was shed far from our kids, or are home, if in fact it was. We watched Sandy Hook, Columbine, Virginia Tech, Sante Fe, and others….now Oxford. And even if in our own minds, we have to develop a philosophy or reasoning behind the events. How come young men by the dozens who hunted with their dads back in the 60’s could pull up to a public school with rifles on the gunrack in the back of their pick up truck, and no threat was percieved, and no violent action resulted?

      Aftermath of Oxford school shooting: Kids think they're going to die

      As Christians watching the events of the America, we sit back and wonder how henious acts of evil can be carried out by the youth of our country time and time again. We’d rather not face it, don’t really want to contemplate it; we offer prayers and try to move on, thankful that the blood was shed far from our kids, or are home, if in fact it was.

      PHOTO: Deadly Mass School Shootings Since Columbine

      We watched Sandy Hook, Columbine, Virginia Tech, Sante Fe, and others….now Oxford. And even if in our own minds, we have to develop a philosophy or reasoning behind the events. How come young men by the dozens who hunted with their dads back in the 60’s could pull up to a public school with rifles on the gunrack in the back of their pick up truck, and no threat was perceived, and no violent action resulted?

      As a Christian, I observe history, and trends, and the unfortunate results, and want to take this time to plainly state what I see. A country that committed to teaching evolution in 1959, during the space race, so that American students didn’t fall behind. That slowly moved from biological evolution as a way to explain man’s chance origins, to a universe described as completely materialistic, needing no designer, no creator, a cosmic accident. Academia insists with zeal that at no stage in the 14 billion year long accident to get from stardust to you as an individual, no one loved you, cared for you, wished you to be alive, or will care when you are gone. We teach children, inadvertently, but inescapably, that there is no purpose, no ultimate meaning.

      Don’t believe me? Read the conclusions of prominent atheists after spending a career committed to materialism, and secularism:

      William Provine says, “Let me summarize my views on what modern evolutionary biology tells us loud and clear … There are no gods, no purposes, no goal-directed forces of any kind. There is no life after death. When I die, I am absolutely certain that I am going to be dead. That’s the end for me. There is no ultimate foundation for ethics, no ultimate meaning to life, and no free will for humans, either. No inherent moral or ethical laws exist, nor are there any absolute guiding principles for human society. The universe cares nothing for us and we have no ultimate meaning in life.”

      Richard Dawkins recounts this in regards to a reaction to his book, The God Delusion: “A foreign publisher of my first book confessed the he could not sleep for three nights after reading it, so troubled was he by what he saw as its cold, bleak message. Others have asked me how I can bear to get up in the mornings. A teacher from a distant country wrote to me reproachfully that a pupil had come to him in tears after reading the same book, because it had persuaded her that life was empty and purposeless. He advised her not to show the book to any of her friends, for fear of contaminating them with the same nihilistic pessimism”. He also states, “Presumably there is indeed no purpose in the ultimate fate of the cosmos…”

      Atheist chemist Peter Atkins says, “At root, there is only corruption, and the unstemmable tide of chaos. Gone is purpose; all that is left is direction. This is the bleakness we have to accept as we peer deeply and dispassionately into the heart of the Universe.”

      Thomas Nagel: “It is often remarked that nothing we do now will matter in a million years. But if that is true, then by the same token, nothing that will be the case in a million years matters now.”

      Jon Casimir: “Here’s what I think. There is no meaning of life. The whole thing is a gyp, a never-ending corridor to nowhere. What is passed off as an all-important search is basically just a bunch of philosophers scrabbling about on their knees, trying to find a lost sock in the cosmic laundromat.”

      Existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre: “I existed like a stone, a plant, a microbe… I was just thinking… that here we are, all of us, eating and drinking, to preserve our precious existence and there’s nothing, nothing, absolutely no reason for existing.”

      Can we not say that this world view is more prominent now than in 1959? Furthermore, in 1959, parents were involved, religious, engaged in this conversation. A generation later, maybe two, children were still being brought up in church, having the judgement of morality explained, taught not just right and wrong, but that wrong had far reaching, even eternal consequences.

      An atheist today might say, I don’t believe in God, but I don’t want to blow off life, count it all as useless, hurt others. Generally though, this normal response to hurting others would be expected in most cases, as morality is written on our hearts, and seems to be objectively obvious. But I’d also point out that those same people are adults that chose to not believe, but in many cases had parents who took them to church, and exposed them to the possibility of eternal judgement, to a biblical God of the universe that may have to be faced; or at least to the reality of morals and empathy.

      Today, we have a larger and larger group of young people in school who now may be 2 or even 3 generations removed from any biblical or moral foundation whatsoever, having never been exposed to the bible, or if so, only in ridicule as an archaic outdated myth which has no bearing on our life or actions. These thoughts will be fortified by the schools, and colleges, and parents who were indoctrinated by the same treatment. Furthermore, it is likely that these same children are surrounded by others who share or encourage this philosophy of moral relativism, maybe not for the same purposes, but who are more accepting of a godless worldview.

      The reaction to atheistic conclusions will be varied, certainly. But being thus separated from a Godly worldview, many will believe to their very bones that their life is a chance cosmic accident. Reiterated by a publicly sanctioned, secular world view, this will in many instances determine how they behave. For some, it might mean hedonistic pleasure. For some, the only hope would be developing close relationships, often a boyfriend or girlfriend giving one all of their validation, and in many shooting instances, the cause of unrecoverable grief when it goes awry. And unfortunately for some, it may mean drawing the logical conclusion that no one is important, nothing matters, and no life is special or valuable. So in the interest of living big, claiming their place in a useless history, proving anarchy is as achievable as order, and showing the world just how purposeless and hopeless everything is, more and more are deciding to murder as a means of giving up.

      Disagree? Too bleak? Note, that the Columbine shooting took place on Hitler’s birthday on purpose. One student was told he did not deserve the jaw that evolution gave him. One student was executed for admitting a belief in God. How many years can we choose to collectively teach young minds that no God exists, that you are nothing more than and evolved mammal that came from scum, and fish, that your offspring are no better than those of a frog, or a rat, that you are not special in any way, that nothing happens when you die, and that ultimately any morality you choose is relative, subjective, and inexorably unimportant. Why then would one choose to be a good steward of the earth? Why treat others with dignity and respect? Why value life? Why choose good over selfish pleasure, or fame, or power? Why in a 14 billion year old accidental, godless universe is killing and rape even wrong? There is no standard, and no basis for teaching one.

      And in the end, when the Christian community tries to fight for Christian recognition in a public forum, society inevitably doubles down, pushes for freedom from exposure to any religion, and ignores the dire consequence of their world view. This is why we must repent… Maybe because this word has been made fun of, we don’t use it enough; but maybe it’s time…. Repent. Repent and Believe. And remember the difference it would make if everyone adhered to this universal truth:

      Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

      Spiritual Battle, Homelessness, Irrelevance

      To the forever homeless. We will travel in the world together until that day, gypsies, knowing the beauty that exists forever out of reach in this life, keeping hope stored in our hearts until we find our way home.

      [In the early years of the 16th century there began to appear in Britain some members of a wandering race of people who were ultimately of Hindu origin and who called themselves and their language Romany. In Britain, however, it was popularly believed that they came from Egypt, so they were called Egipcyans or Egyptians. This was soon shortened to Gipcyan, and by 1600 the further altered form Gipsy, Gypsey, began to appear in print. By later in the 1600s the verb gypsy, meaning “to live like a Gypsy” began to be used.]

      Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
      Colossians 3:2

      But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.
      Philippians 3:20

      Whom have I in heaven but you?
      And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
      Psalm 73:25

      ____________________________________________

       

      God, show me my purpose. Let me not be irrelevant. Let not the power of my life, and the love of my heart be unrequited. Teach me what can be, according to your will rather than my own. Please reward the pain of hope; please remove the fear of the hopelessness; Amen:

      Psalm 138:8

      The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

      Matthew 28:19-20

      Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

      Romans 8:28

      And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

      Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

      The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

      1 Corinthians 10:31

      So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

      Matthew 5:13-16

      “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

      Habakkuk 2:3

      For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.

      Psalm 57:2

      I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.

      Philippians 4:13

      I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

      Matthew 6:33

      But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

      Romans 12:1-5

      I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

      Psalm 73:26

      My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

      Ephesians 1:11

      In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,

      2 Corinthians 12:9-10

      But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

      Ezra 10:4

      Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it.”

      Mark 12:30-31

      And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

      Revelation 4:11

      “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

      1 Corinthians 6:19-20

      Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

      2 Timothy 1:9

      Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,

      Ephesians 2:10

      For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

      Micah 6:8

      He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

      John 5:30

      “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.

      Psalm 119:105

      Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

      Colossians 3:23

      Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,

      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.

      John 16:13

      When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

      Isaiah 46:10

      Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’

      John 16:33

      I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

      Philippians 4:7

      And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

      Matthew 16:25

      For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

      Romans 12:1

      I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

      1 Thessalonians 5:12-18

      We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Jesus Christ.

      2 Corinthians 3:18

      And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

      1 Corinthians 2:9-13

      But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

      Hebrews 12:1

      Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

      Proverbs 19:21

      Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

      Mark 8:35

      For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.

       

      2 Timothy 3:16

      All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

      John 15:5

      I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

      Proverbs 3:1-7

      My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

      2 Timothy 2:14-15

      Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

      1 Corinthians 3:12-15

      Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

      Proverbs 20:5

      The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.

      Philippians 2:12-13

      Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

      Acts 20:24

      But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

      Isaiah 49:4

      But I said, “I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my right is with the Lord, and my recompense with my God.”

      James 1:2-27

      2 Count it all joy, my brothers,[b] when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

      5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

      9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass[c] he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

      12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

      16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.[d] 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

      Hearing and Doing the Word
      19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

      22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

      26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

      Psalm 119:15

      I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.

      Luke 9:23

      And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

      Ephesians 3:20

      Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

      Philippians 1:6

      And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

      2 Corinthians 12:9

      But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

      John 14:27

      Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

      Ephesians 1:5

      He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

      Utter, Unyielding Despair

      47028368_354087128487293_1643572461058392064_nUnyielding despair. This is the conclusion of many great thinkers, when they consider the meaning of life, or rather its end result.

      William Provine says, “Let me summarize my views on what modern evolutionary biology tells us loud and clear … There are no gods, no purposes, no goal-directed forces of any kind. There is no life after death. When I die, I am absolutely certain that I am going to be dead. That’s the end for me. There is no ultimate foundation for ethics, no ultimate meaning to life, and no free will for humans, either. No inherent moral or ethical laws exist, nor are there any absolute guiding principles for human society. The universe cares nothing for us and we have no ultimate meaning in life”

      Richard Dawkins recounts this in regards to a reaction to his book, The God Delusion:  “A foreign publisher of my first book confessed the he could not sleep for three nights after reading it, so troubled was he by what he saw as its cold, bleak message. Others have asked me how I can bear to get up in the mornings. A teacher from a distant country wrote to me reproachfully that a pupil had come to him in tears after reading the same book, because it had persuaded her that life was empty and purposeless. He advised her not to show the book to any of her friends, for fear of contaminating them with the same nihilistic pessimism”. He also states, “Presumably there is indeed no purpose in the ultimate fate of the cosmos…”

      Atheist chemist Peter Atkins says, “At root, there is only corruption, and the unstemmable tide of chaos. Gone is purpose; all that is left is direction. This is the bleakness we have to accept as we peer deeply and dispassionately into the heart of the Universe.”

      Thomas Nagel: “It is often remarked that nothing we do now will matter in a million years. But if that is true, then by the same token, nothing that will be the case in a million years matters now.”

      Jon Casimir: “Here’s what I think. There is no meaning of life. The whole thing is a gyp, a never-ending corridor to nowhere. What is passed off as an all-important search is basically just a bunch of philosophers scrabbling about on their knees, trying to find a lost sock in the cosmic laundromat.”

      Existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre: “I existed like a stone, a plant, a microbe… I was just thinking… that here we are, all of us, eating and drinking, to preserve our precious existence and there’s nothing, nothing, absolutely no reason for existing.”

      Many children and young adults feel this, and though they may not articulate this intuitive understanding of life as well as history’s ‘great’ philosophers, their actions will undoubtedly bear the signature of this belief. It is showcased in every school shooting, in every suicide, in every young, fatherless woman’s attempt to validate herself with random sexual encounters. It is ingrained in the psyche of every man unable to acquire power through leadership, when realization dawns that the days of his life, when overlayed on to the timeline of a 14 billion year old universe (so he is taught), amount to utterly nothing.

      What is left then?

      The reactions to this understanding are numerous. Escapism, filling the world with fantasy, and therefore meaning. Apathy, contentedness in not caring, at least not in the deeper questions of life. Helping others or leading others, a legacy mentality, which often degrades into the next option; self-service, to pleasure ones self with power, materialism, or physical contact. There is also pain and violence, sadism and masochism; pick your poison. A rebellion against life, an acting upon the resentment one has for being forced to live for no reason.

      Consider Bertrand Russell’s explanation of life, in Free Man’s Worship. “That Man is the product of causes which had no prevision of the end they were achieving; that his origin, his growth, his hopes and fears, his loves and his beliefs, are but the outcome of accidental collocations of atoms; that no fire, no heroism, no intensity of thought and feeling, can preserve an individual life beyond the grave; that all the labours of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius, are destined to extinction in the vast death of the solar system, and that the whole temple of Man’s achievement must inevitably be buried beneath the debris of a universe in ruins—all these things, if not quite beyond dispute, are yet so nearly certain, that no philosophy which rejects them can hope to stand. Only within the scaffolding of these truths, only on the firm foundation of unyielding despair, can the soul’s habitation henceforth be safely built.”

      Are you depressed yet?

      If there is hope, why not illustrate that hope, so that we do not have to trudge through this darkness of thought? Why carry on with such a heinous and nihilistic outlook?

      Because, to appreciate the good, you must understand how bad it is. To be thankful for light, you must realize sin.

      I have, and will continue to offer evidences concerning the authenticity of our Biblical narrative. It is a beautiful and fulfilling study. But sometimes, we must look at what the alternative would yield. In regards to the common mindset of leaders within the atheistic evolution worldview, Henry M Morris says, “But the one common theme in all – Darwin, Lyell, Wallace, Erasmus Darwin, Lamarck, Marx, and indeed most all the rest – was hatred of God as Creator, Christ as Savior, and the bible as God’s Word.”

      These wholly depressing views about our lives, our purpose, are inexorably the conclusions one must come to as an atheist. If you don’t, you are ignoring the realities of your presupposition. You are escaping the inevitable. And in the spirit of escaping this reality, we have the very apropos season fast approaching where Santa brings presents to quell the need of instant gratification, while simultaneously David Silverman, president of American Atheists, launches their yearly anti-Christmas, anti-God campaign.

      But the gift of Jesus Christ being born, and the reason Christians celebrate the season, is an  acknowledgement of hope and love that surpasses all expectation, and conquers all the darkness with its light. In this event we hold a memorial to that which God did, enabling us to find meaning in all that we do. In this event, and those that followed, God revealed that all His promises were true, that His scriptures could be trusted and His words had authority, and that death itself was defeated. With the birth of our Lord and Savior, God abolished darkness forever, allowed victory over sin, and proved that each person meant something, because they were loved by an infinite creator.

      Yes, atheistic thought and evolutionary materialism has caused an endless amount of evil and havoc. And fallen man will continue until his last days to rail against the reality of a creator God, so that he can rationalize his own evil. But you need not succumb to the same empty, hopeless conclusions that atheists’ must. You can instead grow your faith in the Word of God, and meditate on how much you are loved, how the inheritance of Christ has been shared with you for all eternity, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. It is worth celebrating, and this Christmas, I hope you do.

      Merry Christmas.

      ______________________________

      Luke 2: 6-14

      6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

      7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

      8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

      9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

      10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

      11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

      12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

      13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

      14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

      Christian Despondency

      If you have followed along on my Facebook page you have no doubt noticed that I celebrate the comfort and truth of God’s word, the hope we have in Christ, and the invigorating exploration of apologetics, as well as the beauty of literature and poetry, and the power that resides in the written word. It is said that in America, we have lost some 60% of the words that scholars used to utilize at the zenith of our language. How I envy the ability to write as Shakespeare did, or Jane Austin, or Cervantes.

      But within these posts, you may have noticed an underline addressing of despondency; an analysis of heartache, tragedy, and melancholy; a searching for some future hope, or purpose, a loss of life’s magic, and even a celebration of beautiful literature surrounding these feelings.

      The Greeks did honor to both masks, remember, the joyful laughter, as well as the tragedy of sorrow. We sometimes presume that the families who file into church Sunday mornings are balanced, happy, stable, even perfect. Pastors preach about sins, and tribulations faced, in a general way. But it often doesn’t appear to land on the well-dressed, well-behaved, perfect people in the pews.

      But these same people fight within their marriages, have trust issues, have broken hearts, cry in Sunday school classes, face anxieties.

      Charles Spurgeon once said in a sermon, “I wonder every day that there are not more suicides, considering the troubles of this life.”

      We can end up rejecting, or not walking with God, due to our despondency. Prayer and rest become empty. Friends who “comfort” you with scripture feels like bright lights during a migraine. And when it doesn’t appear that Christ is “enough” and you aren’t exemplifying the fruits of the spirit such as joy and peace in your walk, those friends can become accusatory. Perhaps you don’t have Christ in your life? Perhaps you don’t have faith? Why can’t you just cheer up?

      Zack Eswine, who wrote about Spurgeon’s sufferings said this:

      “Conscious only of our miseries, we become like those who love a person without that love being returned. To carry out the metaphor, what is worse, we must listen in as the one we love marries another and goes on with life happily without us… the toasts and cheers from their family and friends only magnifies the absence, anxiety, and rejection with which we must live. This is what it is like with God.”

      As we cling to God when all our evidences are clouded, and joys are fled, our grip on the cross becomes a desperate grasp.

      The Psalmist said, “When I remember God, I moan: when I meditate, my spirit faints. Selah.” (Psalms 77:3)

      These feelings are real, and I dare say, prevalent within the church. Addressing it, and talking about it is the only way to deal with it. Of course continue to take it to the Bible, and to God, but finding a peer group that is committed to each other, and to exploring ways to grow in their walk is vital. To grow in faith together, so that even as emotions ebb and flow, the faith on the promises of God do not.

      We do not shy away from the fact that there is a precedence in the Bible for addressing depression. There was suffering and longing in the desert. David was broken by his sin, and the repercussions that unfolded because of it. Solomon had all worldly pleasures, and delivered us the book of Ecclesiastes, which spells out the vanity of our lives. Even our savior Himself, according to Isaiah 53, was prophesied to be the “Man of Sorrows.” And indeed, He was, taking on the rejection of the people He came to save.

      I am starting a group within my church, a place to encourage each other, and to identify a means of support for those who can no longer pretend to have it all together. I feel called to this particular type of ministry, as I have noticed the common, anonymous, social media versions of this are riddled with unhelpful distractions. Often the classes available in church will never address some of these truths in our lives. College class, parents with children class, young adults, singles, married couples class, a place to study the word to be sure, but upon leaving, those issues will be waiting within your week to smother the spirit.

      Charles Spurgeon was a tremendous warrior for the Lord, and his sermons are studied and quoted to this day. He fought as a soldier bought by the blood of Christ, and is widely respected by pastors the world over. But he testified once, “I could readily enough have laid violent hands upon myself, to escape from my misery.” Referring to his own death, he said, “I know one who, in the bitterness of his soul, has often prayed it.”

      If you start by knowing that you not only aren’t alone, but that you are in fact in the best of company, well then it is a step. My hope is that the encouraging of one another will follow. God bless.

       

       

       

      What are the Odds, Layperson?

      In the last article on dragons, I eluded to a default acquiescence that people engage in if they are laypeople, and are faced with advanced degrees and elite status. It is important to discover what science, and experts have learned, of course. But that is not to say that laypeople cannot engage in common sense considerations in regards to the creation vs evolution debate.

      Often, we lay down against an opposing force with initials behind their name, and automatically assume that we are ignorant, or even stupid, if we disagree with them.

      I have experienced this myself, when speaking to an astrophysicist. He talked circles around me, and was light-years (haha) smarter than me about Big Bang Theory, star formation, accepted postulations, lunar regression. But when I walked away, I couldn’t dismiss the fact that many of his postulations were deep time scientific models i.e. made up. The Biblical history described in Genesis was not only more logical in the end, but much more intellectually satisfying.

      The point is, and this is just my opinion, laypeople have every right to engage in healthy debate, and if done cordially, and with respect, they can depend on their own sense of logic and common sense when it comes to the both biblical, and evolutionary studies. On the biblical side, we must ascertain if miracles are possible, for example. On the evolution side, we must decide if it is logical for us to believe in abiogenesis, or life from non-life. Another example may be that both camps have a huge problem with explaining starlight distance against time. One camp doesn’t have enough time for it to reach Earth, the other doesn’t have enough time for it to be observably equal across galaxies.

      We have all heard the old example of monkeys pounding out Shakespeare on a typewriter. If not, it goes something like this:

      If several hundred monkeys were lined up at typewriters, and were coerced to start pounding on the keys, and if this experiment went on long enough, we would eventually get the complete works of Shakespeare. This is evolution to a tee. It is a sold probability, and is supported by the elite of academia, regardless of whether or not it passes the smell test of our collective common sense. It is an accepted truth. It is technically possible, and so we add deep time, and conclude that without any guidance what-so-ever, a bacteria can through natural selection become a giraffe. This means that an unintelligent cause, literally beyond a simple-mindedness into the reality of no-mindedness, which knows nothing of giraffes, transforms a bacteria into a giraffe.

      Must you be a technical expert in genetics, or biology to understand that this does not hold water?

      The theory is perpetuated like this:

      Can our monkeys accidentally hit the ‘T’ and then the ‘O’ one after the other? Sure, it is possible. One might say, hey neat, this monkey accidentally made a small word, the word “To”.

      Is it technically possible that the space bar is hit next? Of course. Then, the odds would be small, but again technically possible for that monkey, assuming we had enough monkeys, billions of monkeys, hit ‘B’, ‘E’, ‘space’, ‘O’, ‘R’, ‘space’…

      And then, ‘N’, ‘O’, ‘T’, ‘space’, ‘T’, ‘O’, ‘Space’, ‘B’, E’.

      Is it technically possible? Given billions of monkeys, and billions of years, that eventually you would get the sentence, “To be or not to be”? It is a stretch. I’m going to say the answer is an obvious no. This is based on what I observe. I am not a geneticist. Not a biologist. But I know that based on my experiences this cannot happen.

      We as logical, rational laypeople, realize that if I toss a handful of letters up in the air, it is possible that two letters may land next to each other, and spell ‘be’, or ‘to’, or ‘is’. If I actually got a three letter word, I’d probably laugh in amazement. “Holy cow, look, I tossed these letters up and it spelled bat! I mean, the ‘T’ is a bit crooked, and the ‘B’ is backwards, but still, that’s crazy!”

      But if I go up in a helicopter, and toss out millions of letters, and I do that millions of times, will I ever spell, “To be or not to be, that is the question”?

      Now imagine doing that and putting several million in the right order – the amount of base pairs in one bacteria cell’s DNA (cell of a human is 3 billion base pairs).

      Another logically huge difference is evolution’s need for trillions of monkeys, to pound on that keyboard non-stop for billions of years. As if the universe, by chance through a series of non-intelligent causes with no agenda, is somehow trying to make order from chaos an infinite number of times. Not only this, but the universe must by chance continue to create new information, beneficial mutations, in order, at the right place, in a habitable zone, and with precise timing, all in order to bring about a result it does not desire in the least. Again, the mindless universe does not know what a giraffe is.

      This is what we are taught. And despite our teachers telling us this is how it happened, we know instinctively that this cannot be the case. In fact, one could say, that we are “Without excuse.” It is my opinion, that people must train themselves into this belief, regardless of its absurdity. People wanted to believe it, wished for it, sold it, and of course now it is prevailing and acceptable. So much so that theistic evolutionists have adopted its processes as some warped way that the God of the bible would have created us. It is handed to us by an increasingly secular, man-centered society, and it is a gift for people to latch on to who hate the idea of God.

      When Christ said ‘the truth shall set you free’, to those that sought to kill Him, they argued about accepting His truth about God the Father. He told them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 40 but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did… If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.” (John 8: 39-45)

      We know that an anti-God position is presented to allow for the greatness of man and his theories, but more so for his flexible morality. But I reiterate, a layperson should have every right to test what is being taught against their common sense,  about macro-evolution (molecules to man), abiogenesis (life from non-life), and all random chance creating perfect order (anthropic principle) out of chaos for literally no reason, and with no intelligence.

      I speak out about it to hopefully lend courage to those on the fence, or who are too scared or intellectually bullied by science elitists. It is okay to disagree with a prevailing theory that makes no sense, and is completely un-observable. It is okay to speak up and say that you don’t believe you came from a sub-species of ape, or from a fish, or from a bacteria, or the now infamous ‘we all came from stardust.’ It is okay to believe that billions of monkeys doing random things will never create the genius of a play, or the genius of a hummingbird, or the genius of you, who are made in the image of something wonderful. It is okay to believe you are worth more than happenstance, built upon random pointlessness.

      It is more than okay. It is obvious.

       

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      Romans 1:20 – For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse