Tag: God

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.

      Not Just Redemption

      In Christianity, we rightly focus on Redemption, Justification through faith in Jesus Christ. It is the all encompassing meta-narrative, if you will, of the entire bible. The whole story from beginning to end is the story of the Lord redeeming His church by substituting His sinless life for our sinful one, and allowing God, the perfect judge, to apply forgiveness to our lives, covered by perfect blood.

      This is the Good News, the fundamental heart of the gospel, and receiving grace and a substitution for your misdeeds in front of a holy God is a victory worth celebrating. But there is another component to the Good News that is discussed less, and is so beautiful.

      My church happens to be steeped in fostering and adoption ministries. A relatively large percent of the congregation seems involved in it on some level, whether through actual fostering, providing support financially or physically, and certainly with prayers. The catalyst is knowing we are adopted into God’s family, and accepted as part of His bride, the church itself.

      2 Corinthians 18 And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

      Grateful that long ago, a plan was set in place to not only rescue millions, but to make then actual sons and daughters.

      John 1: 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
      13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

      This means that in contemplating with wisdom both your worth and your unworthiness, you are compelled to face a very real truth, by no power of your own, you were literally made princes and princesses of a King. Not just any King, but the King of Kings.

      Romans 11: 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root[b] of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.

      The natural world pointing to a spiritual truth, as the olive tree branches can indeed be grafted into a healthy tree, and grow long term fruit.

      These references to adoption are important, because though you needed forgiveness, you were granted much more than that. Think with me of the debt against you from a stranger. Not only that but a dirty stranger, one who has been unkind, perhaps even criminal towards you. Stolen, and bragged about it. But he comes to you, finally, after a life of bad decisions has caught up with him, and has no choice to beg for mercy before the law condemns him.

      You have been offended, hurt, damaged, and we all know the story, you decide to forgive. The man is overwhelmed with gratitude, saved from a fate of punishment and guilt. We understand this, of course, the forgiveness. But let’s take it a step further. What if after that, you handed him adoption papers?

      Think about it, this person who acted against you his whole life, you just hand him the papers, and say, “I would like to love you, and welcome you to my family, if you will let me. This way, I can care for you, house you, give you hope in a future you did not know was possible, and see to it that this desire to act against me becomes so unnecessary that it can’t happen again. And of course, this means that with me, and my other children, you are an equal heir to all I have. I know this sounds crazy, but truly, what’s mine is yours. I will love you like I already love them. You are not only forgiven, but you are mine. Oh, and I almost forgot, I am a King, so, you are the son of a King. Welcome to my family…. son.”

      A judge can forgive a sentence; a president can pardon guilt; but neither then takes the pardoned criminal, and welcomes them into their home, makes then a feast, and explains that the very house he has been welcomed in to is in fact his.

      We are redeemed, and thank the Lord for grace, for I humbly admit I need it for my many faults. But occasionally, I will stop consider what I have been promised, what status I have been given, and what that makes me worth. We often in our discourse, levy mistrust and judgement against the bible about its fairness. About whether God is just. But, consider, is it just that I have been made an heir to the Kingdom of God? Is it justice that I am a prince? I’ve done nothing, literally nothing to earn these titles. How can you think on the value God has ordained for your soul, and not be overwhelmed. You, who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord, are the sons and daughters of a King.

      Language

      Ignoring observations of flood features, and population growth, and DNA complexity, and the myriad of other science that can easily be interpreted to point to created complexity, we can take a brief aside, and consider language for a moment. The spoken word, beautiful in its complexity, freedom, and innovation, allows mankind an additional unique place above the animal kingdom.

      As a Christian who believes in the authority of scripture, it is simple enough to consider man created in God’s image on day 6, and immediately engaging the Lord in conversation. The animals were named, the creation account was communicated, in order to be passed down, whether verbally, or in writing. We even see phrasing from Adam that he is utilizing language far beyond simple communication, and adding flair and poetry to his thoughts:

      Gen 2:23 Then the man said,

      “This at last is bone of my bones

      and flesh of my flesh;

      she shall be called Woman,

      because she was taken out of Man.”

      Evolutionists, of course, must take the unenviable position that somehow animalistic grunts and noises, grew in complexity and became language, the record of which goes back the expected 5000 years of a biblical world view. Furthermore, the evolutionist must contend with the fact that it seems language is MORE complex the farther back you go, rather than less. In English, we can easily point to the 1600’s writing of Shakespeare, a study deemed so difficult that it has been all but abandoned by public schools, and is not even required reading for some English Literature majors in college. Even going back a century or two, and cracking open some classic literature, realizing they did not have google, or dictionaries, or thesauruses, and to witness the colorful and beautiful command of language that is being written, even an intelligent person of today can appreciate how elevated it used to be.

      Beyond this though, language experts concede that Sanskrit, and other ancient languages, are more complex in their grammar, than our modern ones, though this fact is hardly publicized. The Société de Linguistique de Paris literally banned discussion on language origin, which lasted more than a century, because it conflicted with Darwin’s gradual processes, and was so filled with speculation.

      The evolution of linguistics is an idea only, and has no evidence. And to further complicate matters, linguistic experts concede that multiple ancient languages arose unrelated to each other. Akkadian, Semitic, Sanskrit, Sumerian, and others; regardless of how you break it down, not only are they severely different, but they are all complex, and complete.

      So the evolutionist, while denying that a creator had split tribes through language, must concede that multiple and different complex languages emerged within different people groups all over the world. This is to say nothing of the fact that within the ancient people groups, similar flood stories exist, indicating they all share the same history. There are over 270 ancient flood legends and traditions recorded in ancient history, 80% of them mention a large vessel saving the human race. 88% involve a favored family. In 70%, survival was due to the boat. In 95%, the flood was responsible for the death of mankind.

      Again, I find myself in the pleasurable comfort of knowing the authority of God’s word matches easily with what I observe. Hopefully, this is a small building block of support and faith for you as well.

      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.

      Should Creationists Be scared of Quantum Mechanics?

      Quantum Mechanics is an innovative physics field, the math of which is certainly beyond my expertise, and that has merit as a study of how sub-atomic particles behave and interact. But despite physicists’ insistence, specifically those dedicated to evolutionary processes, it concerns operational sciences rather than origins. And what we run into is the lesson told many years ago by Socrates, that the smartest of us often think themselves wisest because of expertise in one subject they deem most important. This is born out in the poor philosophical conclusions of Hawking, and others, in my opinion, and since they were wise in one area, and share a world-view with main stream scientists, their perceived intelligence and respected reputations prevented critical examination of their philosophical conclusions.

      So much so that Hawking gets a pass when he says “because there is a law like gravity, the universe will create itself from nothing.” When he makes the truth claim that “free will is an illusion” without realizing he is admitting we have no reason to trust his own truth claims, including that one!

      Or how no one bats an eye when Biologist, Richard Dawkins has to remind us to ignore the appearance of design during his never-ending campaign against a designer: “Biology is the study of complicated things that give the appearance of having been designed for a purpose.”

      Without evidence of any kind, Dawkins appeals to faith-based occurrences beyond nature while in the same book, (God Delusion) smugly attacking Christians for doing the same: “There are probably ‘superhuman’ alien civilizations elsewhere in the universe.” “There may well be a plethora of universes.”

      He is not rebuked for obvious circular reasoning: “We exist here on Earth. Therefore Earth must be the kind of planet that is capable of generating and supporting us.” Brilliant. (insert eye-roll emoji.)

      According to Socrates (and Plato) it is okay to be ignorant, because you can remedy it by learning. What is a dangerous enemy of knowledge is being caught in the illusion of knowledge while in fact being ignorant, because of pride.

      In the age of google warriors, and misinformation, it is often those who are smart at one subject who have the strongest opinions about many others, especially that which they don’t know much about. (The fact that atheists and scientists would levy this same charge at me is not lost on me. I am a student of many things, but do certainly attempt to hang my world-view on an authority higher than my own whenever possible. That being said, I would stipulate that I am not immune to that criticism either).

      Since Max Planck’s Nobel prize in 1919, Quantum Mechanics has been a tangent from classical physics (Newton) and was furthered by guys like Heisenberg, Einstein, and Bohr. The math supports the theories, and it solved problems that classical physics could not.

      But here is where the practicality and the problems lie. When you examine the functions, the math shows that wave functions exist as a superposition of all possible states. In this way, we can describe the characteristics of a particle. This makes all positions true simultaneously, and each position inevitable. Extrapolated to the absurd, this acceptance that all possibilities are true is one of the reasons for atheist/evolutionary appeals to a multi-verse, yet another unprovable fudge factor needed to explain the Big Bang Model in naturalistic terms, due to how impossibly finely tuned our universe is. (Stephen Hawking tinkered with this idea late in his life).

      It is already well documented in many works the dedication modern scientists have to materialism, evolution, and the anathema of Intelligent Design within the halls of academia; accept anything to prevent a “divine foot in the door”, even that which is absurd, by their own admission. This leads of course to faith in the impossible, the unprovable, the unobservable, and faith in these things, they persist, is supported by QM, because all possibilities exist at once.

      In this New Age, or post-modern age, this leads to a morally relativistic view of QM, that reality should be taken as subjective, or based on the observer. Both Einstein and Schrödinger didn’t like the mysticism known as “the observer collapses the wave function,” and even the Schrödinger’s Cat experiment, a now famous pop-culture reference from the Big Bang Theory show, was actually a purposeful reduction to the absurd, as Schrödinger relied more on the law of non-contradiction, rather than relativism.

      The basic, true laws of nature and logic, like causality, identity, non-contradiction, were not abandoned by the fathers of QM theorists, but has been popularized today as more and more appeals to a Godless universe meet headlong with direct observable facts that keep proving the Big Bang theory is poor science. Hence the need for faith based beliefs and fudge factors, such as dark matter, dark energy, the Inflaton, the multiverse, etc. You will notice, all of these fudge factors, the physicist and cosmologist must have “faith” in to keep hoping that the universe is Godless. But they do not attribute it to faith, as they lean on the crutch of relativity that QM provides for them. Since it is their specialized, elite field they hold in high esteem above the average plebian’s paltry understanding, they fall into the trap of valuing their elegant math-based conclusions over obvious empirical observations we see and understand every day. They surmise in their own minds every possibility is inevitable without God, as long as they don’t have to observe those conclusions today in real time. This appeal to deep time, or enough time, is the magic elixir poured into each opinion to add credence, and is done so with impunity, since this pillar of evolution is automatically ensconced in the public’s mind as “fact.” In this manner, they can criticize the Christian as ignorant, stupid, or insane (Richard Dawkins) while employing the same tactics themselves, faith being the evidence of things not seen (Heb 11:1).

      When we speak in laymen’s terms, it boils down to very smart scientists and mathematicians being so hyper focused on the minutia of QM, that they miss the forest for the trees. This is of course coupled with utter dedication to the presupposition that inorganic evolution is true, as it must be if we are to believe that directionless, purposeless, unthinking inorganic material somehow create intelligent order. We are once again faced with this persistent axiom, Romans 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. Again, this is simply because all possibilities exist simultaneously, including one where there is perfect order.

      Doctor of Physical Chemistry, Jonathan Sarfati, a respecter of Newton, science, and a creationist, states it this way: “It is typical of these cases that an indeterminacy originally restricted to the atomic domain becomes transformed into macroscopic indeterminacy, which can then be resolved by direct observation. That prevents us from so naively accepting as valid a “blurred model” for representing reality. In itself, it would not embody anything unclear or contradictory.”

      Bottom line, QM works, has strong support, and is not a threat to creationism. In fact, some studies highlight its usefulness in nature, (sense of smell, photosynthesis, bird navigation). But with presuppositions on both sides, what we see is the confusing of QM with interpretations of QM. Luckily we have observable reality to rely on, and in that reality, we know how nature reacts unmanipulated by intelligence, and no amount of insistence that explosions create perfect order naturally will change that.

      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.

      Christians Say Other Religions Lead to Heaven?

      The world entire celebrates the Advent of Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us, during the beautiful Christmas season. The world stops, and we take time to acknowledge the season, indirectly for non-believers; and specifically the birth of Jesus for believers. We collectively acknowledge the most important birth in all creation, an incarnate Lamb of God. But with it, we must also acknowledge the truths that came with Him.

      In an article from the Christian post, it stated “Nearly 70% of born-again Christians say other religions can lead to Heaven: study”

      Despite being in a post-modernist, pluralistic society, the percentage was staggering. I would expect a percentage that high from all peoples, or from non-believers, but seeing as how Christ Himself said “I am the truth, the light, and the way, and no one gets to the Father but through me,” and seeing as how this is a major defining doctrine of Christianity, it is disturbing that as a whole, the church is this far off base.

      I personally ran in to this twice during conversations with two different Christians, but both of whom had family members that were Muslim. In both cases, it was apparent that the belief was an emotional one, not one based in study of the word, and not one they were willing to reconsider at the time. These mental commitments to falsehoods were born of love and concern, born of fear, and of being unwilling to face an unpleasant reality that would exclude past and present family members from eternal life with God and Jesus Christ.

      This sadness, and angst I can certainly understand. In times past, this tension would cause people to evangelize with great fervor. But today, in a watered down, luke warm society, where all manner of doctrine are considered mainstream, and doctrinal truths are preached as out-dated and misunderstood, is it not concivable that one can enjoy church themselves as a comfortable truth, but in a weak enough church to not force them to commit to the absolute truth of the word?

      Let us look at a couple examples of how exactly eternal life is offered:

      I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.
      John 10:28-30

      And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
      1 John 5:11

      For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
      John 3:16

      I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
      1 John 5:13

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

      For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
      Romans 6:23

      Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate 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 are many more, and a study of this could be extensive. But from this sampling, it is quite obvious that not only is eternal life presented in conjunction with Jesus Christ alone. More than that, it is dependent upon Him alone. This is to say nothing of the fact that many warnings exist about the narrow path to salvation, such as the above mentioned narrow gate from Matthew. In John chapter 10 when Jesus says, I am the door. Or how bout the clear, definitive, and powerful statement from Acts 4:12, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

      With these clear distinctions made in the word of God, we can be certain that if someone believes there is another way to eternal life with the Creator, than he or she does not believe the Bible. I don’t mean to be cruel, and I speak from a broken heartedness at the willingness of churches, mentors, and believers to soft sell this point for so long that a possible 70% of Christians are scared to proclaim this truth. But it is truth.

      Imagine the logical confusion that would naturally follow if God, who came to make himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, who made clear that no other gods exist, none save Him should be worshipped, and that there is but one creator, decided to for some reason allow any worship of any false thing to diminish His work on the cross. Imagine pantheism or polytheism, multiple gods countering the commandment God wrote with His very finger somehow leading to fellowship with Him. Just pick your own god. any god will do! Imagine Him allowing the complete dismissal of His act of love and sacrifice, and acknowledging false religions who not only don’t think Jesus is Lord – demanded for salvation in Romans 10 – but many who think He was merely a teacher, on par with Confucius, Gandhi, Siddhartha, thereby making Him a liar. Was He not Resurrected? Not according to many. Is He not the only mediator? Not according to many.

      The bottom line is this. If faith, specifically faith in the Resurrected Christ, is nullified as a means of salvation, you have turned your back on the gospel. You have tried to render unnecessary the very thing that God did to take judgement and sin from you, the very person all of creation itself is made by, and for. I can only hope that this poll is wrong, that the numbers are inflated.

      The Bible asks us to repent, and believe. Believe! Believe that He is Lord, and that God raised Him from the dead. Not believe in whatever you want. Believe in the truth. The one and only way. Though intimidating to commit to truth sometimes, being afraid to acknowledge this truth with loved ones, and with church congregations, is not love. It is to protect yourself from uncomfortable feelings, difficult conversations, and from people nowadays thinking you are a close-minded, judgmental, bigoted Christian.

      The absolute truth is not popular in our society anymore, but if Christ is truth, then exclusivity was always intended. And it may be easier to navigate society pretending faith in anything equates to faith in Christ, but unless we throw out the bible, we must square with its exclusivity. This Christmas season, let us meditate on Christ alone, as our singular perfect hope that only He could have provided.