Let There Be Light

"Then God said, "Let there be light", and there was light . . . and God separated the light from the darkness . . . And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day". (Genesis 1: 3-5)

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"Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night . . . And God made the two great lights; the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. And God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness . . . And there was evening and there was morning, a forth day". (Genesis 1: 14-19)

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"Now I can see!" (From a recent blog entry by my youngest daughter Becky, telling about changing a headlight all by herself on her Toyota Corolla)

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When I took biology in high school, our teacher told us that we shouldn't look to the Bible for information on the beginnings of life, because in the Biblical account, vegetation appears on the third day, and the sun isn't created until the forth day, meaning that all the vegetation would have died instantly without the sun. I suppose in a unverse without a Designer and Creator, that begins from point B (point A cannot be discussed), and which runs through to point Y (Z also cannot be discussed), where all matter expands from a BB sized unit, expanding and forming in that expansion - time and space, gravity and forces, elements and stars, planets and water, nuclei and DNA - that all the vegetation would have indeed died. In a viewpoint that does not include a Designer and Creator, all things must be reduced to mathematical equatons, which the average person cannot even begin to cipher or comprehend, although we are asked to trust both the method and the messenger. Understand this. There is no such thing as being belief netural. All men are both physical and spiritual beings, and the physical and the spiitual are intertwined in all creation. To claim that spiritual considerations are not science ignores the fact that atheism is a religious viewpoint. And if atheists make the rules for science, then science becomes an extension of that intellectual denomination.

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Nova recently did a program looking at a 2006 court case brought by the ACLU, representing a parent group, against the Dover (PA) school board. Our newspaper reviewer praised this as being a very even handed presentation, which was not my reaction to the parts that I viewed. Clue 1; The judge in the "reenactments" always displayed an approving smile anytime a "true scientist" would testify. Clue 2; There were shown ample examples of religious bigotry and hysteria. Clue 3; A scientist displayed and discussed a fossil of a fish with leg bones that he identified as a missing link between fish and land animals. Not discussed here were the facts that (A) no fossils exist showing the process of development of more complex features (all features found on fossils are already fully developed and useful for that particular species), (B) no reason is given why non-working leg bones would be a benefit to that species for the million years it took to develop them, (C) there was no consideration that the DNA of the species might be programmed so that form and shape can change to adapt to different conditions (that of course would require "intelligence"), and (D) no mention of the obvious; Contrary to what the public has been led to believe, it has not been observed in the lab, or in nature, that genetic mutation increases complexity. Species are observed becoming extinct, but new species do not appear (unless discovered in previously unexplored areas or classified as new because of variations of existing features). Life forms change, but not from simple forms to more complex forms, except in the minds and charts of certain scientists. A reasonable person should consider these more than just "minor" difficulties.

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The Dover case is hailed as a benchmark victory of scientific evidence for evolution crushing the religious belief of intelligent design, although the case had nothing to do with the merits of either. Yes, arguments for both were presented, but the case was all about the idea that any challenge to the teaching of evolution is an imposition of religion doctrine into the public classroom. It was an argument that could not be won by debating the validity of evolution, and the outcome was predetermined by the acceptance of the perception that the definition of science excludes the discussion of design by an intelligent force. In other words, there is already a pre-existing religious doctrine (atheistism) in place, which prohibits discussion of opposing religious viewpoints.

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Several Christian members of the Dover school board, believing that evolution is more theory than fact, pushed through a proposal whereby the 9th grade science teacher needed to read a brief prepared statement at the beginning of the first day of class, only stating there were "gaps" and "problems" with the theory of evolution, and that intelligent design was another option to consider. If any student wanted more information, the school had available the book, Of Pandas and People (which discusses intelligent design without reference to God). That was it. The ACLU argued, and the judge agreed, that the words "gaps" and "problems" came from creationist literature, which talks about a Judeo-Christian God, meaning that intelligent design was simply creationist doctrine in disguise. The use of those two words implies acceptance of creationist ideas by the school administration, and thus was the imposition of religious doctrine into the school.

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That was the type of catch-22 logic used in the old Soviet bloc countries. Any citizen that would disagree with Soviet policies must be crazy, and was sentenced to a mental hospital in the gulag. Here we have science excluding a Designer and Creator from consideration, making evolution both a necessary and a foundational concept. Any disagrement with with the foundational concept cannot be true science, allowing the judge to rule that intelligent design was not science. Even though all complex structures, including the cell, look designed, design cannot be included as a consideration in science because all matter and structure must be the result of non-intelligent, mathematical processes of movement and relationship.

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Now, let us briefly take a closer look at the two passages from Genesis, from the viewpoint of those that consider the word of God to have been written by the inspiration of the holy Spirit, and is an accurate account of the beginning of life on our earth. We believe that the Designer and Creator of all matter can do anything He wants with it, and the result will still be within the bounds of the laws of physics that He Himself established. From this camp there are three major, but different viewpoints. Each looks at scripture literally, but each sees a somewhat different story. There is the traditional interpretation, where creation happens over six, 24 hour days. All matter began about 6,000 years ago, and all life was formed from the material of the earth, by God, during those days. Species multiply each after their own kind, but with possible variations designed into each species. Then there is the group, best represented by scientist Hugh Ross, who see the six days as being long ages, with the age of the earth, and the progress of creation during those ages, as being compatible with current scientific understanding. They see God implanting in the physics the design for the beginning of life, with life evolving on an evolutionary model, albeit under the watchful eye and plan of God. Perhaps man was created separate, or perhaps God put into an existing creature, at the right point of evolution, the first divine spirit. The third group believes that Genesis may be telling the story (after Genesis 1:1), not of original creation, which may have happened thousands, or even millions of years before, but of a restoration of the earth after a judgment by God. They see the evil one as having an exalted position on the pre-Adamic earth, and judgment coming upon the earth after he rebels, taking with him a third of the angels. The earth becomes formless and void, and the Spirit of God hovers over the waters (v2), and restores shape and life to the earth over six, 24 hour days. Things then progress from there along the same lines as the first group.

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Exploring these three viewpoints would take quite a bit of time, but I want to move on to the answer for my high school biology teacher. A careful reading of verses 3-5 indicates that the earth was rotating on the 1st day, and that there was a fixed light source, causing the side of the earth toward the light to be in the day, and the side away from the light to be in the night. The presence of vegetation before day 4 meant that there was also some source for heat as well. Although we are not given the identity of that light source, it could be the sun, depending on how the passage is interpreted, or it could be something else. An example of a something else is given in the 21st chapter of Revelation, in the description of the New Jerusalem. The time period is after Jesus returns, and rules on the earth for 1000 years. Near the end of those 1000 years the evil one is released for a short time to bring rebellion to a close, and then is thrown into the lake of fire. This is followed by a final judgment for those whose names were not found written the the book of life, who also end up being thrown into the lake of fire. "And then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband . . . And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almight and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God ilumined it, and its Lamp is the Lamb".

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Viewing the physical world without any comprehension of it's spiritual dimension is like driving at night in a heavy rain with only one headlight. There is so much more that is out there.

Double Clicking the "God" Icon

"Rejoice always - Pray without ceasing - In everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus - Do not quench the Spirit - Do not despise prophetic utterances - But examine everything carefully; hold fast to what is good - Abstain from every form of evil". (I Thessalonians 5: 16-22)

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It was in the very early 1970's, and Jackie's aunt Eva took a bus to South Bend, Indiana, to visit her mother-in-law. On her way back she noticed that someone had left a book on the bus seat that she had chosen, called "Catholic Pentecostals", written by Kevin and Dorothy Ranahan, early leaders of the Catholic Charismatic movement. She brought it home and gave it to Jackie's dad, thinking that he might be interested in it. And indeed, Harry got so interested that he attended a Charismatic prayer meeting held at an abbey in Three Rivers, a city about a half hour away. Harry began to get a strong desire to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, as well as the desire to receive the gift of speaking in tongues. Not knowing how to go about it, he lay in bed and repeated the name, Jesus, throughout the night. The next morning when he got out of bed he was not tired, and so he went to the machine shop that he owned with a brother-in-law, working all that day with the machines. That night Harry again stayed awake, repeating his prayer of "Jesus, Jesus, JESUS", all night long. And again that next morning he got up, not tired, and worked all day. The third night, still determined to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, he lay down on his bed, and immediately after the first "Jesus", his words switched over to a new language, and Harry spent the entire night in worship and prayer to God using the tongues that the Holy Spirit had given him.

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My experience was different. I had been an atheist for over 4 years by the time I married Jackie. She remembers always believing that Jesus was her Lord and Savior, and shortly after her dad's experience, the summer before we got married, he prayed with his children that they would open their hearts to the moving of the Holy Spirit, and Jackie eagerly asked for and received the gift of speaking in tongues. So we began our married life as a mixed couple, something that now I would not recommend. We went through pre-marriage consoling with Jackie's priest, Father Fitzgerald, and even though he knew I was an atheist, he still allowed us to get married in the church during a mass at St. Joe's.

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Several months later came the big after-dinner-with-the-whole-family-blow up-on abortion and religion, and that began an amazing 2 month period leading to my conversion and Baptism in the Spirit. I'll share one story from that period. I was working as a traveling salesman for our family furniture business. In October I went to the Fall furniture show in North Carolina that lasted 10 days, and at night I had time to read some books that Harry had given me. Although the books helped me understand for the first time things such as - Jesus death on the cross was intended for me personally - I still could not even begin to comprehend God. The one thing I knew was that I didn't know God, nor how God could be. And so I tried to pray. But the only thing I could think of each night, while laying on my bed down there in North Carolina, was to say the Our Father. And I did that each night. Unlike Harry, I didn't spend very long each night praying, but I was knocking on the door, and seeing that, Jesus was preparing me for the time when He would open it.

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The scripture verse that finally cut deep to my heart applies well to both of the stories above. One day, during my time of seeking, I thought; "Oh, I could speak funny words like Jackie does when she speaks in tongues", and I began to try to talk funny, when a strange word came out. I immediately stoopped because the thought in my mind was; "I don't know if there is a God, and I don't know if there is a devil, but if there is a devil then I certainly don't want anything that comes from him". It was a few weeks later, while I was reading a book by a Dr. Robert Frost, that I got excited about the possibility of knowing God. I put down the book and asked God (this was the 3rd time I had done so) to reveal Himself to me. Unlike the other times, when nothing happened I was extremely disappointed. Letting out an audible sigh, I picked up the book again and read a passage which Dr. Frost quoted from Luke 11, where Jesus says;

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"Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives, and he who seeks, finds, and to him who knocks, it shall be opened. Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?".

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I had been seeking. I had been asking. I didn't know Him but now I desperately wanted Him. Through that passage He told me that I could trust Him to be a loving Lord, and a Precious Savior, and that whatever he had for me was good. And so I knelt down, and examined my conscious, and confessed my rebellion, and asked Jesus to come into my heart and to fill me with His Holy Spirit. As a step of faith I opened my mouth to speak forth in a new tongue. And in the instant before I spoke, as I began to give it breath, I came to know Jesus as a person.

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We live in a microwave, fast food, instant gratification, super high speed Internet world. Our TVs have 200 channels, or ipods have 2000 songs, our cell phones have 2000 minutes a month. We give God a few hours a week of our time, but if we have a need we want to be able to access Him right now by double clicking on His icon. And yet, God is not a program running somewhere out there, ready to dispense the right stuff if only we know the correct pathways. He has revealed Himself to us as a person, and He wants to be in everything we do. His Holy Spirit will call us to come to know Jesus, and through Him the Father, but we must respond. And if we seek Him, He will be found, and will come into our hearts to bring a new birth to our spirits. The Holy Spirit has spiritual gifts for our benefit and for the benefit of our community. But we need to seek after them, and learn to grow in them. We get frustrated when we don't see immediate answers to prayers. But God wants us to trust Him, and to have joy in the journey. Sometimes trust means that we need to surrender more of our time to seek after, and to wait for, what He has for us. And trust means that when He shows us what we need to do, we respond, even if the evidence or logic is not immediately apparent. When we allow Him to be in every part of our lives, asking Him to move in our areas of concern, we will truly be able to give Him thanks in everything, rejoicing always.