Monthly Archives: March 2022

One Another – Thu -22-03-31

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Are you old enough to remember the 1965 television series Lost in Space? It followed the adventures of the Robinson family who are lost in their scientific exploration of outer space. June Lockhart starred as the mom. Bill Mumy played Will her young son. In the show, Will is often unaware of the trouble he stumbles into. However, he is usually protected by the expedition’s robot. In one episode the robot waved his arms and cried out, “Danger!” This became the catchphrase, “Danger, Will Robinson!” It is still sometimes used today to warn people who are about to make a mistake

The robot can also help us understand the word admonish, which means to caution or warn, often with instruction. Colossians 3:16 tells us, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” (NIV)

As Christians, we look out for one another. We need to take the teaching of Scripture to heart so we can use it to warn others about the spiritual dangers they may not see. We need to learn the bible’s wisdom so we can share it with others. That’s the meaning of the passage. We teach and admonish one another.  Though, we don’t need to wave our arms and cry out “Danger, Will Robinson”!

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One Another – Wed – 22-03-30

Daily Spark

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Have you ever kept a list of grievances? You know, a list of complaints? That’s what a grievance is, a complaint about something you consider unfair or unjust. For instance, I bet you have an informal list of complaints about the current situation, right? It might include COVID stuff or a complaint about a co-worker. But I know one item you have on your list is the price of gasoline. It’s too high, right? Inflation is a real grievance.

But not all grievances are real. For example, Vladimir Putin claimed a long list of grievances as his reason to invade Ukraine. On the list was his desire to remove Nazis from Ukraine. But there were no Nazis there.

It seems that everyone can come up with a list of complaints or grievances, whether they are real or not. That’s what makes Colossians 3:13 such a challenge. It reads, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (NIV)

Wow! That list of complaints and grievances we carry, is the list of things we are commanded to forgive. And the quality of that forgiveness must be the same as the Lord’s forgiveness of us. We can’t simply grumble and pout about them. We must extend grace and forgiveness to those who have treated us unfairly. Today, join me in checking off your list of grievances with forgiveness!

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One Another – Tue – 22-03-29

Daily Spark

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Have you ever watched mixed martial arts? It is a violent, hand-to-hand combat. It involves punches, kicks and grappling moves. Some of the moves are designed to force an opponent to surrender the fight out of fear of injury or pain. These moves include twisted fingers, arm locks and choke holds. The moves can cause injury, and some, if held too long, may cause death.

Why do I mention mixed martial arts? Because this is the way most of us approach the concept of submission. We don’t like the idea of submission! We equate it with being forced to surrender the fight. So, we don’t like bible verses like Ephesians 5:21 which says, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (NIV)

We need a different mental picture because submission is the voluntary alignment of our will with another. It’s like the football huddle. The coach sends in the play and everyone lines up to execute it. That is the picture of submission. Eleven team members line up to execute the decision another has called.

As Christians, we should not view relationships like a mixed martial arts bout where the last thing we want to do is tap out in surrender. No, we are members of the same team. And sometimes, we need to line up to run the play another has called. This is the way we honor Jesus.

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One Another – Mon – 22-03-28

Daily Spark

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Do you like to sing? Some people like to sing to themselves while in the shower or puttering about the house. But do you like to sing to others? Most of us don’t! So, you may be surprised to hear what Ephesians 5:19-20 tells us to do. It says, “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (NIV)

This passage is interesting because it talks of speaking to each other with the use of song. Did you hear that? “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.”  So what’s it telling us to do? Well, the word translated “speak” can mean to talk. But it was also used by Paul to describe proclaiming the gospel of Jesus in Ephesians 6. He also used the same word to describe people speaking in a church service in 1 Corinthians 14.

So, is this passage telling us that we should sing a solo at church? Well, maybe! Or it may be talking about joining with others as they sing. Either way, the passage encourages us to be thankful to God and encourage each other in song. So, whether you sing a solo or you just join in with everyone else, remember to speaker to others in song.

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One Another – Sun – 22-03-27

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When you were a child, did your mother ever tell you to “be nice”? Mine did. I guess I needed it. Sometimes I’d hear it when heading to school. But usually, I heard it when I was not being nice to someone! It was her reminder of how to act.

 Being nice is all about treating other people with kindness, of using good manners and having a pleasant disposition. The Bible doesn’t use the words “be nice.” It does use other words to describe our ideal behavior. Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (NIV)

Who comes to your mind when you think of a kind person? One of the people I think of is Mary. Years ago, she taught my children at our church. She was a gentle person who always wore a smile. I never saw her harsh with anyone. She and her husband, Jim, were always willing to help out in any way. She comes to mind when I think about someone who is kind. She is the epitome of “being nice.”

This week, the podcast will focus on passages that instruct us on how to treat others. I think a good place to start is being kind to one another. Stop for a moment and think of someone you know who is kind. Then, determine to have the same attitude toward others today!

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Reasons to Believe – Sat – 22-03-26

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Did you know that since 1960, millions of dollars have been spent searching for extra-terrestrial intelligence? In 2019 alone, the SETI Institute spent over $23 million.1 How do they search for intelligent life among the stars? Researchers point radio telescopes at the cosmos and listen for signals. If they find patterns that indicate encoded information in the radio signals, they will have found what they’re searching for. So far, they haven’t found any encoded information in cosmic radio sources.

It’s rather ironic, actually. Many have faith intelligent beings will one day be found. Yet many of the same people ignore the encoded information that points to God the creator. The DNA molecule is packed with information. For a human being, 20,000 genes are contained in a DNA molecule. What does DNA do? The National Human Genome Research Institute says, “DNA contains the instructions needed for an organism to develop, survive and reproduce. To carry out these functions, DNA sequences must be converted into messages that can be used to produce proteins, which are the complex molecules that do most of the work in our bodies.”2

People have been searching the heavens for years, believing intelligent life exists. But they’ve found nothing. Yet DNA has vast amounts of information, and many people never see it is evidence that God exists! I guess little green men are easier to believe in even though the evidence all points to the existence of God!

  1. “Form 990, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax,” SETI Institute, May 11, 2021, https://en.calameo.com/read/004812363e925446c4235
  2. Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Fact Sheet, National Human Genome Research Institute, Last updated: August 24, 2020, https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/Deoxyribonucleic-Acid-Fact-Sheet

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Reasons to Believe – Fri – 22-03-25

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Listen to 2 Samuel 5:6-7, ‘The king and his men marched to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites, who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, “You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off.” They thought, “David cannot get in here.” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion, the City of David.’ (NIV)

These verses summarize David’s conquest of Jerusalem. In fact, in the next verse, we’re told David told his men to use the water shaft to enter the city. A parallel passage in 1 Chronicles says Joab led the way, earning his rank as commander of David’s army.

What really happened here? The Jebusites lived in a walled city. To access water, they created a tunnel system connecting to the Gihon spring from inside the city walls. The tunnels and passages were dug through the rock. They also connected to a natural vertical shaft. Joab led the assault by entering the city through the spring. The soldiers may have climbed the vertical shaft or ascended through the tunnels. They probably then killed the guards at the gate and let the rest of the army into the city.

In the 1860s, an archaeological effort led by Charles Warren found the water shaft mentioned here. You can visit it today. It is one of the many tourist spots in Jerusalem.* The existence of the water shaft is another confirmation of the bible that archaeology has provided.

*”Warren’s Shaft,” Go Jerusalem, http://www.gojerusalem.com/items/137/Warrens-Shaft/

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Reasons to Believe – Thu – 22-03-24

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Have you ever seen the theory of evolution supported through radioisotope dating, such as carbon-14 or potassium-40? You see, some elements go through radioactive decay. They slowly convert from one isotope into something else. The rate of decay, called a half-life, is known. Therefore, measuring the amount of one isotope to the other provides a way to estimate the age of the sample. These methods sometimes produce claims that fossils or rock are millions of years old. This may challenge your faith in God.

However, the dating is all based on assumptions. It assumes we know how much of the isotopes were present when the decay started. It also assumes the rate of decay has never changed. And third, it assumes no outside process has changed the amount of isotopes in the sample.

Think of it this way, if the street where you live is wet, it must mean it has rained, right? If that is your conclusion, you are basing it on the assumption the only explanation for the wet street is rain. However, other explanations are possible. The moisture could come from someone watering their lawn, washing their car or from a water main break. A wet road is not enough evidence to say it rained. We usually check the sky and other things to draw that conclusion.

Likewise, don’t believe radioisotope dating without other evidence. These methods once dated lava that flowed between 1949 and 1975 as having formed over 250,000 years ago!*

*Don Batton, David Catchpoole, Jonathan Sarfarti, Carl Wieland, The Creation Answers Book (Australia, Creation Book Publishers, 2006) pp. 67-77.

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Reasons to Believe – Wed – 22-03-23

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Have you ever wondered if thousands of years from now, anyone will know your name? Will our cutting edge digital technology be as out of date as clay tablets? I mean, you don’t see cassette tape players anymore. Will all the cloud storage and other technologies be just shattered remnants of a forgotten time?

It is interesting to look back at the ancient civilizations and try to understand them. Archaeologists dig and sift through the remains of the past. Because of their efforts we now know the name of an ancient official probably involved in managing the Temple’s treasury in Jerusalem at the time of Jeremiah the prophet. His name was Hisilyahu, son of Immer. His name was found on a seal that was used to close a bag of coins near the location believed to be the temple treasury. He could have been the brother of Pashhur, son of Immer who is mentioned in the bible.*

​ Jeremiah 20:1-2 says, “When the priest Pashhur son of Immer, the chief officer in the temple of the LORD, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things, he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put in the stocks at the Upper Gate of Benjamin at the LORD’S temple.” (NIV)

The thing to note here is we have archaeological evidence for a man whose father was Immer at the time of Jeremiah. I know, a name is such a small fact. But once again we get external evidence that the bible is historically accurate.

*Rossella Tercatin, “Biblical name seals shed light on First Temple treasuries,” The Jerusalem Post, January 6, 2022, https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-691768.

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Reasons to Believe – Tue – 22-03-22

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Have you considered the complexity of the human eye? From the six muscles that move it, to the pupil and lens that focus light, to the molecular processes of the retina, to the transmission and processing of the signals to the brain, it is a marvel! Many see it as evidence that an intelligence designed all the complex, interrelated systems. But Nathan Lents, a Professor of Molecular Biology, disagrees. He points to the defects in human sight, such as near sightedness, color blindness, macular degeneration and more. He concludes, “Why an intelligent designer would deny his favorite creatures the excellent vision that he provided lowly birds is quite a mystery.”

But, could the existence of defects in sight actually prove an intelligent designer? Cornelius Hunter, who holds a Ph.D. in Biophysics and Computational Biology, thinks so. In his article “Did Nathan Lents Refute Design,” he argues that defective vision would never survive according to evolutionary theory, which is all about the survival of the fittest. He also points out that Lents’ argument is not about science, but metaphysics.*

For believers in the bible, it is quite reasonable that defects in human sight exist. That’s because the perfect world God designed was broken by sin. So continue to view the human eye as evidence of God’s design. And the existence of the diseases and defects in human sight also refute the theory of evolution.

*Cornelius Hunter, “Did Nathan Lents Refute Design?” Evolution News & Science Today, January 21, 2022, https://evolutionnews.org/2022/01/did-nathan-lents-refute-design/.

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Reasons to Believe – Mon – 22-03-21

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I once had a friend ask me about the reliability of the bible. At work, someone had challenged him about Cain’s wife. She is mentioned in Genesis 4:17. According to Genesis, God created Adam and Eve who had two sons, Cain and Abel. Cain murdered Abel and left the Lord’s presence. Then, suddenly, Cain lay with his wife and began to have children. Where did she come from? My friend was confused and wondered if the bible was accurate.

The answer to the dilemma is Cain married a sister. If God started the human race with two people, this would need to happen. The bible only mentions three of Adam and Eve’s children by name. But they clearly had others, as Genesis 5:4-5 says, “After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Adam lived 930 years, and then he died.” (NIV)

If we do the math, Adam may have been 100 years old when Cain killed Abel. That’s plenty of time to have other children. The bible doesn’t name all their descendants, just the ones key to the story.

I recommend The Creation Answers Book if you’d like to learn more about this topic. It discusses this passage as well as the genetic risks and moral objections to Cain marrying a sister.*

Many people often find objections to the bible, thinking it untrustworthy. But answers exist to their objections. You can trust what it says!

*Don Batton, David Catchpoole, Jonathan Sarfarti, Carl Wieland, The Creation Answers Book (Australia, Creation Book Publishers, 2006, pp. 127-139.

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