This is the moment that has defined human curiosity for as long as we can remember. How did we get here? Modern thought has quite a few theories on this, but none are so prominent as the Big Bang theory. NASA describes the Big Bang as the beginning of the universe. All matter in the universe exploded from a single point, known as a ”singularity“ and rapidly expanded into our known universe.
Theistic Evolution
Evolution is something that has troubled a great deal of Christians and swayed a many people from accepting the possibility of a Biblical God. I think the biggest reason for this is that theologians have historically had a certain way of interpreting the Bible and are not strongly convinced by the evidence for evolution. This lack of conviction in the scientific theory causes people either question science or question their faith. I think that this is a mistake.
Recent Posts
A Brute Beast Before The Lord
In Psalm 73, the psalmist tell us that he had been behaving like a “brute beast” before the Lord. What does this mean exactly? To be savage, uncontrollable, lacking intelligence, sensitivity, and compassion, this is a brute beast and describes the unrepentant sinner perfectly. Not to say that the unbeliever is unintelligent, but rather ignorant of that which would benefit them the most. They are not completely without sensitivity or compassion, but their sensitivity is limited to that which they deem worthy of their compassion. They are not out of control, but refuse to yield control of their lives to a cause greater than themselves and their own desires. Psalm 73 looks at the relationship that an unbeliever might have with the Lord, and juxtaposes it against that of the believer.
Understanding Hell
Hell has been imagined in various forms over the years. These descriptions almost always involve the eternal fiery torment of those lost souls who have been judged and found deserving of such punishment. There are some descriptions, however, that reject the physical agony of Hell and instead presume that those souls that have been found undeserving of heaven will find themselves eternally separated from God. So what is hell? How can we have so many variations describing the ultimate punishment for the rejection of the one true God? How can we separate fact from fiction on this subject?
New Testament Exorcisms
I think we have all seen how exorcisms are portrayed on television and in other media. Typically, there are two priests, and lots of holy water, screaming, and projectile vomiting. Have you ever wondered how these situations compare to the exorcisms that Jesus performed in the New Testament? Was Christ splashing holy water onto people in order to cast out demons? Reading from scripture? I don’t think so. Perhaps we should take some time and examine why there is such a radical difference between how we perceive exorcism, and how it was actually performed by Christ.
Old Testament Demonology
We all know what demons are. They are fallen angels which seek to corrupt humanity, but how have we come to understand the word demon to mean this? There is no biblical description of a demon which supports the idea that they are fallen angels, and yet this claim is made consistently within Christianity. So what are the demons of the Bible? Did Jesus cast out fallen angels which had possessed human bodies, or is the text telling us something else?
Denying the Devil
What is the Lucifer’s role in the world? What power or authority does he hold that we should fear? The most common belief that I have encountered is that Satan has no real power over us but can deceive and tempt us. Satan deceives us, places temptations in our paths, and works to undermine our belief in Christ. Think of the qualities that are needed in order to accomplish this, to deceive over nine billion people on this planet. To tempt each of us as individuals, Satan must be omnipresent. To ensure that we notice the object of our temptation, in order to place it in our path, Satan must be supernaturally powerful. Is this the Satan that you believe in?
[Guest Post] Why We Can Trust The Bible. PT2
This guest post was authored by Kevin Dustow, a minister and missionary for over 40 years. Kevin’s inspirational blog can be found at KevinDustow.com if you are interested in reading more of his work.
