Stem Cells

Today  is Thursday, January 30, 2014. I read in the LA Times front page that scientists have been able to take cells from a rat and inject that cell into another rat and have that cell reproduce. And from this they figure it may be helpful to do in a human and have the same results.
   Man is not a rat. I don't know what this proves. but I know God will only allow them to go so far and then He will step in. Like He did at the Tower of Babel.
   In the image we have that we share with God creativeness and  inquisitiveness are good. If we use it right. I would be careful if I were them.
   The only link man has with the rat is that both he and they were created by God. There is no family link.
    They are looking in the wrong place for answers.

Can God Be Known?

   In this era of freethinkers and another generation of  self motivated people, ask yourself, do I need God?
    Yes. You do. And I am not talking about the new age god which I understand is self. God in you. You are god. Determine your own fate.
     I am talking about the God who created you in His image.   The God who holds the world together. (Where do you think the atoms come from? Someone had to create them. Where do you think the posibility of their ever having been a big bang came from? The materials came from somewhere. Something gave intellect to the molecules.)
    Can God be known? is the question posed in the title of this post. And I say, yes. God can be known. Not completely. There is always going to be an aspect of God we humans will not be able to understand or even grasp. The revealed things of God belong to man but the hidden things belong to the Lord Almighty, What we can know about God is revealed in the Bible.
    And in nature. Yes, God can be known by the fact that the sun rises and sets. Stars are in the sky. The sun is there also. And the moon. As well as the planets.
    You got up this morning. Do you think you did that by yourself? That you made your own body? That you breathe air that doesn't kill you? That you can taste and see and hear?
     But that doesn't mean you are god. God shares His throne with no one.
     On the other hand, God to a certain extent can't be known. As I said, not completely. There will always be hidden aspect to God. He doesn't need you to know everything about Him or know Him completely for Him to exist. No process theology allowed. We exist for His pleasure not so that He can learn anything from observing us. He doesn't have to learn anything.. .
      Please feel free to comment on this or any posting you see here. I will read -and if called for, will respond.

New Year And New Opportunities

 Happy New Year everyone. It is now the third day of 2014 and the year has started out with a clear slate.
  Sure the past is still going to influence the present. Always has. But we may be wondering what is going to happen this year. I don't have a crystal ball nor should I as a Christian have one. The daily walk with God should satisfy me. All He wants me to know and all He wants you to know about the future is in the Bible
  I do know that the unrest in the Middle East will still be with us. I know President Obama will still try to do the best he can as a leader of America. I know that the senate will still do their best to keep Obama from leading us in a totally chaotic position.
  In the long run, he also is in God's hand. So we need to offer prayer for him that he use the wisdom he has been given.
   Daryl has finished his course work at Talbot Theological Seminary and now has his Masters of divinity.. So now I feel it is okay to call him Rev or pastor because he has earned the title now.

Your Marriage Can Be Saved.

  In the beginning God created us male and female and He also performed the first wedding. Because of the fall we started to have marriage probklems and we started something called divorce.
   You don't have to divorce. in fact, if you are someone who calls him self a Christian, there is a better way. Try this answer to the divorce question.
    God brought the two of you together. It is not good for a man to alone.  God hates divorce.
     Get help if you need it. There is nothing wrong in seeking advise.
     No one is complete in and of himself. No one knows all there is to know.
     Seek help when it is being offered.
     This is a digital e-book and is only $49.95.
     Get it today while it is still  available.
      Once you have been helped, pass it on.
 

`Context Is Everything

      I got to thinking recently about prayer. When I pray is my prayer making a difference? Is God hearing?
      I do accept the Bible as the written communication of God to me and others who are His. I don't hold to God speaking face to face with each one of us today. He has spoken in His Son and He has authored the Bible. That is the extent of His communication with us when it comes to what we need to know about Him.
     Anyway, as I was starting to say about prayer. Does God answer prayer?
     In the Bible we are told that Jesus ( God in the flesh) is the same yesterday, today and forever. In context, what does that mean?
    Now, I am not ordained. I don't belong to any denomination nor can I be the man who stands up and says this is what God says. I am not the under-shepherd. But I am a seeekr.
     When this was penned the time was during the first century.. Jesus--God answered prayer in the Old Testament period of time. That was before God became flesh and dwelt among us. That is the yesterday being spoken about.
    God became flesh and dwelt among us. God heard prayer offered then and answered. That was the now.
    After Jesus ascended and the Bible was closed toward the end of the first century when John finished Revelation, that is the forever.
.   God answered in the days before becoming flesh. He answered when He was in flesh. He answers now based on what He has done in the past. So I could conclude that He hears and answers prayer now in the twenty-first century.

More On The ABC Study Method

 
    I was viewing the statistics of this blog and noticed that the ABC Method is still being looked at. So I decided to major on that subject for this posting.
     First off let me remind you why you are studying the Bible. That is: the goals.

1.      You want to learn more about Christ
2.       You wish to know how to be a more effective Christian
3.        You want to know what the Bible says about a certain subject.
4.         You want to know what does the Bible mean
5.         You want to know how does the Bible apply

      As you study you are asking yourself those questions.
      Since I am still getting a response for the ABC Method I will discuss it a bit more here. I may repeat at certain points what the earlier post has said. That is fine as repetition is good.
       The ABC method is subjective. You are the one who determines what it is doing for you. The ABC method has many variations and is very popular.  It is basicly a simplified analytical approach to the Study of the Bible.
       We work this in reverse order. d,c,b,a.

• D Section is where you "digest" what you have chosen. You read through the passage over and over. Usually you use ten verses. If this sounds familiar it is because in the previous posts to this blog I have been putting forth the idea of reading ten verses at a time. So you are just continuing this habit.
• C Section is where you are doing "cross references" Try to find parallel passages or passage for each verse. It can be related to a word, an idea, or general teaching. You are letting the Bible explain itself.
• The B section is where you are looking for the "Best Verse" in the passage you have read. Ask yourself what is the basic verse or key verse of this passage
• A Section is where you are doing the "Application". Be sure to apply to your life the lesson of this passage. Write something like .." The Bible is saying to cast all my cares upon the Lord so I am doing this, and therefore I will not worry about...".  You shouold be able to find several; applications from the passage you are lookin gat.

     There is an E section if you wish to go deeper. The E section would be an "Extended Paraphrase."
     There you have a further discussion on the Bible Study Method--ABC Method.
     Go and may you grow deeper in the knowledge of God.

It Is Called Ability Giving

       Last Sunday Pastor Joe of ACTS Church gave as his sermon a sermon on ability giving. This is not the same as the Tithe or Law giving. It is giving according to your ability to give. There is noi set level of giving attached to this. Just what you are able to give.
       Most of us think of giving as financi
al so ability giving is giving a portion of what youi are able to make this past week.
       If you are a writer than a portion of your check that you receive.. that portion that is a sacrifice for you. For giving for a Christian seems to be the equivalent of the lamb or dove offered to God in the days of old by the people of Israel.
       Or if you are able to sell a product this past week and have recedived the payment. A portion of that. According to your ability. It is called ability giving.
       The example of the widows mite in the days of Jesus is an ability offering. She gave of her ability. The rich people gave off the top and probably never missed what they gave. But the widow gave more  than off the top..
       Or if you do internet marketing and you get money from this type of business, give according to your ability.
        Remember, it is called ability giving.