What are the odds?

Evolution happens by just plain luck or happenstance. There is no reason, no intelligence, or guidance. So what are the odds that a functioning protein would just happen to be formed?

This article, Comparing the Odds: The Seahawks Game Versus...Evolution? explains.

"Even the most die-hard Seattle fans would agree that the odds of last week's Seahawks win were quite small. They had to come back from a 12-point deficit in the last three minutes of the game. At that point the odds for a win were only 0.1 percent.

CBS Sports said:

According to the win probability graph from ProFootballReference.com, the Seahawks only had a .70 percent chance of winning the game after Wilson's pick [interception at 5:04 to go] -- that's less than one percent.

Believe it or not though, things actually got worse after that. Seattle's chances of winning fell to .10 percent at the 3:07 mark after Wilson threw an incomplete pass to Jermaine Kearse.

So what won the game? For the Seahawks to take the championship a combination of intelligence, skill, and luck had to come together. But I'm betting it was mainly intelligence and skill that gave the breathtaking win to the Seahawks. It would be highly unlikely to have happened by chance alone.

Why? A chance of 0.1 percent…"

This is essentially improbable. To win the game took intelligence, not random happenings. Even though the Sea Hawks won against seemingly impossible odds, it was not just a random happening.

The same can be said for evolution.

Lesson 6

Lesson 6; God's Word must be the absolute authority.

 

A1 Objectives

B1 Describe Jesus's use of Scriptures to refute error.

B2 Recognize the authority of Scripture over tradition.

 

A2 Scripture

B1 Matthew 15:1-20: The Tradition of the Elders

B2 Mark 12:18-27 The Resurrection

B3 2 Timothy 2:14-26 Practical tips for living a successful Christian Life

 

A3 Notes

B1 The Tradition of the Elders

C1 The Scribes and Pharisees came from Jerusalem to ask Jesus a question.

C2 Why don't your disciples wash their hands before they eat?

C3 Tradition of the Elders was considered equal with the Old Testament in matters concerning belief and conduct. From ISBE, the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 3 classes of oral tradition.

D1 An oral tradition of quotes from Moses. These cannot be proven. Some religious groups still claim that they have traditions of Jesus's words that are not recorded in the Scriptures and they are equal to the Scriptures. Others have sayings today direct from Jesus himself.

D2 Decisions from highly respected Jewish religious judges.

D3 Interpretations of Scriptures given by a select group of highly regarded rabbis.

C4 Jesus answered their question with a question of His own.

B2 The Resurrection

C1 Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the body

C2 Though they had a fool proof argument against the resurrection.

C3 Asked Jesus a question, "Who would have the wife if she had 7 husbands (each dying before remarrying)?

C4 Jesus didn't hesitate to answer that they did not know the Scripture, not the power of God.

C5 No marriage in heaven.

A4 Questions

B1 Was washing hands a commandment of God or tradition of the Elders?

C1 How they wasted their hands

D1 The minimum amount of water is 1/4th of a log (the volume of 1.5 medium sized eggs) and must reach the middle joint of the fingers. If you use more, you are blessed.

D2 With a cup/glass.

E1 The water after use must not touch the clean one.

E2 Someone else can do the pouring, or if alone must use a ritually cleanable container with two handles.

E3 The container/cup/pitcher as ceramic, metal, or plastic--basically a material that does not absorb like paper cups, etc.

E3 It is to be poured 2 (some say 3) times on one hand. (Fingers down, then fingers up)

E4 Then do the other.

E5 The right hand is cleaned first, then the left.

E6 Then rub the hands together using friction to clean debris.

E7 While you are pouring the water you must offer this prayer, "Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with Thy commandments and has commanded us concerning the washing of the hands." (According to an article by Rabbi Dr. Louis Jacobs).

E8 After washing the hands, they need to be dried with a clean towel.

D3 Failure to do this is the same as unchastity or hanging out with a prostitute and is subject to be kicked out of the congregation.

D4 It was expected of Messiah to adhere to the strictest interpretations of the elders.

D5 Image:

C2 For what reasons. This list is from Wikipedia and based on the Traditions and Writings of the Elders.

D1 Some types require a special vessel and with some it is OK to use tap water.

D2 Hands

E1 Done with a blessing prior to eating

E2 Done after eating so as not to have impurities in the eyes

E3 After a full night's sleep or even a long nap.

E4 After touching

F1 Parts of the body that are normally covered as back, private parts, arm pits, etc.)

F2 Inside of the nose

F3 Inside of the ear

F4 The scalp (not just touching the hair)

F5 Leather shoes

F6 A ritually unclean animal

F7 Cutting your hair or nails

F8 Taking off your shoes

F9 Visiting a cemetery

F10 Sexual intercourse

F11 Expulsion of body fluids

F12 Participating in a funeral or coming within four cubits of a corpse.

F13 During the Passover meal before eating certain vegetables

F14 By a priest before offering a blessing on the people.

F15 Some would have before prayer, thus signifying purity before God.

D3 Body (thus a bath)

E1 A woman after her period

E2 Some Jews do on Friday afternoon before the Sabbath starts

E3 Upon conversion to Judaism.

E4 The day (eve) before certain special feasts (Passover, etc.).

E5 Before burial

E6 Before ascending the Temple Mount

C3 It is true that priests had required washings/baths before working/ministering in the Temple.

B2 Why did they put so much emphasis on the teaching of the Elders?

B3 Jesus was accused of violating the teaching of the Elders, but He showed plainly where they violating the teaching of God. How did this affect those Sadducees?

B4 Jesus calls them hypocrites. Is this the nice thing to say? (He's just telling the truth.)

B5 What does verse 11 teach us about what we say? (Certain food may defile an Jew, but certain type of talk is worse.)

B6 What do verses 19 & 20 say about defilement?

B7 How and when do we know to answer people's questions?

C1 A lot depends on their attitude. Do they want to know or are they asking a bunch of questions without even listening to the answer or worse just to trip up or make a teacher look stupid.

B8 Is the resurrection taught in the Old Testament?

C1 For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19:25-27 NKJV)

C2 Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead. (Isaiah 26:19 NKJV)

C3 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:2 NKJV)

C4 Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, (Luke 24:46 NKJV)

D1 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. (Psalms 16:10 NKJV)

D2 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. (Matthew 27:52-53 NKJV)

B9 What Scripture did the Lord Jesus quote from? (Moreover He said, "I am the God of your father--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. (Exodus 3:6 NKJV))

B7 Why didn't the Sadducees know the Scriptures of the power of God?

C1 They didn't believe God.

C2 They had a problem with their method of interpretation.

B8 What was the goal of the Sadducees in asking Jesus this question?

C1 They wanted to believe that He is not the Messiah.

C2 They wanted others to trust them rather than Jesus.

C3 They did not want to admit that Jesus was correct and they were wrong.

B9 How to we answer people with questions like this?

C1 The Scripture says...

C2 Interpret the passage in its plain, normal sense.

B10 2 Timothy 2:14. What are two things is Timothy to remind the believers of?

C1 Not to quarrel over words.

C2 Arguing does no good.

B11 How are we to apply this today?

C1 Yelling, screaming, getting in someone's face will not convince anyone. It will only harden them.

C2 Point out the truth. Speak the truth. Don't whitewash their spiritual condition.

B12 What is the word of truth? (Bible and Gospel).

B13 How do we rightly divide the Word of Truth? (A commentator, Alford, put it, "to manage rightly to treat truth fully without falsifying. Found in the Believer's Bible Commentary comment on 2 Timothy 2:15).

B14 What are profane and idle babblings? (They are nonsensical theological discussions as how many angels can dance of the head of a pin?). Where does that type of discussion lead to? (Ungodliness)

B15 Hymenaeus and Philetus taught false doctrine. They taught that the resurrection is past. How could this have been avoided?

C1 Interpret the Bible in its plain, normal sense in context.

C2 Continue in right doctrine as taught in interpreting the Bible in its plain, normal sense.

B16 In 2 Timothy 2:22 what are youthful lusts?

B17 What is worth pursuing? Is this happening in the churches today? What are church people searching for today?

B18 What's the best way to correct someone in fault? (As in wrong doctrine or lifestyle).

B19 What is the snare of the devil and what does it do to people?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

God Repents. What?

The Lord's Repentance


Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them." But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. (Genesis 6:5-8, NKJV)


The word for repentance here conveys the idea of heavy breathing as in panting or sighing. It depends on the context. If it is to be understood as something good, then it will be translated comfort, etc. If the context is something negative, then it will be translated as being sorry, change the mind, etc.


In a good sense:

1. 1 Chronicles 7:22
   


2. Isaiah 40:1
   


3. Zechariah 1:17
   

In a bad sense:

1. Genesis 6:6
   


2. Job 42:6
   


3. Jeremiah 20:16
   

The basic sense, again, is an emotional change of mind, thus comfort, repent, be sorry for, etc.


So God did not commit a sin that He needed to repent, that is, change of character, rather it was an emotion of seeing things good and happy about it to seeing this evil and being sad about it.


K&D has "The force of יִנָּחֵם (nâcham), "it repented the Lord," may be gathered from the explanatory יִתְעַצֵּב` (atsab), "it grieved Him at His heart." This shows that the repentance of God does not presuppose any variableness in His nature of His purposes. In this sense God never repents of anything (1 Samuel 15:29), "quia nihil illi inopinatum vel non praevisum accidit" (Calvin). The repentance of God is an anthropomorphic expression for the pain of the divine love at the sin of man, and signifies that "God is hurt no less by the atrocious sins of men than if they pierced His heart with mortal anguish" (Calvin). The destruction of all, "from man unto beast," etc., is to be explained on the ground of the sovereignty of man upon the earth, the irrational creatures being created for him, and therefore involved in his fall. This destruction, however, was not to bring the human race to an end. "Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." In these words mercy is seen in the midst of wrath, pledging the preservation and restoration of humanity." Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament on Genesis 6:6.


 

Another comment: "A peculiarly strong anthropathic expression, which, however, presents the truth that God, in consistency with his immutability, assumes a changed position in respect to changed man" (Lange). That he had made man on the earth. i.e. that he had created man at all, and in particular that he had settled him on the earth. And it grieved him at his heart. A touching indication that God did not hate man, and a clear proof that, though the Divine purpose is immutable, the Divine nature is not impassible." Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 6:6.

Impossible Questions?

"Answering Bugliosi's Unanswerable Questions

In his book "The Divinity of Doubt," former prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi argues that agnosticism is the only sensible position to hold. But the book never gets to the heart of the Christian message. Instead, Bugliosi trots out the usual challenges to faith, mocking believers along the way with taunts about how his questions have never been, and cannot be, answered. Here's a sampling of his "can't be answered" questions: At the very beginning of the book, Bugliosi claims that theists have not a single fact to support their position. "By fact I mean a truth known by…" 

Are there really unanswerable questions that "prove" God cannot exist?

True Christianity is based on faith. This faith is a REASONABLE faith, not blind faith.

Most atheists that I have dealt with demand proof that has no possibility of doubt. They accept only what their senses "know". Eyewitnessed events are not accepted except from themselves and even then it might not be accepted.

Al Serrato provides the answer. A very good read!

Updates

I have updated the Sunday School series and the Bible Studies series.

3 Important Standards of Diligence

Benjamin Watson, an American football tight end for the New Orleans Saints, has written an article, "Teaching Your Kids to Finish Strong." He gives 3 important points of not only starting with our best but finishing with our best. Even though the article deals with points of raising our children, the application to the Christian faith is obvious.

The 3 points are

1. Perseverance in Difficulty
   
2. Moral Character
   
3. A Commitment to Excellence
   

All Christians are called to preserve. There is no room for quitting when times get tough.

All Christians are called to have the moral character that pleases God. He watches our actions and motives. He encourages us and helps us in our race.

All Christians are called to excellence. There is no room for half-hearted Christians. It is all or nothing. Is your/my prayer life just one minute long? Is our Bible reading/studying only a couple of verses with an attitude well that is good enough?

A Christian must give it our all to finish strong. It is an attitude encouraged and helped by God Himself. Are we willing and will get to action?

I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7, EMTV).

(See 1 Timothy 6:12, John 4:34 (Jesus is an example of how to finish strong), 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Philippians 3:14, and Hebrews 12:1).

Behold the Beauty of the Lord

Psalm 27:4 is a favorite of many. It reads, "One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple." (Psalms 27:4, NKJV)

The phrase "…to behold the beauty of the LORD…" to me sounds like is an egotistical, narcissistic monster who wants everyone to stare at Him and be overawed at His physical characteristics. Most Bibles translate the Hebrew with those same words.

It seems that this passage is not speaking of God's physical form, rather it refers to His character. It is not His physical beauty we are to admire but His character, His personality, and His way of life. It is just comforting and pleasant to be around Him.

Physical beauty is not to be the judge of a person (Proverbs 31:30, Proverbs 6:25, Proverbs 11:22, 2 Samuel 14:25), but their character, personality, is (1 Samuel 16:7, 1 Peter 3:4, John 7:24). A pretentious lifestyle or look is not commended (Isaiah 3:16, Proverbs 30:13).

Some of God's character traits are found in Exodus 34:6, 1 Timothy 1:17 and Jude 25. Some traits worth admiring as love (John 3:16), peace (Philippians 4:7), wisdom (1 Corinthians 2:7), knowledge (Romans 11:33), just (Deuteronomy 32:4), merciful (Ephesians 2:4), strong (1 Corinthians 1:25), helpful (Jude 1:24), compassionate (James 5:11), keeps His promises (Proverbs 30:5), and doesn't lie (Titus 1:2).

These are not only worth admiring but traits we should be developing into our character. This happens by reading/studying the Bible, prayer, fellowship with other, being taught, confession of sin, and humility.