True You

A stained glass window is absolutely beautiful when the Sun is shining through it. It is then that you can see what it was truly created for. So it is with you! When the Son is shining through you. ~ Ray

stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain

It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in

Atheist to believer in 60 seconds

I was an atheist.

60 seconds from atheist to believer.

I was an atheist.

The testimony Raymond Davis

In Germany as a teenager and later in the military, Christians would come up to me and start talking to me about God/Jesus, and I would ask them if He was real. They would say, "Yes." I would say to them, “If he is real you have 60-seconds to have Him appear, if He appears I will believe.” Of course He never appeared!

While living in Frankfurt Germany, I read Eric Von Daniken's book, Chariots of the Gods. As a young teenager it made an impact on me, and I quickly believed Eric’s theory to be the right stuff. In 1978, we moved to the New Cumberland Army Depot near Harrisburg, PA where I met a man from Guam who became my martial arts instructor. He is a very highly respected person and had attained a very high level of "enlightenment." He was able to do unbelievable things in the physical and spiritual realm, of which I began to follow. One of the strangest things he did was stand in the middle of the floor with his hands out to his side and no one could move him. He “became an iron beam” he would say.

By the summer of 1992, I was teaching martial arts in several locations, working in a top secret job and considered myself an atheist acquainted with the spiritual realm. I was quite happy with my understanding of the universe and money was something I had plenty of. One of my favorite toys was a car stereo that I purchased in 1984 that cost me about $8,350.00 (adjusted for inflation) I loved music whether classical, rock, techno, jazz, yes, even country.

My commute was 35 minutes from Harrisburg to the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle. One day I just could not listen to the stereo anymore so I began to read poetry. Amazing what we do driving. I had memorized a large part of the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address, and about 30 poems within a few months. One day I forgot my poetry book, and I looked around the car to see if there was anything I could memorize. I saw a booklet on the back seat that was left in my car from my wife’s catholic church. Not liking religion, but needing something to memorize, I started memorizing what seemed to me to be a poem, but was really a song, “How Great Thou Art.”

With the radio off while I was driving home, I began to memorize the song and when I read the verse:

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing; Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in; That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin.

I said out loud, “Why would you do that?” and for a split second I thought, why did I just say that and to whom am I speaking?

(What happened next is difficult to place into text or speech. All I can say is that God is not constricted to linear time. Several things happened simultaneously and something that would take you, and I several seconds to say and do took Him a split second. Think of it as 60 seconds in 1 second?)

Then suddenly I heard an audible voice come from the back seat area of my car which amazed me. The voice said, “Because, I love you.” As I heard the “B” sound in the word “Because” I felt something get out of my body and take a position in the air between my head and the side window. I knew it was there, but I could not see it. I was never aware that I had anything in me, but I felt it get out of me and place itself right next to the left side of my head. I was slightly startled by the audible voice but more so by what just got out of me. Even though I could not see it, I knew it was there more than if I were standing in front of you with my hand on your shoulder hearing you speak back to me while looking into your eyes. Something I just can’t explain.

At the same time that I heard this audible voice—time and space changed. During the time it took Him to say the word “Because” audibly, He spoke three sentences directly into my mind and showed me two things. All during the time I heard the word “Because.” And there was no confusion.

In my mind I heard Him say, “I Am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”... and I thought... you are the Jewish God but at the same time as I know he was the Jewish God I knew the he was not Allah, Buddhism, Hinduism, Mormonism, Shintoism or any other god. It was as if there was a line and on top of that line was one name. The name of the Jewish God, the one true living God and under the line was the longest list of all the other gods which were not the one true living God.

Then I heard Him say again, in my mind… “I Am, who stretched out the heavens.” And all of a sudden I was no longer in the car. I was suspended in space in pitch black darkness. I could not feel and pressure on my feet. I was in the middle of nowhere, no light no anything out in the space I was looking. And then suddenly, way out in front of me as if someone huge pulled out a vast never ending blanket from an unseen box. The lights continually very rapidly expand beyond my ability to see where they ended… I saw the stars/galaxies going out away from me as if someone pulled them open like a blanket. I was amazed! It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen! I watched this for what seamed 12 to 15 seconds.

And then suddenly I was back in my car, driving on 81 with the spirit next to my head. I was the shape and size of a baseball. And then God spoke in my mind again, “I Am,” right over the center console an oval hole opened up. I looked down into this hole and about an eighth of a mile away I see them. Three men hanging on crosses. They were up on a slight hill from a road which went from north to south. To the north I could see the beginning of a town and to the south just land no houses.  There were people standing on the road looking up at the men hanging on the cross. Immediately I began to know that this was Jesus the Son of God, that He is God, and that He was dying on that cross for my sins. The holiness which came from Him up into me through the hole was indescribable and my physical being was being overwhelmed. There was so much information mixed with holiness coming through into my very being I began to pass out.

After a few seconds the hole closed up, I stopped passing out and I heard the rest of the sentence, “I love you.”

It was an unconditional “I LOVE YOU”.

So He showed me all that during the time it took Him to say, “Because.”

Now I have this spirit riding along with me, right between me and the driver’s side window. I just heard God say to me audibly, “Because, I love you.” I heard His voice in my mind, saw the creation of the universe and saw Him dying on a cross. Now I know the holiness of what Jesus did for us on that cross.

I knew that this love was unconditional. It was the first time I had ever felt unconditional love. But out of my mouth, out loud, I say, “But I’m stupid.” And I thought to myself, “Why did I just say that?” And immediately I remember my mother saying to me in many ways over the years that I was slow, couldn’t do what the other kids could do etc. etc. etc. But the love would not go away, it was unconditional. I knew that God loved me no matter what I could or could not do. And I thought to myself, “What do you want?”

I knew that Jesus just paid for my sins and that He was Holy; I wanted to give God something back. “What do you want?” I thought. I thought I would give Him all my money… no response…He didn’t want that? I will give You all my money and my house?...no response… He didn’t want that? I will give You all my money, my house, and my cars?... no response. What do You want?.... Me! I felt so unworthy. I knew at this point that Jesus Christ was without sin, that He was pure and holy… Me? “Yes.” Me!

That would be like me giving you a dried up piece of grass and you gave me everything you have. This was an uneven exchange.

And then in front of me I saw, as if on a flat screen tv something I did on a cold winter day in Frankfurt Germany. A boy our age irritated me and my friends, would not leave us along. My two friends grabbed him and while he was bent over I kicked him in the chest, he fell to the ground and we ran off. Suddenly I saw him with God’s eyes. The value! The value of a human being… we have no idea. I jerked my head away from what I was seeing and if I could have I would have crawled out of my seat belt out of the back of the car. I wanted to get away from this sin, as far away as I could. I saw how valuable he is and I grieved deeply and began to weep. I cried out, “O’ God, Please take this from him as if it never happened.”  I wanted this removed from him so he could live his life as it never happened. And in my spirit I heard, “Forgiven,” “Paid for.” And as if there was an audible clap the screen then went up through the roof of the car and was gone. I knew it was done with. The spirit next to me got out of the car and was now traveling right outside the window. As if it did not want to leave, it wanted to see what was going to happen.

And immediately the next image popped up in front of me. I saw the face of a girl whom I can't remember. We mutually agreed to have intimacy.  I had forgotten her, but when I saw her face I saw how valuable and precious she is! She had no Idea… nor did I. Again I wanted to get away from this sin and I jerked my head away and cried out “O’ God, Please take this from her as if it never happened!” I wanted her to live her life without this sin. “Forgiven!” there was a clap and the image went up through the roof of the car and the next image popped up.

We have no Idea how many sins we commit. Hundreds of images popped up, things you wouldn’t think are sins are sins. My heart was grieving, I was asking for forgiveness… The images/sins were meeting forgiveness like fanning the pages of a flip book.

Then the Lord said to me in my mind, “The way you are, right now.” And I said, “But I have to change my language.” I used foul language on a regular basis at the military basis I worked. And He said, “No, the way you are right now.” And suddenly I saw a screen in front of me the left was all black with a white “No” and to the right was all white with black “Yes.” And when I saw this I leaped at the “Yes” with all my being with my spirit I could actually feel myself leap to the “Yes.” And two things happened, first the spirit that was outside my car traveling long side me began to leave—I sensed it, as if I could see it go up and away from me back towards Carlisle. I could sense it for about a half a mile, and then it just took off and I lost connection with it. I knew that it was gone. It wanted nothing to do with what was happening to me.

At the same time electricity touched the top of my head and as a wave began to filter down through my body. When it reached my heart another wave started at the top of my head. This continued on until I had four waves going down through my body at the same time. When one would leave my feet another would enter my head. I could not drive anymore, and I pulled over to the side of the road. My body was shaking as if being shocked—but I felt no pain. I began to cry, laugh, and sing songs I had never sung. I felt such joy, such love, I was overwhelmed. This went on for an hour. Every time I would pull on to the road it would happen again, and I would have to pull over. This was the greatest day of my life. I couldn’t wait to get home and tell my wife. Oh, the love, Oh He’s real.

When I got home my wife opened up the door and said, “Where have you been?” (no cell phones at that time.) I grabbed her by the shoulders and gently shook her and I said, “Honey, you have got to give your life to Jesus!”

Her eyes opened real wide and she replied with a shout, “Of course I have, I’m catholic. Who are you?”

I said, “No you don’t understand, you need to give your life to Jesus!”

Five years later, Leah would have an experience which I find incredible and wonderful that would accomplish the same for her as this testimony has done for me: salvation and a personal relationship with the Creator of the Universe, the God of Three Parts; Yahweh— whom we know as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Faith in answered prayer

A Simple Prayer

By Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

      "I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me" (Acts 27:25).

      I went to America some years ago with the captain of a steamer, who was a very devoted Christian. When off the coast of Newfoundland he said to me, "The last time I crossed here, five weeks ago, something happened which revolutionized the whole of my Christian life. We had George Mueller of Bristol on board. I had been on the bridge twenty-four hours and never left it. George Mueller came to me, and said, "Captain I have come to tell you that I must be in Quebec Saturday afternoon." "It is impossible," I said. "Very well, if your ship cannot take me, God will find some other way. I have never broken an engagement for fifty-seven years. Let us go down into the chart-room and pray."

      I looked at that man of God, and thought to myself, what lunatic asylum can that man have come from? I never heard of such a thing as this. "Mr. Mueller," I said, "do you know how dense this fog is?" "No," he replied, "my eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God, who controls every circumstance of my life."

      He knelt down and prayed one of the most simple prayers, and when he had finished I was going to pray; but he put his hand on my shoulder, and told me not to pray. "First, you do not believe He will answer; and second I BELIEVE HE HAS, and there is no need whatever for you to pray about it."

      I looked at him, and he said, "Captain, I have known my Lord for fifty-seven years, and there has never been a single day that I have failed to get audience with the King. Get up, Captain and open the door, and you will find the fog gone." I got up, and the fog was indeed gone. On Saturday afternoon, George Mueller was in Quebec for his engagement.--Selected

     

 "If our love were but more simple, 

      We should take Him at His word;
      

And our lives would be all sunshine,
     

 In the sweetness of our Lord."

He brought me to the banqueting house

He brought me

to the banqueting house,

and His banner over me was love.

My Beloved spoke, and said to me:

“Rise up, my love, my fair one,

and come away.

For lo, the winter is past,

the rain is over and gone.

The flowers appear on the earth;

the time of singing has come,

and the voice of the turtledove

is heard in our land.”

My Beloved is mine,

 and I am His.

Song of Solomon 2:4, 10-12, 16

Leah's testimony

The story of my wife Leah… (This she read at her baptism.)

I would like to begin by sharing this scripture from the Book of Peter:

“For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.  For, “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.”  Peter 1:23-25

If I would have read this scripture several years ago I would not have understood it nor known the truth it declares.

I grew up believing in GOD and His existence and I knew He had a son Jesus who was nailed to a cross.  But I did not know Him as a Living GOD who sent His one and only son to die for me.

After the birth of my son Zachariah I became increasingly aware of GOD’s presence, but there was something missing and I did not know what.  Life was good.  I left my career to raise a beautiful son, my loving husband was thriving in his business - financially, physically, emotionally - our future was bright.

But spiritually it was void.  This emptiness deteriorated my soul.  I had no purpose, no direction and most importantly no joy.  This led to clinical depression, marital turmoil – physically I was a disgrace.

Upon the advice of my physician, I pursued a change in my life – which led to a lucrative, exciting position in the cosmetic industry – opportunities abounded!

The deteriorated soul was now bandaged – life seemed ok. (But it wasn’t and GOD knew it and HE sent someone to tell me!)  It was during this time a beautiful messianic Jewish woman named Natalie began to visit me.  She would tell me of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and how much she loved him.  She would pray for me.  She seemed to know so much about me.  She told me that the Lord sent her to me and she was planting and watering HIS seeds! 

Two years later, while reading scripture all night with a friend I sought the Lord GOD with all my heart and soul.  (The friend I was with had committed her life to the Lord many years earlier and GOD spoke to her through HIS word – something I didn’t understand, yet marveled at and strongly desired!)  So in those early morning hours after reading the bible all night, I asked the Lord to come into my life and teach me HIS ways.  I asked HIM to give me ears to hear and eyes to see in accordance with scripture, and I told HIM I wanted to know HIM in the fullest measure!

Well, the Holy Spirit came upon me that morning in a the most powerful, magnificent  way – the presence of the Lord was truly marvelous - scripture began to come alive on the pages of the bible - I asked the Lord questions and HE showed me the answers –

I read for hours and hours!

The love that resurrected my heart, soul and mind was beyond human realization and I so hungered for more!

The Lord then sent Natalie (HIS messenger) to see me that day!  Somehow she knew I had just given my life to the Lord!  (HIS seed had sprouted!)  She prayed with me and instructed me to seek the Lord’s will with all my heart, soul and mind and stay in the word of GOD.

I have continued over the years to seek the LORD and live each day for HIM and HIM alone.  HE continues to be faithful, just and true.  HE leads me, guides me and instructs me in all HIS ways. 

HE continues to rescue, save and deliver me as HE promises in HIS word . . . Shortly after I gave my life to Him HE delivered me from the bondage of depression!  HE has provided and sustained me in ways beyond comprehension!  Fourteen months ago He delivered me from an enormous falling tree that should have taken my life!  At the moment that tree cracked and fell on my head, I was ready to see HIM in all HIS glory - but my LORD had other plans - for HIS grace held me in the palm of HIS hand and rescued me!

I have been captured by the Lord’s Holy calling. I love HIM with an unquenchable love.   I will praise HIM all the days of my life and I sing with David as he did in Psalm 18: “I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.  The Lord liveth, and blessed be my rock, and let the God of my salvation be exalted!”

I now follow Jesus, my Savior in His instruction in believer’s baptism and I await to see HIM one day in the heavenlies where every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!  

As the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth; It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.  Is 55:10-11

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.  For, “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.”  Peter 1:23-25

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but only GOD made it grow.  So either he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only GOD, who makes things grow.

1Cor 3:6-7

I am with them all.

I am with them all.

(This happened to me one evening while working at the Bethesda Mission in Harrisburg PA.)

It was cold and rainy outside, cloudy and overcast. I did not expect a lot of the homeless to show up that afternoon for the evening meal that we, the Bethesda Mission (supported by all types of Christians and non Christians in the Harrisburg area with Bethesda meaning "pool of mercy") provide every day of the week for those who can make it over. To my surprise I saw three homeless people sitting out in the cold rain waiting for us to open in ten minutes. I had only been working there a few weeks, and I enjoyed welcoming them in for the meal. I wanted to look them in the eye with a big smile and say, "Welcome. It’s nice to have you."

Many of them did not look me in the eye for the first few weeks, but as they began to know me they would look up and say, "It’s nice to be here. Thank you for having me."
This particular evening was no different other than the cold rain coming down. But as I went over to open the door I peered out to see who was there, and to my amazement I saw over 20 who made it through the foul weather. As I opened the door and let them in, a few minutes early, I noticed a small figure in the line. "Nice to see you. Thanks for coming," I said. She did not look up at me nor did she say anything to me.

I prayed, and they went through the line and filled their trays with vegetables, mashed potatoes, gravy and chicken. Dessert was on the dessert tables. The regular dinner talk and chatter began. They were happy to be inside and eating a nice warm dinner. As they emptied their trays and put back their cups I would make sure I was there saying, "Thanks for coming. It was nice to see you." And again they would express that they were glad we were there.

I saw the small figure sitting with her head down, her face covered with two hooded sweatshirts. I made it a point to say hello—she did not answer. I thanked a few more as they finished, and I saw the little lady placing her tray over at the wash window, and she turned to head down the hallway. "Thanks for coming," I said again as she walked past me. She did not respond so I said it again. She took two more steps and stopped.

She slowly turned and looked up at me to reveal beautiful, deep-blue eyes. She said, "Are you talking to me? No one talks to me. Thank you for talking to me." I saw tears trickling down from her eyes, and she lowered her head and walked down the hall. My heart was touched, choked up, and then I saw Him. Walking right beside her, down the hall, headed outside into the cold, damp and misty evening.

"I am with her," He spoke in my heart. "I am with her." Suddenly I saw a dark street in Harrisburg with a lonely homeless person walking with the same figure along side. Then two. Then many streets and many cities. And He spoke to my heart again, "I am with them all."

The tears now flowed down my own cheeks as I began to weep even louder. The strength leaving my legs, I began to lean on the wall sobbing. In a moment, I would be groaning, and I pushed myself to the men’s room to hide in a stall as I wept uncontrollably. "Yes Lord, you know them all. You know all their pain, their long and lonely lives. You know the streets of the forgotten. The lost. The sick. You know them all."

Because you have seen Me, have you believed

Often when I share my testimony many people say to me, “I never had anything like that happen to me!” Me response is John 20:29. “Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”  

John 20:29

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

²⁹ Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

Commentary and highlights by me.

Jesus among His Disciples

¹⁹ So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and *said to them, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰ And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹ So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” ²² And when He had said this, He breathed on them and *said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. (Come back to this later and ask God to give you the Holy Spirit in the same way as the disciples received it here.)
²³ If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.”²⁴ But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, (Didymus meaning twin) was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” (Thomas was not believing his friends, the other disciples… he is saying, “If I don’t have the same experience you have, the same proof, I will not believe. The people who were telling me about Jesus knew he was real, I would challenge them and say, “IF he is real… You have 60 seconds… and IF he shows up I will believe.)
²⁶ After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, (the door of my life was shut for the longest time… and he still came in and spoke with me, revealing himself to me in a way that would allow me to believe and receive Him as both LORD AND SAVIOR…), and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.(he is peaceJ)” ²⁷ Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” (Were these not Thomas’ requirements he said to the others??? Jesus knows exactly what you need from Him. He knows every thought you think and everything you speak.)²⁸ Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”  (Thomas just needed a little something, he gets it and immediately he recognizes who is in front of him… and he say’s “My LORD and MY GOD!!!) ²⁹ Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? (some of us will have to see… and He will show Himself to us…) Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”
^…30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

Blessed:

Transliteration: makariosPhonetic Spelling: (mak-ar'-ee-os)Short Definition: happy, blessedDefinition: happy, blessed, to be envied

3107 makários (from mak-, "become long, large") – properly, when God extends His benefits (the advantages He confers); blessed.

3107 /makários ("blessed") describes a believer in enviable ("fortunate") position from receiving God's provisions (favor) – which (literally) extend ("make long, large") His grace (benefits). This happens with receiving (obeying) the Lord's inbirthings of faith. Hence, faith (4102 /pístis) and 3107 (makários) are closely associated (Ro 4:5-7,14:22,23; Rev 14:12,13).

Believe Genesis

I know that some of you might struggle in believing exactly what Genesis says about the creation of the universe. Fortunately for me, Jesus has erased all doubt concerning his word. It is true and you can rest in it. Having seen the universe created with my own eyes and the revelation received from him while he was on the cross, I find that all the other theories are the deceiver’s deception in keeping us away from Him, truth, and power. I haven’t studied the theories of evolution since 1992… I have no need to. As you believe the bible’s account of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ do the same with the rest of it and you will enjoy a great freedom and find power in HIS wordJ   

The following I copied from Relevant Bible Teaching making minor changes.

Evolution

Evolution in the strictest sense states that there was no creator (even going further than Darwin did). It argues that matter either always existed, or it came into existence spontaneously and by chance exploded into a universe. Life formed from non-life and gradually grew more complex, changing from one species to another. This would have taken billions of years and the process should still be ongoing. 

Problems with Evolution

Life doesn’t come from non-life, ever. Where do male and female species come from? Things go from order to disorder, not from chaos to order. Where is evolution now? (They answer with the theory of punctuated equilibrium- that evolution happens in short spurts every billion or so years, so we are just in a lull). Where did the initial matter come from? Why did it explode? Evolution contradicts the Genesis account totally. Organisms don’t change to survive (all genetic mutations are harmful). No intermediate species have ever been found that have not either been unclear or been proven hoaxes. Many more in-between forms should have been found if the theory was true. 

Theistic Evolution

This is a view many professing Christians take. It is a supposed wedding of theism and naturalistic evolution, and it proposes that the strongest survive while weak species are worked out of existence or change to survive. Basically, theistic evolutionists argue that God used and oversaw the evolutionary process, helping it begin and complete. God is used to solve all of the problems discussed above in the evolutionary theory.

Problems with Theistic Evolution

It contradicts the Genesis account of “after their kind” and six literal days. Since God is perfect and His ways are perfect, why would He use a chance process when Genesis plainly indicates that He spoke the world into existence (see also Hebrews 1:3 which states that He “upholds all things by the word of His power”). According to the Bible, death didn’t come until after sin. According to theistic evolution, plants and animals had been living and dying for billions of years until the strongest survived. Why doubt the Genesis account? Can we trust any other part of Scripture?

Progressive Creationism

This view argues that the universe is billions of years old, that stellar evolution is by natural process alone, that the stars were made before day four of creation (thus allowing for their light to reach the earth), and that the Big Bang was responsible for the “creation” of the world. Progressive creationists argue that the days of the creation process overlapped, and we are currently in the seventh day until the New Jerusalem. Death preceded the first sin; thus, the garden of Eden wasn’t really a paradise as meteorites and floods and other natural disasters including sickness and disease had been ongoing. Random, wasteful inefficiencies were used to “create” the world. The history of man is a minute fraction of the history of the earth and universe because the universe is so old. This view also seems to indicate that there were man-like mammals. Finally, it denies the worldwide flood of Noah. Many “conservative” evangelicals buy into this view.

Problems with Progressive Creationism

The Bible says that death was the result of sin, not that it preceded sin (Genesis 2:17). The Bible teaches that man was created at the beginning of creation, not much later as Mark 10:6 indicates saying, “But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’” It is a violation of text interpretation to assume that the days overlap. There is no way anybody reading the account with no Bible knowledge would conclude that the author is intending for the reader to understand that the days overlapped. As one ended, morning and evening, another began. There is no Biblical basis to assume that we are still in the seventh day. No Scripture gives ground to make such a statement; it is merely hypothetical. They do not believe that the universe was created with the appearance of age (Adam and Even were created as adults, for example, yet they were only a second old). There is no hard evidence for ape-men. Finally, in regard to Noah’s flood, why would God make Noah stay in an ark for so long if there was land elsewhere? 

Day Age Theory

This view states that each day in Genesis 1 is actually millions or billions of years. Many supposed conservative Christians take this view, seeing it as some kind of compromise with “scientific evidence.” It is merely one way to try to reconcile the evolutionary account with the Genesis account. God doesn’t need anymore time than 24 hours. The verse quoted to give supposed credence to this view is 2 Peter 3:8 which says, “But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.” The curious thing is that the verse is not making a literal claim. It is saying that our view of time is different than God’s view of time when it comes to His delaying His return. Yet they take this verse literally and deny the literal interpretation of Genesis.

Problems with the Day Age Theory

It is dangerous because it undermines the authority of the Scripture. For example, why does the Genesis account emphasize the evening and morning of each day every time?  The text gives no evidence of a drawn out evolutionary process for creating man. There is no reason to believe that when God said He created man in one day that it took him a thousand years. Where this view really wants to go is to allow millions and billions of years, which Scripture in no way grants. Many times, it is no more than a cleverly devised scheme to let theistic evolution creep in the back door. 

Gap Theory

This view states that a primitive earth was created in Genesis 1:1, Satan fell and corrupted it, God flooded it, and a second earth was created in Genesis 2:2 out of corruption. This is an attempt to harmonize with the supposed “clear evidence” of the “ancient” geologic column. Sketchy scientific conclusions are held as being more important than what the Bible plainly indicates (two creations and two earths?). They do not believe that God used evolution, but they do believe that the earth is indefinitely old. They try to take the Genesis account literally, but they feel compelled by science to read into it.

Problems with the Gap Theory

They assume that some scientific assumptions and conclusions are grounds to be forced to doubt the Word of God when there are plenty of contradictory scientific claims to uphold it (see young earth creationism below). This view jeopardizes confidence in the written Word by adding to it, a dangerous thing to do and condemned by God. That there was a previous creation with evil, sin, and corruption doesn’t square with the perfection indicated in the Garden of Eden. Death came only through Adam’s sin (Romans 5:14).

Old Earth Creationism

This is the view that the earth is millions or billions of years old. Light travelling from distant stars is often cited as proof that the world has been around for billions of years.  While a logical argument, it assumes that time has been constant, which as the theory of relativity states, may or may not be the case.  Also, God could have created the world with light already having travelled to its visible destination.  Regardless, old earth creationists are quick to dispense of the idea of a young universe rather than taking Scripture at face value when it speaks of six literal days.  This view is typically accompanied by progressive creationism or theistic evolution. It typically holds to uniformitarianism which states that the geologic changes on the earth happened gradually over billions of years rather than quickly through a catastrophic worldwide flood. Thus, a worldwide flood is typically denied, also denying a literal interpretation of Scripture.

Young Earth Creationism

This is the view that the Genesis account is to be taken as an historical account with every word being taken literally. They believe (and I) that God created the world in six literal 24 hour days and rested for a literal 24 hour seventh day. The Garden of Eden was a paradise because death happened only after Adam and Eve sinned, as the Bible plainly indicates when it says that death came through Adam.  The earth was changed rapidly during a worldwide flood (no more water under the earth or above it), so therefore the geologic column is not uniform across the face of the earth, which is indeed indicative of a catastrophic event. The earth is likely 6 to 10 thousand years old as the genealogies of the Old Testament would seem to indicate. There never was nor ever will be any in-between species because evolution never did occur nor will it again in the future. There is plenty of scientific evidence to support this view (no reliable in-between fossils and a certain shortage of what should be found if evolution was true, no evolution has happened in the recorded history of man, geologic columns are mixed up, life doesn’t come from non-life, species don’t change from one to another, the universe has evidence of divine planning and design, etc.).  Copyright ©  2013 Relevant Bible Teaching.