Get Real

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

As promised, I went to the much debated movie, Expelled. This documentary by Ben Stein was complete with interviews from scholars and professors in the scientific community. It is not a “rant” as one reporter from the New York Times wrote. Stein succeeded in his mission: revealing how men and women are being ostracized from the scientific community for discussing the origin of life if it leads to some sort of intelligent design. Most importantly, Stein challenged his audience to use intelligence to draw their own conclusion on the matter.

What could possibly be so threatening to scientists or atheists about the idea of Intelligent Design?

In case you are unclear of the Evo Theory, here’s the abridged version:

Evolution, when referring to the idea of origin by natural processes produces a theory void of God, or intelligent design. Evolutionists believe all living plants, animals and people started by chance from a chemical reaction of sea, sunlight and cosmic energy. The first living substances “formed themselves by chance into one or more single-celled organisms which have since developed through beneficial mutations and natural selection.”[1] Proponents of this view see people as material matter only to the exclusion of all emotions. (If you are and evo’ist or atheist, and I’ve missed something, let me know)

While humans are made up of material, i.e. the dust of the earth, complete with a physical body that includes the physical features, organs, arteries, muscles, etc., they are immaterial also. The immaterial human includes the invisible attributes, i.e. soul, spirit, heart, will, conscience, etc. This material and immaterial make-up supports the whole of the human species, body and soul/spirit. There is more to people than a material body, as Evolutionists would argue.

This is a good thing. It is good because no matter what you believe, you have emotions. Emotions are immaterial. Scientists cannot explain this and this makes them, ummm…angry. Atheists and scientists alike have emotions, they love, they hate, they have joy, they have sorrow. This, my friend is because of intelligent design by a Creator who created man in his image.

If you are logical and use your mind to reason, you cannot ignore the immaterial or emotional part of our species.

The Intelligent Designer loves you and desires a relationship with you. He gave you the ability to understand the meaning of words and the capacity for relationship. I hope you’ll consider these words today.

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[1] Charles Ryrie, Basic Theology, 195.

Body, Mind and Spirit

Body, mind and spirit. Most people would agree that every human is made up of these three parts. After all, without a body, you would not have eyes to read these words. Without a mind, you would not be able to understand the meaning of the words. Without a spirit, you would be similar to a fruit or a vegetable.

If there is ever a debate in this area, it comes with the third element of our make up, the spirit. Once we conclude that we do in fact have some sort of spirit, we wonder about the dynamics of it. Is it merely our personality as some are said to be “sweet-spirited” or “mean-spirited?” Some ponder the grandiose idea that we have always existed in the spirit world and when our body dies, we will just float along with other spirits. The last question deals with the divine nature of the spirit. Are we God? Can we become God?

Your worldview will answer that question. A Christian worldview declares that the Supreme Being of the universe is God—big “g.” He is God and humans are not, nor will they ever ascribe to that position. They cannot because they are the created creature.

In a nutshell, this belief can provide relief and peace. Personally, I mess up so often I am relieved that there is a Someone bigger than me that can offer solutions to my problems. I do not need to look within or muster up strength from my weary self.

Ultimately, my body will die. Thankfully, my mind is in tact. Finally, I have a promise that my spirit will go to be with God forever.

You can find more intriguing writings like this at http://www.sharonhouk.com/faq.html

Seen Any Good Movies Lately?

Depending on your view of the world, the adjective “good” can be quite relevant. For me, one characteristic of a good movie is whether it gets people talking.

Ben Stein’s controversial movie, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed opens nationwide in theaters on April 18^th. The heightened anticipation from scientists and atheists has cyberspace electric with the buzz of this documentary’s release:

LOS ANGELES, March 28 /Christian Newswire/ -- According to Technoranati's BlogPulse which surveys the hottest topics and sites in the world of blogs, a site featuring Ben Stein's controversial new film Expelled is the #1 blog on the net.

The web traffic spiked when P.Z. Meyers, a biology professor at the University of Minnesota,  Morris, attempted to sneak into a private, invitation-only screening of Ben Stein's highly controversial upcoming movie, EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed (www.expelledthemovie.com). But Myers, who is an outspoken atheist and author of the science blog "Pharyngula" got caught and has used his blog to bitterly complain about not being allowed to see the film before its release.

Myers, who was interviewed in Expelled, has apparently been asking supporters to sneak into the private screenings which are being conducted by marketing company Motive Entertainment (www.motivemarketing.biz; which handled grassroots marketing for blockbusters The Passion of the Christ and Chronicles of Narnia) for various leaders as part of the grass roots marketing of the film.

When confronted at the screening by Myers' friend Richard Dawkins, a prominent atheist who is himself featured in the film… (read more)

I hope you will add, “see this movie” to your to-do list this month. You can bet I will and then we can talk about it.

Accountability and Accounting

In less than two weeks, we (US Citizens) will have to give an accounting to one “relative,” interestingly nick-named Uncle Sam, otherwise known as the IRS. Of course, plenty of checks and balances and high-tech computers ensure that we are accountable to that accounting come April 15. But, what about our daily lives? To whom do you answer?

We all have various levels of accountability to society, but different societies have different standards for legality and morality, and an individual can sometimes violate standards and escape accountability. Of course, other units of accountability include family, employment, etc. But, what about our accountability to God—regardless of what we believe about Him?

I have mentioned before, that just because we do not believe something does not mean it is not true. The simplest example is that of law of gravity. If I jump off my roof, no matter how hard I believe I can fly or soar upward, I will crash to the ground. The same holds true to the accounting every human who ever lived will give to God.

There is a promised judgment by the righteous Judge. All will give an accounting for their belief and/or acceptance of denial to the living God.

There is also a promised time of blessing for all of eternity for those who settle their account with Jesus Christ while here on earth.

Consider these things today.

Awakening (Part 2)

Continued from yesterday…

Second, the despondent seeker has already been awakened. All have been “awakened” to notice the emptiness in their soul. The emptiness is the wake up call to seek God. This person says he not religious because he has not had an “experience.” Many people confuse religion with faith; many also confuse faith with experience. These three terms are not interchangeable.

Religion involves rules. Experience involves self. Faith involves a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Can you hear the longing when he says, “one day I may be able to realize that life is change and I can love it for what it is, not what it has to offer me (i.e. a feeling of belonging and love).” What this person does not realize is that the Source of life is what offers the security of belonging and love—even when these warm fuzzy feelings are absent.

The day we meet Jesus Christ of the Bible, is the day that our life will change. From that day forward, each and every day we will have what we need to get through that day and every day of our life thereafter.

Think logically for one minute. What if there really was a God who loved us and created us to have a relationship with Him? What if He really created the universe and evolution is the hoax? Logic says it would be better to trust in a Source that is more powerful than I am to get me through the struggles that are bigger than I am.

I hope you’ll move from logic to faith—faith in God. This is the true awakening.

You can find more intriguing writings like this at http://www.sharonhouk.com/faq.html

Awakening (Part 1)

“This pain that I experience after each break up inspires me to come to terms with life and its ever changing nature. I'm not a religious person, only because I haven't had experience, but I have read on awakening. I was wondering if anyone can offer resources for furthering my awakening so that one day I may be able to realize that life is change and I can love it for what it is, not what it has to offer me (i.e. a feeling of belonging and love). Thanks for any help.”

The previous paragraph is from a person reaching out through cyberspace via an online forum called “Personal Development for Smart People.” The “smart people” on the forum offered a book title and these words, “All is full of love. You’ll be taken care of.” I cried at my laptop screen on behalf of the despondent seeker, “How!?” “When!?” “What do I have to do!?”

The person in the quote above has come to some truths about life. First, life is a cycle of highs and lows and comes complete with emotional hurts and sorrows.

However, what this person doesn’t seem to know is that God loves us and wants us to know Him—the One that does not change. This same God would not be the definition of love if he knew we would spend an eternity worse than the present, did nothing to warn us about it or offer us anything different. This is the foundation of hope, security and ability in the craziness of life.

All is “not full of love” but you can be taken care of when you trust in Christ.

To be continued…

You can find more intriguing writings like this at http://www.sharonhouk.com/faq.html

Expelled. Rebelled. Synonomous?

Looks like it!   

Check out this soon to be released movie.

(More on this one later)

When I Die

When did you last wonder where you'd go when you die? What did you conclude?

The worldview I hold is that I will spend eternity in a place where there are no tears, no fears and no worry about tomorrow.

What do you think? Do you agree there is such a place of "bliss." I look forward to your feedback.

Could God Ever Forgive Me?

     Yes, yes, yes! Thankfully there is nothing too big, no person too bad for God to forgive.  To carry around guilt of wrongdoing, whether it’s a lifetime of guilt, or guilt from something you did wrong last week is like walking through life with a ball and chain around your ankle.  The harshness of the guilt wears on you, slows you down in life, and interrupts everything you do.  Before long, your legs are bloodied and bruised, and life looks grim and without hope.  Forgiveness is the key and God holds it out to you because he loves you.

    

     It’s hard to imagine a God that is said to be “out there” somewhere being able to love us personally.  But he does; he cares about us. That is why he sent his son Jesus to die for all of our sins.  He longs to forgive us and remove the shackles and chains called sin from around our ankles.  The Bible says that, “Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead. He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.”[1]  Additionally, look at this promise, "I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the Law of Moses.[2]

    

     You can be forgiven, but you must apologize to the One to whom you have wronged—that is, God.  Sin makes us miserable; God’s forgiveness makes us free.  Sin will ultimately take the “unforgiven’s” life one day and keep him or her in darkness (Hell) for eternity; God’s forgiveness gives every person light to live eternally without fear.  Sin is what Jesus died for; ask for God’s forgiveness today.

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[1] Acts 10:42-43

[2] Acts 13:38-39

Why Am I Here On Earth?

In other words, why are we even born if we are only to die some seventy or eighty years later?  Isn’t there more to life than to say, “Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die?”  Probably not if you believe the earth was created from a “Big Bang,” that man evolved from amebas millions of years ago, or that there is no Creator.  Science is even discovering the universe is getting old, that it’s dying—just like man, it’s not going to last forever.  Something makes us wonder, “Why am I here?”  That something is God.

In the beginning God created the heavens, the earth, the humans, and the amebas.  The Bible tells us that God specifically created man and woman in his image and that he desired to have “fellowship” (companionship or friendship) with his creation.  He “blessed them” and gave them “rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”[1] We are here to tend the earth.  We are also here for God’s pleasure, which ends up being pleasurable for us—if we know him personally.

There is more to just living and dying.  Each person is born in God’s image, which is personable, able to love, to laugh, to feel, and to think.  “He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”[2]  What is repentance and why do we need it?  When the first man Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone.[3] Without recognizing that we inherited that sin status and trusting that God made a way through Jesus Christ to change our status through repentance, we can never have a relationship with God; for he is holy and we are and sinful.  We are here on earth to honor God, to know God, and to share the benefits of this experience with others while on earth so we can ultimately spend eternity in a place called Heaven.  We can only do that if we know Jesus as Savior.

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1 Genesis 1:1-28 NIV

2 2 Peter 3:9b NLT

3 Romans 5:12 NLT