Questions about God’s creation lead to some amazing places 
by Barrett Vanlandingham
May 2, 2012

            So how old is the universe?  6000 years?  13-point-5 billion?  18-billion?  Or something else?  The Bible’s timeline leads us back about 6000 years to the time of Adam and the six days of creation.   And since Jesus is our Creator and he quoted from Genesis, he must have felt it was reliable.  So, that’s the time-frame I feel most comfortable with. 

            One of the hang-ups some folks have about accepting a “young earth” concept is that many scientific methods of measurement lead to a very “old earth” conclusion, even though other scientific measurements do support a “young earth”.

            Over the past two weeks, I have been involved in a very lengthy and public online discussion of this topic which has resulted in a faith building experience for all sides involved.

            The reason I say “faith building” is that all parties involved believe in God, and believe that Jesus is the son of God, and consider themselves to be Christian by the Bible’s standard.

            One believes in the possibility of an “old earth”.  One believes God used evolution to create everything, which I strongly reject.  And I believe in a “young earth” in which the universe was formed out of nothing, at God’s command (Hebrews 11:3), and man was created in God’s image.  In other words, the “spark” that defines “in God’s image” was there from the start.

            The one thing that even began to close the gap in the discussion was something called “Appearance of Age” doctrine.  It simply means that in the beginning, God created everything at His command, fully-grown, mature, having the appearance of appropriate age in every way.

            For instance, one of the debaters rightfully noted that God created Adam to appear, let’s say, 25-years old.  And if a scientist were to evaluate Adam on his first day of life, the scientist would have come to the conclusion that Adam’s blood, skin, bones, and brain were that of a 25-year old even though he had only been created by God earlier that day. 

The same logic would apply to the rest of creation.  Trees would already have age rings, glaciers would already have free-thaw lines, and coal, oil, and natural gas would already be in the ground for man to use that didn’t take billions of years to form.

These kinds of examples do not result in a “God of deception.”  We must remember that God’s nature is to be creative.   If he created a fully mature universe, he could have also created a light in space that was not the result of an explosion that happened billions of years ago, just like a painting could show light rays without sun.  There are also several New Testament examples of the “Appearance of Age” concept:

1) Jesus turned water into wine that would have scientifically measured to be much older wine that came from grapes, not water.

2) The five loaves and two fish that Jesus multiplied into enough to feed thousands of people had to appear older than the initial grain and fish eggs.
2) And when Jesus re-attached Malchus’ ear that Peter cut off with a sword, the scar would have tested to be more than a few seconds old. 

3) And just think about the new blood that flowed through the veins of the resurrected Jesus.  Scientific measurements would likely have pointed to 33-year old blood, even though all of his original blood had drained.

Science is a wonderful thing that changes continually, which is really no surprise for those who read the Bible.  First Corinthians 1:19 says, “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 

In the end, we must remember the words of Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please God.”   Have a blessed week!

Spring is a great time to learn about God

by Barrett Vanlandingham
April 25, 2012

I grew up in the church and I still find myself wishing I knew more about God. Like many of you, there are a lot of things I would love to ask Him. And even though that may not happen this side of eternity, there are more things we can know about God than we think.

My entire life, I have heard lessons that warn about making the mistake of worshiping “created things” instead of the “Creator”. And while that is very much true, there is much we can learn about God simply by taking notice of things He has created.

This isn’t the first time I’ve written on this general topic. But since I recently studied Romans 1:18-23 again, I thought it worthy of an attempt to take on its challenge. In this inspired passage, the apostle Paul talks about the present and future consequences of ignoring God’s will for our lives. Paul talks specifically about unrighteous men who suppress the truth that has been observable by mankind from the beginning.

“19.For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20.For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse (ESV).”

Paul makes it clear that mankind has been able to gather knowledge about God since creation!  That alone is an important fact since that rules out the possibility of millions of years separating the creation of the world from the creation of mankind.

One example of the attributes of God that Paul may be talking about is God’s attention to detail. Just think about the water cycle and the amazing process it uses to evaporate water into the sky and then rain on the land. The design of a flower, the process of vegetation growing, and the precision of a bird’s wings also remind us of God’s ability to get things right. He even designed tree rings so we could know the age of a tree. And then there are things like emotions, beauty, music, and memory. And then there are body parts such as the eye which could never have functioned to begin with if not created fully mature from the start, not a process of evolution.

Things like that do not just happen by accident. It took a Designer who definitely knows the difference between a day and a thousand years, and is without a doubt the ultimate authority on time and space. Jesus not only came to earth in the form of a man, but was also there at the time of creation. He quoted Genesis several times and so it is reasonable to think that at least Jesus believed the Old Testament’s account of a six-day creation. He could have also clarified or disputed it if he thought the inspired writings of Moses were inaccurate or misleading.

So what does this mean to us? When God gives us direction in his holy word on how to inherit eternal life, we really have no reason to doubt him. God’s fingerprints are all over his creation. From molecules to mountains, they provide overwhelming evidence of a God who has a plan for us. God knows the way to heaven, and because of his son Jesus Christ, we have the assurance that we can get there. Have a great week!

Your Christ-like attitude can give hope to others  
by Barrett Vanlandingham
April 18, 2012

            As people age, we grow wiser, right? (or at least we’re supposed to)

Well, in the New Testament there was an older gentleman who had experienced a lot in his life. He went from persecuting Christians as a young Jewish man, to becoming a Christian and finding out what life is like as the persecuted, instead of the persecutor.  So, when Paul gives advice to his young brother in the faith, Timothy, it would behoove us all to listen to what he has to say.

            In 1 Timothy 4:16, the apostle Paul says, “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

            Since Paul spent the first part of his life inciting riots against Christians, he knew full well just how easy it was to get people all worked up and ready to mob someone.  But as an older man, he worked harder to save people from an eternity in hell than he worked against Christians in his earlier years, and he had the scars to prove it.

            Paul knew what life was like on both sides of the fence, and therefore had a unique perspective.  As a one-time persecutor of Christians, he knew that portraying the passionate persecutor would automatically draw a lot of people to his anti-Christian cause.  Fortunately, for Paul, God gave him a second chance in the form of being struck blind for a few days on the road to Damascus (Acts 9).  Yes, he started out watching his life and his doctrine closely, but as a persecutor.  And look what it got him… a direct confrontation with God!

Tangling with the Creator is generally not a good idea, but it turned out to be a real blessing in this case.  Paul was able to experience the incredible power of God in a very close and real way.  And he most certainly knew there was a lot more power where that came from.  Ironically, the blindness that Paul experienced helped him to see better than ever!  Sometimes it takes a reality check, doesn’t it?

Paul knew his previous path caused heartache, pain, and even death for those on the receiving end of his persecution. But he eventually figured out that his choices also led to negative consequences for himself.  God made sure of that!

After his belief, repentance, confession, and baptism into Jesus Christ, Paul’s life was still radical.  But, this time he was part of something that brought joy and salvation.  It was a change that he himself experienced and wanted others to know.

If you stopped believing in God today, would your life seem any different to the people you come in contact with?  How radical is your faith?  Do you persevere in your Christian walk so much that people see the love of Jesus in your life and want to experience that same joy and salvation?  May God bless your efforts to live for him!

Christians are never really alone
by Barrett Vanlandingham
April 11, 2012

            Can you imagine being in a situation where you are surrounded by bad guys, and it looks like there is just no way out?   That is, until a bigger army of good guys with better weapons, shows up and surrounds the bad guys and saves the day.

That is pretty much the story of 2 Kings 6:8-23.  It is one of my very favorite scriptures to read when I am feeling a little overwhelmed. In this passage, the prophet Elisha’s servant wakes up one morning and sees a strong Aramean army with horses and chariots that had surrounded the city of Dothan where Elisha was staying.  The Arameans had come to capture Elisha because he kept warning the king of Israel about the king of Aram’s military strategies to defeat Israel.

            Even though Elisha’s servant was very afraid, Elisha was not.  In fact, he told his servant, “Don’t be afraid… Those who are with us are more than those who are with them (:16).”  Elisha prayed for God to open the eyes of his servant so that he could see what was really taking place.  What happened next is nothing short of mind-blowing!

            The Bible says, “Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha (:17).”

             Two major things happened here that we should all think about:

1) Aram’s army would not prove successful in capturing or defeating Elisha, the man of God. 

2) Elisha’s servant learned a great lesson about having godly friends who live what they preach!

            The one great theme that weaves its way throughout the Bible from beginning to end is also played out in this story.  It is that there is hope for all who trust in God, and obey his commands.  Can you even imagine the look on the face of Elisha’s servant when God allowed him to see what was going on behind the scenes?  You talk about a faith booster! 

The Bible contains many supernatural miracles that were performed and recorded so that people would continue to have faith in God. But humanity has always had short-lived faith, just as the church buildings that were full on Easter Sunday will not be full the week after.

We as Christians have opportunities every day to help open the eyes of the un-churched by simply setting a Christ-like example of humility and love.  The question is whether we are bold enough to not only teach God’s word, but to live it.  Remember, just when you may think you are alone in your spiritual battles, God is always ready for you to let him do his best work in defeating Satan (2 Cor. 12:9-11). Have a blessed week!