Evolution and God in Harmony?

Our Dilemma: Should a person be a true, Bible-believing Christian and believe in evolution at the same time?           

Answer: No.

My Reasons:

Reason 1: God created the world in seven days, not billions of years.  (Genesis 1)

            Christian Evolutionist’s Defense: 1 Peter 3:8 ~ “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day.”  This verse puts all the “days” specified in the Bible into jeopardy – how do we know something took as long as it says it did?

            My Defense: Genesis 1:5b ~ And there was evening and there was morning – the first day.

Here, God makes it very clear how long the creation of the heavens, earth, light, and darkness took him.  One evening.  One morning.  What does that equal? One day! The above refrain is repeated after each day of creation. 

Also, God knows how confused we would get trying to figure out, ‘hmmm – now is this really twenty-four hours we’re talking about here?’ He created the sun and the moon and stars to dictate our days and years (Genesis 1:14, and He created the days and years for us as well.  He wrote the Bible for our use, not His (He already knows everything in there), so He’s going to use our concept of time, not His.

            There are also other references to days in the Bible that are very clear “days.”  Like the story of Joshua when the sun stood still? Joshua 10:13 says that it stood still in the sky for about a full day.  And Joshua only lived for 110 years, so how could that day mean one thousand years? 

What can you conclude from all this?

Conclusion: God created this universe and beyond in only seven days.  He didn’t only create a few bits of matter, either.  Not even only two fish meant to mate and reproduce and mate and reproduce until more species developed.  He made everything.

Reason 2: God says He made everything according to its kind.

            Christian Evolutionist’s Defense: ---

            My Elaboration: In Genesis 1, everything is again made crystal clear.  God says that every plant was made “according to its kind.”  Every bird was made “according to its kind.”  Every sea creature was made “according to its kind.”  Every land animal was made “according to its kind.”  And what about man, God’s masterpiece? Something able to think, reason, question, worship, figure…

God did not take two monkeys and say, “Keep breeding and be fruitful – in several thousand years you will produce a creature who is able to think, reason, question, worship, and figure.  I will call him man.”

He said….

Genesis 1:26 ~ “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

Conclusion: Land creatures did not come from birds or fish.  And man is not just a more intelligent form of ape.  God gave us all the animals to rule over and all of the green plants to eat. (v. 29) The whole earth is ours to fill.  (v. 28) Everything was made according to its kind.

Dilemma Solved!

1 Chronicles 16:31 ~ Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”

Love,

Ellyn

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Side note: I’m not disputing microevolution here.  I’m talking about macroevolution.  Microevolution is like a wolf breeding into a samoyed.  We’re making new dog / cat / chicken / younameit breeds even today, and that doesn’t conflict with the ‘according to its kind’ way God made animals.  Macroevolution is like a wolf breeding into a giraffe.

Side note 2: All a person needs to do to go to heaven is ask Jesus into his/her life.  Believing in evolution or not believing in evolution has no say in that.

Growth

With the New Year approaching, I have been trying to decide how much to post on my blog.  My old resolutions, new resolutions, a summary of what I've done this year...

The problem is that some of it is pretty close to my heart, and as much as I'd like to post it, I also don't want my blog to be my heart.  I express myself better with pen and paper (or Microsoft Word and computer keys), and I like to record things so I'll remember them, but I don't want all of those things out on cyberspace.

So, for the New Year of 2011, I've decided to post a few verses that I've held very close throughout 2010.  Read them carefully - I wish I could portray the same joy they give me to you in this post, but different words touch different people.

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Deuteronomy 4:7 ~ What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him?"

I love the casual yet sincere feeling in this verse.  And there may even be a hint of humor - after all, none of the other gods are real... :) But the best part is knowing that these words are true.

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1 Corinthians 10:13 ~ No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.  And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

I struggled with some very new temptations this year and this verse was a great comfort.

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Colossians 3:23-24 ~ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

We're working for the Lord! How exciting is that - our employer is the kindest, fairest, best, and probably most-well known in the entire world.  So why wouldn't we want to work with all our hearts for Him?

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1 Peter 5:7 ~ Cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Something I murmur to myself when I need to stop, take a deep breath, and...give God control.

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Isaiah 40:31 ~ [...] Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Oh.  Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful - almost makes me cry.  Before this summer, this verse was just kind of there.  It's something lots of people use to inspire others and its very well known among Christians.  But what gave it new meaning for me was a scene in - very odd - Avatar! I'm not an Avatar fan, but this scene and this verse just go together so beautifully.  Can you guess which one it is?

not my image

The world does not Hope in God.  They are chained to the clifftop - which for the moment is safe.  But we - we who do Hope in God - we're free to fly! We soar, we run, we walk - we have wings.  When Neytiri is flying her dragon, and later when Jake is flying his, both of their joy at being airborne is just so overwhelming.  That's how we should be when hoping in God.  Have joy, friends! The clifftop won't always be safe.

not my image

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Romans 8:26 ~ We do not know how to pray worthily as sons of God, but his Spirit within us is actually praying for us in those agonizing longings which never find words.

To some, having an omniscient God may be a little frightening - but to me, it's encouraging.  It's good to know I can't have anything to hide from him, and even better, to know that he understands my feelings.  I don't always have to articulate what I'm trying to say in clumsy sentences.  He knows.

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Ephesians 3:20-21 ~ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ever wonder why God doesn't do everything we want? It's 'cause He knows way more than we do! :) He sees the big picture and He's always working in us, even if we don't feel anything.  He finds ways to accomplish His will that we could never have dreamed of.  He can do the unthinkable.  Isn't it comforting that the world doesn't go round on our own ideas? We would have crashed long ago.

To You be glory, Lord!

Amen.


Yours,

Ellyn

This Christmas Season - Read the Words!

O come O come, Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel

- image not mine -

That mourns in lonely exile here

 - image not mine -

Until the Son of God appear

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Shining Bright

I'm back from camp, as you can see. It was amazing. I learned so much and grew a lot spiritually, which worked out well because today - the day after I got back - I got to be baptized. But more on that later. Back to camp. Spending an entire week with Christian people and listening to nothing but Christian music and studying the Bible twice a day totally rejuvenated me! On top of that, I didn't have to worry about my hair or my clothes or anything like that. It was just what I needed.

The other parts were great too - I got some good tips on cantering that I'm going to try out on Indy tomorrow. At camp, I rode a speedy and sensitive horse named Mocha. She was great, but only 14.2 hh, so my legs cramped up. :D But she took such light signals! That was really cool. I also took kayaking and sailing. There isn't much to learn in kayaking, but my head is still kind of spinning from sailing information. We didn't get much wind, but I still know the basic parts of the sailboat, how to set it up, and how to steer and stuff. Now when I read ship books I'll actually know what a "come-about" and a "jibe" is.

I have pictures, but they're very bad quality, so I'll wait on them and see

if I can get some from my friend. For now, I'll give you some highlights of the week.

I went tubing for the first time in my entire life! It was cool, but...we went over a big wave and when I came down I chomped on the inside of my cheek and got a cut there. So tubing was fun, but I got other chances to go and I didn't take them. :) I also attempted to water ski. Water skiers out there, I admire you greatly. To make my story short, I'll say that I lost both skis and after that I forgot to let go of the handle thingie, so I was zipping through the water with no skis and my swimsuit was coming off.

I'll try it again - someday.

Another highlight was the all-camp game we played toward the end of the week. That week of camp was the Holidazzle - because of the 4th of July - so each day we celebrated a different holiday. The all-camp game was on "Christmas", so half the counselors dressed up as Hoos from Hooville, and the other half dressed up as Grinch minions. And of course, one was the Grinch him(her)self. One of the minions made me laugh so hard that I was literally crying with tears streaming down my face and the little girls were asking me if I was okay. We had different stations to go to, and one was a slide made of tarp that was set up on a hill. They sprayed the hose down the slide and we got to go down. That was super fun.

I'm going to give you the chorus of our theme song, which pretty much describes my week at camp.

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The sun's shining bright and it just won't set

Your love is alive and it lights my step

My heart is amazed every day to the next

Your joy overtakes and I

Can't forget about it.

Waoh-oh-oh. Waoh-oh-oh, I

Can't forget about it!

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And then my baptism was today. I gave my testimony, which was very short. I didn't have time to cry, which was great. But unfortunately, I did have time to be stung by a bee. It got me on the ankle as I was talking, and I crossed my other foot over to rub the bite. When I was done and the pastor was walking up to give the next instructions, he got stung by a bee too, though his reaction was funnier than mine. :)

The water was warm, though the sky was cloudy. I got dipped and it

went so fast that I barely had time to feel anything. After the baptism, I had a great time eating and swimming and playing Ninja and Mafia with my great church family. I do have pictures of my dip.

Until next time,

Ellyn

Something of Great Importance

It seems like if someone is having a problem, the friendly advice they get from Christian friends is always, “Read your Bible.” Why in the world is reading your Bible so important?

I’ll give an example.

There was a girl who owned a pretty troublesome horse. However, she did not know how to train him, much less ride him or any other horse. She got hold of a five-star trainer and asked for help in learning how to ride. The trainer said, “Well…I will be out of town for a few weeks. But I’ve written a book on this subject, and I think you’d find it really helpful. I’ll send it to you right away.”
The girl agreed. She received the book in the mail and skimmed a few random pages somewhere in the middle before setting it down with a yawn. “This won’t help me,” she said. “I’ll be better off on my own until that trainer gets back.”
She went out to try and work with her horse, but he was so disobedient that she ended up face-down in the dust. The girl got up and pulled her cell phone out of her back pocket. She was mad, and that trainer was going to be sorry he hadn’t helped her right away. When he finally answered, she launched into complaints. “Where are you when I need you?” She demanded, after she had gone on and on about her horse and her poor self. “What?” The trainer asked, sounding a little hurt. “Didn’t you look through the book?”

That isn’t a perfect illustration, but it gives the gist of the problem. We have received a book from the Lord, and if we don’t read it, how is He going to communicate with us? Why should we think God is going to personally appear to us when we need advice if we’re not even paying attention the advice He already sent? I read in a study book that 90% of God’s communication with us comes through the Bible, while only 10% comes from other things.

“But the Bible is so boring!” Really. Have you given it a chance? If you want romance, read Song of Songs. If you’re a history buff, start in Genesis and read on through the whole thing. If you like poetry and rhythmic verse, read Psalms and Proverbs. There are miracles in the four gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. And if you’re in the mood for some hair-raising and gruesome deaths, read Judges.

I heard a lady on the radio give an example about Bible reading once. She said that when you first start reading, it’s like runny porridge. You abhor it! It’s lumpy, it’s displeasing, and very bland. But if you keep on reading a little bit each day, it becomes oatmeal with milk and sugar. Maybe not your choice breakfast, but it’s definitely better than runny porridge. If you keep on eatin’ your oatmeal every day, it will turn into a dish of peaches and cream – something that you constantly run to and delight in.

I think I’m in between the oatmeal and peaches stage. In our house, we try to read for 1/2 an hour each day. I usually do my reading right when I get up in the morning. I don’t always look forward to it, but if I don’t do it, I find myself constantly thinking about it throughout the day. And 1/2 an hour may sound like a long time at first, but it really is not. I don’t read from one place for the whole time, though…my attention span is too short. Instead, I read a bit from the Old Testament, a bit from the New, one chapter of Proverbs, and I also work on memorizing passages.

On the Proverb thing – if you’d like a way to start reading the Bible more, try reading a chapter of Proverbs each day. There are 31 chapters in the book, so you can read the whole thing every month.

I will leave you with a verse…Psalm 37:4 ~ “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

How do you delight in Him like that?

Read your Bible, of course!

June 7, 2010

Just How Important a Name Can Be...

God’s plan to save the world was written in many places. Knowing how much we humans enjoy cracking codes, he wrote his message in the names of ten of the most notable men who walked the earth. Check out the key to the code……

Adam means Man


Seth means Appointed

Enosh means Mortal


Kenan means Sorrow or Home

Mahalalel means The Blessed God

Jared means Shall come down

Enoch means Teaching

Methuselah means His death shall bring


Lamech means The Despairing

Noah means Rest or Comfort

If you read the name meanings all together, you’ll see a prophecy…that came true.
March 16, 2010

Because He Cares...About Jeans?

Something really neat happened today. I was not feeling my best when my alarm buzzed at 6:15 am. When I am not feeling my best, I tend to make a big deal of things that really aren’t a big deal. Anyway, I got ready for the day and walked downstairs. At the bottom of our stairs, there is a huge mirror, that shows you just about all you need to see of yourself. I saw that my jeans were getting faded and I started worrying. Worrying that my favorite jeans would soon be too short. Worrying that I would not have enough jeans to wear. I worried for a while until a verse popped into my head – the one about the lilies and the clothes in Matthew 6 – and I decided to stop uselessly fretting. If I need new jeans, God will provide them for me! Right?
After lunch, I heard that my mom was going to Target. No way! I instantly remembered a pair of cool jeans on a Target shelf and asked to come along. She said yes. Wow, it was a little miracle for me. I really wasn’t in desperate need for new jeans, but God had showed me that he cared anyway. But, being who I am, my thoughts immediately went from, “Thank you, Lord!” to “But they’re going to be so expensive!!” I shut myself up and prayed instead for a good deal on jeans, knowing that if God had supplied a trip to the store, he would definitely supply a bargain as well.
I ended up with a great pair of jeans and money left over. Thanks Lord!! Many of you reading this may be in much greater need than me. What I have to say to you is this, and I quote,
“Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.” ~ 1 Peter 5:7. Don’t hesitate! If God wants you to have it, you’ll get it. “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” – Ephesians 6:18a. Even about jeans. Have a great night!
January 31, 2010

A Gentle Spirit

1 Peter 3:3-4 ~ “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”


Heroines in books are always spicy. They’re bold, brave, and beautiful and take part in great adventures. And for good reason – who would read a book about a timid little mouse who sat in her corner all day? The verse above has never really appealed to me because it seems to suggest the latter of the two examples above. At first glance, the words “gentle and quiet spirit” bring a picture into my mind of a young woman who spends her life at home reading her Bible, praying, and meditating all day. But this is not what the verse means. In contrast, the world has an idea of a life that’s fast and loud – a life that has no time for God. The world takes pleasure in being rough, tough and mean. They enjoy putting themselves under the title, “Bad.” Like the Michael Jackson song. Obviously, this is not what the verse means either. I think that I can live a full, active and exciting life while still maintaining a gentle and quiet spirit. I can have fun while still being sensitive to other people’s needs and help them when help is needed. I can talk to God and be still before him. I can take time to think things over and grow in my faith. I can share my opinions in a gentle way. I can live my adventures for God and enjoy all the things he has created. And I can still be tough without advertising that fact. This may sound boring to those who are used to a hard fast life, but whether you believe it or not, the only real joy comes from God.
January 30, 2010