Tag: Bible

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An Important Question (pt. 2)

Continued from last week, we’re getting pretty close to the requirement of faith.

To acknowledge that 356 prophecies were fulfilled in the person of Jesus is one thing. But to say that a man – a human being – is God? That’s a tough pill to swallow! But let’s continue.

Since 356 prophecies were fulfilled in one person, we now have to ask the question: How did all those people (prophets) know what to write? It’s impossible for several people over a span of 1200 years (not including any New Testament writer) to agree with each other in knowing exactly what will happen to a single individual hundreds of years later. There had to be a mastermind to share the information with them.

And that mastermind had to be alive for the duration of human existence so there would be no mistake in telling these people what to write. But no human in the history of the world – including before the flood in Noah’s time – lived longer than 969 years.

This reveals that the existence of the mastermind started before the beginning of the human race and shared knowledge of the future with various people. Since only God can do that, I have no recourse but to accept what the Bible says about him.

John 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. Verse 14 tells us that the Word became flesh. Therefore, we know that the Word was Jesus; and Jesus was and is God.

So far I’ve related what the Bible said about God and Jesus, and we know that everything said about them came true. Therefore, since it verifies that Jesus is God, I have no problem believing whatever the Bible authors said about Him.

The Bible says Jesus raised people from the dead. Can God do that? Of course, He can. He created life in the first place; He can certainly restore life.

The Bible says Jesus turned water into wine. Can God do that? Yes, of course. He created vegetation and water out of nothing, so he can change water into fermented grape juice.

The Bible says Jesus died, was buried, and raised from the dead three days later. Can God do that? Again, yes. God created rocks, planets, stars, galaxies, vegetation, animals, and humans – all out of nothing. Therefore, it is no big deal for God to prevent the body that He lived for 33 or so years from decomposing, and to re-inhabit it. Not only that, the guards at the tomb were eye-witnesses, but were paid to lie about it (Matthew 28:11-15).

Now, where were we? Oh, yes …

If humanistic evolution were true, dissolved inorganic rock material would have to be transformed into organic material. That is a physical impossibility. Therefore, it would still require the miraculous power of a Creator – Almighty God. Only God can do the impossible. Therefore, since the Creator would still be necessary, He wouldn’t need billions of years to create and establish life: He could do it within days if he wanted to.

Did the Bible authors tell us that God or Jesus did something They couldn’t do? Did the Bible authors tell us that God or Jesus did something They didn’t do?

No. In fact, the last verse in the Gospel of John says, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books.”

I asked my dad once how that could be true. Dad responded with, “Do you know all that Jesus, as God, did throughout the history of the universe? How did Jesus make rocks? How did he make flowers? How did he make a star? How many stars did he make? How many galaxies did he make? How did he make people? And the questions continue.”

Obviously, I don’t know how many books it would take to record every single thing Jesus/God did throughout the history of the universe, so I will believe the verse. That is faith. Faith is believing what we cannot prove.

There are many detractors – including theologians, scholars, and scientists – who deny the truth in the Bible. There were even people back in the first century who outright lied about Jesus and about what took place. But remember my comment last week: “…to explicitly affirm what God and Jesus actually said and did would require eyewitnesses.” And there were many eyewitnesses who wrote down what they saw and heard.

We serve an amazingly, almighty God who can do anything He can imagine, and He has a great imagination. Looking through a microscope and a telescope reveals the glory of God and the magnificence of His imagination.

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An Important Question (pt. 1)

I enjoyed a question a reader asked because it prompted me to critically and logically think about my faith and my understanding about God.

Question: How do you determine the difference between 1) what God and Jesus actually said and did, versus 2) what the Bible authors merely reported that God and Jesus said and did?

To affirm what God and Jesus said and did would require eyewitnesses. Therefore, I will not start with faith; I’ll start with what many scholars believe to be fact.

Literary scholars of various religious and non-religious persuasions determined that portions of the Old Testament may have been written as early as 3500 BC, and I think they are on the right track. Why do I agree with them?

According to Genesis chapter three, God had personal interaction with Adam. Therefore, Adam learned about the creation events from God, and most likely wrote about it. And since Adam lived well into Methuselah’s lifetime, he passed the knowledge regarding creation and the beginning of human history to Enoch and his son, Methuselah; and they could have started formally documenting the history of mankind. Since Methuselah died about a week before the flood began, he had time to document what Noah was doing.

God gave Noah a 120-year warning that the flood was to happen, so Noah wasn’t in a hurry and would have taken all the writings that Methuselah gave him onto the Ark. Noah and Shem may have added more info to the writings.

Those writings (on clay, parchment, paper, or whatever the medium), were passed down to Abraham and eventually reached Moses. All that information was the basis for the first 11 chapters of Genesis.

The information presented in Genesis 12 through 50 was most likely documented by Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and several others while they were in Egypt, and given to Moses. If the writings started around 3500 BC, and we apply the genealogy given us in the Bible, we can see how the actions and words of God – and of Jesus – were documented by eyewitnesses. It takes many guesses out of the equation.

Add to the equation: the Bible is the oldest history book in the world, and much of it has been verified by archeology and other scientific endeavors.

Hundreds of prophecies have been spoken throughout the OT time frame. A few of the prophecies were spoken by seemingly wild-eyed hermits, while many, if not most, were spoken by kings, priests, farmers, shepherds, merchantmen, and other socially accepted people. Most of them have already come true, such as: approximately 356 prophecies in the OT about the coming Messiah have been fulfilled in Jesus.

Quoting from https://www.learnreligions.com/prophecies-of-jesus-fulfilled-700159, Learn Religions – Old Testament Prophecies of Jesus, we read: “In the book Science Speaks, Peter Stoner and Robert Newman discuss the statistical improbability of one man, whether accidentally or deliberately, fulfilling just eight of the prophecies Jesus fulfilled. The chance of this happening, they say, is 1 in 1017 power.”

10 to the 17th power is 10 with 17 zeros after it. Go figure the number.

But there were not 8 prophecies about Jesus that were fulfilled – there were approximately 356. For this, I don’t know how many zeros would be required, the result equals to an impossibility.

But all that deals only with prophecies about Jesus. There were hundreds of other prophecies throughout the 1200 years of writing Genesis through Malachi. They were about people, politics, events, and they were fulfilled, also. If there is no one who knows everything that will ever happen in the course of mankind, this is a staggering impossibility.

Many of those 356 prophecies that were fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus point to the fact that Jesus would be the Messiah, and others pointed to the fact that Jesus would be God in human form.

Now, switch to what is called the New Testament.

What we call the “Church Age” did not begin until the Day of Pentecost. That’s why we say the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are actually a continuation of the Old Testament. That would change the 1200 years of writing to almost 1600 years. Those four books reveal the life of Jesus and show how Jesus fulfilled many prophecies in the OT.

John, the Gospel writer, was possibly the final Old Testament prophet. Remember, he didn’t die until somewhere around 100 AD – about 60 years after Jesus was crucified. And with everything said about the coming Messiah being fulfilled in Jesus, John informs us in John 1:1 that the Messiah, who had originally been predicted in Genesis 3:15, was and is God.

Let’s continue next week.

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A Very Good Question

The following is a question from a dear friend, and my response to her.

“In a short and concise answer, why do you believe Christianity is the true/real religion and others are false?”

Joanna, If I give you a “short and concise answer,” it will answer the question but it will not answer your intent. Here is the short and concise answer, and you’ll see what I mean:

Christianity is based on Jesus, and Jesus is truly God. Other religions are based on false gods. Anything false is not true or real. That’s why I believe Christianity is the true/real religion.

Now you see why a short and concise answer will not tell you what you want to know. Therefore, allow me to go a bit further with a fuller, more complex response.

A major scientific principle states: Matter can be neither created [out of nothing] nor destroyed [resulting into nothing]. It can change shape, form, or appearance, but cannot be created or destroyed. But matter exists. The entire universe is made from matter.

Therefore, we must amend the principle like this: Matter can be neither created nor destroyed – except by a force outside time and space. That force must be an uncreated, eternal, thinking Being. And by nature, He must be a creator. A person such as this can only be God. That outside force – God – is the only one who can make or create substance out of absolutely nothing.

Mankind is a compound creation: body and spirit. Man was created to be autonomously animated: he breathes by himself, he moves by himself, and he thinks by himself – he’s a compound miracle. It has been proven throughout human history that, although man can think up ideas, then invent and manufacture things out of processed material found in nature, man cannot create something out of nothing.

Man was created with the innate desire to worship something or someone, but rebellious or highly independent man does not want to be responsible to his Creator. Therefore, although some have chosen to believe there is no God or gods, others have generated gods from their own fanciful imagination.

Man granted these imaginary gods the ability to create themselves. Man granted them personality, spirit, and some supernatural powers, and decided to worship his own invention. However, man-made imaginations cannot answer prayer, but Jesus does answer prayer. Man-made imaginations cannot heal or speak, but Jesus interacts with us in our minds and spirits daily; and He heals. Man-made imaginations cannot guide us, but Jesus guides us in healthy, wholesome decisions.

Joanna, do you understand what I just wrote? It’s true that I learned much of that by studying various subjects. But let me quote my Grandpa Linzey when I asked him a question. You’ll find this on page 14 of my book, Reflections on Faith & History:

The last time I saw my grandfather, Stanford Linzey, he was ninety-six years old. I asked him: “Grandpa, what is the most important thing in life? I want to pass your thought on to my children as part of their family heritage.” Grandpa looked out into the field and over the horizon for a few minutes as I silently waited with eager anticipation. At last he looked toward me and pensively said, “I suppose the most important thing in life is this: everything you need to know is in The Book. You can know a lot of other things, but everything you need to know is in The Book. Study it.”

I deeply cherish those moments with Grandpa, and I have never stopped studying the bible – The Book. However, although everything we need to know for eternal life is in the Bible, I’ve learned a lot more information so that I can effectively fulfill what the Lord has asked me to do – write to inform and teach people.

You must develop your Christian world-view for yourself in order to solidly establish your faith in Jesus Christ and to be able to adequately talk with others about it.

Remember that I’m available to help. But please read my book, Reflections on Faith & History. (Click on the url at the end of this blog.) It won’t take long to read it, you’ll find several other answers you’re looking for, and I gladly await your next question. You ask very good questions. May the Lord bless you, abundantly, and I look forward to seeing you again soon.

https://www.amazon.com/Reflections-Faith-History-Bringing-Scripture/dp/1793443599

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Part 2: Who were the Wise Men?

Who were the wise men, and why did they search for the new king? Matthew 2 says in part, “wise men came from the east to Jerusalem saying we have seen his star in the east… When they entered the house, they saw the young child with his mother.…”

The east is a big area, so we need to know what Eastern societies employed those who might be watching or studying the stars. China, India, and Persia are possible candidates.

China is the first that comes to mind, for they have written many things about the stars and the heavens throughout their history. But China’s Daoism (Taoism) was basically passive and stressed ethical action, and Confucianism stressed conformity as related to society, government, and family. Neither group was interested in religion or other governments at the time.

India is also an unlikely candidate because Buddhism (with its focus on the negative aspects of materialism) and Hinduism (with perhaps over 300 million gods, although possibly based on one central deity) were not interested in either the religions or the governments of other civilizations.

That leaves us with Persia. The main religion in Persia at the time was Zoroastrianism, and their priests were of a class called Magi (from whence we get magician). They were basically monotheistic. They acknowledged an evil one who was in opposition to the true Wise Lord, they believed the world would end when light finally conquered darkness, and they believed the Wise Lord was a loving God who desired communication with humans. These wise men, or scholars, studied the stars, and the languages, writings, cultures, botany, etc., of other civilizations.

They were the scientists of the day and carried status of nobility. In fact, the words “wise men” in Scripture refer to Babylonian officials who were of the Magian class. Remember also when the Jews (including Daniel who was Nebuchadnezzar’s personal counsel for years) were in captivity in Babylon in the sixth century BC, the Zoroastrians learned about the prophesies in the Hebrew Scriptures. Until about 220 AD, Zoroastrianism was sympathetic to any religion, including Judaism and Christianity, that taught kindness, justice, righteous thinking, truth, monotheism, etc.

The magi had various fields of expertise, including astronomy and astrology. Whenever a sign or star indicated a royal birth (Psalm 19:1), or when they learned of a royal birth through the communication system of the day, a delegation of three to seven was sent to acknowledge that royal event with expensive gifts fit for a king. Traveling with a caravan, they timed their arrival for when the child was about a year old (Matthew 2:11) because of the high infant mortality rate, and the visit was intended as an honor to God as well as an honor to the reigning king and the new prince.

Therefore, I believe that the Magi were monotheistic Zoroastrians from Persia, and they spread the good news of the new King throughout Persia when they returned home.

There is a small group of Zoroastrians today in India, but they believe somewhat differently than the Magi who took gifts to honor the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Read part 3 tomorrow.

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Part 1: Jesus – God with Us

Do we have any idea of when Jesus was born? How did we place his birth in December?

Emperor Julian, Constantine’s nephew, originated the Julian Calendar. In 1582 Pope Gregory’s people found a way to correct the minor flaws in the Julian calendar and produced what we call the Gregorian Calendar. However, the accumulated Julian calendar errors amounted to an estimated period of two to seven years (no one knows for sure), and it would not be possible to go back and attempt to correct every document ever written. Therefore, since all of human history was, in some way, dated in relation to Jesus’ birth, it was decided to back-date Jesus’ birth.

Using the amended Gregorian calendar, we think Jesus was born around 2–5 BC. In what month was he born? Probably in late September to mid-October. Why do I say that?

We know that the Old Testament spoke not only of history and the Abrahamic Covenant, but the Old Testament is intrinsically tied in with the life of Jesus Christ (Immanuel: God with us), the prophecies of his appearance, major Jewish religious festivals, and the proposed restoration of mankind. Therefore, I believe it is safe to assume that the major points of Jesus’ life are also related to the major festivals. Let’s look at them.

Jesus’ crucifixion took place on the Passover (Pesach). This is a major point that is well-documented in the Gospels and in Roman history. The Feast of Unleavened Bread related to Jesus’ burial. The Feast of First-fruits was related to Jesus’ resurrection. And of course, the Feast of Pentecost (Shavuot, or Weeks) related to the birth of the church fifty days after Jesus’ resurrection which was ten days after his ascension.

The other three major festivals are the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah), Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth, or Booths), and the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). With the Feasts commemorating major events in the life of Jesus as well as of Israel, it seems to me that His birth would have taken place at another major feast: possibly at the Feast of Trumpets (around September or October).

Luke 2:8 says, “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.” If the shepherds were living in the fields at night when the angels “trumpeted” Jesus’ birth, it is safe to deduce that the weather was not yet too cold. Thus, a September or October timeframe is logical, but not conclusive.

His birth might have been on the Feast of Booths (Tabernacles), also in the September-October time frame. Why? Mary and Joseph were not in a house during Jesus’ birth; they were in a cave, stable, or some other “booth.”

So how did the church decide on December 25?

King Constantine in the fourth century royally decreed that everyone in his empire should be Christian, and it became convenient for him in consolidating his empire to declare many pagan festivities as “Christian.” Therefore, the Sol Invictus (the “Unconquerable Sun”), marking the winter solstice and celebrated on December 25, was decreed to be equivalent to “the Righteousness of our Lord.” And to make things politically and religiously correct, Constantine decreed that Christ was born on that date. And since the emperor heavily influenced the church’s decisions, the church accepted that assigned date.

I’m a historian and I enjoy researching. However, the fact that Jesus wasn’t born on December 25 is not a problem. Our faith does not hinge on knowing the date of Christ’s birth. Our faith is based on the truth that Jesus is God in human form, was born of a virgin, came to save us from eternal destruction, died to redeem us from our sin nature, raised from the dead three days later to conquer death, ascended to heaven 40 days after he rose, and that he will return.

So, go ahead and celebrate His birth. But remember: He is no longer a baby. He is Almighty God, the creator of the universe. He created you and wants you to join Him and be part of His family forever.

Read part 2 tomorrow.

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My Most Meaningful Christmas

When I reflect back on my life, many occasions stand out as special events. Eleven memories are: my wedding day; the day I joined a Gospel quartet as a teenager; each day of the birth of our five kids; the day I dropped dad’s prized notebook into the San Diego Harbor; the day dad returned from a 13-month deployment; the first time I preached over the radio; and the day, when playing hide-n-seek, I backed into a cactus plant. (I won’t tell you how badly that hurt!)

When I consider my most meaningful Christmas Day before marriage, I have to pause and go through my life – location-by-location. In the 20 years between my birth and marriage, we lived in 9 different places (10 if we include the college campus), and my childhood memories are in those 10 mental compartments. As an adult married for 57 years – and counting to the same, wonderful, precious Carol – we lived in 17 different locations – so far.

Reflecting on my childhood, dad sometimes took us on Saturday afternoon family walks through El Cajon, California. We walked past Foster’s Freeze ice cream store, and each of us got an ice cream cone. They cost a nickel back then. We walked to the other end of town, stopping at the 5, 10, & 15-cent store for a coke. They cost a dime. We then crossed the highway, and walked back home, stopping first by the Ford dealership to look at new cars. Looking didn’t cost anything. As children, we thought it must have been a 5-mile walk. But the walks were probably around two miles at the most and were deeply enjoyable times with mom and dad.

Whenever I got into a fuss with any of my five sisters, I always went to dad for consolation. He didn’t arbitrarily take my side in the fuss, but he helped me understand life. I felt important when I was with my dad.

But then, the navy sent dad overseas for 13 months, and I felt all alone. I plodded along, but life was hollow for me. I hate to admit it, but I cried often. Not realizing it, I became belligerent at times to mom. It wasn’t intentional, but I was a kid, and hurting. However, that doesn’t excuse me, and I eventually grew up and asked both mom and the Lord to forgive me.

Then Dad Returned Home! And I became happy again. We had two Christmases that year. When dad returned in the summer of 1957 and gave all of us gifts, we claimed that as an extra Christmas. Then we celebrated the regular Christmas in December. That Christmas was my most meaningful childhood Christmas.

But Joy still comes in the morning. That’s the first line in the chorus of the song, Alive & Breathing, by Matt Maher.

Dad helped pick out the tree. Dad brought out the special gifts he had purchased for us overseas but had concealed them in his closet. We never suspected he had them. Dad spent the whole day with us. Dad, my brothers, and I tossed the football. We played catch with a baseball. Dad had target-practice with me with my new Daisy B-B Gun. Many of us played Monopoly. Dad won. We had root-beer floats. All in all, I was in heaven-on-earth! Life wasn’t perfect, but my daddy was home! And that was my most meaningful Christmas as a child.

What about you? Think back in time. Our memory is our Time Travel Machine. Relax and take time to reflect on your life. What events or relationship made Christmas meaningful to you, and when was that? It can be either when you were a child or an adult. Please take time to jot down some notes and think about the good times in your life. Share those good memories with family and friends.

But there’s another story for a lot of people. Many of you might not have good or enjoyable memories. Life has been hard. Rejection has been inscribed across the recesses of your mind. Sometimes you might think of ending it all. I would like you, also, to write some of those painful memories on paper. Write down the details of how you’ve been hurt. Then I want you to talk with God about it. Tell Him how difficult your life has been. Pour out your heart and feelings to Him. He understands. Why?

Jesus was born into this corrupt, hell-bent world to show us a better way to live. His purpose was to take the penalty of our own sin and selfishness so that we could be healed and restored to Father God. Jesus’ plan is for us to live with Him where sin, selfishness, and sorrow does not exist. It’s called Heaven.

God commissioned people to jot down His thoughts to give us. Those notes are the Bible. You can learn to know Jesus by reading Matthew, Mark, and Luke, but especially the Gospel of John. Leaving heaven, He came to be born as a human, like us. But unlike you and me, Jesus was never selfish. As a human, He didn’t search for fulfillment to make His life worthwhile. Instead, He came to give Himself in order to make our lives worthwhile. He gave His life on the cross to re-establish eternal life for us. In His 33 years on earth prior to His crucifixion, He showed us how to live, how to love, and how to give.

Also unlike you and me, Jesus raised back to life to confirm that He is, indeed, God, and to reaffirm His love for us.

I encourage you this Christmas season to think less of stuff, more of others, and especially, more of Jesus. He wasn’t born in December, but this celebration is still all about Him. Stuff will wear out; but if you choose to live for Jesus Christ, our Savior, your relationship with Him will last forever.

MERRY CHRISTMAS.

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The Jewish Gospel of John

I seldom find a book that grabs my attention so strongly that I would rather read it than eat dinner. I discovered this book in February of 2016 and have kept it nearby for continual reference. It isn’t a novel, but it’s intriguing.

Since the Bible is my all-time favorite book, what am I talking about? For decades, I’ve told people if they want to know Jesus, read the Gospel of John. But people have read it for centuries; and because they don’t know the history, they don’t get the full impact of what took place.

Some folks tell us that the Gospel of John is anti-Semitic; but in the first chapter of this new book, it informs us that the Gospel of John is not anti-Jewish; it is pro-Christ.

Some scholars who can’t or won’t accept the Christ of the Bible, go to great lengths to try to explain the mysteries of the Bible and of the universe. Rather than accept the Christ of the Bible, they laboriously talk about the cosmological christ – the concepts of God, but without a real personal God. More on that in a minute.

So, what is it that grabbed my attention? The Jewish Gospel of John – Discovering Jesus, King of All Israel.

The author is Dr. Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg who teaches Jewish Studies for Christians in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Many with a higher-criticism mentality search for the Cosmological Christ, or the Historical Jesus. They attempt to find “it” or “him” in the depths of eastern religions, ancient philosophies, outer space, and/or human kindness – whatever that is. They spend enormous amounts of time and money to search for a quality of life this mythical Christ presents, but they don’t want to accept the God that Jesus ultimately is. Much of this is because they haven’t been able to understand the message in the Bible. It’s true that sometimes the Bible can be difficult to understand because many of the translators failed to recognize both the culture-specific idioms, idiomatic phrases, and the history behind the cultures. But Dr. Eli’s book, The Jewish Gospel of John: Discovering Jesus, King of all Israel, helps to overcome many of these shortcomings.

One of my favorite paragraphs in the book is on page 10. Dr. Eli said: ‘While the juxtaposition of law and the gospel was present in the Church Fathers, it is not until the time of the Reformation that the juxtaposing [contrasting] of law and grace became pronounced. This became a dominant emphasis. The opposite of grace became law; the opposite of law became grace. In all reality, the opposite of law was never grace but lawlessness. Just as the opposite of grace was never law but disgrace.’ I heartily agree.

The Jewish Gospel of John is not just another book about Jesus that was written from a Jewish perspective. We current readers need to step outside of our Gentile understanding and read the Bible from the point of view that aligns with the Hebrew culture; and Dr. Eli enables us to do that.

Instead of reading it as though it was written for Gentile Christians today, The Jewish Gospel of John reveals the Gospel in light of first-century Israel. The book proves what the late Krister Stendahl (Swedish theologian and New Testament scholar, and Church of Sweden Bishop of Stockholm) stated long ago: “Our vision is often more abstracted by what we think we know than by our lack of knowledge.”

Instead of challenging the long-held interpretations (and many misunderstandings) of well-known stories, Dr. Eli, with the skill of an experienced tour guide, lets us hear the Gospel fresh with those who heard it in the first century. The real Jesus is revealed in his book.

Ishay Rosen-Zvi, formerly head of the Talmud and Late Antiquity Department, Tel-Aviv University, now Full Professor teaching rabbinic literature in the department of Jewish Philosophy and Talmud at Tel-Aviv University said, “For some time, research on the Gospels has suffered from stagnation, and there is a feeling that there is not much new that one can say. In light of this, Dr. Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg’s commentary on the Gospel of John, with its original outlook on the identity of the original audience and the issues at stake, is extremely refreshing.”

I heartily recommend The Jewish Gospel of John: Discovering Jesus, King of all Israel.

The book can be found at Amazon.com. Or you can go right to the site by typing in: Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg (Author of The Jewish Gospel of John) (goodreads.com) You’ll be glad you did.

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Who’s the Designer?

I’ve been driving cars for over 59 years, but that doesn’t make me an auto mechanic. I’ve been using computers for 33 years, but that doesn’t make me a computer programmer. In like manner, a person who has a Ph.D. and works in a scientific laboratory doesn’t mean he or she knows much about creation, the origination of the cosmos, or of life.

But please listen: just because I’m a dedicated Christian doesn’t mean I know everything about creation or of the origination of life, either. If we are honest, we admit that we all base our lives on faith to some degree.

While I openly admit that my knowledge is limited, others who oppose my views get upset or frustrated if I declare their knowledge to be limited.

Let’s look at a few ideas logically and scientifically.

To start, faith is required to believe in what has not been proven. For example, I had faith that this chair would support me. I sat on it to test my theory. Wonderful! It is now proven that the chair will support me, so faith is no longer required. Let’s continue.

In September of 2000, Alan Dershowitz, an agnostic, debated Alan Keys, a Roman Catholic. In defending his main thesis that “what is right cannot be known,” Dershowitz said, “We know what evil is. We have seen it.” He mentioned events such as the holocaust and the crusades. He then raised his voice and emphatically declared, “I don’t know what’s right. I only know what’s wrong!” (From the book, I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist, by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek; page 179.)

But Dershowitz was definitely and defiantly wrong.

We cannot know what is incorrect or wrong unless we have a standard of what is correct to judge it against. To know what’s wrong, we must know what is right. Therefore, since we know it is evil to murder, we instinctively understand the intrinsic value of life. Since we know that lying is wrong, we intuitively understand the moral value of truth. The principle of right and wrong is imbedded in everyone’s conscience. Therefore, we have proof that we can know what is right.

How about the concept of truth? Some people emphatically declare that since everything is relative, there is no absolute truth. But is that statement correct? Think now: Is it absolutely true that there are no absolute truths?

Some people affirm that Biblical Creation is not true, and claim that the mythical and unprovable Big Bang created the well-organized cosmos with logical and scientific precision with no intellect or mind to guide anything. But I don’t care how it’s explained, it is scientifically and physically impossible for matter to self-generate out of nothingness. The Big Bang hypothesis is science fiction. I might add, though, It is an intriguing concept.

I’ve never received an intelligent answer to this question: If evolution were true, how did rock particles turn into living organisms?

By the way, have you ever looked through a microscope at a one-celled amoeba? I have. Those critters are very complex. And if you ever stop and think about it, there’s no intelligent rationale as to how amoebas evolved into other life-forms. In reality, evolution is not scientific. It’s a hypothesis, it’s called a theory, and taught as fact. But that’s not science. At best, it is an unprovable concept that is based on faith.

We in the scientific arena understand that nothing (neither material nor energetic substance) can be created out of nothing. Matter can be neither created nor destroyed. Yet matter – stars, planets, gas – does exist.

To believe billions of galaxies came into existence due to an explosion of absolutely nothing takes more faith than to believe our Creator – God – spoke the cosmos into being.

In order for people (agnostics, atheists, higher critics, skeptics, non-believers) to persuade me that God did not create all of nature, they should give me a viable alternative. But they can’t. Their arguments break down due to physical impossibilities, built-in inconsistencies of logic, ignorance of obvious truth, and lack of substantiation. That’s why many who believed in (had faith in) evolution have gravitated toward the Intelligent Design concept.

But they still have a problem: if there’s no God, who is the intelligent designer?

Understanding that ALL concepts of creation are intrinsically religious, the only logical approach is Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God….”

God is the designer of it all.

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Be Ready for Surprises

Carol and I have an exciting life. We often don’t know from one day to the next what we’ll encounter – whether we’ll enjoy the events or be disappointed that we got out of bed. However, we understand that every day and in every situation in life, we have choices about how we’ll respond to circumstances. Sometimes events may be planned, but often they seem to pop up out of the blue. But we choose to respond in ways that honor the Lord.

For example, I wanted to visit my brother in California who was having health problems. Stopping for the weekend to visit with a dear, life-long friend who is a pastor, at 5:30 on Saturday evening, the pastor asked, “Would you be willing to preach for us tomorrow?”

I could have reacted with, “This is too short of a notice. I need more time to prepare.” But that’s not how God works. God had a plan in mind for both the church and for me, and I didn’t need much time to prepare. God had already been preparing the message in my mind and heart.

Another example developed as we were planning our route west from Albuquerque. Snow was forecast for Flagstaff, and pulling a trailer uphill in snowy weather is not my idea of safe traveling. So, we decided to take the southern route through Las Cruces, NM, and west through Mesa and Phoenix, Arizona.

However, we found out that God guided us in choosing the southern route because another friend who lived in Mesa had passed away. Her husband, Bill, called and asked if we could be with him at the home-going ceremony which would be at 10:00 AM on Monday. We agreed and arrived in Mesa on Saturday and stayed with Bill through the weekend.

Arriving at the cemetery at 9:30 AM on Monday, we interacted with Bill and the other family members, but the pastor hadn’t arrived yet. Finally, at 9:55 AM, I asked Bill, “Where’s your pastor?”

“Oh, didn’t I tell you? You’re him.” Surprised, I asked if he had an agenda. He said, “You’re it.”

I turned to the funeral director and asked him about his agenda. He responded, “I was told you’d have it.”

Again, I could have complained about not being informed beforehand. But if we are truly followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, our lives and schedules are in His hands, and He has the freedom to guide our paths. That eliminates a lot of potential stress.

I took a deep breath, sent up a quick prayer, and reprogrammed my mind. Four minutes later we began our Celebration of Life service. It didn’t take any time for preparation because God was in charge, and Jo had been Carol’s and my friend since the early 1990s. I opened the meeting with prayer, then related an interaction with her when I was music minister where she played trumpet in the orchestra. Other friends who had known Jo since the 1980s were there, along with Jo’s husband and family. They, and others, added stories from their past. We truly celebrated her life, and it seemed like it was all planned.

Guess what? It WAS all planned – in the mind of God.

When a surprise springs up in front of us, all we need to do is ask the Lord for guidance. God likes that, and always has an answer. He’s in charge, and all we need to do is communicate with Him and be ready to obey.

That reminds me of another interaction many years ago.

In 1978 when Carol & I, with our 3 older kiddos were getting ready to relocate from New Mexico to Oklahoma, an older pastor in Albuquerque gave me this admonition:

“Gene, don’t open your own doors. You, and others who are like you, have a tendency to open doors that God doesn’t want open. Keep your hands off the doorknobs. Let God open the doors for you, but be sure to go through the ones He opens.”

“May I try the doors and see if they’re unlocked?”

“You may lightly push – with one finger. But keep your hands off the knobs.”

I’ve lived by that rule and God has led in wonderful ways.

Many surprises await us, so trust God for His guidance. Psalm 28:7a says, “The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.” Be ready to obey, and enjoy the surprises.

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Billy Graham – God’s Ambassador 

I’ll never forget the time years ago that I met Billy Graham in Los Alamos, New Mexico.

Billy’s sister-in-law, Rosa Montgomery, and her husband, Don, lived in Los Alamos and we visited them often. Rosa had been my wife’s Bible Teacher back in the 1950s, and Don worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratory.

One day Don called me and said, “Billy’s here in Los Alamos and will be speaking in the Lab’s main auditorium tomorrow. I want you to sit with me and meet him after his talk.”

“He can’t preach at the Lab – what’s he going to talk about?”

“His topic is ‘One Man’s View of the World’s Situation Today’, and I’ll pick you up at 8:15 in the morning.”

“I’ll be ready” I responded.

For fifty minutes Billy Graham spelled out the problems that the world – not just the US – was facing, and he made it clear that there appeared to be no resolution. But then, not allowed to preach, he ended with two statements that wrapped it all up: “Of course, the answers to these problems are found in a relationship with the Lord, Jesus Christ. God bless you.”

The 800 plus people in the auditorium gave him a thunderous, standing ovation, and began gathering around him. Everyone wanted to shake hands with the famous Dr. Billy Graham. “Great talk, Dr. Graham.” “Thank you for coming sir.” “It is an honor to hear you, Mr. Graham.” And the accolades continued.

“Come up with me and meet my brother.” Don said. So we got in line.

“Billy, this is Gene Linzey, my good friend who also works here at the Lab.”

I looked up at this big man, standing six feet, six inches tall. I am only 5’8”. What could I say that hadn’t already been articulated? So I simply said, “Bless you, Doc.”

I’ll never forget it: He smiled, wrapped his arms around me, and gave me a bear hug. “Bless you, too, son.”

Billy probably didn’t remember me later, and that’s okay. He didn’t have time to remember everyone he met; he had a much broader vision of life. As Vice President Mike Pence said, “Billy Graham’s ministry for the gospel of Jesus Christ and his matchless voice changed the lives of millions.”

Throughout history, God called various people to proclaim the message of repentance, salvation, reconciliation, security, and peace. You might remember several of those names: Noah, Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, John (the Baptist), the Apostle Paul, Luther, Charles Finney, D.L. Moody, and Smith Wigglesworth. And God called William (Billy) Franklin Graham, Jr. to join that elite group.

Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention said, “Billy Graham was, in my view, the most important evangelist since the Apostle Paul. He preached Christ: not himself, not politics, not prosperity.”

However, God used Billy in the social fabric of the world. In spite of powerful opposition in the 1960s, he decided not to preach to segregated audiences any longer. And surprisingly, President Johnson awarded Billy and Ruth the Congressional Gold Medal in 1966. Billy also wrote 33 books to help people understand life with Christ and life in heaven.

Russell Moore continued, “What Billy Graham taught us is all summed up in the invitation hymn … ‘Just as I am, without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me.’”

Admitting that “I am just a sinner, saved by grace,” Billy Graham said, “My one purpose in life is to help people find a personal relationship with God, which, I believe, comes through knowing Christ.”

But he did more than that. As God’s ambassador, Billy dynamically lived for Jesus Christ. Robert Morris, founding pastor of Gateway Church in Dallas said after Billy died, “Rev. Billy Graham was one of the most faithful followers of Jesus. He made a huge impact in my life, and even led my wife, Debbie, to the Lord. This world will miss him, but we celebrate that he is now with the One he loved so much.”

The love of his life on the human level was his beloved Ruth. Married for 64 years, Ruth died in 2007. I suppose we can say: Billy and Ruth are together again. And I am sure he will not be sitting on a cloud playing a harp; for I believe God has more for Billy Graham to do in heaven. Leaving this life is merely the transition for what’s to come.

Bless you, Doc.