What about evil? Part 1

The question that bugs many people about God is: what about evil?  Why would an omnipotent God allow evil, whether it is humans who do evil to other humans, or natural catastrophes, diseases, cancers, et cetera?  Natural evil, like tsunamis, hurricanes, deadly fires and earth quakes are difficult to understand since they cause so many deaths and suffering.  The issue is: why propose that God is good while the world around us testifies about terrible evil?

One can discuss it philosophically.  One can try to answer it logically.  One can attempt to cover for God and justify the evil with, ‘It will pass,’ or, ‘Maybe it will lead to good things, or purify you.’  Or, as Job’s friends implied, he sinned so his troubles were deserved.

We want to answer the question about evil from the Bible.

In Genesis 1, the account of the creation of the universe, God tells us it is His universe.  He decided to establish His Kingdom here on earth and He will accomplish what He set out to do.  Yet what does evil have to do with it?

Genesis 2 is a blueprint of God’s ideal.  The scene is a garden God created east of Eden.  There He put Adam.  Adam was to name the animals (to indicate he is the ruler over the animal kingdom).  God gave him a wife to complement him.  They were to fill the earth.

We have a picture of harmony: God the King, Adam and Eve as His people, His children, who lived together in harmony with nature.  God wants this to be an eternal arrangement.

However, since He created man with the ability to love, and love is only possible if man has a free choice, He gives Adam a free choice.  It was to test Adam’s love for the Lord.  Later the Bible tells us that, ‘This is love for God: to obey His commands.’ ¹  And it adds, ‘His commands are not burdensome…’ (since we have the Holy Spirit to help us).

Adam and Eve illustrate this ‘easy to obey command.’  They had ‘trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.’ ²  There was no shortage.  So God’s prohibition not to eat of one tree, was not burdensome.  It was a very specific tree, the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

What happened next is very interesting and important.  A serpent approached Eve and asked her a question.  The Bible tells us, ‘Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made.  He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, You must not eat from any tree in the garden?'” ³

Take note of the following: 

• The serpent was more crafty.  Why and for what reason is the serpent distinguished by its craftiness?  What would craftiness mean in the absolute peaceful surroundings of the garden?
• The serpent talked.  Nowhere does it say any created animal could talk.  Only God and man had the ability of speech.
• The serpent asked Eve about what God said.  For what reason would any serpent, or for that matter any animal, enquire about what God said?
• More is coming: the serpent specifically asked whether God said they must not eat from any tree, as if to draw Eve out.
• How did it happen that the serpent asked the questions of Eve and not to Adam, to whom God specifically gave the command?

We have to answer the following questions:

• Who was the serpent who conducted the first inquisition?
• Why did God, who is omniscient and omnipotent, not stop the questioning, interrupt Eve and help her out, or something like that?

References

1. 1 John 5:3
2. Genesis 2:9
3. Genesis 3:1

To be continued in What about evil, Part 2.

The tireless search for our ancestors

Most people are aware of the constant search for our ape-like ancestors.  This search costs millions, but it suits the agenda of the evil ruler of this world, the devil. ¹  He wants people to believe that they evolved, and that Genesis 1 is nonsense.  Man came from ape-like ancestors through the process of evolution.

#  They trust that most people are gullible. 

People believe that a few bones are conclusive evidence that we evolved.  For some reason the bones are supposed to be clear, factual ‘proof’ that they are our ancestors.  Except for some small problems:

#  The ‘proofs’ fade away and are replaced.

For the seekers after ‘The Lost Bones of the Ancestors’ the search never stops.  If this or that one is not right, there are always new finds, new announcements, new news conferences where they discuss the latest find in great detail.  After a while it is replaced by another ‘exciting breathtaking find.’

#  They want to rewrite the story of our species.

Evolution News and Science Today reports that the latest find was in North Africa, in Jebel Irhoud, Morocco.  The article explains that the main idea is to ‘Rewrite the story of our species.’ ²

#  Why do they look for these ‘ancestors?’

Isn’t it a waste of time to try and account for the intellectual mind, creativity, clear speech, et cetera, of man?  But the search has to do with one thing only: any search, however costly and futile, is better than to accept that Genesis 1 is true.  They cannot and will not agree that God is the Creator, since that means they have to take notice of what Scripture reveals and they refuse to do that.

#  The search is a tribute to the accuracy of Genesis 1.

It is remarkable that such a massive ‘industry’ as evolution, paleontology, the search for aliens, and others have sprung up to refute the Genesis 1 account of creation.  It is a tribute to the accuracy and truth of the Bible.  The money spent on these fruitless searches would have gone a long way to help the poor and destitute or some other worthy cause.  That, however, is not the idea.

Conclusion

The search for aliens and our ‘roots’ will never stop.  Why?  Genesis 1 will remain a stumbling block for the ruler of this world, the devil, in his quest to lead people astray.

References

1. 1 John 5:19b
2. David Klinghoffer, Another Day, Another ‘Rewrite’ on Human Origins, 06.12.17

Why spend billions to search for aliens?

According to a Newsbeat article from BBC, the $100 million project to search for aliens is yet to find anything. ¹  It is a ten year project.  According to the article, Professor Stephen Hawking said, ‘Somewhere in the cosmos, perhaps, intelligent life may be watching these lights of ours.’

#  Can aliens exist?

The Bible explains that all life was created.  According to Colossians 1:16 Jesus is the Creator, ‘For by Him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him.’  The passage mentions ‘Him’ [Jesus] three times to clearly establish Him as the Creator.

#  Jesus did create invisible beings.

We know there are angels.  They are normally invisible, but many people in the Bible saw them and they played an important role in the history of Israel.  Some of them rebelled against God and they are the devil and his demonic kingdom. ²  Aliens are not regarded as angels.  Till now they are just science fiction characters.  So Jesus did not create aliens.

#  The Bible does not mention aliens.

If aliens are real, why does the Holy Spirit, who knows all God’s doings, not mention them in Scripture?  As proved by all the searches, aliens do not exist.  They only exist in the minds of people who desperately want them to be real.  The idea comes from the ruler of this world, the devil who controls the whole world. ³  He tries to convince people that there are aliens.  Then the Bible is not true, God is not the Creator, and Jesus’ work on the cross was unnecessary.

#  Why waste billions searching for aliens?

The devil inspires the unbelieving world to spend billions on the search for aliens.  The reason is, that as long as people hope there might be aliens, special creation is a myth.  The search is for advanced aliens who seeded life on earth, and there could be many planets where life might have evolved.  Therefore there is no reason to take note of the Bible and prepare for eternal life.

Conclusion

The devil dearly loves his agenda of aliens.  Unfortunately it will cause people who believe his lies, to miss God’s eternal Kingdom.

References

1. http:www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/39665928/a-100m-project-to-search-for-aliens-is-yet-to-find-anything, 2017/06/11
2. Revelation 12:9
3. 1 John 5:19b