by Eric Lyons, M.Min.
At first glance, this seems like an easy question. Just as children have been singing for generations, it was on day four when God made “the Sun, Moon, and stars galore.” Some, however, have alleged that the “sun, moon and stars were created ‘in the beginning’ (Gen. 1:1)” (Thurman, 2006, p. 3), rather than on day four of Creation. Presumably, on the fourth day, God “set” the sun, moon and stars in the heavens to govern the days, months, seasons and years (verse 17). When God “set” the lights in the heavens, it was much like when we “set” a clock. And that really is what God did—He “set” His clock on the 4th day. But these (the sun, moon, stars) were all created “in the beginning” (Gen. 1:1) (Thurman, 2006, p. 3, emp. added).
The problem with this line of argumentation is that it contradicts what the Bible says. Certainly, “[i]n the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). But, it was not until later that God created the Sun, Moon, and stars. Genesis 1:14-19 reads:
Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night;
and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the
firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. Then God made two great lights: the
greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. God set them
in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night,
and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. So the evening and the
morning were the fourth day (Genesis 1:14-19, emp. added).
God not only “set” (Hebrew nathan) the Sun, Moon, and stars in their precise locations in the heavens on
the fourth day of Creation, but it was on this day when God literally “made” (Hebrew asah) these heavenly
bodies. Similar to how God initially made the land and seas void of animal life (which later was created on days
five and six of Creation), the “heavens” were made “in the beginning,” but the hosts of heaven (which now
inhabit them) were created “in the firmament of the heavens” on day four (Genesis 1:14).
Consider also how God spoke light into existence on day one of Creation, saying, “Let there be light” (1:3,
emp. added). On the fourth day God declared, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens…and it was
so” (1:14-15, emp. added). Gary Workman commented on this similarity, saying:
“Let there be lights” (v. 14) is identical in grammatical construction with other statements of “let there
be…” in the chapter. Therefore the command can only mean that God spoke the luminaries into
existence on the fourth day just as he had created the initial light on day one and the firmament on day
two (1989, p. 3).
On day one God made intrinsic light; on day four He made the generators of light. Keep in mind that “the
Father of lights” (James 1:17), Who is “light” (1 John 1:5), could create light easily without first having to create
the Sun, Moon, and stars. Just as God could produce a fruit-bearing tree on day three without a seed, He could
produce light supernaturally on day one without the “usual” light bearers (which subsequently were created on
day four). Again, there is no indication in Scripture that the generators of light already were made before day
four.
Suppose, however, that the creation of the heavens “in the beginning” had included the creation of the
Sun, Moon, and stars (which Genesis 1:14-19 says were made on day four). One still would not be justified in
trying to appease the evolutionary timeline by claiming that the “beginning” took place billions of years before
the six days of Creation. Why? Because God said, “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the
sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day” (Exodus 20:11, emp. added). Both the heavens and all
that is in the heavens were created during the six-day creation.
In truth, on day one God created “the heavens,” and on day four He made the Sun, Moon, and stars. And all
things were made within the six days of Creation. No “rightly divided” (2 Timothy 2:15) Bible passage will lead
a person to any other conclusion.
REFERENCES
Thurman, Clem (2006), “How Was Light Before the Sun?” Gospel Minutes, September 8.
Workman, Gary (1989), “Questions from Genesis One,” The Restorer, 9[5/6]:3-5, May/June.
The article above was taken from Apologetics Press at the following URL:
https://apologeticspress.org/AllegedDiscrepancies.aspx?article=1990&b=Genesis
By Kyle Butt, M.Div.
Of all the men in the Old Testament, few are spoken of with such reverence and honor as King David—shepherd, psalmist, soldier, and king. With God’s mighty power behind him, he slew a bear and a lion to save his father’s sheep, toppled a wicked giant with a single stone, slaughtered thousands of godless Philistines, and united the children of Israel under a monarchy of righteousness and justice. The Bible mentions David some 1,048 times. He wrote 73 of the psalms and stands as the major character in approximately 62 chapters of the Old Testament. Anyone who has ever read the Good Book cannot help but know the name of David—a man said to be “after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14). And those familiar with the modern-day nation of Israel know that its flag proudly bears a symbol known as the Star of David.1
Yet, if the Bible is removed from the discussion, David—King of Israel—vanishes into the shadows of secular history. At least he did for almost 3,000 years. David’s name and story were conspicuously missing from either archaeological evidence or the testimony of history. His name was so absent, in fact, that for many years skeptics had dubbed David’s life as fantasy and his deeds as legendary. After all, every nation needs a hero who slays giants. The Saxons had Beowulf, the Greeks had Hercules, and the Jews had David. David’s daring deeds and courageous conduct were relegated to the fabled heaps of legend and myth.
But a find unearthed in Palestine in 1993 changed David’s status in secular history forever. Professor Avraham Biran, director of the Nelson Glueck School of Biblical Archaeology at Hebrew Union College, was digging at a site in northern Israelite known as Tel Dan. There he unearthed a 3,000-year-old black basalt obelisk inscribed by one of the enemies of the ancient nation of Israel. The obelisk explained that Ben Hadad, King of Damascus, had defeated the Israelites and taken many of them captive. But the most amazing aspect of the obelisk is that it plainly states that the Israelite monarch defeated by Ben Hadad was “of the house of David.” This serves to confirm the biblical usage of this very designation (cf. 1 Kings 12:19; 14:8; Isaiah 7:2; et al.). And, for the first time in secular history, David appears connected to Israel from a historical standpoint. The implications of the stone cannot be ignored. If a king—any king—reigned who belonged to the “house of David,” then there must have been a real, historical David who established such a house and began the dynastic name.
The story of David thus has assumed a new place in the halls of history. No longer can David, King of Israel, be relegated to the status of myth or legend. Instead, he takes his rightful place beside the other documented kings of ancient history. David lived, just as the Bible had stated. And once again, the Bible remains the anvil on which the blows of the skeptic fall in vain.
ENDNOTES
1 Randall Price (1997), The Stone Cry Out (Eugene, OR: Harvest House), pp. 161-174.
The above article was taken from the following URL:https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=13&article=849
by Dave Miller, Ph.D.
“Are you telling me that just because I don’t belong to your church, or just because I haven’t been baptized into the remission of sins, or just because I use the instrument when I worship God, or just because I don’t attend every worship service, or just because I don’t partake of the Lord’s Supper every Sunday—that I can’t make it to heaven? I can’t believe that God would condemn me on a technicality! Besides, that’s legalistic!”
Many, many religious people are characterized by this attitude. Their perceptions of God and His grace serve to minimize the necessity of being overly concerned about strict obedience to every command of God. This attitude is manifested in the idea that arriving at correct doctrine is irrelevant to establishing a right relationship with God. But this is precisely what the Bible teaches. Doctrinal purity does not necessarily guarantee a right relationship with God, but a right relationship with God is impossible without doctrinal purity.
Both “spirit and truth” (i.e., proper attitude and proper adherence to truth—John 4:24) are essential to a right relationship with God. Even if some religious individuals give the impression that they have gone “overboard” on truth, yet with insufficient attention to proper attitude, no solution is achieved by abandoning, compromising, or softening adherence to truth in an effort to accept those who are determined to remain unconformed to truth.
The very nature of God and truth is at stake in this discussion. Truth, by its very definition, is narrow, specific, fixed, and technical. God is a God of truth Who operates within the parameters of truth. Since He is God, He does not, and cannot, vary from truth and right. Man’s definition of what constitutes a “technicality” rarely matches God’s definition. More often than not, the very items that humans brush aside as unimportant and trivial, are those things upon which God lays great importance. Herein lies the crux of man’s problem. We decide what we think is important, and then proceed to structure our religion around those self-stylized premises, assuming divine sanction and “grace.”
Never mind the fact that “it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). Never mind the fact that “the wisdom of this world” is foolish to God (1 Corinthians 1:20). And never mind the fact that such an attitude and approach betrays great arrogance. In everyday living, we understand very well the principle that those things that appear to be trivial or mere technicalities can be crucial to survival. The incorrect dosage of medicine in a medical emergency—even milligrams—can mean the difference between life and death. One or two miles over the speed limit can secure the offender a ticket. Accidentally putting gasoline into a diesel engine can ruin an automobile. I suppose one could label each of these examples as “technicalities,” but doing so does not alter the magnitude of their importance or the extent to which they impact reality.
In biblical history, the same principle holds true. Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden for eating from one piece of fruit from one tree (Genesis 3). Nadab and Abihu—the right boys, at the right place, at the right time, with the right censers and the right incense—nevertheless were destroyed for incorporating foreign fire into their incense offering (Leviticus 10:1-2). Moses was excluded from entrance into the Promised Land because of his one mistake at Kadesh—striking a rock instead of speaking to it (Numbers 20:7-12). Saul was deposed as king for sparing the best sheep and cattle, and the life of one individual out of an entire nation (1 Samuel 15). Uzzah was struck dead for merely reaching out and steadying the Ark of the
Covenant (2 Samuel 6:6-7). God rejected Uzziah because he entered the temple, merely to burn incense (2 Chronicles 26).
Many more examples could be considered. These are no more “technical” or “trivial” than New Testament regulations pertaining to vocal (as opposed to instrumental) music in worship (Ephesians 5:19), unleavened bread and fruit of the vine at the Lord’s Table (Matthew 26:26-29), and the qualifications of elders and deacons (1 Timothy 3:1-13). We must refrain from attempting to second-guess God, or deciding for ourselves what we think is important to Him—“that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God” (Luke 16:15). We need to be attentive to “all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:27)—even those portions that humans deem unimportant or peripheral. When people are clamoring, “Those matters are not salvation issues,” we need to reaffirm the words of Jesus, “These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone” (Matthew 23:23).
The above article was taken from the following URL:
https://www.apologeticspress.orgAPContent.aspx?category=11&article=1258
From the Elders:
Sunday morning Bible Classes have resumed with worship following at 10:30am. We are studying 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus & Philemon. Workbooks are available.
Based on the recent guidelines for COIVD and the restrictions for places of worship, our service will now be conducted indoors.
9:30am – 10:15am: Adult Bible Study
9:30am – 10:15am: Children Bible Classes
10:30am – 11:30am: Sunday Worship
(Our Sunday night worship and Wednesday night Bible study have been cancelled until further notice.)
Save the dates…
- July 27, 2021: the Lunch Bunch will be gathering at Los Portales located at 10244 Central Ave., Montclair, at 11:30 AM. Los Portales is in the same parking lot as the Pancakes R Us restaurant. We had a total of 10 people who enjoyed the last luncheon fellowship and hope YOU can join us in July!
- August 1, 2021: Congregational meeting with the elders at 4 PM to brainstorm ideas regarding outreach to the community.
- Aug 8, 2021: Second Sunday Singing at the home of the Lacuata starting at 5:00 pm. Please bring a dish to share and plan on enjoying a wonderful evening of fellowship with our spiritual family!!
- Aug 22, 2021: Our 5th Sunday Potluck has been moved to 8/22. This will be a special gathering in honor of Dale and Linda Riech who are moving to Tennessee!
- Aug 24, 2021: The Lunch Bunch will be gathering at Los Portales located at 10244 Central Ave., Montclair, at 11:30 AM. Los Portales is in the same parking lot as the Pancakes R Us restaurant. We had a total of 14 people who enjoyed the last luncheon fellowship and hope YOU can join us in August!
- October 22-24, 2021: The Oakhurst (Yosemite) Ladies Retreat will resume this year. More info to follow!
TRAVELING…Gene and Anne Rupel are in Germany visiting their daughter, Rachel Castleberg, and her family. There has been flooding in Northern Europe. Thankfully, the Rupels and Castlebergs are safe thus far! Also, Bob and Nancy Mellard are in Oregon. PLEASE PRAY FOR SAFE, TROUBLE FREE TRAVELS!!!
THANKS…Karen Burton would like to thank everyone for their prayers concerning her mother, Shirley Burton. She is doing well now!
LORD HEAR OUR PRAYER
…but prayer was being made earnestly to God for him by the church. Acts 12:5
- Gaby Bailey-Juarez: Over the last month, Gaby contracted another infection from the new liver itself, which is very common in transplants. She is being treated and is making improvements but due to new medications, her skin graft surgery has been delayed to sometime at the beginning of September. She is resting & recovering in the hotel room in AZ. She has been in a lot of daily pain. Please keep her in your prayers. God bless.
- Leota and John Jackson, Leota fell and broke her hip and John is struggling with cancer. John is residing at Villa Mesa Care Center in Upland and Leota is residing at Montclair Royale in Montclair.
- Vince and Dodie Ellingson, who were former members at Chino and now reside in Kalispell, Montana. Dodie is in a memory care facility and has fallen twice and has a broken pelvis.
- Bob Alvord is dealing with health issues.
- Darrel Nott has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and is undergoing treatment.
- Randy Proffitt, Danny Proffitt’s nephew. The tumor in Randy’s spine has grown causing tremendous pain and it was determined that he should immediately undergo radiation, (which he did this past week), and he will be starting chemo.
- Glenn McCoy, former Elder at the State College congregation is in a nursing care facility and is struggling.
- Tom Brown, (Bob Mellard’s brother-in-law who lives in Little Rock, Arkansas). He is suffering from seizures and is recovering at home.
- Mildred Hamilton, is struggling with health issues. Phone calls are welcome and she can have visitors, but you need to make an appointment with Oakmont where she resides.
- Charlene Osborne, struggling with health issues.
- Jonal Schissler-is recuperating from surgery on her Achilles tendon.
- Dave Board, ORPHAN’S LIFELINE CEO AND CO-FOUNDER- Dave has been diagnosed with a form of lymphoma and is currently undergoing treatment in Kalispell, MT. Prayers have been requested for Dave, his family and Orphan’s Lifeline in this difficult time. Cards and other forms of encouragement can be mailed to: P.O. Box 1100, Kalispell, MT. 59903.
- Nichole Tatum-Deja Brunel’s Dental Hygienist -Nichole has been diagnosed with breast cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy.
- Richard Ramirez-is having health issues. He has shown some improvement, but it is a slow process.
- Don Ruhl – Don is the preacher at Grants Pass, Oregon. He is a good friend of Steve Lloyd. Don has Covid 19. He was in the hospital but is now isolating at home. His covid 19 has been complicated due to the fact that several years ago he had a Kidney transplant. He tires quickly which has been overwhelming for him.
- John Clement – Anne Rupel’s brother- having difficulties after a surgery. Anne has asked for prayers for John, his family and his doctors.
- Aida Rodas – Wendy Hernandez’s aunt- Aida is recuperating from open heart surgery.
- Cesar – Connie Ramirez’s brother- Cesar underwent open heart surgery. Richard and Connie have requested prayers that he will reach out to God for salvation and for a full recovery.
- Gilbert Sifuentes – Isabella & Anthony’s Dad- Was hit by a car and was hospitalized with a broken leg.
- Abby Alvo: She broke her fibula and dislocated her ankle.
- Linda and Joshua Ankiah are missionaries to South Africa. They have two children, Leah and Luke and they are experiencing major unrest in the region. Joshua and their son, Luke, are a part of a group of local men rotating guard duty and trying to protect their area from the Zulu rampage.
ONGOING PRAYERS FOR…
OUR SENIORS: Lee Dacus, Joe/Lupe Lueras, Ken McCutcheon, Mildred Hamilton, Bob Alvord, Earlene Abraham,
Vera Anthony, John/Leota Jackson, Jean Williams, and Jerry/Carol Thompson.
OUR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN
MILITARY: Ed Vales’ granddaughter’s husband, (AJ Jones), is at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma, WA, Damon
Aragon’s nephew, and Xander Armas, USMC San Diego
OUR SHEPHERDS: Corey, Gene, and Reuben
Those works that the congregation supports: The children of Orphan’s Lifeline, City of Children and Agape Village, the 3 preacher training schools, the congregations supported in the Philippines, and In Search of The Lord’s Way television program.
July Birthdays
07/10 Nicolas Weakland
07/12 Joseph Schissler
07/15 Gene Rupel
07/15 Damon Aragon
07/23 Essiet Waggoner
07/24 Reuben Lacuata
07/28 Madeline Casolari
Works we support…
Benevolent Support
City of Hope, (Orphanage in Mexico), Orphan’s Lifeline International (Orphans in Russia and Africa),
Agape Village, (Children’s Home).
Evangelistic Support
James Lloyd, (local evangelist), Bear Valley Bible Institute, Sunset International Bible Institute, Southwest
School of Bible Studies, (preaching training schools).
Congregation Support
In the Philippines: PAYATAS IN METRO MANILA, BICOL REGION AND BAGUIO
Television Program Support
IN SEARCH OF THE LORD’S WAY, (nationwide gospel tv program)
Read Through the Bible in 2021! Here is the reading schedule for 7/4 – 7/28.
The reading schedule is chronological and is taken from:
https://www.gospelgazette.com/reading/reading.htm
July
4 Hosea 8-10
5 Hosea 11-14
6 2 Kings 18-19
7 Isaiah 1-3
8 Isaiah 4-6
9 Isaiah 7-9
10 Isaiah 10-12
11 Isaiah 13-15
12 Isaiah 16-18
13 Isaiah 19-21
14 Isaiah 22-24
15 Isaiah 25-27
16 Isaiah 28-30
17 Isaiah 31-33
18 Isaiah 34-36
19 Isaiah 37-39
20 Isaiah 40-42
21 Isaiah 43-45
22 Isaiah 46-48
23 Isaiah 49-51
24 Isaiah 52-54
25 Isaiah 55-57
26 Isaiah 58-60
27 Isaiah 61-63
28 Isaiah 64-66
by Kyle Butt, M.Div.
Many of us have grown up going to worship services where we sang age-old songs
that were brought down to us from many years ago. In those songs, we often sing
words or phrases that might not retain a popularly understood sentiment. Yet, even
though we might not understand what we are singing, that has not stopped many of
us from following the song leader through misunderstood stanzas of our old favorites.
One of the phrases that is of particular interest comes from the song O, Thou Fount of
Every Blessing. The lyrics of this song (which originally was titled Come, Thou Fount
of Every Blessing) were written by Robert Robinson in 1758. The second verse of the
song begins with these words: “Here I raise my Ebenezer.” If you are like many who
have sung this song, the word “Ebenezer” immediately brings to your mind visions of
old Ebenezer Scrooge from Dickens’ Christmas Carol, screaming at Bob Cratchet to
conserve coal and get to work. Yet, we all know that is not the idea behind this song.
Where, then, does the term Ebenezer originate, and what does it mean?
In 1 Samuel 7, the prophet Samuel and the Israelites found themselves under attack
by the Philistines. Fearing for their lives, the Israelites begged Samuel to pray for them
in their impending battle against the Philistines. Samuel offered a sacrifice to God and
prayed for His protection. God listened to Samuel, causing the Philistines to lose the
battle and retreat back to their own territory. After the Israelite victory, the Bible
records: “Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and
called its name Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us’ ” (1 Samuel 7:12).
The word Ebenezer comes from the Hebrew words ’Eben hà-ezer (eh’-ben haw-e’-
zer), which simply mean “stone of help” (see Enhanced…, 1995). When Robinson
wrote his lyrics, he followed the word Ebenezer with the phrase, “Here by Thy great
help I’ve come.” An Ebenezer, then, is simply a monumental stone set up to signify the
great help that God granted the one raising the stone. In Robinson’s poem, it
figuratively meant that the writer—and all who subsequently sing the song—
acknowledge God’s bountiful blessings and help in their lives.
The next time you sing about raising your Ebenezer, you will be able to “sing with the
understanding” that you are acknowledging God’s help in your life (1 Corinthians
14:15).
REFERENCES
Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (1995), (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.).
The above article was taken from the following URL:
https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=909&topic=75
The past several months we have learned about the wonderful work being done to care for children by the dedicated Christians through Orphan’s Lifeline International and City of Children. Another children’s work that receives support from our congregation is Agape Villages. The following is taken from the church of Christ website located in Merced, CA:
The Church is told to care for the needy children and that is what we strive to do by supporting the Agape Villages. The Agape Village is a Church of Christ based foster care agency striving to fulfill the needs of children and their families throughout Northern California. They are always thankful to receive any support through donations and volunteering of your time.
This is taken from Agape Villages website:
Agape Villages is a licensed foster family agency placing children in foster homes in communities throughout Northern California. They accept referrals from California’s Department of Social Services, Child Protective Services and County Mental Health Departments. They serve disadvantaged children, adolescents and young adults from newborn to 21 years of age.
They are also a licensed adoption agency, serving our families, children and youth through the permanency of adoption.
Agape Villages began its ministry in 1958 as Sierra Children’s Home and evolved into a network of regional group homes. In 1995 they moved to foster family care, at which time the agency name changed to AGAPE VILLAGES. In the over half a century since 1958, they have served more than 6,000 of California’s most troubled youth. Agape Villages remains committed to the same principles that energized the agency’s founders: our values; providing the very highest level of professional services to disadvantaged children and their families; devotion to the people who choose to provide loving foster care for homeless and disadvantaged children that depend on us to help them recover and reshape their futures.
What the children have to say about Agape Villages and their programs:
“Agape Villages has helped me realize I have potential to do things in my life even as a foster youth.”
– 18 year old foster child
“I have learned so many things through the enrichment and living skills programs… how to ride a horse, do a resume,
and the importance about saving for the future.”
– 16 year old foster child
“I now know I can be something in my life”.
– 15 year old foster child
Not only do we send financial support, but the talented ladies, (with the occasional help of a couple of fellas), have provided many beautifully and lovingly hand made quilts for the children in foster care.
