Bible and Science - The Cosmos in the Bible

In Ancient times people believed that there were 1,100 stars. Why 1,000? That is the amount of stars that can be seen by the naked eye. Yes, somebody actually counted them! However, 585 years before Jesus was born, God inspired Jeremiah to write: “I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars of the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.” (Jeremiah 33:22) God calls the stars “countless” and equates them with the sand on the seashore. This flew in the face of contemporary science.

Then, one day in 1608, a Dutch man named Hans Lippershay invented what we now know as the telescope. From that day forward we have been discovering more and more stars. Today we believe that there are billions of stars - up to 200 billion in our galaxy alone! Many of these stars we can only “see” through radio telescopes. The stars simply cannot be numbered. We don’t even know how many galaxies are out there. It took science two thousand years to figure out that the Bible was right!

Let’s take a step back and consider that the Bible is not a science book. However, if you do believe that God created the universe, it only makes sense that He would let a few scientific facts slip in here and there. God inspired scientific ideas that the authors of His Word probably didn't understand. The people who first read the scriptures wouldn't have understood them either. These truths were put there for us, who live in the age of science, so that we could see that the Bible is alive and relevant today!

But sometimes scientists make discoveries that seem to discredit the Bible. For example, when it was discovered (about 400 years ago) that the earth orbits the sun, it brought into question Psalm 19:4-6, where we read: “In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.” People began to laugh at the Bible saying that science had “proven” the Bible wrong. It is the earth that revolves around the sun and not the other way around! The sun is stationary, it just seems that it moves and so the Bible is confused…

But wait! Science finally caught up with the Bible. It was more recently discovered (about 150 years ago) that the sun is actually moving through space at approximately 600,000 miles per hour. It is traveling through the heavens and has a "circuit" just as the Bible says. It is estimated that its circuit is so large, it would take 200 million years to complete one orbit. Truly a championship race! The Bible was right again.

Some of the most interesting myths in cultures around the world relate to how the earth is suspended in space. Some cultures taught that the earth rested on the back of a large animal, like a turtle. The ancient Greek philosophers thought that the earth floated on water – how else could everything grow? The ancient Babylonians said that the earth was resting on the body of a fallen hero named Tiamat.

But into this confusion of philosophy, science and religion, comes the clear voice of God. Almost 3,500 years ago, in Job 26:7 we read: “He suspends the earth over nothing”. Now that we can fly around the world and even look at the earth from space we know that the Bible was correct. The earth floats freely in space!

Guess what? The Bible has always been proven right. When we finally realize that and take a look at God’s creation all around us, we have to say with David:

"The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge."
- Psalm 19:1-2

If we can trust the Bible to be right about something as vast and complex as the cosmos, then we can surely trust the Author of the Bible to know everything there is to know about us!

Myth Busters - Adam's Apple?

None of us like to be taken on a ride, hoodwinked, bamboozled, or simply mistaken about the things we believe. But how do we really know? There’s hope! Every month we will take a look at one belief that is commonly held to be Biblical but is not. We will investigate where the myth comes from and learn what the Bible really says about the subject. Sometimes the myths dealt with will be fun, sometimes profound; but always eye-opening!

Let’s get started… We’ve all heard about Adam and Eve’s apple in the Garden of Eden, right? The story is a timeless lesson in temptation, choices and leadership. The question we have is this - how do we know it was an apple that Eve ate and then offered to Adam?

Looking it up in the Bible (Genesis 2:16-17, 3:1-7), we find that it does not say what kind of tree bore the forbidden fruit. The tree was known merely as the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil". Nowhere in this passage or any other passage of scripture does an apple play a role in the first temptation and sin of mankind. Even the apocryphal scriptures (books written long ago but not accepted into the Bible) say nothing about an apple.

Where does this belief come from if not from the Bible? It seems that the origin of this myth is found in artistic renderings of the event. Hieronymus Bosch (1504), Albrecht Dürer (1507), Jan Gossaert (1520), Titian (1550), and Tintoretto (1550), among others all painted renditions of this story using apples. In all fairness, as an artist painting a scene described in the Bible, you have to take certain liberties. If things are not clearly described, you must make them up. It is very difficult to paint the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil without having a particular tree in mind!

Apparently, these and other artists’ paintings have sunk into our consciences to the point where we speak of Adam’s apple. So what do we learn? It could have been an apple tree, but it also could have been an orange, pear, banana or plum tree... (I personally think Adam would not have fallen for anything less than a papaya!) The traditional apple tree cannot be proven, thus it must be a myth!

“So, what’s the big deal?”, you might ask, “this myth is trivial!” And you would be right. However, the fact that so many people can believe something that may not be true is dangerous! What if there are other, more important beliefs, that we don’t know are false? There are many, and next month we’ll look at one. Stay tuned!

Mini-Biography - Keith Green (1953-1982)

Keith Green was born a musical genius. By the time he was 5, he could pick up his ukulele and play along with any song on the radio. In fact, he showed so much promise that after one show, Elvis Presley’s manager called the Green’s and encouraged them wishing he wasn’t so busy with “The King”… Keith then began writing his own music at age 9 and two years later became the youngest member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) when he recorded, published and released “The Way I Used to Be.”

Success and stardom seemed assured when Keith signed with Decca in his early teens. By that time he had over 50 songs under his belt and was on the fast track to becoming a teen-idol. He was regularly featured in magazines and newspapers and was often on TV shows like the Jack Benny Show and Steve Allen’s show. Time Magazine called him a "pre-pubescent dreamboat" who "croons in a voice trembling with conviction."

Then, as so often happens, the dream of success came crashing down. Another teen-sensation, Donny Osmond, came along and stole the lime-light and Keith Green quickly faded from the scene. The devested young man did what so many others were doing in the late 60’s and early 70’s – he turned to drugs, Eastern religion, astrology and mysticism.

Like a foolish dreamer trying to build a highway to the sky,
All my hopes would come crashing down and I never knew just why.
Until today when you pulled away the clouds that hung like curtains on my eyes,
I’ve been blind all these wasted years and I thought I was so wise.
And then you took me by surprise!

At twenty-one Keith Green finally found what he was searching for. He and his new wife Melody, were converted to Christ and began a completely new life.

From the beginning, Keith’s life was an example of total discipleship and submission to Christ. He and his wife obtained seven houses in Southern California to take in prostitutes, drug addicts, and homeless people to live with them. But even more than the physical well-being of those around him, Keith was deeply moved by the souls of the lost. As we see in his songs, he wondered “How can they live without Jesus?” and wept for “A Billion Starving People”. In the end, this heart led him to give up his time, his money and his daily life for the multitudes around him.

Keith continued recording albums and performing concerts and was extremely successful in Christian circles. Even though he loved music with a passion, he often wished he could just preach. However, the door into the hearts and minds of the people he was reaching out to was through music. He sang gently to outsiders begging them to come to Christ and preached to those already calling themselves Christians with a fire not often seen. His message was one of uncompromising discipleship. "You don't like it, do you?" he said one night. "You came to hear a concert, and you're getting cornered. The Christian walk is a bunch of squirming flesh getting nailed down to a cross. 'Hey man, I want a padded cross. You know, a Posturepedic Cross with nice springs in it. Something comfortable.' The gospel is a no compromise, absolute sell-out for Jesus, one hundred percent walk!"

I wanna take your Word and shine it all around,
But first help me just to live it Lord.
And when I’m doing well help me to never seek a crowd,
For my reward is giving glory to you.

Most people only saw the fiery preacher in Keith. But listen carefully to his lyrics or talk with the people who knew him and you begin to see a different side of him. Keith struggled all his life with the many temptations of being a performer. He had incredible artistic integrity and was fiercely original; his music came from deep in his soul. Fans, critics and musicians like his friend Bob Dylan spoke highly of him, and yet he fought hard to not get sucked in by the hype. He was so radical that in order to harness his pride he wouldn’t even practice his songs before going into the studio! Even so, his albums stayed at the very top of the Christian music charts.

After his first Christian album in 1977, he realized that he would quickly become a multi-millionaire. This scared him profoundly. "I can’t do this!” he said, “I'm going to lose everything if I do this — I'm not even going to charge for records anymore." He talked to his record label and they actually let him out of his contract. He published his next album himself and sold it for “whatever you could afford – even if nothing”. He shipped over 200,000 by the time of his death – 61,000 of those for free. Needless to say, that rocked the music world!

Keith’s music and message was incredibly powerful for one reason. This man knew his own weaknesses and fought all his life to get closer to God. He would point his finger at the mirror and say “you are the guy that can’t get out of bed!” Because of his honesty, he was able to call people higher, including himself. He was once quoted as saying "... essentially the definition of a Christian I have is one that I cannot live up to myself!"

On July 28, 1982, the world lost this musical preacher in an airplane crash. Only 28 years old when he died, his life of “No Compromise” changed many lives forever. In a song from his last album eerily titled “Until That Final Day”, he expresses his daily fight and his longing for God:

My flesh is tired of seeking God, but on my knees I’ll stay
I want to be a pleasing child, until that final day
My mind is full of many thoughts, that clutter and confuse
But standing firm I will prevail, in faith that I’ll be used!

Dear WordWorkers - Sharing in a Crowd

Dear WordWorkers,

While at the Angels/Astro game, I overheard a group of Buddhists question the truth behind real Angels, but because they appeared to be in a large religious group, I choked and couldn’t share anything. I wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to respond or not. Any advice?

Well, we can see where you are coming from. There might have been feelings of intimidation, fear, doubt, etc... I think God whispers in our hearts for a reason. There could’ve been several lessons in why you should’ve shared. It could have been for them to know God’s truth or a lesson for you to have overcome your fear. It could have been a moment where God was trying to teach you to increase your faith. Now, you never want to make these opportunities awkward so use wisdom in your approach. Next time, throw up a prayer to God. He loves when we hand things over to Him. Follow your heart and be confident of the glorious things God has to offer. (Nehemiah 2:4-5)

Sincerely,

WordWorkers

To submit a question to the “Dear WordWorkers” column, please send an email to wordworkers@gmail.com.

Bible & History - Cyrus King of Persia

“The world’s history is a divine poem of which the history of every nation is a [verse] and every man a word. Its strains have been pealing along down the centuries, and though there have been mingled discords of warring cannon and dying men, yet to the Christian philosopher and historian – the humble listener – there has been a divine melody running through the song which speaks of hope and [peaceful] days to come.” - James A Garfield

History seems to be constantly changing. Activists want to revise what actually happened. Atheists want to throw out theistic revelations in its pages. And storytellers would rather tell a story than the real events. But there is one place where we can go to find out what really happened. That place is the Bible. The pages of this Book start with “In the Beginning…” and take us through the history of God’s dealings with men. In fact, “history” might be better pronounced “His Story” – God’s Story.

But, you may ask, how can I be sure that the Bible is true? How can I know it is from God? One of the best ways to answer that question is through Bible prophecy. Webster’s Dictionary defines prophecy as - A declaration of something to come; a foretelling; a prediction; especially, an inspired foretelling. Many “things to come” were written in the Bible and are now a part of documented history. Let’s look at an example:

In 700 B.C. the nation of Israel was exiled in Babylon. They had rebelled against God and now they were suffering in a foreign land. But God did not forget them! He sent the prophet Isaiah to tell them that a king would come who would set the Jewish exiles free and rebuild God's City, Jerusalem. This King's name would be Cyrus. Even though he wouldn’t know God, he would be used by God in a mighty way to subdue many nations and allow Israel to rebuild His Temple. (Isaiah 44.28 - 45.13)

Later in 559 B.C., Cyrus, son of Cambys I, became king of Persia. Nine years later he conquered the Medes and unified the two kingdoms. He later attacked and overcame Babylon even though most people thought Babylon was indestructible. (It was 196 square miles, enclosed by a moat and a double wall 330 feet high and 90 feet thick. Yet two prophets had foretold that it would fall.) In 538 B.C., Cyrus granted the Jews a return to their homeland to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and its temple.

It is amazing that Isaiah prophesied all of this so long before Cyrus was even born. According to history, the Jews in Babylon showed Cyrus the prophecies about him and that motivated him to let Israel return and rebuild Jerusalem. A little over 125 years ago, a clay barrel, known as the Cyrus Cylinder, was excavated from the Babylonian ruins. It confirmed the Bible story and said of the Jews: "All of their people I gathered together and restored to their dwelling-places."

No matter what our current situation is, we can trust God when He tells us that He loves us. We can trust Him when He tells us that everything will work out for the best if we love Him. We can trust Him because we see what He has done in the past, and we have faith in what he promises to do with our futures!

Horror-Scopes - January

Interpretation is explaining the meaning of what we hear or see. Interpreting correctly is crucial; even in our daily lives. If we interpet a "Do Not Enter" sign as a "Welcome" sign, we'll get into trouble. If we read "101" on a road-sign and take it for the speed limit, we'll be in for a surprise! In fact, some of the biggest mistakes in history have come from bad interpretations. One horrible example happened at the end of World War II. The Americans had just used a atomic bomb on Hiroshima and the Japanese sent a very formal letter accepting defeat. Unfortunately, the American translators were not able to grasp the language of the letter, and didn't understand that it was in fact, a surrender. As a result of their misinterpretation, the second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. How much death and pain could have been spared if the letter was only interpreted correctly!

Without a doubt, the most important area of interpretation is the Word of God. After all, it tells us about the God of all creation and instructs us how to live for eternity. A misinterpretation in the spiritual world is very serious. In fact, for centuries some churches have tried to stop their members from interpreting the Bible on their own. The leaders either took it away from the people completely or warned them to only understand it according to the "official church interpretation". Unfortunately, good intentions aside, actions like these have tended to produce immature Christians who don't know how to feed themselves spiritually. It also poses the danger of false prophets infectiously spreading incorrect teaching without being questioned. This was not Christ's intention for His Church!

In this column we will look at one verse every issue and see if we can discover its correct interpretation. For the next issue we will take a look at Matthew 11:12 and the command for us to be “forceful”. Can you grasp what this verse really means? Email us at wordworkers@gmail.com and your answer might get published in next month's column! Until then, “Let it be your care to get the approval of God, as a workman who has no cause for shame, giving the true word in the right way.” (2 Tim 2:15, BBE)

Lessons from the Remnant - The Heart

Israel, Jews and the Old Testament are all things that we might find interesting. But how often do we look to Israel for lessons on how the Kingdom of G-d should be? Do we look at the history of Jews to learn the lessons of those who have spent hundreds of generations worshipping G-d? These things are the soul of our faith! When we read the Old Testament do we see poetry, romance and adventure or do we see a bunch of “irrelevant” laws and a “boring" quiet time?

Over the last few years, it has become popular to question leaders, challenge methods and to look for new ways of doing things. We have gone from “don’t tell me what to do” or “I don’t need any help” to looking for a “Purpose Driven Life”. While we must always question methods and search for better ones, let us not lose sight of what is really important: faith, hope and love.

One of the best paths to faith, hope and love is to discover the heart and soul of Israel in the pages of the Old Testament. For through these, we can learn about G-d’s faith in his kingdom, hope for his people and his love since time began. We can look at the book of Exodus to see how to figure out the direction of our lives once we receive our freedom by G-d’s gracious hand. We can look to the book of Esther to learn about true courage as we see one of G-d’s daughters put her life on the line to preserve the lives of her people. We can read the Psalms to see what it is like to have the heart of G-d while being a man, as David did. In all these examples and many more we learn that our hearts and passion are as important as our obedience. We learn that we must risk our hearts and to pursue and help those that need it even if they don’t act as if they want the help. Israel survives today, in part, because they have helped each other. We will survive if we listen to the voices of our past.

G-d’s voice tells us that we should “Love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart, soul, strength and mind.” (Deuteronomy 6:5) He did not say with all your best methods. The methods of each generation were usually not included in the Bible. He wants each generation to figure it out for itself, but he does tell us that heart, soul and passion are supreme. They mean so much that Jesus calls them the greatest command. Let us not be methodical. Rather, let us live full of heart and passion for our G-d!

The second greatest command is to “love your neighbor as yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18) Most of us love ourselves quite a bit. And there is little we wouldn’t do for ourselves if we were in trouble. In fact, there is no end to the lengths we will go to help ourselves. How much more do we need to do this for others? We are supposed to know this, but why do we more and more often only help those who “want” help or do it only when it is convenient? Is it right to avoid problems or to stop giving to those who are down or struggling? No! We must risk our lives for our brothers and sisters, or else who will be there for us when we are down and cannot help ourselves?

We risk our hearts slowly hardening and dying when we become slaves of methods with no soul. Do we want to live for tradition or die for love? At the end of the day, let us look at the successes and failures of the Jews and Israel in the Old Testament, so we can become what those prophets and voices of the past have dreamed of. Let us be a vast and diverse kingdom that wears our hearts on our sleeves and leaves no man or woman behind!

A Healthy Temple - Jordan Rubin

Whenever we want to get more information regarding a subject of interest, it would be difficult to imagine a resource more comprehensive than the internet. In fact, the information available is so comprehensive that it often results in unintended confusion as we attempt to sort through the enormous quantities of data. As a result, we end up with a great deal of information and a great deal of confusion as to its credibility. In this, the first of several columns to follow, I hope to offer some credible guidance into the subject of health.

One of the foremost researchers on the cutting edge of health is Dr. Jordan Rubin. Drawing from both his personal story and medical background, his books provide keen insight into the importance of health and diet.

Formal Education

Jordan Rubin earned the designation as a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine from Peoples University of the Americas School of Natural Medicine, and most recently earned a Ph.D. in Nutrition from the Academy of Natural Therapies. He is also a Certified Nutritional Consultant and a member of the American Association of Nutritional Consultants. He resides in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida with his wife Nicki.

Brief Background on Jordan S. Rubin’s Disease and Survival

In 1994, at 19 years of age and standing 6’1” tall, Rubin’s weight fell from 180 lbs. to a shocking 104 lbs. in a matter of months. As his immune system began to break down, he suffered from a list of debilitating conditions, including intestinal parasites, severe Candida (fungal infection), extreme anemia, food allergies, diabetes, excruciating abdominal pain, chronic diarrhea, poor circulation, liver problems, chemical sensitivities, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, arthritis, insomnia, hair loss, prostate and bladder infections, irregular heartbeat, eye inflammation and chronic depression.

After both conventional and alternative medicines failed him and 70 health professionals in seven countries put him through more than 500 different—and often bizarre—treatments, he was sent home in a wheelchair to die.

Rubin fought his way back to vibrant health through determination and a refusal to “give in” to his disease. He believes his survival is a true testament to the power of his faith in God and a revolutionary health program he calls “The Maker’s Diet.” In the seven years since his recovery, he has not shown any symptoms of the disease that nearly took his life.

Jordan Rubin suffered from Crohn’s disease (an inflammatory bowel disease) that was so severe it nearly killed him. (Chron’s disease prevents the body from absorbing nutrition.) Jordan was eating and still starving to death! Desperate for a cure, he devised a diet based on Biblical teachings. Stressing the importance of organically grown, unprocessed foods (processed foods were not available to Moses and Abraham), he also recommends avoiding shellfish and pork. He suggests an intensive 40-day change in diet that begins with severe cutbacks but allows the gradual introduction of red meat, fats, and carbohydrates. In addition to diet, Rubin interprets biblical advice on other aspects of living, such as bathing practices and environmental concerns. Underlying all of his advice is his religious faith, which permeates his program.

As we go through some principles of this approach to healthy living by using the Word of God, we will hopefully understand God’s intentions for the maintenance of our temples. Until then, eat well and live well!