THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS

One day, while working in the yard, I found a small bird that had perished in the cold of a recent storm. As I removed the tiny body, along with other debris that had accumulated in the flower beds, I was made to think of God's goodness to His people. I have no way of knowing how or when that small creature died, but God knows all about it.
Luke 12:6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?
Luke 12:7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
In this fact, the true greatness of God is seen and the true worth of man to Him is shown.

Truly great leaders among men have not always been those who have been able to command others. Rather, they have been those who, as they performed deeds of greatness, were able to be mindful of the small things. A great General is one who, in the midst of battle is able to note the suffering of the lowliest soldier under his command. The great leaders of any nation are those who, in the swirl of international affairs, are able to take note of the needs of the most insignificant of the populace.

We are made to be awestruck as we contemplate Christ stilling the storm. In this he proved His power over His creation. Yet, those things which draw us to Him most, are those in which he dealt with needful human beings. He healed a withered arm; Not of a king but an anonymous man in a crowd at the synagogue. He opened the eyes of the blind without asking about social standing or riches. He fed the multitude and raised a widow's son who remains nameless.

We might find it thrilling to contemplate one so powerful he holds the stars in place, but you and I don't dwell among the stars. So we find ourselves drawn to this one who walked among men.

The greatness and majesty of God is shown as He writes his Laws upon the tables of stone with his finger. But because of our sinfulness, we must draw back and cover our faces before Him, as did Israel. It is to Christ, who stoops to write with his finger in the dust of the street, that we are drawn, for here is one who extends mercy.

Why is man so valuable to God? David posed this question in the
Psa 8:3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
Psa 8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

If man is compared in his physical size to the visible universe, he is a mere speck of cosmic dust. How great is our God, who, while holding the stars in place, directing the destiny of nations according to His prophecies, and hearing the praise of the heavenly host, is able to hear the feeble call of one lost sinner and take time to reach down and save his soul. In the turmoil of the affairs of nations, he is able to hear the prayers of the most insignificant of his children who need His help. While doing all this He is able to keep record of every thought and every deed of every man that He might be just in the day of judgment.

Why is man so important to Him? For the answer we must look back to the beginning, as man was made in the image of God. While the firmament shows His handiwork and all nature bears His mark and proves His goodness, only man bears the stamp of His Person and His personality. Because man is the only part of creation made in the image of God, man is unique. Because of his ability to worship and to fellowship God of his own free will, he is especially precious to God.
"Ye are of more value than many sparrows" were the words of Jesus as he reassured his disciples of the Fathers care for them.

There is nothing, which demonstrates man's value to his creator more than God's care for him. He has shown it in the provision made to provide the environment necessary to sustain life. He makes it known in the fruit of the earth which provides food and clothing. But He did not stop with providing just the essentials. He gave us also the beauty of the sky, the seas, the mountains, the fields and forests. The senses of taste and smell make eating a pleasure, and not just a necessary function.
The greatest measure of Man's worth to God is not found in the material provision made for his physical well being, but in the redemption of his soul.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

In His divine wisdom, God did not create man as a free moral agent and turn him loose to reap the inevitable consequences, should he choose the path of sin and death. Man was far too precious for that! Instead, before man was made in the image of God, Christ stood as a Lamb to be slain. The remedy for sin was prepared before man ever rebelled against his maker!

The crucifixion was proof of more than just the sinful condition of man. It is true that man's depravity was shown there as nowhere else in all human history, but even more so, is the love of God and His perception of the great value of man manifested. His love for his creatures compelled him to offer his Son to pay the penalty for the sins of man.
Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

We are made to cry with David, "What is man that thou art mindful of him?" How great must be his value to his creator, that such a price would be paid to rescue man from his own actions!

All around us, we see those who seem to be saying,"Look at me. I'm important!" Some try to prove their importance by making laws, and others try just as hard by defying laws through civil or even criminal disobedience. Others by declaring morals and conventions to be relics of the past. Few see that the only real and true worth of man is in his relationship with God. John expressed it thus;
1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

Man has intrinsic value because of all creation; he is the only part which will endure for all eternity. The Bible tells us that the earth and all that is in it shall be burned. We are told that even the heavens and the earth shall pass away. Yet man shall endure forever! He will either spend eternity rejoicing in the presence of God or suffering the eternal damnation of a burning hell. BUT HE WILL ENDURE. This eternal attribute of man is why Jesus posed the question;
Mat 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

To mankind, the universe has many centers, for each is to himself, the center around which all things revolve. We are concerned with what goes on in the world around us because we know that sooner or later, what affects the world, our nation , community or family will eventually have an effect upon us. At the point of death, man would give everything he posesses for a few more moments of that precious commodity called life. Yet no matter how important we might come to think of ourselves, we are finally made to feel insignificant as we contemplate our passing from the scene as did Solomon.
Eccl 2:15 Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.
Eccl 2:16 For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.

I belong to Him! To the world, I may be just one among the billions of the human masses, but to God, I am one made in His eternal image and worth redeeming, even at the price of the blood of His only begotten Son.. Whether I go or stay will have no great effect upon the course of history or to the rest of the human race, but it is all important to the God of heaven.

If you would like to assert your value to the world, then realize your value to the God of heaven. If you would like to show your dignity as a human being, learn to walk as a child of KING!

SMALL THINGS

When I see the lightening flashing
and hear the mighty thunder roll.
When mountains shake and tremble
then peace flows o'er my soul.

When the ocean's mighty billows
crash upon the shore,
and the wind, instead of gentle breeze,
blasts with awesome roar,

Then sings my soul, rejoicing,
for the power there displayed
belongs to Him who keeps me.
I shall not be dismayed.

One tiny little raindrop;
One small grain of sand;
One tiny seed or delicate bloom;
One touch of His gentle hand.

A blade of grass, an ant, a lark;
All His, however small.
He knows each tiny insect.
He sees the sparrow fall.

And though I be unworthy
And often go astray,
The God who watches 'small things'
Guards me night and day!.

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Phil 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

BE YE DOERS OF THE WORD

Text: James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Introduction: The scribes and pharisees were diligent in their study of the Scriptures but they refused to DO them. For this they were severely rebuked.
We seldom study the prophecies with our text in mind. This we shall now attempt to do.

I. The study of past history or future prophecies is a waste of time if the lessons are not applied to the present.
A. "Those who do not learn from the mistakes of the past are sure to repeat them,"
Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
1 Cor 10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

B. 1 John 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. This follows after the assurance of glorification.

II. Some specific prophecies and their present implications.
A. The return of Christ and our glorification.
1. Should prompt us to exhortation. Remind us of our obligation to each other.
1 Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
[Exhorting - To call to ones side. If you called someone to your side, would that one be moving closer to the Lord?
1 Th 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

2. The impending arrival of the 'man of sin' and our peace of mind.
2 Th 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2 Th 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2 Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2 Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
2 Th 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

3.These things should place us on guard to maintain the doctrinal purity and spiritual strength of the Church.
2 Th 2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
1 Tim 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
1 Tim 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
1 Tim 4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
1 Tim 4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
1 Tim 4:5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
1 Tim 4:6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.

III. This is faith at work.
James 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
James 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.
James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
James 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Imagine the following;
1.The Nutritionist whose family subsists on junk food.

2.The collector of Gourmet Cook books whose husband lives on cornflakes and canned beans.

3. The trained mechanic whose car won't start.

4. The 'religious' mother who screamed a steady stream of passages from her books to her children as they fended for themselves.

5. The student of the Word who gets excited about fulfilled prophecy but does nothing about preparing for coming events.

6. The church members who didn't want to get involved in any project because the 'Lord might come before we finish'.

THE TEMPTATION OF CHRIST AND ITS RELEVANCE TO US

Text: Mat 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
Mat 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered.
Mat 4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
Mat 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

To you, alone, I make my prayer.
None other can give me victory
and lift me from my worldly care
and make me what I ought to be.
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Jesus had just fasted for forty days and Satan chose this time of physical testing to tempt him. The response and defense of Jesus was, in every case, the Word of God.
The challenge of the devil to change the stones into bread brings a question to mind. John the Baptist had not yet made the declaration, "Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world.". In fact, his own testimony was,
John 1:33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

When Jesus came up out of the water, he had been carried away immediately into the wilderness and only upon his return, did John make the public announcement concerning Christ. Christ had not yet called one single disciple to follow him. No miracle had been done. How did the devil know He could? We can only come to the conclusion that perhaps Satan had some inside information which men would only receive later. He did indeed have such knowlege and knew this was the one he must fear.

Christ had been present in that far distant past, as Satan had tried to usurp God's throne and had been cast as lightning from heaven. Jesus had been present as the angels which kept not their first estate were reserved in chains of darkness against the day of judgment. [Luke 10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.]

Satan remembered how, after he had deceived Eve and caused the fall of the entire human race, God made man a promise,
'Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
He also knew that in all the history of the human race, this was the only one who had been born, not of the seed of man but the seed of the woman. Yes, the devil knew about the virgin birth! He might try to deceive men about it, but he knew that this was the one he should fear.

The men of that day had seemingly forgotten how, thirty years before, the praise of the angels had rung out, "Glory to God in the highest. Satan had not forgotten. He had tried to head off the inevitable by inspiring Herod to order the slaying of the infants of Bethlehem. He had failed.

Satan had recognized Christ just as the demons of the land of the Gadarenes would know him later and cry out in terror,"Thou Son of the Most High God!" There was no doubt at all in the mind of Satan as to the identity of this man.
However, his tactics have always been to try to place a question in the mind of others. He doesn't change his ways, even on this occasion. "IF thou be the Son of God-" is his opening sally. How absurd! The very fact of his approaching Christ with the remark, is proof that he knew this was the Christ.

Another thing worthy of note, is the fact that though the devil had known for the thirty years of the Lord's earthly life that He was the Christ, he had not tried to tempt him until he had begun his ministry. Satan knew that Christ would begin His Church which would preach the Gospel to all creatures. He also knew that the Lord's ministry would end with his death for the redemption of the souls of men and the resurrection from the dead. In desperation he tried to head off all this. Another of Satan's tactics is made plain here; He never really bothers any child of God until that Christian begins to serve God!

It was upon this occassion that the devil began a campaign of temptation that would bring all the forces of evil to bear upon Christ. He would truly be "tempted in all points, like as we are, yet without sin."

What the devil did Not offer is worthy of notice. He DID NOT offer to give food to Christ, himself. Since man is created in the image of God, Satan hates him and seeks only his destruction. The devil's only offerings to the fleshly desires of man are those which will destroy him. He holds out to man drink, drugs, excesses of all kinds and while promising great pleasure, never warns of the destruction to man's body, morals and perhaps even the final damnation of his soul. Even those things which are necessary for man's well-being are presented in a way which will dishonor God. He entices man to sell liquor or drugs or cheat in his business and take every unfair advantage over his fellow man, then offer the excuse,"I'm just making a living for my family!"

If everything else fails, he will get you a job which will keep you busy on the Lord's Day and away from the House Of God. Then he is right there with the ready made excuse, "I've got to eat".

What God's people must remember is,
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
However pleasant an offer appears to be, if it interferes with your relationship with God, then GOD WAS NOT THE GIVER. God doesn't provide men with with jobs or opportunities which will degrade their fellow man or separate them from Himself.

Neither does God provide the boats, campers and all the other recreational facilities which take so many away from his service. What he did do, was to provide our nation with all manner of abundance and they, instead of thanking God for the bounty, used those very things as opportunities to turn away from Him. It was for this very reason that Jesus taught us to pray,"Give us today our DAILY bread.".

Another thing the devil did not do on this occasion was, he did not try to take Christ's life and then offer to save it for a price. Instead he merely took him up to a pinnacle of the Temple and urged him to jump. The reason he did this was really very simple. The devil knows the Bible and he knew
Deu 32:39 See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.

When God allowed Satan the power to torment Job, he refused to allow him to touch his life. The devil can really make man miserable and even cause him to destroy himself, but ONLY IF MAN WILL PERMIT IT.

You do not have to be in bondage to Satan, and you don't have to destroy mind and body with his enticements. He can have only as much power over you as you allow him to have. The same source of strength is open to you, that Christ used on this occassion. The answer to temptation is still, "It is written--" David had expressed this truth many years earlier in
Psa 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

In addition to the power of the Word, we have another source of spiritual strength;
1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
If Christ is your savior and is in you, then this promise is yours.

What a great lesson to us, as we consider the answers of Christ to Satan. Not one time did He did he base his answers on personal desire, feelings or opinion. He never considered what society might have said. A poll might have said that if we want something bad enough and it doesn't hurt anyone else, then go for it. Jesus never used such rationalization. He never entertained the thought that since no one was watching, it wouldn't matter.

His thinking, according to human logic, might have gone something like this, "These stones don't really belong to anyone else and there is certainly nothing wrong with eating, and besides, it won't hurt anyone else. I'll just use my power for miracles to ease my hunger a bit." There would have been a terrible flaw in this kind of reasoning: He would have been using for his own gain, that which was to be used for other things. In succumbing to the enticement of the devil he would have been doing great harm to the entire human race. Even though there was no other human being present to see whether he yielded to Satan's pressure, it was the all knowing, perfect and Holy Father who must be satisfied with the perfect sacrifice. Remember, what YOU do also has an effect upon others for;
Rom 14:7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. Experience also teaches us that our every act has some effect upon others.

Then there are those who base their action and beliefs upon their feelings. Never did Jesus even hint at the commonly used excuse for his actions, "I just have a feeling that it is o.k." In every case, His response was, "It is written ---" On this alone He based his actions. God grant us the Grace to do the same.
We often hear statements such as, "maybe the Bible says what you say, but this is what I think---" Really, it doesn't matter what you or the whole human race think about a matter. The only thing which carries any weight at all is, What is written? What does God say?

The admonition of the Scripture to those who have been saved by the Grace of God, is to 'be ready to give an answer to those who ask a reason for the hope that is within us'. This can only be done through constant and diligent study of the Word of God.

A Christian must study the word until his reason for acting in any situation, or in refusing to participate in any action, is an automatic, 'It is written." This and this alone must be our authority. It is a weapon against evil which all hell cannot oppose. Jesus made us the promise that 'heaven and earth shall pass away but my Words shall not pass away'.

Still another great truth to be learned from the answer of Jesus is that there is more to life than meat, drink and material things. God has promised to provide for the needs of our bodies, but even more important is his promise to provide for our spiritual needs also.
1 Pet 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
1 Pet 2:3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

A healthy christian will desire spiritual food. We can feel sorry for the church member whose biggest concern is,"What shall I wear to church today?" Or the one who brings away only the latest tid-bit of gossip instead of spiritual uplift. The Apostle Paul said of these weak christians, who never seem to advance beyond the 'milk stage',
"1 Cor 3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able."

John records in the sixth chapter of his epistle, how there were 'many who turned back and walked no more with Jesus' because they would not accept, and could not digest the truths he spoke.
One of the ways to recognize a weak christian is that he easily becomes upset about ANYTHING. He'll get mad at his wife because he got mad at his boss and he'll take out his anger on the children or even the family pet. This, however, pales into insignificance when compared to the anger he expresses against the preacher, if the Word of God should condemn and convict him for his weakness.

The strong meat of the Word belongs to working, growing christians.
Heb 5:13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
Heb 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Every young man remembers the thrill of being told for the first time that he needed a shave. Every young person can recall the excitement of being treated as an adult for the first time. These experiences are as nothing when compared to the joy of growing in grace and the knowlege of the truth. If the greatest thing in your life has been the acquiring of a new possession or the experiencing of a new pleasure or seeing a new sight, then let me point you to the ultimate thrill! You can acquire and possess eternal life. You can know the excitement of learning new truths and new promises as you study His Word. You can have the pleasure of walking with Christ each day. You can have the exhilaration of having prayer answered. All this and more can be yours as you study the Word and walk in its precepts.

The answer of Christ to Satan also teaches us that there is nothing unimportant in the Word. He said "man should live by EVERY WORD that proceedeth out of the mouth of God". God doesn't deal with trivialities. Man often categorizes Scripture into that which is vital and that which is of lesser importance. Not so with Christ. Every word is inspired and every word is important.

Astronomers tell us that there are stars out in space which make our sun look like a dwarf and make it pale into insignificance as to brightness. On the other hand, there are those things surrounding us which are so small they can't be seen by the human eye. The difference in size is mind boggling but which is of the greatest importance to our everyday life; The huge stars or the small bacteria which changes milk to cheese and the yeast which makes our bread rise? Some of these 'small things' make the penicillin and other medicines upon which we have come to depend. Remember, it is EVERY WORD which is to feed the soul of man.

Perhaps you are one of those who have tried to read the Word of God like a newspaper and when you came to the accounts of the lineages of the Israelites in the Old Testament or of Christ in the New, you became 'bogged down in the begats' and decided there was nothing there for you. These things are important to one who searches for the truths to be found in Bible History and in prophecy.

If these studies are still off in your future growth, you can learn now some great truths. Every person named in these lists of people, were individuals who were important to God. This helps to show us the value of the individual to God. He did not say, 'there were a certain number of patriarchs before the flood. He named each of them and told of their families. Neither did he say there were a bunch of Israelites who went into the promised land. He named each head of each family. When Israel returned from the Babylonian captivity, He again didn't just number the returnees, He told us who they were. I may learn a lot about the detail with which God keeps his promises from a close study of these lists. By far the more important, though, is the fact that though men may relegate you to an account number or a statistic, with God you are still an individual with a name, feelings, needs and a future.
John 10:3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
I can feast upon this great truth and many others passages which others might consider unimportant.

As we live by 'every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God', let us not overlook the importance of every doctrine and every tool the Lord provided us. They are all given that we might lead a life that is pleasing to Him and that we might be fruitful in His service.

His Church is not, as some think, an outdated and unnecessary adjunct to christianity. It is only in His true New Testament Churches where the preaching and teaching of his divine will is to be found. These are the things essential to real, meaningful christian living. Don't try to weed out or categorize those things which God has given you for your spiritual welfare. Learn to live by 'every word that proceedteth out of the mouth of God'.

There are some things that God has not seen fit to reveal to us. There are great mysteries which perhaps we shall never know, but he did reveal everything we need to know for victorious and fruitful living.

The most vital truths to those who are lost, are those which point out man as a lost sinner. That Christ died for such sinners. If you are such a lost sinner, here is a truth which can change your eternal destiny fron hell to eternal life in Jesus Christ.
Isa 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Acts 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

A LAMB FOR A HOUSE

Text: Exo 12:3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:

Introduction: Let us consider the relationship of the entire family to God.
I. The Family and God.
A. The family is God's idea and is a divine institution.

B. The family has always been connected with the blood of sacrifice.
1. Adam and Eve.
Gen 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
2. Noah and family.
Gen 8:18 And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him:
Gen 8:19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.
Gen 8:20 And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
Gen 8:21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
3. Abraham and Isaac.
Gen 22:8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
Gen 22:13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
4. Passover [text]
5. Phillipian jailor.
Acts 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

II. Consider the family without a lamb and the implications.
A. They had no promise of deliverance.

B. They had a house doomed to sorrow.
Exo 12:29 And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.
Exo 12:30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

C. A home without Christ has no savior. The hardest funeral a preacher is called upon to conduct, is when death hits such a home.

III. Consider the family with the Passover slain and the blood applied.
A. Rejoicing in the midst of sorrow.

B. In the midst of condemnation, a promise of deliverance.
Exo 12:13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

IV. Behold the Lamb of God.
John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
A. Our heavenly father has provided the Lamb.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

B. He was found to be without blemish.
Luke 23:4 Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man.

C. He was cut off from his flock.

D. His blood was shed for deliverance from sin.
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

E. The whole family is blessed when dad and mom trust and apply the blood.

OPEN YOUR EYES AND SEE

TEXT: Eph 1:15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
Eph 1:16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
Eph 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Eph 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Eph 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Eph 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Introduction: It has been said,"There are none so blind as the man who will not see." As children of God, the most needful things for are us to see, are those which are seen with our understanding.

I. The spirit of wisdom and revelation needed.
Eph 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

A. Man is, by nature, void of spiritual understanding.
1 Cor 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
One might as well lecture the dead on the merits of health food, as try to teach doctrine to the lost.

B. This is true of saved weaklings too.
Mat 16:23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
1 Cor 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1 Cor 3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
1 Cor 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1 Cor 3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

C. This wisdom and revelation is not the same as those spiritual gifts of
I Cor.12 and 13. This only requires the opening of the heart to the Spirit of God and the submitting of the will to the Word.

II. What we may see.
A. What is the hope of His calling.
1. Called by Grace that God may be glorified.
1 Cor 1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
1 Cor 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
1 Cor 1:28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
1 Cor 1:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
1 Cor 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
1 Cor 1:31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
2. Our Calling. To serve God wherever we might be.
1 Cor 7:20 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.
3. We have a holy calling.
2 Tim 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
4. It is a heavenly calling.
Heb 3:1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
We are earthly creatures on a heavenly mission!
5. Our final hope [expectation]
Phil 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

B. The riches of the Glory of His inheritance in the saints.
1. By grace. God takes wicked men and makes them heaven's treasure.
Rom 9:22 What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
Rom 9:23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
2. Salvation
Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
3. Church.
Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
4. Future Glory.
Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

C. The exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe.
Eph 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
1. Exceeding = record breaking. The power available to God's people is greater than that of creation!

Enterprise-Q & A's in the Space Continuum

Musing on the passage of time and the approach of eternity, caused many questions to come to mind. Then, while pondering these queries, another occurred, "Is it worthwhile for us to delve into some things or should they be laid aside as something unprofitable for Biblical research?"
2 Tim 2:23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.

The answer to this question seems simple; 'If answers are found in the Word, then these things are profitable for us ,while those things about which God remains silent, are best left to the speculation of the world's philosophers.'
2 Tim 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2 Tim 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

The title of this piece is derived from a popular television series of the recent past. The job of the Enterprise was to "go where no man had gone before" Now, I do not pretend to be breaking new ground, for I am sure many others have gone this way before. On the other hand, after over fifty-five years of Bible Study I, personally, have never delved into these thoughts. So, to paraphrase the introduction to that T.V. show, 'I will boldly go where I have never gone before'. If you would like to come along for the ride, have a seat and fasten your seat belt. It could be a bumpy ride as many of your concepts of Time and Eternity are challenged. I know mine were.

This is not intended to be a scientific treatise nor an expounding upon obscure theological points. I do not flatter myself that I would be capable of such endeavors.

Here are a few of the questions that came to my mind. Others may be added to the list, but these will suffice for the beginning of the trek.
1. If an omnipresent God is not confined by space, can an eternal God be confined to or restricted by time?
2. Is Time a straight line? Is it constant or can it be altered in any way?
3. Is there any past or future in eternity?
4. Does time pass in eternity or Could a 'young earth' be 'billions' of years old?
5. Is time relevant when thinking of the work of the eternal God, except as it relates to man?
6. Could simultaneous events be separated by time?
7. Could events separated by time be simultaneous?
8. Can effulgent light be enclosed in palpable darkness?
9. Can the creator be restricted by the laws of physics which govern His creation?
10. Do the proven facts of 'General or special Relativity' relate to God? To the Bible?
11. Is it an 'oxymoron' for the Eternal God to speak of the 'Fullness of Time'? Why not?

QUESTION NUMBER ONE
If an omnipresent God is not confined by space,
can an eternal God be confined to or restricted by time?
The fact of God's omnipresence is without question. The Bible is clear that He is always present in every place.
Upon the completion of the Temple, Solomon said at its dedication,
1 Ki 8:27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?

David exclaimed in song,
Psa 139:7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
Psa 139:8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
Psa 139:9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Psa 139:10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

Concerning the wicked who try to escape judgment God said in
Amos 9:2 Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down: God said of Himself,
Jer 23:23 Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?
Jer 23:24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith thR LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.

Other citations of scripture could be multiplied, but these suffice. We turn then to the other part of the question;
Is the eternal I Am constrained by the restrictions of time?
Why ask this question? If, as some men, even some scientists, now believe, Time Travel is theoretically possible, could man escape God's judgment by fleeing into the darkest recesses of the past? Let us not waste time in speculation, but simply allow God to give a forthright answer.
Isa 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

On more than one occasion, He identifies Himself as the 'I Am' .
Exo 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
Isa 43:13 Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?
If our theoretical time travel could take us back even before the 'evening and the morning were the first day' it would not help us to escape judgment for He would be there!
John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

The term, 'I Am' covers both space and time.
Isa 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Though the concept is strange to us, and hard for temporal minds to comprehend, God is neither confined to the present nor is He restricted by the constraints of time as it controls us. This is shown in several ways.
It is shown by the fact that Christ's death was real to God long before it actually occurred.
Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Regardless of the interpretation man has tried to place on these words, the fact remains, Because God IS eternal and dwells in eternity, He sees all of time as being present. He is the I Am, not the 'I will be' nor the 'I Was', but the eternal one to whom past and future is constantly present. An acknowledgement of this and acceptance of it will immediately remove all difficulty in understanding the Foreknowledge of God and reconciling that with the Free Will of man, who must operate in 'time'.

Another example of this is seen in the twelfth chapter of the Book of the Revelation. In showing John this vision, God presents things which actually happened from eternity to eternity as well as in time and displays them all as in the present.
Rev 12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
Rev 12:2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

The woman is Israel and the time was around two thousand years ago when Christ was made flesh.
Gal 4:4 But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Rev 12:3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. Satan, as the beast is introduced as he appears during the Tribulation .
Rev 12:4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

Here is a great example of time being eternally present with God! John sees the dragon [Satan] as the one whose tail drags the stars [angels] from heaven. Jesus referred to this event as He explained His power to cast out demons;
Luke 10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
Jude speaks of it in respect to the falling of some of the angels;
Jude 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
Isaiah describes the event;
Isa 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
Isa 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
Isa 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Isa 14:15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Ezekiel tells us a little more of the event; Ezek 28:14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
Ezek 28:15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
Ezek 28:16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
Ezek 28:17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

This is the description of the angel Lucifer and how he fell and became the one we know as Satan. When did it occur? It all happened in that part of eternity after God had created the angels as spirits and before the evening and the morning became the first day. Yet this is shown to John as in the present!
"and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born."

The same one who caused the fall of one third of the angels, attempts to destroy the child, [Christ] This was carried out shortly after the birth of Christ and the town of Bethlehem felt the effects of it.
Mat 2:16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.
Mat 2:17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,
Mat 2:18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

Though it had occurred many years earlier, John saw it as in the present.
Rev 12:5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron:

Now John sees Christ as the King of Kings who shall rule during the millennial. "and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne".

He sees again, the ascension he witnessed a few years before on the mount of Olives.
Rev 12:6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
This occurs during the last half of the tribulation.

Rev 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
Rev 12:8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
At this point John beholds an event which is yet to happen as Satan and his angels are permanently cast out of heaven.

All these things are seen by the writer as though they were transpiring before his face, though the events themselves were separated by long periods of time. Of course, we know that this was all a vision, and that God could have made him to see anything he desired in a vision. This was proven in the many other visions described in the Book. The remarkable thing however, and that which is pertinent to our investigation, is not WHAT was seen but that God was showing them from the Divine perspective and they were ALL IN THE PRESENT.

QUESTION NUMBER TWO
Is Time a straight line? Is it constant or can it be altered in any way?

The first reaction of myself and those to whom I have posed this question has been, "Yes. Time is constant." After all, we have all sorts of methods for measuring time, and do we not see all things around us aging at a uniform rate? But then we think of a couple of Biblical examples of time being altered.
Josh 10:12 Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
Josh 10:13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.

God had decreed that the sun should rule over the day and the moon should rule over the night.
Gen 1:16 And 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.
Gen 1:17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
Gen 1:18 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.
The question comes to mind; How did God accomplish this miracle of the long day? Did He cause the earth to cease spinning on its axis? Did he alter the movement of the sun and the moon? Did He cause some local phenomenon to occur, which only seemed like a long day in that locality?

If He had caused the earth to suddenly stop rotating, he would also have had to cancel the laws of motion. Newton expressed it thus; 'A body in motion tends to remain in motion in a constant direction at a constant speed until acted upon by an outside force.' When a car travelling at sixty miles an hour suddenly hits a wall, the occupants and all other loose objects keep moving and are thus tossed through the windshield or are smashed inside. The surface of the earth is moving at a far greater speed than any car can travel. A sudden stop would cause the tides to sweep over the land, the rocks and mountains to become lethal objects and general chaos would ensue.
Certainly, God could have suspended this law of physics had he desired. There is no indication however that he did so. Had He done it that way, the battle could not have been fought. Slings would not have performed their proper function in battle. Swords and spears would have been ineffective and the entire battle would have been a farce as arrows fell harmlessly at the feet of the archers.

On the other hand, if it was accomplished by somehow altering the course of the sun and the moon, we are faced with another problem. God's decree was that the sun should rule the day and the moon, the night. If Time had marched inexorably on ,while this was happening, then the sun would have had to rule over that part of the long day which belonged to the night. This could not have happened according to the decree of God in the beginning
Gen 8:22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

This event was not a local phenomenon. The historical records of Greece, Egypt, China, Mexico, and Palestine all speak of a long day corresponding to the time of Joshua's conquest of the promised land.
The only method of carrying out such a feat would have been to alter time so that the sequence of night and day would remain constant. Could this be possible?

In his theory of relativity, Einstein presented such a possibility. His idea seems to have been that as the speed of light is approached, time itself is slowed. Later experiments by scientists have confirmed this. Now, if finite man can confirm such a thing, it would be a small thing for the infinite I Am to perform.

During the reign of Hezekiah another such modifying of time transpired. 2 Ki 20:10 And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.
2 Ki 20:11 And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.
On this occasion, time was not stopped, but actually turned back. Using methods which are far beyond my comprehension, astronomers have been said to have confirmed both these events. It is sufficient for me to know that the God, in whose hand I rest, is not the servant, but the Master of Time and eternity.

QUESTION NUMBER THREE
Is there any past or future in eternity?
Until such questions were contemplated, the answer would have been a resounding 'NO!' Eternity was seen as an ever present NOW, with no thought of a future, and no memory of a past. Upon reflection however, such a state, would constitute a sort of 'limbo' in which nothing could take place.

This is NOT how the Bible presents the New Heaven and the New Earth.
There can be no question but that place is in the eternal age. There will be no death and there will be no night, but there will be things happening. Events will transpire. The activity of that New Earth as described in the Word makes this clear.
There is activity;
Rev 21:26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. Activity, by it's very nature relates to time.

In spite of the fact that it is eternal, and there will be no night, time will still be measured. There will be 'months';
Rev 22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Remember, this is NOT describing a transition state, but is the final and eternal age.
There are statements by Solomon which seem to give a different view.
Eccl 1:9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
Eccl 1:10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
Eccl 1:11 There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.
It must be noted, however, that Solomon was not speaking of eternity, but of that which happens under the sun. The entire book of Ecclesiastes is about man's responsibility to God in THIS LIFE. His statement in this eleventh verse, is a statement of fact and a wonderful refutation of those who claim to remember former lives or to be able to perceive the future. This is not in man's sphere of knowledge. It is reserved for the I Am.
Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

QUESTION NUMBER FOUR
Could a 'young earth' be 'billions' of years old?
One of the most controversial questions among scientists, as well as theologians, concerns the age of the earth. It varies from the six thousand plus of Usher, to the timeless earth of the 'steady state' theorists. In between lie various other theories including the 'Big Bang' and its adherents who seem to think the expanding universe would have taken at least four and a half billion years to reach its present size. One of the arguments given for the old age of the earth is the perception of man, that it would have required this time for fossil fuels, coal and oil, to have developed.
Bible scholars are almost as divided. There are those who think it all was created about six thousand years ago at nine o'clock on a Sunday morning.

Others think it was created in the vast aeons of time before Adam and was re-constructed in preparation for its human inhabitants then. My own personal belief coincides most closely with this idea.

There seems to be a time break between the first and the second verses of Genesis chapter one. The statement that 'the earth was without form {tohuw] and void [bohuw]' could as well have been translated 'became without--' In view of some of the other statements of the Bible, this seems to have been exactly what happened.
Isa 45:18 For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain [tohuw], he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.

The description of the earth in Genesis 1:2 describes the earth as without form and void. [tohuw and bohuw] In Isaiah 45:18 God Himself said he did NOT create it that way! Because of His very nature, God could not have created an earth of desolate confusion.
1 Cor 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
He created the earth ready to be inhabited

Many 'theistic evolutionists' place the original creation of Genesis 1:1 in the same time frame as their 'steady state' counterparts. To them, each of the six days of creation describes the successive ages of development as evolution steadily wrought its work.

There are some FACTS about the creation upon which we can rely, because they are truths presented by the creator.
1. The creation was instant. It was not formed over a long period of time
Psa 33:6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
Psa 33:7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.
Psa 33:8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
Psa 33:9 For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.
2. The same power which created it, also sustains it.
Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

3.He did not have to mine somewhere in the nether world, nor borrow from any other source for the material. He created it from the endless supply of His own power.
Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

As men who deny God, search for answers to the origin of the universe, they remind one of the old story of the Blind Men and the Elephant. One feels of its tail and concludes that an elephant is like a wiry rope. Another, feeling of his side assumes that this animal is like a house while another embraces a leg and declares emphatically that it is like a tree trunk. Still another feels of an ear and comes to the conclusion that it is like a large fan, while another states without a doubt that an elephant is some form of huge snake as he feels of its trunk.

Each of these men had some of the correct information, but refused to place that information in its proper relationship to the whole.

Consider the so called,"Big Bang Theory". Without a doubt, the universe is expanding. Why, however, should it be considered impossible that the beginning should have been in a more recent time? The answer seems to be .'that it would have taken it four and a half billion years at the speed of light for the outer most parts to have travelled that far'. But, the blind man is examining only the tail of the elephant.

On the other hand, Bible scholars often dismiss out of hand, the findings of science, simply because those findings were used to try to prove unbiblical theories.

Consider, for instance the so-called Big Bang theory and its expanding universe. Because, we are told that it would have taken four and one half billion years for the universe to expand from the 'flash point' to its present size, then it must be that old. We are not told where the material came from or what ignited the explosion but that it all happened a long time ago.

When we place God in the equation of creation, the "big Bang" takes on an entirely different appearance. Since space does NOT CONTAIN God, and He dwells in eternity, who is to say that He did not create the heavenly bodies and place them near their present locations? Since time is not relevant to an eternal God, and we know only that the creation took place before man was introduced to the scene, is the actual time of the creation relevant? Could it not have occurred at any point in the eternal ages before the first day? Time, as we know it, is of no consequence whatever, in the deliberations as to the creation of the universe. I like the simplicity of a bumper sticker seen recently, "The Bible Big Bang - God Spoke and BANG it was done." The Bible simply says that He put them in place. Could he not have placed them billions of light years distant in the very beginning, had he so desired? This would certainly have posed no problem for an omnipotent God.

Almost sixty-five years ago, while in the fifth grade, we were given, each week, a copy of the 'Weekly Reader'. Each week I remember devouring its pages with great enthusiasm. One week I read on the front page of a fossilized bone which had recently been discovered. It was reported to be millions of years old, because it would have taken at least that long for the minerals of the earth to have fossilized it.

On one of the inside pages of the same issue of the 'Weekly Reader', was another article, with pictures, of people whose well-water was so filled with minerals that they were making a living selling 'fossils' which they made by suspending bones or other artifacts on strings into the water for several months. My naive little country boy mind was made to wonder,"Can this be consistent?" I still wonder about the declarations of the spiritually blind, as they examine the elephant called 'creation'. When the creator is left out of the equation, none of the facts seem to fit. On the other hand I have never seen a proven FACT of any science, that did not strengthen my faith in the infallible Word of the Creator.

QUESTION NUMBER FIVE
Is time relevant when considering the work of the eternal God except as it relates to man?
This question has a great deal in common with the previous one. The difference is, that while the last question was concerned with the creation of the earth, and it's biological age, this deals with all the work of God before Genesis 1:2.

It is a temptation to slip into the poetic language often used in speaking of these things, and refer to something like. "the dim dark council halls of eternity". If I were trying to put my thoughts into a poem, I just might succumb to the temptation, but for now I will speak as clearly as possible of these things, as they are revealed in God's Word.

A series of events are disclosed to us in the Word. The first seems to have been the creation of spiritual beings called 'angels'
Angels are not, as some suppose, co-existent with God in eternity. They are created beings.
Psa 104:4 Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:
Heb 1:7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.

In His challenge to Job, God reveals the fact that they were present at the foundation of the world.
Job 38:3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.
Job 38:4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
Job 38:5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
Job 38:6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
Job 38:7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

There is no reference to how long before the foundations of the world were laid, that these beings were created. How could there be, when time, as we know it, did not yet exist? But how can there be a sequence of events without a specific time between them? Perhaps others can fathom this. All I know is that according to Einstein, and since confirmed by others including NASA astrophysicists, even time is stopped in its tracks in a 'Black Hole' while going its merry way elsewhere. The angels dwell in the presence of the eternal one, and do not grow old while ministering to successive generations of humans who propagate, grow old and die.

In the sequence of events before the first day, not only were the angels created and the earth made, but a glorious archangel named Lucifer was made ruler of that earth. Using the king of Tyrus as a foil, Ezekiel speaks of it.
Ezek 28:14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
Ezek 28:15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

Isaiah tells us his name and his sin and his fate.
Isa 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
Isa 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
Isa 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Isa 14:15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Jesus told his disciples that He was there and saw the fall of Lucifer who by his deeds became known as Satan.
Luke 10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

This fall caused the earth to become without form and void and darkness to envelop it all. The Spirit of God then brooded over the destroyed creation.
Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved [brooded or fluttered] upon the face of the waters.

Without a doubt, there were a series of events beginning with the creation of the angels and culminating in the command, "Let there be light" How much time went by? Was it billions of years or was it all consummated in a matter of minutes? Is time relevant since it did not exist then?

QUESTION NUMBER SIX
&
QUESTION NUMBER SEVEN
6. Could simultaneous events be separated by time?
7. Could events separated by time be simultaneous?
'space-time' = the central concept in the "special-relativity.html"theory of relativity that replaces the earlier concepts of space and time as separate absolute entities. In space-time, events in the universe are described in terms of a four-dimensional continuum in which each observer locates an event by three spacelike coordinates and a timelike coordinate. The choice of the last is not unique; hence, time is not absolute but is relative to the observer's frame of reference.

The foregoing is from the introduction to a scientific article found on the internet. the italics in the last line are mine. They mark the words which point up the essence of this question.
Since these are two sides of the same coin we shall regard them as one.

Consider the following hypothetical, possible event.
With the use of the Hubble telescope, we are told that we can now see up to ten billion light years into the past. Suppose an event such as a supernova occurred at the five billion year range and another at the one billion year range. Theoretically at least, the events, though occurring four billion years apart, would be seen as happening simultaneously. On the other hand, If the events did occur simultaneously, the one at the greater distance would not be seen until four billion years later.

What is the significance of this for us? Man has long struggled with the concept of the foreknowledge of God. How can one reconcile the fact that God knows the end from the beginning with the free will of man? If God knows what will happen, doesn't that mean that He has determined before hand that it WILL happen? From our reference point in time it only seems logical, that if God has prophesied something He MUST cause it to come to pass. This, of course would make Him responsible for the actions of the evil men of whom He prophesied aforetime. Yet it is clear that man was created with a free will and is held responsible for his own actions.
Ezek 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

God, however, does not see these things from our reference point. Being the eternal I Am and dwelling as he does in eternity, He sees from the reference point of the eternal present. Thus, Christ stood as a lamb slain from the foundation of the world, but was manifested in time for our benefit.
1 Pet 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1 Pet 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
Acts 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Isa 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

God's reference point being eternity, makes it a simple thing for Him to prophesy events long before they are exhibited in time.
This is a truly wonderful thing! So-called intellectuals have long belittled the idea of biblical prophesy as being superstitious nonsense. Then, in one fell swoop they have destroyed their own arguments and justified that which Christians have long treasured by faith. Biblical Prophesy stands vindicated by science!

QUESTION NUMBER EIGHT
8. Can effulgent light be enclosed in palpable darkness?
The following are truths to be considered as we approach this question;
1.God is light
2. This light exceeds any other in the universe.
3.It is so powerful or has such properties as would be destructive to man. 4.It must be hidden or veiled in order that God might interact with man.
5. Only when man has a new body will he be able to look upon His Glory.
God IS Light. This is truth because His Word declares it and His works have proven it.
1 John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

One must note that in this passage there are no adjectives modifying the word 'light'. It does NOT say that God is a light of a particular color or strength or of any particular property. Through the entire spectrum of all we know as light, God is the source of it all.

Bible scholars have long used the term 'effulgence' in speaking of the glory of God, for want of a better expression. Like human speech in every other case, we seem to fall short of being able to express the ultimates or absolutes needed to verbalize the whole truth about the most high God. The writers of the Bible used various ways of expressing this aspect of God's person.
Hab 3:3 God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.
Hab 3:4 And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.
Rev 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
Acts 26:13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.
2 Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Exo 24:16 And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
Exo 24:17 And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Rev 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Rev 21:24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
Rev 21:25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.

Everyone is aware of the beneficial effects of light upon the earth and its creatures. Without it, plants don't grow and most living creatures suffer from deprivation in various ways. We also are painfully aware of the effects of being exposed to too much light or to certain properties of light. A few hours at the beach has ended in excruciating sunburn. Being exposed to an arc welder without the right protection can end in extreme pain or even blindness. X-rays and radioactive wavelengths can be beneficial or deadly, according to the amount received and how controlled it is.
Perhaps the ultimate in man-made brilliance, has been manifested in nuclear explosions. Some of the things reported after the dropping of the first atomic bombs almost defy human reason. There were stories of shapes of people being burnt on walls as if they were impressions on photographic film. Another incident was an anti-aircraft gun crew which was some distance from the center of the blast and was otherwise unharmed. They were gazing directly at the area of the sky where the blast occurred and their eyes were actually melted in their sockets. Is it possible that light can be bright enough to do that? Read what Zechariah has to say about the brilliance of the glorified Christ at His coming with all his saints;
Zec 14:12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. Paul also tells of this coming event;
2 Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

All these things serve to remind us that though light is useful, beneficial and even essential, it is also harmful, when too strong or proper preparation for its use is not made..

The question then comes to mind; How can God, whose brilliance and glory infinitely exceeds any light either man-made or found anywhere in nature, inter-act with his creation without causing it to be destroyed? The Bible not only tells us of the destruction of the Antichrist and his armies when exposed to such effulgence, but that even the universe itself will be forced to flee from such a presence.
Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
2 Pet 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
At first this problem seems as unsolvable as the legendary classic about the man who invented a solvent capable of dissolving ANYTHING. He could never market it because he couldn't figure out what sort of container would hold it! However, God had the answer to how His glory could benefit creation without destroying it. He enfolded his LIGHT in darkness! How could this be? Is it not axiomatic that darkness must flee in the presence of light? Yet this is precisely what God said he did.
2 Sam 22:12 And he made darkness pavilions [tabernacle or tent] round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies.
1 Ki 8:12 Then spake Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.
Psa 97:2 Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.
Psa 18:11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
These passages set forth the fact that the ultimate Light, the very essence of brilliance, encloses Himself in darkness, and yet darkness must flee before the light of even the feeblest candle. If we can find no answer to this difficulty, then skeptics will surely say, "Aha, we have an impossible situation presented in the Scriptures". "A mistake in the Bible!", will be their cry.

For those of us who have faith in the infallibility of the Bible and the power of an omnipotent God, it is enough that God said it is so. The one who commanded the light to shine can, if it pleases Him, command it to not shine. It is as simple as that. For the skeptic this is not enough. He must have his answer.

One of the long accepted rules of apologetics is that when faced with any problem in the Scriptures, a possible answer is all that is necessary to eliminate the difficulty and answer the skepticism. One does not have to prove that it is the correct answer but simply that there is a possible solution.

As I surfed the web in search of answers to my questions concerning the time-space continuum, I found articles by scientists of N.A.S.A. and of several university astronomers. Some of their findings, as they sought proof of Einstiens theories, caught my attention. Black Holes are accepted as actually existing. Though they cannot be seen, the evidence of their presence seems irrefutable. The reason they cannot be seen is that sight requires light, and the gravity is so powerful in these places that even light cannot escape. A massive black hole is found in the center of our Milky Way Galaxy. Also, according to the calculations of Einstien and others, even time is brought to a standstill there.
Isa 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

One of the scientists also stated, "The bizarre nature of Einstiens equations suggest that black holes should theoretically lead to parallel universes." Note that Isaiah wrote that God dwelt in eternity with contrite and humble spirits.

I am definitely NOT contending that black holes are the entrance to heaven! All I am saying is that for those who mock the idea of a Holy, Glorious God who dwells in thick darkness with angels and departed saints, here is a possible answer to your objections. These possible solutions were not dreamed up by Christians, but came from the research of men who, for the most part were unbelievers.

QUESTION NUMBER NINE
Can the Creator be restricted by the laws of physics which govern His creation?
Civilization has been able to grow and develop as man has invented methods and machinery according to the laws which control nature. Natural law is logical and by following logical reasoning, man has steadily increased his knowledge and thus his development of all things which he perceives as making his life more meaningful.

He has not yet reached the threshold of limitations of his advances. In the early days of human progress, as man attempted to reach into the heavens by building a tower, he was stopped by God. Those attempts to conquer space by the use of mud bricks and slime mortar may seem laughably feeble to us. God, on the other hand, knew something about man, and saw that he was about to go beyond the limits God had set for Him at that time.
Gen 11:6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
By simply using his God-given ability to use logic, man can and has done amazing things. What would have seemed like magic or a miracle to one generation, becomes commonplace to the next. He has not yet reached the limits of the wonders he can accomplish.
Dan 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

There are limits however, to what man has ever done or will ever be able to do. His every advance has been made by the application of the laws of physics. In nothing has he been able to violate those laws. In trying to go beyond these rules, man is like the little boy who attempts to fly by jumping from the garage roof wearing a Superman cape or those who thought they could fly while under the influence of drugs. All the sincerity and strong desire in the world cannot overcome the laws of nature. Before man could fly, he had to learn something about aerodynamics. Before he could go into space ,he had to learn about things like 'thrust' and 'escape velocity'. All attempts to violate any of nature's laws have ended in disaster.

Is God bound by these same laws? Absolutely not! When Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives he needed no thrust engine nor did he need to reach 'escape velocity'. He simply rose, as he spoke to the disciples. After he disappeared into the cloud, he was seen no more until Stephen saw him at the right hand of the Father.

Every miracle performed by Him was amazing because it defied all known laws of nature. Consider the turning of the water into wine. God devised a system in nature by which water could fall to the earth, be absorbed by the roots of the vine, find its way to the cluster and after developing there, be crushed and by a process of aging and fermentation be changed into wine. Jesus proved His mastery over His own creation by bypassing the vine and all the rest of the process. He simply made the water become wine.

In one way or another his every miracle defied the very rules of physics that limit man. Because of his ability to do this, we have faith that our new bodies will not be the result of organ transplants or marvelous robotics, but will be entirely new creations, fashioned like His own glorified body. They will not be affected by sickness, time nor limited by space, but we will be like He is.
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Bible history is replete with accounts of occurrences in which God,in order to accomplish His purpose, set aside or circumvented the decrees that He had put into place to govern His creation and to enable man to progress as he attempts to further himself. Because man does not want to credit God with these things, he tries to find a way for some natural explanation for them. He has tried to minimize the crossing of the Red Sea and the Jordan River. He has come up with all manner of explanations for the plagues in Egypt and the Manna in the wilderness. All these efforts fall short, for in each one, there are elements that can only be the power of God at work.

The keeping qualities of the manna is a case in point. Even if the source had been a natural one [which it wasn't] there was a divine component in its not lasting overnight except on the night before the Sabbath, when it stayed fresh for two days. Even the cycle of its appearance followed a divine pattern. On six days it fell, and on the seventh it did not appear. It first appeared on cue as God promised, lasted without fail for the forty years of need, and stopped as they entered the Promised Land.

It is not necessary to multiply accounts of occurrences for the Word of God is brimming with them. Yet we must recall the most powerful exhibition of the power of God ever displayed. It transpired just outside Jerusalem two thousand years ago, and it has altered the course of human history. It is the resurrection of Christ from the dead. Others had been raised from the dead in both the Old and New Testaments, but at each such phenomenon, a man of God or Christ personally, wielded the power of God upon the dead to call him forth. Not so at the garden tomb of Jesus. There was no prophet, priest, apostle nor angel present to bring the crucified Christ back from death where he had been for three days. He RAISED HIMSELF!
John 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
This is the greatest exhibition of the power of God ever manifested.
Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Eh 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Eh 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Eh 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

The term, exceeding greatness, means to 'throw beyond the line'. In athletic games, one who threw the hammer, discus or javelin 'beyond the line', was credited with breaking all previous records. When Christ opened the dreaded vault of death from the inside and came forth in His glorified form in spite of the power of Rome, the Sanhedrin, the priesthood and the Roman guards, he displayed more power than was needed when He spoke the universe into existence! This is the power that now protects and enables the Lord's Church.
De 33:27 The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.

No, God is not bound by the laws of physics which govern His creation. While we rejoice in the order those laws bring to all things, it is those special works which bring us the assurance that He is God.
John 3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

If man's present conclusions as to the fate of the universe are correct, God has a final feat in store that will go against man's conclusions of things to come. For years the theory of relativity and the 'Big Bang' agreed with the Bible prophecies of the ultimate end of the earth as we know it. They all agreed that eventually the expanding universe would collapse on itself. Now, however, because of discoveries made through the Hubble Telescope the conclusions are that it will not collapse but will continue expanding forever. I was quite surprised as I read of these 'discoveries'. I was not disappointed however, for in searching the Scripture, I find the Bible still tells of the end just as it always has.
Mat 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
2 Pet 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
2 Pet 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
2 Pet 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
I will place my faith in the God of creation over the observations of puny man as he gazes at that creation and makes his conjectures.
It is only fitting that the universe which began by the power of God would end by that same power.

QUESTION NUMBER TEN
Do the proven facts of 'General or special Relativity' relate to God? To the Bible?
The operative word in this question is 'proven'. There have long been accepted theories which were in direct conflict with the Bible. During the lifetime of Moses there were strange things being taught. At one time or another it was theorized that the earth rested on the back of a huge turtle, that life generated in the slime of the River Nile, the earth was stationary and flat and that the sun and stars circled it. Moses was taught in all these things as an Egyptian prince, but was not taken in by any of it.
Acts 7:22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. Yet when Moses wrote of the earth and the beginning of all things he was not affected by the current thinking ,but wrote the truth as God inspired him.

When 'science' finally caught up with the Bible, they learned that the world did rest upon nothing.
Job 26:7 He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing. They learned that the earth did indeed turn upon its axis and circle the sun.
Job 38:12 Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;
Job 38:13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?
Job 38:14 It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment. It is not flat as was once supposed but round.
Isa 40:22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

When 'science' finally found proof of these things, many tried to put a spin upon their discoveries by saying, "Bible believers have held us back but we have discovered the truth" The facts of the case were that TRUE Bible believers knew these things all along and Moses, Job, Isaiah and others had written of them.

For centuries man has struggled with the puzzle of the make-up of matter. It was thought and taught for centuries, by the greatest thinkers, that all things consisted of the elements of earth, fire and water. Though plagued with inconsistencies, these ideas were passed on from generation to generation. Then man began to espouse the idea of the atomic make-up of matter. It was long considered that the molecule was the smallest element and all things consisted of these. Then it was found that molecules were made up of atoms. Even into the twentieth century there were many who thought the atom to be indivisible. Then man split the atom and released the enormous energy within. It now seems that man is daily discovering new things about the make-up of the atom. Only one involved in these things could possibly understand the quarks, protons, neutrons, hadrons, leptons, and bosons etc. which are claimed to be identified as time unfolds. In the final analysis, the Bible said it all centuries ago and has never changed.
Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Heb 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
In whatever form scientists find it, the ultimate make-up of matter is POWER or energy, just as God proclaimed He had created and sustains it.

These same principles of the Bible being ahead of science is clear in other fields also. Consider the practice of days gone by of doctors bleeding their patients to rid them of the sickness in their polluted blood. It is said that George Washington, our first president was bled to death, because of this belief. God said long ago that blood was life.
Lev 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
Thousands had to die before man discovered the truth of God's ancient declaration.

The Bible agrees with N.A.S.A., that man will travel into space.
Oba 1:4 Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.
Could this be the space station or is it referring to more to come?

During the seventeenth century, it is said that the French Academy of Science listed one hundred cases of their science, proving the Bible in error. Before the century expired, their science had discarded its conception of every one, while the Bible continued to say what it had always declared.

When a fact is proven to be true, the Bible always backs it up. When a theory is false, the Bible will state the truth of the matter whether men believe it or not.
Rom 3:3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
Rom 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

QUESTION NUMBER ELEVEN
Is it 'oxymoronic' for the Eternal God to speak of the 'Fullness of Time'? Why not?
An oxymoron is defined as a figure of speech in which contradictory terms are brought together for emphasis.
Without doubt God is eternal. With Him all things ARE. There can be no question as to His omnipresence in time, as well as in space. Yet, for the benefit of man, who is for now, confined to time, He speaks and acts in this medium.

In God's eternal view, Christ was the sacrificial lamb for mankind from the beginning.
Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
It was essential however, that the act should take place in time. It must be at a place in the history of the human race which would be most advantageous by affecting the largest number of people.
Had it occurred while the race was still young, it no doubt would have been soon lost in the fog of man's faulty memory or have become a mere part of the mythology of the gods.
For optimum effect ,the world had to be prepared to participate in the sacrifice of the Son of God.
Gal 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

The Nation of Istrael had been made ready. The prophets had foretold of the coming and the death of the Messiah.
Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Psa 22:16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
Psa 22:17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
Psa 22:18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

The Law of Moses had pictured Him in types.
Col 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Col 2:17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
The political scene of the world had been prepared. Had Christ been sent at a time when Israel was sovereign in her own land, his death would have been by stoning. Prophecy was that he would hang on a tree.
Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

The Babylonian Empire had taken Judah and Israel into a captivity that had resulted in Jews being scattered throughout the middle east and Africa. The Persiasn Empire had resulted in a partial restoration of Israel and kept her from going into oblivion. The Grecian Empire had spread a language and western culture that had prepared Israel and the world for the direction of the thrust of the gospel that was to come later. This was made evident when Paul was forbidden to go into Bythinia, which would have sent the drive of the spread of the Gospel to the East, but instead, was sent to Macedonia, which resulted in it being spread to Rome, Europe and the entire western world.

The Roman Empire, though cruel and oppressive in many ways was the first of the world powers that had allowed at least limited freedom of worship, unlike the previous domains. The Jews were free to worship at their temple and to receive their Messiah. They were free to travel and engage in commerce throughout the Roman Empire and those who had been scattered were free to return to Jerusalem to worship. The events surrounding the activities of the Lord's church on the day of Pentecost and shortly afterward, as well as the early mission efforts, illustrate the importance of these things.

Truly, though the world was unaware of the events which prepared it for the focal point of both time and eternity, this was the 'fullness of time'. There was no time in the past which would have been so effective and with the breakup of the Roman Empire there has been none since.

Though God is eternal and sees all things in the present, He created time along with the 'all things'
John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
For the benefit of His finite creation, He has chosen to operate in Time. It was for the greatest benefit possible to us that God chose the 'fullness of time' as the period, and Jerusalem as the place in the 'Time Space Continuum' to send forth His Son.