Marilyn777

If you could go back in time, what year would you visit and why? I think I would choose 1961 because back in the 50 and 60's times were simpler less complicated, less technical. The music was fun the clothes were great. Less tension more carefree. Soda Fountains, drive-inn's (with your sweety), moon exploration, first trans-atlantic TV signal from Tel-star. Every new accomplishment was a huge deal. Sadly it was the year Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her home from an apparent overdose of pills (ya right!) It was a time of discovery, long summer days going to baseball games, dances. I don't know it just seemed like a more idyllic peaceful time period. What year would you choose? Marilyn

I don't see how a Christian can believe in a literal Heaven as a real place and not believe in a literal hell as being equally real. You can't have one without the other. You can't pick and choose which parts of the Bible you are going to believe in literally and which are just symbolic. If God says then it is so, simple as that and woe to those who look at these things as symbolic because symbolically it is still going to be very hot and uncomfortable. Marilyn

I found this article on the complacency of some Christians about their belief in Hell as a real place. Some choose not to think about it because after God is a loving God and He wouldn't send anyone to Hell would He?? Obviously some of them have not read the old testament where God is a vengeful warrior, ready to defend His people. The prospect of Hell being just as real as Heaven is something that some would rather not deal with so they bury their heads in the sand and hope it will all go away. Wrong! Hell needs to be taught that it is a very real place and not just a concept used to frighten people into submission. There are ONLY two choices one leads to eternal life in a place that is so beautiful, peaceful and filled with Christ's glory that it is beyond our comprehension to a place of eternal destruction and torment. One would think it shouldn't be that hard to choose where to spend eternity but for those who don't think of hell as a real place complacency takes over and we rationalize that in the long run God would never actually send anyone to Hell that is just a myth. The Bible tells a different story however, what it all comes down to is your either born again or your not, there is no halfway, in- between, no fence-sitters, or just alittle bit saved with conditions. God will spit you out of His mouth and if that sounds harsh then your right but its not like you weren't warned!! The Disappearance of Hell A growing number of Christians believe that the doctrine of hell is false. One of the most disquieting doctrines of the Christian faith is the doctrine of hell and the eternal suffering of the damned. Skeptics have used it to argue against the faith and a growing number of believers either choose not to think about it or even have decided that hell cannot be real.

Sorry sweety but no one is going to swear at you here but we will hold you up in prayer. But as for your religion been there, done that, found it led no where fast but to disappoinment and a big empty space in my life that Satan was just ready to pop into and make my life more miserable. But I see you still have the stars in your eyes about this so called 'religion' so instead of going round and round in circles and arguing back and forth which as most of us know goes no where fast. It just leads to hurt feelings and no one willing to give an inch on either front. So instead of arguing with you sweety I'm going to pray for you like no body else ever has and that is the only way I can see to let you know that I am so sure that God is the only way to eternal life. And hopefully in your travels God will reveal himself to you in such a way that it leaves no doubt in your young impressionable mind that He is the only way to a life of joy and fulfillment. So I'll let some of the others here talk to you about how wonderful it is to be a Christian, but I'm not going to dance around with the back and forth; yours is better then mine because we could do that all night and just get angry. So my solution is to lift you up in prayer instead! But I think you will find that the people here on Worthy are all in agreement on our stand for Christ, He really is the ONLY way in this crazy world we live in! One question Wic, do you have an open mind about Christianity? Unlike Wiccan Christianity is not a religion it is a life time relationship with Jesus Christ. Have you explored it with an open mind? Just wondering?? :hug: God Bless Wic Marilyn

Hi Wic welcome to Worthy! I'm praying for you my friend! I'm praying that God's Holy Spirit will reveal Himself to you in such a way that there is no doubt in your mind that God is in control of the Universe and everything in it from atoms to Zebras!! And you know what, once someone starts praying in the name of Jesus for someone they don't have much of a chance because He will reveal Himself to you whether its here at Worthy or somewhere else He has you in His sites! I was going to ask you why you are here at Worthy but I know why you're here whether you believe it or not He led you here because He knows you need someone to love you like no-one else ever has or ever will. He has a purpose for you whether its to witness to others about what you are currently involved in (but not for long ) or He will take you in other exciting directions. Where ever it is sit back and enjoy the ride because once Jesus is in the drivers seat life will be so much more fullfilling, more exciting, and more meaningful then any made up religion that leads to death and destruction. So I'm glad you're here because some of us are already praying for you. And on this forum all you're going to hear about 24/7 is how much we love God and how much more meaningful our lives have become since we accepted Him as Our Saviour! God Bless you Wic and welcome to one of God's annointed sites online!! By the way I'm from Canada too Ontario to be exact!! Still Praying Marilyn

A big THANK YOU to those who responded to this topic. A Bible will be on its way shortly to Cameroon Africa for my friend Mercy!! Whoohoo We have an Awesome God and Awesome Saints on Worthy. Thank you KittyJo and her mom for helping out a fellow Christian sister all the way in Africa!! You two are amazing!! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!! When there is a need Worthy friends respond. God Bless you all for taking an interest! Praise God for Worthy Marilyn

Are there arguments for God's existence, apart from the Bible, that are rooted in God's creation? Yes, though theologians disagree as to how convincing these arguments are to unbelievers. Here are the main arguments in a nutshell: 1} Cosmological Argument: This argument says that every effect must have an adequate cause. The universe is an "effect". Reason demands that whatever caused the universe must be greater than the universe. That cause is God (who Himself is the uncaused First Cause). As Hebrews 3:4 puts it, "Every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything." 2} Teleological Argument: This argument says that there is an obvious purposeful and intricate design of the world. If we found a watch in the sand, the assumption would have to be that someone created the watch because, with its intricate design, it is obvious that all the parts of the watch couldn't have just jumped together to cause itself. Similarly, the perfect design of the universe argues for a Designer, and that Designer is God. 3} Ontological Argument: This argument says that most human beings have an innate idea of a most perfect being. Where did this idea come from? Not from man, for man is an imperfect being. Some perfect being (God) must have planted the idea there. God can't be conceived of as not existing, for then, one could conceive of an even greater being that did exist. Thus God must in fact exist. 4} Moral Argument: This argument says that every human being has an innate sense of oughtness or moral obligation. Where did this sense of oughtness come from? It must come from God. The existence of a moral law in our hearts demands the existence of a moral Lawgiver (see Romans 1:19-32). 5} Anthropological Argument: This argument says that man has a personality (mind, emotions, and will). Since the personal can't come from the impersonal, there must be a personal cause----and that personal cause is God (Genesis 1:26,27). Perhaps Reformer John Calvin's view of these arguments was the best. He said that the unregenerate person sees these evidences for God in the universe with blurred vision. It is only when one puts on the "eyeglasses" of faith and belief in the Bible that these evidences for God's existence come into clear focus. What a Mighty God We Serve!! Marilyn

Angel My two cats still don't get along and I have had Sassy (black male longhair) since he was a kitten. He is about 12 right now. I got Savannah (pretty calico) from a vet clinic (a drop off) about 7 years ago they estimated her to be about 2 when I got her. I got her because the cat I had that was raised with Sassy who's name was Friction (name after a song from a band I was good friends with) died suddenly one afternoon 4:10pm to be precise from a massive heart attack right at my feet. He just went into convulsions for about 2 minutes then he was gone. I can't tell you heartbreaking that was I was hysterical. Sassy came over and sniffed him and rubbed against him, head butted him to 'wake' him up. It was so sad. Sassy and Friction were very close they groomed each other played together, chased each other they were like brothers, but they weren't litter mates. Sassy after Friction died was looking everywhere for him, calling, crying, he was really lonely. So my sister and I went looking for a replacement for him. When we brought Savannah home it was instant dislike. There was alot of hissing snarling and great nashing of teeth. They have since formed a tolerable relationship they don't groom each other or sleep together which is a shame. They will rip and tear and chase each other around when they get the notion but over all they don't really hang together or have much to do with each other. Every once in awhile Sassy will really nail her it starts off with playing but then it escalates and the fur flies literally. I then intervene with the water bottle or yell. Savannah is a screamer anyway you'd think he was killing her even when they are play fighting. I just have the one litter box and they have shared for years. There is one central feeding station and water bowl. They get treats in the morning and at dinner time and they KNOW what time it is. Sassy is the only one that goes outside and then its on a harness and leash he took to that like a duck to water. Savannah I tried her on the harness and leash but she freaked so I didn't want to traumatize her she is contented to watch from the window. So sometimes cats just don't jell, but they will settle into a working relationship over time. Its hard at first because you just think its going to be a roller coaster forever but they will either become very close or form their own boundary's that only they can figure out. Just give it some time and be prepared to step in and referee if need be. Try and give them equal attention I try and pat both of them at once if they are competing for my attention. Sassy sleeps on one side of my pillow at night and Savannah on the other she will hiss if he invades her territory. Sassy likes to play with rolled up paper into a ball and its funny whenever I go out and come home I find them all in my bed! Savannah likes her little catnip pouches she rolls all over them and licks them till they're real soggy! (yuck) Every cat is unique they all have their own personalities and thats what makes them fun and so much more superior then dogs!! :x: :oww: Cats Rule Dogs Drool Marilyn Some thoughts about cats: If you want the best seat in the house, move the cat! - A cat is a friend who will never betray you. - A cat is always on the wrong side of the door. - A cat is an animal who never cries over spilled milk. - A cat stretches from one end of my childhood to the other. - A cat will always sit on whatever you're trying to read. - A cat's worst enemy is a closed door. - A cat, the only self-cleaning appliance in the house. - A happy cat means a happy household. - A home without a cat is only a house. - A purring cat and a glowing fireplace makes winter bearable - Anything not nailed down is a cat toy. - Cat asleep on my shoulders - the ONLY way to wear fur! - Cat...an attitude in fur - Cats are an alarm clock and are obligated to wake the humans. - Cats Are PEOPLE Too - Cats are purrfect. - Cats know all the sunny places. - Cats know they will get some human food if patient. - The only self-cleaning thing in this house is the cat - Wipe your paws - You're not somebody until you're ignored by a cat - You read, I'll purr - "Purr"-fectly content - My life is one "cat"-astrophe after another - Purr-fect friend - Love me, love my cat - Cats know how we feel. They don't care, but they know. - Dogs think they are human; Cats know they are. - Every life should have nine cats. - Into every life a little cat hair must fall. - It's better to feed one cat, than many mice. - Never say anything bad about another person's cat. - Never trust a smiling cat. - Never try to out stubborn a cat. - Next to the cat, I love you best. - Purranoia: the fear that cats are up to Something! - We had to get rid of the kids - the cat was allergic. - No outfit is complete without car hair! - Cool, cool kitty - Bad To The Bone - CATastrophe - CATnapping - CATegories - Quicker than a cat on a hot tin roof - Sitting pretty with my kitty - I'm imPAWsible - Fur-ever friends - Will Work for Tuna - Every Life Should Have Nine Cats - Better to have a fat cat than many mice - Cats are people too - Have a purr-fect day - Husband and cat missing - reward for cat - It's tough being purr-fect - Meowie Christmas - Paws to smell the catnip

If Lucifer's fall is described in Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14, are there any references in the Bible to the fall of numerous angels who became demons? I believe there are some hints in Scripture that help us answer this question. Many scholars believe that the first five verses of Revelation 12 contain a mini-history of Satan. In keeping with this, it would seem that Revelation 12:4 refers to the fall of the angels who followed Satan: "His {Satan's} tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth." It has long been recognized that the word "stars" is sometimes used of angels in the Bible (Job 38:7). If "stars" refers to angels in Revelation 12:4 , it would appear that after Lucifer rebelled against God, he was able to draw a third of the angelic realm after him in this rebellion. When he sinned, he apparently led a massive angelic revolt against God. If you're wondering whether God's angels can still "fall" today, the answer is no. Following this angelic revolt, God "elected" or permanently confirmed the holiness of the angels who chose to remain loyal to Him (1 Timothy 5:21). God has apparently given them a special grace of perseverance to enable them to permanently retain their positon as holy angels. Does Satan still have access to God's Presence in Heaven? Apparently so. It is clear from the events that took place in the Book of Job that Satan has the freedom tot appear before God and engage in discourse with Him (see Job 1:6; 2:1). We are told in Revelation 12:10 that Satan is the "accuser of our brethren," which probably involves Satan going before God's throne and making slanderous statements about the saints. In the future Tribulation period, we are told that the devil will be decisively cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). So his time is definitely limited. What can Satan and demons do to Christians? Satan and his host of demons are very active in seeking to harm belivers in various ways. Satan tempts believers to sin (Ephesians 2:1,2; 1 Thessalonians 3:5), to lie (Acts 5:3), and to commit sexually immoral acts (1 Corinthians 7:5). He accuses and slanders believers (Revelation 12:10), hinders their work in any way he can (1 Thessalonians 2:18), sows weeds among them (Matthew 13 :38, 39), and incites persecutions against them (Revelation 2:10). Satan seeks to wage war against believers (Ephesians 6:11,12), opposes them with the ferociousness of a hungry lion (1 Peter 5:8), seeks to plant doubt in their minds (Genesis 3:1-5), seeks to foster spiritual pride in their hearts (1 Timothy 3:6), and seeks to lead them away from "the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:3) .No wonder our Lord found it so necessary to provide us with spiritual armour to protect us from these insidious fallen angels (Ephesians 6:11-18). What defenses does the Christian have against Satan and the power of darkness? We as Christians should be thankful that God has made provision for our defense against Satan and his fallen angels. What does this defense consist of? To begin, we must ever keep in mind that twice in the New Testament we are told that the Lord Jesus lives in Heaven to make intercession for us (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25). I like to refer to Jesus as "Our Lawyer In Heaven!!" Certainly Christ's intercession for us includes the kind of intercession He made for His disciples in John 17:15, where He specifically asked the Father to keep them safe from the evil one. Beyond this, God has provided spiritual armour for our defense (Ephesians 6:11-18). "Wearing" this armour means that our lives will be characterized by such things as righteousness, obedience to the will of God, faith in God, and an effective use of the Word of God. These are the things that spell defeat for the devil in you life. Effective use of the Word of God is especailly important for spiritual victory. Jesus used the Word of God to defeat the devil during His wilderness temptations (Matthew:4). We must learn to do the same. Obviously, the greater exposure we have to Scripture, the more God's Spirit can use this mighty sword in our lives. Of course, Scripture specifically instructs us that each believer must be informed and thereby alert to the attacks of Satan (1 Peter 5:8). A prerequisite to defeating an enemy is to know as much as possible about the enemy---including his tactics (2 Corinthians 2:11). We are also instructed to take a decisive stand against Satan. James 4:7 says, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" he has to by the authority of the name of Jesus. This is not a one time resistance. Rather, on a day-to-day basis we must steadfastly resist the devil. And when we do, he will flee from us. Ephesians 6:13,14 tells us to "stand firm" against the devil.We must not give place to the devil by letting sunset pass with us having unrighteous anger in our hearts toward someone (Ephesians 4:26,27). An excess of wrath in our heart gives opportunity to the devil to work in our lives. We are instructed to rely on the indwelling Spirit of God, remembering that "the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). We should pray for ourselves and for each other. Jesus set an example for us in the Lord's Prayer by teaching us to pray. "Deliver us from the evil one" (Matthew 6:13). Jesus also set an example of how to pray for others in His prayer for Peter: "Simon, Simon Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you Simon, that your faith may not fail" (Luke 22:31,32). We should pray for each other that we will maintain a strong faith in the face of adversity. Of course, the believer should never dabble in the occult, for this gives the devil opportunity to work in his life (Deuteronomy 18:10,11; Romans 16:19). Finally, we must remember that Satan is "ON A LEASH." {Do I hear an Amen for that!!! ) He cannot go beyond what God will allow him (the Book of Job makes this abundantly clear). Hence, we should rest secure in the fact that God is in control of the universe and realize that Satan cannot simply do as he pleases in our lives!!! {WHOOHOO GO GOD!!! }. Our God Is Pure Power!! Marilyn

I was just talking with my penpal from Cameroon Africa this morning and she was asking about sending her a Bible. The one she currently has an NIV, is falling apart and she wanted to know if I could send her a new one. I don't have the resources right now to do that so I thought I would ask my Worthy Friends if any of you know of an agency that would help her out. I could try and contact the Canadian Bible Society, but I'm not sure if they do that. If anyone has any suggestions to help her out could you please let me know. I can get her address from her, I have been corresponding with her for about 5 months now and she is a lovely person. She works for a geological survey group in Cameroon as a secretary but I get the feeling she doesn't make much money. I would really like to find a way to get her a new Bible so if anyone has any suggestions of who I can contact I would really appreciate it. No one should be without a Bible especially when they are asking for one. :t: In Jesus Name Marilyn

Thank you its a subject that has always intrigued me. I can't wait to get to Heaven when all these mysteries will finally be revealed! Marilyn

The positive side of life Living on Earth is expensive, but it does include a free trip around the sun every year. How long a minute is depends on what side of the bathroom door you're on. Birthdays are good for you; the more you have, the longer you live. Happiness comes through doors you didn't even know you left open. Ever notice that the people who are late are often much jollier than the people who have to wait for them? Most of us go to our grave with our music still inside of us. If Wal-Mart is lowering prices every day, how come nothing is free yet? You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person. Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once. Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened. We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors....but they all exist very nicely in the same box. A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour. Spread Some Sunshine Marilyn

Its not fun when you get bit by the PM bug. Whenever I get a notice telling me there is a PM I don't no whether I'm going to find a blessing or a rebuke. So there is always alittle tension before I read it. I too have been betrayed by some that I thought were friends and I confided in them and next thing you know everyone knows your business. I thought you could at least trust a Christian in PM after all I thought it meant (Private Message). So I've just decided to keep things light and airy and not confide in anyone unless I know without a doubt that they can be trusted not to blab to others. So what I try to do is forgive and forget and wipe the slate clean and start over but its not always easy. As humans we keep slipping up but thank you Jesus, He does say He forgets and He means it. Thank You Jesus for Keeping Your Word Marilyn

Ref Ezekiel 1: 15-28 Talks about the wheel. Ezekiel receives a variety of beautiful and unusual "visions" concerning the immediate and long-term plans of God. These help establish Ezekiel as God's "watchman" to warn and encourage the people. "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me" (3:17; 33:7). Marilyn

Sunspots Reaching 1,000-Year High Scientists based at the Institute for Astronomy in Zurich used ice cores from Greenland to construct a picture of our star's activity in the past. They say that over the last century the number of sunspots rose at the same time that the Earth's climate became steadily warmer. Dr Solanki is presenting a paper on the reconstruction of past solar activity - entitled Cool Stars, Stellar Systems And The Sun - at a conference in Hamburg, Germany. He says that the reconstruction shows the Maunder Minimum and the other minima that are known in the past thousand years. But the most striking feature, he says, is that looking at the past 1,150 years the Sun has never been as active as it has been during the past 60 years. Over the past few hundred years, there has been a steady increase in the numbers of sunspots, a trend that has accelerated in the past century, just at the time when the Earth has been getting warmer. Prophetic Perspective: Jesus Christ told a group of those who wanted to prevent the throngs of people surrounding Jerusalem from shouting His praises, that if they withheld their praise the very stones would cry out (Lk. 19: 40). The Lord meant that the creation would react violently at mankind

I would like my upgrade now please and I just hope I can fly with this new body because I really want to fly and not on a plane thats boring!! Putting in My Order Marilyn

There is no such thing as a worthless conversation, provided you know what to listen for! "According to a survey on Match.com, 37% of single people think splitting the check is ok on a dinner date. The other 63% were women!!!" Jay Leno :x: Marilyn

I thought it would uplifting and kind of cool to post some positive thoughts here. Anytime you are feeling in need of a lift, or need something to share with a friend then you can come here and fill up on energizing words of comfort! I like to collect these affirmations and use them in letters, cards, and especially Christmas cards. So feel free to keep coming back and adding more as you think of them. Topic: Taxes Title: 10 Things That Cannot Be Taxed A tax assessor came one day to a poor pastor to determine the amount of taxes the pastor would have to pay. The following conversation took place: "What property do you possess?" asked the assessor. "I am a very wealthy man," replied the minister. "List your possessions, please," the assessor instructed. The pastor said: "First, I have everlasting life, John 3:16 Second, I have a mansion in heaven, John 14:2 Third, I have peace that passes all understanding, Philippians 4:7 Fourth, I have joy unspeakable, 1 Peter 1:8 Fifth, I have divine love which never fails, 1Corinthians 13:8 Sixth, I have a faithful pious wife, Proverbs 31:10 Seventh, I have healthy, happy obedient children, Exodus 20:12 Eighth, I have true, loyal friends, Proverbs 18:24 Ninth, I have songs in the night, Psalms 42:8 Tenth, I have a crown of life, James 1:12 The tax assessor closed his book, and said, "Truly you are a very rich man, but your property is not subject to taxation." I pray that all of us will have this kind of tax free "wealth." The struggle of life is one of our greatest blessings. It makes us patient, sensitive, and Godlike. It teaches us that although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it. Helen Keller Consecration isn't our giving anything to God. It is our taking our hands off what already belongs to God. Spiritual complacency is more deadly than anything the devil can bring against us in our upward struggle. A.W. Tozer When praying, don't give God instructions just report for duty!! The 10 Commandments are not multiple choice!! Jesus is the Light of Our World Marilyn

Thanks Kay I think Rick is teaching the basics to unsaved people who need to know the Lord in a way that they will understand. The ultimate goal is to bring them into the Kingdom of God!! And the programs that the church has set up at Saddleback are amazing they have included all ages, all forms of Biblical intruction. I think if you can't find a group of some kind at Saddleback where you fit in then ya ain't tryin. God Bless Marilyn

FULLY FUNCTIONAL Exodus 20:11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Read the whole creation account in Genesis 1-2.) Did Adam and Eve have navels? Your guess is as good as mine! Such an intriguing question seems rather super-ficial in a serious consideration of the biblical account of origins, given so concisely in Exodus 20:11. However, it does focus our thoughts on a significant question concerning God's creative activity. In what condition did God's products of creation come from His hand? Did they look "brand spanking new" or did they have the appearance of age? Did they have to grow in size and complexity or were they created with maturity? Did they have to develop and "learn" or were they fully functional right from the start? These kinds of questions could be asked concerning both the living and the non-living things which God created. For example, were the many isotopes of the various radioactive decay series already present in the earth's "basement rocks" which God created, or did all the chains of decay "start from the top?" What about the trees which God planted in the Garden of Eden on the sixth day of the creation week, as well as the trees which He made on the third day? Did they already have rings or did their cross sections show no rings regardless of their diameters? Were all the animals of the various kinds created as new-borns or were they created as mature adults, fully capable of reproduction from the moment that they were created? Or, for ecological and population balance, were some of the animals created as adults but others created in a variety of growth stages including various periods of gestation? These same considerations would apply to the birds and the insects and the fish which God created after their kinds throughout the earth. What about the stars? Were the myriads of stars all created in the main sequence of their life cycle or were some created as red giants and some as supernovas and some as white dwarfs? And did the light from the various "aged" stars begin traveling through space on the fourth day when they were formed or were their light beams also part of their creation? And what about man? Did Adam already have hair on his chest or did he have to wait for it to grow from new skin? How long did it take Adam and Eve to learn to communicate with language? Did they speak in rudimentary "cave-man" mono-syllables, or could they communicate as knowledgeable adults with articulate speech in a well-developed language right from the beginning? To many Christians, answers to such questions are not important or essential to Christian faith and growth. However, for other believers, thinking through these questions not only strengthens their faith but also results in their being better "prepared to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15). The particular answers Christians give to all these questions (and many more like them) are, in large measure, determined by how they view the six days of the biblical creation week. A straight- forward and natural approach to the interpretation of Exodus 20:11 would indicate that the days of creation were normal 24-hour days. When the days of the creation account in Genesis are taken in this normal way, then the best summary answer to all such questions raised above would be to say that God created a fully functional universe. That is, at the completion of creation week, "the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is within them" had the appearance of age. It was a mature creation that came from the creative hand of God. Just as the Lord Jesus instantaneously changed water into wine which was already "aged," so God created a mature and fully functional universe. Even Christians who accept the days of Genesis as literal days may find the concept of the "appearance of age" hard to swallow--especially if they are "thinking it through" for the first time. In actuality, however, everyone accepts the appearance of age concept, whether they realize it or not--including unbelievers! A person cannot even conceive of existing matter without the appearance of age. This is true regardless of whether one starts the material universe with swirling masses of primordial gases or with a big bang explosion of a very dense cosmic egg of mass energy or with the interactions of plasma in space or with any other speculative scenario. All must logically admit that not only did the starting material have to come from somewhere, but as soon as that matter was in existence, it already had the appearance of age. There is just no such thing as matter without some appearance of age--including the tiniest subatomic particles. Now if such a concept must be logically acknowledged, no matter at what stage the material universe is conceived to have begun, isn't it logically possible to accept a fully functional universe right from the beginning, as the Bible implies? Thus, in a fully functional universe, the crustal rocks of the earth and moon (as well as those of other planets and moons) already contained certain amounts of parent and daughter isotopes of radioactive materials from the day of their creation. In a fully functional universe, the trees and plants which God planted in the Garden of Eden on the 6th day as well as those which He brought forth from the earth on the 3rd day were already flowering and bearing fruit. (See Genesis 1:11-13.) Adam and Eve did not have to wait a few months in order to eat! The trees had the appearance of various ages right from the beginning--rings and all. In a fully functional universe, the stars were all made with various "ages." It is significant to note here parenthetically that the birth of a star has never been observed. New stages of the remnants of dying stars are observed and new additional stars are observed with technological advances in telescopes, but no star births! The implication of Genesis 1:14-19 is that all the stars which were brought into being on the 4th day gave "light on the earth" from the beginning. Adam and Eve did not have to wait a few light years before the stars could be seen to be used for "signs and seasons." The stars were created fully functional--light beams and "red shifts" included. And as 1 Corinthians 15:41 indicates, the stars were not all created the same--each is unique, and differs as to its glory. In a fully functional universe, the animal kingdom was created ecologically and populationally balanced. Not only were chickens of all ages created but probably some eggs as well! And a "tooth and claw" scenario did not have to take place to bring about a balance of nature. As Genesis 1:21 and 1:25 indicate, "it was good" from the beginning. And finally, in a fully functional universe man was created and placed on this earth as a mature and developed adult. We don't know whether or not Adam and Eve had navels because they were created and not born, but they certainly had the appearance of age as they came from God's creative hand. Scripture indicates that not only did Adam and Eve have adult bodies, but they also had all the programming of the brain required to think and speak as adults. Normally the necessary thought patterns and memory storage are established as a person develops from infant to adult, but not in the case of Adam and Eve. They were fully functional from the day they were created. The idea of a fully functional universe created in six literal days is staggering to the natural way of thinking. Even for the Christian who by faith accepts the Bible as the revealed and inspired Word of God, it is a concept that is not easily embraced. However, for Christians who desire to maintain a high view of the Bible the alternatives are not any easier to accept. To interpret the days of the creation week as geologic ages instead of 24-hour days does not simplify matters. First of all, as already mentioned, whatever day-age scenario is postulated, the appearance of age concept must be acknowledged. Furthermore, it is difficult to harmonize the various theistic evolution or progressive creation day-age theories with the overwhelming biblical concept of God suddenly bringing the world and all it contains into being at His command. ( See Psalm 33:6-9, Psalm 148:1-6, Hebrews 11:3 as well as Exodus 20:11.) Our Lord's statement in Mark 10:6 does not seem to allow much time for the first five days of the creation week if on the 6th day, "at the beginning of creation God made them male and female." Even the simple scriptural statement of the 930-year life span of Adam in Genesis 5:5 is difficult to interpret if the days of Genesis are anything other than 24 hour periods of time. Was Adam one and a half geologic ages old (part of day 6 and all of day 7) plus 930 years when he died? Some might argue that we can't talk of age for Adam before the Fall. However, although there were no detrimental "aging" effects before the Fall, the pre-Fall statement of "days and years" in Genesis 1:14 indicates the passage of time. Thus Adam was 930 years old from the day of his creation and not the day of the Fall. If the 6th and 7th days of creation week were 24-hour days, why not the first 5 days as well? And then, of course, there is the explicit statement of Exodus 20:11. How is one to understand the days of this text of Scripture if not as 24-hour days? The context of this verse would certainly indicate normal days. All implications from this Scripture are that Moses, the inspired writer, believed that God brought the whole universe into being in six literal 24-hour days. And that is undoubtedly what Moses intended his readers to understand. Certainly that is the way that the Hebrews of Moses' day would have understood this divine communication. The burden of proof is surely on the back of those who would extend the days of creation to geologic ages. Interestingly, liberal scholarship is almost unanimously agreed on the point that 24-hour days are intended by the author of the creation account. As liberals, of course, they don't believe that Moses wrote the account, or that it's inspired Scripture--or even that it's true! But as scholars they point out that the first two chapters of Genesis are not written as some kind of poem. (Hebrew poetry has a particular structure to it, and the first two chapters of Genesis are not Hebrew poetry.) These scholars are convinced that the writer (or writers, from their point of view) definitely intended to communicate to the readers that the world was created in a week of 24-hour days. But what about the 7th day on which God rested? Does the fact that God is still resting from His work of creation prove that at least the 7th day is a geologic age? No, of course not! Just because God is still at rest and is no longer creating the universe does not mean that the 7th day of the creation week was more than 24 hours. After 6 literal days of creative work, God rested on the final day of His creation week. The fact that His rest from creation continues, does not mean that we are still in the 7th day of the creation week! Another argument that has been raised against the normal interpretation of 24-hour days is the amount of activity that took place on Day 6 of the creation week. Was there enough time for God to create all the land animals and insects, form Adam from the dust of the ground, plant the Garden of Eden, wait for Adam to name all the animals, and then perform the operation on Adam to bring about Eve? Is this not more than one good day's work?! Not for an omnipotent God, for whom 24 minutes is no more of a problem than 24 hours. The supposed bottleneck here, of course, is the amount of time needed for Adam to name all the animals. However, the bottleneck virtually disappears when the biblical text is examined more closely. Genesis 2:19 indicates that God brought the animals and birds to Adam. Adam did not have to spend his time hunting through the woods or building a zoo! Furthermore, Genesis 2:20 indicates that Adam did not have to name all the fish and insects and reptiles, but "the cattle, the beasts of the field and the birds of the sky." Since many of the species were to develop later through genetic variation (not evolution!), most likely Adam only had to name the various "kinds" that God had created. And finally, it must be remembered that Adam in his unfallen state must have had tremendous mental capabilities. Consider the "photographic memories" and the prodigies and the geniuses that can be produced from the human gene pool even now, after many generations of genetic damage! One afternoon would have been plenty of time for Adam to complete his first assignment from God! In biblical discussions about the days of the creation week, 2 Peter 3:8 is often quoted as proof that the days of Genesis were actually geologic ages. But this much abused Scripture, "A day with the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years as a day," was never intended to be used as a formula. In context, the teaching of this Scripture is that God's schedule of activities is not bound by time. As verse 9 says, we may think that God is slow in fulfilling a promise, but there is no such thing as "slowness" with God because God controls all of time. So 2 Peter 3:8 is not meant as an equation to be substituted any time the word "day" occurs in the Bible. To use this Scripture as a justification for interpreting the days of the creation account as geologic ages shows a blatant disregard for the context of Peter's statement! (Incidentally, much more time than 6000 years is needed to make the Genesis account of creation "fit" any of the present day scientific theories. So even if 2 Peter 3:8 is used improperly as an equation, the " one thousand years as a day" would have to be expanded to "many millions of years as a day"!) Some Christians think that if we accept the fully functional concept and its young universe implications we must believe that God has been deceptive. That is, He created a fully functional universe that looks deceptively old, but is actually relatively young. This idea might have been valid if God hadn't plainly told us what He actually did do! The truth of the matter is that if God did not create a fully functional universe in 6 literal 24-hour days, then He has been deceptive in what He has revealed to us about the origin of the universe! How else is the average person, to whom the Bible is written, to understand God's communication? Even though it may be hard for the natural mind to accept, the obvious and normal and "undeceptive" conclusion that we should draw from God's Word is that in 6 literal 24-hour days God created a universe that was fully functional. Our God Is An Awesome God!! Marilyn

This is an article from Christianity Today about loving your enemies, its very revealing about how some of us are preceived by non-Christians. It made me think twice especially since I work in a Church office. Standing in the Enemy's Shoes I learned how non-believers feel when they encounter Christianity at its ugliest. By Bob Welch In addition to holding down a newspaper job, I was teaching a Reporting 1 class at the University of Oregon when I encountered the most irascible student I've ever taught. She questioned nearly every grade I gave her. She claimed I was not doing enough to help her succeed. She berated me in front of the class. Enough was enough. I asked her to please stay after class. "You don't seem to like me," I said. "Can I ask why?" "Because you're part of the liberal media," she said. "You've got the rest of the class conned, but not me." "And why's that?" I asked, puzzled by what I was hearing. "Because I'm a Christian," she said smugly. To which I wanted to say: "Uh, let's just keep that our little secret." In that instant, I knew what it was like for non-believers to encounter Christianity at its ugliest. I knew what it was like to be "The Enemy." In fact, I've been a Christian for more than 30 years, am an elder in my non-denominational church, and have written four books and dozens of magazine articles with Christian themes. From my vantage point as a journalist, I'd say a large reason non-believers view Christians negatively is simple: Christians often behave negatively. All Christians? No. Much good goes on in the name of Christ, good that rarely makes headlines. Certainly some non-believers have biased perceptions of Christians. But incidents like the one with that student build walls between believers and non-believers-and are more common than I'd like to admit. A news aide at our paper says the most difficult people to deal with are church secretaries. A youth league basketball coach I coached against was a buzzer-to-buzzer screamer and pouter. After one game, I asked someone what the guy did for a living. "Oh, he's a pastor." A high-ranking official from a Christian institute our newspaper had featured called and, for ten minutes, berated me for the story, which I had edited. I mentioned that a man who works at the same institute-let's call him Greg-attended my church and had really liked the story. "So you, uh, go to the same church as Greg, huh?" the official said, obviously surprised. "Yes I do." "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't realize you were 'one of us.'" It was fine and dandy for him to treat me like pond scum when assuming I wasn't a believer; but when he realized I was, he pushed full throttle on the charm-thrusters. And what of my student? Would she have treated me so cruelly had she known I, too, was a member of "The Club"? If the fruit of the Spirit-love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control-does not get modeled to the world at large, then why should we be surprised if the world sees Christians as unloving, joyless, impatient, unkind people? I realize that even if we do treat non-believers with the "gentleness and respect" Peter refers to (1 Pet. 3:15) , the world may still turn its back on us and the One for whom we stand. But furthering Christ in our communities begins with the realization that being the salt and light means acting in such a way that people will notice a positive, not negative, difference about us. "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven," says Matthew 5:16. Not long after the incident with the student, a well-known pastor in our community was killed in a plane crash. The paper did a first-rate job of reporting his memorial service, and the Christian community flooded the newspaper with thank-you calls. The managing editor, startled by these myriad "good deeds," sent out an all-staff message saying that in all his years in the business, he'd never seen so many people respond so positively to our coverage. That's how Christians will lose their negative reputations: by seeing non-believers as Christ sees them, not as "The Enemy" or people unfit for "The Club," but people like us. People who need a pat on the back, salt to season life's staleness, and light to see through the darkness. In Christ's Love Marilyn

I can't believe that people are still idolizing this guy after all this time, he is still raking in millions of dollars every month from people who have blinders on when it comes to him. Doesn't he have to answer to anyone, besides God? Why doesn't the media expose him for what he is. They went after Jim Baker, Jimmy Swaggert why can't they take him down, so more people don't get drawn into his web and loose all their money. Satan is alive and well and living on planet earth!! PROPHECY OR PRESUMPTION? TIME IS RUNNING OUT ON THE SPURIOUS ORACLES OF BENNY HINN The late PFO director Bill Cetnar repeatedly declared,

Your 6 year old is an inspiration to all of us as well! To learn that kind of tolerance and compassion at such a young age shows that you are a great parent instilling wonderful Christ-like qualities in your children. I wish everyone would be that vigillant in raising up Godly Children. Good job Keslc you should be very proud! God Bless Marilyn

Maybe the people that have so many questions regarding these two books should maybe pick them up and read them. And then all should be revealed. Our church just started a series of messages on "The Purpose Driven Church" and it is going like gangbusters. Really favourable feedback. The message of Rick is simple you need to be born again. He doesn't pretend to be anything other then a messenger of God's Word and if he uses a paraphrase so what. Not everyone is schooled in the King James Version of the Bible. I think the language of the KJV although poetic is very hard for the new Christian to understand. I personally prefer the NIV but again its a personal choice. And I believe once you make the decision for Christ you are going to be thirsty for a deeper walk with God so you will naturally seek out Bible Studies and teaching that furthers your walk with Him. In His Name Marilyn

WOW Ref!! You put alot of us to shame for forgiving that guy let alone meeting up with him again!! I don't know if I could do that!! You have alot more grace and mercy then I do. Thank you for sharing that, it's an inspiration to all of us, if you can forgive someone like that and move on then the rest of us should have no problem forgiving someone who ticks us off or cuts us off on the freeway!! In His Love Marilyn