When Theory Drives Understanding

A theory is something we postulate to describe what we have observed, and it becomes a Law when it is repeatedly shown to be able make accurate predictions. Ok at least that's the simple version of the story? Good enough for our purposes? Not good enough, ok read this. I haven't read it... so view at your own risk. :) Google makes me smile sometimes.

So this post is going to be about science but I want to sort of relate it to theology. Because understandably there are things people don't understand about "theology" hence the "ology" at the end of the word. It's a study, and our theology ends up describing what we have observed and think we understand about God.

There are many "theories" of theology. There is the Calvinist system which is summed up in TULIP.. and there are many others. (tulip is easy to type so I picked it) and these theories sometimes program our thinking to the point that they are all we can see. So when we search the Scriptures we see what we've been told instead of what is there. It happens OFTEN...and it's the source of many arguments that should never really happen at all.

So when I read a story about how time might actually be slowing down (which I'm not arguing against or for btw) I get a kick out of the spin it stirs up in the scientific community. The theories that men have about how the universe are so mixed up and built on top of each other that no one seems to be really sure what happens when one is proven to be false. The idea that light moves at a "constant" rate has been disproved and that affects nearly everything about astrology, cosmology... the idea that dark matter might not actually exist... that galaxies are spinning WAY to fast to have "evolved" or formed as is often described. There are so many theories that are treated as "fact" that are based on these already disproved things it's mind boggling.

And what does that cause us to do? Invent new theories to make up for the holes in the ones we already have...

Here's a quote;

For a decade, scientists have puzzled over a surprising phenomenon: Supernovae stars viewed at extreme distances seem to be moving away from us faster than those nearby.

Most researchers have assumed that the stars have somehow accelerated – or that, more precisely, the rate of the expansion of the post-Big Bang universe itself has accelerated over time.

This was particularly odd given that the universe was thought to be dominated by matter, which should, through the aggregate gravitational effect of each bit pulling on the others, have led to a deaccelerating expansion, rather than the opposite. Thus, scientists have postulated an unknown kind of energy, now known as "dark energy," which would be responsible for the acceleration.

So instead of re-evaluating the theories that already exist, and taking note of the fact that they do not make accurate predictions... the idea that gets adopted is to suppose there is such a thing as "dark-energy" that magically fixes the problems with the other failed theories.

This happens in Science and in Theology... it happens everywhere men stick their noses. Why? Because pride follows our noses. We buy into something and then defend it at all costs. I laugh, literally, when people tell me that scientists search for truth.. or reality. The only answer I can come up with it. I suspect there are some scientists who do. But the rest of them are just like the rest of us.

Anyway, if you want to read the latest panic in the Scientific community check out WIRED's short article on how Time Itself May Be Slowing Down. I guess I'm not getting as old as I used to be getting. Sweet!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

We had Birthday Cake after dinner this evening to celebrate the Birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Sure He wasn't really born on the 25th of December, but to be honest... after 20 some .. errr 30 some years it doesn't matter to me that I was born on a particular day or even that people celebrate with me on that specific day. What warms my heart is when people remember ME. And that is the point of our celebration of the Lord's birth too. That we remember Him.

How Impossible Needs Are Met

If there's one thing I'm learning it's that if something seems impossible it's just a good opportunity for God to show how limited our view of things is. Faith is seeing that before He does something to make it clear.

In just a few days the world will be celebrating something most people find impossible to believe. That God Himself became a little baby boy. That He was born out of the womb of a virgin. That He lived a perfect life. And that He willingly let His life be taken to pay a price that is impossible for anyone else to pay for themselves.

I learned something new about Jesus Christ recently. There is a tone of information on the Internet that will give you all kinds of proof that Jesus is God. And there is nearly an equal amount of information about how He had to be sinless to be the perfect sacrifice, like a "spotless lamb." All important information. But I have never been taught the reason why the only one who could die for our sins is God. Oh yes I've heard the argument that only God is "good" (perfect) and this is true, absolutely.

But the Lamb, Jesus Christ had to be God in order to "die for our sins" 1 Cor 15:1-10 because all of creation (everything that God created, which is everything that came to be John 1:3 Gen 1:1 ) was cursed because of sin. So EVERYTHING suffers death because of the Curse that God put on Creation. In short it's why your car rusts, and it's why we die. Everything in creation is subjected to it. Gen 3:14-19 Rom 8:20-22

So if Jesus had not been God, He would have been a "created" being and so subject to death as per the Curse. So when He died it would have been "for the Curse" like every other person. But Jesus Christ died "for our sins" 1 Cor 15:3

We all have an impossible debt to pay. Sin causes and requires death. There is no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood. Heb 9:22 So we can't pay our price and live, so it's an impossible debt. But impossible needs are met in impossible ways. Eternal God Himself, in His great mercy and unimaginable love became a man and died for our sins. He rose again three days later, as a sign for proof. And also for our life.

So as Christmas morning comes for you and yours, would you ponder what you are celebrating? Will you try to imagine what it must have been like for Holy God Almighty to take on the form of a helpless child? Will you ponder the kind of love that motivated the creator of the universe to step out of the glories of heaven? All, so He could personally die on account of all the terrible things, and the little bad things, and even the things you're convinced were "good" so that He could honestly and justly offer you forgiveness - free for your taking, if you would just take it.

Though I rest in this, I will be pondering the wonders of it myself. Sure that I have not yet seen the fullness of He who died for me.

Playing Catch-Up

Wow... dry spell for blogging. I've been really busy.. mostly being sick. Some sort of virus took up residence in my muscles.. and then moved to my lungs. I missed 8 or 9 days of work! But I've recovered now thank God.

I've been doing a crazy workout program that involved running in a swimming pool. OK the running part is hard but I'm getting good at it now. The second part of the program is moving your arms and legs like you're skiing in the water... this is beyond hard. The woman running the program denies ever having seen someone die in her pool... but I'm pretty sure she was crossing her fingers when she said it. As for the "No Running In The Pool" sign... I guess if someone sees us we're all going to be in trouble.

Just the other day I read the first valid argument for someone adhering to King James Bible Onlyism ever. This man needed to draw a line in the sand, to have a final authority. He chose the KJV Bible because of it's history of "good fruit." He doesn't think it's the only good Bible but he is convinced it reveals God's Word and his conscience convicts him to obey it. He doesn't force his view on others as though everyone should only use the KJV. I myself have decided to trust the Spirit who has come to lead believers into all Truth. John 16:13 He is my line in the sand, and He reveals what is written in the Word of God and that is my final authority.

I went to watch The Golden Compass today, on assignment for The Cross Current. Just like what is being reported, the movie theater was only 1/4 full. I took 7 or 8 pages of notes during the movie as research for the next episode of TCC Radio. Even though the tone of anti-Christianity and more so Anti-Catholic message of the books has been dulled greatly for the movie, I still think this movie shows how important it is for people to study the Bible. This movie injects seemingly endless ideas that are anti-Christianity into the mind of the viewer. These ideas are so woven into the plot that I honestly doubt anyone who isn't grounded in good doctrine would even notice. Ideas like that adults can't be changed only kids can. That faith demands a willful ignorance of science. That Christians seek to control the world. And that this mission to control the world is hidden behind the idea that we tell people what to do to help them. The movie is an anti-evangelism indoctrination message for people of all ages who are open to suggestion. The movie doesn't cover the entire series of books.. no surprise they want to make two more movies. I thank God that evangelism is carried out by the Holy Spirit and whoever He wants He is going to get. No one was more willfully blind, more against God than I was. I tried to run away. He saved me anyway.

I've got a bunch of other projects going on.. the TCC team is building a new witnessing framework which is a little more honest, a little more complete, and a lot more about Christ than what we have been trained to use in the past.

God continues to stretch me well beyond where I want to be. He doesn't seem to be satisfied with me living at all in my old ways. He's changing me.. and proving my faith. Life is full of great challenges. But as the challenges show themselves I can see God's sustaining power and His provision for all things.