THE POPULATION OF THE WORLD

In 2014 the MIT physicist Max Tegmark argues in “Our Mathematical Universe” that mathematics is the fundamental world reality that drives the universe. As I would say, mathematics is operating in a god-like fashion.

The population of the world, based upon the Berlin census reports of 1922, was found to be 1,804,187,000.

The human race must double itself 30.75 times to make this number, and remember this, we have tripled that number from 1922 for we are at app 7 – 8  billion people right now.

The following computations confirms this result merely from common sense:

At the beginning of the first period of doubling there would just be two human beings;

The second, 4;

The third, 8;

The fourth, 16;

The tenth, 1024;

The twentieth 1,048,576,

The thirtieth, 1,073,741,824; and

The thirty-first, 2,147,483,648.

In other words, if we raise two to the thirtieth power, we have 1,073,741,824; or to the thirty-first power, 2,147,483,648 Therefore, it is evident even to the school boy, that, to have the present population of the globe, the net population must be doubled more than thirty times and less than thirty-one times. We find it to be 30.75 times. After all allowances are made for natural deaths, wars, catastrophes, and losses of all kinds, if the human race would double its numbers 30.75 times, we would have the population of the globe in 1922.

Now, according to the chronology of Hales, based on the Septuagint text, 5077 years have elapsed since the flood, and 5177 years (Apparently one of these numbers is incorrect) since the ancestors of mankind numbered only two, Noah and his wife. By dividing 5177 by 30.75, we find it requires an average of 168.3 years for the human race to double its numbers, in order to make the present population. This is a reasonable average length of time.

Moreover, it is singularly confirmed by the number of Jews, or descendants of Jacob. According to Hales, 3850 years have passed since the marriage of Jacob. By the same method of calculation as above, the Jews, who, according to the Jewish yearbook for 1922, numbered 15,393, 815, must have doubled their numbers 23.8758 times, or once every 161.251 years.

The whole human race, therefore, on an average has doubled its numbers every 168.3 years; and the Jews, every 161.251 years. What a fantastic agreement!

We would not expect the figure to be exactly the same nor be greatly surprised if one period were twice the other. But their correspondence singularly validates the age of the human race and of the Jewish people, as gathered from the word of God by the most proficient chronologists.

In other words, we can take certain groups of people, check their population growth for the same time period and find the numbers correspond very closely.

If the human race is 2,000,000 years old, the period of doubling would be 65,040 years, or 402 times that of the Jews, which, of course, is unthinkable.

What this means, if we consider there are 7.5 billion people on Earth right now, which there is, and the earth is human race is 2 million years old, the population would only have doubled once every 65,040 years.

This means if the first couple had two children, doubling the population, that it would be another 65,000 years before their children would have children, or they would have more children… just doesn’t seem plausible.

While the period of doubling may vary slightly in different ages, yet there are few things as stable and certain as general average, where large numbers and many years are considered, as in the present case. No life insurance company, acting on general average statistics, ever failed on that account. The Jews and the whole human race have lived together the same thirty-eight centuries with very little intermarriage, and are affected by similar advantages and disadvantages, making the comparison remarkably fair.

Also, the 25,000,000 descendants of Abraham must have doubled their numbers every 162.275 years, during the 3,988 years since the birth of his son Ishmael. These periods of doubling which tally so closely, 168.3 years for the whole race, 161.251 for the Jews, and 162.275 years for the descendants of Abraham, cannot be a mere coincidence, but are a demonstration against the great age of man required by evolution, and in favor of the 5,177 years since Noah. None of the other various chronologies would make any material difference in these calculations. The correspondence of these figures, 168.3, 161.251 and 162.275 is so remarkable that it must bring the conviction to every serious student that the flood destroyed mankind and Noah became the head of the race.

Now the evolutionists claim that the human race is 2,000,000 years old. There is no good reason for believing that, during all these years the developing dominant species would not increase as rapidly as the Jews, or the human race in historic times, especially since the restraints of civilization and marriage did not exist. But let us generously suppose that these remote ancestors, beginning with one pair, doubled their numbers in 1612.51 years one-tenth as rapidly as the Jews, or 1240 times in 2,000,000 years. If we raise 2 to the 1240th power, the result is 18,932,139,737,991 with 360 figures following. The population of the world, therefore, would have been 18,932,139,737,991 decillion, decillion, decillion. decillion, decillion, decillion, decillion, decillion, decillion, decillion; or 18,932,139,737,991 vigintillion, vigintillion, vigintillion, vigintillion, vigintillion, vigintillion.

Or, let us suppose that man, the dominant species, originated from a single pair, only 100,000 years ago, the shortest period suggested by any evolutionist (and much too short for evolution) and that the population doubled in 1612.51 years, one-tenth the Jewish rate of net increase, a most generous estimate. The present population of the globe should be 4,660,210,253,138,204,300 or 2,527,570,733 additional people for every man, woman and child on the earth today! In these calculations, we have made greater allowances than any self-respecting evolutionist could ask without blushing. And yet withal, it is as clear as the light of day that the ancestors of man could not possibly have lived 2,000,000 or 1,000,000 or 100,000 years ago, or even 10,000 years ago; for if the population had increased at the Jewish rate for 10,000 years, it would be more than two billion times as great as it is. No guess that ever was made, or ever can be made, much in excess of 5177 years, can possibly stand as the age of man. The evolutionist cannot sidestep this argument by a new guess.

All these computations have been made upon the supposition that the human race sprang from one pair. If from many in the distant past, as the evolutionists assert, these bewildering figures must be enormously increased.

Yet we are gravely told that evolution is “science”. It is the wildest guess ever made to support an impossible theory.

That their guesses cannot possibly be correct, is proven also by approaching the subject from another angle. If the human race is 2,000,000 years old, and must double its numbers 30.75 times to make the present population, it is plain that each period for doubling would be 65,040 years, since 2,000,000 divided by 30.75 is equals 65,040. At that rate, there would be fewer than four Jews! If we suppose the race to have sprung from one pair 100,000 years ago, it would take 3252 years to double the population. At this rate, there would be five Jews!

Do we need any other demonstration that the evolution of man is an absurdity and impossibility? If the evolutionists endeavor to show that man may have descended from the brute, the population of the world conclusively shows that MAN CERTAINLY DID NOT DESCEND FROM THE BRUTE. If they ever succeed in showing that all Species of animals may have been derived from one primordial germ, it is impossible that man so came. He was created as the Bible declares, by the Almighty Power of God.

The testimony of all the experts in the famous Scopes trial in Tennessee (who escaped cross-examination) was to the effect that evolution was in harmony with some facts and therefore possibly true. The above mathematical calculations prove that the evolution of man was certainly not true. They fail to make their case even if we grant their claims. These figures prove the Bible story, and scrap every guess of the great age and the brute origin of man. It will be observed that the above calculations point to the unity of the race in the days of Noah, 5177 years ago, rather than in the days of Adam 7333 years ago, according to Hale’s chronology. If the race increased at the Jewish rate, not over 16,384 perished by the Flood, fewer than by many a modern catastrophe. This most merciful providence of God started the race anew with a righteous head.

Now, if there had been no flood to destroy the human race, then the descendants of Adam, in the 7333 years would have been 16,384 times the 1,804,187,000, or 29,559,799,808,000; or computed at the Jewish rate of net increase for 7333 years since Adam, the population would have been still greater, or 35,184,372,088,832. These calculations are in perfect accord with the Scripture story of the special creation of man, and the destruction of the race by a flood. Had it not been for the flood, the earth could not have sustained the descendants of Adam.

Is not this a demonstration a decisive and final witness against an old age earth using logic?

Men, we have covered a lot of numbers here which prove God created the world, and no other option is remotely possible.

We have proven that according to population growth, using actual numbers, that the only acceptable age of man started with a flood, and Noah, is the father of all people on the earth.

You now have even more irrefutable evidence there is a God, He created You and I and all things. But the point remains, when you have all the proof you need to absolutely believe without a shadow of doubt, and the bible, all scripture is God breathed, and absolutely true…

What will you do with it?

We must totally submit ourselves to God, in every sense of the word, giving up every facet, every desire, every sin, every doubt, every worry and leave it at the foot of the cross, pick up your cross and carry it, take the word to all the men who reside here, giving them the irrefutable proof, and the absolute truth that they can at least make an educated choice, not trusting in misguided teachers of the past.

Final observation, since 1922 the time used for this lesson, the population as risen to 7.6 billion people, more than tripling itself in app 90 years.

This is indication that the population is now growing exponentially. According to Harvard social biologist Edward O. Wilson, the earth has a maximum carrying capacity of 9 to 10 billion people before we run short of fresh water, and resources to feed the people. WE already see people starving in Africa known as the cradle of humanity.  As earlier stated, we are pushing 8 billion people on the earth, and we tripled population in less than 90 years, if we continue at that rate we should hit maximum levels in 20 – 30 years. And, honestly… less than that… and what will happen? Total Chaos?  We don’t have the answers do we?

first we offer proof from a mathematical  and logical point of view,  a biological point of view, scientific facts stated in the Bible that could not have been known by mankind at the time it was written, therefore requiring a higher intelligence, add to that the predictions of future events before they happened, which are now historical events, and we can compare the two providing again the evidence that the information given had to come from a higher intelligence… when we have done all that, we will still be able to continue showing evidence of the historically reliability of the bible that it has not changed and when you reach the end of your argument only a very foolish person would still reject God. The fact is, most people will be convinced by one or two of the facts you present, we just never know which facts will hit home with the person you are trying to lead to the narrow path.

After this mountain of proof… we then can also prove the birth, life, death and resurrection of Christ… any person gaining this information is ready to accept the gospel, and embrace it, and live by it fully as humanly possible.

ZERO POPULATION GROWTH

This is the truth goal of the liberals, the leftist. But why?

First you must ask; do the liberals really care about homosexuals (if you answer honestly, you know they don’t) when they don’t care about the unborn child, willing to kill it fully realizing the pain the child suffers being literally ripped apart. The reason they support the homosexual lifestyle is they cannot reproduce which adds to their overall plan of zero population growth, and possibly a reduction in population. So, they not only support it, they encourage it by teaching children (and certain adults willing to accept it, even though it flies in the face of God’s laws) to accept it as “normal”.

They are in favor of mercy killings for the ill, and for allowing anyone over 80 to be allowed to die earlier than they should by withholding a medication that would keep them alive.

They are in favor of open boarders for the world? Why?  Because this gives an open door to all terrorists who will murder themselves to murder two or more additional people who they believe are infidels.

Why do the leaders in California resist the wall, and why do they release these foreign criminals back into the general population? To help in their small way to reduce the population.

So why do they hate Christians? Because we stand in the way of all the above methods of bringing the world to zero population growth, in fact a major section of Christians doesn’t believe in any form of birth control whatsoever.

Again, the question comes up… why is their goal population control?

Answer, because we will very soon reach the population level the earth cannot support with clean water and food. People in many parts of the world are already starving.

Since the 1920’s the world population has almost quadrupled, from just under 2 billion people to close to 8 billion people today.

How many people will the earth support?

Many scientists think Earth has a maximum carrying capacity of 9 billion to 10 billion people. [How Do You Count 7 Billion People?]

One such scientist, the eminent Harvard University sociobiologist Edward O. Wilson, bases his estimate on calculations of the Earth’s available resources. As Wilson pointed out in his book “The Future of Life” (Knopf, 2002), “The constraints of the biosphere are fixed.”

So, 10 billion people is the uppermost population limit where food is concerned. Because it’s extremely unlikely that everyone will agree to stop eating meat, Wilson thinks the maximum carrying capacity of the Earth based on food resources will most likely fall short of 10 billion.

https://www.livescience.com/16493-people-planet-earth-support.html

So, what this means is we are close to the end, maybe another 15 or 20 years, however things will start getting really bad long before that.

What about the Christians? Why are we willing to see this and not join in the move to “Save the Planet”?

Because we know who is in control, God! And, we are fairly certain that Christ will return soon due to all the signs predicting His return sometime in the near future.

In addition, we also know that none of us will leave this earth before God intends for us to leave, and none of us will stay one second longer than He intends… He is in full control.

Hope you all have a happy and wonderful Easter.

Our website is dedicated to the promotion of the Ok Prison Ministry, and for that matter all prison ministries anywhere in the world.

This site includes Sermons and Lessons from Many Sources, including various denominations, and independant churches. We do not change the message to fit our beliefs, but leave them intact for your inspection and you can make comments on them agreeing, or disargreeing with the message.

Prisons also contribute to this site with lessons, Sermons, and Poetry.

Our focus is on four things in our ministry:

1. Apologetics: Offering overwhelming evidence the Bible is inspired by God
2. Apologetics: Teaching the correct understanding of Scripture with the committment of following the truth no matter where it might lead
3. Teaching New Life Behavior, how to walk the Christian Life according to Scripture.
4. Teaching how to evangelize using apologetics (both forms) with a “permissive” approach.

Ted Rauh,

April 23, 1926 – Feburary 20, 2018

One of those amazing people, Ted had his great side, and his more difficult side, but overall an amazing All-American Character.
Decided at age 16 he needed to go “fight Hitler” he lied about his age and joined the Army. Soon after he was stationed in Germany in Patton’s 3rd Army, 5th division. Ted won the purple heart, and two bronze stars while still a teenager.
He was injured by shrapnel but attempted to hide the injury so he could keep on fighting, but his commanding officer discovered his injury and sent him to a hospital in Paris to recover, by the time the injury was discovered, his knee had swollen so much they had to cut his pants off, and gang green was about to set in…. he almost lost his leg over that.
Later he was sent to paratrooper school, but then the war ended, and he was soon back home in Oklahoma where he married his wife Teresa who passed away in 2009 and became a fireman.
He later obtained a job at the Federal prison in Okeene Oklahoma, but in 1959 he packed up his family and moved to Texarkana TX where he became a guard in the Federal Prison. He purchased his home at 3002 Hamilton Ln in Texarkana and lived there until Dementia forced him to enter in to a care home at age 89.
I used to love to hear him talk about all is adventures, and his feats of strength, as he was truly a very strong man who had pictures of himself doing hand stands on top of the water tower in Okeene, or driving his motorcycle 100 miles per hour to Oklahoma city siting side-saddle and not holding onto the handlebars. He would challenge local men to tests of strength that he would devise, such as climbing two ropes tied to a tree and touch the tree branch they were tied to… except he would climb them upside down. One time he did a hand stand at the top of one of those high ladders firetrucks use in fighting fires…. A true daredevil.
Ted was a very generous man, but I think Chris Hooten the preacher of Highland Church of Christ where Ted was a member for many years., said it best; “Ted would give you the shirt off his back, but no one would ever take it”
At age 32 he was saved, and became a devout Christian, becoming a Christian soldier with the same intensity, and passion he demonstrated in Germany.
He once told me he wasn’t allowed to take a bible with him to work to witness to the prisoners, so he just memorized the verses he wanted to share. At one time I’m sure he could have quoted verses for an hour without stop.
He retired at age 50 and became a full-time evangelist… not like those on TV but one on one. He would spend hours creating his own “hand-outs” such as he “round to its” that he must have given to half of Texarkana.
Days on end he would walk the streets of Texarkana knocking on doors attempting to talk to people about Jesus Christ, attempting to lead them to salvation.
When we would take him with us to a restaurant there was no thought that he might actually sit down with us and visit. No, he had work to do; we would sit and order, and then he would be up and gone “working”. He would visit everyone in the restaurant handing out his round-to-its and other writings. It was the same with shopping, he would go around attempting to talk to everyone he could.
Only the Lord knows how many lives he may have led to salvation.
Rest in Peace Ted, we will think of you often.

Obituary;

Ted Rauh, 91, of Texarkana, TX passed away February 20, 2018 in a local nursing home. Mr. Rauh was born April 23, 1926 in Okeene, OK. He was a member of Highland Church of Christ; and was a U. S. Army veteran of WWII; received two Bronze Stars and Purple Heart.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Theresa Joy Ayers Rauh on December 21, 2009, and a son, Ronnie Lynn Rauh.

Survivors include his son, Jerry Rauh of New Boston, TX; daughters and sons-in-law, Connie and David Adcock of Queen City, TX and Jody and Jim Carmichael of Tulsa, OK; grandchildren, Tim and Teri Frost of Texarkana, Ashley Hawthorne of Houston, TX and Danya and Rhett Thompson of Texarkana, and Brannon and Kerry Adcock of Texarkana, AR; 6 great grandchildren; and one great great granddaughter.

Services will be 2 p.m., Thursday, February 22, 2018 at East Memorial Chapel – Downtown with Chris Hooten officiating. Burial will be in Hillcrest Memorial Park under the direction of East Funeral Home – Downtown.

We have a money raising program for missions at Park Plaza called “Sowing for Eternity”

This lesson will be on those who have ears…and … Hear… and the result of that “hearing” … is thinking… correct thinking… and of course the result of correct thinking… is the true sowing for eternity…

For you are what you think. Not just thinking about what you want to become but thinking of yourselves in terms of having already arrived.

For instance, you may think you want to be a preacher someday, change that to thinking “I am a preacher” … and maybe you merely need to improve your knowledge of the subject.

Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.

One wise king wrote: “As [a person] thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7 NKJV)

So back to thinking you are a preacher now… absolutely believe that, with absolute faith and no wavering.

You may remember last month I spoke of faith, how you must have faith, absolute faith if you expect God to hear you.

You must pray constantly, you must think upon these things, what you think is who you are, who you become.

I also mentioned being able to be a competent Christian Apologist, and how to properly “hear” the word, which is write the word, study, and meditate upon it.

I started out saying this lesson will be on those who have ears… listen.

I heard many times as a child that God gave us two ears and one mouth, so that we would listen twice as much as we talk. And, I remember that my grandmother used to tell me to keep quiet and let people think I’m stupid, or I could open my mouth and remove all doubt.

She wasn’t being mean, but it was her way of saying, be quiet and listen…. listen… to use my ears and learn, learn, and become wise… well, as most of you know it didn’t work all that well for me, however it was sound advice in principle…. But only if implemented.

And during my years in sales I learned listening was the most important part of selling or of a conversation…and that most of us only listen for about 3 seconds and then start thinking of our response, so we must train ourselves to listen, just listen, do not try to start coming up with responses, but focusing what is being said.

The second and third parts of the lesson is when we hear properly, we think properly and hearing properly means making sure we are “hearing” the right things and becoming what we think.

To find a path to a result, we must establish the desired result or recognize the result of taking a certain path.

I want to look at two views of this subject from a worldly view, and a Christian view.

I saw a movie once, called the “Secret”. I really do not remember much about it, except that it expounded upon the idea that rich people thought of themselves as rich before they ever made the first dime…they became what they thought.

The Secret, a best-selling 2006 self-help book written by Rhonda Byrne, based on that earlier film of the same name is based on the law of attraction and claims that positive thinking can create life-changing results such as increased happiness, health, and wealth.

Seeking God with all our hearts, minds, bodies, souls, and strength must be our true path and finding Him, Knowing Him, worshiping Him, and Obeying Him as our one and only goal in life; in other words, being a true disciple of Christ…. Leave wealth to the others, we don’t need it and shouldn’t even want it.

We must see ourselves this way…  think of ourselves this way…  keeping our thinking on the path that leads to eternal life in Heaven worshiping God for eternity as our true goal.

When I was a young man I had a pretty low opinion of myself, I didn’t even feel I was worthy to go to church even though I wanted to, I always thought those good and fine people would wonder what I was doing there, not realizing truly good and fine people would never think that, they would just be happy to see me there… I suffered from what the great sales trainer Zig Zigglar described as “stinkin thinkin”.

The law of attraction

Law of attraction (or New Thought) let me repeat…. new thought, you see we are talking about changing how we think….

The Secret speculates that the law of attraction is a natural law which determines the complete order of the universe and of our personal lives through the process of “like attracts like”.

The author claims that as we think and feel, a corresponding frequency is sent out into the universe which attracts back to us events and circumstances on that same frequency.

For example, if a person thinks angry thoughts and feels angry, the author claims that said person will attract back events and circumstances that cause them to feel more anger.

Conversely, if the person thinks and feels positively, they will attract back positive events and circumstances.

Proponents claim that desirable outcomes such as better health, wealth, and happiness can be attracted simply by changing one’s thoughts and feelings. For example, some proponents believe that using “the Secret” can cure cancer.

From my personal experience, up to about 15 or 20 years ago if someone asked me how I was doing, the new way of simply saying hello, I would answer something like “well as good as can be expected under the circumstances” and honestly it was  just my way of  using a form of “dry humor” to answer a “non-question” because I really didn’t believe then, nor  now, that people really want to know how you’re doing or feeling, it is just the new hello with icing on it.

By the way, next time you ask someone how their doing, try to make sure you mean it, the difference will surprise you…

Test it sometime when someone casually asks you how you’re doing by answering with a list of aches and pains…

A person stopped me once, about 20 years ago and said, hey you’re supposed to be a salesman, try saying “never better” when someone asks you how you’re doing, and so I tried it, and have been saying it ever since, because I found those words made me feel better,

Did you get that?

JUST SAYING THE WORDS IMPROVED MY PERSONAL HAPPINESS AND WELL BEING, and for most people hearing it makes them feel better,

AGAIN, I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU GET THAT,

JUST THE WORDS I SAY TO ANOTHER PERSON ALSO MAKES MANY PEOPLE FEEL BETTER THEMSELVES…

JUST SAYING THE WORDS CREATES A FEELING OF WELL BEING FOR ALL INVOLVED,

And in some cases, this opens up an opportunity to evangelize because they will test me on it… saying something like… really you’ve never been better in your whole life, and of course I will answer that it’s a spiritual thing, every day I am one day closer to heaven.

Now we just hit upon another “secret” to proper thinking and that is proper speaking… forcing yourselves to speak properly will have a reaction of proper thinking…this is also a biblical principle…

One of the things stated in the bible I have never been comfortable with because of my sense of humor, and what seems to me my endless chatter is that we are all held accountable for all idle words

Matthew 12:. 36 But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”…

Play with that for a second, what we say comes from what we think, yet we can control what we think, by what we say…one empowers the other… first you must decide to say only right things… and the right thoughts will develop from that…and will return to even better words, or the right words coming more easily…

So, is there any scientific proof behind all this?

Lets go back to the “Secret” for a moment…

The book begins by introducing and explaining the mechanisms of the law of attraction, and then describes historical examples of its application and great men and women in history who have claimed to have harnessed its power.

The book describes the law as accounting for a magnetic power that is emitted through one’s thoughts. The power of thoughts is likened to the power in a transmission tower, which sends out a frequency to the universe and then returns the same frequency in a physical or elemental form.

Ask, believe, and receive. This creative process is based on a quote from the Bible”

and all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” (Matthew 21:22)

Now I want again to point out a couple of things, I want to proceed with the idea that this is all true.

It is in Job 38:35 that we are told that lightening’s can be sent and will manifest themselves in speech when they arrive at their destination.

We now know that light, and radio waves are merely two forms of the same thing, electro-magnetic waves, therefore radio waves are merely a form of light, and can by the use of a radio transmitter be sent and will manifest themselves in speech when they arrive at their destination.

This is one of the evidences we use in Christian Apologetics, highlighting biblical scientific principles now proven by human scientific studies.

“One of the most powerful uses of gratitude can be incorporated in the Creative Process to turbo-charge what you want.”

Scripture tells us to be “thankful in everything, in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). When we find ourselves overwhelmed with burdens and worried about tomorrow, we can praise God for who he is and his promise to never leave us or forsake us. We have been blessed with the free gift of salvation and eternal life!

Psalm 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name

Psalm 107:1  1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

The Secret highlights gratitude and visualization as the two most powerful processes to help make one’s desires manifest. It claims that being grateful both lifts your frequency higher and affirms that you believe you will receive your desire.

Visualization is said to help focus the mind to send out the clearest message to the universe.

God has created us with eyes in our hearts with which we can see, picture and visualize.

God wants to fill these eyes with His dreams, visions and images (Acts 2:17).

Jesus lived in pictures continuously (Jn. 5:19,20,30).

Jesus filled the eyes of His listeners by constantly teaching with parables (Matt. 13:34).

We are commanded to meditate on the Word, which involves prayerfully rolling it around in our hearts and minds. Since the Bible is full of picture stories, we will by necessity be picturing as we meditate upon Scripture (Josh. 1:8).

When we reason together with God, He uses imagery (Isa. 1:18).

Thinking of the words of God, visualizing my life following these words have changed by life, my thinking, and my words.

The final chapters of “The Secret” offer a more spiritual perspective on the law of attraction, and how it relates to one’s life and the world.

Is there any truth to “The Secret”? The simple answer is yes, for example, an idea of the law of attraction is that our physical health is determined by our thoughts and feelings.

It has been medically proven that stress and worry are harmful to the body, while joy and peace aid in the healing process.

The Bible agrees, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22).

“A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones” (Proverbs 15:30).

As David was struggling with the guilt of his unconfessed, evil actions, he declared, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long” (Psalm 32:3).

Our thoughts and feelings do have an impact on our physical well-being. However, this is due to how God designed our bodies.

When young I thought of myself in a completely different way than I have for the last 25 years.

At a family reunion, a couple of years ago, a cousin who I was very close with when young told me she would have never recognized me. I’ve also had a friend I hadn’t seen in many years tell me the same thing, somehow after returning to the church, thinking of myself in a new way, as a child of God literally changed me, it not only changed my direction in life, it not only changed my way of viewing the world and myself, it changed my physical appearance.

All this can get very deep, much deeper than we need to go or know, and there are many verses we simply can’t understand unless we add all this quantum physics to the mix, but again, we have no need for the deeper mechanisms, all we need to know is that it exists, and we are told to harness the power, whether we understand it or not and the scripture tells us how to harness it so that we change… into the creatures God had in mind for us…. But He gave us the choice to change or not to change.

So, I profess that we should think of ourselves as copies of Christ… denying all worldly attractions, resisting with all the strength we have of physical lusting, cravings, and coveting worldly properties.

I profess we should think of ourselves as copies of Christ, seeking God and His will in our lives with every ounce of human strength we possess, every thought, every action being made with the knowledge that we are in the presence of God, and we have no other desire in life except to please him.

I profess we should pick up our crosses daily and follow Him to Calvary,

Let’s keep our thoughts on things above and become Christ like, live our lives as if we are going to live forever… because we are

Recognize all that glitters for what it truly is… a trap of Satan… a snare to lure us into the depths of hell forever.

John Bunyan in the book Pilgrims Progress points out the deadliest place for Christians seeking God is Vanity Fair… in short… where all worldly passions can be found… all that glitters…

The worldly things are poison to our eternal life.

We must think of all these things for what they are; the deadliest poison of all; for it destroys not only your physical life, but your eternal life.

It’s all a snare.

So, let’s wrap up with an overview;

So, what is or should be our goal? What is the destination we seek? Is it not eternal life in heaven where there will no longer be pain, loss, death, and aging?

We must decide heaven is our goal, with nothing else as even a second choice as we travel the path.

We must know the way; we must know the map, which is God’s word.

We must think about and study God’s word.

We must think of ourselves, and visualize ourselves as a completely devoted child of God, no other goals in life, no other desires, no concern for this life in a worldly sense.

We must resist the deadliest poison, and accept only the bread of life, and the blood of the lamb as our nourishment.

And, I will see you there, and along the way… Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

And I want to add, not only think about them, but talk about them, visualize them, all with a grateful attitude.

And how will we know we have arrived? The Fruit of the Holy Spirit is a biblical term that sums up nine attributes of a Christian according to Paul the Apostle in his Letter to the Galatians: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

So what we should think is in Philippians 4:8 and how we should view our selves is found in Galatians 5:22 – 23.

Thank you for your time and the lesson is yours, I pray you will keep your mind on things above, visualize yourselves as the children of God that you are, be grateful that you have found the true path to eternal life and let your speech be witnesses to that always.

I thought I would just take a moment here and share with you what the term Christian Apologetics means. Apologetics comes from the Greek word “apologia” which simply means to give a legal, or logical defense for your position. So, as commanded in 1 Peter 3:15 where we are told to be ready to give a reason for our faith, we need to be able to give a logical reason for believing.

That logical reasoning comes from demonstrating the bible is truly the inspired word of God, written by mere and mortal men. Men no different than you or I, (Females included). This is one of the great arguments, or defenses, that the Bible was written by men who were no different than any other man, and therefore as common men would not have been able to provide the information given, at the time it was given, which means it had to come from a higher intelligence than has ever been available to men, regardless of their IQ or abilities.

There are many methods of presenting Christian Apologetics, such as proving evolution (the only other option that could explain the existence of life) is impossible through mathematics, biology, etc. However, our goal is to present an apologia for our faith by presenting facts that cannot be argued.

Such as the scientific and medical facts found in the Bible long before modern or ancient scientist could have known about them.

Or, the predictions of future events which are now historical events, and those predictions which came to pass perfectly, as predicted, and not just a couple but as many as 2,500 and fulfilled so accurately that even Bible Scholars were suspicious that they were historical facts being passed off as prophesies until copies of these scriptures (namely the dead sea scrolls) were found that predated the fulfillment of the prophesies, proving they had to also come from a higher intelligence.

The Apologetics courses (called the 1 Peter 3:15 project) we teach at Dick Conner’s include the following:

1. A Video Tour concerning apologetics to “whet the appetite” of the prisoners.
2. The Truth Project, another video tour of teaching the truth (by focus on the family)
3. Amazin Facts of the Bible: a course designed to teach the bible was inspired by God
4. Apologetics I: a course teaching the person, work, death, and resurrection of Christ is all reliable Historically.
5. Christian Defenses, a wrap up course on how we can defend our faith
6. Christian Apologetic Evangelism, a future course in how to begin a conversation, and attract atheists, and agnostics, along with brothers who have fallen away in the prison system to accept the teachings of the Bible, and begin a journey to and eventually on the narrow path to salvation.

UPDATE:

We completed the Truth Project yesterday (April 17, 2017) and will begin the Amazin Facts course on April 24, 2017 (next Monday).

https://youtu.be/Cn8TGtBrGb8

https://youtu.be/qz77atYHTOA

The unity of the languages of the world proves the recent common origin of man. Prof. Max Muller, and other renowned linguists, declared that all languages are derived from one. This is abundantly proven by the similarity of roots and words, the grammatical construction and accidents, the correspondence in the order of their alphabets, etc. The words for father and mother similar in form, for example, are found in many languages in all the five great groups, the Aryan, the Semitic, the Hamitic the Turanian and Chinese groups, showing a common original language and proving the early existence of the home and civilization. The similarity of these and many other words in all of the great Aryan or Indo-European family of languages, spoken in all continents is common knowledge. Lord Avebury names 85 Hamitic languages in Africa in which the names of father and mother are similar; 29 non-Aryan languages in Asia and Europe, including Turkish, Tibetan, and many of the Turanian and Chinese groups; 5 in New Zealand and other Islands; 8 in Australia; and 20 spoken by American Indians. Answer: The French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese are daughters of the Latin; Latin is a daughter of the Aryan; and the Aryan, together with the other sister languages is, no doubt, the daughter of the original language spoken by Noah and his immediate descendants. There can not well be more than 4 generations of languages, and the time since Noah is sufficient for the development of the 1000 languages and dialects. The American Indians have developed about 200 in 3,000 or 4,000 years. The life of a language roughly speaking, seems to range from 1000 to 3,000 years. The time since Noah is sufficient for the development of all the languages of the world. But if man has existed for 2,000,000 or 1,000,000 years, with a brain capacity ranging from 96% to normal, there would have been multiplied thousands of languages bearing little or no resemblance. There is not a trace of all these languages. They were never spoken because no one lived to speak them.

Many linguists insist that the original language of mankind consisted of a few short words, possibly not over 200, since many now use only about 300. The Hebrew has only about 500 root words of 3 letters ; the stagnant Chinese, 450; the Sanskrit, about the same. All the Semitic languages have tri-literal roots. As the tendency of all languages is to grow in the number and length of words, these consisting of a few small words must have been close to the original mother tongue. No language could have come down from the great antiquity required by evolution and have so few words. Johnson’s English Dictionary had 58000 words; modern Dictionaries over 300,000. The evidence points to the origin and unity of languages in the days of Noah, and proves the great antiquity of man an impossibility and his evolution a pitiful absurdity.

Have you ever driven in a fog that was so thick you couldn’t see the car in front of you? It was entirely too dangerous to drive:
Some People see scripture in this manner, with a mind full of fog.

Thomas Aquinas wrote: “There is within every soul a thirst for happiness and meaning

” Who Am I? Why am I here? Where am I going?

The objective of apologetic is not to convince a man unwittingly, or contrary to his will, to become a Christian.
“The objective, Clark Pinnock puts it, “strives at laying the evidence for the Christian Gospel before men in an intelligent fashion, so that they can make a meaningful commitment under the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. The heart cannot delight in what the mind rejects as false.” (Pinnock, SFYC,3)

We are not trying to win an argument – our goal is to glorify and magnify Jesus Christ – Not to “prove” God but provide a basis for Faith… Plowing the field making ready for the seed. Apologetic should never be used as a substitute for sharing the word but used in conjunction it is also a sign post or guide helping direct people back to the word of God

Statement by Josh McDowell:  “You may think it was the irrefutable evidence that brought me to Christ no, the evidence was only God’s way of getting his foot in the door of my life. What brought me to Christ was the realization that He loved me enough to die for me.
Page XXV (He Changed my Life)

The basic Apologetic thesis of these notes is: There is an infinite, all wise, all powerful, all loving God who has revealed Himself by means of the natural, the super natural in creation; in the nature of man, in the history of Israel and the church, in the pages of Holy Scripture, in the incarnation of God in Christ, and in the heart of the believer by the gospel”  (Ramm, PCE, 33)

J.N.D. Anderson records D.E. Jenkins remark “Christianity is based on indisputable facts (Anderson, WH, 10) “the facts backing the Christian claim are not a special kind of religious fact. They are the cognitive, informational facts upon which all historical, legal, and ordinary decisions are based.” (Pinnock, SFYC, 6,7)

Misconceptions: Blind Faith

Blind faith: One doesn’t have to commit intellectual suicide
to become a Christian.  “my heart cannot rejoice in what my mind rejects.” My heart and head were created to work and believe together in Harmony. Christ commanded us to “love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matt. 22:37)

When Jesus Christ and the apostles called upon a person to exercise faith, it was not a “blind faith” but rather and “intelligent faith.”
The apostle Paul said, “I know whom I have believed” (2Tim. 1:12)

(a personal observation: when a first century Jew used the word “know” it would have been Yeda, you’ve heard the expression Yeda, Yeda, Yeda. Well, that word is much deeper than our word know, you could not use that word unless you truly “knew” something, had experienced it personally. The example I like to give is this: I know in the English concept what a father is, but in the Jewish concept I do not know, because I didn’t have one [for the most part of my life]. So when Paul I know, he meant, he had experienced, had a “hands on” experience.)

“Faith in Christianity,” Paul Little justifiably writes, “is based on evidence. It is reasonable faith. Faith in the Christian sense goes beyond reason but not against it.” (Little, KWhyYB,30) Faith is the assurance of the heart in the adequacy of the evidence.

Often the Christian is accused of taking a blind “leap into the dark.” This idea often finds itself rooted in Kierkegaard.

For me, Christianity was not a “leap into the dark,” but rather “a step into the light.” I took the evidence that I could gather and place it on the scales. The scales tipped in favor of Christ as the Son of God, resurrected from the idea. The evidence so over-overwhelmingly leans toward Christ that when I became a Christian, I was “stepping into the light” rather than “leaping into the darkness.”

If I had been exercising “blind faith,” I would have rejected Jesus Christ and turned my back on all the evidence.

Be Careful. I am not saying that I proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is the Son of God, What I did was investigate the evidence and weigh the pros and cons. The results showed that Christ mut be who He claimed to be, and I had to make a decision, which I did. the immediate reaction of many is, “You found what you wanted to find.” this is not the case. I confirmed through investigation what I wanted to refute. i set out to disprove Christianity. I had biases and prejudices not for Christ but contrary to Him.

Hume would say historical evidence is invalid because one cannot establish “absolute truth.” I was not looking for absolute truth but rather for “historical probability.”

“Without an objective criterion,” says John W. Montgomery, “one is at a loss to make a meaningful choice among a prioris. The resurrection provides a basis in historical probability for trying the Christian faith. Granted, the basis is only one of probability, not of certainty, but probability is the sole ground on which finite human beings can make any decisions. Only deductive logic and pure mathematics provide ‘apodictic certainty,’ and they do so because they stem from self-evident formal axioms (e.g., the tautology, if A then A) involving no matter of fact. the moment we enter the realm of fact, we must depend on probability; this may be unfortunate, but it is unavoidable.” (Montgomery, SP, 141)

At the conclusion of his four articles in His magazine, John W. Montgomery writes, concerning history and Christianity, that he has “tried to show that the weight of historical probability lies on the side of the validity of Jesus’ claim to be God incarnate, the Savior of man, and the coming Judge of the world. If probability does in fact support these claims (and can we really deny it, having studied the evidence?),  then we must act in behalf of them.” (Montgomery, HC, 19)

Misconception #2 “Just Be Sincere”

The Christian faith is an objective faith: therefore, it must have an object. The Christian concept of “saving” faith is a faith that establishes one’s relationship with Jesus Christ (the object), and is diametrically opposed to the average “philosophical” use of the term faith in the classroom today. We do not accept the cliche, “It doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you believe it enough.”

(Allow me to add: Many a Christian today is operating on a “Subjective” faith. When asked why the believe they will answer “I know Jesus exists because I feel it/ Him in my heart.” We even sing a song about it, I serve a risen Savior!  We of course we should have the joy of salvation in our heart, but it is not an argument for our belief, for this can be used to argue any position from Atheist to Buddhist. Our faith is based upon solid historical facts, and that is an objective faith.  by the way I hope you enjoy this beautiful rendition of “I serve a risen Savior.” )

It’s not what we believe, it is in whom we believe.  The value of Christian faith is not in the one believing, but in the one who is believed in, it’s object.”

Josh is reminded of a Muslim who came to him and said very sincerely, ” I know many Muslims who have more faith in Mohammed than some Christians have in Christ.” He answered “That may well be true, but the Christian is “saved.” You see, it doesn’t matter how much faith you have, but rather who is the object of your faith; that is important from the Christian perspective of faith.”