Ace—Six Sentence Story

Although Jairus knew that Jesus had healing power, as a ruler of the synagogue he didn’t want to expose his belief by playing the only real ace in his hand until it became clear that his beloved twelve-year-old daughter would likely die that very day if he did not. At his request Jesus followed Jairus to his house, but on the way a woman with a twelve-year issue of blood which no physician could cure crept close enough to Jesus to just touch the border of His robe without being noticed. Jesus stopped, asked who touched Him and after the woman revealed herself He told her that her faith had healed her.

While Jairus waited impatiently for this testimony of the woman to be over, people from his house told him what he feared that his daughter had died, but Jesus told him to only believe and she would be made whole.

At the house Jesus allowed Peter, James, John, Jairus and his wife to go in with Him where the child lay. Then Jesus said, “Maid, arise.”

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Denise offers the prompt word “ace” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories.

Luke 8:41-56 KJV
41 And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus’ feet, and besought him that he would come into his house: 42 For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him. 43 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, 44 Came behind [him], and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. 45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press [thee], and sayest thou, Who touched me? 46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. 47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. 48 And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace. 49 While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue’s [house], saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master. 50 But when Jesus heard [it], he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole. 51 And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden. 52 And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. 53 And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. 54 And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. 55 And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat. 56 And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.

Positivity—Ovi Poetry Challenge

May blessings flow on all of those
especially where conflicts rose.
So, demons, note: I won’t compose
a loveless fantasy.

Unwelcome thoughts like seeds were sown.
Offenses grew. I will not own
what stifles joy to ever groan.
The weeding season’s come.

Now, deadly darkness can’t annoy.
Defeated demons can’t destroy.
The coming harvest laughs with joy,
with joy forever more.

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Ronovan Hester offers “positivity” as this week’s inspiration for the Ovi Poetry Challenge. Also posted on Poet’s Corner.

Nail—Six Sentence Story

Although Sam’s wife was ready with cough drops, apple cider vinegar and honey she was getting annoyed with his colds.  After they rebuked any spirits of infirmity, she opened an audio Bible on her phone, selected the Book of Psalms and set them to play continuously throughout the night.

Sam would pop out of dreams to hear a psalm he was familiar with and then seemingly moments later one he didn’t remember hearing before. The cooling perspiration on his chest in the morning made him realize: he was healed!

The demons who tried to nail him down and make him useless couldn’t get a moment’s worth of peace with those psalms playing. However, considering their defeat at the battle of the Resurrection, those psalms were better than what they’d have to face when the end finally came.

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Denise offers the prompt word “nail” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories.

Sunrise, Atlantic Ocean, Southern Florida

Star Formation vs Star Creation

SlimJim reviewed a book by R.J. Rushdoony, The Word of Flux, so I searched to see if Rushdoony believed in a six-day creation as reported in Genesis 1. Not only did he support it (see The Mythology of Science), but he clarified what was at stake. God performed a creative act in Genesis 1. What He did NOT do was participate in a creative process involving natural laws.

If God were merely guiding some natural processes, what were those processes? There is no point in claiming, as Alvin Plantinga has done, that God guided natural processes, if those natural processes do not exist.

In the video from Answers In Genesis below Dr. Terry Mortenson brings home the point that the problem with star formation is that there are no natural processes that permit star formation. In particular at (20:00), he quotes Neil deGrasse Tyson:

The scary part is that if none of us knew in advance that stars exist, frontline research would offer plenty of convincing reasons for why stars could never form. (Neil deGrasse Tyson, Death by Black Hole and Other Cosmic Quandaries, New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2007, p. 187)

On the other hand, the origins of stars as a creative act of God, as Rushdoony would put it, is not a problem. An act of creation (when God does it) does not require a natural process to explain it. All it requires, which is more than any atheist and even some Christians can tolerate, is accepting a Creator Who can do what He says He did in Genesis 1.

Some people I know are attracted to the creative process (rather than creative act) views of Hugh Ross. They like to think they are being “rational”. Dr. Mortenson puts a special focus on Ross (starting about 3:30) showing how he exaggerates what naturalists themselves claim they know to justify his own handwaving. If one takes being rational seriously, one would no longer trust anything someone had to say who is willing to exaggerate.

Bottom Line

If you want to accept the atheist fairy tales, the handwaving stories, that naturalists and Ross want you to believe, then you might as well give up on Christianity as many have already done as a result of such philosophical diversions.

Why? Because Jesus said “But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.” (Mark 10:6 and other verses).

If the fairy tales are right then Jesus got that wrong, because the beginning of Ross-style process creation happened a god-awful number of years prior to the appearance of men and women.

Now continue that deductive chain to see what else it entails.

  • If Jesus got something wrong, then He is not God.
  • If Jesus is not God, then the Trinity is false.
  • If the Trinity is false, then the death of Jesus could not have been the sacrifice that Christianity has made it out to be.

So, who are you going to believe?

If you are at all tempted to believe atheists because they like to portray themselves as “scientists” (more accurately, pseudo-scientists which is all one is when someone abandons operational science) consider that the earliest “historical date of any real certainty” goes back no further than 5000 years which falls in line with a global flood of about 5300 years ago.

If you are tempted to doubt that a global flood occurred, consider the signs of a global catastrophic water event: glaciers, continent wide sedimentary strata, catastrophic plate tectonics, planation surfaces.

If you are still tempted to think that naturalistic processes can pop a universe into existence, then which natural process gets us something from nothing? And which natural process takes us from pond scum to human beings before the observable natural process of genetic entropy drives humanity to extinction?

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And if you are still tempted after that, remind the devil (for me) that he’s a doofus and soon it will all be over.

Sunset at Lido Key Beach, Florida

Pass—Six Sentence Story

One of two things happens as they pass by. Either they start rationalizing or they start crying.

We try to reason with those who start rationalizing. When that doesn’t work, we get rough. When that doesn’t work, our hearts break.

All we do for those who cry is let God wipe away their tears.

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Denise offers the prompt word “pass” for this week’s Six Sentence Stories.