| Using common logic to embrace Christianity

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Brain Power

Posted on July 4, 2018 by Terry Wayne

The illustration above is typical of what you might have in your digital camera. It is capable of storing thousands of digital photos. Used in another way, that same storage device could hold a sophisticated computer program.

And while we marvel at the amazing technology that mankind has developed, we use that technology without giving it a thought.

In human terms, the advances in computer technology are mind-boggling. Most of us, using that technology, have minimal understanding of how these amazing devices work. We have even less understanding of the programming or instructions that provide the results we seek.

That might remind us of the continuing debate over whether our existence is a cosmic accident or the result of divine creation.

As much as we might marvel at the ability to store so much information in so small a package, there is even greater ability in the smallest of living creatures. Continue reading →

Earning God’s Favor

Posted on June 28, 2018 by Terry Wayne

In the logic of human experience, we would expect that we would be rewarded in our life in proportion to our faithful behavior toward our god. At least that’s been the prevailing belief throughout human history.

The object of worship has varied widely over the centuries until most of mankind ultimately concluded that there exists one universal creator. While the face of that creator may still be the subject of dispute by various factions, the concept of “earning” God’s favor remains consistent.

For many centuries, the idea that one could earn your god’s favor through sacrifice was the standard. Unfortunately, the concept of sacrifice meant giving up something of value – your finest livestock, your best crops, and in some cultures, even a human being.

So how do we view earning God’s favor in today’s world? Continue reading →

Are We Alone in the Universe?

Posted on June 20, 2018 by Terry Wayne

If pride is a sin, then we may be guilty of such when we believe we are the only intelligent life form in the vastness of the universe. We may be equally guilty if we assume we are capable of understanding God’s plan or purpose for us.

Perhaps the ultimate arrogance is to believe that a creator of the universe would build such an enormous and complex system exclusively for the human race.

We might be closer to understanding if we accept the fact that we incapable of comprehending the design and enormity of a universe of which we are the slightest and most insignificant element. As science delves deeper and deeper into the mysteries of the universe, more questions surface than answers.

We also need to accept the fact that, just because the Bible doesn’t address an issue, doesn’t mean that the issue is false.

Perhaps the most persistent question in modern times is whether other intelligent beings exist in the universe, and whether or not they visit this earth.

And perhaps the answers lie within the questions themselves. Continue reading →

God, Ghosts and the Gospel

Posted on June 13, 2018 by Terry Wayne

Sooner or later, each of us must come to terms with the discrepancy between the information (or lack of) in the Bible, and the wealth of anecdotal evidence of visits from beyond the grave. In other words – contact with the spirits of those who no longer exist in the earthly human form as we perceive it.

The Bible, it seems, offers mixed messages on the subject. Ghosts or spirits are acknowledged or referenced in the Bible, but fall into two distinct categories. Some spirits are perceived as demonic, while other spirit beings, such as angelic visitors, are seen as emissaries from God.

With few exceptions, what the Bible does not address is contact from the deceased.

In an age of advanced means of communication, most of us have had some exposure to tales of visits or messages from the departed. These incidents of contact with the other side of death’s door can be comforting to those left behind, or even beneficial when that contact involves a warning.

Hard-core theologians or spiritual philosophers may take the position that such visits are demons masquerading as deceased loved ones. Others accept the possibility that our loved ones visit to reassure those left behind that all is well.

So, what is the truth? Continue reading →

Let There Be Light

Posted on June 6, 2018 by Terry Wayne

One of the earliest and most profound verses in the Bible is in the description of the beginnings of the universe when God is reported to have said “Let there be light.”

As we ponder the question of whether or not the existence we experience is the result of creation by God or the result of a lucky combination of accidents of nature, we need to recognize the incredible collection of miracles that define us and our world.

And foremost among those miracles is light.

Light is a form of energy, and a form that we are uniquely equipped to utilize. It is a miracle that we have come to take for granted even as we take advantage of its properties and benefits.

Light is the form of energy that radiates from our sun, warming our planet in the cold emptiness of space. Light from the sun provides the benchmark that gives us a way to count the passage of time. It is the variance of light that causes the seasonal changes that keep our environment in balance.

It is the light from distant stars that was the means of navigation on open seas for early explorers. It is the character of light that allows our science to more fully understand the mysteries of deep space.

Light is the form of energy that plant life absorbs and uses to fuel the growth that becomes our food supply.

But the most miraculous aspect of light is also the greatest evidence of our creation by the power we call God. Continue reading →

God’s Recycling Program

Posted on May 30, 2018 by Terry Wayne

In our perpetual quest for logical evidence that God is real and responsible for our existence, we tend to overlook some of the most compelling evidence.

Many aspects of our world become so familiar that we cease to recognize the miraculous nature of those elements. We take for granted that the sun will rise each morning and the moon will cycle through its phases each month. When the snows melt and the days become warmer, we anticipate another growing season.

When we fall asleep each night, we do so confident that we will awake the next morning. We are confident that we will continue to breathe through the night.

So much of our existence relies on the repetitive cycle of nature that we fail to recognize the possibility of intelligent design behind those events.

So, where does the concept of God fit into this equation? Continue reading →

God’s Laws of Attraction – Part Two

Posted on May 23, 2018 by Terry Wayne

As we continue our quest to find logic in faith, we begin to acknowledge and explore forces in nature that defy logic. As a consequence, it leads us toward the higher probability of a supernatural force we call God.

We looked at the incredibly powerful force of gravity, and how that mysterious force helps create the environment that allows us to exist and, conveniently, keeps our feet on the ground.

But there is another force of attraction even more powerful than gravity. It is a force that also allows us to exist, but has the ability to end our existence as well. It is a force that allows all matter to exist.

When we explored the force of gravity, we were considering a force on a massive scale – the power to hold entire planets in orbit about our sun. Yet it is a force we can easily measure with simple tools. It is a force we can easily counteract (to a degree).

So, what is this force that is more powerful than gravity? Continue reading →

God’s Laws of Attraction – Part One

Posted on May 16, 2018 by Terry Wayne

Some of the miracles that we experience daily can’t be explained by science. Science may describe the effects, but can’t quite offer a credible explanation for the cause.

Perhaps the most common miracle we are all familiar with is the effect of gravity. It is so common, so familiar, that we seldom give it a thought unless we are standing on the edge of a tall building, or even the top of an unsteady ladder. At that point, we are keenly aware of the force of gravity and the potential consequences if we disregard the hazard it represents.

Even more common, we expect that when we set that cup of coffee down, it will rest where we placed it and the liquid will remain inside and not go floating away.

The effects of gravity are so familiar that we fail to recognize the miraculous nature of this force.

Science would call it a force of nature or one of the “laws” of the universe.

But, pure science fails to address the question of who or what created the laws of the universe or the forces of nature. Perhaps the simplest explanation is that gravity is merely the most obvious example of God’s laws of attraction.

And that coffee cup on the table is just the beginning. Continue reading →

God’s Tiny Team

Posted on May 9, 2018 by Terry Wayne

When we consider the likelihood that we exist because of the work of a Creator, our questions become clouded by a combination of views – both the “big picture” and the minute details. Either view is distorted by the other being out of focus.

We’ve all heard the expression “can’t see the forest for the trees,” but we need to flip that expression around to read “can’t see the trees for the forest.” We need to move in and focus on the microscopic trees that make up that forest.

In other words, when we look at the “big picture” of our existence, we easily lose sight of the complex combination of microscopic elements that function to keep us alive.

We spend a great deal of effort dodging harmful bacteria by washing, disinfecting, cooking and sterilizing. When that doesn’t work, we engage in chemical warfare against the microscopic enemy by way of antibiotics.

In the process, we may be killing off some of God’s tiny team of benefactors. It is one of the reasons that the medical community is hesitant to get too heavy-handed with antibiotics. Killing off the “good” bacteria can have disastrous consequences.

So, how does this fit into God’s plan? Continue reading →

God’s Magical Chemistry

Posted on May 2, 2018 by Terry Wayne

The very foundation of any religion is the belief in a higher power. Those of us who identify most closely as Christian call this higher power God. In its simplest, most basic interpretation, we acknowledge God as the creator of all we observe.

Yet, while we may acknowledge God the Creator as a concept, we are forced to acknowledge science as a fact that we have witnessed. We have seen materials consumed by fire. We have seen liquid water become a solid – ice. We have seen craters on the moon and heard the hum of electricity.

We have come to know faith by repetition of tales in the Bible. Faith whispers to us over and over again until we accept it as truth.

Science shouts at us. Science challenges us to think. Science dares us to judge by the evidence and arrive at a verdict. Science demands that we use that clump of grey matter that dwells in our skull. Continue reading →