David Holden

Past ministry of David Holden

After service in the RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) from 1969 to 1974, David Holden completed two years of formal theological training at the Sydney Missionary and Bible College.

After initially going back to secular work, David served as pastor of the West Rockhampton Baptist Church in Queensland Australia.
He has also served in interim pastoral ministry.

He has given numerous radio talks.
Spoken at Church camps.
Youth groups.
Taught Religious Instruction in schools.
After initially planning to serve overseas as a missionary, he came to realise (with the encouragement of several friends) that his missionary service is in the form of writing. With the help of the Internet, the teaching material is quickly going out to several contries from the home base in Australia
If you find this material helpful, don't keep it to yourself, tell a friend. Please pray for this work.

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Reading Guide
For a good understanding of Christianity, it is best to read the papers in the following order:

"The Beginning of Everything". Those who want to go a little deeper in this area of study should read, "Can The Theory of Evolution Survive The Attack of Science?" also "The Mathematical Impossibility of the Theory of Evolution" for those who like maths.
"The Objective Evidence For The Christian Faith"
"The Hindu the Muslim and the Christian"
"The Witness of Prophecy"
"God's Covenant With Abraham"
"The Kingdom of God"
"Sanctification: How should I live?"

After mastering the above, read:

"The Hand of God"

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NEWS ITEMS

Samoa and the problem of the Sabbath Go
The difference between Christianity and the religions of the world Go
The King James Version of the Bible - 400 years old Go
A Bizzare Cult, also Bill Johnston sees gold dust Go
Homosexual marriage Go
Just A Few Accidents Go
The theory of evolution is not good for some people Go
"The amazing giants" and "DNA checking machinery" Go
"The History of Julius Caesar and Jesus Christ" Go
"The Gospel and the fruit of the Gospel". Go
"Bali Bombers meet their fate". Go
"Debate". Go
"Read the Bible". Go
"That's My King" and "The Privileged Planet". Go
"The Hand of God" and "Wrong source of information" Go
"A Lesson From Life from a leading Atheist, Madalyn Murray O'Hair". Go
"Richard Dawkins". his latest book refuted (This article uploaded in March 2010 ) Go
"Conspiracy Theories" Go
Scams, Lies and Deception Go
"Foolish Belief", also "Car Development" Go

Samoa and the problem of the Sabbath
The end of the year 2011 has marked a big change for the nation of Somoa. They have decided to move the International Date Line to the East of their nation so that they share the same day with New Zealand. To make the alignment, they decided to skip Friday 30th December and go straight to Saturday. For the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church, the change is a real problem doctrinally. The SDAs don't follow the Christian Sabbath, they follow the Jewish Sabbath which begins at Sunset on Friday, and ends at Sunset on Saturday. Many SDAs are quite legalistic regarding what they consider to be the correct day on which to have their Sabbath. Some even consider their salvation to be in jeopardy if they worship on the wrong day! Just which is the 'correct day' is rather problematic around the International Dateline. With the sun over the Pacific Ocean, some SDAs worship on a Saturday, while others wait until the next day for Saturday to arrive because their community is East of the Dateline.
Regarding the problem on Samoa, some simply want to count off seven days from the previous Saturday, which means they would be having their morning service on the same day as Christians who honour the Lord by having their Sabbath on the day He rose from the dead; Sunday. Others however, want to stick with the tradition of the Jewish Sabbath which begins at sunset on Friday, even though there is the legalistic cost of failing to worship on the seventh day from the previous Saturday. Those who want to read more on this subject should look at my paper, "The Christian Sabbath Or The Jewish Sabbath, Which Should I Follow?" Accessible from the main page.
( uploaded on 02 January 2012. )

The Big Difference
I am occasionally asked what is the difference between Christianity and the other religions? Actually there are many superficial differences which people might point to, for instance, Christians celebrate Christmas and Easter. That however, is not getting to the heart of the issue. The one BIG difference between the religions of the world and Christianity (that's biblical evangelical Christianity) is the way God is viewed. All of the religions of the world debase or water down the moral character of God. His righteousness is lowered to such a degree in their eyes that all a person has to do is live a good life and be religious to a large extent and God will accept him or her into heaven - never mind that the person is not perfect.
In biblical evangelical Christianity, the perfect moral character of God is maintained. He will not allow one single person who is not perfect into heaven. God is viewed as perfect, while man is seen as a sinner. The Bible says, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). If every single person has failed, then clearly, sinners need a substitute to stand in their place. That person of course is the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only person to walk this earth all the days of his life perfectly. When a man places his faith in Christ, the righteousness of Christ is put to his account. The Bible declares, "... This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord our righteousness." (Jeremiah 23:6). See also Romans 5:17.
The religions of the world do not take the problem of sin seriously. All a person has to do is be devoted in a religious sense and their sins are hopefully covered. There is no certainty. Only in biblical Christianity are sins completely dealt with. The perfect Lord Jesus suffered and died on behalf of sinners. That is, those who place their faith in him.
In my more active teaching ministry in the 1980s I would occasionally present a drawing of a hill with three crosses on the hill. I would then declare that after judgment day, all sin in the universe will be dealt with. Either our sins are dealt with in the person of Jesus Christ who suffered and died on the cross in our place, or they are dealt with personally when we suffer a just punishment for eternity in a place called Hell. Even the devil along with all the evil spirits will suffer punishment in Hell.
In summary: Not one person who is not 100% perfect through Christ will enter Heaven. Not one sin in all the universe will ultimately go unpunished. All sins are dealt with in the perfect suffering of Christ, or they are dealt with in Hell. The false religions of this world do not meet that perfect standard - God's standard.
( uploaded on 09 May 2011)

The King James Version of the Bible (KJV)
May 2011 markes the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Version of the Bible. It was a huge success. It quickly outsold every other book. The old english words have a beauty and character which many people love. Handel's 'Messiah' which is sung by many thousands around Christmas time takes its passages of Scripture from the KJV. Its language in the minds of many conveys a certain authority. I still remember a nicely carved sign in a shop around three decades back which read, "Thou shalt not steal". I find some passages of Scripture in the KJV have a certain beauty, however, I am also mindful that the KJV has some shortcomings. Research has shown that the writing style of the original Greek New Testament was of the man in the street. Those who penned Scripture did not use words which had dropped out of use two or three hundred years back. Also, scholars now have a better understanding of some of the Greek words, leading to more accurate translations in recent years. Some claim the KJV to be the best version. Those who want to follow this subject further can read my article on the KJV debate, accessed from the main page. Also look at "The Inspiration and Authority of Scripture".
(uploaded on 09 May 2011).

Bizzare Cult
At Wilkesdale near Kingaroy in SE Queensland Australia, there is a Christian cult commune headed by forty-seven-year-old Alan John Miller. Alan is one of several fulfilling Scripture which declares that in the last days, there will be false Christ's. He declares that he is Jesus Christ. Joining him in this ridiculous delusion is Mary Suzzane Luck who declares she is Mary Magdalene. They claim to have around forty followers in this fantacy. Those who are part of what has been dubbed, 'The Jesus and Mary Cult' have cleared land in the shape of a giant cross. I guess they feel more spiritual if the clearing in which they live is in the shape of a cross. A report on the cult by David Murray was featured in the Courier Mail, 15 May 2011. A picture of Alan Miller and Mary Luck accompanies the story. The shirt Alan is wearing with its floral design looks like it would be quite at home in a hippie commune in the 1960s. Mary Luck is much more sensibly dressed.
In case you are wondering, the Scripture being partially fulfilled by Alan Miller says, ""For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect - if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time. "So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man."" (Matthew 24:24-27).

Bill Johnston and Gold Dust
Ridiculous claims are not limited to Australia. Bill Johnson, an evangelist from Bethel Church California USA claims he has seen angel feathers, gold dust and diamonds fall from Bethel’s ceiling. There were reports of gold dust appearing for a congregation in the UK about two decades back. A news reporter came to the Church to investigate the claims. When someone in the congregation opened his hands to display the gold dust, the reporter's comment was, “All I see is sweat”. Eventually the dishonest claims ceased.
Bill Johnson is not bothered by the exposure of the dishonesty in the UK. He is going full-steam ahead with his own claims. I have heard the claim of seeing angel feathers before, but those claims went the way of the gold dust in the UK. At this point I will put forward a couple of questions.

. If angels are such powerful creatures, why are they losing their feathers?
. Do angels have feathers? Please supply chapter and verse!

The teaching ministry of Bethel, headed by Bill Johnston, claims that it can teach people how to bring on God’s power to heal, and even raise the dead. According to the press (Josh Robertson, The Courier Mail, 28 May 2011, p. 14), this healing gift or knowhow is being marketed to people at prices of up to $720.00. Its DVD curricula is being marketed to Churches for around $7,000. Among those caught up in what is regarded by many as a scam is the Nexus Church on the north side of Brisbane and the Holyfire Ministry Training School at Park Ridge on the south side.
Apparently those handing out their money, and those receiving it are not bothered that the Bible reports that Simon was rebuked when he tried to buy a gift of God from the apostle Peter. “Peter answered: ‘May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!’” (Acts 8:20).
A major reason why some Christians are gullible enough to part with their money - not many fortunately - is because of a failure to understand that God is economical with his revelation. He gives enough revelation for a willing person to follow Him faithfully. It is also true that the revelation is small enough for the unwilling person to stumble. For the unwilling, or only partially willing, Holy Scripture is not good enough. That person wants to see someone walk on water, or raise from the dead before they will take Scripture seriously. The message of our Lord through Abraham to the rich man who wanted someone to raise from the dead was, “... If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” (Luke 16:31).
At this point, let me introduce a doctrine which seems to be missing in many Churches. “God is economical with His revelation”. Most parents around the world say something like this to their children at some point. “I have told you once and I am not going to tell you again”. The parent is in effect, warning the child that he or she is economical with his or her revelation as to what is required. That same doctrine applies between God and man. If we choose to be only half-hearted in finding out what God requires of us, He is not going to get people to walk on water or raise from the dead. We have to take note of the revelation which has already been given. Some Christians get excited over reports of spectacular miracles occurring somewhere, never mind that the miracle has a question mark over its validity or is clearly fraudulent in the eyes of many.
A problem with the fraudulent spectacular miracles is that they detract from the far greater miracles which God is doing every day, such as; raising the spiritually dead to life. Giving spiritual sight to the spiritually blind, and changing the cold hard heart of man so that he is warm toward God and fellow man. While man is dazzled by fraudulent spectacular miracles, he will be blind to the truly great miracles of God which are all around him.
The Bible is quite clear on the point that God is economical with his revelation. Regarding the voice of God which spoke from Mt Zion and shook the earth, the Bible declares, “‘At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, ‘Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’” (Hebrews 12:26). One of the things which the words ‘once more’ reveal, is that God is not going to speak from Mt Zion several times for the benefit of those who choose to be somewhat blind and dull of hearing to the things of God. If Bill Johnston has his gold dust examined, I think it will be found to be iron pyrites; that’s fool’s gold.
Upload on 06 June 2011 Return to - Index

Homosexual marriage
This news will be of particular interest to Australian readers, but may be helpful to others also. The homosexual (same sex) lobby in this country is aiming to change the law so that same sex people can marry. Not all homosexual (gay) people are homosexual by choice. There is a growing recognition in the community that due to a genetic mistake or a hormonal problem, some boys can grow up with a female brain, causing them to behave in a female way. Girls can have the same type of biological error in their makeup. On a TV programme aired earlier this year, a man revealed that he was shocked when he found that his son was homosexual. He asked his son why he chose to be 'gay'. The son responded by saying he did not choose to be 'gay'. He declared that it was not something that he wanted. Recently I spoke about this subject with a man who had worked for many years raising pigs. He informed me that occasionally a pig would turn out homosexual. The other pigs would recognise there was a problem and the homosexual pig would be pushed away from the main group. The farmer felt that perhaps an unknown chemical contamination of the food caused the problem. For those who are still skeptical about a biological link in some cases of homosexuality, I must point out that a very small number of babies are born each year with a sexual confusion of a physical kind. That is, they appear to be normal in every respect except that they have the wrong genitals for their sex. As Christians, we pity those who have the above problems, but does that mean we should support moves to allow same sex marriages so that their lives can be a little happier? The answer to that question is a definite No! for the following reasons:

Marriage for a person who is suffering from a homosexual orientation is not going to make his or her problem go away. The awkwardness they feel is going to remain with them no matter what official document they obtain.
Same sex marriage degrades the value of a normal marriage. A normal marriage in most cases goes beyond the love and support a couple have for each other to their children. Same sex couples can not normally have children, so the marriage covenant is by comparison a somewhat selfish covenant.
One report revealing the lack of stability in homosexual relationships states, "Studies on the length of homosexual relationships in Australia show that they last even less then heterosexual de facto relationships. Most male homosexuals do not have regular monogamous relationships that compare with the notion of marriage. The Melbourne Gay Community Periodic Survey (MGCPS) study of Feb 2000 found that only 20% of men had just one partner in the previous six months; 39% had 2 to 10 partners and 26% had 11-50 partners. 7.8% had over 50 partners.
Regarding the length of relationships (Melb.1997), of those who had a regular partner, 40.4% changed in the previous month, 10% were 6-12 months old and 18.8% were 1-2 years old. Only 30% had lasted more than 3 years and only 15.7% lasted more than 5 years. 68% of all homosexual male relationships lasted LESS than 2 years" (Salt Shakers, March 2004, p.12).
Some homosexual couples want to care for children. That idea is inconsiderate because children do better when raised by a mother and father. A programme aired on ABC TV (Australia) looked at the effect of the robust play which fathers give their children. It showed that the lively and energetic play which fathers have with their children is crucial to good development. The tender approach that mothers have with their children is also helpful. Children need both.
Part of my certainty that children need their fathers comes from personal experience. A few years back, I did some handyman repairs for a single mother. While having a brief chat with the lady before leaving, her son who was about four years old, took hold of my index finger and did not want to let go. From his point of view, he had found a man, and he did not want that man to leave. The following year, another single mother was living next door. She had a son aged around three or four. One day while I was doing some gardening near the fence - the fence being a fairly open style with vertical metal bars - he spotted me and came over. He reached his hand out toward me, so I put my hand through the fence, at which point he grabbed one of my fingers and said, 'daddy', even though I don't look anything like his actual father. Quite clearly, this child also was wanting a father. It defies common sense to think any normal child would want two mothers or two fathers.
Many homosexuals argue that marriage will be good for them and that the law should not step in the way of what they want to do. A problem with that idea is that the law already prevents people from doing what they might like to do from time to time. A couple of examples of that are the speed limits on roads and laws which protect the environment. A company director might argue that if he starts a mine in a particular area, it will help the native population financially. However, if that area has good laws, he will be prevented from proceeding with the project if the mine will be destructive to the environment or long term health of the people. Likewise, good laws will offer protection against the denegration of marriage and will also prevent the exploitation of children.
Having dealt with the group of people who are homosexual because of a biological error, we must now consider the group who are homosexual by choice. This group have become perverted in their lusts to the point where they deliberately seek out people of the same sex in order to engage in perverted sexual practices. A serious problem with allowing homosexuals to marry is that it would give legitimacy to the perverted practices.
The Bible condemns sexually perverted activity, it says, "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Cor. 6:9-11).
The Bible does not condemn those who simply have a homosexual orientation, rather, it condemns those who engage in homosexual activity, that is 'homosexual offenders'. Likewise, the Bible condemns heterosexuals (from Greek heteros meaning different) who commit fornication or adultery, that is, 'the sexually immoral'.
Those who become God-haters can become quite perverted in their behaviour. The Bible warns, "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator - who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done." (Rom. 1:25-28).
We should not think that all who sink to a low position are without hope. God is able to lift those who turn to him out of their wretched state to an honourable position. The Bible says regarding some who were particularly wicked, "And that is what some of you were." (1 Cor. 6:9-11).

The above section uploaded on 05 Dec. 2010. Return to - Index

Just a few accidents
Australia's Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, is on record as stating she is an Atheist. That should not surprise many, the Courier Mail newspaper (25 June, 2010, p. 4) reports that she is living in a defacto relationship with Tim Mathieson, a hair dresser. Christians set a high standard in the matter of romantic relationships. We believe in a covenantal love. That is, a love which is strong and committed to the point of a mutual bond to the other person in the form of a marriage covenant. The Courier Mail reports that Tim and Julia are a 'good fit', so it is the hope of this writer that they will both move on to a happy marriage.
Regarding the beliefs of Julia, as an Atheist, she has to believe in the theory of evolution story. Atheists have no choice. At the heart of the theory of evolution story is a long list of accidents. The first accident is the life accident. That is where some bits and pieces bump into each other in a very complicated arrangement so that life is formed. Additional accidents are as follows:

The reproduction accident - After at least thousands of false starts, a simple life form splits in two and both pieces keep on living.
The complicated reproduction accident - Again, after at least thousands of false starts, the life forms separate into two groups. One group the males, the other group being the females. From that point on, they take on a very complicated means of reproduction.

Some evolutionists are on record as having claimed that human beings are simply highly evolved pond scum. There is a big difference between pond scum and humans. That is no problem to evolutionists. It only takes a few accidents to go from pond scum to humans. I will list some of the accidents:

The lung accident - The lung accident is not one accident, but rather, a lot of little accidents which culminate in the completed lung accident.
The heart accident, the arteries and veins accident, the blood inside the arteries and veins accident, and finally, the heart starts beating accident. For a time, when animals receive a cut, they bleed to death until along comes the coagulation of the blood accident. There are many other accidents I could mention such as the liver accident, and the pituitary gland accident. In fact, there are more amazing accidents in the theory of evolution story than you will find in the entire account of Gimm's Fairy Tales.

My question to Julia Gillard and all the other Atheists out there is:
What is your favourite theory of evolution story accident and why?

This section uploaded on 18 July 2010.

Theory of Evolution
The theory of evolution is not good for certain groups of people.

It is not good for the Australian Aborigines. Darwin thought they were sub-human; an evolutionary link to the full human. In his mind, to be fully human, you had to have white skin. Aborigines were once listed in an Australian museum booklet in the early 1900s as being animals. Darwin’s ideas led some early white settlers in Australia to shoot Aborigines. It has been estimated that perhaps as many as 10,000 bodies of Australian Aborigines were shipped to British museums in an attempt to prove they are an evolutionary link. In the Australian island state of Tasmania, they were deliberately exterminated. Many Aborigines found protection in mainland Australia in Church run Aboriginal settlements.
It is not good for non-whites. Darwin’s ideas have led many whites to look down on coloured people as being inferior. This terrible attitude led Hitler to the belief that he should work toward developing a super race of white people. The attitude also led to apartheid in South Africa and Negro slavery in North America. When slavery was banned, discrimination remained. Discrimination has largely been shed, but not without some nasty riots in the 1960s.
It is not good for women. Darwin looked down on women and saw them as inferior to men. It was in about the year 2003 that I saw an article in a newspaper which looked at women from an evolutionary point of view. The writer - a male of course - sought to give some technical reasons as to why it was that women missed out to some extent in the evolutionary process. I didn’t waste my time fully reading through that article.
It is not good for those at the bottom end of the socioeconomic spectrum. Those at that end of the spectrum aren’t as fit as the others, and remember, Darwinism is in praise of the fit. It does not matter if those at the bottom die off. An extreme form of Darwinism will even accommodate helping the unfit to die off. I have in mind at this point the shooting of Aborigines, and Hitler’s and Stalin’s extermination camps.
It was not particularly good for the peace of mind of Stalin. He had the length of the curtains where he worked shortened so that a potential assassin could not hide behind them. Someone else might decide he was the fittest and take drastic action to prove his point.

In addition to the above, the theory of evolution is not good for science. To find out why, read the paper, "Can The Theory of Evolution Survive The Attack of Science?". That paper is a free download from the 'Origins' section (Page 1 section) in the home page. Also, take a look at the brief paper Just A Few Accidents.
This section uploaded on 05 July 2010. Return to - Index

The amazing giants
Get ready for photos of some amazing giant sekletons to arrive in your Email if they have not done so already. In recent weeks, a story that giant skeletons, have been found in Greece is circulating the worldwide Email system. It is claimed the skeletons could be of the biblical Nephilim. "We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them." (Num. 13:33).
In most of the photos we see digital images of skeletons which are clearly larger than a normal human skeleton, but in a couple of the photos, the digital image of one of the skulls is so large, it is beyond giant size, it is monster size. The skull alone is around one half metre from the base to the top; larger than the trunk length of a man working next to the skull.
Whoever digitally enhanced the size of the skull has over played his hand. You won't find this story in any reputable archeology report, and it won't hit the news headlines. There is a non-Christian group which occasionally puts out false reports of this type. Around ten years back, they put out a report that they had found the skull of Goliath buried on the battlefield complete with a stone buried in his skull. The problem with that story is that the skull of Goliath was not buried on the battlefield. David took the skull to Jerusalem (1 Sam. 17:54) where it was no doubt placed on display. Eventually it was buried on a hill, "the place of the skull" (John 19:17). We all know what happened on that hill. For more on the interesting story of King David, the battle against Goliath and "the place of the skull", take a look my paper, "God's Covenant With King David" available on a link from the main page of this web site.
This story uploaded on 09 June 2010.

DNA Checking Machinery: A science report on ABC 'Radio National' (Australia) aired on 4th September 2009 gives information on the DNA checking ability of special micro biological machines (which are actually enzymes). These machines are at work in every cell in our body. They are constantly checking the DNA code. The micro machines face a big problem because there are three billion code letters which must be checked on a chromosome string, which if stretched out would measure two metres. If the code letters were printed in books, they could form a stack two metres high. The speed at which the remarkable task is performed has been a puzzle to scientists, but not any more.
It has been discovered that the enzymes work in pairs. They both latch onto a piece of code some distance from each other relatively speaking. They then send an electrical signal to each other. If there is a faithful transmission through the code to the other enzyme, they quickly move on to the next section of code. If however, there is a fault in the transmission, they then move slowly toward each other, laboriously checking each individual code. When a faulty piece of code is found, it is repaired. If a clear electrical transmission is restored, they then move quickly to the next section.
The above is another blow to the theory of evolution and clear testimony to the great genius of the one who designed the molecular machinery and put the three billion letters of code in place. We worship an awesome God.
This report, which starts with a discussion on HIV can be found at: http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/2009/09/bst_20090904_0637.mp3
Go The Go link will take you to the ABC web site. You can skip the HIV part by quickly moving half way through the ten minute file.
The above file was accessed on 05 Sept. 2009. This article was revised and uploaded on 09 May 2010.
Want more news on the failure of the theory of evolution? Check out a new paper titled, "Can The Theory of Evolution Survive The Attack of Science?" It is a free download from the main page. The above information is included in the paper (18 pages). A revised and expanded second edition was uploaded in May 2010. This paper has been very popular with readers who are interested in this subject.

The history of Julius Caesar and Jesus Christ
In my discussions with Atheists, I sometimes hear the claim that the Bible is a very ancient book, therefore it can’t be reliable, because we can’t be sure about history that comes from the distant past.
If I talk to an Atheist about secular history, he readily accepts the story as being true. The claim that it is too ancient to be reliable no longer applies. There is an approach which I sometimes use which can be effective in overcoming the inconsistency. The strategy is to talk briefly about readily accepted secular history before moving on to the more contentious subject of the history of Jesus Christ.
Take for instance, Julius Caesar, we know that he was assassinated in 44 BC. We even know the exact date on which he met his fate. It was the Ides of March, that is the fifteenth. The details don’t stop there. We also know that he was stabbed twenty-three times and that only one of the wounds was fatal; a deep wound in the back. Furthermore, the post-mortem revealed he was clutching a note warning of a plot against him. The above details were brought out in a TV documentary in 2008 titled, “Who Killed Julius Caesar?” The details are known to us more than 2,000 years after the event because eyewitness evidence was written down.
We know details about Jesus Christ today for the same reason. Details were written down regarding what he said and did. Some of the many details reported about Jesus include the fact that he was stabbed just once, and that was with a spear after his death on the cross to make sure he really was dead (John 19:34-37). The big difference between Scripture and secular writings is that Scripture is inspired of God. That means God moved the writers to write what they wrote (2 Tim. 3:16).
Regarding the death of Julius Caesar, it brought temporary euphoria for those involved in the plot, and little else. The outcome from the death of Jesus Christ is still being felt today in the lives of millions of people. Those who trust in the death of Christ for their sins gain the following:

• The assurance of sins forgiven and peace with God (John 3:16).
• Inner peace that the world can’t give (John 14:27, Acts 10:36).
• The benefit of a well-ordered and meaningful life when lived according to God’s will (Prov. 12:2, John 10:10, but the Godless endure much trouble. Rom. 3:9, 11).
• The assurance of a heavenly reward in the age to come (Eph. 6:8, John 14:2-3).

For more information on the saving work of Christ, see my paper, “The Hindu, the Muslim and the Christian”.
Uploaded on 05 June 2009.

The Gospel and the fruit of the gospel
In the 16th October 2008 edition of New Life Christian newspaper, a report is given of a Uniting Church minister giving his view of what the Gospel is. It quickly became apparent to me that this chap has failed to appreciate the distinction between ‘The Gospel’ and ‘The fruit of the gospel’. Among the many things he lists as being the Gospel he says:

“The Gospel is about invitation – joining in from where you are, not persuasion.
The Gospel is about bias – a particular regard for those on the margins.
The Gospel is about crossing boundaries – not respecting any division.
The Gospel is about leading – by being the servant of all.”
Its surprising how many people will accept such statements as being the Gospel, but they are not.

The Gospel
The first use of the word ‘gospel’ is in Matthew 4:23 where we read, “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.” (Matt. 4:23).
The word ‘gospel’ (Greek euangelion) means 'good news'. In the above passage, we see Jesus tells the gospel, or good news of the kingdom of God. In another passage Jesus said, “... kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” (Mark 1:15, KJV). “... believe the good news!” (NIV).
After the resurrection of Christ, the gospel message changes. The apostle Paul makes clear to his readers what the gospel is. “... For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
We see from this that the focus of the gospel (good news) has shifted from the kingdom of God to the one who is the doorway to the kingdom.

The good news - post the ascension of Christ to the Father - is Christ-centred. It refers to the good news of what God has done in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ lived a life of perfect righteousness which is put to the believers account. “The Lord our righteousness” (Jer. 23:6. See also Rom. 1:17). Jesus also endured whipping and a cruel death on a cross. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor. 5:21).

Jesus Christ stands in our place in regard to the righteousness that is required before God, and he also stands in our place with regard to the punishment required for sin. That is the substitutionary atonement. Part of the message includes the bodily resurrection of Christ and his ascension to the Father.
When a person proclaims the Gospel, he proclaims certain past historical events which are centred on the person and work of Christ. The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia says regarding the gospel.
“It is the proclamation of the forgiveness of sins and sonship with God restored through Christ. It means remission of sins and reconciliation with God. The gospel is not only a message of salvation, but also the instrument through which the Holy Spirit works (Rom 1:16).”

Pastors who fail to proclaim the work of Christ fail to proclaim the Gospel.
The Gospel is the good news of what God has done in Christ.
The fruit of the gospel is what God does in the life of the believer.
The Gospel, and the fruit of the Gospel should not be confused, those who do so end up declaring an unclear message.
For more information on another neglected and often misunderstood subject, the 'substitutionary atonement', see my paper titled, "The Hindu, the Muslim and the Christian", available from the main page.
Uploaded on 16 November 2008.
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Convicted Bali Bombers Meet Their Fate
09 November 2008. The convicted Bali bombers who took the lives of 202 people were executed by firing squad at 0015 hrs this morning. But that is not the end of the matter, they must next stand before God on judgment day to answer for their religion of hate and murder which has born fruit in the suffering of so many.
Jesus said, “‘By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, ...’” (Matt. 7:16-21).
Uploaded on 10 November 2008.
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Skeptics Vs Creationists
Recently I read a Creation Ministries booklet titled, “Skeptics Vs Creationists”. The booklet dealt with a formal debate between the two parties which was hosted by, and placed in the Sydney Morning Herald weblog of Margo Kingston, a well-known weft-wing Australian journalist.
Often in these types of debate, the person challenging the Creationist takes a purely atheistic approach, which means the first form of life was just an accident. Complicated forms of life are just the end result of a long series of accidents. See my paper, “Just a Few Accidents”.
Imagine my surprise when the Skeptic avoided the difficult problem of how the first instance of life occurred by allowing the possibility that God exists. In defence of evolution he says, “It is not about the origin of life. It is not about the origin of the universe. It is about the journey which has brought us from there to here; whether that journey was initiated or guided by God is outside the realm of scientific investigation.” (page 30).
It is easy to visualise a situation on judgment day where God challenges this man by saying, “If you believed it is possible I exist, then why didn’t you seek after me? Away from me you wicked fellow to the punishment you deserve!”
The Australian skeptics are described in the booklet as a group that “investigates the paranormal and pseudo-science from a responsible scientific viewpoint”. One member of the group runs a web site which aims to tackle the problem of uncritical thinking.
The theory of evolution is not accepted by a large number of scientists, but the skeptics have swallowed the theory “hook, line and sinker”. It appears to me that their ability of critically look at ideas only works some of the time.
God has created mankind, and we have the ability to communicate with each other. If we have the ability to talk with each other, then quite clearly, God has the ability to talk to us. Those who want to investigate the question of whether or not God has spoken to us should read the article, “The Objective Evidence For The Christian Faith” available from the main page in March 2010.
Uploaded on 01 November 2008. Return to - Index

Read the Bible
“For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Proverbs 2:6).

As a young man in the Air Force in the 1970s, I committed myself to the task of reading the Bible from cover to cover. One of the men who shared my room - a Christian - asked me what I was doing. I explained it was my intention to read right through the Bible.
He then explained to me his concern that I was getting a little too familiar with the holy book by spending so much time reading it. His view was one of adoration and awe for the book, so that you put it up on a shelf and stood back a little from it, taking it down occasionally to refresh your mind regarding an important passage.
My reply to him was that the Bible is a message from God to us which must be understood and obeyed. Failure to understand and obey can have serious consequences. The Bible is a tool for discovery and obedience. It is not an end in itself. God, the author of the Bible, is to be the object of our adoration and worship. I am thankful that I developed a keen interest in what God is telling mankind through his word.
My reading plan was quite simple. I started at the beginning of the Bible and committed myself to reading at least ten pages before going to the mess (dining room) for dinner. My plan was to read through the Bible at least twice before going to Bible College. I easily met my target by reading half way through the book for the third time before commencing studies at the Sydney Missionary and Bible College in 1974.
My commitment to read through the Bible came out of theological debate in my parents home. When I was a child, Jehovah’s Witnesses called in to the home to discuss the Bible. My maternal grandfather became concerned and came on at least a couple of occasions to debate their doctrines. He brought his more biblically aware brother, Sern Jensen.
I was too young to follow the debate, but I could see that my great uncle had a confidence about what he was declaring because of his knowledge of the Bible. I understood that what they were debating was important, so I vowed and declared that I would read the Bible from cover to cover so as to understand for myself what the truth is.
Today, people are not reading the Bible as much as they should. Part of the reason comes from the many distractions of the modern world. There are now many opportunities to choose superficiality and pleasure over substance and importance.
There are solutions. If the TV is a distraction, switch it off and commit yourself to not turn it on each night until you have read a set section of Scripture. Just as an athlete must set his mind to the task when training for his temporary prise, so too, those who study the word of God must set their mind to the task, because they work for a far greater prise.
Today I have read the Bible from cover to cover more than ten times, and the New Testament many more times. It is by reading the Bible right through that I am able to dig up many of its treasures.
Occasionally I am asked how I was able to write articles such as “God’s Covenant With King David”. The answer is, I have no easy method. As I continually read through the Bible, I take particular note of the topic I am studying at the time as I come across it in my reading. I don’t like to let treasure slip through my fingers so I take notes of important statements I come across. Sometimes I find I do not have all of the information I require until I read through the Bible again, focussing on the particular interest. Finally, the information is put together to form an interesting story for others to enjoy. The paper dealing with God’s covenant with King David is now part of a larger paper titled “The Hand of God”. You can now download that paper from the main page.
While that paper and others on the web site will be helpful for the student of God’s Word, they are no substitute to the exercise of reading the Bible. Those who are familiar with the truth will not so easily become the victims of error.

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15) Posted on 08 June 2008.
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That's My King
Those who have a data projector in their church and want to give a brief heart-warming soul-stiring message ahead of a further message, then the web site listed below may be helpful to you. The title of the message is "That's My King". It runs for six minutes. The file comes in several qualities, from Email quality (2.8 MB) to best quality at around 90 MB. Best quality is well worth the extra space on your hard drive.
It is not unusual for people to keep this audio/visual file on their computer and watch it several times. The web site is in the UK, it is being promoted by this site in Australia and the preacher is American. That's a worldwide ministry! The preacher has now gone to glory to meet his King, but the message lives on. Go to:
http://www.4-14.org.uk/thats-my-king-s-m-lockridge

The Privileged Planet
News update: Since posting the comment below, I have added more material. The paper attached to The Mathematical Impossibility of the Theory of Evolution is now titled A Finely Tuned Universe.

I don’t normally advertise DVDs, but “The Privileged Planet” is the first DVD in the intelligent design category which has that “I must see that again” quality about it.
Regarding the earth and its atmosphere, it is generally known that the atmosphere is held onto the earth by gravity. Well actually, there is more to it than that. Our earth has a hot molten iron core which is constantly in motion generating a magnetic field. The magnetic field is necessary to hold the atmosphere to the earth. Without the field, the atmosphere would be stripped from the earth by the solar wind. There are many other similar bits of information on the DVD.
The DVD makes the point that there are at least twenty physical laws which must be correct (little margin for error) to support a complex form of life. The number of laws known to be necessary for complex life has grown since the production of the DVD.
Some Atheists are making the claim that the correct laws for our existence are just a coincidence and that other amazing coincidences have happened in the past. For instance, the list of coincidences between Abraham Lincoln and John Kennedy. I have refuted that argument in a short (one page) addition to my paper “ The Mathematical Impossibility of the Theory of Evolution” (5 pages). See page two on the main page of the web site.
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Photos
Those who like photos will be pleased to know that I have added an illustrative photo at the end of my document titled “God’s Covenant With King David”. Html version only. No room at the end of the .pdf version without going onto the next page, which would look untidy in the print version format.

The Hand of God
A booklet titled, "The Hand of God" was uploaded on 01 March 2007. It looks at the remarkable hand of God through time, culminating in the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Those who fall into error on the subject of the baptism of the Holy Spirit usually do so because they focus on a verse of Scripture here and there and fail to give sufficient attention to the overall plan of God as revealed in the rest of Scripture. When the overall plan of God is understood, many of the otherwise difficult passages of Scripture are clearly understood. It is the primary focus of this web page to give readers an understanding of the bigger picture before going into detail on individual verses of Scripture. Take a look at "The Hand of God" and enjoy. A free download (22 pages, .pdf format) available from the main page.

Wrong source of information
People can get themselves into a lot of trouble when they reject God and get their values from another source. Take for instance the case of Devin Moore, a young man in the United States who now sits on death row.
Devin was taken to an Alabama police station for questioning about a stolen car. He was initially cooperative, but suddenly lunged for the policeman’s gun. He successfully grabbed the gun and fatally shot the police officer. Before escaping in a police car, he shot and killed two more police. He was later captured and questioned about the incident. He is reported to have said at one point, “Life is like a video game. You have to die sometime.” (1)
If there is no God, then the claim that life is like a video game is largely true. You just live out your life the way you feel is best and take your chances. People like Devin need to know there is a God who gives meaning and joy to life. On the other hand, if God is ignored, the offender faces the certainty of a just punishment which lasts much longer than anything the courts can deliver. For information on how to get right with God, read, “Four Things You Need to Know”. (Available from the main page, page 1).
End Note: (1) (Helen Phillips, New Scientist, 21 April 2007, p. 33).
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A lesson from life, Madalyn Murray O’Hair
People fit fairly broadly into one of four groups when it comes to beliefs about God.

Those who are born again children of God through Jesus Christ who are passionate about their commitment to him.
Those who are God-fearing and may follow one of the world’s religions.
Those who acknowledge there must be a god, but make no commitment to follow him.
The atheist. The person who believes there is no God. Those at the bottom end of this group passionately proclaim their atheistic views.

Madalyn O’Hair, wasn’t simply an atheist, she was a passionate atheist. In 1952 she completed a law degree but never practised law. No doubt her knowledge of law helped her to advance her aims which were to take every thought of God out of American life.
In 1960 she filed a lawsuit (Murray v. Curlett) against the Bultimore, Maryland School District claiming it was unconstitutional for her son William to participate in Bible readings at Baltimore public schools. The case went to the United States Supreme Court which voted 8-1 in her favour, effectively banning ‘coercive’ public prayer and Bible-reading at public schools in the United States. Following the decision of the Supreme Court, she founded American Atheists.

Those who followed Madalyn’s atheistic beliefs were encouraged to give to her cause. She received large amounts of money which totalled in the millions. Some of the money ended up in her secret Swiss bank accounts. That’s not surprising. She did not believe there was a God to whom she must give an account on judgment day.
David Roland Waters was hired to work in the office of American Atheists as an office manager and typesetter. He was a devout atheist proven by the fact that he gave no thought for God when he committed some vicious crimes for which he spent time in jail.
David Waters continued in his Godless ways. He stole from the American Atheists organisation. He was convicted of stealing $54,000 from the organisation. During his period of employment at the office, there were several suspicious burglaries. Madalyn wrote a scathing article about David Waters exposing some of his crimes. The article was meant for members only, but a disgruntled member gave David a copy. David was furious and planned his revenge.

From 27th August 1995, Madalyn, her son Jon and Robin whom she had adopted were not publically seen again. She left a note at the headquarters of American Atheists in Austin implying an absence for some time and a visit to San Antonio, Texas. The following month, her son Jon ordered $600,000 (USD) worth of gold coins from a San Antonio jeweller, but took delivery of only $500,000 (USD).
After a lengthy absence, people began to speculate that they had fled the country with money stolen from the organisation. Eventually a murder investigation focussed on David Waters. Police concluded that he with accomplices had kidnapped the O’Hairs, forced them to withdraw the missing funds and then murdered them.
To escape the death penalty for the murder of the O’Hairs, David Waters showed police where they were buried. Two years to the day after revealing their burial place, David Waters died in prison of lung cancer.
As for the stolen gold coins, David Waters kept them in a suitcase in a storage unit rented by his girlfriend. It was secured by a cheap padlock. He took out $US 80,000 worth of coins and partied with his girlfriend. When he eventually came back to get more, he found the remaining $US 420,000 missing. Petty thieves operating in the area used a master key to gain access to the storage units. When they opened the storage unit and the suitcase, they struck gold. They spent the money in what can be best described as wild and reckless living. Police recovered only one of the gold coins.

Lets think for a moment about the beliefs of Madalyn O’Hair. Her belief was that if you could get rid of God in your life, you would be free and happy because you decide how to run your life, not God. You are only answerable to yourself. Because of this attitude, Madalyn repeatedly failed as an employee because she wanted to tell those senior to her how to run the business. Consequently, she was fired from several positions. She repeatedly failed in her relationships with men. Two marriages failed, and she had at least two failed illicit relationships.
As for the relationships between the Atheists in her office, instead of everyone being happy liberated people, there was bitterness and strife. Sometimes the strife developed into shouting matches with each person trying to make his or her view dominant.

Madalyn Murray O’Hair spent much of her life trying to get people to forget about God, but that did not stop God from reaching out to someone very close to her, her son William. In 1980 William under a move of the Spirit of God, placed his faith in Jesus Christ. He became a Baptist pastor and a passionate preacher of the gospel. Occasionally, when his mother organised a rally, he would rally believers to protest close by to counteract her false message. William knew first hand just how destructive his mother’s belief system was to her life.

What did the Atheists gain from all the millions of dollars they poured into their anti-God cause? The answer is, very little. They gave little thought to the consequences of giving money to a belief system which has no ultimate accountability, and they lost all of their money to people who engaged in self-indulgent living.
God honours those who honour Him.

“...Those who honour me I will honour, but those who despise me will be disdained.” (1 Samuel 2:30).

Bibliography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madalyn_Murray_O’Hair
TV programme, “Cutting Edge”, SBS, 06 February 2007.

Uploaded March 2007 Index

Richard Dawkins
Professor Richard Dawkins, outspoken Athiest and evolutionary biologist, was in Australia in the first week of March 2010, promoting his book, "The Greatest Show On Earth". This is the same Dawkins who believes that evolutionary change is brought about largely by mutations. However, when asked to give an example of a mutation adding useful information to the genetic code, Dawkins could not give one. I thought scientists were supposed to adopt views which are based on scientific evidence! You can view Dawkin's response to the above question by viewing the .htm version of my article, "Can The Theory of Evolution Survive The Attack of Science?" See the link at the bottom of the article.
Dawkins gave at least public support to the Atheists bus advertising campaign which stated, "There's probably no God, now stop worrying and enjoy life". The Atheists who came up with that slogan obviously don't know much about Christianity. My fellowship with God has added joy and meaning to my life. No genuine Christian would want to give up what he has gained. Jesus said, "... I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10).
Dawkins has publicly made the claim that no true scientist doubts the theory of evolution. That is an outrageous claim. Not only do many scientists doubt the theory, many have publicly opposed it. Some of those scientists by way of exanple are listed in my paper.

Bad Design Argument
Dawkins, in an interview on 03 March 2010 with Fran Kelly, the ABC Radio National Breakfast host (Australia), made the claim that he had evidence that mamals are not designed because all mamals have a nerve (Recurrent Laryngeal nerve) that starts at the brain and goes down into the chest cavity, loops around a major artery and travels back up to its destination, the larynx (voice box). He makes the claim that for humans, that long journey is ridiculeous, and for a jiraffe, it is 'mega ridiculeous'. If there really was a God, he would not do it that way.
Athiests have fallen on their faces many times with the, 'We don't understand what this is for, therefore it proves there is no God.' I am surprised that Dawkins still persists with that line of argument.
In the past, evolutionists have claimed the human body had many 'evolutionary leftovers'. This idea arouse out of ignorance concerning the function of many organs. For instance, the appendix and the tonsils. The term, 'Junk DNA' was given to DNA which appeared at the time to have no useful function. All of the above have now been found to have a useful function. Dawkins has fallen into the ignorance is evidence error. He does not understand why the nerve needs to be so long, so lack of understanding becomes the basis for his argument.

Double Edged Sword
Dawkins argument is a double edged sword. As an Atheist, Dawkins believes every nerve and organ in our body just happens to be the right size and in the correct place through chance random processes. If chance random processes are so clever, how come it got one nerve wrong? God, the designer and creator of the universe and everything it contains, obviously has a reason for the nerve travelling down into the chest cavity which man has yet to discover. Dawkins and his fellow Atheists are not likely to be in any hurry to find a complicated answer to the above problem. To do so would only add another nail to the Atheist's coffin.
Dawkins makes the claim that his book provides proof that the theory of evolution is true. That is quite a bold claim to make. I have been following the theory of evolution controversy for many years now and I have yet to see any evidence that poves the theory. Dawkins might be excited that he thinks he has the proof that the world has been waiting for, but I certainly don't see that excitement in the wider scientific community. Dawkins book has been on the book shelves of stores for several months now and it has failed to generate much interest. So in summary, don't expect to see bold headlines in the newspapers stating, "Theory of Evolution Has Been Proven" anytime soon.
Dawkins produced a book titled, "The God Delusion". The poor logic in that book was challenged in a book titled, "The Dawkins Delusion". Dawkins latest book has been challenged by a scientist from the field of microbiology. His name is Jonathan Sarfati. His book is aptly titled, "The Greatest Hoax On Earth?" The front cover features two chess pieces - the two kings. The black king has SCIENCE written on the side of it, and it is standing. The white king has EVOLUTION written on the side of it, and it has fallen on its side. In the science verses theory of evolution debate, science wins every time when correctly presented. Those who want to find out more about Jonathan Sarfati's book should go to
www.thegreatesthoaxonearth.com

Climbing Mt Improbable
To overcome quite large scientific obstacles to the theory of evolution, Dawkins talks about 'climbing Mt Improbable'. His argument is very clever, but not sound. Basically, his argument goes like this. We are to imagine the progress from microbe to man as being like a tall mountain. Going from the base straight up a cliff face is very difficult, but if we start a long way back from the mountain and choose to go up a gentle slope, moving forward inch by inch, then we slowly climb, increment by increment, until finally we reach the top. By this approach, big problems can disappear if you just chop them up to small enough pieces.
With this line of thinking, someone could put forward the claim that a man could hit a golf ball from this galaxy across to the next. The many objections to the idea are overcome by:

Ignoring a lot of scientific facts.
Then claming that by driving the golf ball forward 100 metres or so at a time, then slowly, increment by increment, you will get that ball across to the next galaxy.
Now lets add some missing scientific facts:
The golf ball will not continue in the direction of the target galaxy because gravity will bring the golf ball to earth.
Even if we ignore that scientific fact and imagine the ball staying put in the intended direction of travel, there are additional scientific facts which will prevent any man from driving a golf ball increment by increment to the next galaxy.

The evolution story which has microbes turning into men can only gain respectability when a lot of scientific information is ignored. It is not only science which must be ignored, but also recent history. Atheism along with theory of evolution thinking was of no benefit to Hitler and his people, and it was of no benefit to Starlin and his people. Both Germany and Russia suffered badly because their rulers did not believe they were accountable to God. They could do to others as they pleased. Giving to a ruler or government some support for the idea that there is no God that he or they must answer to may give additional freedom, but it is a very dangerous freedom.
I will now deal with the matter of suffering because Dawkins, and many others for that matter, think they have a case against there being a God because there is suffering in the world.

Suffering
When I was going through combat training as a young recruit in the Air Force (RAAF), our instructor made it clear to us that we should not expect to be treated well if we were captured. If officers hit their own men to emphasise a point (Japanese officers for instance in WW II hit their men), then we should not complain if an enemy officer hits us if we get captured. We had to deal with each situation in its context.

Suffering and a God of love
Some complain about the suffering in this world, arguing that if God loves everyone, then why does he allow suffering?
The answer to this puzzle is best seen in the context of the suffering of Christ.
God sent his Son into the world to suffer and die for those who put their trust in him. Jesus was completely righteous every day of his life, therefore, he was not deserving of any suffering. However, he chose to suffer in order to bring sinners to God. It follows then that if God sent his own Son to suffer, and Jesus determined himself that he should suffer, then those of us who are sinners can hardly complaign about our own sufferings. If we do unjustly grumble and complaign about the hardship we face, then we add to our sins in the light of the one who took on suffering without complaigning.
Many of Christ's followers take on suffering, usually financially or through hard work in order to alleviate the suffering of others. It is interesting to observe that it is often the case that those who complain the loudest against God about suffering are the ones who put in the least effort to alleviate the suffering of others.

Suffering produces character and proclaims a good character
If I do not work, I will suffer hunger and poor shelter. Suffering motivates me to take care of my own needs and the needs of others. If I am thoughtless about what I eat, or engage in substance abuse, then I will suffer the consequences.
Some suffer because of circumstances outside of their control. Perhaps through harsh environmental factors, or the terrible actions of others. Jesus Christ suffered terribly because of the actions of others.
God is not someone who dwells in a remote area of the universe, and has little thought for his creation. The great marvel for all of mankind is that God sent his Son into the world in human flesh. Jesus then endured the hardships that were common to men of that era, and finally suffered a cruel death.

Suffering in the context of time.
People suffer and Jesus suffered more than most. His suffering ended in death, as in most cases will our lesser earthly suffering. His suffering was not in vain. He rose from the dead to receive the reward prepared for him from God the Father. Our sufferings in this world will also come to an end. Those who have done evil will be cast into Hell where they will receive the punishment they deserve. From that moment on, all unjust suffering will come to an end. No person can rightly complain about the final outcome. Those who are saved through the work of Christ will enter heaven. The final state for all of mankind will never end. So in the context of eternity, the sufferings of this world are very short in duration.

Suffering, the great excuse.
Some people don't want to come to God for various reasons. Quite often it is because they harbour a secret sin or at least a secret desire to engage in a sinful activity. Such people don't want to admit to such shortcomings on their part, not even to themselves. They decide not to find fault with themselves, but rather with God. They are not going to come to God because he has allowed suffering for a short time. This excuse is used by a wide range of people, from the humblest of servants, right through to professors and prime ministers. The folly of their actions will be revealed on judgment day because God knows the heart of every man.
This article uploaded on 25 March 2010.

Dawkins anti-God book
Just before Christmas 2006, The Courier Mail newspaper reviewed a book written by Oxford University Professor, Richard Dawkins titled, "The God Delusion”. As the name suggests, this book puts up arguments for the claim that God doses not exist. Dawkins denounces all religion as absurd.
One reviewer says, “Disappointingly, Dawkins fails to see the difference between moderate Christian groups and fundamentalists with links to terrorist groups.” Quite clearly, Dawkins is taking a rather simplistic approach to the subject he is dealing with. Would Dawkins be happy with a student taking a simplistic approach with a science subject?
Dawkin’s book has enraged believers such as Terry Eagleton, the Professor of English Literature at Manchester University. In comments published in the London Telegraph he complained Dawkins’s book contained “vulgar caricatures of religious faith that would make a first-year theology student wince”.
Rival science writer Professor Stephen Jones who wrote the best seller, “The Single Helix” said of Dawkins book, “... it was depressing to see the forces of irrationality coming back again”. Jones is the Professor of Genetics at University College London. (The Courier Mail, 23 December 2006, p. 25) Clearly, Dawkins can write a book with simplistic arguments attacking the existence of God, but can he go to a laboratory, put together some ingredients within a specially designed shell, then place his ‘seed’ in soil, water it and watch it grow up into a plant? Hardly likely. On just this one point, God wins, Dawkins loses. Web sites like this one are needed in an age where Christianity is coming under increased attack. Inform your friends so that they can be encouraged.
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NEWS
New paper: "Conspiracy Theories"
A few years back, there was a documentary on TV on spying. Under the subject of ‘disinformation’ - you and I would call it just plain ‘lying’- a former KGB officer was interviewed. He confessed to working with another KGB officer on a book which had the aim of leading Americans to distrust their government.
The book took advantage of the then recent John F Kennedy assassination. It made the claim that Kennedy was shot on the orders of agents within the government and that government officials put measures in place to cover up their work. The book is a complete work of fiction apart from the basic facts.
In recent years there has been an increase in books with a government conspiracy theme. They are clearly written with the aim of getting as many people as possible to distrust the free and open democratic process which we enjoy. Some examples include the International Bankers conspiracy theory which became popular in the 1970s. That theory which has now lost favour wanted us to believe communism was financed by powerful international bankers.
More recently, a theory proposes the massacre of thirty-five people at Port Arthur in 1996 was carried out by or with the aid of the Australian government. A more daring theory claims the attack by terrorists on the Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon was carried out on orders of the Bush administration. The theory even makes the rather absurd claim that the damage to the Pentagon was caused by a missile instead of a jet airliner. Again, the aim of the theory is to get people to distrust their government.
It has come to my notice that some Christians are believing the stories and are helping to spread them. Those who think there is any substance to one or more of the stories may like to read my rebuttals. See file: 'Conspiracies.htm' accessed from the main page under the Refuting Error section (page three).
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Scams, Lies and Deception
I, along with thousands of others have been receiving by Email offers to accept a gift of a large sum of money. The offers of course are not genuine. To learn more, click on link. Go
Uploaded on 01 February 2011.

Foolish belief
A few months back, I stood in line at a checkout where the steady progress of people past the cashier had come to a halt. A lady was rummaging through a box of stones on display. A sign on the side of the box said, "Lucky Stones". She had already grabbed four or five stones when she made the comment that she was trying to find the stone marked "Harmony". It apparently didn't occur to her that someone had simply collected the stones out of a river bed and had put labels on the stones with a nice sounding word to encourage buyers. At $1.00 per stone, she paid a high price for her foolish behaviour.
If you want to read something that really does make sense, read "The Objective Evidence For The Christian Faith". It's free. Access from main page. Index

Car development
Regarding the release of the new model Holden (VE) widely reported on in August 2006, one car reporter had this to say. “It has cost a staggering $1.2 billion to develop over eight years and has undergone the most intensive parts and components validation in the company’s history.” (Gordon Lomas, Cars Guide, The Courier Mail, 05 August 2006, p. 3).
Quite clearly, GMH did not think chance random processes could produce a good quality car. Chance random processes will not produce the complicated machinery found within all living things. If you want to see how hopelessly inadequate chance random processes are at producing a complicated piece of machinery, then read my paper, “The Mathematical Impossibility of The Theory of Evolution” accessed from the main page. For a slightly humourous look at the theory of evolution, go to: “The Beginning of Everything”.

The Da Vinci Code
This article has been moved to the end of the paper on Conspiracies (See 'Conspiracies.htm' or 'Conspiracies.pdf'). Index

ARCHIVE
News in this section has dropped out of mainstream current interest

Religious Instruction in Queensland
This news will apply primarily to residents of Queensland Australia, but may be of interest to others as well.
The Courier Mail (Saturday 15 April 2006, p. 1) reported on an attempt by the Beattie Labor government to change the laws governing religious education in Queensland. The proposed changes would have allowed Humanists, Athiests and others to push their views on to children. Thanks to those who have protested over these moves, particularly to clear thinking politicians such as Stuart Copeland who "slammed the laws, saying they hailed from the ‘loopy left of the Labour Party’" (CM, 18 April 2006, p. 2) and also Carolyn Cormack. The battle to present to children the truth has been won for the time being. Regarding this win, the Courier Mail says:

“Plans to widen religious education in state schools have been dumped after the Beattie Government bowed to pressure from conservative Christian groups. The backflip followed growing concern among Labor backbenchers that the Government would face electoral opposition from some Christian churches and right-wing community groups.
But humanist and representatives of some minority religions said the current rules were discriminatory and vowed to continue their fight for equal access. Premier Peter Beattie and Education Minister Rod Welford yesterday announced the Government had shelved the plan but did not rule out similar changes in the future." (Rosemary Odgers and Lachlan Heywood, The Courier Mail, 23 May 2006, p.1).
We may need to take up the fight at a later time as the last part of that report reveals.

See following, the earlier report from the Courier Mail and my comments:
The Courier Mail (Saturday 15 April 2006, p. 1) reports. “Any belief system could soon be taught in Queensland state schools following changes to the laws governing religious education. The changes will allow any group - religious or not - to offer spiritual instruction to children, provided their parents agree. The State Government has pressed ahead with the changes despite the protests of Christian churches worried about marginalising religion in schools ... Under section 75 of the Education (General Provisions) Bill 2006, due to be enacted this year, no student will attend religious education lessons unless their parents write to the school requiring them to do so. And in line with anti-discrimination laws, religious education classes will no longer be taught solely by church representatives. Groups with a non-religious system of beliefs - providing they are apolitical - will also be allowed to teach religious education classes. The Australian Humanist Society expects the Bill to be enacted in July...”
It appears the government has been swayed by the Humanist Society. The paper reports that the Humanist Society “has already drawn up a syllabus dealing with science-based education, creative thinking, ethical responsibility and the separation of the church and state.” (p. 1).
It appears that under the above system, a child’s knowledge that one day, he or she must stand before God and answer for what he or she has done is to be replaced by ‘ethical responsibility’. But why bother with ‘ethical responsibility’ if you think you can get away with a bit of self indulgance and perhaps a bit of crime as well? I think it was back in 2003 that the Beattie government made witchcraft legal in Queensland. The Beattie government also brought in Sunday trading. This legislation is another step in the wrong direction.
Parents with children in state run schools will need to monitor very carefully what their children are being taught. If they are not certain, they should probably decide to not have their children taught religious instruction through the school system.

Web sites like this one are becoming increasingly important in today’s world where people are facing distracting forces; the pleasures of the world along with God denying and God distorting doctrines. If you find this web site helpful, don’t keep it to yourself, tell a friend.

Yours in Christ
David Holden