Evolution, Theory of

Richard Ritenbaugh focuses on the perennial desire of all cultures to return to a mythologized "Golden Age," a paradise wherein peace, abundance and harmony abound. When people claim that "old times" were better, they often overlook the thorny problems besetting those living then. God's people also have a proclivity to perceive the early Church nostalgically, focusing on a few Scriptures which point to the unity of that era. Reading the Scriptures more maturely however, we find that early church members experienced problems similar to what we face today. The early churches had to experience the same God-ordained process of sanctification (I Peter 1:3-7) and the same fiery trials (I Corinthians 10:13) we do today. Paul found it necessary to admonish (1) the Roman congregation to be discerning, shunning false teachers, (2) the Corinthian congregation to flee envy and strife, (3) the Galatian congregation to flee from tendencies to return to Judaism, (4) the members of the Ephesian congregation to maintain their "first love," (5) the Philippian congregation to put away division, (6) the Colossian congregation to eschew Jewish-gnostic philosophies, and (7) the Thessalonian congregation to reject interpretations of prophecy informed more by theory and rumor than by Scripture. The Golden Age has not yet arrived but will be coterminous with the Kingdom of God.

Richard Ritenbaugh, acknowledging the chasm between the Creationist Christian community and the science-evolution establishment, proclaims that the liberal media consistently portrays conservatives and Christians as "science deniers," castigating any faith-based group for not acceding to "settled science." Actually, the real "science-deniers" are those on the far left, where God-denying scientists established a so-called consensus of "settled science" by manipulating data, as any objective analysis of peer-reviewed scientific papers will indicate. The climate change hoax is not the first time the far-left has tried to promote false science. According to John Tierney in his article "The Real War on Science," the fallacious 'food pyramid,' which militated against fat in favor of carbohydrates, has been a major contributory cause in the alarming rise in obesity and diabetes. The God-deniers also deny the biological reality that every cell of the human body contains the code of one's biological gender. John Stossel explains that the far left 'scientists,' pundits, and politicians are transferring their nefarious motives onto their opponents. As God's called-out ones, we have to exercise care that no one deceives us.

David C. Grabbe:  As explained in Part One and Part Two, even though the Corinthian congregation had four exceptional teachers—including Jesus Christ Himself—their manifest carnality demonstrated that they were paying more heed to a fifth teacher ...

Clyde Finklea, focusing on Psalm 19:1, which proclaims that the heavens (the firmament) proclaim the glory of God, and on Isaiah 6:3 which avers that the entire earth reveals God's glory and perfection, reminds us that the pinnacle of God's Creation, beings created in His image started out as mud sculptures, into which He breathed the spirit of life. The vastness of the universe has not even been tapped with the accuracy of the Hubbell telescope, which helps us to estimate that it would take eight minutes to travel to the sun at the speed of light and 20 billion light years to travel to the edge of Milky Way, not even scratching the surface of Creation. David proclaimed that we are awesomely made, with the human brain, for example, containing 10 billion nerve cells. God is bringing many sons to glory, implanting His character traits through the means of His Holy Spirit, including the multiple aspects of love described in I Corinthians 13. As our sanctification process comes to full term, we will see our Creator as He is, having attained the same glorified state. In response to this, all we can say is "Wow"!!!!!!

Martin Collins, emphasizing that God does not do anything randomly, reveals that even scientists advancing the so-called chaos theory have discovered that disintegration and breakdown (entropy) proceed according to orderly laws. Dr. James Gleick, in his exposition of the Butterfly Effect, observes that even an apparently chaotic event like falling water is governed by predictable laws of physics. Amazingly, some deluded scientists, with all this substantiation of order, continue to advance the evolutionary hypothesis—an untenable position that order can somehow be the product of chaos. God is a God of order and not confusion; all He does follows a specific order—summarized by the adage, a time and a place for everything. One does not laugh and joke at a funeral nor weep uncontrollably at a wedding. Likewise, there is nothing inconsequential or out of place in God's Word, including 1.) the order of Noah's entering and leaving the ark, 2.) the order in which Jacob placed his servants and family in his meeting with Esau, 3.) the order in which Jacob and Moses blessed the tribes of Israel, 4.) the order in which Abraham and Lot separated their families and assets and 5.) the order in which Joshua dispatched the tribes into the Promised land. God made careful distinction between light and darkness, creating boundaries between clean and unclean, profane and holy, insisting that the time He has made holy be kept in a different manner from the rest of the time cycles. The Sabbath serves as the basic time-marker of the week, the year, and the Jubilee. To everything there is a season when the appropriate behavior is expected. God's called-out ones strive to yield to God's timing, realizing that the steps of a good man are ordered by God.

Richard Ritenbaugh, acknowledging that only fools are blind to the marvels of Creation, observes that even empirical science has substantiated the need for six factors to support life: 1) crust, 2.) temperature, 3.) moon, 4.) star with a stable energy source, 5.) core, and 6.) right planetary neighbors. The earth, having all these prerequisites, displays the magnificent design demanding an Intelligent Creator (Romans 1:18). Human nature, without God's Spirit, follows a trajectory into ignorance and stupidity. If people do not believe in God, they will believe in anything, following the darkness of their unregenerate hearts. God has called some individuals now, crafting them as His workmanship, equipped for good works and the opportunity to be in His family. Unlike the Protestant notion that the end of the spiritual creation process is baptism, to be capped off with grace and eternal security, God's true Church teaches that the salvation process has merely begun, with the Sabbath being an integral part of sanctification. The Sabbath, a hallowed time of restorative rest, provides an opportunity for God's called-out sons and daughters to develop a relationship with Him, reflecting on the spiritual as well as the physical creation. Far from being a period of lounging, the Sabbath rest generates spiritual energy and develops a trusting relationship with the Creator. As God's called-out ones, we must not use the hallowed time for our carnal pleasures, but for renewing our relationship with our Creator. Keeping the Sabbath Day holy is a major key to our spiritual growth.

Ronny Graham, in part two of his message, "Seeing God in Creation," again focuses on Romans 1:18-20, emphasizing that humans can deduce God's presence from His creation. Hebrews 11:3 adds that the Invisible has created the visible. Hebrews 11 shows that Abel, Noah and Abraham displayed their faith by their works. Two theories of creation have tried to jettison God out of the process. The Big Bang Theory posits that some billions of years ago a brief but massive blast catapulted matter from a tiny confined source to the outer regions of the universe, ultimately accounting for the stars. Scientists remain unable to explain the cause of this explosion, simply asking people to have faith in an unproven theory. Darwin's theory of the Origin of the Species, hypothesizing that humans evolved from "lower" animals, cannot account for the present-day coexistence of these lower animals with humans. When we compare these flawed theories to the Biblical account in John 1 and Genesis 1, we have clear explanations for daily, seasonal, and yearly cycles—phenomena the Big Bang and evolutionary theories cannot explain. The unknown energy and the mind behind these cyclical patterns is God. The regularity of these cycles imply a faithful Creator. Sadly, even those scientists who advance "intelligent design" seldom attribute it to God, referring to it as Mother Nature, or some such abstraction. They refuse to acknowledge that God made all things through the Word of His Power. Thankfully, God has given His Faith to those whom He has called, enabling them to believe in Him. If we believe God, we will manifest our faith through obedience.

Martin Collins, reflecting on some of the dazzling recent accomplishments of technology, cautions us not to swallow the deceptive Satanic evolutionary hypothesis taught in our public schools that mankind is becoming smarter than ever before. While Daniel proclaimed that knowledge would increase in the end times, he did not debunk the stellar accomplishments of ancient civilizations such as the Great Pyramid, a structure whose measurements indicate the circumference of the earth and its axial movements, all done without the aid of computers. Moderns have never replicated the knowledge possessed by the engineers of these great pyramids. Not a primitive folk, but one enjoying superior knowledge, informed by God Himself, constructed this structure, occupying 13 acres, 481 feet high (50 stories tall), containing 2 ½ million blocks of stones, some weighing 7 tons. In many ways, moderns, using technology for destructive purposes, are more ignorant than their ancient counterparts.

Ronny Graham, citing Romans 1:18-20, stating that the invisible attributes of God are clearly seen through the things that are made, reveals that the academic fools who turn their backs on this insight acquire a debased mind, worshiping the creature rather than the Creator. Evidently, the academicians of Paul's time were no different from current academicians, who have swallowed Darwin's hypothesis of evolution, claiming that apes were our ancestors. Recently, Paleontologists John Horner and Mary Switzer performed some tests on dinosaur fossils, subjecting them to acid, only to discover that these 'ancient' fossils contained soft-tissue, refuting the false claim that they had been around for millions of years. Dr. James Tour, denouncing the institutionalized Darwinism in the 'scientific' community, warned that "If you disagree with Darwinism, you take your lives in your hands." Scientists who believe in creationism are brutally and systematically driven out of academia by 'Progressivists' who tolerate no dissent. God's called-out ones must realize that the father of all these lies seeks to kill us as a roaring lion. We must exercise continual vigilance against Satan and his wall of lies, leading the unwary to worship the creature rather than Creator.

Richard Ritenbaugh reflects on the second law of thermodynamics which, emphasizes that, as energy is transformed to other forms, it degenerates into a more disordered state, wearing down into entropy, chaos and disorder—exactly the opposite of the Spiritual creation which transforms us into a more perfect state. As God transforms our mind with the change-agent of His Holy Spirit, it becomes completely renewed and reprogrammed into something everlasting, something God-like, learning to think as God thinks. The Feast of Unleavened Bread provides a formula as to how this process works, putting sin (typified as leaven) out and ingesting righteousness and purity (typified as unleavened bread) in its place. We are to demonstrate righteous behavior in our hands by our deeds and behavior and in our foreheads by our thoughts. Jesus Christ is the Living Bread that we must ingest daily by reading His word and imitating His behavior. As we ingest the Living Bread, we shun worldly behavior and conform to Christ's character. Only when we are conformed to the image of Christ, loving righteousness and hating lawlessness, are we acceptable to our Heavenly Father. As we are progressing through the sanctification process, our carnal natures must become completely displaced by God's Holy Spirit, motivating us to refrain from causing offense, but freely forgiving others as God has forgiven us.

David Grabbe, reminding us that the apostle Paul had to caution the Thessalonian congregation against jumping to conclusions about the return of Christ, asserts the scattered Church of God has a similar penchant for jumping to conclusions, some identifying Joseph W. Tkach (a man who hardly demonstrated any wondrous miracles) as the man of sin, occupying the holy place. While biblical types come in all colors and flavors, the stark reality of II Thessalonians 2 is far more grave than any parochial upheaval. Like the Thessalonian congregation, we cannot afford to let anyone deceive us. The scope of this event is obviously international, affecting the entire world, involving a dramatic global rejection of God's truth. Our culture has been witness to this international apostasy, in viewing the acceptance of godless evolution over creation. A decrepit nominal Christianity has been challenged by a virulent radical Islam, which teaches that the notion that God has a son is blasphemous. Shockingly, for all its moral decline, America is the most 'Christian' country of any Israelitish nation on the globe; in Britain far, far more attend mosques than churches. Meanwhile, in 'Christian' America, Wicca and New Age earth worship surges in popularity, while a full one-fifth of the population has abandoned previous beliefs. In the mainstream religions, belief has become so anemic with such shallow ideas of righteousness that the truth of God cannot be translated into real life experience. We must realize that the falling way will be universal; every 'tribe' will be dismayed. Because this on-going apostasy has not occurred overnight, we must safeguard ourselves against the danger of adapting ourselves to the new normal of evil and wickedness, compromising ourselves into mortal danger by gradual neglect, allowing the plague of secularism to infect us little by little.

John Ritenbaugh suggests that the people everywhere seem frazzled, distressed, and terrified as a dark, evil, sinister force seems to be engulfing the world. The continued angst from dealing with this continual pathogenic zeitgeist threatens to render all of us, including God's called-out ones, into a state of hopelessness, apathy, depression, with absolutely no reason to ever expect a positive outcome. The church must forcefully deal with this overwhelming feeling of hopelessness or it too will succumb to this terrifying vortex of despair. We live in the same kind of cultural milieu as Noah before the world perished in the Great Flood. Over the past few centuries, and especially the last 70 or 80 years, the 'liberal', 'progressive' humanist philosophers and educators have successfully hi-jacked the minds of our populace, steering them totally clear from any reliance upon God by poisoning their minds with the patently illogical theory of evolution, forced upon unwary, naïve minds as fact and truth. The Day of Trumpets militates against this foolishness by restoring hope for the establishment of God's Kingdom which will permanently terminate decay, sin, and death. As God's called-out ones, we are fish swimming against a violent current, compelled to turn to God and keep His Commandments when the rest of the world rejects Him. As God gave the original Promised Land to Jacob's children, He also gave the North American continent (largely virgin territory) to the descendants of Jacob. In 240 years, we have indulged in affluence, but forgetting its Provider.

Martin Collins, reflecting on some significant archeological findings of metal pots and utensils, tiny metallic rods, tubes, screws, and intricate microscopic artwork found in deposits of coal, granite, and feldspar all around the world, reckoned by radiocarbon dating to be at least hundreds of thousands of years old or more (if the radiocarbon measurements can be trusted), asserts that the social anthropological evolutionary hypothesis (from caveman to farmer to city dweller) suffers violence when we realize that sophisticated industrial metallurgical and optical technology as well as a sophisticated understanding of genetics (Genesis 4:17-22) existed before The Flood. There is no longer any reason to believe that the technology of the civilizations from the time of Noah to Adam were not only just as advanced as today, but perhaps far more superior. Truly, there is nothing new under the sun; nothing happens that is really new. All material accomplishments produce a degree of weariness unless we fix our sights on things that are truly eternal and above the sun.

John Ritenbaugh reminds us that although Charles Darwin was a racist and a mentally-ill sadist, nevertheless his influence is titanic, outstripping not only the influence of every other philosopher who as ever lived as well as the influence of the Holy Bible. Before his writings (now thoroughly debunked by responsible scientists) filtered into the university curriculum, only a modicum of scientists claimed to be atheists. That number has shot up exponentially over the last hundred years or so. Even though most of modern science have rejected his scientific conclusions (no missing link joining one species to another species has ever been found), modern science did not reject his atheism. Higher education, thoroughly contaminated by the theory of evolution, has filled young skulls with the mush of anti-God progressive humanism. Even in church-related colleges, less than 1% maintain a God-centered educational program.

John Ritenbaugh, continuing his expose of philosophers whose writings have wreaked more havoc on civilization than all military exploits combined, focuses on the life of Charles Darwin, whose book The Origin of the Species, ignited the childish, blind faith in evolution, a mindset which attempts to obliterate God out of the minds of people. Amazingly, Darwin, like Marx, started his life as an ardent proponent of organized religion, even studying for the ministry, but in his teenage years, his mind had become twisted, leading him to commit sadistic acts of cruelty against animals, smashing the heads of birds with a hammer, killing animals for pleasure. Darwin was not only racist, but a victim of agoraphobia. His hypochondria, the fear of all kinds of dread diseases, actually developed the delusion that he had murdered God. His blasphemous tome, The Origin of the Species, while placing some window-dressing appeal to people of faith, totally rejected God as Creator and Designer, yielding to the Zeitgeist which wanted to become independent from religious and moral restraint, and especially from the sovereignty of God.

Martin Collins, asserting the presence of Semitic peoples on what was to be called the American Continent (named after Amerigo Vespucci) over 2,000 years before Columbus set foot in the western hemisphere, explains that this presents a nightmare to evolutionists and progressive humanists, who are seeing their lies dissolve amongst a continent-wide plethora of ancient Semitic artifacts. Archeologists have discovered that copper mines on what became the Michigan Peninsula were mined to exhaustion in circa 1000 BC by peoples who later used the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet. A Decalogue Stone was uncovered from a gravemound near Newark, Ohio, evidently there from the time the Jews went into captivity. Although the discoverer of this artifact was intimidated by those clinging to the Columbian agenda, thousands of other artifacts, including ancient Jewish coins, have subsequently been unearthed substantiating Wyrick's discovery and discrediting vicious evolutionist attacks. Evidently, the technology in 1000 BC was further advanced than technology 1000 AD.

John Ritenbaugh, reiterating that philosophy claims to focus on reality and existence, allegedly allowing only that which can be verified by the five senses, suggests that educators steeped in worldly philosophy relegate the existence of God and moral principles to the realm of opinion rather than fact. Consequently, our culture, protectively 'insulated' from any reference to God or sustainable ethical values, has become fractious, divided, angry, and confused. Virtually all claims to value or ethical standards have been relegated to the realm of opinion. Elementary students have been brainwashed into accepting the moral relativity—'there are no absolutes'—mantra, while evolution is taught as fact (though the proof for this theory is even less sustainable than a creationist hypothesis). Young people entering the universities and colleges have already been conditioned to accept the colossal lie of the existence of a creation without a creator. Schools of philosophy, emanating from ancient Greek luminaries such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, have permeated the psyches of university students, eager to glom onto the rudiments of the world, conditioning them to follow charismatic leaders, tuned into the spirit of the cosmos, surcharged with the mind and spirit of the current ruler of this world, Satan the Devil. Satan has been feverishly attempting to gain control of the educational system of the world, recognizing that the educator (secular and religious) can do more lasting damage than any other member of society.

John Ritenbaugh, reflecting on the massive deceptions blinding our citizenry from the true dangers of the economic and cultural wars which threaten our quality of life, questions whether advanced technology is an acceptable tradeoff for eroded morality. Our technology has made possible annihilation of millions rather than thousands of people, having built faithfully on the foundation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Satan, now, has the power to wipe out entire nations. Our patriarch Abraham was much better off than the distinguished citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah who lived in comparative luxury. The belief that technology has made us better is really a facade, masking the reality that intangible factors of love and hope have hopelessly deteriorated. Thankfully, although Satan has been allowed limited power over mankind, God's purpose for mankind will prevail. God will allow Satan to wreak havoc, using him as a tool to bring the oblivious, naïve, Western world to repentance. Even though we are in God's hands, we cannot live carelessly, but always must be mindful of Satan's deception.

Martin Collins, reminding us there will be an obsession with earth worship at the end times, elevating the environment with the flora and fauna above the Creator, identifies this eco-idolatry with the judgment of the Sixth Trumpet or the second woe. The eco-feminist worldview despises the alleged hegemony of the male dominated patriarchic religions, Judaism and Christianity, attempting to replace them with an environmental earth-goddess worldview. The United Nations Environmental Program, with its eco-feministic outlook, desires to: 1) Replace the concept of a sovereign God ruling over nature with a co-evolutionary or mother-earth centered community, 2) create a view of the world as an organic living whole, manifesting energy, spirit, agency and creativity, 3) replace the view of animals, plants, and minerals being utilitarian possessions of human beings with a view of all things having intrinsic value to be respected and celebrated for their own being (as viewed by animal rights movements), 4) foster the idea that humans must see themselves as holistically interdependent with nature, 5) reject the idea of patriarchic dominance which has been characterized as the root of all false religion, 6) reject Western (especially the allegedly exclusivist, 'racist' white Christian 'male dominated') culture, replacing it with a diversity of human cultures, and 7) rejection of the survival-of-the fittest mind-set with participatory, community-based welfare (Socialism, Communism, and 'progressivism'). The mother-earth, Gaia idea is the cornerstone of this transformation. The United Nations Environmental Program desires an extermination of the Western Christian view on earth, replacing it with 'positive pagan' and New Age worldviews. Tree worship, to the environmentalists, encompasses three worlds: the underworld, world, and heavens, connecting the living and the dead. The origin of the 'Christmas tree' goes back long before the birth of Christ. Tree worship is a part of every culture on earth, with the evergreen as emblem

Martin Collins, acknowledging that Ancient Israel was guilty of adulterous, idolatrous, environmental earth worship, as demonstrated by Jeremiah 3:6-9, having led previously to God's issuing her a certificate of divorce, claims that eco-spirituality—a global environmental ethic based on the worship of "Mother Earth," emphasizing bio-diversity—is about to eclipse the Judeo-Christian religion and ethic. The earth worshipers have vilified Western religion, especially Christianity, for selfishly raping the earth of its resources, flora, and fauna, for the sake of 'racist' white men. The United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) castigates Christianity for selfishly destroying Mother Earth, but gives praise to Eastern philosophies regarding certain animals as sacred and revering the soil as a goddess. The misguided proponents of the earth worshipers fail to understand that we cannot take care of the earth by worshiping it as an idol, but must transfer that devotion to the Creator of the earth and the universe.

John Ritenbaugh reminds us to value our calling, observing that, just as Jesus and His disciples were burdened with the doctrines of the scribes and Pharisees, so God's called-out church is encumbered with nominal Christianity, institutions which have militated against the whole counsel of God, even though they claim to get their teachings from the Bible. God places the blame for misleading and scattering Israel on the shepherds (sometimes metaphorically identifying the ministry or religious leaders, but more at governmental, judicial, academic, corporate leaders, and also the leaders of individual families). There is a dangerous leadership deficit in modern Israel, totally antithetical to the responsible leadership of father Abraham. A deceived nominal Christianity, hopelessly detached from God's covenant, has led people astray by lies. Modern Israel, by turning its back on the truth, has blown its opportunity for moral leadership every bit as much as ancient Judah did. Despite the moral failure of our elected leaders, we must maintain leadership in our individual families. The church is a unique institution apart from Israel and Judah, specially prepared by God in the last 2,000 years, having the responsibility of shepherding a distracted, lost, dependent flock abandoned by irresponsible, neglectful, self-serving leaders, teaching it God's Laws. Likewise, our current self-serving political leaders, steeped in godless humanism, are purposely destroying our country and civilization under the direction of Satan, leading to a perpetual civil war (of ideas and beliefs) in our country with no prospect of peace until Christ's Second Coming.

Richard Ritenbaugh reflects that the creation offers compelling testimony to the complexities and intricacies which preclude even the possibility of evolution. The symbiosis of the Clownfish and the sea anemone could not have occurred without design. Birds, with their lightweight bones, multifaceted feathers, lungs, beaks, and sophisticated aeronautical brains, could not have simply appeared by chance or natural selection. The DNA strand dwarfs any kind of man-made databank ever made, even having self-correcting enzymes. Evolution is a feeble-brained attempt to get rid of God. Job knew that the earth was a sphere hung in space, an insight that science only discovered in the last hundred years or so. Science has not yet determined the laws governing cloud formations. The secrets of our physiognomy, beginning with a uniting of ovum and sperm, are known only by God. Many of these secrets have been revealed to us in His Holy Word, showing God as a Being of intelligence and purpose, a Being with which we can form a relationship. God designed the creation to work, from the one-celled organism to the complex multi-cellular organism. If God takes such pains to create a snail, imagine what pains He is taking with us, creating us to be His sons and daughters. God's vast power compels us to give Him respect. Psalm 104 depicts God as Creator, the giver and maker of good things, designed to bring us to glory. David admonishes us to praise God for His creation; everything that God made is designed to work together with all the rest of creation. God's creation provides public revelation of God's existence, enabling us to understand something of Him, who is exponentially greater than His creation, including the power of fire, water, wind (hurricanes, and tornadoes). Not only does God sustain us, but the entirety the flora and the fauna through beneficent cycles and seasons are designed to enhance life. God is intimately involved in every aspect of His Creation including enlarging His family through the medium of His Holy Sp

John Ritenbaugh warns about conforming to the world by realizing that Satan fine tunes and customizes his deception. Like he had done with the apostle Peter, Satan also wants to sift us as wheat Thankfully, God will not let us be tempted above what we are able. The apostle Paul warns us to be vigilant about the world, not loving its attitudes, mindsets, and frame of mind. Loving (or setting our hearts upon) the world (as opposed to loving the LORD our God or our neighbor as ourselves) and being attached to the world (governed by the spirit and power of the air) is bad business. Loving the world and loving God the Father cannot transpire side by side; we cannot serve two masters. John is referring to spiritual things that have powerful influences on the fleshly appetites. Sin usually begins in the eye because it triggers desire. Pride disengages us from realizing that we are created beings and did not give ourselves abilities, gifts, materials, and tools we have nothing we did not receive. Pride leads to idolatry, the horrible sin which separated Israel from God. The called of God do not fit anywhere in the world; the church is unique—separate from anything in the world; we march to the beat of a different drummer. It is human nature (which is anti-God) to absorb the ways of the world. To the world, we are the 'enemy.' Our focus should be on treasuring our calling, preparing to become teachers in God's Kingdom.

Joe Baity, reflecting on the seeming Narcissistic Zeitgeist displayed by our generation, promoting self-gratification, self-realization, and self-indulgence, with a plethora of self-help books promoting elevating self interest above others, cautions that this approach damages both our relationship with God and our relationships with our fellowman, threatening to defile our fellowship within the body of Christ. Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul teach us to esteem others over ourselves, focusing on the betterment of others. Any self-improvement we can garner from self-help books composed by secular humanists pales into insignificance alongside the spiritual benefits from exercising outgoing concern for others, a mindset we can only attain by humbly submitting to God.

Martin Collins warns that if we look upon the Book of Daniel as a puzzle of confusing prophecies, we miss the more important point that the book provides practical strategies to remain Godly in a godless venue. In Daniel's time, there were intense pressures to conform to the world's idolatrous systems, with the world having the upper hand. In spite of appearances, God is in control of history. If we trust God, we will eventually triumph over the present evil. Following the successful invasion by Nebuchadnezzar, it appeared that God's cause was lost, but this catastrophe had been planned by Almighty God, who is sovereign over time all the time. The Lord God of Israel is always in charge of the events of history, no matter what state His people might be in. Nebuchadnezzar was a prime example of radical secular humanism, exalting his pride, boasting of his accomplishments, rejecting the influence of God, and suffering a humiliating bout of insanity for his pride. God is sovereign and He is able to bring the secular city down. Like Abraham, as well as Daniel and his friends, we must, by exercising faith, forsake the temptations and pulls of the world, concentrating on the future promises or spiritual rewards God has prepared for us. While we endure temptations and fiery trials, we learn that God is proving our faith and trust in Him. We must be wary of how the mainstream religions and pop culture has redefined religious terms, perverting the original intent. We must acquire faithfulness and holiness (involving separation from the world's culture) because (1.)Scripture demands it, (2.) it is the ultimate purpose for which Christ came into the world, (3.) it is the only evidence we have a saving faith in Christ, (4.) it is the only proof we sincerely love the Father and Son , (5.) it is the only evidence we are the children of God, (6.) it is the most effective way to do good to others, and (7.) our present and future peace and joy depend upon it. If we set our minds upon it wholeheartedly, we can live a Godly and

John Ritenbaugh, reflecting on our calling, gives a Scripture-by-Scripture account of our Divine destiny. God's called-ones have been given the ability to decipher the scattered concepts, revealing the purpose of their destiny throughout the Scriptures. God has allowed us to become familiar with His secret purpose, a purpose fashioned before the foundation of the world, but He has not yet revealed it to the rest. God's plan is being worked out in two stages: the animated clay model stage subjected to death and decay and a spiritual anti-type composed of Spirit, constituting the expansion of the God family. As God's called-out ones, we are metaphorically part of His body, His building, or His family. In the Garden of Eden, mankind was designated as having been created in the God-kind. Mankind is different from the other aspects of creation, having been given authority and dominion over it. Man has been given the mandate to make decisions about good and evil through the use of reason, analyzing cause and effect relationships. Mankind has been fashioned to marry, becoming one with another human being. Ultimately, through a marriage, we will become one with God. We are fashioned to be capable of sin, as well as given the power to resist its influence. We are modeled after our Creator in shape and form, but not yet of the same spiritual substance. All of mankind has been created after the God-kind, but some at this time have been selected to go beyond the animated model stage.

Because of the secular humanist coverage of the mainstream media, it is generally thought that evolutionary thinking is the majority view. Richard Ritenbaugh shows that, though seemingly large and increasing numbers of clergy and churches accept Darwin's theory of evolution, they are in reality a rather small percentage of professing Christians.

'Tis the season of much debate and social strife between the Right and the Left over a perennial topic, the separation of church and state. ...

Richard T. Ritenbaugh:  Back in the early years of the homeschooling phenomenon, its advocates were largely tie-dyed, granola-munching, back-to-nature, hippie types whose primary goal was to disassociate from just about everything manmade, and certainly from Establishment institutions like the public schools. ...

Richard T. Ritenbaugh:  Common wisdom posits that given enough time, water runoff can reduce even the tallest mountain to countless grains of sand scattered over the ocean floor. ...

John Ritenbaugh, focusing upon the statement of Almighty God in Psalm 50 that He needs absolutely nothing from us, proclaims God's absolute sovereignty and power over everything. Surprisingly, mankind refuses to acknowledge God in their daily dealings. Unfortunately, mankind will marshal their 'brilliance' and 'intelligence' in technology to nearly wipe life off the face of the earth. Young people (and all of us) must make a choice in favor of God's will for us. We have the freedom of choice to set our destiny, and must bear the consequences of our choice. The book of Deuteronomy is perhaps the most important guide to Godly choices. God has urged that we choose life (keeping God's commandments), requiring an act of the will as we are confronted with alternatives. Only those who choose to live life as God lives will live eternally. Life consists of a constant stream of choices, leading to the development (or destruction) of character. Young people must choose: (1) the right set of standards to live by, finishing high school, refraining from premarital sex, and staying faithful to our lifelong partners once we become married. (2) To work to develop a continuous relationship with God- the source of eternal life. (3) To develop a strong relationship with their parents, submitting in respectful humility. (4) Their friends wisely. (5) Carefully choose the occupation they will go into, making proactive preparations, choosing according to our talents, and (6)Have the right relationship with the opposite sex.

John Ritenbaugh observes that without our special calling and the gift of God's Holy Spirit, we would be about as clueless as to the purpose of our life as Solomon was throughout Ecclesiastes. Understanding is totally different from knowledge. Some people with ample knowledge are incredibly stupid when discerning the plan of God. Without God's Spirit the Bible makes no sense whatsoever. The mystery of God's plan, that special secret code, can only be discerned through special revelation powered by God's Holy Spirit. God did the choosing (often choosing the weak and base of the world); we did not. God is totally running the show; our lives must be in complete submission to His will, totally devoted to preparing for the next stage of God's purpose for our lives. The Millennium will be but a blip in the whole scheme of time propelling us as immortal beings and the very offspring of the immortal God into the vast infinitude and plenitude of the universe—all eventually under the subjection of God's family. Mankind is designed to be a builder, not a destroyer like Satan. The family will be the basic building block of the new government. Scriptural understanding will only become activated if we believe it, are committed to it, and are led by God's Holy Spirit following the pattern of our Elder Brother Jesus Christ.

Though the search criteria for the whereabouts of Israel point to only one conclusion, most Israelites are blind to their origins. In this final installment of the series, Charles Whitaker deals with the question of why Israel has forgotten its identity.

In the church, the argument over evolution was settled long ago, but such is not the case in the wider world. David Grabbe goes beyond the science to what embracing evolution actually says about a person's—and a society's—relationship with God.

John Ritenbaugh asserts that belief or faith is difficult enough to maintain if the doctrines are put in proper order, but greatly confused when the pastor dilutes correct doctrine with "benign" false doctrine derived from the belief systems of the world's cultures under the sway of Satan's manipulation. Seemingly minor changes affect major trajectories in direction. A person's cosmology (his understanding of the nature of the world) largely determines his belief system and attendant behavior. If evolution determines his cosmology, man becomes his own God. Until our cosmology is synchronized with God's (as we think as God's thinks), our spiritual well-being will be in continuous deadly peril. What a person believes shapes his views and behavior. The Axial Period (deriving from sixth- and seventh-century BC Hellenistic thought) has largely shaped the dominant cosmology of today's world.

Richard T. Ritenbaugh:  We like to think of ourselves living in the most advanced civilization that has ever graced this fair planet. ...

Richard T. Ritenbaugh:  For those of us who are not scientists, the Second Law of Thermodynamics can be a brain bruiser. ...

John Ritenbaugh emphasizes that in Numbers 16 through 18, God performed several miracles to demonstrate conclusively that not everyone is called to the same function and that He remains the Boss. The events included: (1) The execution of the rebels Dathan, Abiram, and Korah; (2) The sparing of Korah's sons; (3) The lightning bolts zapping the 250 men offering profane fire; (4) The intercessory activity of Aaron stopping the plague from consuming the murmurers; and (5) The budding and blossoming of Aaron's Rod, determining once and for all whom God set apart for the role of the priesthood. God performed these specific acts to demonstrate that He, and not men, has the final word on everything.

God's sovereignty is one of the most important issues a Christian must consider. Is God supreme in all things? Have we acknowledged that He has total authority over us in particular?

John Ritenbaugh identifies spirit as the most important element in the whole salvation process. Spirit (ruach in Hebrew, pneuma in Greek) can be defined as that invisible, immaterial, internal activating agent which impels or creates. There are varieties of spirit (generated through advertising, cheerleading, or political rallies) motivating people to "go with the flow," conforming to a sheep-like mob psychology. Satan begets or inspires a spirit or mood (Ephesians 2:2; John 8:44) that captivates all of us before our calling, leading us to follow sinful appetites. God's Spirit is vastly different in that 1) it is holy, 2)provides a tap into infinite knowledge, and 3) provides us an interface with the mind, wisdom, and character of God (I Corinthians 2:9).

John Ritenbaugh, reflecting on man's ultimate destiny to have dominion over the entire universe, admonishes that preparation for this awesome responsibility requires faithful stewardship over the things God has entrusted to us (our bodies, families, possessions, etc.)—dressing, keeping, and maintaining those things, overcoming and growing, building character, and making use of the gifts God has given us. Though salvation along with the will and power come from God, the character must come from our effort at overcoming. In the seeming delay of the Bridegroom, we must rouse ourselves from our slumber and diligently prepare for His return.

Why is the world's best selling book held in awe by some, in passive discredit by others, and understood by virtually none? Why do the many churches of traditional Christianity disagree about what the Bible says? Have you ever PROVED whether, as the book itself purports, it is the authoritative Word of the Creator God?

Can the existence of God be scientifically proved? Can we know whether God can possess MIND power? Is it rational to believe in God?