Revelation 2/3- A prophetic layout of 2,000 years of church history in advance?

Revelation 2/3

Seven Letters to Seven Churches

The first time I attempted to read the book of Revelation, one of the few things I noticed right away was the emphasis on the number 7. The number 7 is conspicuous throughout the book and it would jump out at anybody. One of those sevens mentioned pertains to the key chapters of Revelation, chapters 2 and 3 where Jesus Christ writes seven letters to seven churches and gives them each a report card. What is less obvious is that these letters not only provide a summary of these seven churches, but that the letters may be prophetic in that they lay out of 2,000 years of church history in advance from Pentecost (Acts 2) to the Rapture (Rev 4:1). Revelation was written around 96 AD and the letter discussed events from that time in history through today! I would not base your doctrine on these relationships that these seven churches seem to represent, but if true, it is just another example of the fingerprint of the Holy Spirit at work. What you can definitely take from these seven churches is that if they were in any other order, these letters would not be considered prophetic.

Keeping in mind the uniqueness of the number 7, we discover another significant fact about the number 7, and this uniqueness deals with the apostle Paul. How many letters did Paul write? Paul wrote 14 epistles, 13 signed (since he didn’t sign Hebrews). You can remove the letters he wrote to individuals or pastors (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Philemon, and Titus) and you are down to 9 epistles. You subtract the multiple letters to Corinthians and Thessalonians and you now have the number of epistles Paul wrote to churches; how many letters is that? 7, good guess! You will soon see that these 7 churches in Revelation are all uniquely tied to one of Paul’s seven church epistles.

The seven letters to seven churches not only layout the history of the church, tie out to Paul’s seven church epistles, but also unbelievably tie out to the parables Jesus gives in Matthew 13. How many parables are there in Matthew 13? If you said 7, excellent guess! The order the churches appear in Revelation will preview a chronological history of the church in advance.  In addition the parables in Matthew 13 also foreshadow a chronological history of the church through from the time Jesus walked the earth to today. The order of the churches in Revelation and parables from Matthew 13 are extremely important because if any of them were in any other order, the relationship between the churches and parables would not be prophetic. For example, the 1^st church Jesus addresses is tied to the 1^st parable from Matthew 13, 2^nd church is tied to the 2^nd parable, etc.

Below you will see the following bullet points on each of the seven churches:

·         Jesus’ main point to the church

·         Time in history the letter to the church represents

·         Which of the Pauline epistles Jesus’ letter represents

·         Which of the seven parables from Matthew 13 Jesus’ letters applies

Below is a summary of the Seven Letters from Revelation 2/3:

Church 1- Ephesus

·         Jesus’ first letter to a church in Revelation. The main point of the letter was that they lost their first love. They had doctrine but not devotion. In other words they were fading away (apostasy). Jesus told the Ephesians to remember how they were when they first became saved and to revert back to the desire they first had for the gospel when they became saved.

·         The church at Ephesus was representative in time of the apostolic period during the 1^st century when the church was concerned about organization and doctrine to the point that it became legalistic while lacking devotion.

·          Jesus’ letter to Ephesus is most closely tied to Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians. The Ephesians church resides in Ephesus.

·         Jesus’ first parable in Matthew 13.  The Sower and the Seed.  The sower is Christ and the seed is the Word of God. Some seeds fall by the wayside and are snatched away by the “fowls”. Jesus explains the parable that when someone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one snatches what has been sown in his heart. People who understand the word of God bear much fruit. If you have been born again, God’s word has penetrated your heart.  In Ephesians, Paul writes: You heard the Gospel and believed it, and the Lord marked you with His seal and has guaranteed that His promise of eternal life will come true for you (Ephesians 1:13-14). Which of the two groups you belong to depends on whether your life has changed to the extent that you’re no longer concerned about the things of this world and are living your life for the Lord.

Church 2- Smyrna

·         Jesus’ second letter to a church in Revelation. The main point of the letter is that Smyrna was the persecuted church. One of only two churches where no bad things were said about them.

                                                          

·         The church at Smyrna was representative of the suffering church from 1^st century to 313 AD. Jesus instructs them that they will suffer persecution for ten days. These ten days refers to the reigns of ten Roman Caesars from the 1^st century to 313AD.

·         Smyrna is most closely tied to Paul’s epistle to the Philippians where the theme was joy through suffering.

·         Jesus’ second parable in Matthew 13. The Parable of the Weeds. The point of the parable is that the enemy came and sowed weeds from the wheat- that is suggestive of the oppression and persecution suffered by believers in the second and third centuries.

Church 3- Pergamus

·         Jesus’ third letter to a church in Revelation. The main point of the letter is that Pergamus was mixing Christianity with the world.

·         The church at Pergamus represented the Imperial church from 313 to 590AD.  During the 4^th century Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. The church was involved in a mixed marriage between Christianity and the pagan practices of the Roman Empire.  That edict caused forced conversions, which lead to degenerate leaders and members in the church.  The church therefore had a comingling of Christianity and paganism. This church period is regarded as a marriage between the church with the world. 

·         Pergamus is most closely tied to Paul’s epistle to the Corinthians where many in Corinthians were not of the church, but of the world.

·         Jesus’ third parable in Matthew 13. Parable of the Mustard Seed. The point of the parable is that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard that grows up to be a large tree, and that it is so great that birds of the air come and make nests in its branches. Jesus said in Revelation 2:12 that Pergamus is where Satan’s throne is. This picture of the demons themselves coming to make their home in the branches of the mustard tree corresponds precisely to the church becoming worldly as a result of the church being “married” to the world.

Church 4- Thyatira

·         Jesus’ fourth letter to a church in Revelation. The main point of the letter to Thyatira was to call the church out of religious externalism such as rituals and establishment of pagan practices.  This letter is the only one to mention a woman- Jezebel. Here in Revelation, the usage of the word “Jezebel” may not so much refer to it being a woman’s name, rather a title. The good news is that Jesus gives Thyatira six commendations, but the bad news was that he warned them of a false prophetess named Jezebel who was introducing false doctrine by teaching false worship to the church.

·         The church at Thyatira represented the age of the Papacy of the Catholic Church from 590 to 1517 AD. The introduction of rituals and church doctrine supplanted personal faith in Jesus Christ. The church introduced during this time non-Biblical and false doctrine such as the doctrine of Purgatory (593 AD), prayers to Mary (600 AD), kissing of the Pope’s foot (709 AD), and celibacy of the Priesthood (1079 AD). The Bible was also forbidden for the layman (Council of Toulouse 1229 AD).  Pope Innocent III was the most powerful of all of the popes. More blood from Christians was shed under his direction and that of his immediate successors than in any other period in church history, except for perhaps during the Reformation.

·         Thyatira is most closely tied to Paul’s epistle to the Galatians due to their call out of religious externalism. Galatians mentions the fruits of the spirit from Galatians 5:22 which closely resemble Thyatira’s good news. Also, the main theme of Galatians is faith through grace alone through Jesus Christ and there is no amount of works we can do to gain salvation.

·         Jesus’ fourth parable in Matthew 13. Parable of the Woman and the Leaven. Only one of seven letters in Revelation where a woman is referenced. Jezebel is introducing false doctrine by teaching false worship in the church. Leaven is the false doctrine contaminating the three major branches of Christianity- Western portion of the Roman branch, the Orthodox/Catholic branch, and the even the mainline denominations resulting from the Reformation (priests dressing in vestments, infant baptism, etc)

Church 5- Sardis

·         Jesus’ fifth letter to a church in Revelation. The main point of Sardis is that they have fallen asleep and that the church members are dead. Sardis is one of two churches where Jesus says nothing good about them. However Jesus did say that there are some in the church who have not soiled their garments- meaning that some in the church are saved.

·         The church at Sardis represents the Protestant Reformation from 1517 to 1730. Since this was one of two churches where Jesus said nothing good about it, we Protestants should understand that before we point the finger at other denominations. The Protestant Reformation was one of the most important events in the history of the world, but empathy set in among many in the church where they claimed to be believers but were spiritually dead. I feel that when Jesus said Sardis was spiritually dead that we Christians today can see that spiritual death among other Protestants. People who claim to be Christians yet have no commitment to a church home, have no fellowship with other Christians, or are people who are not growing in their faith.

·         Sardis is most closely tied to Paul’s epistle to the Romans. Martin Luther’s key verse came from Habakkuk 2:4- the just shall live by faith and Romans expounds on the concept of grace through faith. The Protestant Reformation reinforced that theology.

·         Jesus’ fifth parable in Matthew 13. Parable of the Hidden Treasure. In this parable, a treasure is hidden, buried in a field. To obtain the treasure, a man must purchase the entire field.  This hidden treasure in the field refers to the rediscovery of the Bible. The reformation reestablished the rights and privileges that we have access to the Bible.  The reformation also emphasized that we are saved through God’s grace, not a combination of grace and works. Works demhat calls themselves a Christian can support onstrate that we are saved, but are not a basis for salvation.

Church 6- Philadelphia

·         Jesus’ sixth letter to a church in Revelation. The main point of Philadelphia is closer adherence to Jesus’ word and that we should be patient. The letter to Philadelphia makes reference to the Rapture. This letter is only one of two letters where Jesus says nothing negative about the church.

·         The church at Philadelphia represented the Missionary age or the revived church from 1730 to 1900. There were great awakenings all over Northern Europe and the British Isles, and later America. In the Philadelphian period there was a return to the true basis of fellowship according to Scripture.

·         Philadelphia is most closely tied to Paul’s epistles to the Thessalonians. Thessalonians makes reference to the Rapture. Praise and thanksgiving are the primary themes of the epistle.

·         Jesus’ sixth parable in Matthew 13. The Parable of the Pearl of Great Value. Heaven or Jesus is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who on finding the pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had. The pearls may represent the seven churches, but since Christ says nothing negative about Philadelphia, they being the church in Philadelphia whom Jesus had no negative comments to the church are the pearl of great value.  

Church 7- Laodicea

·         Jesus’ seventh letter to a church in Revelation. The main point of Laodicea was that it was the apostate church. The church was neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm. Jesus said they were only lukewarm and as a result he would spit them out of his mouth. They were proud that they were rich and prosperous but Jesus said they were wretched. Their material wealth had blinded them to spiritual bankruptcy. Does the idea of pride in one’s wealth sound like a common theme today? When I first moved to Dallas pride in the wealth of the people living in Dallas was one of the first things I noticed about this city.

·         The church of Laodicea represents the church from 1900 to the Great Tribulation. Many churches today only preach non-controversial, happy messages that fail to mention the blood and the cross. These “feel-good” messages rarely divulge the truth which is that unless you have Christ, you will not inherit the kingdom of God. Too many churches today are concerned their membership numbers and therefore won’t talk about our sin or messages that make people uncomfortable. Many churches also deny Israel’s role in the future, as God is not yet done with Israel.

·         Paul’s epistle to the Colossians tied to the letter to Laodicea. Colossae was twelve miles from Laodicea and Laodicea is mentioned four times in the Colossians letter.

·         Jesus’ seventh parable in Matthew 13. Parable of the Net. In this parable, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. Man then drug the catch to shore and sorted the good fish from the bad. The parable reflects the judgment of God to come. God’s judgment against the world will be during the Great Tribulation.

As we are about to celebrate Christmas, let us not forget the reason we should be celebrating. It’s because God became man so that he could die for us, and so that we could all have eternal life. Merry Christmas!

In Christ,

Kevin

A Father's Priority

Every day on my drive to work I listen to Christian Talk Radio 100.7 the Word. I heard this message by Pastor Reis over a Father’s Priority. The message was so good, I felt I should type up a summary. For your edification, a Father’s Priority:

A Father’s Priority

One key contributor to a breakdown of the family is a father’s lack of Godly leadership.

1.    God is called to be first in the father’s life

2.    God  has called fathers need to love their wives and children

3.    God has called fathers to take the leadership of the home- children portion here

Proverbs 4:1-4 gives instruction for fathers to teach sons. One of the greatest problems in the church and in the world today is the father’s absence of father’s in the home.  Fathers have many basic responsibilities, with two such responsibilities such as being the financial leader of the home, and protecting our wives and children

God is called to be first in the father’s life. God has called the man to work and to be the provider of the home. When you look today at homes that are breaking up and going through problems, it’s because the men haven’t taken the authority that God has given to him to be the “man” of the home. God has called men to protect the home. God has to be first in the husband’s life in order for man to be the head of the home.  Think of how many children are struggling today because the father won’t take the leadership of the home. One thing we will all have to understand is that we will all have to give an account before God of ourselves, our spouse and children. It’s really important that we understand the calling of God in the life of man and the first thing he requires is to know him intimately. We need to spend time in the Word and in prayer.  Men need to be the spiritual head of the home. God has setup the model and the model first is that the husband first needs to seek ye first kingdom of God- Matthew 6:33.

Fathers need to love their wives and their children.  We love our wives and children by being with them, by teaching them, by praying with them, by reading with them, making ourselves available to them when I come home from work- not plowing down on the couch to watch television all night long. All the way through the New Testament and in Ephesians 5 God instructs how we husbands need to love our wives; and in verses previous to that, it starts with wives submitting themselves to the husband in the fear of God. The wife will never submit to the husband as long as the husband does not love his wife. Men will never be respected by his wife or his children if we don’t love our wife, and God will not honor us. God has spoke through his Word and he tells women what they need to do, and man what we need to do. If a man loves his wife and the wife does not submit to the husband, she has a big problem. It’s really important that we men understand that God is looking to us to be the leaders of our home; that’s what is missing today. Our wives need to feel they are loved and that they have safety in the home. We need to know where our children are at all times, and where their friends are. We need to learn about God’s word so that fathers can teach it to our children, and teach it to our wife.  It’s so sad to see the pressures teenage kids have in the public schools among their friends. The styles of clothes, the way they dress, the concerts they go to, the things that they read, and it eventually takes them to place in time where they start drinking. Our children need to see that husbands love our wives, and that our wives respect us husbands, and that we husbands are a “man’s” man. Otherwise our children will not respect us fathers.

Fathers need to take the leadership of the home. How do we do that? By reading God’s word, by teaching God’s word and by praying with our family.  For example, having routine meetings with the family to make sure we everybody is on the same page. They see the father as the leader leading, and that we fathers are making decisions to honor God, our home, and in every decision to honor Jesus Christ.  God has this purpose for men. Men were created first, and the woman was created out of the man but from the closest part of the man’s heart.

The father’s priority in the home is to first to seek ye first the kingdom of God. Priority 2 is for the love of his wife and his children. Priority 3 is that the Father must take leadership of the home.

Creation vs. evolution. A non-Biblical and secular discussion regarding our origin.

There has been an ongoing discussion among for many years regarding our origin. Christians who take the Bible seriously believe God created us with precise design. Others have the view that we are a product of evolution over billions of years, and are a result of some cosmic accident.

I am presenting below some facts that you need to understand that should either confirm your beliefs or provide some serious questions about our origin. There will be no Biblical references to refer to, just secular worldly oberservations. The greatest barrier to truth is the assumption that you already have it. In order to learn, we have to keep an open mind.  When reading over these facts, the one thing I ask is to check your presuppositions at the door, and focus on the details on what is written.  Without an open mind learning is impossible.

Ø  Two views on Origin

There are two world views on our origin. The first view is that mankind is a result of an “accident” or randomness. This view is taught today to our impressionable children by the government run public school system. The other world view is that we are a result from a deliberate view from a designer.  Genesis 1 goes the detail on how God created everything in 6 days. 

Ø  A finite universe

The great discovery of 20^th century science is that the universe is not infinite; it’s finite. The term known as thermal decay tells us that heat flows from hot bodies to cold bodies. If the universe was infinitely old, the universe would have a uniform temperature. The temperature of the universe is not uniform, and therefore it is not infinitely old, and therefore it had a beginning. We had a beginning and we will have an end.

Ø  The Big Bang Theory

The big bang theory suggests first there was nothing, and then it exploded. There are many different types of big bang theories with the first given by Einstein who later regretted ever suggesting it. 

Ø  Entropy vs. Design

Entropy (randomness) is another proof that we were not created by accident. Randomness and design are mutually exclusive, and we cannot have both a precise design and randomness or accident. Design and entropy are polar opposites. The law of entropy means that things always seem to move toward entropy. For example, if I clean out the garage and get it all cleaned up and orderly, it will eventually look like that again. It takes conscious, intelligent effort to maintain order and entropy does not happen by itself- ever. So the philosophy that a “big bang” is entropy is impossible because an event so huge could have not been by accident. It is not by random chance or accident that we live on planet earth, at the only precise distance humans could survive. We do not have this very complex body made up with complex DNA, and all sorts of bodily systems that just happened to occur by accident. A design was needed to produce us, as randomness could not. There is only one field of science in which scientists close their eyes and pretend the entropy laws are not there, and that is the field of biology. They don’t recognize that you cannot create information. When they try to tell you that organization and life happen on its own chance, they are completely ignorant dealing with the laws of entropy. In addition, the law of thermodynamics says that matter/energy cannot be created or destroyed.  There is a new field of mathematics called chaos theory and it is the study about the randomness of the universe. They cannot find randomness which pulls the rug out from underneath the evolutionists. 

Ø  Complexity of the Simple Cell

An evolutionist by the name of Michael Denton wrote a book in 1986 that although the tiniest bacterial cells are very small, each is a delicately designed piece of machinery made up of 100 billion atoms and far more complicated than any machine built by man, and absolutely without parallel in the living world. This simple cell is more complex than anything man has ever created. The cell is unequal from anything man created on earth, and it can duplicate itself within a few hours. All cells derive from previous cells. All DNA will also copy itself. An example worth looking at is using symphony where you have 100 equally talented musicians and 100 instruments. You cannot play the music until a conductor is assigned. Everyone would not know what instrument to play and what section of the symphony they would be in (1^st or 2^nd trumpet, etc). The same situation happens with cells and that they need to know when to divide with God is their conductor. 

Ø  Other Complexity examples

There are many relationships that are created that show the delicateness of creation. You cannot have complexity on something that was created at random or accident. Can an airplane, computer, drill, book, or anything else be put together without someone personally designing it?  No it cannot, and neither can the universe. Some of the hundreds of relationships that show the God created everything with great precision abound and here are just a few of those relationships. The electron/proton ratio, distance the earth is from the sun, the earth’s surface gravity, thickness of the earth’s crust, the earth’s axis tilt, and the thickness of the ozone layer. 

Ø  Ratio of Electron/Proton Mass

The ratio of electron to proton mass is one of those relationships. The ratio of electrons to protons is 1 to 1836. If it was larger or small, molecules would not form and life would be impossible.

Ø  Distance from the Sun to the Earth

The distance from the earth to the sun is another relationship that was created with precise design. If the earth was closer it would be too warm to maintain a stable water cycle. If we were further away, it would be too cold on earth to have a water cycle.

Ø  Gravity

Surface gravity is another example. If gravity was stronger, the atmosphere would have too much ammonia and methane. If gravity was weaker that atmosphere would lose too much water, and it is just at that balance to make life possible.

Ø  Thickness of the Earth’s Crust

The thickness of the earth’s crust is another relationship created with precise design. If the crust were thicker there would be too much oxygen to be transferred from the atmosphere to the earth’s crust. If the crust were thinner volcanic activity would be too great. 

Ø  Earth’s axis tilt

Another relationship created with precise design is the earth’s axis tilt. If the tilt was either greater in either direction, the surface temperatures would be too great both in the northern and southern hemispheres. Earth and Mars also have the same axis tilts

Ø  Ozone Layer

Another relationship created with perfection is the ozone layer. When these global warming advocates say how delicate the ozone layer is, you can easily lure them into a trap.  They make these claims they make that if the ozone layer changes 1/10 of 1% that we will be cosmically doomed. We can then ask them if the earth is pretty sensitively balanced, and they of course would answer yes- which is the answer we want to hear. We then ask them who balanced it? Randomness and design are mutually exclusive, so if they admit how delicate the ozone layer is, it could not have happened by randomness or accident. If the ozone layer was greater, surface temperature would be too low. If there was less of an ozone layer, the surface temperature would be too high.  All of these and hundreds and all of these relationships have to be balanced right and it is just more proof that contrary to what many biologists and public school administrators believe. God is the designer of the universe, and these things and hundreds other things that we have taken for granted did not happen by circumstance. 

Ø  Creation of the Solar System

There is no plausible explanation that cannot support a solar origin of the planets, meaning the planets could not have generated from the sun. The largest planets are furthest from the sun. If the planets were created and shot out from the sun, the largest planets being the heaviest, would be closest to the sun, not furthest away.  As we examine the planets carefully we discover they are in pairs. There are three pairs with rapid spin rates among our planets, each within 3 percent of each other. There is always a pair that has about the same spin rate.  Earth and Mars have the same spin rate, Jupiter and Saturn have the same spin rate, and Uranus and Neptune have the same spin rate. These same spin rates suggest they have a relationship with one another.  Earth and Mars also have the same axis tilts.

Ø  Design of the Woodpecker

Another example of incredible design is the woodpecker. He obviously has a very strong beak. His pounding is so hard that he has special cartridge between his beak and his head because of all of the force between his beak and the wood. His tail feathers are designed to be a tripod for the shocks. Most birds have 3 toes in front and 1 one in back. However the woodpecker was designed with 2 toes up front and 2 in back to help so he can grip the bark of the tree better. He was designed for what he does. He has a very unusual tongue because he has to use his tongue to get into the larvae in the tree, and his tongue also has barbs on the end to grab the larvae.

Ø  Design of Birds- Siberian Plover

How birds migrate and fly from one part of the earth to the other is still a mystery to this day. One example of birds migrating is The Siberian Plover. This Siberian Plover is a little bird that starts in Alaska and flies to Hawaii. The bird weighs around 130 grams. He will have to generate 225,000 wing flaps to travel the 2800 miles entirely over water with nowhere to rest. He will have to consume enough food for energy to last the entire 2800 miles during this 3 day, 4 night trip that will take 88 hours. In preparation for this flight he eats enough food so his body weight increases 70 grams, or around 54%. An analogy would be for a 200 pound man would have to weigh in at 308 in just 3 months. But here’s the question. How did the birds know they would have to consume over 50% of their bodyweight to get to Hawaii? How are the birds supposed to find those tiny islands in the Pacific? If the birds didn’t find them, they would crash into the ocean because their energy would be used up. Are we to assume this original Golden Plover just decided to gain 70g with the intent to fly off by accident? In addition to answering all of these questions, there is another problem. Hawaii is an 88 hour trip. Scientists can confirm he only has enough fuel to travel the 72 of the 88 hours. They make the entire trip by flying in the V formation and they save their fuel that way. These birds could not make it the distance without each other.  The birds are essentially drafting from one another like you see with race cars and they save about 20% of their fuel by rotating positions through drafting. 

Ø  Design of the Bombardier Beetle

Another great example of precise design is the bombardier beetle. This beetle has a defense mechanism so when it feels like it will be attacked, the beetle can shoot out a spray of liquid against its enemy that is 212 degrees. How does this beetle’s body contain liquid so hot? How did this beetle know how to make and spray this liquid so that it doesn’t kill itself?  The evolutionists have no answer to it. 

Ø  Design of the Giraffe

The giraffe is an example of the unique design of every animal. He is about 19 feet tall and weighs around 2,500 pounds and can run 36 mph, he eats 200 pounds of food per day which includes 16-20 hours of eating.  The giraffe sleeps around 20 minutes per day. He can go without water for months at a time, and in his habitat sometimes he has to. Being so tall, it takes a lot of blood pressure to get the blood to his brain. As a result, a giraffe’s blood pressure is much higher than humans blood pressure, because his brain is 18 feet in the air, is again proof as a result of design. If humans had as high of a blood pressure as giraffe’s, we would have very short lives. Without any design when he bends down, his neck that is 18 feet high is now at water level and as a result, the blood vessels would burst. There are however valves in the artery that close when the giraffe bends down. The blood between the last valve and the brain is diverted into an organ that will act as a reservoir.  When the giraffe suddenly were to raise his head, he would also pass out because no blood would go to the brain. The cure is that the reservoir that will feed oxygenated blood to the brain and these values will soon open up after the giraffe begins to lift his head. This again shows precise design of the giraffe and if either of those mechanisms were not there, the giraffe would not survive. This is just one of hundreds of example of a specific design element needed for a particular animal that is essential for their survival. 

Ø  Design of Plants and Animals

Another example of incredible design is the design of plants and animals. Plants produce and give off oxygen and sugar, which is what the animals need. Animals on the other hand give produce and give off CO2, which is what the plants needs. It is fascinating to realize that the plant kingdom and animal kingdom need each other. If either one of them are taken away, the other one ultimately vanishes because there will not be enough CO2 to keep the plants around, and the animals need the oxygen and the sugar would eventually die off. This again shows an intrinsic system design in the total package.

Ø  The Design of our bodily systems

The complexity of our all of bodily systems show we could have not been created by accident. Our digestive system allows our body to keep the foods we need, and pass out the foods we don’t need when we go the bathroom. Our circulatory system and our blood vessels are extremely complex. It allows our blood to flow properly and respond to emergencies. The way our blood responds to invaders is astonishing. Could this blood that has all of these complexities just happen at random? Our sensory systems such as our eyes, ears are vastly more sophisticated than any other system around. Compare our eyes to a digital camera to understand how complex our eyes are. Our immune system is so complex that scientists don’t understand it today. The ways it fights disease is too complex for today’s scientific minds show its confusing complexity. The central nervous system is another extremely complex system. Our brain has 10¹⁵ connections. How much is 10¹⁵?  If we have tree that had 50,000 leaves on it, and we had 10,000 trees per square mile, you would need 2 million square miles of trees, or a forest the size of the United States to get the equivalent number of connections that we have in our brain.

Happy birthday America

Happy birthday America. Is America an idiom for King Solomon? Let's discuss.

Every 4^th of July Americans of all races, political affiliations, and status take part to celebrate the birth of our nation.  Most people celebrate with hot dogs, hamburgers, fireworks, cookouts or a combination of each. We had a great service today where the church honored each of the distinct groups of the US military- Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force and Marines. While it’s great that America is united on the one front of loving our country, the truth is that America’s greatest days are behind her.  It’s important to remember our national heritage and our spiritual history.

Before America’s first Constitution or before the colonies there was the Mayflower Compact.  The Mayflower Compact was the first governing document of the Plymouth Colony. It was signed on November 11, 1620 as a Biblical covenant. The purpose of it was a pact so that they could practice Christianity without the interference of a government church.  There is a conflict of interest when a nation has a government sponsored church. For example, how well would the government receive a message from a pastor that preached a message about its pagan government that implementing anti-Biblical laws? Christian Americans who take their faith seriously understand how pagan our own American government has become. The purpose of the Mayflower Compact was to allow Christians to worship without government interference is critical to honest preaching about what the word of God says without concern about our own government.

In 1776 our founding fathers gave us the Declaration of Independence which said, “We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal, that they are in endowed by their CREATOR. “ The government’s job according to the founders of our nation is that our rights are not given to us by our government, but by our CREATOR. Are you paying attention liberals? The purpose of our government is to protect our God given rights. Somehow I believe Barack Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the liberals have a problem with that concept of truth.

What did some of America’s ex-presidents say about the Bible, and Christianity?

"It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible." – President George Washington. Washington later said at his Thanksgiving address "Duty of all nations to acknowledge the almighty God and obey His will to be grateful for His benefits and humbly to implore.”

"I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this book." – President Abraham Lincoln

Only book that deserves international attention is the Bible-President John Quincy Adams

My boy and the hero of the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812, Old Hickory said: The Bible is the rock on which this Republic rests. - President Andrew Jackson

The colonists were also very vocal about the Bible:

“The Bible is worth all other books which have ever been printed." - Patrick Henry. Patrick Henry also said, “This nation was not founded by religionists, but by Christians, not on religion’s, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ”

The judiciary of early American history also chimes in on the Bible:

Our laws … must embody the teaching of the redeemer of mankind. It is impossible it should be otherwise and in this sense .. that are our civilization and institutions are emphatically Christian… to the mass of organic utterances that this is a Christian nation. - Supreme Ct 1892

Duty of every Christian to select Christians as our rulers. - John Jay first Chief Justice

Can you imagine if our current President, congress and judges believed what our nation’s first leaders in their areas believed? Unfortunately, God gives nations leaders that mirror its citizens. While we can blame Washington for our numerous problems and rightfully so, we the people are the ones who elected these bozos.

America has become a morally bankrupt nation. The most dangerous place for a child today in America is not on the streets of Compton, Brooklyn or Watts, but in the womb of the mother. The number of abortions in America since 1973 is 47,000,000. That’s about the same population as America’s ten largest cities. Kids are taught today in the public schools we come from monkeys and is it any wonder why many are lost about our past and more importantly their future? Our leaders have no concept of debt and the Bible states clearly that the borrower is a servant to the lender- Proverbs 22:7.

While I believe America is the greatest nation in the world, I will also say that unless our nation gets right with God, all of those great things we celebrate will not be around in future generations. Somebody will be an instrument of judgment against our nation and it is my guess that somebody is a nation from the Muslim world. Another nugget to understand is that America exports more things that God abhors than all other nations combined.

Without Jesus Christ we have complete despair. With that being said, happy birthday America. While you still have many things that I love- oysters, crawfish, gator, pizza, SEC and Saints football, you have a lot of work to do. You are at a critical time in your history and it’s time for our sake and for our children’s sake to get right with God now! I pray that you will come back to the Lord before it’s too late. Our prayer for our country comes from 2 Chronicles:

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. – 2 Chronicles 7:14

LeBron James takes his talents fishing

LeBron James last year at this time was one of the most popular players in the NBA. He was beloved by his hometown Cleveland fans and was liked by most NBA fans, including myself. I was pulling for him and his Cavaliers when they played the spurs in the NBA finals a few years ago.

One sentence caused one of America's most beloved athletes to go from fan favorite to most hated overnight.  It's a lesson we already know but it's always good to review. After LeBron James infamous "I'm taking my talents to South Beach..." comment from his one hour egotistical press conference, he became public enemy number one among most NBA fans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyvavfpEwbI

Then LeBron, Wade and Bosh had their egotistical welcome party drawing attention to themselves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9BqUBYaHlM#t=0m29s

LeBron said at the same welcome party that said he and his teammates not win one title, not two titles, not three championships, but would win 7 or more championships.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSLWjx3Mvt8

People stopped cheering for LeBron primarily because of his arrogance and pride. I don’t have a problem with him leaving a city like Cleveland, but it was the manner in which he did it. He lied about what his intentions were, and turned his decision into an unprecedented display of arrogance by making his decision on a 1 hour television special. He showed no remorse for his public display of arrogance. What does the Bible say about LeBron's attitude?

Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. - Matthew 23:12.

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. – James 4:10

There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes (pride), a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.- Proverbs 6:16-19

To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. - Proverbs 8:13

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. - Proverbs 11:2

As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. – James 4:16

Our greatest enemy is pride. You’ll notice in Proverbs 6:16-19 that the first thing God mentions on the list of things he hates is pride. He puts pride above murder. God hates pride so much because it's what caused Satan to fall- In Isaiah we learn of Satan’s pride to be like God: You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' Isaiah 14:13-14.

There are many lessons to be learned from LeBron and it is so refreshing to know that our Bibles contain not only the truth about our past and future, but the key to successful living for today.  LeBron blew it in the past with his attitude and comments, and blew it last night at his press conference by failing to humble himself for his past, and admit fault for his mistakes. He had a great opportunity to take responsibility for his publicity stunts and instead of humbling himself and apologizing for the past, he said that all of his critics will have the same problems tomorrow that they do now. In other words, he has this perception of himself that he is still “King James”, and the rest of us that don’t support him are still his royal peasants and because he dislike him, we have many problems.

The application for all of us: Please don't let pride affect those who love you the most. There are twelve words that can transform your life. Please, thank you, I’m sorry, I love you, and I’m praying for you. Humility is one of the greatest traits we can possess. One thing we can learn from LeBron is no matter how good we feel about ourselves in whatever field we are successful to never display that kind of arrogance, and to always remember to be humble.

The death of Macho Man Randy Savage’s death- and what his death could mean for you.

Macho Man Randy Savage was my favorite celebrity for years when I was a teenager. He was simply brilliant in his microphone skills and athletic ability. He entertained my teenage brain like no other at that point in my life.

I had posters of him on my wall at home, talked like him when instigating with friends and bullies, and recorded and watched many of his matches over and over again. My friends gave me the nickname from his moniker, Madness, because of how much I loved the guy.  I started working out because I wanted to look like him. In 1991 when he lost a Wrestlemania match to the Ultimate Warrior, I cried. When I went off to live in the LSU dorms, I put his poster up on the wall. Yes I was a dork and many would argue nothing has changed. In the late 1990’s I dressed up for him on Halloween night. When cleaning house earlier this year I found hours of his wrestling videos. I can to this day can still watch video and his interviews and laugh and get my blood flowing.

So needless to say he had a huge influence on my life. Obviously the way I look at death BC is light years different than the way I look at death now because my outlook has changed. For example, I was watching the movie Mr. Mom last weekend and I mentioned to my sister-in-law how different of viewpoint I have on that movie now than I did before the birth of my daughter.

One minute we are here on earth, living a great life, spending time with our loved ones, and in a flash we can be gone the next. Randy Savage is a perfect example of that. There are hundreds of questions and huge decisions we will make throughout our lives. Are we going to do our homework tonight, where we want to go to college, where we decide to live after college, what kind of vehicle we will purchase, who we will marry, how many children we will have, where we will re-locate for retirement, etc. These are all huge questions that have that potentially have huge and lasting impacts on our life. Obviously those are all important decisions we must answer for ourselves.

However there is one question that is the most important question we will ever answer. This question is a one question pass/fail exam that we have already answered and our lives demonstrate that answer. This question will not only affect your life here on earth, but your eternity. That question is- do you trust Jesus Christ with your life and salvation? Some believe you enter heaven by being a good person- Strike 1. There is another common answer and that is by believing in God- Strike 2. Believing in God is great but it doesn’t give you salvation. There is only one way through heaven and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said in the gospel of John, Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. - John 14:6. There are two choices, believe Jesus at his word, or believe he is a liar.

A tragic, unexpected death like what we saw of Randy Savage can happen to anybody. The guy was in great shape, had a new and loving wife, and was happier than he had been in years. Nobody expected that last week would be his last week here on Earth as he died at the ripe age of 58 from a car crash. We are not supposed to die before we reach our 70’s or 80’s, but we all know the truth is we can die anytime. But while we all know that so many decide that having a personal relationship with the Lord is not all that important. Death came out of nowhere and it can happen to me or happen to you.

I dedicated last week to the memory of Macho Man Randy Savage by growing a beard for this entire week. I wanted to pay tribute to him for so many years of his entertainment value. The lesson to be learned here from the death of Randy Savage or anybody for that matter that death comes many times when we least expect it. My prayer for you is this- don’t be the guy that has death come unexpectedly without you ever truly coming to Christ. The most important question we will ever answer about ourselves is do we trust Jesus with our life and salvation? If we trust him, we will bear fruit and our works, and life will demonstrate that. If you were to die tomorrow, would you go to heaven? The only correct answer is we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, and we believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved! Once we really believe that, we will be forever transformed both here on earth, and in our future home in heaven. If you haven’t already done so, make that decision for Christ today before a tragedy similar to Randy Savage’s death affects you. Life insurance is important, but do you have something more important- eternity insurance. That eternity insurance unlike life insurance is free as a gift to you and can only be given to us by the grace of our Lord. Make that decision for Christ today before that tragic, unexpected event happens to you.

May the Lord bless you.