Jump Start # 2655

Genesis 7:11 “In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened.”

We continue our series, “Articles from the West,” based on a recent trip to Montana and Wyoming. In Glacier National Park, we read about the formation of some of the beautiful mountain peaks. The information stated that “ocean floor” was found at the top of the mountains and “intense pressure” caused the twisting of the rock layers. That all sounded like our verse today. It all made sense. Except, the scientist concluded that millions and millions of years caused the mountains to be shaped the way that they are.

And, right here stood an incredible revelation for me. The evolutionist and the creationist look at the same evidence. It’s not that the evolutionist has some secret fossils and rocks that no one else is able to look at. They all look at the same rock. They all see the ocean floor at the top of the mountains. They all see the twisting of rock caused by great pressure. The evidence is there for all to see. Yet, different conclusions are made.

This is telling. It’s not the evidence that leads to certain conclusions but the prejudice and closed mind that refuses to consider anything other than a naturalistic approach. A fair question to ask would be what or who caused the intense pressure that turned those rocks? And, if it just happened, why has it not “just happened” again? Things do not just happen. There are causes, reasons, why things happen.

Our verse today, explaining where the flood waters came from is hard for us to imagine. Looking at the mountains of Glacier Park or the Tetons, one could see these massive rocks being thrust upward from the ocean. The force and the consequential earthquakes and tsunamis that would have followed would have changed the shape of the landscape worldwide. The volume of water in the flood would have been the pressure necessary to twist and turn massive layers of rocks. The “bursting open” from our verse today is likely what gave us the mountain ranges that are so beautiful today.

What would have caused ocean floors to rise to mountain tops? For you and I, the answer is simple. God. You and I can even say when it happened. At the flood. This all makes great sense and it’s a great testimony to the power of God and the truthfulness of the Scriptures.

But stepping outside the realms of geology, naturalism and science, what we witness is a common plague of mankind. Our country is upside down in dealing with the issues of prejudice. Prejudice is more than just disliking someone because of race. Prejudice closes our eyes and hardens our heart. The greatest form of prejudice is against the God of Heaven and earth. All around us, from the stars at night, to the sun in the day, to the beauty of flowers, to the song of birds, God sprinkles evidence of His glory, power, and existence. Yet, millions and millions will close their eyes to this evidence. They have put on blinders and accepted the idea that modern science is greater than the Bible. And, those prejudices affect our society.

Why not treat each other as the golden rule says? Why not turn the cheek when we have been hurt? Why not forgive? Why not be gracious? Why not show generosity? Why not? Because that stuff is from the Bible and everyone knows, we are told, that the Bible is nothing more than a collection of repeated stories from the past. They have lowered Jesus to being nothing more than a common Jewish teacher. They have discredited the miracles. They have rewritten history so prophesy is nothing. And, they have made religion for the weak and feeble who cannot deal with life on their own. And, the hopeless message of a secular generation is, “this is it.” There is nothing beyond this. And, worse, we are on our own. There is no one at the wheel and no one knows where we are headed. By tossing the Bible out of life, society doesn’t get better. It gets worse. Hatred, prejudice, racism, selfishness are not going away. They are only getting worse. Why are things turning south? It’s because we have no guidance, moral compass, or reason to be kind to one another. God is gone and this is what life looks like when we are left to ourselves.

So, what do we learn:

First, smart folks often miss the point. The geologists that have studied the Glacier Mountains are super intelligent. They have been taught and they have bought into the idea to look at all things naturally. God is not allowed to be an option. When one starts with that premise, he will miss the point.

Second, because someone smart says something, that doesn’t mean they are right. This is a lesson that we must teach our children. Museums, documentaries on TV, and books are all filled with evolutionary thought. Big Bang is what is in now. Nothing and then BANG, everything started. What caused the BANG? Who was the big BANGER? No answers to that. How does life come from non-life? No answers to that. If there are millions of primates today and millions of humans today, why are there no “half and half” today? Why no transitional species? Why have the simplest species remained? Why have they not evolved out into higher forms? Lots and lots of questions. No answers. God is not against science. It’s not a choice between God or science. Science is simply a study of existing things. The trouble comes when one puts on colored glasses and can only see things one way.

Third, some people can look squarely at evidence and not see it. Oh, they see the evidence, but they cannot or will not draw the conclusion that leads them to God. This is more than looking at rocks. It’s the way some look at the Bible. How can some look at the same verses you do and conclude that baptism is not necessary? Or, that the modern worship can look like a rock concert? Where do they come up with such conclusions? They simply do not see what is before them.

Finally, we must be careful that we do not find ourselves doing the same thing. The evidence is before us, but we draw a conclusion, not based upon the evidence, but based upon what we want to do. Look at what God says about divorce. Look at what God says about forgiveness. Look at what God says about dedication, commitment, being a servant. If not careful, our eyes can look at things but our hearts will not draw the right conclusion. We wonder how someone can miss seeing the evidence of the flood in a rock. Yet, God may wonder how we can miss the evidence for discipleship that is in His book. We must make sure that we are not doing the same thing that we accuse others of.

Our God is alive. This is why we pray and worship Him. All around us we see the works of His hands. Our world ought to fill our hearts with the glory of the Lord.

Roger