prayercrafter on Xanga

Bent Mental	In the pursuit of truth, challenge everything.

prayercrafter

Interests: Favorite Quote: " Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong but too weak..." --C.S. Lewis
Expertise: 1) I am a Christian minister - a graduate of Rhema Bible Training Center 2) I have been blessed with two children (see: Psalm 127:3 : "Children are a Gift from the LORD"). 3) I have coached SWIMMING professionally for the past 27 years
Occupation: Consulting
Industry: Nonprofit

Message: message meEmail: email me

Member Since: 12/1/2005

Top Tags

View all tags...

SubscriptionsSites I Read
Subscribe to prayercrafter Get trial subscription

Blogrings

**Assemblies of God anywhere**
previous - random - next

Rhema Bible Training Center
previous - random - next

 [GOD IS GOOD] 
previous - random - next

Christianity... A Relationship, Not a Religion...
previous - random - next

Christians in College
previous - random - next

C.S. Lewis Forum
previous - random - next

Christianity is Not Intellectual Suicide
previous - random - next

fashionXcore
previous - random - next

Posting Calendar

\|<< oldest \| newest >>\|
view all weblog archives

Saturday, November 07, 2009

Did the earth once have a vapor canopy?

1 Timothy 2:1-2

“[Instructions on Worship]

I (Paul the apostle of Jesus Christ) urge, then, first of all,

that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving

be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority,

that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”

Q: Did earth once have a vapor canopy?

Answer:

In brief, the canopy models gained popularity thanks to the work of Joseph Dillow, and many creationists have since researched various aspects of this scientific model. The canopy model was developed from an interpretation of the “waters above” in Genesis 1:6–7 when discussing the firmament (or expanse).

Genesis 1:6–7
Then God said, “Let there be a firmament (expanse) in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” Thus God made the firmament (expanse), and divided the waters which were under the firmament (expanse) from the waters which were above the firmament (expanse); and it was so.

From these verses, scientific models were developed and modified to help deal with problems that arose. These models included ideas about the earth’s temperature, atmospheric color, as well as oxygen concentration (to attempt to explain ancient man’s longevity).

The proposed models have this canopy fading into history at the time of the Flood. Researchers thought it could have provided at least some of the water for the Flood and was associated with the “windows of heaven” mentioned along with the fountains of the great deep at the onset of the Flood (Genesis 7:11).

Currently, the pitfalls of the canopy model have grown to such an extent that most researchers have abandoned the model. For example, if a canopy existed and collapsed at the time of the Flood to supply the rainfall, the latent heat of condensation would have boiled the atmosphere! And a viable canopy would not have had enough water vapor in it to sustain 40 days and nights of torrential global rain.

Biblical Problems

Aside from the scientific analysis, there may be a much bigger issue at play: if the canopy really was part of earth’s atmosphere, then all the stars, sun, and moon would have been created within the earth's atmosphere.

Why is this? A closer look at Genesis 1:14 reveals that the “waters above” may very well be much farther out—if they still exist today. The entirety of the stars, including our own sun (the greater light) and moon (lesser light) could not possibly be in our atmosphere, since they were made “in the expanse.”³

In Genesis 1, some have made distinction between the expanse in which the birds fly (Genesis 1:20) and the expanse in which the sun, moon, and stars were placed (Genesis 1:7). This is not a distinction that is necessary from the text. From the Hebrew, the birds are said to fly “across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” Looking up at a bird flying across the sky, it would be seen against the face of both the atmosphere and the space beyond the atmosphere—the “heavens.” The proponents of the canopy model must make a distinction between these two expanses to support their position, but this is an arbitrary assertion that is only necessary to support their view and is not described elsewhere in Scripture.⁴

Genesis 1:14–15
Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament (expanse) of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament (expanse) of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so.⁵

There is also another problem.

Psalm 148:4
Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens!

The psalmist wrote this in a post-Flood world in the context of other post-Flood aspects. So, it appears that the windows of heaven still exist at this point (see also 2 Kings 7:2, 19 and Malachi 3:10). And this is complemented by:

Genesis 8:2
The fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were also stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained.

This verse merely points out that the two sources were stopped and restrained, not necessarily done away with. These two verses suggest that the windows of heaven remained after the Flood. The canopy model would have to explain when and how they suddenly dissipated, and without any basis for this in Scripture.

Temperatures

To answer the question about how the earth regulates its temperature without a canopy, consider that it may not have been that much different than the way it regulates it today—atmosphere and oceans. Although there may have been much water underground prior to the Flood, there was obviously enough at or near the surface to sustain immense amounts of sea life. We know this because nearly 95% of the fossil record consists of marine organisms. Was the earth’s surface around 70% water or not before the Flood? That is a question researchers still debate over.

A canopy, on the other hand, would cause major problems for the regulation of earth’s temperature. A canopy would trap and retain heat that would normally radiate to space.

Biblical Models

Answers in Genesis continues to encourage research and the development of scientific models. However, a good grasp of all biblical passages that are relevant to the topic must precede the scientific research and model. The canopy model may have a glimmer of hope still remaining, and I will leave that to the researchers, but both the biblical and scientific difficulties need to be addressed thoroughly.

Answers in Genesis
2800 Bullittsburg Church Road
Petersburg, KY 41080

12:26 PM - 8 views - 2 eprops - 1 comment - email it

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Currently
Sparkling Gems From The Greek: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word
By Rick Renner
see related

The Peaceable Fruit of Righteousness

The Peaceable Fruit of Righteousness

Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Hebrews 12:11

As you grow in your walk with God, you will discover that one of the strongest forces you'll have to face and overcome is your own flesh! Your flesh will try to oppose you, stand against you, and coax you into believing that you can do a little but still get a lot. If you're going to be mightily used by God, your flesh must be disciplined so it can become an instrument through which the Holy Spirit can flow. You have to pay the price of crucifying the flesh in order to have the resurrection power of Jesus Christ expressed through your life.

If you look at a child with no parental guidance or discipline, you'll see exactly what the flesh does when it has its own way. The child will probably lie around, watch television, and eat junk food from morning till evening. And any person who lets his flesh do what it wants will most likely adopt the same lifestyle! That's why dealing with the flesh is almost like chastening a child. The flesh must be controlled, corrected, and made to obey even if it wants to do otherwise. The process is painful, but the rewards are eternal!

This is what Hebrews 12:11 is talking about when it says, "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby."

The word "chastening" in this verse is the Greek word paideia, an old Greek word for the education or instruction of a child. It comes from the word pais, the Greek word for a boy. However, as time passed, the word paideia came to signify the education of all children. By the time of Plato, the word paideia included not only the education of children, but also of adults. The concepts of discipline and regimen were so intrinsically interwoven in this word that in Luke 23:16 and 22, the verb form of the word paideia is translated as the word "chastise" and refers to Jesus being whipped or scourged as punishment.

So when this verse speaks of "chastening" in Hebrews 12:11, it refers to disciplinary attitudes and actions that lead to one's betterment in life or to one's education. The fact that this word can also be translated as a whip, a scourge, or punishment explicitly tells us that rigid discipline is required for the flesh to be chastened and changed so that fruit can be produced in one's life. The word paideia describes not only the process of education and change, but also the attitude required to bring about these benefits. An attitude of discipline is obligatory if the flesh is ever to make the needed changes.

Although the benefits of disciplining the flesh are too many to list, Hebrews 12:11 informs us that when this disciplinary process is in full force, it doesn't seem joyous but rather feels "grievous." The word "grievous" is the word lupe, the Greek word for pain, distress, trouble, grief, or sorrow. Although the discipline itself is good for us and provides us with the means to change, the flesh hates it when discipline is forced on it!

Haven't there been moments when your flesh screamed in disgust at the idea of discipline and commitment? It may be painful for the flesh to be crucified, but it is essential if you're going to render your flesh dead to sin and alive to God so He can transform it into an instrument through which His power and wisdom can flow!

Hebrews 12:11 says that this discipline will yield "the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." The word "exercised" is the Greek word gumnadzo. This word gumnadzo depicts radical discipline! It was the word the ancient Greeks used to portray the athletes who exercised, trained, and prepared for competition in the often barbaric athletic games of the ancient world. It is where we get the word gymnasium.

This word gumnadzo ("exercise") portrays people who want to develop and change so much that they are willing to put themselves through vigorous, demanding, and strenuous discipline in order to bring about change and to achieve the results they desire. Now Hebrews 12:11 uses the word gumnadzo to tell us that if we will discipline the flesh, we will see great results in our lives, for we will begin to yield "the peaceable fruit of righteousness."

Let's face it there is nothing more thrilling than to see progress in your life. But to get the kind of progress you desire, you will be required to do something more than you've been doing. You will have to say no to your flesh, denying its appetites and disciplining yourself to do what God says even if your flesh doesn't want to do it. This process often feels long and laborious, but afterward when you can see and appreciate the results, you'll be so glad you didn't quit!

So let the Holy Spirit exercise His discipline in your life. If you'll pay the price to crucify your flesh and to submit yourself to discipline, it will pay off with big dividends. You may not see immediate, tangible results while you are training and preparing. But eventually you will see the fruit of your labor, and you'll be so glad you took your flesh to school and taught it to obey!

6:47 AM - 3 views - 2 eprops - 1 comment - email it

Monday, November 02, 2009

Currently
The Blood and the Glory
By Billye Brim
see related

Far-Reaching Redemption
By Billye Brim

According to the Word of God, we are not just delivered out of the hand of Satan, but the Bible pointedly states our redemption is threefold.

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
(Gal. 3:13-14)

We are redeemed:
From the curse of the law.
To the blessing….
That we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

The attacks of "the accuser of the brethren" are always in one of these three areas. He strives to rob us of our redemptive rights by attempting to:

Bring the curse of the broken law upon us (e.g., poverty, sickness, death).

Keep our inheritance from us.

Prevent us from living in the fullness of the power of the Holy Spirit within. All this is legally ours.

At the new birth believers are translated out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of light. We have redemption now through His Blood! (Col. 1:13-14).

We are citizens of Heaven—now! (Phil. 3:20). We may live by the laws of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus which have set us free from the laws of sin and death (Rom. 8:2).

But Satan will not just roll over and let it happen for us. We are commanded to give him no place (Eph. 4:27). He and his accusations are to be overcome with the Blood of the Lamb to which he has no defense.

Grace Roos, who lived a supernatural, overcoming life without sickness or disease, once wrote:
"Satan has no answer to the Blood of Jesus.
He has no weapon to withstand its devastating effect upon him.
He is absolutely vulnerable to its overcoming power. Knowing this, he hides what is happening to him and seeks to deceive us into settling for less than we wanted."

Legally Satan was defeated at Calvary, so legally we are his victors through Christ who gave us power of attorney in Luke 10:19. However, he is not yet imprisoned and so cunningly works his devilish craft to ever deceive and hide his limitations….
"Say So"
"Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy" (Ps. 107:2). Pleading the Blood with our mouths lines up with this Scripture.

The Bible instructs us to say that we are redeemed. If the enemy tries to put the curse upon you, say that you are redeemed from the curse of the law.

Say, for example, "I am redeemed from the curse of the law. You can't put that (name it) on me.
According to Deut. 28:61 all sickness is the curse of the law.
But according to Gal. 3:13 I am redeemed from the curse of the law and I say so.
I am redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb.
I overcome you, Satan, by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of my testimony."

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so! That is pleading the Blood!

Source: The Blood And The Glory by Billye Brim
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers

12:50 AM - 13 views - 10 eprops - 5 comments - email it

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Currently
Life is in the Blood Volume 2 (tapes 5-) (Life is in the Blood, Volume 2 tapes 5-8)
see related

The Covenant Blood of Jesus

The Covenant Blood of Jesus
By Larry Ollison, Ph.D.

There is a power in the spirit realm, and that power is the covenant blood of Jesus. As you learn about the blood and begin to act on all you know, then you must trust God enough to act on what you don't know.

If it's in the Word, believe it by faith. Once you can do that, you will find that the blood will start doing things in your life just like it did in the lives of the people in the Bible. When you start seeing what the blood did for the people in the Bible, it will bless your socks off. And the first time you see it work for you, it will change your thinking.

Have you ever gone to a car dealership and spotted a new car you liked? You think it's special and unique because it's not like anything you've ever seen before. But when you drive out of the dealership, all of a sudden you begin to notice there are cars like it everywhere. Once you become aware and your eyes are opened, you start noticing it everywhere.

That's the way it is with the Word of God. As you study about the blood, you may not think the blood has too much prominence in the Word of God. But once you start seeing it, you'll find the blood is throughout the scriptures.

There are several things we have covered about the blood that we need to remember:

(1) The life is in the blood. Now if life is in the blood, then death must be in the absence of the blood. "For the life of the flesh is in the blood..." (Lev. 17:11).

(2) Everlasting life is in the blood of Jesus. Jesus said, "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:54). Jesus is not talking about His physical flesh and blood. This scripture has a spiritual connotation. We commemorate the blood of Jesus by acknowledging His blood when we take communion.

(3) We access the blood of Jesus by faith. In the Old Testament, the priest would sacrifice animals to cover sin. Those who came to be cleansed saw the blood. It didn't take faith to know the blood was there. It took faith to know what the blood did. Hebrews 10:10 tells us Jesus entered into the holy of holies in heaven and put His blood on the mercy seat once and for all to pay the price for our sin.

Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him."

We need to realize we are saved from destruction because of the blood of Jesus. It's not your good works that saves you from destruction. There are Christians having disasters happen to them all the time. However, the protective power is available for a Christian just by accessing the blood of Jesus that has already been shed.

Source: Life is in The Blood by Larry Ollison
Excerpt permission granted by Larry Ollison Ministries

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I wear my salvation tightly around my mind like a helmet.
When the enemy tries to attack my mind and to chop away at the benefits of my salvation,
his attacks are completely ineffective!
My mind is convinced of all that salvation means for me,
and my mind is trained and taught to think correctly according to that knowledge.
Therefore, the knowledge of my salvation becomes a helmet in my life.
It doesn't matter how hard the devil tries to hack away at my mind,
I still stand strong because I know what Jesus' death and resurrection purchased for me!
I declare this by faith in Jesus' name!

7:42 PM - 15 views - 8 eprops - 4 comments - email it

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

Currently
Sparkling Gems From The Greek: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word
By Rick Renner
see related

Safeguard your mind from every mental assault of the devil?

The Helmet of Salvation

And take the helmet of salvation.

Ephesians 6:17

How would like you to have supernatural protection wrapped so tightly around your head that it would safeguard your mind from every mental assault of the devil?

Well, you may not realize it, but if you are a child of God, you have already been given this kind of safeguard to protect you from the enemy's attacks against your mind.

In Ephesians 6:17, Paul writes, "And take the helmet of salvation."

In this final chapter of Ephesians, Paul deals extensively with the subject of spiritual armor. By the time we come to verse 17, he has already talked about the loinbelt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, and the shield of faith. Now Paul speaks to us about the helmet of salvation, using the illustration of a Roman soldier's helmet to make his point. Let's see what we can know about the helmet of a Roman soldier.

The word "helmet" in Greek is taken from the Greek wordperkephalaia, and it is a compound of the words peri and kephale. The word peri means around, and the word kephale is the Greek word for the head. When you compound these two words into one, you discover that the word perkephalaia denotes a piece of armor that fits very tightly around the head.

The Roman soldier's helmet was a fascinating and flamboyant piece of armor, very ornate and intricate. Highly decorated with all kinds of engravings and etchings, the helmet looked more like a beautiful piece of artwork than a simple piece of metal formed to fit the head of a soldier.

It was not uncommon for a Roman helmet to be decorated with depictions of pastoral farm scenes, complete with all kinds of animals. Frequently the entire helmet was fashioned to look like an animal, such as an elephant or a horse. Some of the helmets had intricate engravings and etchings depicting fruit.

Furthermore, as if these fabulous engravings and etchings were not enough, a huge plume of brightly colored feathers or horse hair stood straight up from the top of the helmet. If the helmet was designed to be used in a public ceremony or parade, this brightly colored plume could be very long long enough to hang all the way down the soldier's back!

The helmet was made of bronze and was equipped with pieces of armor that were specifically designed to protect the cheeks and jaws. It was extremely heavy; therefore, the interior of the helmet was lined with sponge in order to soften its weight on the soldier's head. This piece of armor was so strong, so massive, and so heavy that nothing could pierce it - not even a hammer or a battle-ax.

It would be very hard to walk past one of these soldiers without taking note of him. It would be hard not to notice a man who had a piece of sculpture on his head or who wore a helmet with a brightly colored plume standing straight up on top of it! Yes, these helmets made the Roman soldier noticeable!

Why would the Holy Spirit compare a piece of weaponry like this to salvation? Because your salvation is the most gorgeous, most intricate, most elaborate, most ornate gift God ever gave to you!

Paul calls this marvelous gift "the helmet of salvation." He likened salvation to these flamboyant helmets that were worn on the head where everyone would notice. By using this example, Paul is telling us something very important. When a person is confident of his salvation and when he walks confidently in the powerful reality of all that salvation means for him he is a noticeable individual!

But why did a Roman soldier need a helmet that was so tightly wrapped about his head, as the Greek word perkephalaia implies? This kind of helmet was essential because the Roman soldier's opponent carried a short-handled ax called a battle-ax and when battle-axes were used, heads rolled!

If the Roman soldier didn't have a helmet on when he went out to fight, he could be absolutely sure that he would lose his head. Thus, the Roman helmet was not merely a beautiful piece of weaponry but a defensive weapon designed to save a man's head.

That's exactly what salvation will do for you when you wear it like a helmet on your head! But if you don't walk in all that your salvation entails, you may feel the brunt of the enemy's battle-ax as he comes to attack your mind and steal your victory.

If your salvation is not worn tightly around your mind like a helmet, the enemy will come to chop the multiple blessings of your salvation right out of your theology.

He will try to hack away at your foundation, telling you that healing, deliverance, preservation, and soundness of mind were not really a part of Jesus' redemptive work on the Cross. By the time the enemy is finished with your mind, the only blessing he will leave you with is Heaven!

Many believers try to do the work of God without making it a personal goal to walk in the full knowledge of their salvation, and they are spiritually slaughtered as a result. By exposing their unprotected minds to the devil's insinuations, they place themselves in a position to be severely attacked and possibly deceived.

Facing the adversary without your "helmet of salvation" is foolish!You must have this helmet if you are going to be useful and successful in the Kingdom of God!

You see, the devil knows that if he can seize your mind and fill it with lies, he can then begin to operate from this lofty position in your life. He can try to manipulate your emotions, send signals of sickness and disease into your body, and so on. To protect you from such attacks is the very reason God has given you the "helmet of salvation."

The fact that Paul likens our salvation to a helmet means that we must know all that our salvation includes inside and out. We must spend time studying what the Bible has to say about healing, about our deliverance from evil powers, about God's desire to bless and prosper us, and about the benefits of our redemption in our everyday lives.

Our intellectual comprehension of all that salvation encompasses must be ingrained in our minds. When our minds are convinced of these realities in other words, when our minds are trained and taught to think correctly in terms of our salvation that solid knowledge becomes a helmet in our lives!

At that point, it doesn't matter how hard the devil tries to hack away at our spiritual foundation; we know beyond a shadow of doubt what Jesus' death and resurrection purchased for us. This knowledge has become a part of us, preventing the enemy from attacking our minds as he did in the past. That's how the full knowledge of our salvation puts a helmet on our heads!


	MY PRAYER FOR TODAY Lord, I am so grateful for my salvation! It is the most wonderful gift You have ever given me. It changed my life and set me free; it brought healing to my body and deliverance to my mind. I want to wrap the knowledge of all that my salvation includes around my mind so tightly that the devil can never steal these benefits from my life. Holy Spirit, I ask You to help me study and to understand everything Jesus purchased for me at the Cross. Reveal it to me; convince me of its truth; and help me to wear that revelation knowledge on my head like a mighty, fortified, spiritual helmet! I pray this in Jesus' name!


	MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY I confess that I wear my salvation tightly around my mind like a helmet. When the enemy tries to attack my mind and to chop away at the benefits of my salvation, his attacks are completely ineffective! My mind is convinced of all that salvation means for me, and my mind is trained and taught to think correctly according to that knowledge. Therefore, the knowledge of my salvation becomes a helmet in my life. It doesn't matter how hard the devil tries to hack away at my mind, I still stand strong because I know what Jesus' death and resurrection purchased for me! I declare this by faith in Jesus' name!

10:18 AM - 29 views - 8 eprops - 8 comments - email it

Next 5 >>