ACH Study Groups
Ben & Fran Gilmore – Cofounders
7659 Gingerblossom Drive
Citrus Heights, CA 95621
916-722-2501 histbuff@garlic.com
www.ACHStudyGroups.com
March 10, 2018
This is a letter to our friends –
Context
It is like mixing bowls. If the bowls are not nested in the proper order, the kitchen drawer will not close. Always create a context for what you are sharing. Stories begin, Long ago and far, far away.”
· Even the Bible starts with, “In the beginning…” In the beginning – what?
· “In the beginning – God …” In the beginning God – what?
· “In the beginning God created …” In the beginning God created – what?
It takes a whole bunch of verses to get down to rocks and trees and things. Think about it – Suppose He had created the cow before He created the pasture. That would be one confused cow!
If you don’t have a place to put what you are learning – confusion follows. I believe there is an intelligent Creator we call God. Anyone that takes an honest look at what is around him and tries to claim it is the result of random events in a universe without intelligence to govern it, is a fool seeking to hold under the truth as it struggles to the surface.
Denying the existence of a Creator-God guarantees that confusion will follow. On the other hand – Recognizing His existence is the beginning of wisdom. That is precisely the reason rebellious men seek to deny what is obvious truth.
When Moses asked God for His name, God replied, My name is “I Am”. It occurs to me that “I” in that name is “God”. “Am” is the verb “to be” another form of which is “is”. So “I Am” might also mean “God Is”!
Once we establish that, we can build upon it. Without that foundation anything else is floating in meaningless space. It will have no context – a cow without a pasture.
By observing what has been created, we can learn things about the creator. A product demands a producer. The product will reveal attributes of the producer. The plastic cap of my Bic Pen is a “product”. Observing and reasoning I conclude the producer knew about plastic injection molding. He was concerned that ink not get on my shirt pocket. He wanted me to know the color of ink in the pen.
The sky is a product. Its Creator must be very big or very fast! He appreciates order, system, and color. He has access to a great amount of power.
Intelligent design is discovered in the tiniest objects we can find.
Our own bodies demand respect for the Designer. Given: air, fuel, and water – our bodies propel themselves, repair themselves, and regulate themselves. There is a wholesome means of fulfillment for every need. I conclude that the Creator is concerned for my well-being.
Further – If the “product” has free will, the Producer must have free will. If the “product” can make choices, the Producer can make choices. Nothing exists without a set of rules to govern it.
I conclude the Producer has a purpose for everything He creates. Trees produce fruit. You can cut them up and make boards for houses ,,, If the Producer has given us life and everything we need to sustain that life, I conclude that He loves (unselfishly wants the best for-) us and has a purpose for creating us.
That purpose, according to the Bible, is for us to learn to love Him and to learn to love one another. We don’t need the Bible to teach us that. It is just common sense!
These columns are archived since 12/10/09
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