Will We Go to the Stars?

                                Will We Go to the Stars?

We've put a man on the moon? We've sent space probes that give us detailed pictures of planets in our solar system and on out into space. We've discovered hundreds of planets circling hundreds of stars. One science channel program discussed planting a colony on Mars. Telescopes have mapped out the ends of the universe and cosmic background radiation shows the universe is not round like a basketball but stretched out or oval like an egg. I'm neither astronomer nor physicist, so I must rely on what they say. What does both science and the Bible say about other worlds?

                What Does Science Say about other Worlds?

Modern telescopes show us there are billions of galaxies like our Milky Way Galaxy each containing billions of stars that must contain billions of planets. It seems reasonable that some are inhabited with intelligent life forms like us. Could aliens travel in space to reach us or we to reach them? And would their advanced civilization be helpful or harmful, develop us or destroy us?

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There were millions of reports of unidentified flying objects (UFOS) in the 50's. Television science fiction series such as Star Trek and others became very popular. Movies of space exploration fascinated young movie goers. People grew up wondering if we had been invaded by flying saucers and extraterrestrials. But the reports turned out to be of natural phenomena, home made or experimental aircraft, or pranks. No visible evidence was found of flying saucers, sighted aliens, crash debris, or persons found to have travel in a space ship.
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Today scientists know of multiple problems that would be connected with space flight. Even the closest stars in our galaxy are light years away. Light travels at approximately 186,000 miles a second. If we  or aliens could travel through space at just 1% of the speed of light or 6.7 million miles an hour it would take 25,000 years to reach another planetary system. It would require hundreds of generations. Just the known hazards of space such as dust, gas, gravity, radiation, and black holes could prove fatal. A little pebble traveling at thousands of miles an hour colliding with the space craft would destroy it. The ship would have to steer away from meteors, comets, asteroids, wandering planets and things in the darkness maybe impossible to detect.
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Enormous quantities of food, water and other supplies must be preserved. It seems doctors, medicines, labs, machines, mechanics, engineers would be needed as well. Such a super large scale project would demand a huge space craft and its cost would break world banks. Experiments to be encountered in a long term space journey were conducted with only eight people in a 3.15 acre capsule. Oxygen and carbon dioxide levels varied wildly to toxic levels. Cockroaches multiplied out of control. And long term confinement in limited space would cause mental breakdowns. It seems machines and robots would work better but even they would break down after awhile.
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You may have heard all we need to populate a planet is water. Don't believe it! That's science fiction. Human life on earth requires literally hundreds of exactly right factors that are not known  elsewhere in our galaxy--it's called the anthropic principle.
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Even a slight variation of earth's gravity, heat,  atmosphere, chemical composition, water, light, rotation, magnetism would make all life impossible. Smaller planets closer to the sun enable us to receive the right amount of light and heat while those bigger planets further out protect us from incoming meteors and space debris. The moon's craters evidence this protection and its gravity enables our tides to cleanse the oceans whose right amount of water enables us to have the right atmosphere. Earth contains the right elements needed in our bodies such as carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium. Our distance to the nearest star and our exact location between the spiral arms of our galaxy and hundreds of other factors enable us to live on earth.
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Such utter complexity working in harmony couldn't be an accident of chance and must be a God thing. A nonexistent universe couldn't create itself and the scientific physical law called entropy means heat energy will spread out and one day the universe will become cold, inactive and dead. The universe is the effect, and its cause must be an infinite, self-existent, immaterial, and independent intelligence much like what the Bible describes as God. What now does the Bible say about other worlds?
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             What Does the Bible Say about other Worlds?
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The Bible is clear that ultimately there are only two worlds to which we can go as our eternal home, and they are as different as night and day. Both worlds are the same for all their occupants, but our experiences in our new world will be very different since we all are different persons with different ways. In other words, we are forming our character every day by the things we think, say and do, our beliefs and behaviors, attitudes and acts, what we like and dislike, how we respond to others and even to what we understand about God. At death our character is fixed and final (Heb. 9:27; Rev. 22:11).  So it's most important that we assess ourselves in light of all this--we reap what we sow (Gal. 6:7-8).
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The Natural Man Will Go to the World of Darkness to Reap What He's Sown in this World.
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I like to party with my friends and don't see anything wrong with a few social drinks and drugs. Why are Christians against some sexual pleasures that are just a natural part of different lifestyles? There's nothing wrong to exploit nature's resources, its beauty, its animals, or anything to make me rich and powerful. We have to get what we can while we can. I don't believe in those Bible myths of alleged miracles and God. With so many conflicting religions, we can never know if any religion is right.  Christians are judgmental to say some things are wrong and I don't believe that nonsense about being born again. Everybody knows we can only come from our mother's womb. We have to live it up and get what we want today since we may not have tomorrow. Gal. 3:19-21; Rev. 21:8; Jude 12-13. Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.
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The Spiritual Man Will Go to the World of Light to Reap What He's Sown in this World.
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My body is God's temple, so I try to avoid harmful things that could  enslave me, and to use by body to serve  the Lord I love. Sex is God's precious gift for our pleasure and for producting children in covenant relationship with God and our spouse. Nature's resources, beauty, animals, and objects too are God's gifts for our benefit which we are to care for and use responsibly. Its no advantage to gain the whole world and lose our own soul. I once was blind to the things of God until I opened my heart and invited Jesus to save me. It was like being born all over again with a new outlook on life, a love for God, His Word and His will. I've found the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He lives within me and I'll go to live with Him as my eternal home in His world of light. Gal. 5:22-25; 1 Cor. 3:9-14.  Lord, I love You, trust You, and want my life to count for You eternally.                 
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What Does the Bible Say About the End of the World?
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"What manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless, we according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells" (2 Peter 3:11-13).  

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What Does the Bible Say About the Two Worlds?
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"Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever" (Daniel 12:2-3).
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"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life" (Gal. 6:7-8). Yes, by trusting Jesus as Lord and Savior we join His world of light; rejecting Him confines us away in darkness forever. But our degree of rejoicing together in light, or degree of torment alone in darkness, is decided by how we live now. If we don't want God in our life, He respects our dignity and choice--He lets us have our own way, forever. And being ungrateful for His benefits, we'll cease to have them. Think about it! Is that what U want?
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"We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us; we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21). Which world will be your eternal home--His light, or your darkness? Say, Lord Jesus, I trust You to come into my life, save me from sin, and be my Guide forever. Thank You. 
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Darwin's Missing Links, or Jesus' Miracles?

                 Darwin's Missing Links, or Jesus' Miracles?

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Believing in Darwin's missing links or in Jesus' miracles both require a commitment of faith as we can't observe or experiment with either. But! What we believe will decide what our world becomes. Either nature is everything making us evolving perishing animals fighting each other to survive, or Jesus performed miracles showing he's our God and we're in his image with our world saved from barbarism with the prospect of Heaven. Either alternative has the most serious consequences for us and our world. Let's check it all out.

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Why not believe in Darwin's missing links?

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Since we see no miracles or evidence of God, and evolution explains everything, then that's what happened. Yes, the thousands of missing links are the actual proof of evolution.  But since many intermediate life forms didn't survive and were lost, we're confident they did exist whether we find them or not.  All the varieties of fish, reptiles, and birds show evolution occurs. So we're free to make our own kind of world and reach for the stars. It's all so logical, scientific and factual. Let's not get tripped up in ignorant religious superstitions and myths.
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Abundant evidence shows evolution is fact. Life forms arose spontaneously and evolved by chance over time through acquiring good characteristics and favorable mutations. We can classify life in its order of complexity, animal body fluids and DNA are similar, structures such as a monkey's arm and man's arm are similar, embryo's show evolutionary stages of growth, and useless appendages as the appendix are an evolutionary hangover. We can breed improved life forms. What more can we ask?

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Why not believe in creation by God?

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Could we have been looking in the wrong places not really wanting to see evidence of God? All science operates on a cause and effect basis so we know this dependent complex universe must be the effect of an infinite, independent, immaterial, self-existing, intelligent cause not unlike what the Bible calls God. And if God has claim on our life, we may willfully ignore or suppress the evidence of God desiring our way rather than His. If God designed us superior intelligent creative beings, wouldn't it mean he desired relationship with us and has our best interests at heart? Moreover, if God created the universe, then angels, miracles, and revelations would be a small achievement.
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Physical law of heat loss shows things left to themselves deteriorate, not improve.  Honest science admits life comes only from life, not spontaneously arise from dead chemicals. Specified complexity of life cells shows an encyclopedia of instructions of what each life form must be. Yes, there are varieties of  reptiles, fish, and birds that within limits adapt to their environments. But no evidence one changes into another (macroevolution). For example, the fossil fish Coelacanth claimed 60 million years old was found swimming unchanged. Mindless molecules can't arrange themselves into animals or men  no matter how much time. All the fossils once claimed to be primitive men's bones have turned out to be either some monkey forms, real human bones, or contrived fakes designed to deceive the public. The facts correspond with the Bible statements that God created things separately and to reproduce after their own kind.
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Evolution's arguments such as classification of complexity, similar body structures, DNA and fluids would be the same whether evolution or creation.  Of course life forms would have similar structure as fishes have fins, reptiles legs, and birds wings to fit in their  environments whether sea, land, or air. There's no rule God must make things entirely different. Embryo evolutionary stages and useless appendages are arguments of ignorance. Irreducible complexity means each life form must be complete and functional at the outset and cannot survive with a partially developed digestive, reproductive, circulatory system or organs to see, hear and move. Just as an example, the chicken came before the egg. Roosters must pregnant hens who must lay on eggs and furnish the chemical needed for egg shells to develop proving creation. Isn't designed sexual union imperative with all mammals?

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Why should we seriously consider Jesus' miracles?

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We rightfully are cautious and critical about reports of miracles. People report unusual, surprising and beneficial events they call miracles when the circumstances aren't fully known. The Bible cautions us to test the spirits as fake healers, deceivers, even lying wonders of demons are in the world associated with the occult, error or evil (Matt. 24:24; 2 Thess. 2:9; Rev. 16:14).
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But we've already shown there's every reason to believe in God as Creator who wants loving relationship with us. Miracles would be God's way to attract human attention and confirm His power to act in our world. When our knowledge is like a grain of sand on the beach of knowledge, we have no basis to say in advance what the Almighty Creator and Lord of nature can and cannot do if and when it suits His purposes.  To arbitrarily rule God out may prove to be the biggest mistake of our life!
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These invalid closed minded objections attempt to tie the Almighty's hands. (1) Nature's laws won't allow miracles. (2) Events within nature must be natural, not supernatural. (3)  No such miracles today make them historically incredible. (4) Regular natural events make rare miracles  improbable. (5) Science rejects unrepeatable and untestable miracles. (6) A real miracle would make nature chaotic and science impossible. (7) Persons who testify of  miracles aren't qualified. (8) Miracle reports supporting doctrinally diverse religions cancel themselves out. (9) Miracles are myths of prescientific imagination. (10) Mystery religions of gods supernatural birth, death, and resurrection abound in Jesus' day. (11) The Bible has been radically changed through the centuries.
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Nature and evolution simply can't account for everything. I've discussed these above objections in other articles and shown they amount to an unsubstantiated prejudice against God acting in our world or having any claim on our life. They are neither scientific, factual, nor in our best interests. (1) The universe requires a self-existent infinite, independent, intelligent cause like the Bible's Creator God. (2) We know nonexistence can't produce anything, which again points to an originating self-existing cause. (3) Mindless chance would be an irrational chaotic accident that couldn't produce a rational world--naturalism is a loser. So let's consider the evidence now with an open caring and candid attitude; we may discover what millions have found to be the joy of their life, even hope of life eternal and fulfilling.
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What's the evidence for Jesus' miracles?
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I like Dr. Norman L. Geisler's book, Miracles and the Modern Mind. And I like his definition,"A miracle is an act of God to confirm the Word of God through a messenger of God." We specifically are examining the miracle claims of Christ that he is the Son of God, and the Lord and Savior of all who trust in him. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:31).
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1. No reputable historian would deny the existence of Jesus or what's said of him. Nineteen pagan writers mention names, places, events associated with Jesus. Roman historian Tacitus mentions Pontius Pilate put Christ to death as a malefactor and that his prophecy of the Jerusalem temple destroyed was fulfilled. Pliny the Younger says Christians worshipped on the first day of the week and adored Jesus as God. Celsus despised Christianity but mentioned statements in Matthew, Luke, and John such as Jesus' virgin birth, flight to Egypt, cured the lame and blind, raised the dead, was betrayed by Judas, denied by Peter, crucified and resurrected. Only skeptical writers of last few centuries even questioned Jesus' life.  The claim that Jesus life and miracles is myth is itself myth. See He Walked Among Us, by Josh McDowell & Bill Wilson.
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2. There is nothing like Jesus' miracles in other world religions.  He healed sicknesses, lepers, the paralysed, blind, lame, deaf, epileptic, withered hand, cut off ear. He controlled nature in turning water to wine, stilling a storm, feeding thousands with little food, walking on the sea, cursing a fig tree that withered. Several times he caste out demons. His brought cold stiff corpses back to life as the widow of Nain's son, Jarirus' daughter, stinking Lazarus. He was transformed to light,  raised from the dead, and ascended into Heaven. Miracle traditions in other religions occur centuries later of  Buddha who denied god and Muhammad who disclaimed miracles. The mystery religions of a dying and rising god came after apostolic times and never claimed a virgin birth, sinless God-man who died to save sinners, arose again, and promised to one day judge humanity.

3. There's nothing false or tricky about Jesus' miracles. They usually  occur in the daylight before persons close at hand.  He healed people spontaneously upon request, and sometimes at a distance. For three and a half years he healed people before crowds at the sea shore, the temple, and passing through towns when people brought their diseased, sick and maimed. He healed them immediate without relapses and the  healed were known both before and after. Jesus challenged his opponents to find fault in him which forced them to admit his miracles,  but attribute their good to the devil. The apostle John says these are only a part of his miracles which must have been hundreds (Jn 21:24-25).
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4. Natural explanations can't explain away Jesus' miracles. Nobody can fake so many and such varied kinds of miracles--nature miracles, healings, casting out demons, and raising the dead. They can't be freaks of nature, hypnotism, coma, or  magic. They were not like statues crying blood or the walking cross of the Apocryphal Gospels. His healings were not done under cover of night in a tent at a distance using speaking devices and manipulative techniques like fake healers requesting money. And doctored up skulls to look half human shouldn't be made to deceive us about a supposed race of ape-men. Modern translations are made from many early Greek manuscripts and the New testament is now estimated to be 99% accurate and the most accurate document of antiquity.
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5. Jesus' miracles are entirely credible.  Matthew, Mark, and Luke published their accounts within  thirty years of Jesus' death from earlier documents, and not in the second century as critics would have us believe. Proof his disciples were not ignorant of nature's patterns is that they were at first astonished and skeptical. Jesus repeatedly rebuked them for unbelief. They were skeptical even about his resurrection though he raised three persons and told them several times he would die and rise again. Jesus and his apostles taught honesty, integrity, and the world's highest moral standards in the Gospels and Epistles. Would you endure ridicule, torture, and horrible death for what you knew to be a despicable lie? Neither did Jeus' disciples! See  Lk. 1:1-3; Jn. 19:35; Acts 1:3; 2:22-24; 2 Peter 3:16
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6. Jesus continually claimed to be God all the while he performed his miracles. He claimed to be the bread of life and fed thousands on two occasions with little food. He claimed to be the resurrection and the life and raised three persons from the dead. He fulfilled multiple prophecies about his virgin birth, sinless life, death for sinners, and resurrection. He claimed the attributes of God: He existed before the world came into being (Jn. 17:4, 24). He is in heaven and on earth at the same time (Jn. 3:13). He forgives sins as God (Matt. 9:1-8). He knows all things (Jn. 16:30). The Jews fully understood his claims to be God rather than just a man (Jn. 10:33).
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Our world is at the crossroads. We will side with Darwin saying nature is everything meaning atheism is true and live an animal lifestyle returning to barbarianism. Or, we trust in Jesus who gives us salvation, truth, moral standards, human dignity, freedom for responsible living, justice, love, a rational world, and hope for eternal life. Loving and serving Jesus who paid for our sins on the cross will make a better world. Darwin's atheism  will reduce us to animals and destroy all hope. WHICH LIFE DO YOU CHOOSE?  Think about it carefully.
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