How The Universe Received An Expiration Date

God said, Let Us [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] make mankind in Our image, after Our likeness, and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the [tame] beasts, and over all of the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth. So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them. And God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it [using all its vast resources in the service of God and man]; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves upon the earth.

Genesis 1:26–28 amp

And the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and guard and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and blessing and calamity you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Genesis 2:15–17 amp

And to Adam He said, Because you have listened and given heed to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat of it, the ground is under a curse because of you; in sorrow and toil shall you eat [of the fruits] of it all the days of your life.

Genesis 3:17 amp

God gave specific instructions to the man but left out some important details. When God said that Adam would surely die if he ate of the tree, he made no mention of what would happen to all the creation under his command. At the moment, Adam may not have considered the full extent of sin’s impact. Still, based on evidence in the Scriptures, it’s apparent that God has the tendency to extend the judgment of sin beyond the individuals directly involved. He began that pattern in Genesis 3:17 when He cursed the ground because of Adam’s sin.

For the creation (nature) was subjected to frailty (to futility, condemned to frustration), not because of some intentional fault on its part, but by the will of Him Who so subjected it--[yet] with the hope that nature (creation) itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and corruption [and gain an entrance] into the glorious freedom of God's children.
Romans 8:20-21 amp

In Romans 8:20–21, we can see a concise statement detailing the effects of Adam’s sin on creation. Even though nature on its own did nothing to deserve it, God responded harshly by putting an end to the delightful, perfect conditions of Eden. Instantly, entropy was introduced and the concept of perfection became a figment of our imagination. Now everything on earth is in bondage to decay and corruption. Nothing is perpetual, and most of our “sustainable” systems consume more energy than they produce.

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines entropy as “the degradation of the matter and energy in the universe to an ultimate state of inert uniformity or a process of degradation or running down or a trend to disorder.”

Entropy is a type of slow death. The effects of sin were instant for Adam but not instantly apparent. Instead of everything coming to a screeching halt at the moment of disobedience, he and his wife only noticed that they were naked in Genesis 3:7. What they did not perceive was the advent of the slow process of death that affected every earthly system. Fortunately, God had a plan of redemption.

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:23 kjv

Entropy - Why is the Earth Going Nuts?

For the creation (nature) was subjected to frailty (to futility, condemned to frustration), not because of some intentional fault on its part, but by the will of Him Who so subjected it—[yet] with the hope. That nature (creation) itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and corruption [and gain an entrance] into the glorious freedom of God’s children.

Romans 8:20–21 amp

Webster’s New World Dictionary gives the following definitions for

entropy:

1. A thermodynamic measure of the energy unavailable

for useful work in a system.

2. The tendency of an energy system to run down.

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines entropy as “the degradation of the matter and energy in the universe to an ultimate state of inert uniformity or a process of degradation or running down or a trend to disorder.”

One day, all of creation will run its course. Without a drastic surge in sustainable development, that day will come sooner than we think. Due to entropy, deterioration is a natural process supported by science. It affects every aspect of human existence, and no natural response can stop it. How did entropy originate? That’s the type of question that science can never answer, but the Scriptures can.

Christianity vs Atheism: A Battle of Wits?

"May the best brain win!" - Anonymous

I once joined Dinesh D'Souza, a leading Christian thinker, for a quick lunch in the food court at the Austin Bergstrom International Airport. He's a New York Times Bestselling Author, sought after public speaker and the president of The King's College in New York. His credentials are quite impressive but the one thing that drew my attention was his track record of public debates against atheists.

He's one of the few people out there who will gladly engage atheists in a public forum without fear or favor. So, true to form, near the end of our conversation he issued a stiff challenge to me. In essence he asked me, " Since you live in Atlanta and know so much about faith and science, why don't you challenge the atheists in Emory University to a public debate?" That was a great question that set my mind thinking....

According to The Free Dictionary, a "battle of wits" is defined as "a contest in which intelligence rather than violence is used." In other words, the main weapon in this type of warfare is the human brain. So is it accurate to surmise that the ongoing war between Christianity and Atheism is a "battle of wits"? If so, can we win this war by outsmarting our opponents?

To arrive at that conclusion the first assumption we have to make is that the choice between Atheism and Christianity is based on deductive reasoning. In essence, if one side can definitively prove that the other side is wrong, the other side will inevitably switch sides. However, when is the last time you've won an argument with an atheist and the direct result was the person's salvation?

Psalm 14:1(NLT) - Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!

Romans 8:9-10(KJV) - That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

The Bible's position is that both Atheism and Christianity are heart decisions. Atheists deny God's existence in their hearts. Christians believe in Jesus and choose to give Him their hearts. Each side's arguments about science, philosophy and their connection to God's existence are side issues. When the truth is revealed, both Atheists and Christians will have to confess that they made their choices in their hearts. Even when faced with new contrasting evidence, the resistance of both sides to changing their positions reveals their true nature.

2 Timothy 2:15-16 - Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth. But avoid all empty (vain, useless, idle) talk, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness.

I do believe in defending the faith with intelligence and vigor. However, my intentions at all times must never be to win an argument but to win someone's heart. Many atheists already know the gospel so that's why engaging them in arguments is unprofitable. You can argue about scientific and philosophical deductions until you lose your voice but unless they open their hearts nothing will come out of it.

Acts 24:24-25(KJV) - And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.

Acts 18:24-28(KJV) - And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace: For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.

In Acts 24, Apostle Paul, who many consider to be the greatest Christian apologist in history won the argument concerning Christ with Felix. He was able to explain the new covenant and the victory Christ won on the cross. Paul also clearly understood the baptism of The Holy Spirit which began in The Upper Room at the beginning of The Church which gave him increased power. In fact, Felix was trembling when he understood the truth Paul shared with him. However, he refused to change his heart so he sent Paul away. There was absolutely nothing else Paul could do or say because Felix did not want to change.

On the other hand, in Acts 18, Apollos who only knew the baptism of John was able to convince the Jews about Jesus. Why? They chose to believe!

Is Christianity versus Atheism a battle of wits? Of course not. When you engage an atheist, the first thing to remember is that you're dealing with a person who made a "heart" decision not to believe in God. Get to know the person's heart. Find out what led to the decision for atheism. Share your heart about your decision to be a Christian. Show God's love. Don't try to win an argument. Try to win a heart.

Antimatter: Does It Really Matter?

Antimatter is back in the headlines! First, an article called; "Antimatter Breakthrough -- Electron is Stunningly Spherical, Scientists Discover"  was emailed to me on May 26th by a colleague. However, that was just the beginning. A few days ago I received a phone call saying that Antimatter is back in the news again but this time it's a huge deal. A group of scientists have held antimatter in place for over 15 minutes. Something we thought was impossible. With the direction this research is going, impossible is nothing. Tom Chivers from The Telegraph out of The UK in his article, "Cern, Alpha and antimatter storage: why antimatter should matter to us" said, "The news that scientists can capture and store antimatter could have a profound effect on our understanding of the universe."

From Faith Science;

A long time ago, when our universe was still in its earliest birthing throes, matter and antimatter were colliding and annihilating each other out of existence constantly. This process slowed down as our universe gradually cooled, but there should have been equal parts matter and antimatter—and there weren’t. Instead, there were slightly more matter particles than antimatter.

— Antimatter Matters: FERMILAB Glimpses “Toe of God” by Jennifer Quellette, Discovery News, May 31, 2010

The Merriam Webster dictionary defines antimatter as “a form of matter in which the electrical charge or other property of the particle is the reverse of that in the usual matter of our universe.” For instance, the antimatter counterpart of an electron is a positron and of a proton is an anti-proton. In ultra high-speed collisions, like those produced during the Big Bang, in the sun and in particle accelerators, antimatter is created. In addition, the decay of radioactive material results in the production of antimatter, which is the mechanism used in Positron Emission Tomography, or PET brain scans.

They usually don’t last long because once they collide with their matter counterparts, they annihilate and produce energy. On September 29, 2003, Robert Roy Britt, senior science writer on Space.com in “The Reality of Antimatter” said, “Antimatter has tremendous energy potential, if it could ever be harnessed. A solar flare in July 2002 created about a pound of antimatter, or half a kilo, according to new NASA-led research. That’s enough to power the United States for two days.”

One of physic’s foundation stones is the concept of a symmetrical universe. Everything has its mirror opposite, like humans’ left and right hands. As schoolchildren learn, Newton said every action has an equal and opposite reaction. “A good example is the Big Bang,” Lykken said, putting his colleague’s discovery into context. “The universe began as a perfectly symmetrical object, a ball of energy.” The problem lies in what happened next. That energy condensed into matter but also its opposite, antimatter.

The two being mutually destructive, they should have canceled each other out. Instead, Lykken noted, matter joined together in ever larger concentrations—nuclei, atoms, stars, galaxies. Fermilab test throws off more matter than antimatter and this matters

—Particle collision thought to replicate Big Bang forces, may help explain how things exist by Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, May 29, 2010

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1 nkjv

Sometimes the most profound answers to life’s most puzzling questions are quite simple. What happened in the beginning? God! He happened. Not only was he there in the beginning; he created it. The Big Bang is a solid scientific theory. Every new discovery points toward the beginning of life as we know it. We can’t pretend that it didn’t happen and reject the facts. Researchers have dedicated their lives to providing us with the information we need. They do their jobs and deserve all the accolades they receive for long hours of hard work. Nothing is wrong with scientific research. Problems only arise with the conclusions that are drawn by theorists with a secular agenda.

The deeper we get into our research on the Big Bang, the closer we get to the truth. One day, the theoretical group of the scientific community must admit what Christians know already: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” At the end of a relentless search for the beginning of existence is God. Christians believed it because the Bible said it, so it cost us much less energy, time, and money to draw the same conclusion. All the same, it’s important for many people out there to see tangible proof of the truth before they accept it. If researchers provide accurate data and theorists connect the dots, all will point toward God.