____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER ____________________________________________________ "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ November 23, 2003 ____________________________________________________ Contents: 1) God's Laws of Physics, the Cosmos, and Creatures (Tom Edwards) 2) "Beware of the Leaven" (Clarence R. Johnson) ____________________________________________________ -1- God's Laws of Physics, the Cosmos, and Creatures by Tom Edwards A couple weeks ago, while staying with the Thompsons, I had a very uncanny experience: It occurred while I was falling off to sleep, but seemed to have been only partly asleep at the time, for I was still aware of John and Diane Thompson being in the room below me to keep an eye on John's father in the hospital bed. It might have been the two days of 50 mph winds that we had been having there in southeastern Pennsylvania, and which I had walked in for several miles, and/or also a remembrance of the sound of the wind rushing by when my head was resting against the window of the jet I had flown in just a few days prior; or maybe, too, the swooshing sound of the strong gales that were also causing some noises inside Joe's house, which was built in 1827; but, whatever it was that caused this strange occurrence, right before falling off to sleep, I experienced the sensation of traveling in some kind of wave that was accelerating to 1,000 MPH. It seemed very real. I felt that I could have stopped it at any time; but it was so exhilarating, I kept "riding" it for about 20 seconds. At first, I thought that it seemed as if the Lord were allowing me to experience the speed of the earth's revolution (as an acceleration), but I would not say it was a miracle nor that that was what was really going on. During part of that "ride," I thought I might have startled the Thompsons by my crying out a couple times -- not out of fear, but due to the super rush of it all. It was the fastest acceleration I had ever experienced. But my cries seemed muffled over the rushing sound of the wave I was in. I can't remember ever having had an experience like that in all my life, but it sure helped me to appreciate God's design of physics and the cosmos that can protect us from experiencing those sensations of astronomical speeds. For it is not actually speeds that we experience, but rather acceleration; and since the universe, like an exquisite timepiece, is so well balanced, with everything in place where God planned it to be and moving in the patterns and at the speeds that He has set them in, we actually feel "motionless" here on earth. But have you ever stopped to think about how fast -- and in how many ways -- we are moving through the universe? In considering these different constant speeds, we might first think of the earth's daily revolution, which is at a rate of about 1,040 mph; but even though that is much faster than velocities we have experienced, it is still the earth's slowest speed. The speed for its annual orbit around the sun, on the other hand, is exceedingly faster: at a rate of 67,000 mph (or about 18.6 miles per second). And these are not the only ways in which the earth moves. It also moves, along with our solar system, within the Milky Way Galaxy at an astronomical speed of 558,000 mph (or 155 miles per second). And that still is not the end of the story, for the entire Milky Way Galaxy, which the earth also travels with, is said to even top that at a speed of 666,000 mph (or 185 miles per second). Man, that's moving! At that latter rate, you could make a 2,000-mile trip in less than 11 seconds! Imagine that! I would think that we would all have heart attacks if we could actually sense these motions; for sometimes even a roller coaster ride might seem too much to handle, but that hardly comes close to these highly remarkable speeds of our earth. The fastest roller coaster as of 2003, for example, is the "Top Thrill Dragster" at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. It reaches a peak speed of 120 MPH. But that seems less than a snail's pace when compared to the 666,000 mph our galaxy is traveling through the universe. For this latter velocity is not merely 10 times faster, 100 times faster, nor even 1,000 times faster; but, actually, it is 5,550 times faster than that of the fastest roller coaster! But because the various speeds that the earth travels are constant, we don't sense them. Rather, they are similar to the "stillness" we feel when going a constant 60 mph in a car or a constant 600 mph in a jet. This holds true until we come to a turn. For then, even when maintaining the same speed, it will be an acceleration (in the turn) that we will experience. So we can be thankful for God's physics and the cosmos that allow us to feel motionless even when the earth is moving at such tremendous rates. Yes, it is all part of God's amazing design, who brought all of creation into existence and established its natural laws of physics. Job declares that it is the Lord "Who alone stretches out the heavens, and tramples down the waves of the sea; who makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south; who does great things, unfathomable, and wondrous works without number" (Job 9:8-10). Job is speaking here of some of the specific heavenly bodies that the Lord has made: The term "Bear" refers to either of two constellations: Ursa Major or Ursa Minor. "Orion," also known as "the Hunter," is a constellation between Canis Major and Taurus. Two of its prominent stars being Betelgeuse and Rigel. The "Pleiades" is defined as "a conspicuous group of stars in the constellation Taurus, commonly spoken of as seven, though only six are visible" (Random House Webster's College Dictionary, p. 1,016). These stars -- as well as all the rest -- are the workings of God. As the Lord states to Job: "Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades, or lose the cords of Orion? Can you lead forth a constellation in its season, and guide the Bear with her satellites? Do you know the ordinances of the heavens, or fix their rule over the earth" (Job 38:31-33)? That is certainly not man's job to do these things. It is God's. The placement of the earth -- as well as any other planet or star in the universe -- is exactly where the Lord wants it to be. And how safely arranged, we might add. For though the diameter of the earth is slightly less than 8,000 miles, life would not be able to survive if the earth were just a 10th of its diameter (that is, less than 800 miles) closer or farther away from the sun -- and what a small percent that distance is compared to the 93,000,000 miles it is from the sun. But, lo and behold, where we are is right in the middle of that "safety zone." Coincidence? It is no more chance than the hands at the end of your arms, the feet at the end of your legs, your tongue and teeth in your mouth, your heart and circulatory system where it should be, your lungs and respiratory system where it is to be, your brain and nervous system also in the right place, and all the other components that intricately work together to make up your body. It's a marvel enough that you have all the right parts, but even more so in realizing that they are all in the right places. And this is true of every creature -- regardless of how different one is from the other. Where did these parts come from, and who or what put them together? How could mindless matter determine all the necessary components and where they are to be placed to make a human being, a giraffe, a snail, a fish, a bird, a worm, a praying mantis, a butterfly, an ant, a dog, a jelly fish, a fly, an electric eel, a turtle, an octopus, a lizard, a porcupine, an alligator, etc.? When we consider these intricate designs of creation, it all indicates the need for an intelligent designer. For you are not a mere coincidence or a random formation that came about through a process of time. Rather, you -- as well as all creation -- were designed by God. Corresponding to this, David states about the Lord, "For Thou didst form my inward parts; Thou didst weave me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to Thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Thy works, and my soul knows it very well" (Psa. 139:13,14). God not only created all living things, but also created an environment that would sustain us -- and even more so than merely for survival; but also for our enjoyment, as well. The food, the air, the rain, the water, the trees that make oxygen, the climate, and other necessities for our existence did not all merely "just so happen" to be here. They were created for us. As Paul told those in Athens on Mars Hill (the Areopagus), "The God who made the world and all things in it...gives to all life and breath and all things; and He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God..." (Acts 17:24-27). Man was not made to live in space, nor under the sea. Rather, his habitation, his environment, is the land surface of the earth, which the Lord made for him. The only way, therefore, man could live elsewhere is for him to take with him the needful elements of his environment, a microcosm of his habitation, whether out into space or under the water. In making this habitation livable for man, the Lord had to also make the various speeds in which the earth travels through the universe to be constant. Otherwise, could you imagine what it would be like to experience a 666,000 mph acceleration of our galaxy through the universe? If an acceleration on a 120 MPH roller coaster can "take your breath away," what would one at 666,000 mph do? The law of gravity is another law that God has established, and how thankful we can be for it. Though we hate to drop and break things -- especially those things of value to us, whether monetarily or sentimentally -- one positive way we can look at it is to realize that that same gravity that can shatter things on the floor is also keeping everything else -- including you -- from being flung into space at more than 1,000 mph. The earth itself would crumble away into nothing without the gravity to hold it together. So we have much more reason to be thankful for gravity than to complain about it. But since God is the creator of these natural laws, it means that He is greater than them and that they are subject to Him rather than vice versa. For example, Jesus walked on the water (Matt. 14:25), ascended into the heavens without an aircraft (Acts 1:9-11), appears to have been able to "suddenly" arrive in places without being hampered by time or obstructed by physical matter (Jn. 6:16-21; Jn. 20:19,26; Luke 24:33-40). God has power over all the physical realm of the entire universe and all its natural laws. The Lord's laws of physics and the cosmos are for the benefit of mankind that earth can be for him a safe and enjoyable habitation. But what heightens this even more is when man truly strives to live in a harmonious relationship with the One who has made this all possible for him. For then man's gratitude is aimed in the right direction; and in his heart, he can humbly marvel at the far-surpassing abilities that his Father in heaven has demonstrated, and knows that the best -- which he is striving for -- is yet to come! For there in heaven, God's marvels will never cease! So, will you be there, too, to experience that? Friend, now is the time to prepare. Now is the time to submit your life to the Lord by your obedience to His word (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 8:36-38; Rom. 6:3,4; 1 Pet. 3:21; Rev. 2:10; Heb. 10:35-39), so that your soul will be saved from all your past sins; and you will begin that journey that will eventually arrive in heaven itself, where you will truly come to experience the full meaning of the terms "perfection" and "bliss" in that eternal realm where God Himself dwells. ____________________________________________________ -2- "Beware of the Leaven" by Clarence R. Johnson After refusing to work a miracle for the personal satisfaction of His critics, Jesus "left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side. Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat. Then He charged them, saying, `Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.'And they reasoned among themselves, saying, `It is because we have no bread.' But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, `Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not yet hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?' They said to Him, `Twelve.' `Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?' And they said, `Seven.' So He said to them, `How is it you do not understand?"' (Mark 8:13-21). Jesus was disappointed that His disciples did not understand His figurative use of the word leaven. Of course, as a general rule, we should always expect a word to be used in its literal sense unless there are valid reasons for giving it a figurative application. But the fact that Jesus had recently worked two outstanding miracles of multiplying a small amount of food to feed vast multitudes of people should have been reason enough to convince His disciples that He was not concerned with their having a shortage of literal bread. When Jesus warned them about the leaven of Herod and the Pharisees, they should have realized His concern was not with physical food. Jesus had previously used the word leaven to suggest the idea of a pervading influence. See Matt. 13:33 and Luke 13:21. Since the events of recent days made it highly unlikely that Jesus was concerned or disturbed with a shortage of literal bread, and since the Lord had previously used the word leaven to suggest the idea of influence, His disciples should have more readily grasped His meaning. In Matthew's account, we learn that after Christ had rebuked His disciples and reminded them of the feeding of the 4,000 and of the 5,000, they understood. "Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees" (Matt. 16:12). On a later occasion, Jesus again warned of the leaven of the Pharisees, which in that context, He explained "is hypocrisy" (Luke 12:1). So, in reality, Jesus was warning His apostles not to be unduly influenced by the teachings and practices of the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Herods. The pervading influence in our lives should be God ruling our hearts through the influence of His word. -- The Susquehanna Sentinel, November 30, 2003 ____________________________________________________ MYRTLE STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST 1022 Myrtle Street Denham Springs, LA 70726 (225) 664-8208 Sunday: 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 4:00 PM Wednesday: 7:00 PM evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520 e-mail: tedwards@onemain.com web site: http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go ____________________________________________________