Evolution

If evolution is true, then the following will be true:

1. Our existence has no purpose, other than to survive and pass on our genes.
2. Morality is a feature evolved to help us survive.
3. Religion is a feature evolved to help us survive. God or gods do not exist. We have no after life.
4. Genocide is okay, since there is no right or wrong, just the best way to survive, and genocide is one way to compete. Do you feel guilty when you kill a cockroach? In evolution, the cockroach and you are equal, products evolved at different stage. Nobody should feel guilty when they kill you.

A Wonderful Guarantee

I will strengthen thee. (Isaiah 41:10)

In the January 5 entry of C H Spurgeon's Faith Check Book, this is what he wrote:
QUOTE
When called to serve or to suffer, we take stock of our strength, and we find it to be less than we thought and less than we need. But let not our heart sink within us while we have such a word as this to fall back upon, for it guarantees us all that we can possibly need. God has strength omnipotent; that strength He can communicate to us; and His promise is that He will do so. He will be the food of our souls and the health of our hearts; and thus He will give us strength. There is no telling how much power God can put into a man. When divine strength comes, human weakness is no more a hindrance.
Do we not remember seasons of labor and trial in which we received such special strength that we wondered at ourselves? In the midst of danger we were calm, under bereavement we were resigned, in slander we were self-contained, and in sickness we were patient. The fact is that God gives unexpected strength when unusual trials come upon us, We rise out of our feeble selves. Cowards play the man, foolish ones have wisdom given them, and the silent receive in the self-same hour what they shall speak, My own weakness makes me shrink, but God's promise makes me brave. Lord, strengthen me "according to thy word."(Isa 41:10)
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
UNQUOTE

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8 ESV)

Marriage - Chinese vs Biblical view

There is a Chinese saying "兄弟如手足，夫妻如衣服". Translation: "Brothers are like hands and legs, husband and wife are like clothings". Contrast this with the Bible "they shall be one flesh (Genesis 2:24 KJV) ." Chinese society emphasis on filial piety (百善孝为先). So if the man keep changing his clothes, how are the children going to be filial? To which mother? Filial piety is best practised in a Biblical family, where the husband and wife relationship is stable. Husband and wife are the foundation of the family. When the foundation is stable, the family will be stable.

Helping God

Let say a young man was travelling in a truck transport an expensive antique cupboard. The truck hit a bump and the cupboard stumbled. The young man quickly stretch his hand to steady the cupboard. What should the owner of the cupboard do? Commend the man or punish him? What would you think if the owner punish him?

Uzzah was a nice young man guiding a cart that was transporting the Art of Covenant to Jerusalem. But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand and steadied the Ark. The LORD God was very angry at Uzzah for doing this, and he killed Uzzah right there beside the Ark (2 Samuel 6:6-7).

When I was a new Christian, I found this passage incomprehensible. Here we have a helpful person struck dead for helping God. Did not God want us to help each other? Why is He setting such a bad example?

But helping God is the worst thing to do. Imagine a blind man guiding one who can see, the creature helping the creator, the newborn baby feeding the mother. Sarah helped God by offering Hagar to Abraham (Genesis 16:2). Saul helped God by offering sacrifices to Him when Samuel was late (1 Samuel 13:8-14). Those who try to help God will always end up worse off. God help us not to help Him.

Who Killed Goliath in your Bible?

I came across this question in a website today. We all know, but let us look at 2 Samuel 21:19 and its parallel verse 1 Chronicles 20:5.

We shall see 2 Samuel 21:19 in various versions:
(KJV) And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.
(CUV) 又在歌伯与非利士人打仗，伯利恒人雅雷俄珥金的儿子伊勒哈难杀了迦特人歌利亚。这人的枪杆粗如织布的机轴。
(ESV) And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, the Bethlehemite, struck down Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.

We shall see 1 Chronicles 20:
(KJV) And there was war again with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear staff was like a weaver's beam.
(CUV) 又与非利士人打仗。睚珥的儿子伊勒哈难杀了迦特人歌利亚的兄弟拉哈米；这人的枪杆粗如织布的机轴。
(ESV) And there was again war with the Philistines, and Elhanan the son of Jair struck down Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.

The website seized this text as an example of error in modern translations and declared that "Translators love money more than God, so they copy each other's errors to protect their jobs and keep new versions coming every year. This verse was correctly translated 400 years ago in the King James Version, but translators would have to get a real job, if they endorsed the KJV."

If you look at 2 Samuel 21:19 in any KJV Bible in print, you will see that "the brother of" is in italics. That means it is not found in the original text, but supplied by the translators. But the King James worshippers, who love King James more than King Jesus, choose to endorse the action of the KJV translators, ignoring the warning of the Word of God not to add to or subtract from it (Deuteronomy 4:2, Deuteronomy 12:32, Proverbs 30:6, Revelation 22:18-19).

As for the harmonising of the two verses, there are many explanations offered and you can easily google for them.

The Prince of Peace

There shall be no world peace, until the Prince of Peace comes. The coming Prince is predicted in (Isaiah 9:5-7). At His first coming, this Prince, who is Jesus promised personal peace (John 14:27). He will bring world peace at His second coming (Revelations 19:11-17) and will rule the world in peace (Micah 4:1-3).

Peace cannot come without truth. Since Jesus is Truth (John 14:6), peace will come when He comes.

In the meantime, let "the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23 KJV)"

World Peace

Many people like to pray for world peace. But as long as there are humans on earth, there would be no peace. Therefore world peace can be achieved only when all humans died out.

But, wait. Animals also fight. When there are no humans, peace still cannot rule. So world peace can only be achieved when all animals also die out. But when animals die, plants die. Anyway when no living things exist on earth, there will be peace.

But, wait. The earth crust produce earthquake and volcanoes, disturbing peace in the lifeless earth. The only way to have world peace is that the earth no longer exist.

So for those who pray for world peace, the answer to your prayer comes when the earth cease to exist. So please, do not pray for the peace of the whole universe. Just keep it at world peace.