Category: The Pastor’s Post

by Philip J. Lesko

As some of you know, this is one of my favorite subjects, not only because I taught science at the Jersey Shore Jr. High School, but because there is such a wealth of evidence for the Bible and such a paucity of evidence (if any does exist) for evolution and its child higher criticism. The Scripture records that God made the heavens and the earth and all that is in and on them in six literal (count ’em) days. The order and complexity of the chemicals of life preclude any synthesis by chance from some primordial ooze. The simplest virus or cell contains information in the DNA code that could never have come about except by and intelligent creator.

The rocks show life suddenly appearing in great variety and complexity. The Encyclopedia Britannica says of brachiopods: “Articulate and inarticulate brachiopods appeared at the same time in a relatively advanced state of development” with the evidence for any evolutionary history “apparently lost or unrecorded.” That’s because there wasn’t any. God made ’em! The horse is often cited as an evidence of evolution, but the National Geographic (Jan. 1981 p. 74) shows two fossil feet, one from a three-toed horse and the other from a one-toed horse both from the same rock. Although this proves that neither evolved from the other they say it supports evolution! Life was created just like God said.

Paul MacCready, the pioneer of human-powered flight, is trying to make a flying replica of a pterosaur. the original weighed 200 lbs. and had a 50-ft wing span. the replica is 35 lbs. because anything heavier cannot fly with the power that the dinosaur must have had. Why? The atmosphere was different before the flood just like the Bible says, “God made the firmament and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament.” (Gen. 1:7) The heavy, humid, pre-flood atmosphere explains many things, such as the abundance of dinosaurs and the forests which were tuned into coal (from great floating mats of debris). God was accurate when he said that Adam would earn his living by the sweat of his brow!

The presence of people on the earth in that ancient pre-flood time is attested to by footprints in stone alongside dinosaur tracks at a site near Glen Rose, Texas, and else where. Skeletons have been found fossilized in limestone and many relics have been taken out of rocks “millions” of years old. A doll or image was taken from a rock 320 feet down as a well was being drilled in Nampa, Idaho, on August 1, 1889. A spark-plug like object was discovered in a geode on February 13, 1961, by three rock hunters near Olancha, California. On June 9, 1981 a gold chain was found in a lump of coal by Mrs. S.W.Culp of Morriosonville, Illinois. Many more such artifacts could be cited, but let’s look at the flood itself.

There have been many eyewitness reports of seeing the ark on Mt. Ararat. There is great abundant evidence that water covered the earth and deposited the sedimentary rocks. Every fossil that is found is a testimony to the rapid burial or that animal or plant. Today no fossils are being formed because even if an animal is covered by sand the worms and germs in the soil quickly reduce it to nothing. Only a great cataclysmic flood like the Bible describes would be enough to produce the fossils which cover the earth. The highest mountains have limestone with fossil shells in it as their capstone. The Grand Canyon shows every evidence of being cut rapidly by rushing water and not slowly by small river. The west is full of spectacular formations formed by water. Mesas are left high on plateaus as monuments to God’s work in changing the face of the earth.
In Yellowstone Park there is an exposure showing twenty-seven layers of tree stumps and broken sections of trunks, all petrified. The stumps are mostly roots down, which makes it look at first like they were buried as they grew, but study of the debris from Mt. St. Helens shows that waterlogged flood debris settles in just this way. The petrified wood is debris from the great flood, as are the coal and oil deposits. No such things are forming today. Neither do we find limestone or salt beds forming today. Limestone and dolomite formations have baffled geologists from day one, but the changing pressures and conditions of the flood could have formed them. Salt in great layers (and pure) is not forming today either.
At Babel people sinned and God confused their languages. Every evidence indicates that languages have been devolving, not evolving. Words have been getting shorter and the grammar filled with more exceptions to the rules. Besides this there are isolated people speaking totally different languages in the remote parts of the world. Babel explains it.
The place names, personal names and descriptions of the Bible are accurate. Abraham (Gen. 23:11) speaks “barter talk” with Ephron the Hittite. The words and method used are confirmed by clay tablets dug up by archaeologists. The Hittite people, once thought to be a Bible fable, had a great empire now known through digs at Boghazkoy in Turkey. The idols, practices and religious high places mentioned in the Bible have been confirmed by the archaeologists’ spade time and time again. The land is covered with figurines nude women used for worship purposes. The kings mentioned in the Scripture have appeared in the inscriptions on monuments and stellas from Egypt to Persia. Mesha, Sargon, Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar have been found. Pictures by the way of bas—reliefs show Israelites being led captive just as the Bible says.
Not only do we have great evidence, such as finding Pilate’s name on a stone tablet, but we have many very old and reliable copies of the Bible. At Qumran there were hundreds of scrolls found of Old Testament books; confirming the accuracy of modern editions and showing that Daniel couldn’t have been written after the fact, but had to be prophecy! Truly 2 Peter 3:5 is fulfilled today, “For this they willingly forget …” But let us be ones who trust and obey the Word of the only true and living God. Let us take the message to the ends of the earth and preach the truth because, the Lord “is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance”. Rejoice in the Bible, study it and preach it. There is no more sure word of prophecy, no more accurate history, no fuller look into the world of spirits or any more complete description of men’s hearts. Lastly, there is no more glorious story of so great a salvation as Jesus’ blood provides for all men.

Wow… there is a lot going on right now! With the unrest in Washingtion D.C. and obvious political posturing for the incoming new Presidential Administration, and with the Coronavirus numbers increasing despite the vaccine rollout there is a lot for us to think about.

Perhaps that is part of our trouble. As Steve Curningtion (Founder of RU Recovery) would point out, the trouble is our “stinkin’ thinkin’!” The more we dwell on the crumbling world around us, the less we are dwelling on the overcoming power of Holy Spirit dwelling within us or the demanding commission before us. Right now, in a desire to find some… ANY… hope we will wade through the 24/7 news cycle regurgitations and keep scrolling, scrolling, scrolling through social media expecting to find something to keep us going. Somehow, we never seem to find that hope or guidance. How should we respond to it all?

Stay calm… and church on!

No matter what political winds blow and no matter what pandemic virus strikes the commission of God’s church does not change “and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18)! You are a part of God’s church. That’s a bigger deal than any political movement! You are a part of the body of Christ. That’s a stronger force than any disease!

Stay calm… and church on!

Stop submitting your mind to the direction of a broken world and corrupt system. Give your meditations to the all-consuming job given us to reach “all the world” and “every creature.” Don’t be deterred from the purpose your Great Commander gave you!

Stay calm… and church on!

Don’t let the Devil draw you away from the highest calling ever: to give glory to our God and Savior. Don’t embrace the Devil’s calling to harm or judge others. Don’t submit to the Devils call to despair and discouragement. Don’t let the World, Flesh, or the Devil cloud your ultimate purpose for living: to bring pleasure to God (Revelation 4:11)! Remember the great job of the church?

Stay calm… and church on!

At times we feel like running in circles, waving our arms and yelling at the top of our lungs “WHAT DO WE DO NOW?!” It’s not that hard brothers and sisters. No matter the age, no matter the condition of the world, by His power in us…

Stay calm… and church on!

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Our nation is suffering right now. That much is clear. I recognize that in some situations offering an opinion or response does little more than fan a flame of divisiveness, and silence may be helpful. However, I also realize that some situations demand and need a response.  I am reminded that God responded to our need and “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

I have no desire to “take sides” on the issues here because I do not believe “sides” are clearly recognized by everyone. In fact, our tendency is to argue over an issue at length only to discover that we are on the same side only defined differently! As a Pastor, however, I feel I must call my brothers and sisters in Christ to the Gospel which unifies us. I cannot hope to call the entire nation to unify around the Gospel of Jesus because most have rejected it, but I can and will call believers in Jesus of every skin tone to embrace the central message of the Bible we all claim to follow.

Is there systemic racial injustice in America? Since the time that man sinned in Adam and Eve, we have always struggled with pride. Cain killed Abel because of jealousy and envy. Abel had “favor” while Cain did not. It was not “fair” in his thinking, so he settled the score by committing the first murder.  Distorted views of “justice” continued till eventually God sent the global flood and began again with Noah and his family.  After Noah emerged from the Ark, God established human government to enforce justice among humans. Man continued his downward spiral into hatred and pride until God intervened again at Babel. The concept of “races” began at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11) when God created the languages of men, thus separating them into family groups which would segregate different gene pools and over time formulate different skin tones etc.

Around 2,000 years later with the introduction of the Mosaic Law, Hebrews were given by God more revelation concerning true justice. That Law has been a foundation for many governments since then including our own in America. However, divine law cannot be enforced by corrupt and sinful man to produce true justice. The Law is good, but it only reveals sin (Romans 3:20). It cannot and will not produce righteousness. 

This brings us to the Gospel of Jesus. Why did Jesus come? Why did He die on the cross?

²⁰ Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. ²¹ But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, ²² even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, ²⁶ to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.  (Romans 3:20-26 NKJV)

Yes, Jesus died for our sins because we are not capable of true justice on our own. Indeed ALL HAVE SINNED. The reality is that we are all on the same side… we are all sinners in need of forgiveness! Justice was served by God the Father on His innocent Son Jesus in order that the justice which you and I deserve would be satisfied. This “justice” only applies to those who trust in Jesus!

What about our government now? What about our police? What about the practical problems in our society today?

Human governments controlled by sinful men have continued to attempt to “settle the score” just as Cain did, and enforce justice in society; but sadly the best that man can devise is still corrupt at its heart. So long as sinful men break the laws of the land and so long as sinful men attempt to enforce the laws of the land, there will be injustice. No matter how good the law, sinful man will always twist it to his advantage. Yes, there is injustice in America. Yes, it is systemic. That is the nature of corrupt human beings. 

So what is the cure? The Gospel of Jesus is at the heart of every solution to every problem every society will ever face. The only true hope for America is not in new attempts at justice, but in a fundamental transformation of her citizens through the power of the Gospel of Jesus. When God’s Holy Spirit enters a man because he is “born again” (John 3), and when he yields to that Holy Spirit, only then will change come to hearts. 

Can our government be fixed? Not by us. In fact, there is coming a day when Jesus will return and set right all injustice and enforce righteousness in perfection. Society will only experience true justice when Jesus sits on the throne. 

There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit of counsel and might,
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
His delight is in the fear of the Lord,
And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes,
Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;
But with righteousness He shall judge the poor,
And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins,
And faithfulness the belt of His waist.
(Isaiah 11:1-5)

In the Love of Christ,
Pastor Joel Henderson

Something’s not right here. 

Everyone seems to have this perspective. Our world is scrambling to make sense of this pandemic and the global response to it. Christians are no different. We all want to know what is going on, and we notice when things don’t seem to make sense. One example here in PA occurred when the “Corona-virus fatality count” was actually lowered by over 200! Why would the state report deaths that actually did not occur? This and many other reports cause the critical thinker to raise an eyebrow. 

Social networks are a breeding ground for “conspiracy theories,” and this pandemic is an unlimited supply of fuel that makes them grow. Don’t get me wrong,  I’m not claiming to know more than anyone else; but when Christians add in a limited understanding of already obscure (although not impossible to discern) Bible prophecy passages, we get some pretty interesting ideas floating around. Society seems to be hyped on emotion, but seriously lacking in factual (and Biblical) knowledge and understanding. Christians are not immune to this either.

So what do we do with all this information and these coincidental connections? How do we respond to Bill Gates, 5G networks, Globalism, the World Health Organization, The mark of the Beast, Chinese cover-ups, bloated stimulus packages, immunization certificates/passports, media exaggeration, Hydroxychloroquine kick-backs, political elections, and government overreach? (Did I miss any?)

Well… how do Christians always deal with our circumstances? We look to the Bible for guidance. We yield to the Spirit for our responses. We trust our Father in His sovereignty for our peace. We cling to our Savior for our ultimate protection. 

There have always been plots and conspiracies for control and domination. Remember the people of Genesis 11 at the Tower of Babel? “Let us make us a name…” they said. Remember Lucifer in Isaiah 14? “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.” He planned a rebellion in heaven! Remember how Judas Iscariot “went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them” (Luke 22:4)? As long as there is fallen man, and as long as the Devil is free to roam the earth, there will be conspiracies. Are there conspiracies at play in this pandemic now? Yes…without a doubt! I believe there are multiple conspiracies at play.

But here’s the good news that Peter understood. While preaching on the Day of Pentecost he said of Jesus, “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.” (Acts 2:23-24)  You see, even though the enemies of Jesus plotted to kill him (and seemed successful in their conspiracy) they were actually working the plan determined by God Himself! They thought they were in control; but in seeking their own desires, they fulfilled the eternal purpose of God! 

This pandemic is the same.

The Bible says in Proverbs 16:9 “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.”  No matter the plot that man conceives God is and always will be the ultimate director. His plan will be fulfilled through the individual “plots” of man. Are we all just puppets? some might ask. The fact that we can “conspire” our own plans answers that question with a resounding “NO!” God allows man the ability to make his own choices, but only among the options He allows. God directs mans steps as the King of the Universe who is sovereign over all. 

So what is God’s plan in this pandemic? While He has revealed some of that plan through the prophetic passages in the Bible, only He knows how He works all these details toward that end. One thing is sure…

All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing;
He does according to His will in the army of heaven
And among the inhabitants of the earth.
No one can restrain His hand
Or say to Him, “What have You done?”
(Daniel 4:35 NKJV)

To that I say… AMEN!

Pastor Joel Henderson