From the Pen of Paul

The Redeemer

Job said, "For I know that my redeemer liveth" (Job 19:25). And David said in the Psalms, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God" (Psalm 14:1). The earth, our universe, man, and everything visible and invisible had to have a creator or maker. "For every house is builded by some man; but he that made all things is God" (Hebrews 3:4). No house, or any other building, ever came into existence by mere accident or chance. No building was ever constructed by a tornado, a hurricane, or an earthquake. The earth and all the universe of God are a million times more marvelous than any building; therefore, they HAD to have a Maker—and that Maker is God! All one has to do is look around; we can see intelligence and design in all things. Some claim that the earth sprang up out of nothing; these are just wild assertions and speculations in order to deny the existence of God; and they are most foolish indeed! Even science teaches that from nothing, comes nothing. Everything had to have something back of it; and that something goes all the way back to God, the original and eternal ONE who "created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1).

Listen to the testimony of the word of God: For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse" (Romans 1:20). "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard" (Psalm 19:1-3).

For an example, consider the radio. It was first conceived in the mind of the inventor; it shows purpose and design from an intelligent cause. So, also, does the universe that we live in show forth divine intelligence and planning. Some claim that they cannot believe in an eternal God with infinite power and knowledge; they then turn right around and try to prove that all things came from dead and lifeless matter; this they do without any evidence at all. Where did the lifeless matter come from? It is completely unreasonable and illogical to say that nothing came from nothing. How could a nothing, which did not exist and could not be anything or do anything, make itself exist, and do and be something and make itself into a wonderful universe of matter? From nothing comes nothing. If there had ever been a time in the eternal past when there was nothing whatsoever in existence, there could never have been anything in existence. That eternal something, which has always existed, is God! "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen and Amen" (Psalm 41:13). Read also Psalm 106:48; 90:2; 93:2; 103:17; Proverbs 8:23; Isaiah 63:16; Micah 5:2; Habakkuk 1:12.

Also, lifeless matter could never have created the heavens and the earth, or made man, or anything else! "He that planted the ear, shall He not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?....he that teacheth man knowledge, shall he not know?" (Psalm 94:9-10). Mr. Edwin Conklin, a Princeton biological scientist, argued that it would be as impossible for life to have just happened upon the earth, as it would be for an unabridged dictionary to come into existence as a result of an explosion in a print shop. So, God created the earth to be inhabited. "For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord, and there is none else" (Isaiah 45:18). He made it to precision. "Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?" (Isaiah 40:12).

How is it that the oceans, and rivers do not fill the earth? What causes them to go so far—and no farther? Just chance and happenstance? I think not! Isaiah said that God made the earth and everything in it to precision. How can scientists tell us exactly when the next eclipse will take place and many other events too marvelous to just be by chance. There is an intelligent cause behind all of creation—and that cause is God! God hung our world up into space by gravity—another name for the power of God (Job 26:7). He created the first man and woman in orbit around the sun—and we have been in orbit all of our lives. If the earth had been too large or too heavy, we would have drifted farther away from the sun, and eventually life could not exist; if the earth had been too small, and too light, we would have drifted closer to the sun and would have perished. Not in a trillion chances could any of this have just happened—an earth made to precision, and perfectly adapted to man and his needs. Yes, our God really does exist, and desires to redeem man from sin and eternal ruin. Each of us, with Job, can say, "I know that my redeemer liveth" (Job 19:25).
—Paul Wilmoth

From the Preacher's Viewpoint. . .

Do They Sing 'Amazing Grace'?

We have some preachers and brethren who believe that God has nothing to do with the operation of the world at the present, and their position pushes them to disbelieve that God answers the prayers of Christians. They do not believe that God intervenes in present affairs. They reject "divine intervention," thus, they do not believe in the providence of God. Most of these brethren are afraid to come out with their true belief along this line. They know that the greater part of the brotherhood will be against them. Their position would have many of our hymns we sing to be unscriptural. Do they sing them? Does the church where they attend sing them? Let us show you what we mean.

They could not sing "Be With Me Lord." They could not sing "Hold to God's Unchanging Hand." They could not sing "Great is Our God." They could not sing "Tell Them of Jesus." They could not sing "A Wonderful Savior." They could not sing "Amazing Grace." They could not sing "A Blessing in Prayer." They could not sing "Abide With Me." They could not sing "Anywhere With Jesus." In fact, the songbook they could use would be very thin because many songs in our hymns tell us about God and His being with us in providence, as well as being with us in the world.

We pray for God to strengthen us as Christians. We pray for God to bless the Lord's Supper, and we ask Him to help us take it in a worthy manner. We pray for God to be with us when our loved ones die or are sick. We pray for God to be with our family and our children in particular. We pray for God to see us through perilous times. We pray to God to help the church grow. We pray to God for many, many things. If God has nothing to do with us, then for what can we pray? When folks take God out of the world and His church, things get quite lonely and dead.

God still lives and works in the universe, which includes the world where we live. How hopeless and sad this life would be if Christians did not have God to lean on and have as a helper — and this does not mean that God still works miracles today. We do not know how God works today, but we know He does because the Bible teaches us He does, and this is enough. We will leave the way God works today up to Him and go on trusting His word.
—Malcolm L. Hill