Month: April 2024

“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, NASB).
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Contents

1) The Dimensions of DNA (Tom Edwards)
2) Thinking More of DNA (Tom Edwards)
3) Harsh Words (Doy Moyer)
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The Dimensions of DNA

Tom Edwards

Recently, I was very impressed by the following statement:

It has been estimated that if all of the DNA in an adult human were placed end-to-end, it would reach to the Sun and back (186 million miles) 400 times. (Lesson 3 “The Existence of God — Design”; Apologetics Press, https://apologeticspress.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/hsc0103.pdf).

Another source had put that number of trips of DNA to the Sun and back at 600 times, while another did so at 300 — but even the shorter distances are still astronomical and amazing!

If you wonder how this can be so, when thinking of cells as being so microscopic, read on.

What are the dimensions of DNA?  You might find this truly amazing if you do not already know — and even still amazing if you already do know. For how can it ever be anything but amazing! 

Though DNA is said to be only about 2 nanometers in diameter (which is just two-billionths of a meter or two ten-millionths (0.0000002) of a centimeter, yet it has a length when stretched out of about 2 meters!  So, in other words, its length is about 1 billion times longer than its diameter.

And even putting the DNA slightly shorter at 6 feet (as some do) will result in a total distance of 914,400,000 times longer than its diameter!

Yet, the nucleus in which DNA is stored is said to be only about 5.5 to 6 microns in diameter.  Six microns is the equivalent of 6 millionths of a meter, or six ten-thousandths (0.0006) of a centimeter.  So DNA, which has been tightly coiled and packed in the nucleus, has been likened to “packing about 24 miles of very thin, double-stranded string into a tennis ball.”

In thinking of this, I am reminded of what David declares to God in Psalm 139:13-16:

For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.  (NASB)

So the next time you think about your DNA, imagine all of it being stretched out and placed from end to end, and making 400 trips from you to the Sun and back!  For DNA is an awesome part of you! 

DNA is just one of the many intricate and intelligent designs which makes our lives possible. Try making a list of all the other things, too, that you are made of that is necessary for your very existence — such as a brain, a heart, at least one kidney, a liver, blood, a circulatory system,  a respiratory system, etc. How vitally important they each are!  Not having even one of these would be fatal.  But how would a source that is non-intelligent know of the need for these things and also develop them, along with everything else that is necessary for our existence?    

How can one not believe in an Intelligent Designer when considering all of the facts that reality reveals!

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Thinking More of DNA

Tom Edwards

In doing Google searches, you can easily run into different figures as to the number of cells in the human body. NOVA online, on “Cracking the CODE of LIFE,” put the total number of all kinds of cells at “about 100 trillion.” Lesson 3 in “The Existence of God–Design,” which I had cited in the previous article, concerning the 400 round-trips DNA (if stretched out and placed end to end) could make to the Sun, also gave that same number. For it states: “A body is composed of over 250 different kinds of cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, nerve cells, etc.) totaling approximately 100 trillion cells in an average adult.”

But even if the total number of cells were much lower, DNA would still be an amazing part of us, and its length when stretched out and placed end to end could still make numerous round trips to the sun. For consider the following chart:

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Harsh Words

Doy Moyer

Somewhere along the line, it seems our culture has been convinced that insulting people is the way to win others to their way of thinking. Harsh words that disparage intelligence coupled with character-destroying insinuations have become embedded in our arguments and disagreements. This is the way of the world, a path lacking grace and mercy and which can only lead to further division and hatred.

In leading up to the point that we need to take on the mind of Christ, the apostle Paul argued, “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose” (Phil 2:1-2, NASU). Notice the terms: encouragement, consolation, love, fellowship, affection, compassion, joy, united. These are produced by the Spirit. How could this be accomplished? The answer is given: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (vv. 3-4).

The mind or attitude of Jesus is what we are aiming for (v. 5), and this was demonstrated by His self-emptying act of dying for us. And as John would say, “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16).

For the child of God, we are to speak with grace (Col 4:6), love (Eph 4:15), and kindness devoid of bitterness (Eph 4:31-32). We don’t revile or insult in return when such is hurled at us (1 Pet 2:21-23). And Jesus is our example in this.

I am aware that there were times Jesus spoke more harshly, calling out hypocrites for what they were (Matt 23). Yet Jesus knew hearts in ways we do not. He can judge what we are not capable of judging. Be very careful in trying to justify hard language, especially that which is graceless and insulting. We can be direct and straightforward and still be respectful.

We can do better, can we not? I can, and I intend to. If we have arguments to make, make them without rancor and insult. Whether we are talking with unbelievers or fellow saints, we gain nothing by harsh rhetoric that requires us to know the hearts of those with whom we have our discussions. Let the truth be spoken so it can do what the Lord intends for it to do, and let us avoid speaking in a manner that gets in the way of that truth.

— Via Doy Moyer’s Facebook site, April 13, 2024 (Doy had no title for this article, so I thought “Harsh Words” would be a good one.)

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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

1) Hear the gospel — for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31).
 
2) Believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 8:24; John 3:18).

3) Repent of sins.  For every accountable person has sinned (Romans 3:23; Romans 3:10), which causes one to be spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) and separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23). Therefore, repentance of sin is necessary (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).  For whether the sin seems great or small, there will still be the same penalty for either (Matt. 12:36-37; 2 Cor. 5:10) — and even for a lie (Rev. 21:8).

4) Confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).

5) Be baptized in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21).  This is the final step that puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27).  For from that baptism, one is then raised as a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), having all sins forgiven and beginning a new life as a Christian (Rom. 6:3-4). For the one being baptized does so “through faith in the working of God” (Col. 2:12). In other words, believing that God will keep His word and forgive after one submits to these necessary steps. And now as a Christian, we then need to…

6) Continue in the faith by living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Matt. 24:13; Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
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Tebeau Street
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA  31501

Sunday: 9 a.m. Bible Classes and 10 a.m. Worship Service.   Congregational Song Service: 5 p.m. for every first Sunday of the month.

Wednesday: 7 p.m. Bible Classes

evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com

https://thomastedwards.com/go/all.htm (This is a link to the older version of the Gospel Observer website, but with bulletins going back to March 4, 1990.)

“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, NASB).
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Contents

1) Philip the Evangelist (David Watson)
2) The Resurrection — Proof that Jesus is the Son of God (Doug Roush)
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Philip the Evangelist

David Watson

Philip (Acts 6:5) is easy to skip over because we usually focus on the people he dealt with—Simon the magician and the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8).  But there are 3 things I want us to notice about Philip and his work that will inspire us to become better Christians.

First, Philip is a great example of loving our neighbors.  Due to Saul’s persecution, Philip leaves Jerusalem and goes—of all places—to Samaria and starts proclaiming Christ to them (Acts 8:5)!  Most Jews wouldn’t be caught dead with Samaritans (John 4:7-9; 8:48; Luke 9:51-56); but there Philip is, preaching the good news and baptizing men and women (Acts 8:13).  That shows us what the gospel of Christ will do for us—it will open our eyes to the value of a soul.  It will raise us above racism and bigotry and prejudice.  “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).  Let’s fix that worldview into our minds—that each person around us (friends, family members, complete strangers) has a soul!  Like Philip, I should be willing to share the gospel with anyone as an act of love.

Second, Philip shows us the power of the gospel.  He is later called “the evangelist” (Acts 21:8).  Evangelist means “one who declares the good news.”  After declaring the good news to the Samaritans, Philip preaches Christ to the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-39).  Many religious people today teach that in order to understand and accept the gospel and be saved, the Holy Spirit has to miraculously affect you in some way (“irresistible grace”).  But notice that’s NOT what happened here.  Interestingly, you have an angel (v. 26) and the Holy Spirit (v. 29) directly involved in the conversion of the Ethiopian, but what did they do?  They got the preacher of God’s word connected to the person in need.  That’s what happens all through the book of Acts—preachers present the evidence and build a logical case for Christ—sometimes reasoning and explaining things over a period of weeks and months and years, and as a result of that, people believed and obeyed.  That’s what Philip did for the Samaritans (Acts 8:5, 12) and what he does now for the Ethiopian (Acts 8:35, 36).  Christianity is not based on blind faith or on a subjective feeling in my heart.  It’s based upon the inspired word of God!  No wonder Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).  May we learn to trust in the power of the gospel!

Third, Philip shows us that we can grow older without growing bitter.  Acts 8:40 mentions that he ends up in Caesarea.  He disappears from the record until a brief reference in Acts 21:8-14, where Paul and his companions stayed with him for several days.  It is here in the record where he’s identified as Philip the evangelist (one who declares the good news), about 20 years after the events of Acts 8.  Let’s appreciate that Philip is still at it years later.  It’s one thing to start with a bang, and maybe to have a zeal fueled by the events in Acts 7-8, but what about when the newness wears off?  Philip’s longevity serves as a great example to us.  Can I do that?  Can I live for Christ through the years?

But even more than his longevity, notice that Philip has not grown bitter during this time, even though he had plenty of reasons.  Remember that Stephen was one of the seven men chosen in Acts 6:5.  Thus, if Philip didn’t know Stephen already, he surely got to know him as they worked together.  Then Stephen is stoned (with Saul’s approval (Acts 7:58), and it’s very likely that Philip was one of the men who buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him (Acts 8:2).  And then Saul continues the persecution, which is the reason Philip gets run out of Jerusalem to begin with (Acts 8:3-5).  And then lo and behold, 20 some-odd years later, who knocks on the door wanting to spend a few nights at Philip’s house?  Saul, now called Paul.  Imagine that!  Imagine what feelings Philip could have harbored!  “You killed my friend, Stephen!  You threw my brothers and sisters in jail!  You ran me out of my home city!”  If Philip had been harboring hatred and planning revenge all these years, now was his chance!

But no, he’s not called “Philip, the grouchy old man who gripes all the time about how he was treated poorly and cheated out of a life in Jerusalem and all his friends were killed or thrown in prison.”  He is Philip the evangelist.  Philip, the proclaimer of good news.  In fact, he is probably included in the “local residents” trying to keep Paul safe (Acts 21:12).  Let’s follow his example.  Are you an old curmudgeon?  If somebody does you wrong, are you going to be sure that everybody and their dog is going to hear about it for the next 20 years?  Instead of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, do you spend your time developing traits like irritability, grudge-holding, gossiping, revenge, and bitterness?  Lots of bad stuff happened to Philip, too, but he didn’t spend his life in his rocking chair plotting revenge.  He became Philip the evangelist—Philip the proclaimer of good news!

May we imitate Philip, whose love for souls caused him to spread the good news about Jesus to whoever he could for as long as he could.

— Via Focus Online, May 6, 2019

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The Resurrection – Proof that Jesus is the Son of God

Doug Roush

Romans 1:4 states that Jesus Christ was “declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” The resurrection of Jesus, more than any other single event, is the ultimate evidence that Jesus of Nazareth was, and is, the Son of God.

Although we have the Bible record of other people being raised from the dead, it certainly was not an everyday occurrence. Jesus raised Lazarus, the widow’s son at Nain, the daughter of Jairus, and perhaps others (John 11; Luke 7:11-15, 22; 8:49-56). Peter raised Dorcas from the dead (Acts 9:36-41). In the Old Testament, both Elijah and Elisha raised people from the dead (1 Kings 17:22; 2 Kings 4:32-35; 13:20-21). However, none of these resurrected individuals were thought to be “gods.”

The case of Jesus is different. As the body of Jesus lay alone in Joseph’s new tomb, no one took Him by the hand and commanded Him to rise. The tomb is sealed and closely guarded. No one stood outside the tomb and called for Him to come forth. No one even witnessed His actual resurrection – the angel rolled away the stone and the guards “became like dead men” (Matthew 28:4). The resurrection of Jesus was accomplished by the direct power of God. The fact that “God raised up” Jesus is declared many times in the Book of Acts (2:24, 32; 3:13; 4:10; 10:40; 13:30, 37). His resurrection is the ultimate evidence that identifies the historic Jesus of Nazareth to be, in fact, the Divine Son of God!

There was physical and testimonial evidence that confirms the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Consider the following details:

• The tomb was new. No one had been lain there before (Matthew 27:57; Mark 15:43; Luke 23:51). There was no possibility of confusing the body of Jesus with the remains of another.
  
• The tomb entrance was closed with a large stone, sealed, and guarded. (Matthew 27:60- 66). No one could have taken the body away.
  
• The grave clothes were left neatly in the tomb. When Peter and John went into the tomb after the resurrection, they “saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself” (John 20:6-8). No one stealing a body would take the time to unwrap it and neatly fold up the clothes! Only a person who would never have use of them again would leave the expensive grave wrappings behind!
  
• The scars of Jesus’ resurrected body were examined. On the very evening of the day of His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples and “showed them His hands and His side” (John 20:20). Wounds in the hands and feet could be observed on anyone who had been crucified, but the wound in the side of Jesus was unique. It offered gruesome evidence to His identity, and also to what His body had been subjected.
  
• Many people saw Him alive. The number of witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus is overwhelming credible evidence. In a court of law, facts can be established on the basis of two or three reliable witnesses. In addition to the apostles, many, many more saw the resurrected Christ, including Mary Magdalene, Cleopas, James, 500 brethren at once, and finally the apostle Paul.

The detailed nature of the evidence provides overwhelming proof, validating the authenticity of the resurrection of Jesus. His resurrection is the ultimate proof that validates His claim that He is the Son of God, the Way, the Truth, and the Life; the only way to the Father (cf. John 14:6). The detailed and reliable evidence we have for the resurrection of Jesus validates our belief of it. Believing in the resurrection of Jesus is the key to our salvation. “Knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus” (2 Corinthians 4:14).

— Via Articles from the Knollwood church of Christ, March 2024

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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

1) Hear the gospel — for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31).
 
2) Believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 8:24; John 3:18).

3) Repent of sins.  For every accountable person has sinned (Romans 3:23; Romans 3:10), which causes one to be spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) and separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23). Therefore, repentance of sin is necessary (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).  For whether the sin seems great or small, there will still be the same penalty for either (Matt. 12:36-37; 2 Cor. 5:10) — and even for a lie (Rev. 21:8).

4) Confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).

5) Be baptized in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21).  This is the final step that puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27).  For from that baptism, one is then raised as a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), having all sins forgiven and beginning a new life as a Christian (Rom. 6:3-4). For the one being baptized does so “through faith in the working of God” (Col. 2:12). In other words, believing that God will keep His word and forgive after one submits to these necessary steps. And now as a Christian, we then need to…

6) Continue in the faith by living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Matt. 24:13; Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
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Tebeau Street
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA  31501

Sunday: 9 a.m. Bible Classes and 10 a.m. Worship Service.   Congregational Song Service: 5 p.m. for every first Sunday of the month.

Wednesday: 7 p.m. Bible Classes

evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com

https://thomastedwards.com/go/all.htm (This is a link to the older version of the Gospel Observer website, but with bulletins going back to March 4, 1990.)