We are smaller than we think

Recent news about earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes and hurricanes often make people question what they think they know. We question what is real and where is God? God is right where He has always been.

But maybe we should ask more questions. Like, what are we really depending on?

When the seemingly solid earth beneath you begins to undulate like jello, and all that you hold dear crashes in all round you.

When the soothing ocean waves suddenly retreat, only to return as a tsunami—a fast moving wall of water taller than your home--and wash 250,000 people out to sea.

When the nourishing rains and gentle breezes suddenly plunge down in a funnel cloud through neighborhoods and scatter homes across two counties.

When the swirling winds and torrential rains of a hurricane peel off the roofs and cause mass destruction and evacuations.

If these do not cause questions, something might be wrong with your questioner. But notice just how little change it takes to go from tranquility to tragedy.

Does it not remind us just how small we are?

For all of our technology, only one structure is easily visible from the space station: the ancient Great Wall of China. A pile of cut stones, really.

I think we are an arrogant race, we humans. We think we are so advanced, but all it takes is one of the above events to put us back in our place.

It is probably a good thing to have our faith challenged and tested. We can blame or we can praise the God of the storm. When some of Jesus’ followers went through this following storm, they were never the same.

"And evening having come, He said to them on that day, Let us pass over to the other side. And when they had sent away the crowd, they took Him with them as He was in the boat. And there were also other little boats with Him. And there arose a windstorm, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was now full. And He was in the stern of the boat, asleep on a headrest. And they awakened Him and said to Him, Master, do You not care that we perish? And He awakened and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Peace! Be still! And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And He said to them, Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" Mark 4:35-40 MKJV

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Mr. Peel is a local attorney who practices in the areas of Accident, Injuries, Malpractice and Nursing Home Neglect. Mr. Peel often addresses churches and clubs and can be contacted through www.PeelLawFirm.com, wherein other articles can also be found.

Elena Mabry

emabry@bigriver.net

www.PeelLawFirm.com

BEING PREPARED

Being Prepared

The saying “Be Prepared” has long been uttered respectfully by Boy Scouts across the United States. As one who was blessed to achieve an Eagle Scout rank, I look back fondly upon lessons learned in readiness and self-reliance.

With record-breaking tornadoes leveling the South, flooding threatening thousands of homes, terrorists’ frightful scheming and the constant threat of living in an earthquake zone, it is apparent that a heightened sense of readiness is required. Think of those who had to evacuate for what may be months from their homes in Japan near the failing nuclear plant. The Bible admonishes us to plan for the future:

For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he may have enough to finish it; lest perhaps, after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish, all those seeing begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish. Luke 14:28-30

There are several ways we can be more prepared. Items listed can be packed in “go-bags” that allow a quick exit. There is a hierarchy of needs, form most urgent to least, but they are all important.

• · Water, one gallon of water per person per day, for drinking and sanitation;
• · Non-perishable food with a can opener, all in a backpack or duffle bag;
• · NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert, a flashlight and extra batteries for both;
• · First aid kit and whistle to signal for help;
• · Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation;
• · Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities, and hatchet or axe to help rescuers;
• · Cell phone with chargers, and important phone numbers;
• · Important documents such as powers of attorney, living will, driver’s license, pictures of your family and pets, cash, ATM card, Health insurance card, insurance policies, and tax records;
• · Comfortable clothing and blankets, ponchos and duct tape;
• · Unique family needs such as prescription medications, pet supplies, infant supplies or any other needs your family may have;
• · Some will want to stockpile extra gasoline or diesel; and
• · Some may prefer to keep a firearm and ammunition.

Consider well ahead of time what you'd take if you had only a:

• ü a day's notice,
• ü a couple of hours' notice to pack the car, or
• ü five minutes' notice to 'get out now' (the go bag)

Make arrangements for places to stay well ahead of time. Make a deal: If there's an emergency/evacuation, they can come to your home, or you to theirs. Crashing on someone's sofa or camping in their yard is infinitely preferable to a public shelter.

If you have to take medications, make sure you keep them all in one place, and can sweep them into the go bag without any searching. A "shelter-in-place" kit and a "to-go" bag can share items as long as they can be moved from one pace to the other quickly. For example, it makes sense to have three-days worth of water in your shelter-in-place kit but take a day's worth with you when you leave. However, it is always best to keep things compartmentalized in case you have to shelter in place and then later leave. Remember that if you are prepared you may be able to minister to those who are not.

A component of your disaster kit is your Go-bag. Put the items together in a backpack or another easy to carry container in case you must evacuate quickly. Prepare one Go-bag for each family member and make sure each has an I.D. tag. You may not be at home when an emergency strikes so keep some additional supplies in your car and at work, considering what you would need for your immediate safety.

May God bless and protect your family.

Mr. Peel is a local attorney who practices in the areas of Accident, Injuries, Malpractice and Nursing Home Neglect. Mr. Peel often addresses churches and clubs and can be contacted through www.PeelLawFirm.com, wherein other articles can also be found.

creation vs. Evolution Part 3- death and the Haiti earthquake

CREATION vs. EVOLUTION

PART 3 of 12

DEATH – No Second Chances

As I write this, people in Haiti are still struggling to recover from the massive earthquake that toppled most of their homes and buildings. Many tens of thousands are dead, and the actual numbers may never fully be known.

Everyone’s heart goes out to the victims, the orphans, the widows, the amputees and the lost. Heroes of all walks of life and nationalities sacrificed to free survivors from the rubble, render aid to the injured and to reunite the disconnected.

Compassion has prompted millions from all over the world to donate their time and resources. Christian relief agencies are at the forefront of this relief effort, along with secular groups and various military assets.

Every time there is a major disaster, such as an earthquake, tsunami or a flood, people ask an ancient question: “How can a good, all powerful God let evil and suffering happen?”

Interestingly, it is Biblical Creationism that holds the answer.

Death is an intruder. It was never part of the original plan. Our bodies fight to their last breath to live, shutting down blood to the least vital organs first. When a child dies before his parents do, or when a loved one dies in the “prime” of life, it seems wrong deep in our innermost being. When someone, even a stranger, is in peril, we instinctively want to help. Multiplied billions are spent to preserve life and resist death in hospitals and nursing homes. The elderly often spend their wealth to try and reclaim their health. We donate organs to help preserve the lives of those will never even meet. Life itself is at the heart of impassioned debates of capital punishment, euthanasia and abortion. At our core, we recognize the importance and value of life, and resist death at almost any cost. Why?

God created us in perfect world, called Eden. Note that God did not create a world of death, disease, and suffering. The Bible explains in Genesis 1-3 that death came into creation because of sin. Death is the enemy.

Most Evolutionists often will agree that the earthquake was a tragedy. If they argue that death in any scale is somehow evil or “out of place” acknowledges, at a very basic level, that death is the enemy. However, a true and consistent evolutionist would have to agree that death is not only natural, but also fundamentally necessary. You see, unlike creation, the theory of evolution takes a LOT of death to happen! Carl Sagan, a famous evolutionist, explained:

“The secrets of evolution are time and death. Time for the slow accumulations of favorable mutations, and death to make room for new species.”

-Carl Sagan, Cosmos, program entitled “One Voice in the Cosmic Fugue.”

Darwin’s theory requires death and lots of it over long periods of time. Time for evolution to occur and death to remove the weaker forms not able to survive. This allows the “strongest” to survive. Atheistic Evolution can only explain that tragedies like earthquakes should promote the bettering of all of mankind, since death is the means by which “progression” is made. Death, according to evolution, certainly is not all bad.

That does not mean that Evolutionists do not recoil at the scenes of death and suffering. Evolutionists are likely there working right beside others in Haiti helping those injured. Compassion is a human trait that an atheistic worldview does not usually fully remove. I was once a holder of the atheistic evolutionary view and still personally felt moved by suffering and death. The Bible teaches that death is the end of earthly life, and there are no second chances after we breathe our last. In fact, we are all in a second chance here on Earth that God gave the world through His Son.

Atheistic Evolution teaches that all matter and energy merely transforms itself randomly through death, and this life is all there is. But, if there is no Heaven or Hell, no eternity, no God, no final judgment, why does Death seem so…“wrong?”

The Bible teaches that are all one human race in a broken and fallen creation where death has invaded. Evolution teaches that human life is only that of smarter monkeys. God says He sent His only Son to die in our place and to offer Heaven after death. God initially called everything he made “good.” It was not a godless, mechanically random series of death and suffering that gave us the fossils we find. It was the massive flood of Noah’s day that gave us the “second chance” to be here now and laid down the fossil record.

Don’t fall for the claim that Evolution is just science. Don’t believe that it is just some bookish philosophy. It has serious implications. It is incompatible with the clear reading of the Bible. For instance, Carl Sagan implied that death is permanent and necessary.

Ready for some good news? Death, for the Christian, it is but a doorway to Heaven. And, Death is a not even a permanent part of this world. Prior to sin in the Garden, it did not exist. One day in the future, there will again be no death. God will one day “wipe away every tear from our eyes” (Revelation 21:1–8) and restore perfection.

As Brad Paisley wrote in his hit song, “When I Get Where I’m Going”, we will be able to “leave our heart wide open; [we] will love and have no fear.” We will have no fear of loss, no death, no sickness, no famine, no earthquakes, no sin, and no pain. Believers will be those who have used humanity’s second chance to trust Christ. Don’t allow the hollow philosophy of evolution to dilute your faith. Creation provides answers to not only the past, but our present.