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Mr. Dawntreader has another excellent post today in his series of articles on the book, Science & Faith: Friends or Foes? by Dr. C. John Collins.

Whereas quantum mechanics and chaos theory both suggest randomness in the world, the Bible reveals a sovereign God who is in control of the universe. So how does one reconcile the findings of quantum mechanics and chaos theory with a sovereign God?

My own hunch – and it is not much stronger than that – is that quantum mechanics is a model, and that it shows what the world acts like at its lowest level; but that we may well have reached the limits of our ability to know things with more precision than quantum mechanics allows.

But in any case quantum mechanics in itself . . . does not undermine the traditional Christian picture of the world with knowable natural properties behaving in a predictable and understandable way, under the rule of a wise and holy Creator. This is true for at least two reasons.

First, however spooky quantum theory may sound, it is highly mathematical: and this shows that the world is still intelligible, since that is just what mathematics is for.

Second, we experience the world at a much larger scale than the one quantum mechanics describes. And at this level, “ordinary physics” – Newton’s laws and all that – describes everything quite well. So we experience the world at a level that combines the tiny quantum effects, and all the goofiness gets washed out. (Collins, Science & Faith, p.223)

Mr. Dawntreader then goes on to discuss chaos theory using weather as an example.

It is terribly difficult to predict weather. There are simply too many factors. The initial condition is far to difficult to measure. The output is nonlinear. Weather is therefore a chaotic system. Hence we use predictions based on probability instead of knowing exactly what will happen based on natural laws.

Does this undermine a biblical worldview?

Hardly. This is nothing more than a math problem that is too difficult for us to solve at present. Nothing more, nothing less. If we could precisely measure the initial conditions and every single factor, we could precisely say what tomorrow’s weather would be.

In conclusion, neither quantum theory or chaos theory presents a serious challenge to a biblical worldview.

I encourage you to read the full article at the Dawn Treader site.

Related post: God’s Providence and Scientific Investigation

The Desiring God $5 book sale has started. I was just over at the site and not only are all the books on sale for $5 each, so are their study guides and Bibles. These guys are going all out! You can even pick up an ESV hardcover, Classic Reference Edition (list $24.99) for just $5.

Update: Well, the ESV hardcover, Classic Reference Edition was on sale for $5 earlier today, but it looks like that offer is no longer available. You can still get the paperback, Life Discovery Edition for $5 though. Also, here’s an update from the Desiring God blog: “If the store is working slowly for you, please consider continuing your order a little later. There’s a rush this morning, but the sale goes through Thursday at midnight so there is plenty of time to get your order in.”

The online sale is two days only – Wednesday and Thursday, June 27 and 28. Click here for book recommendations.

Here is a graph showing the chances of a man winning an argument while dating, during engagement, and then after marriage.

I don’t know. I tried to convince my wife that this is true, but she said, “No way!” so I guess she must be right.

HT: Bradley Wright

Pastor Mark Roberts is posting a number of excerpts from his new book, Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Roberts studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. As a pastor and New Testament scholar, Roberts wears both hats well in providing this readable and well-reasoned defense of the reliability of the gospel documents.

Here are some of the questions Roberts addresses in his book:

• Can we know what the original Gospel manuscripts really said?
• Did the evangelists know Jesus personally?
• When were the Gospels written?
• What sources did the Gospel writers use?
• Did early Christian oral tradition reliably pass down the truth about Jesus?
• What are the New Testament Gospels?
• What difference does it make that there are four Gospels?
• Are there contradictions in the Gospels?
• If the Gospels are theology, can they be history?
• Do miracles undermine the reliability of the Gospels?
• Do historical sources from the era of the Gospels support their reliability?
• Does archeology support the reliability of the Gospels?
• Did the political agenda of the early church influence the content of the Gospels?
• Why do we have only four Gospels in the Bible?
• Can we trust the Gospels after all?

When I was in college I read a similar book by F.F. Bruce called, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? which greatly increased my understanding and strengthened my confidence in the New Testament texts. Bruce’s book became somewhat of a classic on the topic, and I expect Roberts’ book will help a whole new generation come to grips with the reliability of the Biblical gospels.

World’s ugliest dog. Meet Elwood, the world’s ugliest dog. The 2-year-old Chinese Crested and Chihuahua mix, who placed second in last year’s contest, was crowned the world’s ugliest dog on Friday, June 22. Elwood is also known for his uncanny resemblance to aliens Yoda and ET. “I think he’s the cutest thing that ever lived,” said Elwood’s owner, Karen Quigley. Really? Then why did you enter him in the world’s ugliest dog contest?

Global cooling. From the Canadian Financial Post: “Solar scientists predict that, by 2020, the sun will be starting into its weakest Schwabe solar cycle of the past two centuries, likely leading to unusually cool conditions on Earth. Beginning to plan for adaptation to such a cool period, one which may continue well beyond one 11-year cycle, as did the Little Ice Age, should be a priority for governments.” Maybe it’s supposed to get hotter before it gets colder? (HT: Instapundit)

Pastor-comedian wanted. A newly forming church in Edmond, OK is looking for a pastor-comedian. “The idea is to use humor and comedy to bring people to Christ. With the right Pastor we plan on becoming a rapidly growing mega church soon. We are thinking the church will be called Comedy Hour and be open Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday mornings.” The only qualification listed under job requirements is “must be very funny.” No, I am not applying.

Tomorrow and Wednesday (June 27 and 28), all books at the Desiring God online bookstore are on sale for only $5 apiece. I have benefited greatly from John Piper’s writings over the years and would highly recommend his books to you. Here are some of my favorites:

• Desiring God – a classic book on glorifying and enjoying God
• God’s Passion for His Glory – a challenging read but one of the best books I read in the last ten years; Piper helps unfold Jonathan Edwards’ masterful work on why God created the world
• Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood – a comprehensive look at the biblical texts and issues relating to male and female roles in the home, the church and society
• A Godward Life – short, meaningful devotions on a variety of life topics
• A Hunger for God – the best book on fasting I have read
• The Supremacy of God in Preaching – great book on preaching
• Let the Nations Be Glad – great book on missions

Do you have any favorite John Piper books? Feel free to echo any of these recommendations or add some of your own in the comments section.

I am enjoying reading Mr. Dawntreader’s articles on the book, Science & Faith: Friends or Foes? by Dr. C. John Collins. Dr. Collins is an Old Testament professor at Covenant Theological Seminary. He has his undergraduate and first graduate degrees in engineering from MIT, and a Ph.D. in lingusitics from the university of Liverpool. He is also an expert in Hebrew.

I especially liked this article on the topic of God’s involvement in this world and its effect on science.

In theological terms, this falls in the area of study called providence. How involved is God in the natural world? If he is heavily involved, does it make the study of science pointless?

Collins unpacks God’s involvement in the world by stating the classic Christian understanding of God’s providence. God created real things with real properties (i.e. natures) each with the possibility of causing things. God ceased creating but goes on maintaining and governing. That is, he keeps his creation doing what it is supposed to be doing …

This raises a question. Does God do everything?

In a sense, yes. In a sense, no. God directly governs this world. His purposes are holy, wise and thoroughly good; and he sees to it, that in the end, his purposes stand. The reason the laws of physics work is because God keeps them working day after day. They serve his purpose. So God is directly involved in all of creation daily. However, God created a universe with a web of cause and effect and things that have natures … and one of the properties of those natures is to cause things. In that sense, God did not write this blog post. Mr. Dawntreader did …

Is it still possible for Christians to study and learn about the natural world if God is so involved in it? Of course it is, and we should learn as much as we can. In fact, it is because God sustains this world and gives it order that forms the basis and foundation for studying it.

I encourage you to visit the Dawn Treader site to read the full article, plus the earlier articles on the book as well. This looks like an excellent book on science and faith, and I have added it to my “books to read” list.

Related post: The Bible is to Theology as Creation is to Science

Yesterday’s message was the tenth in the Doing Church Together series from the book of 1 Timothy. The message was called, Caring for Each Other in the Body of Christ, taken from 1 Timothy 5:1-16.

1 Timothy 5:1-16 – 1 Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.
3 Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. 5 The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. 6 But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. 7 Give the people these instructions, too, so that no one may be open to blame. 8 If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
9 No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, 10 and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.
11 As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. 12 Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. 13 Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to. 14 So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. 15 Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.
16 If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need. (NIV)

The main idea of the message was that we should care for each other in the body of Christ. Here is a brief recap of the message:

The church is the body of Christ, and the members of the body must care for each other. If the church does not take care of its own, it has ceased to function as the church. Paul was especially concerned with the widows at Timothy’s church. But there are some general principles we can draw from Paul’s instructions that will help us learn how we may better care for each other in the body of Christ, too.

Continue Reading »

Who says you need long-term counseling? Bob Newhart (a.k.a. Dr. Switzer) can counsel you about all your problems in 5 minutes or less. Check out his amazing 5-minute counseling technique in this video.

(Video length: 6:16)

Just for the record, you may want to know that I do not model my own counseling style after Bob’s.

HT: MMI
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World Magazine’s blog post, Do you have a children’s menu? prompted some lively discussion on the pros and cons of children’s menus. I liked the following two comments about chicken fingers.

Comment #2 – Chickens don’t have fingers. Be very suspicious.
Comment #6 (responding to comment #2) – “Chickens don’t have fingers.” Not any more.

Personally, my wife and I love the idea of a children’s menu. The price is right, and our boys always found something that they liked.

We used to eat at a Mexican restaurant that had a novel approach to their children’s menu. “Kids under twelve pay what they weigh,” read the sign out front. At a penny a pound, our boys ate for 40-50 cents each. Of course, “kids eat for free” is always the preferred alternative.

Now that the boys are older, bigger, and could eat the entire children’s menu all by themselves, we pay full price for the older two. But our youngest can still eat a children’s meal – at least for now!

Unashamed Workman has a great autobiographical story from Charles Spurgeon about “tag-team preaching” with his grandfather one Sunday morning in church:

As I neared the chapel, I perceived that someone was in the pulpit preaching, and who should the preacher be but my dear and venerable grandfather! He saw me as I came in at the front door, and made my way up the aisle, and at once he said, “Here comes my grandson! He may preach the gospel better than I can, but he cannot preach a better gospel; can you, Charles?”

As I pressed through the throng, I answered, “You can preach better than I can. Pray go on.” But he would not agree to that. I must take the sermon, and so I did, going on with the subject there and then, just where he left off.

The text for the sermon was Ephesians 2:8 – “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Spurgeon and his grandfather passed the text back and forth several times that morning. As Spurgeon preached, he could hear his grandfather commenting in the background.

Now and then he would say, in a gentle tone, “Good! Good!” Once he said, “Tell them that again, Charles,” and of course I did tell them that again. It was a happy exercise to me to take my share in bearing witness to truths of such vital importance, which are so deeply impressed upon my heart. Whenever I read this text, I seem to hear that dear voice, which has been so long lost to earth, saying to me, “TELL THEM THAT AGAIN.”

Be sure to read the whole story over at Unashamed Workman. (Source: Charles Haddon Spurgeon Autobiography: The Early Years 1834-1860, Volume 1; pp. 363-364)

HT: That Was Funny