THE TRINITY: How can 1+1+1=1?

Posted on August 13, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

The word “Trinity” is not mentioned in the Bible.  It is also true that the word “Bible” is not mentioned in the Bible.  The word “Rapture” is not mentioned in the Bible.  “Trinity” simply means “triunity.”  God is not a simply unity; there is plurality in his unity.  The Trinity is one of the great mysteries of the Christian Faith.  The Trinity goes beyond reason but not against reason.

Before the creation of man, God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness..” (Genesis 1:26)  The plural pronouns “us” and “our” must refer to the two other members of the Trinity (God the Son and God the Holy Spirit).

The Father Is God.  Jesus taught his disciples to pray, “Our Father which art in heaven.”  (Matt. 6:9)

The Son Is God. Jesus prayed, “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”  (John 17:5)

The Holy Spirit Is God.  “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”  (Matt. 28:18-19)

The record of the baptism of Jesus gives a picture of the Trinity.  “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”  (Matt. 3:16-17)

The concept of the Trinity is illustrated and accepted in different ways:

A Geometric Illustration:  A triangle has three corners, which are inseparable from, and simultaneous to, one another.

A Mathematical Illustration: Critics make a point of saying 1+1+1=3.  This is true when you add three components together.  The Trinity (Godhead) is eternal.  One did not add another.  They compliment or magnify each other.  It is true that 1x1x1=1.

A Moral Illustration:  The Bible informs us that “God is love.”  (I John 4:16)  Love involves a lover, a beloved, and a spirit of love between lover and loved.  Love can not exist unless these three are united as one.

A Time Illustration:  In time you have past, present and future.  All are different, but all are part of time.

A Space Illustration:  In space there is depth, height and width.  All are different, but all are part of space.

The Mind Illustration:  The human mind has ideas and words to express these ideas.  There is a unity among all three of these without there being an identity.

A Biological Illustration:  A chicken egg has a shell, yoke and white.  These three components are different but they united make up the egg.

Let’s praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost!

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Audio Minute Message: The High Chair

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

Our daily spiritual vitamin:

Podcast: The High Chair

Dr. Mike Harmon

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Why Don’t We See Miracles Today?

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

 

(Post Author: Bill Pratt)

Many people wonder why we don’t see miracles such as the parting of the sea, the raising of the dead, and people walking on water.  It seems like miracles were pretty common in the Old and New Testaments, but today nothing like that seems to happen.  Why?

First of all, I believe there are indeed miracles being performed by God today, as I have certainly heard many accounts from Christians that I know and trust.  Most of these accounts, however, are hard to verify as true supernatural events, and they are never captured on CNN for the whole world to see.  So even though miracles seem to be occurring today, they still aren’t typically the public displays of supernatural power displayed in the Bible.

I think one reason we don’t see these public miracles is that God is not confirming new revelation today.  You see, the Bible records some 250 miraculous events, but they are concentrated, according to Norman Geisler and Frank Turek, in three time periods: 1) the time of Moses, 2) the time of Elijah and Elisha, and 3) the time of Jesus and his apostles.

According to the Bible, God used miracles as signs to confirm his messengers (prophets)  to skeptical populations.  Read the Gospel of John to see how John records seven miraculous signs performed by Jesus to prove he was from God.  Likewise, consider Elijah on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18).  One of the ways God confirmed his messengers was through miracles.

There were hundreds of years recorded in the Bible with no miracles, so it is false to say that miracles occurred all throughout biblical times.  They did not.  They primarily occurred when God was confirming a new revelation from his prophets.  By the way, this is one reason why Jews and Christians rejected Muhammad as a prophet of God while he was alive.  He did not perform any miracles (Sura 3:181–184).

So, today we do not have new revelation coming from one of God’s prophets, because Jesus and his apostles were the final revelation from God.  Everything God wants us to know about himself, through his prophets, is recorded in the Holy Scriptures.  Since there is no need for new prophets to tell us new things about God, then the need for public displays of supernatural power is absent.

Can God do miracles today?  Of course.  But we should not expect the same kinds and numbers of miracles today as when Moses, Elijah, and Jesus lived.

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GRIN AND SHARE IT: Don’t Say Toilet!

Posted on August 11, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

This story is about a rather old fashioned lady, who was planning a couple of weeks’ vacation in Florida. She also was quite delicate and elegant with her language. She wrote a letter to a particular campground and asked for reservations. She wanted to make sure the campground was fully equipped but didn’t know quite how to ask about the “toilet” facilities. She just couldn’t bring herself to write the word “toilet” in her letter. After much deliberation, she finally came up with the old fashioned term “Bathroom Commode,” but when she wrote that down, she still thought she was being too forward so she rewrote the entire letter and referred to the “Bathroom Commode” simply as the B.C.” Does the campground have its own “B.C.?” is what she actually wrote.

The campground owner wasn’t old fashioned at all, and when he got the letter, he couldn’t figure out what the lady was talking about. The word “B.C.” really stumped him. After worrying about it for several days, he showed the letter to other campers, but they couldn’t figure out what the lady meant either. The campground owner finally came to the conclusion the lady must be asking about the location of the local Baptist Church. So he sat down and wrote the following reply:

Dear Madam:

I regret very much the delay in answering your letter, but I now take pleasure in informing you that the “B.C.” is located nine miles north of the campsite and is capable of seating 250 people at one time. I admit it is quite a distance away if you are in the habit of going regularly, but no doubt you will be pleased to know that a great number of people take their lunches along, and make a day of it. They usually arrive early and stay late. The last time my wife and I went was six years ago, and it was so crowded we had to stand up the whole time we were there.

It may interest you to know that right now, there is a supper planned to raise money to buy more seats. They plan to hold the supper in the middle of the B.C., so everyone can watch and talk about this great event. I would like to say it pains me very much, not to be able to go more regularly, but it is not for lack of desire on my part. As we grow older, it seems to be more and more of an effort, particularly in cold weather.

If you decide to come down to the campground, perhaps I could go with you the first time you go … sit with you … and introduce you to all the other folks. This is really a very friendly community.

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Plan For Job Creation In The United States of America by Mannon Harmon

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

With the current need for jobs in this country and the massive backlog of homes on the market I have come up with a simple plan that should work. Please take a few minutes to review this plan and please take the steps necessary to make it happen.

Economics 101 tells you that supply vs. demand will dictate the price for a product. So with the current supply of foreclosed homes on the market we know that the price of these homes will be lower than they would be if the demand was better. So the question is how to fix this. Here is my plan that I believe will work.

Take all GSE foreclosed homes off the market. This will slow down the decline in home prices instantly. If someone wants to buy a home they will buy from a person not a GSE and this will allow the seller the needed capital to go and by from someone else. This will start the ball rolling again. Current system is customer buys from GSE but this is a one and done deal. We need customer to buy from customer so they can buy from customer etc…

Stop all building permits for new homes until the local market does not have an over supply of homes for sale. (6 months worth). Now we do not want the builders to go without jobs so this is where the jobs plan comes into play.

Hire all the builders to go into all the GSE foreclosures that are sitting on the sidelines and have them retro fit these homes. Make these homes the most energy efficient homes in the world. Give them solar panels, windows, insulation, HAVC, hot water heaters etc.
This will keep the builders employed and will also generate jobs for the private sector as well. If the private sector knows that the US government is going to buy 1.5 million widgets then they will need to hire to be able to build and ship these items to all of these GSE homes.

Now as the supply of local homes reaches a normal level based off the new jobs created and fewer homes on the market slowly add these GSE homes back onto the market. You will now be able to get fair market value based on a stronger economy and this will help repay the cost that was spent to retro fit these homes in the first place.

By having these items built in America it will bring the price of these items down for everyone and will help with our goals to lower our need for oil..

WIN WIN for USA.

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GRIN AND SHARE IT: The Bath Tub Test

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

During a visit to a hospital for the mentally infirm, a visitor asked the Director what the criterion was that defined whether or not a patient should be institutionalized.

“Well,” said the Director, “we fill up a bathtub; then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub.”

“Oh, I understand,” said the visitor. “A normal person would use the bucket because it’s bigger than the spoon or the teacup.”

“No,” said the Director, “a normal person would pull the plug. Do you want a bed by the wall or near the window?”

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What Should We Think of Ourselves?

Posted on August 9, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

(Post Author: Bill Pratt)

The Christian view of man holds a tension.

On the one hand, we are to understand that God created man in his image, meaning he gave us rational minds, a will, moral values, and so forth.  Since we are unique among his creation in possessing his image, this surely guarantees our tremendous value, both as a species and as individuals.

On the other hand, we are nothing, less than nothing, without God in our lives.  Sin pervades our nature and darkens our souls.  Only when we reach out to God can we cure this horrible disease.  We must humble ourselves before him to escape our predicament.

How do we synthesize these two views of man?  We are to always remember our value in God’s eyes, but we are also to remember what we are like without him.

It’s no use beating ourselves up all the time and putting ourselves down.  That denies our value.  Maybe you’ve heard the following wise saying: “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.”

It’s no use thinking we are intrinsically good on our own.  That denies our need for God.  Those who think they don’t need God end up with a distorted view of their own abilities.

Both traps are waiting for us, so we mustn’t fall in either one.

Which trap do you think people are more prone to fall into?

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If You Don’t Like Abortion, Dont Have One

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

(Post Author: Bill Pratt)

Incredibly, this was the sage advice of a writer who showered us with his wisdom in the letters to the editor section in our local newspaper.  I rarely read the letters to the editor, because they almost never say anything of substance, but in a moment of weakness, I read them this past weekend and was treated with this gem.

What is the problem with this statement?  Well, for starters, it betrays a complete lack of understanding of the pro-life position.  Those who oppose abortion do not do so because of a personal preference.

We are not saying that we don’t prefer abortion.  We are saying that abortion is morally wrong, and that it is, in fact, the taking of an innocent human life.  A person’s personal preference about an act is completely different from his knowledge of whether the act is morally right or wrong.  One can prefer things that are morally wrong or one can prefer things that are morally right.  Pro-lifers don’t strictly care about what people prefer when it comes to abortion.  They are arguing about whether abortion is morally right or wrong.

If abortion is the taking of an innocent human life, and we routinely pass laws that protect innocent human life, it follows that there should be a law that prevents abortion.  Not because we don’t prefer abortion, but because it is morally reprehensible.

Would it make any sense for me to say, “If you don’t like murder, then don’t commit one!”?  Or what about, “If you don’t like rape, then don’t commit one!”?

If abortion is truly the taking of an innocent life, then telling people not to have one if they don’t like it is as asinine as telling someone not to murder if they don’t like murder.

We don’t tell people not to produce acts of evil if they don’t personally like a particular evil act.  We tell them not to commit acts of evil because evil is morally wrong, and we ought not do what is morally wrong

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How Should We Determine God’s Will for Our Lives?

Posted on August 7, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

(Post Author: Bill Pratt)

As Christians we all agree that we want to follow God’s will for our lives, but there are two general approaches to following God’s will that I’ve seen in evangelicalism.

The first approach operates under the premise that God has a specific will for each and every one of our actions and decisions, and that we are obligated to discover what that specific will is.

The second approach operates under the premise that God only specifically wills that we obey his commands as revealed in the Bible, and on issues where the Bible does not speak, we use wisdom.

A couple examples may illuminate.

Let’s say that you are a Christian man looking for a spouse.  You have come to know three wonderful and single Christian ladies and you are wondering which one you should pursue for marriage.

If you are a follower of the first approach, you believe that God has one, and only one, of these women chosen for you.  It is your duty to discover which one of these women he has chosen in order to stay in his perfect will for your life.  If you choose wrongly, you will be outside of his will for your life.

If you are a follower of the second approach, you feel free to pursue any of these three ladies for marriage.  You believe that God will be pleased with any of the three women, as long as you choose wisely.

A second example.  Let’s say that you are a looking for a new job.  You have job offers from three companies.  How should you decide?

If you are a follower of the first approach, you believe that God has one, and only one, of these jobs chosen for you.  It is your duty to discover which one of these three jobs he has chosen in order to stay in his perfect will for your life..  If you choose wrongly, you will be outside of his will for your life.

If you are a follower of the second approach, you feel free to pursue any of these three jobs, as long as there is nothing unbiblical about any of these companies (e.g., they produce pornography or something like that).  You believe that God will be pleased with any of the three jobs, as long as you choose wisely.

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What’s The Big Deal About Cursing?

Posted on August 6, 2011 by Dr. Mike Harmon

Every thing that God prohibits in the Bible reflects his nature and therefore has some good reason behind it.  But using bad language, or cursing, is one of those prohibitions that most of us completely ignore.  Almost everyone curses.

We swear when we’re angry.

We swear when we’re really happy.

We swear when we tell jokes.

We swear when we’re trying to really emphasize a point we want to make.

We swear when we want to hurt someone’s feelings.

We swear when we talk about someone we really don’t like.

The list goes on and on.  So what is the big deal?  Cursing seems like one of those sins that is nit picky.  After all, we humans decide which words are bad and which are good.  It’s just a conventional language thing.  Every language has curse words in it.  Even the biblical languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek) had curse words.

Some of the most vile curse words refer to “private parts,” sexual acts, eliminating bodily waste, and other ethnic groups.  Now, all of these things were given to us by God – bodies, sex, and different races – and God only gives good things.  Yet, in each case, we rename these things with curse words.

It turns out that naming, and indeed language itself, is one of the most powerful and beautiful gifts that God bequeathed mankind.  One of the first things God asked Adam to do was name the animals.  However, as with all gifts, language can be used for good or for evil.  Language can be used to teach, to heal, to point toward truth, to worship God, to express beauty, and to express love toward others.  God felt so strongly about using His name properly, that it made the top ten (Ex. 20:7).

It can be used for evil.  As with virtually every other good gift, humans took language and perverted it.  When you misuse language (that’s what cursing is, the misuse of language), you pervert a good gift from God.

Clearly, some cursing is worse than others.  Yelling out when you hit your thumb with a hammer is not in the same league as yelling a racial epithet at someone.  God always judges the heart of a man, so the more hurtful you intend your language to be, the the more harshly you will be judged, but why not avoid it altogether?

Think of the words that come out of your mouth (and the words in your thoughts) as a beautiful self-portrait hanging in the front entrance of your home (a la  Dorian Gray).  Every person that enters your home sees this portrait immediately.  Every time you curse, your face in the portrait deforms in a subtle way.  Over time, the deformities build up so that your portrait becomes horribly disfigured.  What started out as a wonderful painting becomes more like a portrait of a monster.  On the other hand, every time you use language to teach truth, express love, or heal, the portrait reverts back to the original stunning masterpiece.  That masterpiece is what God intended for you.

(This Post was written by: Bill Pratt)

 

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