And now, a Big Question...

rtm3039

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Staff member
Senior Moderator
Greetings all,

I was reading an article, “What does the Bible say about dinosaurs?” on the Bibleinfo website. The unknown author lists three of the most popular theories about the subject:

1. Dinosaurs are merely made up to support the theory of evolution.

2. Dinosaurs were animals that had become corrupted, weren't taken into the ark, and died in the flood.

3. Dinosaurs were created by God, possibly even taken onto the ark, but died thereafter.

The article cites some passages (Job 40:15-24; Job 41: 1-2, 7, 12, 32; Psalms 74:14, 104:25-26; Isaiah 27:1) as examples that might mention these creatures (“behemoth” and “leviathan”).

Anyone here want to clear things up for me?


Rtm3039
 
Dragons is the old word for dinosaur...it means terrible lizard.
And theres dragons in NT in revelation.

There was a serpent in the garden of eden...he was cursed to go on his belly and crawl...I imagine his original form was like a dragon.

When the bible says there were giants in the earth in the old days, it might have been referring not only to humans, but to animals like dragons. They did need to be destoryed, mainly cos they were eating us.

I'm not clear on everything, but 2 and 3 are the most likely scenarios.
 
Dragons is the old word for dinosaur...it means terrible lizard.
And theres dragons in NT in revelation.

There was a serpent in the garden of eden...he was cursed to go on his belly and crawl...I imagine his original form was like a dragon.

When the bible says there were giants in the earth in the old days, it might have been referring not only to humans, but to animals like dragons. They did need to be destoryed, mainly cos they were eating us.

I'm not clear on everything, but 2 and 3 are the most likely scenarios.
Hi Lanolin:

Yes, we were probably what was on the menu. I agree that it is probably 2 or 3. Many years ago, I was dating this young lady in SC. One weekend, we went to the Natural Science museum in Colombia. SC. While standing in front of a massive display of skeletal remains for one of these dinosaurs, she just looked at me and said: "You know, this was all made up by people who do not believe in God."

I guess there will always be some conflict between science and faith. I do not believe the Bible mentions North America, but I am pretty sure there is such a place.

The article ended well and, i part: "Ironically enough, by trusting the Bible, Christians have no need to "explain away" dinosaurs and do mental gymnastics to try and disprove their existence...."
 
Dragons is the old word for dinosaur...it means terrible lizard.
And theres dragons in NT in revelation.

There was a serpent in the garden of eden...he was cursed to go on his belly and crawl...I imagine his original form was like a dragon.

When the bible says there were giants in the earth in the old days, it might have been referring not only to humans, but to animals like dragons. They did need to be destoryed, mainly cos they were eating us.

I'm not clear on everything, but 2 and 3 are the most likely scenarios.

Lanolin,
The "Dragon in Revelation is NOT a real animal or a lizard or a dinosaur.

Revelation 12:9 and Revelation 20:2 tell us the dragon is that old serpent, the devil, and Satan. The dragon is not a nation in Revelation but rather the dragon is Satan.

One of the keys to a detailed understanding of Revelation is a comprehension of the symbolism employed. Whilst the differing schools of interpretation would argue as to the extent of symbolic language within the book there can be little doubt that portions of Revelation are symbolic.


Their is nothing in the Scripture to suggest that the serpent was a "Dragon".
Gen. 3:14 gives the answer...………..
"The LORD God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this, cursed are you above all LIVESTOCK
and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat all the days of your life."

Apparently he was a part of the CATTLE of the land.

This subject is one that if we allow our mind to wander, we will come up with all kinds of thought when in actuality, there no mention of dinosaurs in the Bible, especially the creation account?

There are two words that people hang their hats on.
1. Leviathon.

Many Bible scholars and expositors suggest that the term here applies to some type of whale. Though whales are rare in the Mediterranean, they are not unknown there, and parts of two whale skeletons can be found in a museum at Beirut in Lebanon. An American Translation here says “crocodile” instead of Leviathan. Some have suggested something like a hippopotomus. But NOT a dinosaur.

2. Behemoth

Some have supposed this to be an Egyptian word meaning a "water-ox." The Revised Version has here in the margin "hippopotamus," which is probably the correct rendering of the word. The word occurs frequently in Scripture, but, except here, always as a common name, and translated "beast" or "cattle." But not Dinasauer.
 
Lanolin,
The "Dragon in Revelation is NOT a real animal or a lizard or a dinosaur.

Revelation 12:9 and Revelation 20:2 tell us the dragon is that old serpent, the devil, and Satan. The dragon is not a nation in Revelation but rather the dragon is Satan.

One of the keys to a detailed understanding of Revelation is a comprehension of the symbolism employed. Whilst the differing schools of interpretation would argue as to the extent of symbolic language within the book there can be little doubt that portions of Revelation are symbolic.


Their is nothing in the Scripture to suggest that the serpent was a "Dragon".
Gen. 3:14 gives the answer...………..
"The LORD God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this, cursed are you above all LIVESTOCK
and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat all the days of your life."

Apparently he was a part of the CATTLE of the land.

This subject is one that if we allow our mind to wander, we will come up with all kinds of thought when in actuality, there no mention of dinosaurs in the Bible, especially the creation account?

There are two words that people hang their hats on.
1. Leviathon.

Many Bible scholars and expositors suggest that the term here applies to some type of whale. Though whales are rare in the Mediterranean, they are not unknown there, and parts of two whale skeletons can be found in a museum at Beirut in Lebanon. An American Translation here says “crocodile” instead of Leviathan. Some have suggested something like a hippopotomus. But NOT a dinosaur.

2. Behemoth

Some have supposed this to be an Egyptian word meaning a "water-ox." The Revised Version has here in the margin "hippopotamus," which is probably the correct rendering of the word. The word occurs frequently in Scripture, but, except here, always as a common name, and translated "beast" or "cattle." But not Dinasauer.

Hi Major,,

I was hoping you would join this discussion. While I have only been here a couple of months, I am really impressed with your Biblical knowledge. I would be interested to know your opinion. In my opinion, there is little room to not accept that these creatures did once roam the planet. So, why is it that they are not mentioned in the Bible?

rtm3039
 
Lanolin,
The "Dragon in Revelation is NOT a real animal or a lizard or a dinosaur.

Revelation 12:9 and Revelation 20:2 tell us the dragon is that old serpent, the devil, and Satan. The dragon is not a nation in Revelation but rather the dragon is Satan.

One of the keys to a detailed understanding of Revelation is a comprehension of the symbolism employed. Whilst the differing schools of interpretation would argue as to the extent of symbolic language within the book there can be little doubt that portions of Revelation are symbolic.


Their is nothing in the Scripture to suggest that the serpent was a "Dragon".
Gen. 3:14 gives the answer...………..
"The LORD God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this, cursed are you above all LIVESTOCK
and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat all the days of your life."

Apparently he was a part of the CATTLE of the land.

This subject is one that if we allow our mind to wander, we will come up with all kinds of thought when in actuality, there no mention of dinosaurs in the Bible, especially the creation account?

There are two words that people hang their hats on.
1. Leviathon.

Many Bible scholars and expositors suggest that the term here applies to some type of whale. Though whales are rare in the Mediterranean, they are not unknown there, and parts of two whale skeletons can be found in a museum at Beirut in Lebanon. An American Translation here says “crocodile” instead of Leviathan. Some have suggested something like a hippopotomus. But NOT a dinosaur.

2. Behemoth

Some have supposed this to be an Egyptian word meaning a "water-ox." The Revised Version has here in the margin "hippopotamus," which is probably the correct rendering of the word. The word occurs frequently in Scripture, but, except here, always as a common name, and translated "beast" or "cattle." But not Dinasauer.
Because the word for dinosaur is dragon. Dinosaur is a new term, but we all know that dragons are just the same as dinosaurs. Well I know, I dont know if you know. Maybe in your culture you didnt have to deal with dragons, but mine has an entire recorded history of it .
 
Hi Lanolin:

Yes, we were probably what was on the menu. I agree that it is probably 2 or 3. Many years ago, I was dating this young lady in SC. One weekend, we went to the Natural Science museum in Colombia. SC. While standing in front of a massive display of skeletal remains for one of these dinosaurs, she just looked at me and said: "You know, this was all made up by people who do not believe in God."

I guess there will always be some conflict between science and faith. I do not believe the Bible mentions North America, but I am pretty sure there is such a place.

The article ended well and, i part: "Ironically enough, by trusting the Bible, Christians have no need to "explain away" dinosaurs and do mental gymnastics to try and disprove their existence...."

First of all.....read post #4.

There is actually NO record in the Bible of Danseurs, or dragons. There is NO record of such a being in the creation account.
There is NO record of such a being having been taken onto the Ark. I know that we want to believe that there is such a record but alas there is not.

However, Fossils of extinct dinosaurs have been discovered all over the world. The question is not, "did they live", but when did they live and what happened to them?

I will encourage you to do some in deepth study to determine if you fall into the Young Earth theology or the Old Earth theology. That is whaere you will find the answer to your question.

Bible Scripture geneologies tell us that the Earth is somewhere between 6 and 10 thousand years old. That is because all of the genealogies in Genesis and Numbers are not totally complete and there are many gaps.

Science says the earth is about 15 Billion years old. They arrive at that figure by carbon dating and so on.

There are those who teach Creation in 6 days.
There are some who teach evolution.
There are some who teach what is called "Gap" theology to explain the difference between the ages.

YOU do the study and let me know what you think God is saying to you.
Because the word for dinosaur is dragon. Dinosaur is a new term, but we all know that dragons are just the same as dinosaurs. Well I know, I dont know if you know. Maybe in your culture you didnt have to deal with dragons, but mine has an entire recorded history of it .

I realize what you are saying but what you are saying actually comes under the heading of "Myths" and is NOT Biblical.

The word dinasauer actually means...…"Terrible Lizard".

Because Dragons were used as a symbol for the terror that ancient peoples felt when seeing a comet in the sky or giant bolt of lightning streaking across the sky. These cosmic events were seen worldwide which would explain why different cultures depict “dragons” in different forms.

It is kind of like "Big Foot" today. We all think they exist. We have seen TV shows and pictures and heard people tell us that they have seen one. But the fact is that there has NEVER been one caught, actually recorded or even a skeleton of one that has died. That would of course men that they either eat the dead one, bury him so deep he can not be discovered or they NEVR die at all. MYTHS always come from the imaginations of men's minds.

'The conjecture that many mythical snakes or dragons signify bright plasma filaments observed at times in the earth’s atmosphere successfully accounts for a large number of traditions and myths. I would also say that in every culture there are "Myths" of one kind or another.

Please do not think that I am not correcting you in any way, but your original comment was that there were these creatures in the Garden of Eden and were in the Bible that were dragons. . ALL I did was to show you that that was not the actual case.

You certainly do not have to agree with me.
 
Hi Major,,

I was hoping you would join this discussion. While I have only been here a couple of months, I am really impressed with your Biblical knowledge. I would be interested to know your opinion. In my opinion, there is little room to not accept that these creatures did once roam the planet. So, why is it that they are not mentioned in the Bible?

rtm3039

Well thank you for those kind words. May I say to you that my knowledge is rather limited but I am an OLD man so age gives me an edge.;)

To answer your question as to WHY they are not in the Bible is easy...…...I DO NOT KNOW!

I would say first of all that we can not hang our hats of the fact that because something is not found in the Bible means it did not exist. The actual Bible facts are that there are many animals the Bible never specifically mentions, including cats, kangaroos, elephants, aardvarks, anteaters, platypuses, and penguins. We know that they existed and still do today because we can see them.

I am not an expert, please remember that. Having said that, consider that although dinosaurs are not specifically mentioned in the Bible, the fossil deposits they produced are described as being used by early humans in the opening chapters of Genesis.

Genesis 6:14...………….
"Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch."

The definition from the Universal Dictionary of the English Language of 1899 is as follows: Chem.: A term applied to a variety of resinous substances of a dark colour and brilliant lustre, obtained from the various kinds of tar produced in the destructive distillation of wood, coal, &c.

"Pitch" can come from trees which would be acceptable. "Pitch" can also come from coal and that is TAR. If it is TAR, then tar actually comes from decayed animal bones and is a petroleum product. I tell you that because some might say that dinosaurs were important in providing fossil fuels which products were important even in biblical events as I just posted for you.

Genesis 11:3...…..
"And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly." And they used brick for stone, and they used TAR for mortar."

My personal thoughts on this is that the fact that dinosaurs are as unimportant to us as they were to the Hebrews to whom the creation account was given. The purpose of the creation account is to provide an explanation of how God provided for mankind and created him as the one spiritual animal on earth. The account is purposely brief and centered upon mankind because HE is the only creature God created on earth to enter into a personal relationship with Him.

So then...……..
Did dinosaurs and humans coexist?

No. Not in my opinion.

Isn't there proof of dinosaur along side human footprints?

NO.
The actual facts are that there has been ONE instance where some foot prints show three separate areas, suggestive that they come from a three-toed dinosaur. There is absolutely NO Biblical evidence of three-toed people, so the guess is that the "human" prints are really just the prints of smaller dinosaurs.

In fact, ICR president John Morris admitted in 1986 that the Paluxy footprints are probably not human but are eroded dinosaur footprints (ICR Impact #151).

What about cave drawings showing dinosaurs?

NO.
There are NO caveman drawings that suggest they saw dinosaurs.

Did Noah take dinosaurs on the ark?

No.


An excelllant website where much can be learned and thought about is
http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/dinosaurs.html
 
Well thank you for those kind words. May I say to you that my knowledge is rather limited but I am an OLD man so age gives me an edge.;)

To answer your question as to WHY they are not in the Bible is easy...…...I DO NOT KNOW!

I would say first of all that we can not hang our hats of the fact that because something is not found in the Bible means it did not exist. The actual Bible facts are that there are many animals the Bible never specifically mentions, including cats, kangaroos, elephants, aardvarks, anteaters, platypuses, and penguins. We know that they existed and still do today because we can see them.

I am not an expert, please remember that. Having said that, consider that although dinosaurs are not specifically mentioned in the Bible, the fossil deposits they produced are described as being used by early humans in the opening chapters of Genesis.

Genesis 6:14...………….
"Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch."

The definition from the Universal Dictionary of the English Language of 1899 is as follows: Chem.: A term applied to a variety of resinous substances of a dark colour and brilliant lustre, obtained from the various kinds of tar produced in the destructive distillation of wood, coal, &c.

"Pitch" can come from trees which would be acceptable. "Pitch" can also come from coal and that is TAR. If it is TAR, then tar actually comes from decayed animal bones and is a petroleum product. I tell you that because some might say that dinosaurs were important in providing fossil fuels which products were important even in biblical events as I just posted for you.

Genesis 11:3...…..
"And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly." And they used brick for stone, and they used TAR for mortar."

My personal thoughts on this is that the fact that dinosaurs are as unimportant to us as they were to the Hebrews to whom the creation account was given. The purpose of the creation account is to provide an explanation of how God provided for mankind and created him as the one spiritual animal on earth. The account is purposely brief and centered upon mankind because HE is the only creature God created on earth to enter into a personal relationship with Him.

So then...……..
Did dinosaurs and humans coexist?

No. Not in my opinion.

Isn't there proof of dinosaur along side human footprints?

NO.
The actual facts are that there has been ONE instance where some foot prints show three separate areas, suggestive that they come from a three-toed dinosaur. There is absolutely NO Biblical evidence of three-toed people, so the guess is that the "human" prints are really just the prints of smaller dinosaurs.

In fact, ICR president John Morris admitted in 1986 that the Paluxy footprints are probably not human but are eroded dinosaur footprints (ICR Impact #151).

What about cave drawings showing dinosaurs?

NO.
There are NO caveman drawings that suggest they saw dinosaurs.

Did Noah take dinosaurs on the ark?

No.


An excelllant website where much can be learned and thought about is
http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/dinosaurs.html
Major, you may be old, but apparently wise.

From what I understand, It is believed that Moses was the author of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and most of Deuteronomy, I can find nothing to indicate where Moses got the details for Genesis. May I assume that he got the details from God?

The God and science site is pretty good. Must take time to read it.

I can see the logic behind the question: "Who really cares?" The story of Genesis is centered around the creation of Adam and Eve and not meant to provide an indexed categorical list of all created animals.

I found the following article of interest. It questions the reliability of current positions about how old the earth/universe is. It talks about the theory of a "young earth." Looks like the scientific community takes it's own leap of faith.

https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/7-how-old-is-the-earth

rtm3039
 
Major, you may be old, but apparently wise.

From what I understand, It is believed that Moses was the author of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and most of Deuteronomy, I can find nothing to indicate where Moses got the details for Genesis. May I assume that he got the details from God?

The God and science site is pretty good. Must take time to read it.

I can see the logic behind the question: "Who really cares?" The story of Genesis is centered around the creation of Adam and Eve and not meant to provide an indexed categorical list of all created animals.

I found the following article of interest. It questions the reliability of current positions about how old the earth/universe is. It talks about the theory of a "young earth." Looks like the scientific community takes it's own leap of faith.

https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/7-how-old-is-the-earth

rtm3039

Well, it seems to me that there are only THREE answers.

1. Moses got the information directly from God. He was in the wilderness for 40 years so time would not be a factor.
Careful analysis reveals the Pentateuch nowhere hints that the historical narratives were given to Moses in this manner. For instance, Genesis never says anything like, "The word of the Lord came to Moses, saying, 'This is the history of Abraham.'"

2. Then there is the "JEDP Theory".
Materials came from Babylonian and Canaanite myth legends and from Israel's own "legends" and "oral tradition." From this viewpoint, little of it had been previously written as holy scripture, perhaps none.
That is that the Genesis story was a pious fraud used by the rulers of Israel as a religious explination so as to keep the people together in the
name of Moses. It is actually nothing but colleges, universities and even many seminaries now teach it as if it had some basis in fact, which it
does not. It is a situation parallel to evolutionary theory which is believed by "every capable scholar" but cannot be proven with any scientific
evidence.

3. Moses may have received the material for Genesis. It might have come from Abraham, Jacob, Noah, and even Adam, as well as other men of God writing under the Spirit's inspiration. In other words, those who experienced the events wrote as eyewitnesses. How could the world receive more reliable documents, especially when II Peter 1:21 is taken into account? This could explain why Jesus and the apostles considered Genesis part of "Moses' Law." He compiled the writings of other men of God, but was not the original author.


That Moses possibly used such sources may seem surprising at first. People often assume the Bible is the product of divine dictation, but it is more accurate to view Bible composition as having involved both supernatural and natural means, with the result that the original Bible manuscripts were fully reliable and stemmed simultaneously from divine inspiration as well as regular human approaches to writing.

Again, I have no idea but When we consider Luke 1:1-4 we can see that Luke himself says that he did a lot of research before he wrote his Gospel which seems to support the idea of Moses compiling information.
 
Well, it seems to me that there are only THREE answers.

1. Moses got the information directly from God. He was in the wilderness for 40 years so time would not be a factor.
Careful analysis reveals the Pentateuch nowhere hints that the historical narratives were given to Moses in this manner. For instance, Genesis never says anything like, "The word of the Lord came to Moses, saying, 'This is the history of Abraham.'"

2. Then there is the "JEDP Theory".
Materials came from Babylonian and Canaanite myth legends and from Israel's own "legends" and "oral tradition." From this viewpoint, little of it had been previously written as holy scripture, perhaps none.
That is that the Genesis story was a pious fraud used by the rulers of Israel as a religious explination so as to keep the people together in the
name of Moses. It is actually nothing but colleges, universities and even many seminaries now teach it as if it had some basis in fact, which it
does not. It is a situation parallel to evolutionary theory which is believed by "every capable scholar" but cannot be proven with any scientific
evidence.

3. Moses may have received the material for Genesis. It might have come from Abraham, Jacob, Noah, and even Adam, as well as other men of God writing under the Spirit's inspiration. In other words, those who experienced the events wrote as eyewitnesses. How could the world receive more reliable documents, especially when II Peter 1:21 is taken into account? This could explain why Jesus and the apostles considered Genesis part of "Moses' Law." He compiled the writings of other men of God, but was not the original author.


That Moses possibly used such sources may seem surprising at first. People often assume the Bible is the product of divine dictation, but it is more accurate to view Bible composition as having involved both supernatural and natural means, with the result that the original Bible manuscripts were fully reliable and stemmed simultaneously from divine inspiration as well as regular human approaches to writing.

Again, I have no idea but When we consider Luke 1:1-4 we can see that Luke himself says that he did a lot of research before he wrote his Gospel which seems to support the idea of Moses compiling information.

Major, thank you for a very insightful analysis of my question.

The last three months of my life have been, thus far, the most interesting of my life’s journey. Since I am currently unemployed, I get to spend a great deal of time at home and contemplating every aspect of my life. I have had really bad days and really good days. Throughout this time, I have learned so much about my own weaknesses, fears, and moments where I have failed God and myself. As I grow closer to God, I am amazed just how powerful faith really is.

I’ve asked God to guide me and he has done so, both from within me and through the words and acts of others. While the search for my next “career” has been difficult and stressful, God continues to put opportunities before me. There are moments when I struggle to keep hope alive and moments where the hope is so strong it is almost overwhelming.

As I continue to grow, I am often brought to the following:

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Rev 3:20 (NIV)

From where I stand, I believe God knocks on the door. If no one answers, He knocks even harder and, at some point, hard enough to almost knock the door off its hinges.

In my case, He knocked on my door for almost 40 years. Finally, the knocking was so hard I finally heard it and opened the door.

I am still no where close to being the man He wants me to be, but my eyes are open and I see everything through a new window. I see how fortunate I am to have such a supporting and loving wife. I have friends who care and are equally as supporting. I see so many opportunities that God is putting before me that I can tell He is listening. The wife and I are currently "empty nesters;" however, this is about to change. Our youngest son, his wife, and their two kids are moving back in with us. The old me would have just rolled his eyes; however, the new me is exited to have family back in the house and the gist we will receive my helping take care of two of our grand-kids. With five grown kids, out home was always the center of chaos. TO be honest with you, that is what made our house a home and this "tranquility" of being empty nesters is really overrated. God has again blessed us my giving me another opportunity to have my granddaughter come up to be and say "grump grump, I want to color." (All the grand-kids call me "grump grump)

At almost every opportunity, God appears to be providing me with moments that truly bring home the fact that I am blessed. As I interviewed for one position, a couple of weeks ago, I was headed to the interview location. As I walked out of my car, a man drove up to me to ask for help locating an address. Without being asked, he shared with me the fact that he had not worked for several days and was trying to interview for a painter position. I helped as best I could (since I was not familiar with the area) and, as he drove off, simply said “God bless you.” Yesterday, as I was headed for yet another opportunity, I young lady came up to me asking for a lighter. I did not have one, but it was clear she is homeless and not right emotionally. She was a young and attractive woman, dressed in a very dirty dress and had a cast on her left arm. As I think back on that moment, I see where I should have said something to her, but what can you say? Miami is full of people like this and, due to their mental state, there really is not much one can do. I should have at least asked her name and told her that God loves her. I did not, so I failed that one. Now, I have prayed for her, but I feel I should have done more.

Anyway, sorry I started to ramble. I guess my message was more to myself, but I wanted to share it.

I do not know what God has planned for me, but I know that he has my best interest and that there is little I can do aside from placing my trust in his hands and continue to grow into what I should have been all along.

God bless my friend,

rtm3039
 
Major, thank you for a very insightful analysis of my question.

The last three months of my life have been, thus far, the most interesting of my life’s journey. Since I am currently unemployed, I get to spend a great deal of time at home and contemplating every aspect of my life. I have had really bad days and really good days. Throughout this time, I have learned so much about my own weaknesses, fears, and moments where I have failed God and myself. As I grow closer to God, I am amazed just how powerful faith really is.

I’ve asked God to guide me and he has done so, both from within me and through the words and acts of others. While the search for my next “career” has been difficult and stressful, God continues to put opportunities before me. There are moments when I struggle to keep hope alive and moments where the hope is so strong it is almost overwhelming.

As I continue to grow, I am often brought to the following:

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Rev 3:20 (NIV)

From where I stand, I believe God knocks on the door. If no one answers, He knocks even harder and, at some point, hard enough to almost knock the door off its hinges.

In my case, He knocked on my door for almost 40 years. Finally, the knocking was so hard I finally heard it and opened the door.

I am still no where close to being the man He wants me to be, but my eyes are open and I see everything through a new window. I see how fortunate I am to have such a supporting and loving wife. I have friends who care and are equally as supporting. I see so many opportunities that God is putting before me that I can tell He is listening. The wife and I are currently "empty nesters;" however, this is about to change. Our youngest son, his wife, and their two kids are moving back in with us. The old me would have just rolled his eyes; however, the new me is exited to have family back in the house and the gist we will receive my helping take care of two of our grand-kids. With five grown kids, out home was always the center of chaos. TO be honest with you, that is what made our house a home and this "tranquility" of being empty nesters is really overrated. God has again blessed us my giving me another opportunity to have my granddaughter come up to be and say "grump grump, I want to color." (All the grand-kids call me "grump grump)

At almost every opportunity, God appears to be providing me with moments that truly bring home the fact that I am blessed. As I interviewed for one position, a couple of weeks ago, I was headed to the interview location. As I walked out of my car, a man drove up to me to ask for help locating an address. Without being asked, he shared with me the fact that he had not worked for several days and was trying to interview for a painter position. I helped as best I could (since I was not familiar with the area) and, as he drove off, simply said “God bless you.” Yesterday, as I was headed for yet another opportunity, I young lady came up to me asking for a lighter. I did not have one, but it was clear she is homeless and not right emotionally. She was a young and attractive woman, dressed in a very dirty dress and had a cast on her left arm. As I think back on that moment, I see where I should have said something to her, but what can you say? Miami is full of people like this and, due to their mental state, there really is not much one can do. I should have at least asked her name and told her that God loves her. I did not, so I failed that one. Now, I have prayed for her, but I feel I should have done more.

Anyway, sorry I started to ramble. I guess my message was more to myself, but I wanted to share it.

I do not know what God has planned for me, but I know that he has my best interest and that there is little I can do aside from placing my trust in his hands and continue to grow into what I should have been all along.

God bless my friend,

rtm3039

That is a wonderful testimony. It sounds to me like God stopped knocking and simply broke down the door to your heart.

Sometimes, God has to lay us flat of our back so that we only have one way to look...…..UP!

It sound to me as if you are on the right path now and I hope and pray for you to grow in knowledge and of course faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

I would also encourage you to look and visit some local churches around you and find one which preaches and teaches the Word of God without apology or excuses. Look for a Pastor who is telling you exactly what the Bible says and is not telling the congregation what they want to hear.

2 Timothy 4:1-4...……..
"I charge thee therefore before God, and the LORD Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, "and shall be turned unto fables
 
That is a wonderful testimony. It sounds to me like God stopped knocking and simply broke down the door to your heart.

Sometimes, God has to lay us flat of our back so that we only have one way to look...…..UP!

It sound to me as if you are on the right path now and I hope and pray for you to grow in knowledge and of course faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

I would also encourage you to look and visit some local churches around you and find one which preaches and teaches the Word of God without apology or excuses. Look for a Pastor who is telling you exactly what the Bible says and is not telling the congregation what they want to hear.

2 Timothy 4:1-4...……..
"I charge thee therefore before God, and the LORD Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, "and shall be turned unto fables

Actually Major, I am already there. Last month, I started attending Christ Fellowship (cfmiami.org), under the vision and leadership of Pastor Rick Blackwood. The first time I attended, he was half way through a multi-week sermon he calls “When All Hell Breaks Loose.” It is a large non-denominational church in south Florida. Many of our friends attend and they have a great reputation for helping the local community and schools. Rick has been the pastor for 20 years and brought the church out from near failure. The sermon started off with:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Rom 8:28 (NIV)). He is both a cancer survivor and a heart attack survivor.

Having attended this church for a couple of months, I feel at home. Next week, I attend some special training, as I will be serving on the churches’ security team. This is a volunteer force of over 200, most of which (to include myself) are current or former law enforcement and first responders. There will come a time when my present situation will fade. It is my hope to volunteer in even more support activities.

This is where I plan on being baptized. To date, it’s like the subject of every sermon has spoken to me on a personal and spiritual level. I look forward to attending, the next service, almost as soon as the week’s services end. They also have an on-line service, which allows me to go back and listed to what I heard in person.

rtm3039
 
Actually Major, I am already there. Last month, I started attending Christ Fellowship (cfmiami.org), under the vision and leadership of Pastor Rick Blackwood. The first time I attended, he was half way through a multi-week sermon he calls “When All Hell Breaks Loose.” It is a large non-denominational church in south Florida. Many of our friends attend and they have a great reputation for helping the local community and schools. Rick has been the pastor for 20 years and brought the church out from near failure. The sermon started off with:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Rom 8:28 (NIV)). He is both a cancer survivor and a heart attack survivor.

Having attended this church for a couple of months, I feel at home. Next week, I attend some special training, as I will be serving on the churches’ security team. This is a volunteer force of over 200, most of which (to include myself) are current or former law enforcement and first responders. There will come a time when my present situation will fade. It is my hope to volunteer in even more support activities.

This is where I plan on being baptized. To date, it’s like the subject of every sermon has spoken to me on a personal and spiritual level. I look forward to attending, the next service, almost as soon as the week’s services end. They also have an on-line service, which allows me to go back and listed to what I heard in person.

rtm3039

WONDERFUL. That is a blessing to know!

I am just a couple of hundred miles north of you in Deland.
 
What, no mention of dragons? Are your reading your bible correctly? Again , what version, they are mentionsed 35 times in the OT and lots of times in revelation.

Oh well. If you dont believe me you wont, but its all there in the KJV. No amount of CAPS and insisitence that there isnt changes scripture.

As you said its only your opinion that there werent any.
 
Well thank you for those kind words. May I say to you that my knowledge is rather limited but I am an OLD man so age gives me an edge.;)

To answer your question as to WHY they are not in the Bible is easy...…...I DO NOT KNOW!

I would say first of all that we can not hang our hats of the fact that because something is not found in the Bible means it did not exist. The actual Bible facts are that there are many animals the Bible never specifically mentions, including cats, kangaroos, elephants, aardvarks, anteaters, platypuses, and penguins. We know that they existed and still do today because we can see them.

I am not an expert, please remember that. Having said that, consider that although dinosaurs are not specifically mentioned in the Bible, the fossil deposits they produced are described as being used by early humans in the opening chapters of Genesis.

Genesis 6:14...………….
"Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch."

The definition from the Universal Dictionary of the English Language of 1899 is as follows: Chem.: A term applied to a variety of resinous substances of a dark colour and brilliant lustre, obtained from the various kinds of tar produced in the destructive distillation of wood, coal, &c.

"Pitch" can come from trees which would be acceptable. "Pitch" can also come from coal and that is TAR. If it is TAR, then tar actually comes from decayed animal bones and is a petroleum product. I tell you that because some might say that dinosaurs were important in providing fossil fuels which products were important even in biblical events as I just posted for you.

Genesis 11:3...…..
"And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly." And they used brick for stone, and they used TAR for mortar."

My personal thoughts on this is that the fact that dinosaurs are as unimportant to us as they were to the Hebrews to whom the creation account was given. The purpose of the creation account is to provide an explanation of how God provided for mankind and created him as the one spiritual animal on earth. The account is purposely brief and centered upon mankind because HE is the only creature God created on earth to enter into a personal relationship with Him.

So then...……..
Did dinosaurs and humans coexist?

No. Not in my opinion.

Isn't there proof of dinosaur along side human footprints?

NO.
The actual facts are that there has been ONE instance where some foot prints show three separate areas, suggestive that they come from a three-toed dinosaur. There is absolutely NO Biblical evidence of three-toed people, so the guess is that the "human" prints are really just the prints of smaller dinosaurs.

In fact, ICR president John Morris admitted in 1986 that the Paluxy footprints are probably not human but are eroded dinosaur footprints (ICR Impact #151).

What about cave drawings showing dinosaurs?

NO.
There are NO caveman drawings that suggest they saw dinosaurs.

Did Noah take dinosaurs on the ark?

No.


An excelllant website where much can be learned and thought about is
http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/dinosaurs.html
Am referring to this post, in case you dont know who am talking to..Major.
 
Am referring to this post, in case you dont know who am talking to..Major.

God bless you Lanolin...…..but as you seem to refuse to use the "REPLY" option on a regular basis, I never know who you are referring to.

Lets do this sister, why don't YOU post the Scriptures where there is mentioned "Fire Breathing Dragon" and I will do my best to re-read those Scriptures and debate them with you. At the point you are saying......"Yes there were fire breathing Dragons" and I am saying NO, there were not such animals.

Instead of our opinions, If you will post the Scriptures you have read and studied that say there were fire breathing dragons then we can be on the same page.
 
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God bless you Lanolin...…..but as you seem to refuse to use the "REPLY" option on a regular basis, I never know who you are referring to.

Lets do this sister, why don't YOU post the Scriptures where there is mentioned "Fire Breathing Dragon" and I will do my best to re-read those Scriptures and debate them with you. At the point you are saying......"Yes there were fire breathing Dragons" and I am saying NO, there were not such animals.

Instead of our opinions, If you will post the Scriptures you have read and studied that say there were fire breathing dragons then we can be on the same page.
How about:

Its breath sets coals ablaze, and flames dart from its mouth (Job 41:21)

Smoke rose from his nostrils, consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals ablaze out of it (Psalm 18:8)

rtm3039
 
How about:

Its breath sets coals ablaze, and flames dart from its mouth (Job 41:21)

Smoke rose from his nostrils, consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals ablaze out of it (Psalm 18:8)

rtm3039

IF we have a pre-conceived notion about something then we will use Scripture to enforce that thought.

I am one who believes that Job used "poetic language" to describe something that he could not explain.

We see that same kind of language in the Revelation and some call that …….."Proleptic" or better said, Picture Language.

If there were fire breathing dragons I am sure that God would have let us in on it somewhere in the Bible.

For mw, and oonly me, Job 40 & 41 is a real stretch.
 
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