How Old is the World?

How Old is the World?

If God created the world; as the Bible plainly states: How long did it take God to create the World? And how old is the world? Is it really billions of years old as the evolutionists insist? 

This question has been debated & theorized about for thousands of years.

Cosmologists insist that because of the vastness of space and the relative speed of light; that the universe must be billions of years old. 

In fact the great vastness of Space is due to the fact that God “stretched” out the heavens; and in so doing created the appearance of eons of light years.

Many theologians will suggest that the world is approximately 6-10,000 years old; and that God created it in just 6 days!

Still other commentators suggest that there was a Gap between the initial creation process and the finished product. 

Some even support the Big Bang theory and a type of Theistic Evolutionary oversight over a long period of time.

But all of these educated guesses miss the mark entirely. They do not take fully into account what the “Creator” himself has said about how long it took to make the world, and all the things that exist!

The simple answer is: It took God absolutely “NO TIME” whatsoever to make all that exists in our universe! Yes; you read that right, it took God No Time at all! None!

Psalms 33:6-10 indicates that by the mere power of the Word of God, and upon his audible pronouncements, it came suddenly and immediately into existence!

Hebrews 11:3 indicates that God did not even need pre-existing matter to produce his designs!

Oh, I know full well that Genesis One conveys the idea that God created the world in 6 days. But these 24 hour creation-modules that would later become designated as “Days” were pre-designed for mankind’s affinity for judging time.

Time did not exist until God finished his great 6-Phased construction project! 

In fact, God is beyond time and space; and in reality invented our concept of dimensional time! An in depth study in cosmology quickly reveals that all the stars, planets, galaxies and constellations were not only designed, but preprogrammed to follow a timed circuitry in space. 

God was not, and still is not confined to our dimension of time-progression, distance, nor even to our universe of matter and energy!

In fact, everything God brought into existence in his grand Construction Project was designed upon completion to be a perfect habitat and environment for mankind to Live in.

Isaiah 45:18 For this saith the Lord that created the heavens, (space) God himself that formed the Earth, and made it, he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited! (By man)

Only the Earth was so prepared! And God did all this outside of the realm of TIME!

Then just before God created Man, and planted him upon Earth, he formed the Sun, the Moon & the stars for Light, and also placed them perfectly for enabling the calculation of TIME by man.

Sir Issac Newton, the great scientist; once postulated; “the reason I know there is a Creator, is because “Motion” has been imputed into everything in the cosmos.” Everything moves with great precision and can be calculated in its circuits.

Thus, when God completed his 6-stage pronouncements of Space, Matter, Light, habitat for men and provided the Stars; he stepped back; inspected it all for accuracy and goodness; then He gave it all MOTION, MOTION! 

Motion begat Time! Then TIME began! Time has been ticking ever since; and Time will continue until God stops it!

How long did it take God to create the world? How old is the World? The only barometer mankind has for determining the answers to these questions is the Bible. 

And the Bible suggests that the age of the world can only be ascertained by the amount of time that man has been on it. And that’s just one reason why the “begats” of the preflood world are provided. 

The listing of begats throughout the book of Genesis suggests that there were about 1656 years from the time of Adam to the time of Noah’s great flood. 

From Noah to Abraham was about 300 years and from there to Jesus was about another 2000 years. We are now about 2000 years removed from Christ’s first coming; So, the world is not very old. 

These calculations serve to prove that God is not time distant from the world. He is very much attentive and involved in the affairs of mankind and the world that he created. 

How ironic it is that the Christian world actually measures world time according to the time of Jesus earthly lifetime  

How long did it take God to create the world? NO TIME AT ALL / HE’s GOD! He dwells in the non-dimensional realm known as ETERNITY!

How long will you be in the world? That’s the important question. A very short time! Perhaps; you should consider the hope of enjoying Eternity with God, when your time on earth expires.

Darrell G Young

Nobody Loves Me

Nobody Loves Me!

Nobody Loves Me! I have heard that sad, sad refrain from many, many people. 

And, it is indeed, a sad state of being for a person to feel like you are somebody nobody loves. 

What could possibly feel worse? Sadly, in our world there are far too many people that have never known the blessings of a loving family, or a loving relationship. 

But, it is an even sadder state still, of being someone who loves Nobody! For of a truth it is that Love tends to begat love! 

Still even sadder is the fact that many people don’t know the “love of God.” God is Love! 

Actually, Nobody can claim that nobody loves them! God loves everyone! He has demonstrated that love, by sending Jesus to die for one and all. 

So Let the love of God shine through you, to others, and you will find love multiplied. 

I John 4:11. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 

I John 4:7-8 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

Finally, many people who feel like Nobody Loves them often remark to me that they are too mean, too ugly, or have been too bad for anyone to love them. 

But the truth of Gods love is that he loved all of us while we were yet unlovely! 

Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

So then, Nobody can honestly claim that Nobody Loves Them!

How Can I Find Joy

How Can I Find Joy?

Focus on the Bible

by: Darrell G. Young

August 2020

Joy is something we all long for but that often seems difficult to grab hold of and enjoy for any length of time. Experiencing joy should be a part of every Christian’s life. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, produced by God’s work in us, and it is part of God’s will for us.

The Bible speaks profoundly about the “Joy of the Lord.” The joy of the Lord comes from the gladness of heart that comes from knowing God, abiding in Jesus, and being and being in tune with his Holy spirit. 

Because of its supernatural origin, the joy of the Lord, or our gladness of heart is present within us even through the trials of life. We know we are children of God, and no one can snatch us away from Him.

It is often said that “Faith is the victory that overcomes the world, and the Joy of the Lord is our strength.” So Joy is emblematic of our spiritual strength. 

Still, we all know that even the most mature of God’s people experience periods of joylessness. For instance, Job wished he had never been born (Job 3:11). Although he was strong in his Faith, his Joy in the Lord was severely flagging. 

You may remember singing the little children’s tune that went something like this: “I got the joy, joy, joy; down in my heart; down in my heart.  Down in my heart to stay!”

What a happy thought those words convey. To think about the Joy, Joy, Joy of the Lord deep in our hearts to stay! 

Possessing joy in the heart should be a part of every Christian’s life. Joy is both a gift of God as well as a response to the gifts of God. Joy comes when we are aware of God’s grace and relish His favor. Joy in the Bible is often presented as “true” contentment based on faith.

With this in mind, it’s evident that one way to experience joy is simply to focus on God. Rather than dwelling on our difficulties or those things robbing our contentment, we can dwell on God and find our joy reinvigorated. 

The joy of the Lord is the gladness of heart that comes from knowing God, abiding in Christ, and being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Because of its supernatural origin, the joy of the Lord, our gladness of heart, is present even through the many trials of life. We know we are children of God, and no one can snatch us away from Him (John 10:28–29).

Many Christians think once they’ve made that decision for Christ that everything will fall into place and life will be that proverbial bowl of cherries. And when trials and tough times come upon them or continue, they begin to question, “why?” Where’s the Joy? 

How can we find joy in the midst of all the hardships, and painful circumstances that come our way? In reality, adversity, instead of hindering our faith, can actually enhance our joy.

Regarding Joy, we first need to understand that the joy the world gives is not the same as the joy the Spirit gives. Worldly joy or happiness comes and goes as often as waves hitting the shore. It isn’t something you can cling to when you’ve lost a loved one or are facing bankruptcy. 

The Spirit’s joy or happiness, on the other hand, can stay with you for the long haul. For the believer, the fruit of the Spirit, including joy, is like a bottomless well of water, there’s always an abundant supply. Even in the darkest days, when sadness, grief, and loss may threaten to overwhelm you, God’s joy is there.

Second, we need to understand that God’s joy cannot be taken away. Oh, you might think that it has vanished, that the hands of misfortune have snatched it away from you, but it’s hasn’t. As believers, we are promised the constant presence of the Holy Spirit, and even our adversity will be turned into Joy! 

God has promised us His abiding joy. Just as our salvation is assured through Jesus’ one-time sacrifice for all. Jesus’ words in John 15:10-11 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

John 15:11. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Third, we need to stop wallowing, whining, and complaining and grab onto God’s joy. Just like salvation, joy is a free and perfect gift from Him, and we must reach out and accept that gift.

God reminds us that Joy comes in the morning. Dark nights and tough ordeals can last a long time, but they are never permanent for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Instead of hopelessness, we have His promise that He will make all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Only God can take the very bad and transform it into something very good.

As the Psalmist says, “Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). Speaking of Gods counsel, the psalmist reminds us that the sorrows we face in this life are temporary. As painful as a season may be, it is only a season.

Psalms 30:4-5 Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

5. For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

So, with Gods abiding help, You can endure whatever circumstances are making you quake in your boots right now. If you have been saved through faith in Jesus Christ; you have all you need.

The joy of the world is hollow, but the Joy of the Lord is rich and abundant. The world’s happiness will fade with time, but God’s people will be happy forever.

Joy is both a gift of God as well as a response to the gifts of God. Joy comes when we are aware of God’s grace and relish His favor. The one sure way to experience joy is to focus on God and his Word. 

Joy is meant to be a hallmark of the Christian life. We best experience this gift of joy when we focus on the truth of who God is, commune with Him through prayer, and rely on the community of fellow believers He has provided though Christ.

The popular Christmas song “Joy to the World” by Isaac Watts celebrates the joyful occasion of the Lord’s first coming; when the angels announced "tidings of great Joy to the World." But the lyrics were never intended to be a Christmas song. They were a poem by Watts based on the words of Psalms 98..

Psalms 98:1-8 O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvelous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.

2. The Lord hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.

3. He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

4. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.

5. Sing unto the Lord with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.

6. With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the Lord, the King.

7. Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

8. Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together.

And in Psalms 16, we can always reflect on these wonderful meditations about the “fullness of the Lords Joy.” We can always find Joy in the precious presence and promises of Jesus! 

Psalms 16:8-11 I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

9. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.

10. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

11. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

How To Resist The Devil

How To Resist The Devil

Focus on the Bible

by: Darrell G. Young

August 2020

In this world you will always have to contend with the Devil. He is your constant adversary. He studies you daily and he knows just how to plot against you.

And remember, he has been at this game of human attacks for thousands of years. He is very experienced in his devious craft and amongst human beings he has never met his match.

He was even confident and bold enough to tempt the Lord Jesus in the wilderness. So, you should expect him to use all his skills against you too.

But even as overmatched as we mere mortals are against Satan, our supernatural enemy; we do have some resources at our disposal to counter his sinister assaults.

In James chapter four, there is a vital spiritual formula spelled out for us to be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the Devil and he will flee from you.

You may have heard that phrase before: “Resist the Devil and he will flee from you.” But that phrase is only half of the battle!

None of us as individuals are empowered sufficiently enough in our own power to resist the Devil. Try as we might, we are no match for Satan in a battle of wits or power. On our own, we’d lose every time!

The first half of the battle in trying to Resist Satan’s schemes and force him to flee comes only first and foremost by “Submitting oneself to God!”

Only my submitting to God can any Christian be empowered to Resist Satan. Satan will probe every individual for a spiritual weakness that he can exploit.

But only upon discovering an individual who is totally submitted to God and that relies on Gods word for spiritual combat will Satan ever consider Fleeing!

And always when contending with the Devil; remember this valuable line from verse eight in James chapter four. “Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you.”

Whenever and Wherever Satan runs into a place “where God is abiding;” “He will Flee!”

Focus on the Bible

Feeling Hopeless? How To Have Hope

Feeling Hopeless? How To Have Hope

by: Darrell G. Young
Focus on The Bible

Many people are feeling hopeless today. There are many reasons for this sense of hopelessness. The chaos in the world, the anxiety over the economy, and a deep seated sense of foreboding over the perplexity of today’s conflicts. 

It seems that even the usually most faithful and optimistic people today are struggling with seeing any reason for being hopeful. Even the ever faithful Job in the OT found himself battling with a personal loss of hope!

Job 17:15 And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it?

Even for us as Christians, as we observe the calamitous clouds of trouble on the horizon in these Last Days, we too can lose our sense of a very present hope! Yet, even as evil men wax worse and worse, and the traditional morals about right versus wrong are being reversed in our society, we do well to remember these words from the prophet Jeremiah, who also lived in troubling times. 

Jeremiah 17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

Nonetheless, Most people understand the word hope as being a type of wishful thinking, as in "I hope something will happen." This is not what the Bible means by its usage of the word hope. 

1 Peter 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a “lively hope” by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4. To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

The Greek term for “hope” in this passage means “an eager, confident expectation.” This hope of the believer is not only “living” but “lively.”

People cannot survive long without hope. Hope keeps us going through painful experiences and fear of what the future may hold. In a fallen world where people face poverty, disease, hunger, injustice, disaster, war, and terrorism, we all need a “lively and living hope.”

No one likes waiting. It feels good to get what we want. But when our expectations are delayed for a long time, we can experience disappointment, disillusionment, and a severe loss of hope. As we eagerly hope for something important, and it keeps being postponed, the longing that we feel in our hopelessness can make our heart sick.

Hope deferred can lead to depression, anxiety, and actual physical sickness. When we wait for a good thing for so long, that desire and expectation can often turn to hopelessness. In situations like this, we can even become spiritually dried up and vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks.

Dashed hopes sickens the heart, and the higher the expectations, the greater the frustration. So much so, that we often blame God for betraying our hopes. 

The Bible has quite a lot to say about hope. Biblical hope has as its foundation faith in God. The word hope in English often conveys a doubt in the outcome! 

In the Old Testament the Hebrew word batah and its relative use involved the meaning of having confidence, security, and being without concern; therefore, the concept of doubt is not part of this word. 

The Biblical concept of hope is a confident expectation or an assurance based upon a sure foundation. That “certainty” of future hopes becoming a reality is grounded upon the word and promises of Almighty God; who of course cannot lie. 

So then, the Biblical hope is a reality and not an emotional feeling. Biblical hope carries absolutely no connotations of doubt. Thus Biblical usage of the word hope is built upon a sure foundation upon which we base our lives, believing that God always keeps His promises.

Many people when asked if they think that they will go to heaven when they die; usually respond like this: “I hope so.” That kind of “hope so” response does not infer any foundational certainty about their wishful desires to go to Heaven. It is a vain hope! 

In this natural world, when our hopes and desires are fulfilled, we are refreshed. When our prayers are answered, we are immediately encouraged. When we obtain the good things that we desire, we undergo a seeming reviving of genuine hope.

But much too often, when things don’t go our way, when things seem to just never work to our desire, and we desperately try to cling to a sliver of hope, we lose all hope. 

Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

We are all too often blinded to the fact that our unfulfilled desires and deferred hopes can lead us to rich encounters with our Savior: “The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD”. The Lord alone is the true fulfillment of our longings.

Lamentations 3:25-26 The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

Faith and Hope are distinct from one another and yet they are related. That there is a difference between faith and hope is evident in I Corinthians 3:13 “Now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Two of the three greatest gifts are faith and hope, listed separately. That faith and hope are related concepts is seen in the old lines from Hebrews 11:1. “Faith is confidence in what we hope for.”

Faith is a complete trust or confidence in something. Faith involves intellectual assent to a set of facts and trust in those facts, and especially to the one faith is expressed in. 

And Biblical hope is built on this kind of faith. Hope is the earnest anticipation that comes with believing something good. Hope is a confident expectation that naturally stems from faith. Hope is a peaceful assurance that something that hasn’t happened yet will indeed happen.

Someone has wisely stated that: “Hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?” For Hope to endure and last, it takes a little Faith! 

Romans 8:24-25 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
25. But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Faith and hope are complementary actors! Faith is grounded in the reality of the past; Hope is looking to the reality of the future. Without faith, there is no Hope, and without Hope there is no true faith. 

Christians are people of Faith first and Hope thereafter! We have “the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time” 

This type of Faith never leaves one Hopeless! It provided for a Living hope that is anchored in the past; as sure as Jesus rose from the dead. It continues in the present; as sure as Jesus is alive. 

And this kind of Hope endures throughout the future; just as surely as Jesus promises concerning eternal Life and resurrection.

This Living Hope also enables us to live without despair as we encounter suffering and trials in this present life: Therefore we do not give up; because we have a Sure Hope! Even though our lives are being destroyed, our inner person can strive on, being supernaturally invigorated day by day, through this Lively Hope we have in Jesus!

Jesus Christ is our Savior, our salvation, and our Living Hope.

Romans 15:13 Now the God of HOPE fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in HOPE, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Dealing With Disappointment

Dealing With Disappointment

One of the unfortunate byproducts of living in a sinful, fallen world is that every person, Christian or not, experiences pain and suffering and disappointment in this life. From failed relationships to unfulfilled dreams, life can be filled with sorrow and disappointment. 

In fact, Jesus assured us of it: “In this world you will have trouble”. No one is immune.

First, even though we cannot eliminate suffering or disappointment this side of heaven, we must keep uppermost in our mind that no amount of suffering or disappointment we experience in this life can ever undo what God has already done for us in Christ.

There is no psychology or philosophy that can offer a sufficient explanation for how God can resolve our disappointments. No social science can work restoration on the soul; only God can do this. The truth is, our trials and disappointments, though we may not like them, do serve a purpose. It is through trials that we learn patience and humility, endurance and trust—virtues that strengthen us and develop godly character.

Secondly, it is during the difficult times that we learn to rely on God and experience firsthand the absolute trustworthiness of His Word.As  A. W. Tozer once observed, “If the truth were known, the saints of God in every age can only become effective after they have been wounded.”

Third, as Christians, it is important that we maintain our perspective on our eternity. Our time on earth is an incalculably small fraction of our eternal journey. We can do this, when we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but rather on what is unseen, our heavenly home!

It is faith that allows us to see the unseen. That’s why faith is such an indispensable element of the Christian life. Scripture teaches that we live by faith and that without faith it is impossible to please God. We know that, as followers of Christ, we will experience disappointment and endure trials where our faith is often put to the test. And the Bible tells us we should “consider it pure joy” when we face these trials, as this is how our faith strengthens and we mature as Christians.

It also helps to remember the absolute sovereignty of God. Everything occurs either by His prescription or permission and in perfect accordance with His sovereign purposes and unfathomable ways. Prayer is the ultimate acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty. In the midst of our trial and disappointments, prayer gives us strength.

And finally, by being a child of God, it that means you are never alone in your disappointments and trials. God gives us the strength and grace we need to endure any circumstance and to overcome any disappointment. God gives us the strength and grace we need to endure any circumstance and to overcome any disappointment.

Philippians 4:6-8 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 
7. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Dealing With Grief

Dealing With Grief

Grief is a deep and powerful motion caused by the loss of someone or something we love and held dear. Grief is the price we pay for loving and engaging with life. Every emotionally healthy person will experience seasons of grief because death and loss are a part of this transitory life.

To be prepared for the world that God is preparing for us, where no grief can ever come, is the fundamental key to enduring the grief that is common to this world.

It is sin’s presence in the world that makes grief a common experience. And, even though God never intended the human heart to suffer grief, He has included instructions and promises in His Word to aid the human heart in dealing with grief.

Psalms 34:18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

While in the custody of his enemies, David wrote, “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle.” David was, at the time he wrote this psalm, a prisoner of war, and he had reason to cry and be sorrowful.

Psalms 56:8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?

God may not have an actual bottle where our tears are kept or a literal book where sorrows are recorded, but He nonetheless remembers all the things that happen in our lives, including the suffering endured for His sake. The fact that God remembers us and our sufferings should be very comforting.

Our grief and tears are not futile. God knows each of His children intimately, and every tear we shed has is important to Him. He remembers all of our sorrows as if He kept each tear in a bottle. In the end, He will share His joy with us when “‘He will wipe every tear from our eyes.

The idea behind the keeping of “tears in a bottle” is remembrance. David is expressing a deep trust in God, and knows that God will remember his sorrow and tears and will not forget about him.

There is nothing wrong with grieving. First, we know that times of grief serve a purpose. Ecclesiastes 7:2 says, “It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.” This verse implies that grief can be good because it can refresh our perspective on life. 

Secondly, we remember that feelings of grief are temporary. “Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). There is an end to mourning. Grief has its purpose, but it also has its limit.

An important part of dealing with and overcoming grief is expressing it to God. When we commune with Him, we are able to open our minds to the truth that He loves us, that He is faithful, that He is in control, and that He knows hows He is going to work it out for our good. We can give our hurt to Him because He cares for us; and we can rely on him to help through the storms of life in this fallen world; filled with Grief. (1 Peter 5:7) Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Revelation 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Darrell G. Young