The Universe

      According to the Bible, the universe is finite. there is a point where it will stop expanding. Here is an article backing me up:

The material Universe in Finite in size

"1. There are a finite number of stars. God knows how many there are, and he's given each one it's own name.

He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by [their] names.

Psalms 147:4





2. The universe was stretched out from it's original size after God created it. A couple verses that describe this stretching compare it to a curtain being stretched. A curtain is clearly a finite object. See also 17 verses in the Bible say God expanded the universe from its original size.

[It is] he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof [are] as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

- Isaiah 40:22



Who coverest [thyself] with light as [with] a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:

Psalms 104:2





3. God will ultimately destroy the universe. Near the very end, He said He'll roll it up like a scroll. A scroll is a finite object.

And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling [fig] from the fig tree.

Isaiah 34:4



And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

Revelation 6:14





4. A large 'gulf' between Heaven and Hell prevents anyone who is in one from passing to the other. How could a 'fixed' gulf like this exist in the universe if the universe were infinite in size?

And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that [would come] from thence.

Luke 16:24-26



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5. When Jesus died on the cross, he descended into Hell as part of his payment for our sins. When He arose from the dead, He ascended into Heaven. Note that in the verse below, He is said to have ascended above "all heavens". That would not be possible of the universe were infinite in size.

(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

Ephesians 4:9-10





6. Disclaimer: This particular argument is a tricky one that's a bit controversial. At first, I wasn't going to put it on our web site because it seemed just too bazaar. But after carefully reading Dr. Russell Humphreys explanation of why these verses should be interpreted the way he interprets them, it does seem to make a lot of sense. This particular argument is not being presented with the same certainty as some of the previous ones were. Still, I think it's worth considering Dr. Humphreys arguments on this issue.

The entire physical universe may be surrounded by a layer of water (perhaps it's now ice) of unknown thickness. This layer of water is referred to in the account of the creation week in Genesis. It was originally close to the early earth. But according to Dr. Humphreys interpretation of Genesis, interstellar space was sandwiched between the water that made up the early Earth, and the water above it. Here are the actual verses from the KJV Bible:



------------------------------- Genesis 1:-9 ---------------------------------

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

(Step 1: At this point, the Earth was made of just water. It did not have a water canopy above it.)



And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

(Step 2: The Earth is still just water, but now it has a "firmament" separating its water from a canopy of water above it. The big question at this point is whether or not this "firmament" is referring to Earth's atmosphere, or to all of interstellar space. Read on.)



7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which [were] under the firmament from the waters which [were] above the firmament: and it was so.

(Again, we see a clear indication of a "firmament" separating the water canopy from the water that makes up the early Earth)



8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

(Step 3: The firmament is given a name: "Heaven".



9 ¶ And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry [land] appear: and it was so.

(Step 4: The waters under the firmament (Heaven) are gathered together and dry land appears. The waters above "Heaven" are still there, but we still don't have the answer to how big the firmament is at this point. Read on).



------------------------------- Genesis 1:-14-17 ---------------------------------

14 ¶ And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: [he made] the stars also.

(Step 5: God creates the Sun, Moon and stars.)



17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

(Step 6: He puts the Sun, Moon and stars "in" the "firmament of the heaven". This verse seems to rule out the possibility that "heaven" or the "firmament" could be referring to Earth's atmosphere in these verses, because God clearly put the Sun, Moon and stars outside of our atmosphere. There are other verses that have been used by many creationists to suggest that this water canopy stayed close to the earth and contributed to Noah's flood. However, Dr. Humphreys makes some pretty compelling arguments against interpreting those verses that way. So what we seem to be left with is that we still have a water canopy above the firmament, which has now been defined as interstellar space. Does the Bible support this idea anywhere else? It seems that it does. Consider this next verse.)



Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that [be] above the heavens.

Psalms 148:4

(On the surface, this verse may not look that compelling. One commentary I read suggested that 'heavens of heavens' was referring to the upper atmosphere. I spoke to a meteorologist and asked him how high rain clouds can go. He said they can go 60,000 feet up, an area that is considered to be in the lower part of the 'upper atmosphere'. He also said that some rare clouds that don't produce rain can be present as high as 80,000 feet. The problem I have with interpreting this to mean water in the atmosphere is that it clearly says the waters are 'above', not within the 'heavens'. So it seems to make more sense that this verse is talking about the same water canopy that surrounds the universe as what the above verses in Genesis were referring to.)



For a much more in-depth look at this argument, see Appendix B of the book Starlight and Time by Nuclear Physicist Dr. Russell Humphreys. You may also listen to his June 20, 2000 radio interview where he discusses this in more depth."

Once again, the universe is finite.
If you have any questions, or comments, feel free to leave a comment. I will try my best to answer them.

Homosexuallity in the Bible

     If you don't live under a rock, you would realize that America is having a huge push for homosexual rights. You will probably be confronted about this, and should know how to defend your faith. If you already know how, could for you, pat yourself on the back, but there are millions of Christians claiming to be God loving people, and are part of this huge push. If you think I'm being a little conservative, then tough luck, because I am. If you I were to be classified, I would be one of those "Old timey," Christians, that actually believe in the whole bible. I know. Outrageous. But believe it or not, it is in the Bible, and whether you want to read it, or even believe it,  its still going to be there. If you look in the book of Leviticus, chapter 18, you will find it says several times, that being homosexual is an abomination. There are very very few things in the bible that God associates death with. Being gay is one of them. If you are of those wishy washy Christians, that only wants to believe half of the bible, it says something about you to. It says you can't be a servant of two masters. So, either you believe in the whole Bible, or you don't. If you look further into Leviticus, you will see that the cities of Sodom, and Gomorrah were burned with fire from Heaven to a pile of ash. For those that don't know, the term "Get to know" is a polite way of saying have sex.

America in the Bible.

      Have you ever heard the rumors that america is in the bible? I recently did some researching and found an interesting article about it, from a website called rapture alert. Here it is:



Where is America in Bible Prophecy?


by Hal Lindsey of hallindseyoracle.com



This is a difficult question, mostly because it has such a difficult answer. I love my country, and I'd love to find references to it in the last days. But it isn't there. And that seems to be quite a mystery, given that we are at the moment the most powerful nation on earth, by every conceivable measure.



There are some who try and find America in Scripture. I'll outline a few of these views for you.



America, the wide and smooth?



Some point to Isaiah 18, which speaks of a people "tall and smooth" who are "feared far and wide." The passage says these people are "a powerful nation whose land the rivers divide" that will one day bring gifts to the Messiah when He reigns from Mount Zion.



Those who hold this view, point to the fact the United States is divided by the Mississippi, to America's power and say we are the people "feared far and wide" of whom Isaiah was speaking. But this view only works if you ignore the first verse of Chapter 18. It clearly identifies the powerful nation divided by a river as Cush, or Ethiopia. At the time of Isaiah, Ethiopia was part of the Egyptian empire and the river referred to is without doubt the Nile.



Tarshing America



Another view says that America is identified by the prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel 38:13. Ezekiel speaks of the "merchants of Tarshish and all the young lions thereof" who launch a diplomatic protest at the time of the Gog-Magog invasion of Israel. Some point to the fact that Tarshish was the westernmost trading and seafaring nation of the ancient world. From there, Tarshish becomes Britain. After all, Britain is the westernmost point on the Continent. And the symbol of Britain is a lion. Consequently, "all the young lions thereof" become the former British colonies, like Australia, Canada and, of course, the United States. Therefore, ipso facto, the merchants of Tarshish and all the young lions thereof must be referring to America.



But this doesn't work, either. First and foremost, nobody can pinpoint with any degree of accuracy the location of Tarshish. The only thing we are sure of is that it isn't Britain. The most recent archeological evidence puts ancient Tarshish in Spain, which, while close, doesn't quite win the cigar.



The eagle has landed



Another popular candidate for a biblical America is found in Revelation 12:13-17. In this exercise in applied imagination, we can find America, and she is busily engaged in an heroic effort to save Israel. If you accept the interpretation that includes America, that is.



This passage states that during the Tribulation, God will provide a means of escape for the Jewish remnant in Israel. It says they will be carried into the wilderness on the "wings of a great eagle." Misinterpreting this verse makes it possible to have the United States supplying a military airlift of Israelis to safety -- on the "wings of an eagle." You can make this work only by ignoring the fact that Scripture interprets Scripture. And the Scripture already identifies who has the wings of an eagle.



In Deuteronomy 32:11, God identifies the bearer of Israel on eagles' wings. "As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad on her wings, taketh them, and beareth them on her wings, So the Lord alone did lead him [Israel] and there was no strange god with him." It is a nice picture, and in keeping with our own self-image, to see America as Israel's savior during the Tribulation. But it is clearly incorrect.



Babylon, N.Y.



Probably the most widely accepted explanation of America in Bible prophecy uses Revelation Chapter 18 to show that the United States is really "Babylon the Great, Mother of Harlots."



The reason this symbol is the most widely accepted symbol of the United States is because the shoe seems to fit. Consider the evidence offered in support of this view, because it is compelling. Revelation 18:2 opens with the angelic declaration that "Babylon the Great is fallen."



Verse 3 describes Babylon the great thusly: "all the nations of the earth have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornications with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies." This doesn't seem to be much of a reach, on first glance.



America has sunk to moral depths scarcely imaginable a generation ago. We kill babies in the womb when they are socially inconvenient. The nuclear family is all but extinct. Morals are situational, if they are relevant at all. We choose as entertainment stories about adultery, fornication, violence and virtually every form of evil.



We are the world's leading exporters of filth and pornography, not to mention being the world's largest arms dealer and exporter of destruction and mayhem. Politically, we have just emerged from one of the most shameful and immoral presidential campaign in living memory.



Not America's vision



The description goes on, referencing the fact she "sits as a queen and no widow." One could argue the U.S. sits as a queen (it's probably more politically correct than a king, anyway) and no widow, as America has seen no war on her shores in living memory. Since the Apostle John also refers to the fact that "ships and sailors and as many as trade by sea" will see the city burning, this view makes New York City Babylon the Great.



The original Babylon still stands, in Iraq, but nowhere near the sea. And, just outside New York City is the city of Babylon, N.Y.! So, there you have it! And it all seems to make sense, really. Provided you are looking at prophecy as if it were given from the perspective of Washington. But it isn't.



In Bible prophecy everything orients from Israel. John's vision of the apocalypse is from the perspective of Israel, during the time of Jacob's trouble, not America's. But the most conclusive reason is given in Revelation 17:18.



John says Mystery Babylon is really a woman -- that great harlot who will reign over the cities from earth. But John wrote that the great city was clearly Rome, and that is the city that will reign over the earth in the last days.



I can imagine the heaps of criticism this column will engender.



America faces threats from mad bombers, mad dictators, a unified Russian-Chinese military adversary and a host of other threats. Who wants to be the one to say that, biblically speaking, there is no reason to think one of them isn't going to happen? But America is not a major player in the last days -- she hasn't even a bit part.



I personally believe that one explanation could be that our country and its leadership will be so decimated following the Rapture that we will simply cease to be a major influence overnight.



I prefer that over the alternative.

Basic Theology of the Bible

          If you know anything about the bible, you should already know this stuff, but for those that don't, I'm going to go over it anyway. Most of the bible was written in Hebrew. The other major language is Greek. There are several other languages of wich a small portion of the bible was written in. The reason most of it was written in Hebrew, is because Jesus, and his disciples were Jewish, and the Jews speak and write in Hebrew. The word Christian means christ-like. The term christian, was given to the followers of Jesus and his disciples, after Jesus's death. This was before everybody started arguing about the correct interpretations of the bible, but that wasn't very long afterwards. The main reason people argue about the correct interpritation of the bible, is because very few poeple actually speak, or much less read Greek, or Hebrew. In the time of Jesus, nobody had that problem, because they all spoke either Hebrew, or Greek. Although very few people could read or write, all of the bible wasn't written down in that time, so they would speak of the teachings of Jesus (wich is hardly ever done today, except at church). I have found a very interesting article on th dinominations of the church. here it is:

The Denomination Is An Abomination

By Andy Zoppelt

The word denomination means "to name." How would the apostle Paul or Jesus respond if someone would have given "their church" a name during their ministry? Would outraged be a good word?



Paul said in Ephesians 3:14-15: "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom (the Father) the whole family (the Church) in heaven and earth is named."



We are named after the Father, how dare we be so conceded and full of pride to name our churches after men or some catchy phrase. Yet, we do it without a second thought. We do it as though it is as natural as John 3:16. As though we have a mandate from Jesus or Paul. We use such names as Baptist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Episcopalian, and Church of Christ. but how about the new names, New covenant, Calvary Chapel, Christian Life, Christian Fellowship, Faith Tabernacle, etc.. the naming is without an end…. and so the divisions.



Being a Christian makes us a member of the family of God, a child of God, a part of the church of God. The Father calls us the "Called-out-ones, the saints, the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, these names are not names we call our groups or meeting places, these are words spoken from the Father to His children. It is a description not a denomination.



My last name is Zoppelt, my family doesn't meet in a building called Zoppelt or some name given by one of my children. No! We meet as a family and we are made up of a father, a wife and children… not an institution.



The Church is the kingdom of God, can you imagine John or Jesus preaching the "kingdom of the Baptists" or the "kingdom of the Methodists"?



John 17 contains the high-priestly prayer of Jesus before His death on the cross. In verse 11, He prayed, "Holy Father, keep through your own name those whom you have given me, that they may be one (one name, one body), as we are one."



The church is a family relationship, and we don't put names on families. The family carries the name of their Father. The church meets in the name of the Father. We are relational, not institutional.



There is a vast difference between meeting in the name of the Father and naming our meeting places after whatever name "we" decide. Some might therefore think we should name our place of meeting the "Church of God," or maybe, the "Church of Christ," but this is still putting a name on an earthly ministry limited to a specific ministry and dividing us from what He calls His called-out ones. God's body can not be regulated by man's doctrine or man's choosing. man attempts to put a name on something related to their own ministry and not letting the Father put His name on us. We therefore make denominations out of names like "church of God" and "Church of Christ."



The institutional Church thinks in terms of corporate, impersonal, commercial, business, company, structural, organizational, etc..



Who dare stand before Jesus carrying the name they have decided for His body? How dare we throw in the face of Jesus' prayer for unity our various names that have only deepened the division of His body?



Division has driven us to blaspheme without a second thought and our deception has failed us to further inquire into the nature of the consequences of our actions.



Jesus said in John 5:43, "I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive."



This idea of naming was first started by the Corinthians, they used the apostles names to segregate and separate their groups one from the other. They sought an identity separate and apart from Christ. 1 Cor 1:12-13, "Now I say this, that each of you says, 'I am of Paul,' or 'I am of Apollos,' or 'I am of Cephas,' or 'I am of Christ.' Is Christ divided?"



Also we see the same kind of man-made pattern in Mark 9:5-8, "Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, 'Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You (Jesus denomination), one for Moses (Moses denomination), and one for Elijah (Elijah denomination)' because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid. And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, 'This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!'" By hearing Jesus, God will build His church. "Let him who has ears to hear, let him hear."



This naming for the purpose of dividing and exalting oneself is seen in the building of the tower of Babel? ….Babylon.



Gen 11:4, "And they said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.'"



Whenever we are asleep, we justify our deceptions untill our deceptions become the traditions of men. God is looking for new wine skins for the new wine being poured out today. Upon the Father, He Jesus, will build "His" called-out-ones.



If you can read this and it doesn't bother you, check your pulse, you might have become an old wine skin.



Eph 1:20-21, "He (the Father) raised Him (Jesus) from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion (Denominations), and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come."



Above "every name that is named," what a fearful statement to the importance of a name.



Phil 2:9, "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,"



Heb 2:11-13. "For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one (not divided by men's names), for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: 'I will declare Your name to My brethren (the called-out-ones); In the midst of the assembly (the meetings of the called-out-ones) I will sing praise to You.' And again: 'I will put My trust in Him.' And again: 'Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.'"



James, speaking of the rich, says, "Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?" James 2:7



Jesus warns the church of Sardis, "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead." Rev 3:1



We have taken the sacred name of Jesus' body and commercialized it, ignoring this great blasphemous act will not prove profitable and the judgment seat of Christ. Many will be cast in hell for assuming a position of such authority as to name His body.



Last Sunday as we met together, a discussion was presented to where we should go next. God has been leading us step by step. Though we have taken many strides forward, it seems the distance between the early church and our meetings presents a monumental gap and we have a long way to go.



Russ, one of the brothers in the fellowship, was reading from Nehemiah and reading how those who came out of Babylon (called-out-ones) came to Jerusalem and saw the city burned and destroyed. Many were born in Babylon and had never seen the city of Jerusalem; they heard the stories of the great city, its nobility among the nations, its great kings, its temple, its walls and the power of its God.



Here is what he was reading:



Neh 8:6-10, "And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground. ….So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly (as it is), and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength."



May we learn to read the word of "God distinctly." Such reading will brings us to our knees and cause us to weep.



At the point where he read, "all the people wept," some began to weep and it was at that point he read from Nehemiah. We pray that the Lord might get glory in our midst and that we might meet to please Him and live for Him.



Last week God joined us with another house church in Miami. The fellowship was beyond description. I am meeting with another house church in Miami, I pray that God will bring His people together and lead many out of Babylon (the institutional way of perverting church) and into His church. A church without wrinkle and spot. For now we only see the ashes and the destruction of the early church… I pray that God will wake and stir those who have a heart to rise up and be a part of His family…. The called-out-ones.


I found this on a website called the real church.