Getting Started
A slideshow to help you put the pieces together.
This presentation expands upon The Big Picture with a slideshow of the earth’s timeline from a biblical perspective. Each page has a simple time frame, image and caption. Clicking through them tells the story of the earth during the dinosaur time, the earth during our time, and the earth of the eternity. That's a total of three earth ages, with us being in the second.
Most churches teach that the earth started with Genesis, but the rest of the Bible confirms Genesis presents the start of this second earth age. All three earth ages are described in detail throughout the scriptures, so as time permits these slides will be expanded to show documentation. For now it's just a slide show. It will in no doubt conflict with something you have been taught, or have sincere convictions. It is written that this would be the scenario. We are told people and churches will have strayed so far from the basics they need a teacher all over again. This work will make it obvious as to why. When you find that point, just ask. Ask because that's how we all got here.
The problem lies in the state of our current church systems. Most are quite clear on who Jesus was, and understand that salvation is through Him. Unfortunately this is where the depth of tangible comprehension reaches it’s limit. For example, everyone that drives a car knows that a green light means go and a red one means stop. That’s basic, but if that’s all you know then you will surely die while you are behind the wheel. It’s not enough to know the colors. You have to know how to read the signs, know the season and conditions of the roads, and be familiar with them and where they go. It’s much more than red and green, but then again it’s that simple.
Unfortunately in today’s church the biggest repeat focus is salvation and baptism. Both are very honorable foundations, but both are entry points and not finish lines. Baptism is the seat belt and salvation is the key to the car. If you just want to go drive without anything deeper than that you bear responsibility for any innocent you harm. That’s fair isn’t it? The rules to the road and the rules to scripture are the same. Everyone thinks they can drive, but how many people die each year? Churches tend to focus on getting people their keys and buckled in, but they send out drivers with no tangible understanding of the reason we are on the road driving in the first place... and they have no map! We'll just drive around until Jesus pops up?!?!
Of course for me to make such a statement about a church I better have some documentation that shows I’m approaching this correctly. So I'll start with Hebrews, and let's see what is written about the status of the church. This applies to us today just as much as any of the gospel.
5: 10
Called of God an High Priest after the order of Melchisedec.
5: 11
Of Whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
5: 12
For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God;
And are not become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
5: 13
For every one that useth milk is un-skilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
5: 14
But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
We are about to consume some real prime cuts of meat. The typical bottle fed (milk) Christian will find these facts very difficult chew, but the mature and seasoned Christian will find this to be a menu of the finest meats paying attention can buy.
A couple of points to consider:
The Bible is a living contract, citing the major events and some of the key participants. The many versions, and discrepancies between denominations have created great divides. That does not make the Word itself subject to interpretation… In fact it is a very provable document.
I’m talking about the opposite of faith or belief in something just for the sake of belief. Scripture demands reconciliation within itself, and in accordance to the laws of science and nature. Science reveals new truths everyday affecting the previous perceptions, so we shouldn’t automatically give it top billing for truth. Whereas the consistency of unified storyline, and fulfillment of prophesies throughout history, give the Bible more tangible credibility than any explanations we have.
The author of the Bible is God, and he caused men to scribe the words. The Word existed before anyone was born. The context of the Word existed and was given to people throughout time to record. Their works were translated by man, and taught by man… and man doeth error on occasion.
In the front of the 1611 King James Version (the first complete translation to English ordered by King James in… 1611) there is a long letter from the translators. They acknowledge they did there best, but there was still work to be done. Not adding to the Bible, BUT reconciling the translation. This is the key to stopping denominationalism, and it is how we study to show ourselves approved. This is how he calls the ones who will stand on His side when it gets important.
The Bible is more than a collection of books spread over time, with some added and some removed. The first and last books intertwine as two ends of a rope to form a complete circle, and the story contained within is as a magnificent tapestry, both time-full and timeless. This type of multi-level teaching and relationships exist throughout the Bible as further evidence of its validity, regardless of how carelessly we handle it.
What you are about to read gives account to the things today’s churches and science cannot address in a unified front. I present both. Therein lies the Truth. In this mind exercise I would like to ask you to put aside the belief system that you currently subscribe. Just let it flow, because each of these individual pages must reconcile. If it doesn’t you have found my flaw, if it does you have found yours.
Get your tools out and participate in the journey.