“INTELLIGENT DESIGN”: PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL

 

David exclaimed: "For you have formed my inward parts; You have covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made ...Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written." Psalm 139:13-16.

 

ach square inch of your skin contains approximately 35 miles of nerves. An adult body contains 75,000 miles of blood vessels, serving more than 60 billion body cells. Some vessels are so microscopically small that only one blood cell at the time can squeeze through. If all of your blood vessels could be cut open and laid side by side they would cover an area the size of a football field. During its 120 day life-span, each blood cell makes about 75,000 non-stop round trips from the heart to other parts of the body. That is a total distance of approximately  5 billion, 635 million miles traveled in its lifetime. In a quiet room, cup your hands tightly over your ears like you have done with a sea shell at the beach and listen to the roar of blood rushing through your body. That is literally the ocean of life racing through you.  Friction would instantly burn through your veins and arteries were it not for the protective coating of cholesterol lining their inner walls. Each cell simultaneously brings nutrients and oxygen to the body while removing toxins.

 At the moment of conception, the invisible male sperm invades the almost-invisible female ovum and development of the billions of components listed above are perfectly–and explosively--initiated.  We have nothing else in Creation with which to compare such massive and flawless organization of functioning parts. For example, in that miraculous event, millions of optic nerves connecting eyes to brain and brain to eyes begin their journey to each other. If for a split-second’s  time you could peak in on the cell-formation and organizing of body parts in a human baby in the womb, you would see lightening-speed explosions blasting simultaneously inwardly and outwardly in the development of bones, brain, blood, organs, skin, personality, intellect, talents, voice tone, etc., and all other components. Ecclesiastes 11:5.  I Corinthians 12:18. The speed of organization is incredible. Imagine a dynamite fuze reaching all the way from Maine to California--exploding every building in its non-stop path.

 What occurs in the development of a single human being involves a  thousand times more separate parts than there are buildings between the Atlantic and Pacific. If that baby is male, within four weeks after conception, all the quadrillions of sperm his body will ever produce are formed in his tiny body. Think of it! From a single ovum and a single sperm 280 days later emerges a functioning human being possessing a brain capable of sending men and rocket ships into outer space. Significantly, the 280-day period is the same number of days in the Jewish calendar between Hanukkah and Yom Kippur. These events celebrate the dedication of the ancient Temple and the “High Holy Day”. The first corresponds to conception, the second to birth. This 280 day period is a multiple of 7 and 40. Both are significant numbers in Scripture with the “40" appearing exactly 40 times in the combined Old and New Testaments.

 Each of those minuscule sperm--containing that embryonic baby boy’s DNA--holds more than 3 billion genetic codes. If you were to spend 8 hours a day looking at each code for one second, it would take two years. If the DNA in one of that baby’s human cells could be unraveled and strung end to end, it would reach from earth to the sun, round trip, 400 times. Accidental evolution? Hardly. Yet, his entire body could be reconstructed from information stored in just one of his brain-stem cells; these are part of sixty billion more cells that compose his total being. The sound of his laughter, the curve of his eyelash, attitudes he  inherited from his grandparents are all perfectly recorded.  At conception, the genetic code from mother and father merged into an ideal arrangement for the creation of his totally new, unique being. Billions and billions of components perfectly joined without mix-up.

 Look at yourself: Your brain contains as many synapsis as there are stars in existence. The synapse is the point of contact between neurons, by which nerve impulses are successfully transmitted through the brain. Inside your head, you have a composite of total creation. If all five and one-half billion people on earth were talking on eighteen telephone at the same time, it would almost correspond to the electrical traffic handled by the brain. The corpus callosum tissue separating the two hemispheres of the brain contain as many connections as every telephone line in America. To cut through the corpus callosum of one human being would be equivalent to cutting every telephone line in the U.S.. Next time you are outside looking at the stars realize that Creation's vastness goes just that far inside of you. And be aware that there are more than 100 million different animal and plant specie on planet earth with billions of individuals of each having its own distinctive genetic code. Like snowflakes, no two are exactly alike. In the presence of such overwhelming evidence of our miraculous design, the claim of non-intelligent evolution becomes absurd.

 But man is not alone in this incredible work of creation:  The common housefly can detect and respond to danger in one-two hundredths of a second. The Peregrine Falcon can see a pigeon 5 miles away and dive at speeds of 217 miles an hour. Also, he has “fast” vision. His eyes could actually read print on a whirling airplane blade. A Polar Bear can smell food at a distance of 24 miles.  An owl can hear the movement of a mouse from two football fields away. Thousands of bats fly unaided through a pitch-black cave without touching each other. A shark’s electrical-sensitivity is so powerful it could detect a flashlight battery 1,000 miles away. At a burned-out arson site, a dog can smell 1/500,000 of a drum of flammable fuel; his sense of smell is 100 times greater than a human’s. The ordinary shrimp can see more colors than we do. The Monarch butterfly can discern tastes 12,000 times more subtle than a human’s, and with perfect precision, fly  2,000 miles unaided to a tiny spot in Mexico. What about endurance? Eggs of the tadpole shrimp can survive dormant for centuries at temperatures more than 150 degrees below zero.

  The miraculous works of the Spirit, I Corinthians 12,13,14, become more amazing when we see them as “intelligent design” for the Christian’s spiritual life. Unlike the limited mental capacities of our bodies, the regenerate human spirit is neither confined nor limited. It has potentials greater than all the combined animal abilities I mentioned. Our spirit has access to the gifts of “wisdom and revelation” which equip it to receive and use knowledge directly from the Holy Spirit. This special equipping is the precise function of the "word of knowledge," "word of wisdom," "discerning of spirits," and other gifts of the Holy Spirit.  I Corinthians 12:8-10.

 As an example, a "word of knowledge" came to me one time during a prayer meeting, instructing us to pray for a Jewish lady named Mildred. Though we knew absolutely nothing about this stranger, we stopped everything else and prayed for her. At the end of the service a visitor hurried to the front, asked if she could speak to the congregation, and in a very shaken voice said, "I have never spoken before a church in my entire life, but tonight I must!  This is not my home-church but I came here this evening to ask you to pray for a friend of mine in the North–and I arrived too late to make the request. However--that did not matter–the Lord told you for me–her name is ‘Mildred’ and she is Jewish. My friend is the one you prayed for."

 Several wonderful things resulted from that "word of knowledge." The visitor went home, called her friend and told her what had happened.  When the Jewish lady realized that God had spoken her name at a Christian meeting a thousand miles away, she was not only healed but went to a Baptist church in her community, believed the gospel and was saved.

 The lake-front house which was miraculously given to my Ministry and where my wife and I now live came  to us solely because of the Spirit’s provision. What He said and did was totally opposite to all other circumstances.  Another time,  the phone rang, and before I could turn toward it, the Holy Spirit told me who the caller was, what he would say, and what my answer was to be. That proved to be a life-changing event. Once in Rome, a congested city of more than 2,000,000 people, an elderly friend traveling with me fell in an empty, underground tourist-site, broke her hip, and needed immediate help. I did not know what to do. No one nearby spoke English. The  Holy Spirit directed me to run to an intersection a great distance away--it was huge, grid-locked with cars, and I felt foolish in leaving the scene of the accident. But, I kept running. Finally, jerking to a stop at the curb I looked up and was face to face with an American missionary living in Rome whom I had met only one time. A brief sentence of explanation was all that was needed. He reached my friend almost before I could return and took her to safety.

 In California, the Holy Spirit accurately gave me names of two men in a friend’s New York, Wall Street office who were potentially dangerous. I had never heard of either of them but the friend confirmed that both men were there and he had already distrusted them. Other times I have seen strangers in restaurants and had the Spirit give me specific, detailed information about them. Frequently, He will point out people in the congregation who are to receive ministry first. Once while I was praying in a large, empty church in Tennessee, the Holy Spirit showed me the exact spot where a woman would later be sitting and to whom I was to minister. She would be elderly, white haired, with other specific features which He identified. True to His word, she was there--not in that week of meetings as I had supposed–but one year later when I returned to the church for another week of preaching. Such are the “intelligently designed” ways of God!

 Unfortunately, not every believer accepts the Holy Spirit’s miraculous works. For nearly 30 years I too preached the “cessation” theory, claiming that the Spirit’s providential gifts had been withdrawn from the church. I was wrong. Very wrong. And today it grieves my heart when I meet Christians who not only are trapped in that same religious desert but who argue blindly against spiritual gifts. Many of these people excel in their love for God but are virtually powerless in the area of discernment. Theoretically, what they observe in daylight hours, they recognize well. When darkness falls, they are helpless as anyone else, easily victimized by "those who lie in wait to deceive". Ephesians 4:14. When the thief comes to "kill, steal, and destroy," they are quickly exploited. John 10:10. The high divorce rate among Christians is primary proof of what I say. Deception tears good couples apart. Families, individuals, even churches, frequently have long histories of wrong decision-making. This cannot be the will of God. He is not honored when the world blinds, robs, and destroys His children.

 An example of “intelligent design”: God has provided us with adequate protection through the Holy Spirit's gift of "discerning of spirits". I Corinthians 12:10. But this gift does not operate automatically; it has to be sought, nourished, and lovingly developed. A casual attitude toward it will produce superficial results; an earnest seeking of it will bring remarkable discretion and judgement. The choice is our’s. In the New Testament day, the word "discern" was a Greek medical term which meant "to cut and look below the surface". With this spiritual gift in operation, one does not merely rely on things as they appear but may know them as they really are. Yes, it is possible, for believers to move into the revelations of the Holy Spirit. To Scripturally illustrate the operation of "discerning of spirits", I need to compare quotations of Isaiah 11:1-3, from both the old and New King James Bibles. You will observe that these two versions use very different language in translating the same word. Here is a partial quote from the original King James:

 "The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him (Messiah) ... and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord, And he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears." Isaiah 11:1-3.

 Where the Old King James says, "Shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord," the New King James says, "His delight is in the fear of the Lord." "Quick understanding" and "delight", seem contradictory translations. Which version is correct? The answer: Both are correct. The same Hebrew word is the source for each, and both are valid renderings. Not only so, but their combined messages bring a valuable revelation about discerning of spirits. What I say may seem technological, but it is vital, so please stay with me. In ancient Israel, sheep herding was a vital part of life. During the day, it was easy for the shepherd or sheep dog to see a wolf and protect the flock. Nighttime was a different story; when darkness fell, the shepherd was powerless. Not so with the dog. Even in the dark, when he could not "judge after the sight of his eyes or reprove after the hearing of his ears", the dog could smell a wolf. It was this ability which Isaiah said would typify the future Messiah. When Messiah came, He would not depend on sight or hearing for making judgment; instead, another sense, one which could penetrate the dark, would be His basis of judgment. When the Scripture says, "The Spirit of the Lord shall ... make him of quick understanding," that is, "quick to smell", it literally means the Messiah will be able to "smell a wolf in the dark". That, my friend, is the clearest, most perfect illustration of the Holy Spirit's gift of discerning of spirits that you will find in Scripture. It also means that those who operate in this blessed endowment are not left defenseless simply because night has fallen.

 Whether or not it is true--I don’t know--but the story is told that when John Wesley was preaching in the London Armory a little

lady interrupted his sermon to explain that they needed to leave the building. Wesley obeyed, everyone filed out, and had gotten a short distance away when the Armory exploded. Gunpowder stored in the building detonated and demolished the structure. Had they remained inside they would have been killed. Did the woman experience a discerning of spirits or a word of knowledge? I don't know. I only know she could smell the wolf in the dark--and I want whatever she had. Nor will I argue with God that such miraculous gifts "passed away". You shouldn't either--unless you want to blow up.

 Here is the point: In the scientific world the battle rages between Intelligent Design and non-intelligent evolution. In the theological world the same “Intelligent Design” battle rages between those who accept and those who reject the Spirit’s gifts. The struggle is much the same. But--as a Christian–if you can believe in God’s miraculous creativity in the natural realm you can also believe in His miraculous creativity in the spiritual realm. God has provided you with the capacity for believing both. Don’t be afraid of either of them! “Pursue love and desire (intelligently designed) spiritual gifts--especially that you may prophesy!” I Corinthians 14:1.     Charles Carrin

 

"Peace be within your walls, Prosperity within your palaces."

 In January I was invited to Washington to attend the Banquet honoring Israel’s outgoing Ambassador to the United States, Daniel Ayalon and his wife Anne. This was an amazing event with an over-flow crowd of some 700 in the Presidential Ballroom of the Capital Hilton Hotel. The White House party who sent my invitation reserved our seats near the Head Table and graciously waived my $250 charge for the dinner. Our location in the dinning room provided me two visits with the Ambassador and one with his wife. President Bush was to have been the Keynote Speaker but was detained by other urgencies. Even in the President’s absence the four-hour-long banquet was electric with excitement and the President’s letter assuring Israel of America’s devotion was gladly received. Mr. Ayalon is not only Israel’s former Ambassador to the U.N. but the one anticipated to become the Nation’s next Prime Minister.

 While I was surprised by the Ambassador and his wife’s youthfulness, I was more astounded that Anne Ayalon used the Banquet-occasion to share her testimony about Jesus. She is a born-again believer. Speaking before high-ranking Jewish delegates, Washington’s media-reporters, and other international figures, she told of her love for Jesus and even gave a capable explanation of God’s Trinitarian nature. I sat there astonished. Never have I witnessed more graciousness, more spiritual beauty, or more gentleness than she displayed. No one could have criticized her loveliness. The incoming Ambassador’s wife, Noa Meridor, listened attentively as she spoke. More so, I was overwhelmed, wondering about the effects of such a woman becoming Israel’s First Lady. Pray for this couple!

 Ambassador Ayalon told that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon exhorted him repeatedly to “Reach out to the Christians in America–they are our best friends.” This statement was strongly reinforced in another outstanding message by Tom Lantos, member of the U.S. congress and Holocaust survivor. Sam Donaldson, former Chief White House Correspondent for ABC News was Master of Ceremonies and some of Israel’s best known musicians entertained.  Numerous Christian and Jewish organizations were represented. My friend, Sean LaGasse of Victory Christian Center’s pastoral staff, Boca Raton, Florida, accompanied me and was very helpful to those making the evening’s preparatory arrangements.

 My invitation to this Washington event actually began some 14 years ago at Belmont Church in Nashville, Tennessee, when I finished my sermon, began personal ministry, and stopped before a young woman in the line. After prayer, I spoke prophetically to her, “God is going to put you into high political position.”  I heard nothing from her over the years and then in February 2006, she telephoned, asked if I remembered that special word, (which I did), and then said, “I want you to know that I am now in the White House.” Thank God!, the prophetic gift has never been withdrawn.  I Corinthians 12:10; 14:1.

 Significantly, I have another Christian friend in the White House who is strategically placed and whose role I am not at liberty to reveal. I have known her and her family for years and have traveled internationally with them. Both of these White House operatives are Spirit-filled women of intense influence and power in prayer. Thank God! They--and others like them–are in the Holy Spirit’s assigned places of “high political position”.

 St. Paul said: “I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority , that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.” 1 Timothy  2:1-3.  Chas Carrin

 

THE CHOICE BEFORE THE CHURCH

 One hundred years ago Africa contained less than one million Christians. Today there are approximately 329,882,000–or more than 1/3 of the Continent’s total population. Another shocking statistic is this: 6,000,000 African Muslims convert to Christ every year. That equals 667 per hour or 16,000 every day. As a result of this “Book of Acts” growth there are some 1,500,000 churches now in Africa. This is not an exaggerated statistic compiled by over-zealous Christians. Instead, these figures were recently supplied by the Muslims themselves on an Islamic T.V. interview* with Imam Ahmad Al Katani and his host Maher Abdallah.  I urge you to see the telecast for yourself on the website below. The Muslims–like most Christians--cannot understand such spiritual power. Africa has a New Testament generation of Holy Spirit-empowered preachers. Hallelujah!    *To see the Muslim interview go to:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVAxMp8Jpa8.

  

SONS IN MINISTRY MEETING, 2007

 May 24,25,26, 2007, I will host a “Sons In Ministry” meeting for pastors and other Christian workers with whom I am personally and ministerially acquainted. Lodging, meals, and ministry sessions, will be at the Duncan Center--the Episcopal Diocese facility of South Florida--located in Delray Beach. $104.00 per day, or a total of $208.00+ tax per person, double occupancy covers two nights and 6 meals plus. We begin Thursday afternoon at 4:00 and conclude Saturday noon. Thursday and Friday evenings, worship  and  ministry  sessions will be open to the public.

Register Now! Send your deposit to Charles Carrin Ministries