How Many Galaxies are there?

 1. How many stars in our Galaxy?

The Milky Way galaxy is estimated to contain anywhere from 100 billion to 400 billion stars. However, it is difficult to determine an exact number as many stars are too faint to be detected with current technology, and the exact size and structure of the galaxy is still not fully known.

2. What Galaxy has the most stars?

The galaxy with the most number of stars currently known is the IC 1101 galaxy, which is located about 1.04 billion light-years away from Earth in the constellation Virgo. IC 1101 is a supergiant elliptical galaxy, and it is estimated to contain around 100 trillion stars, which is several times more than the number of stars in our Milky Way galaxy. However, it is important to note that our knowledge of the universe is constantly evolving, and new discoveries may reveal even more star-rich galaxies in the future.

3. How many Galaxies are there?

The exact number of galaxies in the observable universe is not known, but it is estimated to be in the range of 100 billion to 2 trillion galaxies. This wide range of estimates is due to the fact that we can only observe a small fraction of the universe, and our methods for detecting galaxies are limited by factors such as distance and the amount of light emitted by the galaxy. Additionally, the definition of what constitutes a "galaxy" can vary depending on the context and the specific criteria used for classification. Nevertheless, current observations and theoretical models suggest that there are likely many more galaxies in the universe than we can currently observe.

Total Depravity, Boettner

 "Man is a free agent but he cannot originate the love of God in his heart. His will is free in the sense that it is not controlled by any force outside of himself. As the “bird” with a broken wing is “free” to fly but not able, so the natural man is free to come to God but not able. How can he repent of his sin when he loves it? How can he come to God when he hates him? This is the inability of the will under which man labors.”

~ Lorraine Boettner 1901-1990, "Total Depravity"

Buildings and Websites

 


The best Christian websites are like the best Christian buildings. You can build it, but it doesn't mean the unbeliever is going to visit. And perhaps an unbeliever will visit, but without the Holy Spirit they will leave as bored as they came. God has provided great Christian websites and great buildings for the benefit of His people, but until the Holy Spirit gives the new birth they are powerless to change minds and hearts.

Institutes 3.4.3 Repentance

 

Monergism Article on Repentance

 Do you think repentance means we simply stop sinning?

Repentance does not mean to simply stop sinning. Instead, it involves the grace-enabled act of turning to the sole Person with the capacity to empower an individual to overcome sin—namely, Christ. Being a Christian is not a self-salvation project, but rather an appeal to the divine grace of God in Jesus Christ as the sole hope for redemption. Bereft of this divine intervention, human beings would remain perpetually incapable of change, irrespective of therapeutic interventions or the exertion of willpower. Prior to Christ's opening of the heart to the gospel, every individual remains ensnared in inescapable bondage. The necessity of Christ's intervention underscores the futility of attempting self-salvation. Part of the problem is that people are still stuck on trying, at least partly, to save themselves. As articulated in Luke 18:27, what is impossible for humanity—faith and repentance—is possible with God.

Here is an analogy that helps us further understand the nature of repentance:

Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Just as you don't need a doctor unless you are sick, similarly, you don't need a Savior unless you are a sinner. Christ's mission is to save those who recognize themselves as sinners in need of redemption. By nature, humans are inclined toward pride, resisting the admission of their status as rebellious sinners who require rescue. In the context of the aforementioned quotation, the Pharisees interrogate Jesus about his association with tax collectors and sinners, believing themselves to be more righteous. However, this self-righteousness ultimately exposes them as individuals who fail to recognize their own sinfulness and need for grace. Instead, they remain trapped in a cycle of pride, erroneously believing that they merit God's favor.

Thus, the call to repentance commences with the acknowledgment of one's entrapment in sin, the recognition of one's incapacity to escape its grasp, and the appeal to Christ as the sole means of deliverance from both the guilt and power of sin. In this way, repentance transcends the mere cessation of sinful actions (an impossible supposition) and encompasses a profound, grace-facilitated transformation in the individual's relationship with God, enabled by Jesus Christ.

Life is Short, Eternity is Long

 Reality, as described by the Bible, is mind-boggling, when I stop to think about it. People are born in remote jungles, and serve in grueling slave labor jobs for the Aztecs, Incas, or Mayans for what 40 years? and then die as rebels to God and then will suffer eternity which is over 40 quadrillion years in eternal torment. Even their earthly life which had some blessings and mercies where still hard, difficult, and toilsome....on top of that so very short compared to eternity. I live with air conditioning, indoor plumbing, hot water, clean water, a car, and loaded grocery stores, and most importantly God's Word, Spirit, and grace.

Repentance is not something we do

 “We should not interpret this to mean that repentance is another thing a person has to do to receive salvation in addition to faith. Rather, genuine faith includes repentance. Faith that doesn’t include repentance is false faith, for those who truly believe turn away from evil.”

― Thomas R. Schreiner

Eight Ounces of Steak

 Just because 8 ounces of steak is good for our bodies, it doesn't mean we can take in 80 ounces in one day. And just because one sermon is good, it doesn't mean we can take in 10 sermons a week. While personal daily devotions is a means for daily nourishment, it doesn't mean God has designed us to take in 8 hours of bible reading each day. He has designed us to work and create, to labor and contribute, to serve and to give-- to live out what we have been given in Christ.

Unity of the Law

1st Tweet: As a Christian would you vote to pass a law for a day of rest on Sundays (Sabbath law)?

2nd Tweet: How would our Sunday’s be different if nothing was open? A mandatory day of rest by law shouldn’t be seen as wrong by anyone.

MY RESPONSES:

Should someone (we) see it as wrong to: "put to death all those who break a mandatory day of rest." How should our enforcement of Sunday be any different. If we cite the existence of the day from the OT, should we not also cite the enforcement of the day from the OT as well? I'm just trying to be consistent. How can I (you) cite OT law for making the Lord's Day rest mandatory, but then I (you) abandon the OT law for making the enforcement of Lord's Day law (punishment/death). I don't so how I (anyone) can pick, then abandon. If we break civil laws today as members or as elders/mayors (in society, in a local congregation) are we immoral? If we are not immoral for violating OT civil law, which is no longer binding, how can we be immoral for violating a civil law that God never inspired?

 2nd, God gave us a civil law, saying we want one is saying we want God's civil law. If the moral law is not up for discussion, and the civil law is "supposed to be" the same as God's, then I don't suddenly see the freedom to say, the judicial law is "whatever man decides"

3rd, If a female "preaches" and the elders do not enact church discipline. We cannot say, civil laws allow her to preach, judicial laws do not enact punishment, so both the lady and elders were "moral", since civil and judicial laws were kept. Both Violations were immoral.

Does Rom. 13 say Rome is bound to OT Civil law? Paul wasn't trying to get'em to adopt it. Why should I submit to your personal desire to impose a civil law on Rome, that God/Paul doesn't impose, nor Rome has on their civil law books. YOU can't pick-n-choose what parts of OT civil law "you'd" like to vote in.

You "propose legislation." On what basis should I align to your proposal. God's law is abrogated. Rome's Law is "already" THE Law. If Rome isn't bound to all God's civil law, then they're not bound to your proposed portion of civil law; I'm not bound by your proposals either.

I said "citizens...want to" (meaning their proposals cannot bind my conscience._ Citizens...want to...impose higher taxes, that aren't law yet. Must I align with their proposals? No. Why must I align with you proposals?

You: Rome and Todd, I ask you to align with my proposals for altering Rome's Civll-Judicial laws.

Me and Rome: Why.

You: Because God's Moral law requires obeying the Lord's Day.

Me and Rome: Does God's Moral require obeying "the Civil Laws of God".

You: No.

Me: Then we shall not adhere to either God's Civil law or your proposal.

<unfinished>

Howl, Howl (by Spurgeon)

 “Not one drop of Jesus’ blood-bought ones was ever lost yet. Howl, howl, O hell, but howl you cannot over the damnation of a redeemed soul.

“Out with the horrid doctrine that men are bought with blood and yet are damned! It is too diabolical for me to believe.

“What! Did Christ at one tremendous draft of love drink my damnation dry? and shall I be damned after that? God forbid!

“What! shall God be unrighteous to forget the Redeemer’s work for us, and let the Savior’s blood be shed in vain? Not hell itself has ever indulged the thought.”

— Charles Spurgeon

Bed of Roses

 When chained to the stake he embraced the flames, and said, "Oh, ye papists, behold! ye look for miracles; here now may you see a miracle; for in this fire I feel no more pain than if I were in bed; for it is as sweet to me as a bed of roses."

Protestant James Baynham, 1532

God uses Means

God does not save people in a vacuum, apart from means, but through the preaching of the gospel. That is the means He uses to gather His elect. A farmer cannot hope to harvest a crop if he sits around and does nothing. He must plant seed. But the reverse is also true. He can work till he's blue in the face, he can cast seed in the ground he plows up, but unless the blessing of rain falls from heaven, the seed will remain dormant and all his work will be in vain. Similarly when we cast the seed of the gospel, we must also pray to to our Heavenly Father that He would send His Holy Spirit to open the hearts of the hearers … for, apart from His blessing the seed will fall on deaf ears. 

 Although we may intellectually understand this truth, it is easy to forget its significance in our daily lives. All too often we affirm this truth and then put it away in a file cabinet in some dark basement. It is easy to be tempted to rely on our own persuasive arguments to change the hearts of others, but we must remember that only God can transform a person's heart. Therefore, we must consistently pray before and after we share the gospel with others. We must plead with God to disarm the natural hostility of their hearts and open their minds to the truth. We must also pray for ourselves, that we may be gentle and wise in our approach, and that our defense of the Bible may be both cogent and compassionate. But how often do we forget to pray when sharing the gospel? Let us never forget the importance of seeking God's intervention as we share the good news of salvation. 

 (1 Corinthians 3:6-7, Acts 16:14, 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5, James 1:18, John 15:5, Romans 10:14, 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, 1 Peter 3:15, Colossians 4:6)

Goodness of God Song

 

Animal Laws

 Animals do not make laws. Animals do not force clothing, literacy, taxes, speeding, honesty, fidelity, property rights, punishments for murder, or trial by jury-- for billions of years across 1.7 million species.

Atheist begins: "Let me Introduce you"

Evolution does not provide the framework for:

1, binding imperatives/ mandatory actions, emotions, opinions

2. shame, remorse,

3. respect, empathy.

You can post commands and opinions, but for billions of years 1.7 million species will entirely ignore and defy your commands and opinions-- just as they do to this day. Humans as animals are not bound to any imperative, opinion, goal. purpose.

Whatever actions, responses, behaviors, traits you do cite in an animal it is still not "objectively good", as if jumping, swimming, climbing, burrowing are objectively good/ bad.

Violence happens in the animal world, but so does jumping, swimming, climbing, burrowing, nudity, illiteracy, infidelity. You either embrace all traits, or renounce all traits; But all traits are equal though different. A brown cow is not better than a violent cow. A peaceful cow is not better than a red cow.

Nugget on Atheism

Evolution allows for no binding imperatives. Things happen.

There are no "goals" (for life to exist, improve, cooperate, be sustained, or continue.)

Life happens, but so does death. Cooperation happens but so does violence. If empathy happens so does jumping, swimming, climbing, burrowing in the ground.

Offspring are born, but not always. Mates are found, but not always. Life is not an imperative. Health is not an imperative.

In Evolution no "is" or "are" is an "ought" or a "must". In Evolution no "does, do, did, has" is an "ought" or a "must". Examples. 1. Termites are cooperative. But this does not mean that "ought" to cooperate or "must" cooperate. Bears do not cooperate. 2. Humans "do" show empathy. Insects do not show empathy, animals only operate on instinct. No animal says that humans "ought" or "must" show empathy.

The feelings of shame, remorse, empathy, cooperation are all traits that are never required responses, just like "jumping" is not a required response. Some animals jump, some don't. Humans may have remorse, humans may not. Evolution does not care if life exists, improves, thrives, survives, or ends. There is no goal, intentionality, purpose in evolution. Death is fine, shame is fine, selfishness if fine.

Atheists say, "But cooperation, morality, empathy improves and extends life." Improvement and comfort are subjective. A pig fines comfort in mud, should humans wallow in mud? Bears hibernate, should humans hibernate? Sharks can live 300-500 years without reading, writing, waring clothes, or leaving the ocean; should humans imitate sharks to extend their life? Atheists tell me "you ought to read more." I tell them to tell that to a Shark. A shark will ignore them as 1.7 million species will, and thus so will I ignore their commands. 1.7 million species don't read and in evolution that is okay, so I won't read either. They say we came from animals, but then ditch the entire framework that animals operate under. 

Agreed Behavior

 An atheist has defined morality as "agreed behavior in a community."

I responded, "If we came from animals who have existed and evolved over 2 billion years, then nothing in evolution "requires" agreement. A cat can climb a tree or avoid a tree, neither is right or wrong, neither is required. You cannot praise conformity nor shame non-conformity. Even praise and shame are decisions that are meaningless like having wings or not having wings. If an animal or human derived from animals has no shame, it is irrelevant as an animal having no wings. No trait is mandatory, required, or essential. Even survival is not mandatory, required or essential. Plenty of species are extinct and that is just fine. There are no goals and no purpose or objective in the outcome of an explosion."

Habakkuk 3:17

 Habakkuk 3:17-19  For though the fig-tree shall not flourish, Neither shall fruit be in the vines; The labor of the olive shall fail, And the fields shall yield no food; The flock shall be cut off from the fold, And there shall be no herd in the stalls:  (18)  Yet I will rejoice in Jehovah, I will joy in the God of my salvation.        (19)  Jehovah, the Lord, is my strength; And he maketh my feet like hinds' feet, And will make me to walk upon my high places. For the Chief Musician, on my stringed instruments.

INTERPRET EVERY AFFLICTION

from Mike Riccardi: 

To interpret every affliction in your life as God’s disapproval is misguided. It is to side with Job’s friends and to forget God’s redemptive purposes in suffering.

But to interpret every affliction in your life as persecution for what just _must_ be faithfulness is also misguided. It is to steel yourself against the blessing of God’s chastening.

To be sure, if you belong to Christ, God is using your present affliction—whatever it is—for your good, and so there is no reason for the believer to be despondent.

But the good that God is accomplishing may very well be to bring you to repentance for sin or foolishness. In that case, there is no reason to be cocksure, fancy yourself a martyr, or deceive yourself that the only reason you could be suffering is for righteousness’ sake.

Wisdom and maturity are able to rightly discern whether a particular trial is your sharing in the sufferings of Christ, or whether you’re suffering as an evildoer (1 Pet 4:14-16).

“All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (Heb 12:11).

“A man who hardens his neck after much reproof will suddenly be broken beyond remedy” (Prov 29:1).

Active Obedience of Jesus

 Active Obedience.  (from Ken Kovach's wall):

Theological Term

active obedience of Christ

Jesus Christ’s perfect obedience to the whole law of God, which is credited to believers as grounds for their justification. Also called preceptive obedience. (See passive obedience of Christ.)

• Christ’s active obedience in scripture (see quote from John Owen below for more explanation):

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:18-19 ESV)

• From the 1833 New Hampshire Confession of Faith :

Of Justification. We believe that the great gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in him is Justification; that Justification includes the pardon of sin, and the promise of eternal life on principles of righteousness; that it is bestowed, not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood; by virtue of which faith his perfect righteousness is freely imputed to us of God; that it brings us into a state of most blessed peace and favor with God, and secures every other blessing needful for time and eternity.

• From Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem:

If Christ had only earned forgiveness of sins for us, then we would not merit heaven. Our guilt would have been removed, but we would simply be in the position of Adam and Eve before they had done anything good or bad and before they had passed a time of probation successfully. To be established in righteousness forever and to have their fellowship with God made sure forever, Adam and Eve had to obey God perfectly over a period of time. Then God would have looked on their faithful obedience with pleasure and delight, and they would have lived with him in fellowship forever.

For this reason, Christ had to live a life of perfect obedience to God in order to earn righteousness for us. He had to obey the law for his whole life on our behalf so that the positive merits of his perfect obedience would be counted for us. Sometimes this is called Christ’s “active obedience,” while his suffering and dying for our sins is called his “passive obedience.” Paul says his goal is that he may be found in Christ, “not having a righteousness of [his] own based on law, but that which is through faith in Christ the righteousness from God that depends on faith” (Phil. 3:9). It is not just moral neutrality that Paul knows he needs from Christ (that is, a clean slate with sins forgiven), but a positive moral righteousness. And he knows that that cannot come from himself, but must come through faith in Christ. Similarly, Paul says that Christ has been made “our righteousness” (1 Cor. 1:30). And he quite explicitly says, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous” (Rom. 5:19).

• From The Imputation of the Obedience of Christ Unto the Law Declared and Indicated by John Owen:

…[O]ur Saviour himself expounds this “fulfilling of the law,” by doing the commands of it, Matt.5:19. Wherefore, the Lord Christ as our mediator and surety fulfilling the law, by yielding perfect obedience thereunto, he did it for us; and to us it is imputed.

This is plainly affirmed by the apostle, Rom.5:18,19, “Therefore, as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners; so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” The full plea from, and vindication of, this testimony, I refer unto its proper place in the testimonies given unto the imputation of the righteousness of Christ unto our justification in general. Here I shall only observe, that the apostle expressly and in terms affirms that “by the obedience of Christ we are made righteous,” or justified; which we cannot be but by the imputation of it unto us. I have met with nothing that had the appearance of any sobriety for the eluding of this express testimony, but only that by the obedience of Christ his death and sufferings are intended, wherein he was obedient unto God; as the apostle says, he was “obedient unto death, even the death of the cross,” Phil.2:8. But yet there is herein no colour of probability. For,

(1.) It is acknowledged that there was such a near conjunction and alliance between the obedience of Christ and his sufferings, that though they may be distinguished, yet can they not be separated. He suffered in the whole course of his obedience, from the womb to the cross; and he obeyed in all his sufferings unto the last moment wherein he expired. But yet are they really things distinct, as we have proved; and they were so in him who “learned obedience by the things that he suffered,” Heb.5:8.

(2.) In this place, [Rom.5] “hupako-e”, verse 19, and “dikaiooma”, verse 18, are the same,— obedience and righteousness. “By the righteousness of one,” and “by the obedience of one,” are the same. But suffering, as suffering, is not “dikaiooma”, is not righteousness; for if it were, then every one that suffers what is due to him should be righteous, and so be justified, even the devil himself.

(3.) The righteousness and obedience here intended are opposed “tooi paraptoomati”,—to the offence: “By the offense of one.” But the offense intended was an actual transgression of the law; so is “paraptooma”, a fall from, or a fall in, the course of obedience. Wherefore the “dikaiooma”, or righteousness, must be an actual obedience unto the commands of the law, or the force of the apostle’s reasoning and antithesis cannot be understood.

(4.) Particularly, it is such an obedience as is opposed unto the disobedience of Adam,—“one man’s disobedience,” “one man’s obedience;”—but the disobedience of Adam was an actual transgression of the law: and therefore the obedience of Christ here intended was his active obedience unto the law;—which is that we plead for.

Learn more:

1. R. C. Sproul: Jesus Not Only Died for Us, He Lived for Us

2. Brian Schwertley: A Defense of the “Active Obedience” of Jesus Christ in the Justification of Sinners (pdf).

3. Wayne Grudem: The Active Obedience of Christ

4. John Samson: The Active Obedience of Christ - No Hope Without It!

5. J. Gresham Machen: The Active Obedience of Christ

6. Loraine Boettner: The Active and Passive Obedience of Christ

7. Curt Daniel: The Active and Passive Obedience of Christ (mp3)