CBN News
November 14, 2008
"CWN.org - Saudi Arabia's King Abdallah sponsored an interfaith meeting at the U.N. this week, in hopes, he said, of building bridges between people of different faiths and cultures.
Some say the idea of Saudi Arabia hosting a conference on religious tolerance is absurd, because it forbids the practice of any religion except Wahabbi Islam.
Carl Moeller is president of the religious freedom group, Open Doors USA.
"In Saudi Arabia itself there's absolutely no religious tolerance," he said. "It's the worst persecutor of Christians and other faiths of any country in the Muslim world."
World leaders, including President Bush and Israeli President Shimon peres attended the event.
In his address, Bush said freedom is crucial to fostering peace between faiths.
"People who are free to express their opinions can challenge the ideologies of hate," he said. "They can defend their religious beliefs and speak out against those seeking to twist them to evil ends."
But religious rights groups say the conference is hiding a grave threat to freedom of speech.
King Abdallah has been building support for a UN resolution called combating the defamation of religions.
Jay Sekulow of the American Center for Law and Justice says that despite its name, the resolution is really designed to give Islam special status.
"The fact of the matter is that this defamation of religion has nothing to do with protecting religious freedom," he said. "What it does is isolate and protect Islam from criticism."
Moeller says the resolution is more like a global gag law that would give muslim countries legal cover to punish those who question Islam.
"You might remember the response of world nations that were particularly offended by the Danish cartoons, the riots in many Muslim countries because they considered those cartoons an offense to Islam," he began. "Well this resolution will institutionalize that perspective in many Muslim countries."
And he says it can have a harmful effect on Christians.
Simple Christian activities like praying worshipping and sharing one's belief in Jesus Christ with a neighbor can be interpreted as offensive and therefore restricted," he said.
At the U.N., the interfaith meeting did break some new ground.
When Israeli President Shimon Peres addressed the group, it was the first time that a Saudi Arabian official did not walk out when an Israeli spoke."
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/481557.aspx
Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Monday, April 7, 2008
Survival of the sacred
"Why religion is winning
By Dinesh D'Souza
November 11, 2007
The vigorous, the healthy and the happy survive and multiply.
– Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species
Religion continues to grow worldwide, and atheists in America and the West are having a difficult time explaining why. These nonbelievers, most of them Darwinists, are convinced there must be some biological explanation for why, in every culture since the beginning of history, man has found and continues to find solace in religion. Biologist Richard Dawkins confesses that religion poses a “major puzzle to anyone who thinks in a Darwinian way.”
Here, from the evolutionary point of view, is the problem. Scholars such as anthropologist Scott Atran presume that religious beliefs are nothing more than illusions. Atran contends that religious belief requires taking “what is materially false to be true” and “what is materially true to be false.” For Atran and others, religion requires a commitment to “factually impossible worlds.” The question, then, is why would humans evolve in such a way that they come to believe in things that don't exist?
Philosopher Daniel Dennett states the problem clearly: “The ultimate measure of evolutionary value is fitness – the capacity to replicate more successfully than the competition does.” Yet on the face of it religion seems useless from an evolutionary point of view. It costs time and money, and it induces its members to make sacrifices that undermine their well-being for the benefit of others, sometimes total strangers.
Religious people build cathedrals and pyramids that have very little utility except as houses of worship and burial. The ancient Hebrews sacrificed their fattest calves to Yahweh, and even today people slaughter goats and chickens on altars. Religious people sometimes forgo certain foods; the cow is holy to the Hindus, and the pig unholy to the Muslims. Christians give tithes and financial offerings in church. The Jews keep holy the Sabbath, as Christians keep Sunday for church. Religious people recite prayers and go on pilgrimages. Some become missionaries or devote their lives to serving others. Some are even willing to die for their religious beliefs.
A critical question
The evolutionary biologist wonders: Why would evolved creatures like human beings bent on survival and reproduction do things that seem unrelated, even inimical, to those objectives? This is a critical question, not only because religion poses an intellectual dilemma for Darwinists, but also because Darwinists are hoping that by explaining the existence of religion they can expose its natural roots and undermine its supernatural authority. Biologist E.O. Wilson writes that “we have come to the crucial stage in the history of biology when religion itself is subject to the explanations of the natural sciences.” He expresses the hope that sometime soon “the final decisive edge enjoyed by scientific naturalism will come from its capacity to explain traditional religion, its chief competitor, as a wholly material phenomenon.”
So how far have these evolutionary theories progressed in accounting for the success of religion? In “The God Delusion” Dawkins writes, “The proximate cause of religion might be hyperactivity in a particular node of the brain.” He also speculates that “the idea of immortality survives and spreads because it caters to wishful thinking.” But it makes no evolutionary sense for minds to develop comforting beliefs that are evidently false. Explains cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker: “A freezing person finds no comfort in believing he is warm. A person face to face with a lion is not put at ease by the conviction that he is a rabbit.” Wishful thinking of this sort would quickly have become extinct as its practitioners froze or were eaten.
Yet Pinker's own solution to the problem is no better than that of Dawkins. He suggests there might be a “God module” in the brain that predisposes people to believe in the Almighty. Such a module, Pinker writes, might serve no survival purpose but could have evolved as a byproduct of other modules with evolutionary value. This is another way of saying there is no Darwinian explanation. After all, if a “God module” produces belief in God, how about a “Darwin module” that produces belief in evolution?
Still, the question raised by the Darwinists is not a foolish one. Biologists such as Dawkins and Wilson say there simply must be some natural and evolutionary explanation for the universality and persistence of religious belief, and they are right. There is such an explanation, and as a religious believer I am happy to provide one.
Two creation stories
The Rev. Randy Alcorn, founder of Eternal Perspective Ministries in Oregon, sometimes presents his audiences with two creation stories and asks them whether it matters which one is true. In the secular account, “You are the descendant of a tiny cell of primordial protoplasm washed up on an empty beach three-and-a-half-billion years ago. You are the blind and arbitrary product of time, chance and natural forces. You are a mere grab-bag of atomic particles, a conglomeration of genetic substance. You exist on a tiny planet in a minute solar system in an empty corner of a meaningless universe. You are a purely biological entity, different only in degree but not in kind from a microbe, virus or amoeba. You have no essence beyond your body, and at death you will cease to exist entirely. In short, you came from nothing and are going nowhere.”
In the Christian view, by contrast, “You are the special creation of a good and all-powerful God. You are created in his image, with capacities to think, feel and worship that set you above all other life forms. You differ from the animals not simply in degree but in kind. Not only is your kind unique, but you are unique among your kind. Your creator loves you so much and so intensely desires your companionship and affection that he has a perfect plan for your life. In addition, God gave the life of his only Son that you might spend eternity with him. If you are willing to accept the gift of salvation, you can become a child of God.”
Now imagine two groups of people – let's call them the Secular Tribe and the Religious Tribe – who subscribe to these two world views. Which of the two tribes is more likely to survive, prosper and multiply? The Religious Tribe is made up of people who have an animating sense of purpose. The Secular Tribe is made up of people who are not sure why they exist at all. The Religious Tribe is composed of individuals who view their every thought and action as consequential. The Secular Tribe is made up of matter that cannot explain why it is able to think at all.
Should evolutionists such as Dennett, Dawkins, Pinker and Wilson be surprised, then, to see that religious tribes are flourishing? Throughout the world, religious groups attract astounding numbers of followers and religious people are showing their confidence in their way of life and in the future by having more children. Despite the sales figures of atheist best-sellers, atheism remains a minority lifestyle and the largest atheist organizations have only a few thousand members.
The important point is not just that atheism is unable to compete with religion in attracting followers, but also that the lifestyle of practical atheism seems to produce listless tribes that cannot even reproduce themselves. Sociologists Pippa Norris and Ron Inglehart note that many richer, more secular countries are “producing only about half as many children as would be needed to replace the adult population” while many poorer, more religious countries are “producing two or three times as many children as would be needed to replace the adult population.” The consequence, so predictable that one might almost call it a law, is that “the religious population is growing fast, while the secular number is shrinking.”
Country by country
Russia is one of the most atheist countries in the world and abortions there out-number live births by a 2-to-1 ratio. Russia's birthrate has fallen so low that the nation is now losing 700,000 people a year. Japan, perhaps the most secular country in Asia, is also on a kind of population diet: its 130 million people are expected to drop to around 100 million in the next few decades. Canada, Australia and New Zealand find themselves in a similar predicament.
Then there is Europe. The most secular continent on the globe is decadent in the quite literal sense that its population is rapidly shrinking. Birthrates are abysmally low in France, Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic and Sweden. The nations of Western Europe today show some of the lowest birthrates ever recorded, and Eastern European birthrates are comparably low. Historians have noted that Europe is suffering the most sustained reduction in its population since the Black Death in the 14th century, when one in three Europeans succumbed to the plague. Lacking the strong religious identity that once characterized Christendom, atheist Europe seems to be a civilization on its way out. The philosopher Nietzsche predicted that European decadence would produce a miserable “last man” devoid of any purpose beyond making life comfortable and making provision for regular fornication. Well, Nietzsche's “last man” is finally here, and his name is Sven.
Eric Kaufmann has noted that in America, where high levels of immigration have helped to compensate for falling native birthrates, birthrates among religious people are nearly twice as high as those for secular people. This trend has also been noticed in Europe. What this means is that, by a kind of natural selection, the West is likely to evolve in a more religious direction.
This tendency will likely accelerate if Western societies continue to import immigrants from more religious societies, whether they are Christian or Muslim. Thus we can expect even the most secular regions of the world, through the sheer logic of demography, to become less secular over time.
In previous decades, scholars have tried to give a purely economic explanation for demographic trends. The general idea was that population was a function of affluence. Sociologists noted that as people and countries became richer, they had fewer children. Presumably, primitive societies needed children to help in the fields, and more prosperous societies no longer did. Poor people were also believed to have more children because sex provided one of their only means of recreation. Moreover, poor people are often ignorant about birth control or don't have access to it. From this perspective, large families were explained as a phenomenon of poverty and ignorance.
The economic explanation is partly true, but it falls short of the full picture. Poor people reproduce at higher rates despite having access to birth control and movie tickets; it turns out they generally want larger families. Sure, they are more economically dependent on their children, but on the other hand rich people can afford more children. Wealthy people in America today tend to have one child or none, but wealthy families in the past tended to have three or more children. The real difference is not merely in the level of income, it is that in the past children were valued as gifts from God, and traditional cultures still view them that way.
Muslim countries, with their oil revenues, are by no means the poorest in the world and yet they have among the highest birth rates. Practicing Catholics, orthodox Jews, Mormons and evangelical Protestants are by no means the poorest groups in America, and yet they have large families. Clearly, religious factors are at work here. The declining birthrates in the West as a whole are, in considerable part, due to secularization. The religious motive for childbearing has been greatly attenuated, and children are now viewed by many people as instruments of self-gratification. The old biblical principle was “Be fruitful and multiply.” The new one is “Have as many children as will enhance your lifestyle.”
False prophets
The economic forecasters of the disappearance of religion have proven themselves to be false prophets. Not only is religion thriving, it is thriving because it helps people adapt and survive in the world. In his book “Darwin's Cathedral,” evolutionary biologist David Sloan Wilson argues that religion provides something that secular society doesn't: a vision of transcendent purpose. Consequently, religious people develop a zest for life that is, in a sense, unnatural. They exhibit a hopefulness about the future that may exceed what is warranted by how the world is going. And they forge principles of morality and charity that simply make their group more cohesive, adaptive and successful than groups whose members lack this binding and elevating force.
My conclusion is that it is not religion but atheism that requires a Darwinian explanation. It seems perplexing why nature would breed a group of people who see no higher purpose to life or the universe. Here is where the biological expertise of Dawkins, Pinker and Wilson could prove illuminating. Maybe they can turn their Darwinian lens on themselves and help us understand how atheism, like the human tailbone and the panda's thumb, somehow survived as an evolutionary leftover of our primitive past.
D'Souza's new book, “What's So Great About Christianity,” is published by Regnery. Website: dineshdsouza.com. Email: dineshjdsouza@aol.com."
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20071111/news_mz1e11dsouza.html
By Dinesh D'Souza
November 11, 2007
The vigorous, the healthy and the happy survive and multiply.
– Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species
Religion continues to grow worldwide, and atheists in America and the West are having a difficult time explaining why. These nonbelievers, most of them Darwinists, are convinced there must be some biological explanation for why, in every culture since the beginning of history, man has found and continues to find solace in religion. Biologist Richard Dawkins confesses that religion poses a “major puzzle to anyone who thinks in a Darwinian way.”
Here, from the evolutionary point of view, is the problem. Scholars such as anthropologist Scott Atran presume that religious beliefs are nothing more than illusions. Atran contends that religious belief requires taking “what is materially false to be true” and “what is materially true to be false.” For Atran and others, religion requires a commitment to “factually impossible worlds.” The question, then, is why would humans evolve in such a way that they come to believe in things that don't exist?
Philosopher Daniel Dennett states the problem clearly: “The ultimate measure of evolutionary value is fitness – the capacity to replicate more successfully than the competition does.” Yet on the face of it religion seems useless from an evolutionary point of view. It costs time and money, and it induces its members to make sacrifices that undermine their well-being for the benefit of others, sometimes total strangers.
Religious people build cathedrals and pyramids that have very little utility except as houses of worship and burial. The ancient Hebrews sacrificed their fattest calves to Yahweh, and even today people slaughter goats and chickens on altars. Religious people sometimes forgo certain foods; the cow is holy to the Hindus, and the pig unholy to the Muslims. Christians give tithes and financial offerings in church. The Jews keep holy the Sabbath, as Christians keep Sunday for church. Religious people recite prayers and go on pilgrimages. Some become missionaries or devote their lives to serving others. Some are even willing to die for their religious beliefs.
A critical question
The evolutionary biologist wonders: Why would evolved creatures like human beings bent on survival and reproduction do things that seem unrelated, even inimical, to those objectives? This is a critical question, not only because religion poses an intellectual dilemma for Darwinists, but also because Darwinists are hoping that by explaining the existence of religion they can expose its natural roots and undermine its supernatural authority. Biologist E.O. Wilson writes that “we have come to the crucial stage in the history of biology when religion itself is subject to the explanations of the natural sciences.” He expresses the hope that sometime soon “the final decisive edge enjoyed by scientific naturalism will come from its capacity to explain traditional religion, its chief competitor, as a wholly material phenomenon.”
So how far have these evolutionary theories progressed in accounting for the success of religion? In “The God Delusion” Dawkins writes, “The proximate cause of religion might be hyperactivity in a particular node of the brain.” He also speculates that “the idea of immortality survives and spreads because it caters to wishful thinking.” But it makes no evolutionary sense for minds to develop comforting beliefs that are evidently false. Explains cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker: “A freezing person finds no comfort in believing he is warm. A person face to face with a lion is not put at ease by the conviction that he is a rabbit.” Wishful thinking of this sort would quickly have become extinct as its practitioners froze or were eaten.
Yet Pinker's own solution to the problem is no better than that of Dawkins. He suggests there might be a “God module” in the brain that predisposes people to believe in the Almighty. Such a module, Pinker writes, might serve no survival purpose but could have evolved as a byproduct of other modules with evolutionary value. This is another way of saying there is no Darwinian explanation. After all, if a “God module” produces belief in God, how about a “Darwin module” that produces belief in evolution?
Still, the question raised by the Darwinists is not a foolish one. Biologists such as Dawkins and Wilson say there simply must be some natural and evolutionary explanation for the universality and persistence of religious belief, and they are right. There is such an explanation, and as a religious believer I am happy to provide one.
Two creation stories
The Rev. Randy Alcorn, founder of Eternal Perspective Ministries in Oregon, sometimes presents his audiences with two creation stories and asks them whether it matters which one is true. In the secular account, “You are the descendant of a tiny cell of primordial protoplasm washed up on an empty beach three-and-a-half-billion years ago. You are the blind and arbitrary product of time, chance and natural forces. You are a mere grab-bag of atomic particles, a conglomeration of genetic substance. You exist on a tiny planet in a minute solar system in an empty corner of a meaningless universe. You are a purely biological entity, different only in degree but not in kind from a microbe, virus or amoeba. You have no essence beyond your body, and at death you will cease to exist entirely. In short, you came from nothing and are going nowhere.”
In the Christian view, by contrast, “You are the special creation of a good and all-powerful God. You are created in his image, with capacities to think, feel and worship that set you above all other life forms. You differ from the animals not simply in degree but in kind. Not only is your kind unique, but you are unique among your kind. Your creator loves you so much and so intensely desires your companionship and affection that he has a perfect plan for your life. In addition, God gave the life of his only Son that you might spend eternity with him. If you are willing to accept the gift of salvation, you can become a child of God.”
Now imagine two groups of people – let's call them the Secular Tribe and the Religious Tribe – who subscribe to these two world views. Which of the two tribes is more likely to survive, prosper and multiply? The Religious Tribe is made up of people who have an animating sense of purpose. The Secular Tribe is made up of people who are not sure why they exist at all. The Religious Tribe is composed of individuals who view their every thought and action as consequential. The Secular Tribe is made up of matter that cannot explain why it is able to think at all.
Should evolutionists such as Dennett, Dawkins, Pinker and Wilson be surprised, then, to see that religious tribes are flourishing? Throughout the world, religious groups attract astounding numbers of followers and religious people are showing their confidence in their way of life and in the future by having more children. Despite the sales figures of atheist best-sellers, atheism remains a minority lifestyle and the largest atheist organizations have only a few thousand members.
The important point is not just that atheism is unable to compete with religion in attracting followers, but also that the lifestyle of practical atheism seems to produce listless tribes that cannot even reproduce themselves. Sociologists Pippa Norris and Ron Inglehart note that many richer, more secular countries are “producing only about half as many children as would be needed to replace the adult population” while many poorer, more religious countries are “producing two or three times as many children as would be needed to replace the adult population.” The consequence, so predictable that one might almost call it a law, is that “the religious population is growing fast, while the secular number is shrinking.”
Country by country
Russia is one of the most atheist countries in the world and abortions there out-number live births by a 2-to-1 ratio. Russia's birthrate has fallen so low that the nation is now losing 700,000 people a year. Japan, perhaps the most secular country in Asia, is also on a kind of population diet: its 130 million people are expected to drop to around 100 million in the next few decades. Canada, Australia and New Zealand find themselves in a similar predicament.
Then there is Europe. The most secular continent on the globe is decadent in the quite literal sense that its population is rapidly shrinking. Birthrates are abysmally low in France, Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic and Sweden. The nations of Western Europe today show some of the lowest birthrates ever recorded, and Eastern European birthrates are comparably low. Historians have noted that Europe is suffering the most sustained reduction in its population since the Black Death in the 14th century, when one in three Europeans succumbed to the plague. Lacking the strong religious identity that once characterized Christendom, atheist Europe seems to be a civilization on its way out. The philosopher Nietzsche predicted that European decadence would produce a miserable “last man” devoid of any purpose beyond making life comfortable and making provision for regular fornication. Well, Nietzsche's “last man” is finally here, and his name is Sven.
Eric Kaufmann has noted that in America, where high levels of immigration have helped to compensate for falling native birthrates, birthrates among religious people are nearly twice as high as those for secular people. This trend has also been noticed in Europe. What this means is that, by a kind of natural selection, the West is likely to evolve in a more religious direction.
This tendency will likely accelerate if Western societies continue to import immigrants from more religious societies, whether they are Christian or Muslim. Thus we can expect even the most secular regions of the world, through the sheer logic of demography, to become less secular over time.
In previous decades, scholars have tried to give a purely economic explanation for demographic trends. The general idea was that population was a function of affluence. Sociologists noted that as people and countries became richer, they had fewer children. Presumably, primitive societies needed children to help in the fields, and more prosperous societies no longer did. Poor people were also believed to have more children because sex provided one of their only means of recreation. Moreover, poor people are often ignorant about birth control or don't have access to it. From this perspective, large families were explained as a phenomenon of poverty and ignorance.
The economic explanation is partly true, but it falls short of the full picture. Poor people reproduce at higher rates despite having access to birth control and movie tickets; it turns out they generally want larger families. Sure, they are more economically dependent on their children, but on the other hand rich people can afford more children. Wealthy people in America today tend to have one child or none, but wealthy families in the past tended to have three or more children. The real difference is not merely in the level of income, it is that in the past children were valued as gifts from God, and traditional cultures still view them that way.
Muslim countries, with their oil revenues, are by no means the poorest in the world and yet they have among the highest birth rates. Practicing Catholics, orthodox Jews, Mormons and evangelical Protestants are by no means the poorest groups in America, and yet they have large families. Clearly, religious factors are at work here. The declining birthrates in the West as a whole are, in considerable part, due to secularization. The religious motive for childbearing has been greatly attenuated, and children are now viewed by many people as instruments of self-gratification. The old biblical principle was “Be fruitful and multiply.” The new one is “Have as many children as will enhance your lifestyle.”
False prophets
The economic forecasters of the disappearance of religion have proven themselves to be false prophets. Not only is religion thriving, it is thriving because it helps people adapt and survive in the world. In his book “Darwin's Cathedral,” evolutionary biologist David Sloan Wilson argues that religion provides something that secular society doesn't: a vision of transcendent purpose. Consequently, religious people develop a zest for life that is, in a sense, unnatural. They exhibit a hopefulness about the future that may exceed what is warranted by how the world is going. And they forge principles of morality and charity that simply make their group more cohesive, adaptive and successful than groups whose members lack this binding and elevating force.
My conclusion is that it is not religion but atheism that requires a Darwinian explanation. It seems perplexing why nature would breed a group of people who see no higher purpose to life or the universe. Here is where the biological expertise of Dawkins, Pinker and Wilson could prove illuminating. Maybe they can turn their Darwinian lens on themselves and help us understand how atheism, like the human tailbone and the panda's thumb, somehow survived as an evolutionary leftover of our primitive past.
D'Souza's new book, “What's So Great About Christianity,” is published by Regnery. Website: dineshdsouza.com. Email: dineshjdsouza@aol.com."
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20071111/news_mz1e11dsouza.html
Thursday, March 13, 2008
The sole, all-important, urgent message of highest priority and ultimate consequence
Do you consider yourself to be a good person?
Most people do. The Bible says that God is good, and the Ten Commandments are His standard of goodness. Ask yourself if you have obeyed the Ten Commandments. Most would answer the question, "Well, I've broken one or two, but nothing too serious, like murder, etc." So, let's go through them and see how you do:
1. You shall have no other gods before Me. (Have you always loved God above all else?)
Is God first in your life?
Many years ago, a man purchased a T.V. for his children, but the first evening they had it, the man arrived home from work and found that his children didn't even bother to greet him. They were too busy watching television. The man turned it off and explained to them that if they ignored him because they preferred to watch T.V., they were setting their love on the gift rather than the giver---a wrong order of affections. In the same way, if we love anything—husband, wife, children or even our own lives—more than we love God, we are setting our affection on the gift rather than the Giver, which is a transgression of the First Commandment.
We are also commanded to love our neighbor as much as we love ourselves. Jesus spoke of a man who found an injured stranger, bathed his wounds, carried him to an inn, gave money for his care and told the inn-keeper that he would pay for his expenses. We call him the good Samaritan, but in reality he wasn't "good" at all, he merely obeyed the basic command to love his neighbor as himself. That is a picture of how God expects us to love our fellow human beings. We should love them as much as we love ourselves...whether they be friend or foe.
Have you loved God with all your heart? Have you loved humanity as much as you love yourself? You be the judge. Will you be innocent or guilty on Judgment Day of breaking that Commandment?
2. You shall not make for yourself an idol. (Have you made a god in your mind that you're more comfortable with, a god to suit yourself?)
This means that we shouldn't make a god to suit ourselves, either with our hands or our mind. Is your God the One revealed in Holy Scripture, or is your god merely an “image” that you shaped to suit yourself? If you have made your own god to suit yourself, then you have committed the oldest sin in the Book. Scripture warns that no idolater will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
3. You shall not take God's name in vain. (Have you ever used God's holy Name as a curse word?)
Have you ever taken God's name in vain---instead of using a four-letter word to express disgust, you've used His name? Even Hitler's name wasn't despised enough to use as a curse word. If you have used His holy name in that manner, you are a blasphemer and will not enter the Kingdom of God.
4. Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy. (Do you set aside at least one day a week to worship God?)
5. Honor your father and mother.
Have you always honored your parents in a way that's pleasing in the sight of God? What about sins of your youth? Did you disobey or dishonor your parents when you were small?
6. You shall not murder. (God considers hatred to be as murder).
Jesus warned that if we get angry without cause we are in danger of judgment. If we hate our brother, God calls us a murderer. We can violate God's Law by attitude and intent. God sees our heart, not just our outward actions.
7. You shall not commit adultery. (Jesus said that "Whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart"; and of course adultery also includes sex before marriage).
Who of us can say that we are pure of heart? Jesus warned, "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery already with her in his heart." Remember that God has seen every thought you have had and every sin you have ever committed. The day will come when you have to face His Law, and we are told that the impure, fornicators (those who have had sex before marriage) and adulterers will not enter the Kingdom of God.
8. You shall not steal. (Have you ever stolen anything? The value of the item is irrelevant. If so, then you are a thief—you cannot enter God's Kingdom.)
9. You shall not lie. (Have you lied even once? Including answering these questions).
Have you ever told a lie? A person who lies is called a liar. How many lies do you have to tell to be a liar? Just one. The Bible warns that all liars will have their part in the Lake of Fire. You may not think deceitfulness is a serious sin. But God does!
10. You shall not covet. (Have you ever jealously desired what belongs to others?)
The Bible says that God will punish all murderers, rapists, thieves, liars, adulterers, etc. He will even judge our words and our thoughts. On Judgment Day, will you be found to be guilty or innocent of breaking His commandments? Based on God’s Law, the Ten Commandments, will you go to Heaven or Hell?
Perhaps you think that God is good, and will therefore overlook your sins. But it is His goodness that will make sure that murderers, rapists, thieves, liars, etc. receive justice. He would be a corrupt Judge if He turned a blind eye to injustice. Have you kept the Commandments…ALL of them, ALL of the time?
Isn't it true that the best of us have lied, stolen, lusted, hated, failed to love God above all else, and failed to always love our neighbor as ourselves?
The Bible says that the Law is perfect. It commands you to be perfect. Are you perfect (in thought, word, and deed)?
Will you make it to Heaven? You may say that you’re still good, but God says you're not, and the Scriptures tell us that it’s impossible for God to lie. Remember that all liars will be cast into the Lake of Fire. God's Law demands justice, and the penalty for sinning against Him is death and Hell.
How can we then, live a "good" life if we have already sinned against God? At best we are reformed liars and thieves . . . but still Lawbreakers.
Think of it this way - would you sell one of your eyes for a million dollars? Would you sell both for $50 million? I'm sure you wouldn't. Your eyes are priceless, yet they are merely the windows of your soul. What then must your life (soul) be worth? With these thoughts in mind, what would be a fair price to pay for everlasting life? It is utterly without price. Yet, if we trust in our own goodness to enter Heaven, we are saying to God, "I should enter Heaven because I have done good - I have earned my way in."
Imagine if you wanted to give me a brand new (very expensive) car, but I said, "I can't take it! I feel embarrassed receiving such a gift . . . here's 10 cents for it." I'm sure you would be very insulted by such a pathetic offer of payment. Besides, if I pay for it, it is no longer a gift, it's a purchase . . . it's mine by right.
When we talk of entering Heaven by being good, by trying to keep the Ten Commandments etc., we are tossing God 10 cents of "self-righteousness," which is a terrible insult to Him, in the light of His sacrifice.
But there is hope! God Himself made a way where His justice and His goodness could meet. We broke the Law, but He became a man to pay the fine. Jesus suffered and died on the cross to satisfy the Law. God can forgive us and grant us the gift of everlasting life! But its not an automatic thing, nor is it a ‘blanket’ salvation where everybody in the world is automatically saved.
The only thing we can do is humble ourselves, repent of (turn away from) our sins, and receive the gift by trusting Jesus Christ alone. Almighty God demonstrated how much He loves you when Jesus suffered for you on the cross. If you want to trust in your own goodness, then you are saying His agonizing death on the cross was in vain. The Bible says, "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." You cannot earn a gift.
When Jesus said to "believe" on Him, He was saying we should have faith in Him, in the same way you would trust a parachute to save you when you jump from a plane. You don't merely believe in the parachute - you put it on. Please don't "jump" without Jesus. If you die in your sins there is NO second chance. God will give you justice, and you will end up in Hell forever. Any troubles you have at present are dwarfed by the trouble you are in with your Creator. His wrath abides upon you (John 3:36). God doesn't want you to go to Hell. Neither do you want to go there, so confess your sins to God right now, put your trust in Jesus to save you, and you will pass from death to life. Then read the Bible daily and obey what you read. (See John 14:21). Your obedience to God is the proof of your love. Have faith in God. He will never fail you.
Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
We all have sin in our hearts. We all were born with sin.
We were born under the power of sin's control.
- Admit that you are a sinner.
Romans 6:23a "...The wages of sin is death..."
Sin has an ending. It results in death. We all face physical death, which is a result of sin. But a worse death is spiritual death that alienates us from God, and will last for all eternity. The Bible teaches that there is a place called the Lake of Fire where lost people will be in torment forever. It is the place where people who are spiritually dead will remain. The Bible calls this the Second Death.
- Understand that you deserve death for your sin.
Romans 6:23b "...But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Salvation is a free gift from God to you! You can't earn this gift, but you must reach out and receive it.
- Ask God to forgive you and save you.
Romans 5:8, "God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us!"
When Jesus died on the cross He paid sin's penalty. He paid the price for all sin, and when He took all the sins of the world on Himself on the cross, He bought us out of slavery to sin and death! He paid the ransom with His own holy, perfect life. The only condition is that we believe in Him and what He has done for us, understanding that we are now joined with Him, and that He is our life. He did all this because He loved us and gave Himself for us!
- Give your life to God... His love poured out in Jesus on the cross is your only hope to have forgiveness and change. His love bought you out of being a slave to sin. His love is what saves you -- not religion, or church membership. There is no one else Who can save you except Jesus Christ Who is God the Son. God loves you!
Romans 10:13 "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved!"
- Call out to God in the name of Jesus!
Romans 10:9,10 "...If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."
- If you know that God is knocking on your heart's door, ask Him to come into your heart.
Jesus said,
Revelation 3:20a "Behold I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him..."
- Is Jesus knocking on your heart's door?
Do you want to escape from Hell and from God’s wrath? Do you want Jesus to forgive you of all your sins---past, present and future? Are you willing to relinquish control of your life to Jesus, and follow Him as your Savior and as the Lord of your life?
Believe in Him.
Ask Him to come in to your heart by faith,and ask Him to reveal Himself to you.
Remember: there is no “magic formula” prayer, and merely repeating a bunch of words will not save you. ‘Being saved’ is not about saying some prayer, then going about your own way and living your life however you please. It involves following Jesus from now on and forever. It has to do with complete surrender and with a sincere heart attitude.
Just talk to Jesus in your own words. He knows your thoughts anyway. However, if you say, “I don’t know how to pray; I have no idea what to say,” then here is a sample guideline to help you:
Pray something like this:
"Dear God, today I turn away from all of my sins (name them). This day I put my trust in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. He is the only way for me to be saved. He is 'The Way, the Truth, and the Life.’ Please forgive me, change my heart, and grant me Your gift of everlasting life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen."
If you have now surrendered and committed your life to Jesus, and have given Him full control of your life, then the Bible says that the angels in Heaven are rejoicing right now!
Not only that, but if you have asked Christ Jesus to come into your life and save you from your sins and from Hell and damnation and eternal suffering, and have asked Him to take over your life, then the Bible says that God the Holy Spirit has now come to dwell inside you! Therefore, you are now a living temple of the Holy Spirit (the third Person of the Trinity)! You are now a living temple of God!
Open the Bible to the Gospel of John and read what God says about Jesus, about you, and about being born again.
God will help you. He loves you.
You need to look for a local church where
God's word is preached. The Bible says that we are to desire God's word like a newborn baby desires mother's milk.
Aren't you hungry to know the truth?
Water baptism is one of the ways you first show that you have been joined to Jesus. This is an action, and actions will not save you. However, it is an act of obedience and a symbol of commitment.
The symbolism is this:
When you go down in the water you show that you have been crucified and buried with Him, and when you come up out of the water you show that you have been raised to walk with Him in newness of life.
(See Romans chapter 6)
You have been born again.
(See John chapter 3)
Your body has become God's temple.
Your heart is where He lives.
Forgiveness is yours in Jesus.
And you belong to Him.
You were sin's slave.
But now...
You are a child of GOD!
John 1:12
"As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name!"
Most people do. The Bible says that God is good, and the Ten Commandments are His standard of goodness. Ask yourself if you have obeyed the Ten Commandments. Most would answer the question, "Well, I've broken one or two, but nothing too serious, like murder, etc." So, let's go through them and see how you do:
1. You shall have no other gods before Me. (Have you always loved God above all else?)
Is God first in your life?
Many years ago, a man purchased a T.V. for his children, but the first evening they had it, the man arrived home from work and found that his children didn't even bother to greet him. They were too busy watching television. The man turned it off and explained to them that if they ignored him because they preferred to watch T.V., they were setting their love on the gift rather than the giver---a wrong order of affections. In the same way, if we love anything—husband, wife, children or even our own lives—more than we love God, we are setting our affection on the gift rather than the Giver, which is a transgression of the First Commandment.
We are also commanded to love our neighbor as much as we love ourselves. Jesus spoke of a man who found an injured stranger, bathed his wounds, carried him to an inn, gave money for his care and told the inn-keeper that he would pay for his expenses. We call him the good Samaritan, but in reality he wasn't "good" at all, he merely obeyed the basic command to love his neighbor as himself. That is a picture of how God expects us to love our fellow human beings. We should love them as much as we love ourselves...whether they be friend or foe.
Have you loved God with all your heart? Have you loved humanity as much as you love yourself? You be the judge. Will you be innocent or guilty on Judgment Day of breaking that Commandment?
2. You shall not make for yourself an idol. (Have you made a god in your mind that you're more comfortable with, a god to suit yourself?)
This means that we shouldn't make a god to suit ourselves, either with our hands or our mind. Is your God the One revealed in Holy Scripture, or is your god merely an “image” that you shaped to suit yourself? If you have made your own god to suit yourself, then you have committed the oldest sin in the Book. Scripture warns that no idolater will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
3. You shall not take God's name in vain. (Have you ever used God's holy Name as a curse word?)
Have you ever taken God's name in vain---instead of using a four-letter word to express disgust, you've used His name? Even Hitler's name wasn't despised enough to use as a curse word. If you have used His holy name in that manner, you are a blasphemer and will not enter the Kingdom of God.
4. Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy. (Do you set aside at least one day a week to worship God?)
5. Honor your father and mother.
Have you always honored your parents in a way that's pleasing in the sight of God? What about sins of your youth? Did you disobey or dishonor your parents when you were small?
6. You shall not murder. (God considers hatred to be as murder).
Jesus warned that if we get angry without cause we are in danger of judgment. If we hate our brother, God calls us a murderer. We can violate God's Law by attitude and intent. God sees our heart, not just our outward actions.
7. You shall not commit adultery. (Jesus said that "Whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart"; and of course adultery also includes sex before marriage).
Who of us can say that we are pure of heart? Jesus warned, "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery already with her in his heart." Remember that God has seen every thought you have had and every sin you have ever committed. The day will come when you have to face His Law, and we are told that the impure, fornicators (those who have had sex before marriage) and adulterers will not enter the Kingdom of God.
8. You shall not steal. (Have you ever stolen anything? The value of the item is irrelevant. If so, then you are a thief—you cannot enter God's Kingdom.)
9. You shall not lie. (Have you lied even once? Including answering these questions).
Have you ever told a lie? A person who lies is called a liar. How many lies do you have to tell to be a liar? Just one. The Bible warns that all liars will have their part in the Lake of Fire. You may not think deceitfulness is a serious sin. But God does!
10. You shall not covet. (Have you ever jealously desired what belongs to others?)
The Bible says that God will punish all murderers, rapists, thieves, liars, adulterers, etc. He will even judge our words and our thoughts. On Judgment Day, will you be found to be guilty or innocent of breaking His commandments? Based on God’s Law, the Ten Commandments, will you go to Heaven or Hell?
Perhaps you think that God is good, and will therefore overlook your sins. But it is His goodness that will make sure that murderers, rapists, thieves, liars, etc. receive justice. He would be a corrupt Judge if He turned a blind eye to injustice. Have you kept the Commandments…ALL of them, ALL of the time?
Isn't it true that the best of us have lied, stolen, lusted, hated, failed to love God above all else, and failed to always love our neighbor as ourselves?
The Bible says that the Law is perfect. It commands you to be perfect. Are you perfect (in thought, word, and deed)?
Will you make it to Heaven? You may say that you’re still good, but God says you're not, and the Scriptures tell us that it’s impossible for God to lie. Remember that all liars will be cast into the Lake of Fire. God's Law demands justice, and the penalty for sinning against Him is death and Hell.
How can we then, live a "good" life if we have already sinned against God? At best we are reformed liars and thieves . . . but still Lawbreakers.
Think of it this way - would you sell one of your eyes for a million dollars? Would you sell both for $50 million? I'm sure you wouldn't. Your eyes are priceless, yet they are merely the windows of your soul. What then must your life (soul) be worth? With these thoughts in mind, what would be a fair price to pay for everlasting life? It is utterly without price. Yet, if we trust in our own goodness to enter Heaven, we are saying to God, "I should enter Heaven because I have done good - I have earned my way in."
Imagine if you wanted to give me a brand new (very expensive) car, but I said, "I can't take it! I feel embarrassed receiving such a gift . . . here's 10 cents for it." I'm sure you would be very insulted by such a pathetic offer of payment. Besides, if I pay for it, it is no longer a gift, it's a purchase . . . it's mine by right.
When we talk of entering Heaven by being good, by trying to keep the Ten Commandments etc., we are tossing God 10 cents of "self-righteousness," which is a terrible insult to Him, in the light of His sacrifice.
But there is hope! God Himself made a way where His justice and His goodness could meet. We broke the Law, but He became a man to pay the fine. Jesus suffered and died on the cross to satisfy the Law. God can forgive us and grant us the gift of everlasting life! But its not an automatic thing, nor is it a ‘blanket’ salvation where everybody in the world is automatically saved.
The only thing we can do is humble ourselves, repent of (turn away from) our sins, and receive the gift by trusting Jesus Christ alone. Almighty God demonstrated how much He loves you when Jesus suffered for you on the cross. If you want to trust in your own goodness, then you are saying His agonizing death on the cross was in vain. The Bible says, "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." You cannot earn a gift.
When Jesus said to "believe" on Him, He was saying we should have faith in Him, in the same way you would trust a parachute to save you when you jump from a plane. You don't merely believe in the parachute - you put it on. Please don't "jump" without Jesus. If you die in your sins there is NO second chance. God will give you justice, and you will end up in Hell forever. Any troubles you have at present are dwarfed by the trouble you are in with your Creator. His wrath abides upon you (John 3:36). God doesn't want you to go to Hell. Neither do you want to go there, so confess your sins to God right now, put your trust in Jesus to save you, and you will pass from death to life. Then read the Bible daily and obey what you read. (See John 14:21). Your obedience to God is the proof of your love. Have faith in God. He will never fail you.
Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
We all have sin in our hearts. We all were born with sin.
We were born under the power of sin's control.
- Admit that you are a sinner.
Romans 6:23a "...The wages of sin is death..."
Sin has an ending. It results in death. We all face physical death, which is a result of sin. But a worse death is spiritual death that alienates us from God, and will last for all eternity. The Bible teaches that there is a place called the Lake of Fire where lost people will be in torment forever. It is the place where people who are spiritually dead will remain. The Bible calls this the Second Death.
- Understand that you deserve death for your sin.
Romans 6:23b "...But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Salvation is a free gift from God to you! You can't earn this gift, but you must reach out and receive it.
- Ask God to forgive you and save you.
Romans 5:8, "God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us!"
When Jesus died on the cross He paid sin's penalty. He paid the price for all sin, and when He took all the sins of the world on Himself on the cross, He bought us out of slavery to sin and death! He paid the ransom with His own holy, perfect life. The only condition is that we believe in Him and what He has done for us, understanding that we are now joined with Him, and that He is our life. He did all this because He loved us and gave Himself for us!
- Give your life to God... His love poured out in Jesus on the cross is your only hope to have forgiveness and change. His love bought you out of being a slave to sin. His love is what saves you -- not religion, or church membership. There is no one else Who can save you except Jesus Christ Who is God the Son. God loves you!
Romans 10:13 "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved!"
- Call out to God in the name of Jesus!
Romans 10:9,10 "...If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."
- If you know that God is knocking on your heart's door, ask Him to come into your heart.
Jesus said,
Revelation 3:20a "Behold I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him..."
- Is Jesus knocking on your heart's door?
Do you want to escape from Hell and from God’s wrath? Do you want Jesus to forgive you of all your sins---past, present and future? Are you willing to relinquish control of your life to Jesus, and follow Him as your Savior and as the Lord of your life?
Believe in Him.
Ask Him to come in to your heart by faith,and ask Him to reveal Himself to you.
Remember: there is no “magic formula” prayer, and merely repeating a bunch of words will not save you. ‘Being saved’ is not about saying some prayer, then going about your own way and living your life however you please. It involves following Jesus from now on and forever. It has to do with complete surrender and with a sincere heart attitude.
Just talk to Jesus in your own words. He knows your thoughts anyway. However, if you say, “I don’t know how to pray; I have no idea what to say,” then here is a sample guideline to help you:
Pray something like this:
"Dear God, today I turn away from all of my sins (name them). This day I put my trust in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. He is the only way for me to be saved. He is 'The Way, the Truth, and the Life.’ Please forgive me, change my heart, and grant me Your gift of everlasting life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen."
If you have now surrendered and committed your life to Jesus, and have given Him full control of your life, then the Bible says that the angels in Heaven are rejoicing right now!
Not only that, but if you have asked Christ Jesus to come into your life and save you from your sins and from Hell and damnation and eternal suffering, and have asked Him to take over your life, then the Bible says that God the Holy Spirit has now come to dwell inside you! Therefore, you are now a living temple of the Holy Spirit (the third Person of the Trinity)! You are now a living temple of God!
Open the Bible to the Gospel of John and read what God says about Jesus, about you, and about being born again.
God will help you. He loves you.
You need to look for a local church where
God's word is preached. The Bible says that we are to desire God's word like a newborn baby desires mother's milk.
Aren't you hungry to know the truth?
Water baptism is one of the ways you first show that you have been joined to Jesus. This is an action, and actions will not save you. However, it is an act of obedience and a symbol of commitment.
The symbolism is this:
When you go down in the water you show that you have been crucified and buried with Him, and when you come up out of the water you show that you have been raised to walk with Him in newness of life.
(See Romans chapter 6)
You have been born again.
(See John chapter 3)
Your body has become God's temple.
Your heart is where He lives.
Forgiveness is yours in Jesus.
And you belong to Him.
You were sin's slave.
But now...
You are a child of GOD!
John 1:12
"As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name!"
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Doubting God's existence
In College, I took a World Religions class, and I was required to read a book by Freud that 'proved' that God does not exist. Wow, did he put forth an incredibly powerful argument! The best argument for the non-existence of God that I've ever heard! After I read it, for the very first time in my life, I seriously doubted the existence of God. But, after looking back on my life, and all the incredible miracles that have happened in my life, as well as the incredible miracles that have happened in the lives of family members and friends, plus all the things that were just too numerous and too incredible to be coincidences, I once again had full confidence that not only does God exist, but He (the Holy Spirit) dwells within me! The funny thing is, from the second I finished the book and began doubting God's existence, to the moment I regained full confidence in His existence, was a period of maybe 3 to 5 minutes! LOL! That's how long the best argument I've ever heard for Atheism made me doubt God's existence!
(Jeff Jenkins)
(Jeff Jenkins)
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Filling Someone With Daylight
Before I handed over my life to Jesus Christ in 1979, the number one things in my life were weight training and karate. I used to spend hours every day working out with weights and practicing karate. Yet, even though I knew I could handle myself (twice in my life I have fought guys who had knives when I was unarmed, and both times I beat them. Another time, a guy had a metal umbrella handle [the part that sticks out of the handle was metal] that he had cut off to a sharp point, and he was trying to stab me with that, and I beat him. I have also had a gun held on me more than once), I was always keenly aware of the possibility of someone attacking me, and I was constantly thinking about what I would do if they did attack me. I knew that, if someone had a gun, especially if they were out of reach, I would have no defense. Therefore, I was always in fear, because I was constantly thinking about how to defend myself if someone attacked me, and I was constantly playing out scenarios in my head to train my mind to be ready in case something did happen.
However, after relinquishing control of my life to Jesus Christ, I lost that fear of being killed. Now, if someone were to hold a gun to my head and pull the trigger, I know for a fact, without a doubt, that I would be in Heaven forever, with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Who is God the Son, Yeshua Hamashia, the Messiah, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, the “I Am”; and with God the Father, Yahweh (YHWH), the “I Am” (the Name He told Moses).
The only regret I would have, if someone were to hold a gun to my head and pull the trigger, is that I would no longer be able to tell others about Jesus, so that they might escape Hell and escape God’s wrath and judgment, and so they might gain eternal life in Heaven. I want to tell as many people as I can about Jesus, because Hell is a place I would not want my worst enemy to go to. When I really think about the people that will be in Hell for all eternity, in that horrible, terrible place of torment, suffering forever, it makes me cry. I have talked to people about Jesus at the Mall, at the movie theatre, going door-to-door, at Fairs, etc. But I feel like I’m not doing enough, because so many people are dying and going to Hell every single day. The fact that so many people are not following Christ, and are therefore headed for Hell, is something that should tear the heart out of every true born-again Christian, and should make every true follower of Christ Jesus weep and have compassion for those who are lost. It should make every born-again believer want to go out, every single day, and tell as many people as possible how they can escape from Hell. Yet, so many American Christians are satisfied with going to church and minding their own business, instead of going out on the street and witnessing to people. American Christians are so complacent, lazy and materialistic…including myself.
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Tuesday, August 14, 2007
What are you captivated by?
This past Sunday morning while driving to church, the car ahead of me had a bumper sticker that said, "So mote it be" (which is an archaic phrase meaning "So must it be," and which originated in the rituals of Freemasonry, and is common today in Wiccan and ceremonial magick rituals. For those who don't know, 'Wicca' is a polytheistic Neo-Pagan nature religion inspired by various western European beliefs, whose central deity is a mother goddess and which includes the use of herbal magic and benign witchcraft).
Sunday night, again on the way to church, a van in front of me had a bumper sticker which said something like, "One nation under goddess."
If Religion were simply a matter of opinion, like what brand of toothpaste you prefer, then there would be no problem, and everyone would basically be equally correct in whatever they believed.
If it were a matter of race or culture or nationality, then I would say we need to respect people's differences and realize that any Religion, like any race or any culture or any nationality, should not be seen as better than or superior to another one.
However, it is a matter of a person's eternal destiny. It is a matter of their soul. It is a matter of whether a person spends eternity in Paradise/Heaven, or whether they spend eternity in that incinerator, that eternally-burning garbage pit, called Hell.
What about you? Do you know what will happen to you after you die? Do you know where you will go? That should really be the highest priority of anyone's life: to look into it, research it, ask questions, and make sure you know for sure, finding the most definite and truthful answer you can. Anyone who says about death, concerning their eternal destiny, "I'm not gonna worry about it; when it happens, it happens," is a fool. Anyone who says, "Well, if I'm wrong, I'm wrong; and I'll take my punishment like a man," is a fool. Thankfully, it is possible to know for sure where you will spend eternity.
Most people, if asked, "Would you consider yourself to be a good person?" would answer "Yes." However, see how many of the following questions you can answer 'no' to:
-Have you ever, in your lifetime, told a lie? Even a white lie?
[If a person lies to you, what do you call them? A liar! One of the Ten Commandments---God's Law---is "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor." (i.e., lying.) If you have ever lied, then you have broken one of God's Laws!]
-Have you ever, in your lifetime, stolen anything, no matter how small, and no matter the value?
[If a person steals something from you, what do you call them? A thief! Another of the Ten Commandments, God's Law, is "You shall not steal." If you have ever stolen anything, then that's another of God's Laws that you have broken.]
-Have you ever looked at another person and lusted after them?
[Jesus said, "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matt. 5:28) Another of the Ten Commandments is "You shall not commit adultery." If you've done this, or if you have slept with anyone outside of marriage, then you have broken yet another of God's Laws.]
-Have you ever used God's Name as a curse word?
[Another one of the Ten Commandments is "You shall not misuse the Name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His Name." If you have ever said, "Oh my G-d!" or "G-d D---it!" then you are guilty of breaking still another of God's Commands.]
-Have you ever hated anyone or held anger against them?
[Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment." (Matt. 5:21-22) Have you also broken this Commandment as well? Your sins are stacking up higher and higher!...]
-Have you ever loved anything---your car, your house, your wife, your kids, your TV, your boat, your computer, sports, money, sex, or even yourself---more than you love God?
[The Ten Commandments say, "You shall have no other gods before Me." This is idolatry. Can you honestly say that, every single second of your entire life, you have always loved God more than anything else? If not, then that's yet another Law you have broken.]
Jesus said, "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 5:20) He also said, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matt. 5:48)
Are you perfect?
The Bible says, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) "Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one." (Psalm 53:3) Jesus said, "For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' " (Mark 7:21-23)
All of us have broken God's Law. All of us are sinners. All of us fall short. All of us have mutinied against our Creator, and selfishly followed our own way, instead of walking in perfect obedience to Him. All of us are wicked and have rebelled against and offended a holy, righteous God...the God Who created us.
One day you will stand before God. Based on God's Law, the Ten Commandments, would you go to Heaven or Hell? Every one of us deserves to go to Hell.
You might say, "But isn't God a loving God? Isn't He a forgiving God?"
Let me ask you this: If a Judge lets a criminal go free, and just excuses his crime, is that a good Judge? Of course not! God cannot merely excuse your sin. Would you want God to just freely allow sinners into Heaven, no matter what? Would you want God to let Hitler into Heaven? Would you want God to let unrepentant mass murderers into Heaven? Would you want God to let those who have raped and brutally murdered little children, and would do so again if they could, into Heaven? If He did, that would be evil. He would not be a good Judge. He would not be a good God. What about those who have done 'lesser' sins? Would you want God to allow liars, robbers, manipulators, dictators, slave owners, wife beaters, drunks, drug users and cruel people into Heaven? Not only would it be unfair and unjust for God to do so, but Heaven would then no longer be Heaven...it would become no better, and no more enjoyable, than Earth, because it would be filled with corrupt, evil people.
The Bible says, "Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." (Luke 18:26-27)
"In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." (John 3:3)
There is good news. God the Father sent Christ Jesus, Who is God the Son, to pay for our sins on the cross. But you must turn away from your sins and follow Christ in order to accept this payment. Jesus said, "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Luke 5:32)
The Good News is, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
The All-Important Question
Have you been captivated by God through the gospel?
Have you been taken captive by Christ Jesus, the Son of God?
Have you been regenerated? (not just converted, but re-created.) "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (II Cor. 5:17)
Has your life been radically and dramatically transformed
and changed through the power of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit?
It's not about my opinion, or a philosophy, or a way of thinking,
or being religious, or even converting to a Religion.
It's about being accepted by God the Father, which only comes
through completely surrendering your life to Christ Jesus.
It's about having the righteousness of Christ imputed to you. It's about God the Holy Spirit coming and living inside of you, so that you, having been cleansed of all sin, then become God's temple...a living temple.
God commands people to accept Him as their treasure. "Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you be destroyed..." (Psalm 2:12a) Let Him pay for your sins, or else pay for them yourself; but if you pay for them yourself, it will take forever---literally---because a sinner can never fully pay for sin. Surrender to Jesus Christ or burn in Hell forever. "...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve..." (Joshua 24:15a)
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Friday, August 10, 2007
My Spiritual Life’s History
I grew up and was baptized as an infant in a Lutheran church where I attended both church and Sunday School every Sunday, was an Acolyte, was confirmed and was fully involved in the Luther League, which was the youth program. Beginning in the 5th or 6th grade, I read my KJV Bible daily at home on my own, as well as saying my prayers every night. By the time I finished High School, I had read the entire Bible from cover-to-cover, several times, in different versions (KJV, The Living Bible, Good News Bible, etc.)
Nevertheless, I never heard a gospel message. I believed in the Bible, the Trinity, the Virgin Birth, that Jesus was the Son of God, etc. However, though I did have faith, it was mainly an intellectual belief…I had never experienced the new birth (i.e., being born again; regeneration; being saved)…kind of like those in Acts 8:14-17 who had been baptized, but who had never experienced the new birth; or Apollos in Acts 18:24-25 who had a thorough knowledge of the Bible, and even taught about Jesus (comparable to a Sunday School teacher), but who had never been born again; or those in Acts 19:1-6 who had repented of their sins and had been baptized (by John the Baptist’s baptism), but who had never been regenerated (made into new creatures) though having the Holy Spirit indwell them.
In the beginning of 1979, at 19 years of age, I was attending a Commercial Art class at what was then called Miami-Dade Community College South Campus. A black guy who was Pentecostal took me outside every day during breaks for a couple weeks or so, and explained to me the gospel of salvation. He told me that, because of the power of God in his life, he was not afraid of anyone. Being shy to the point of being almost paranoid of people, this appealed to me, so I went home and asked God to give me what that guy had.
Around that same time, I found some Jack Chick gospel tracts lying on the table in the Parsonage library (which sometimes served as a meeting place for the Youth) at my church. I read one or two at the church, and I took a third one home. While my mom was outside hanging up clothes on the clothesline, I read one of the Chick tracts, using my mom's ironing board as a table, and, leaning against that ironing board and folding my hands, I prayed the prayer in the back of one of the tracts, and asked Christ Jesus to come into my heart, forgive all my sins, and take over my life. It was then that I was born again.
I then began to notice that the church I had attended all my young life was a dead church, and not at all like the church in the book of Acts. What was preached there was a ‘social gospel,’ rather than the gospel of salvation.
Nevertheless, I was twice blessed with the opportunity to preach in the pulpit while the Pastor was on vacation. In one of those sermons, I talked about the joy of the Lord. Afterward, I overheard one person commenting, “It’s pretty bad when someone in the church can preach better than the Pastor can,” which was really a demonstration of how spiritually dead our church actually was.
There was one couple at that church who were born-again Christians, and who I considered to be my ‘spiritual parents,’ because they helped me in my early years as a baby Christian. They were also the leaders of our church’s Clown Ministry, which I joined, and which was an excellent experience for me, and was a lot of fun.
Not long after, I began to attend a basic Bible Study course, meeting at someone’s home (who later left for Africa as a missionary) through Campus Crusade for Christ. This was my discipleship period in which I learned the basics of following Christ as Lord and Savior, and I am greatly indebted to Campus Crusade for Christ for discipling me as a baby Christian.
Shortly before leaving that church, I attended Men’s Sonshine Cursillo #23, now called Via de Cristo, which was then the spiritual highpoint of my life, outside my salvation experience.
I then left that church to try to find a church that was more like what I saw in the book of Acts. I began attending an Evangelical/Charismatic Lutheran church, where I was introduced to speaking in tongues, which began my struggle with trying to find out whether the Charismatic gifts were for today or not…a struggle that lasted for many years.
I then went away to another city to live with my Aunt while attending college at the University of North Florida. While there, I attended a couple of different Baptist churches with my cousins, who were all Baptist. I attended a youth service, which helped me in my spiritual growth. At one of those churches I decided I wanted to be baptized as an adult by immersion, because I believed that baptism was for believers, and was a picture of us being buried (i.e., dying to self; dying to the world system and to living for this world; the ‘old nature’ being put to death) and rising again as new creatures created in Christ Jesus, to live for Him and Him alone. I also did this in obedience to Christ’s command (Matt. 28:19) as well as a public testimony of my decision to follow Christ.
I later joined an Independent Baptist Church, which, though they were quite legalistic, they were also the most helpful to me of any church up to that point, as far as teaching me how to evangelize. I went door-to-door with them on a weekly basis, telling people about Jesus. I also went around the city with an older gentleman, named Mr. Keller, who was very zealous for the Lord, and who had a burden for souls to be saved from Hell. He and I would go door-to-door, or talk to people on the street, and even went to the city jail a couple times to preach, give out Bibles, and to tell prisoners about Jesus.
I also worked for 1 year at their Christian Elementary School, teaching P.E. In the afternoons, I would drive several miles to their combined Middle School and High School, to watch over the Study Hall (something I did not enjoy). During two summers, I was a Camp Counselor at their Youth Ranch, which was fun.
At the prompting of some people at the Independent Baptist Church, I attended Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC, for 2 years. The school helped me tremendously in every way except one: my spiritual life. Without going into long, tedious detail, I’ll just say that my zeal for the Lord was destroyed there. I went into deep rebellion against God and experienced the blackest, darkest days of my entire life. For years afterward, I even had nightmares about the school.
After that, still suffering from rebellion and recovering from my loss of zeal for God, I casually visited different churches of different denominations: Lutheran, Presbyterian, Charismatic, etc.
I then joined a Lutheran Evangelical church, which my family had joined a couple years before. They had just gotten a new Pastor who slowly introduced more and more Charismatic practices into the church. I was a member of this church for several years, in which time I taught 1st and 2nd Grade Children’s Sunday School, and began a Clown Ministry there, using children, teens and adults, performing not only for the church, but for schools, nursing homes and hospitals as well.
Though I disagreed with a number of the things the church taught, I stayed silent, figuring I would never find a perfect church. However, the breaking point came when a woman speaker visited one day and tried to loudly and aggressively force me, along with several others, to begin speaking in tongues, in front of the entire congregation. I saw clearly that false doctrine and unscriptural practices were occurring at that church, so I left the church. About a year later, that church split, when it was discovered that the Pastor was an alcoholic and would drink from the church’s Communion wine all day long during the week; yet he and his wife both refused to admit it, even when the church elders, and later, representatives from the Lutheran board were brought in to address the issue.
After that, I again began to inconsistently visit various churches.
Then, after a period of several weeks spent in a ‘Creation vs. Evolution’ online debate; while at the same time, participating in another online debate with a Catholic, addressing the issue of faith plus works vs. salvation by faith alone, the Lord used this to show me that I needed the fellowship and encouragement of other Christians. Then I saw an article in the newspaper that gave a summary of all the local churches and synagogues, including quotes from each Pastor, Priest or Rabbi from each church or synagogue. I noticed a Christian and Missionary Alliance church, which, although I had read of them as being a missionary organization, I had not realized they had also become a denomination. Because of the respect I had gained for them from reading biographies of their missionaries, and because I liked what that Pastor had said in his quote, I visited and later joined that church, which turned out to be the best church I had ever attended up to that point. During the several years I was a member there, I experienced some of the most incredible and awesome interventions and miracles from the Lord, at my workplace, that I have ever experienced. In fact, I even refer to the last year there as my ‘Year of Miracles,’ because God worked such incredible and unbelievable miracles in my life during that time.
While a member of that church, I participated in a study of Henry Blackaby’s “Experiencing God,” meeting at someone’s house, which was an excellent study, as well as an enjoyable time of fellowship. Immediately after that ended, I began attending BSF (Bible Study Fellowship), which was absolutely the best and most intensive Bible study that I had ever participated in. I learned and gained more from those studies than from any previous Bible study. Beginning with my 3rd year in BSF, I was chosen to be a Discussion Leader.
Around that time, I also attended a Promise Keepers meeting in Tampa, which was good, though it could not match my Cursillo weekend years before.
I had strongly disliked Miami for many years, and felt like a foreigner and a minority in my own country. So, when my family, who had already moved to Central Florida, kept pressing me to move up there with them, I finally gave in. I moved, along with my brother who lived only 15 minutes from me, to Central Florida. I moved in with my parents in Dunnellon (which was a bit of a miracle in itself, since I had previously sworn that I would live under a bridge before I ever lived with my parents again), and my brother moved in with my other brother and his wife, in Ocala. Even though I was living with my parents, I refer to this time as my ‘Year of Blessings,’ because living in Dunnellon was light years more enjoyable and tolerable than living in Miami. In addition, I bought the first sporty-looking car I had ever owned. Though I had owned numerous cars before, I had always wanted a sports car, but had never had one. Though a Pontiac Sunfire was not technically a sports car, it was close enough for me.
I first began attending a local Charismatic church with my family, but I didn't feel comfortable there. I had determined, before moving from Miami, that I would try to find another Christian Missionary and Alliance church. God answered my prayer, and I found one that was only 3 minutes from where I was living! I attended there for the rest of the time I lived with my parents.
I also wanted to find a BSF class, which I did, and began attending there. However, it was not nearly the same as the one I had attended in Miami. I strongly sensed a binding spirit of legalism, which I felt was a hindrance to Christian growth, so I stopped going.
My brother shortly got a job and moved into his own apartment. After 1 ½ years living with my parents, I too moved into an apartment in Ocala. I bought a PS2, which was exciting, because it was the first time I had ever bought a gaming system.
After moving to the apartment in Ocala, which I lived in for 3 years, I attended several different churches, though I didn't find one that I really wanted to join. At one Baptist church I attended, I participated in a study of Rick Warren’s book, “The Purpose Driven Life,” meeting at someone’s house. It was OK, but nowhere near as enjoyable or profitable as the study of Blackaby’s “Experiencing God.”
At one point, I had been praying for God to bring someone that could be a Christian friend to my workplace. I had also been praying to become involved in a Bible study, as well as praying that God would lead me to a really good Christian church.
Well, God answered my prayers. A Christian brother named Anthony started working at the company where I was working. He invited me to his Calvary Chapel church, which I attended for a while, and which I enjoyed. I noticed that he had a copy of a book by Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron, who are hosts of “The Way of the Master” TV program as well as a web site (http://www.wayofthemaster.com) and several books. I told him I was reading the same book. Shortly after that, Anthony saw someone witnessing to a group of people in the local Mall, and introduced himself. The person's name doing the witnessing was Byron, who was using evangelism techniques he had learned from “The Way of the Master” videos and books. This led to Byron and Anthony organizing a “Way of the Master” weekly class, which Anthony invited me to attend. We went through a series of videos and handouts over the next several weeks. After that, we set out to begin witnessing in teams at the local Mall, at the Movie Theater, and later, at events like UF Football Games and local Festivals. Thus began what I refer to as my ‘Year of Evangelism.’ I had not been so active in witnessing to people since the times I used to go witnessing with Mr. Keller years ago. Though I have been very nervous at times, telling people about the gospel of Jesus Christ has been a great blessing and a great challenge. I believe this is the most important work we can do.
Byron decided that he wanted to find a church that was more on fire for the Lord, and more on fire for evangelism, than the church he was then attending. Part of the reason was that he would go witnessing door-to-door every Saturday, and practically no one from his church would ever join him. I went with him to visit a couple different churches that he had found online, and the second one we visited, we both decided we liked. He became a member of the church immediately, and I became a member several months later. I am currently attending that church, and I consider it to be possibly the best church I have ever attended. I praise God for once again answering my prayers and desires.
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Thursday, August 2, 2007
Is God Real?
In College, I was required to read a book by Freud that had very strong, convincing 'proof' that God does not exist.
After reading that book, for the very first time in my life, I seriously thought that maybe God does not exist after all...that maybe I had been wrong all along. But then I began to think back on the events of my life...and after a few minutes of serious doubt and unbelief, and thinking that maybe my entire life I had believed a lie, that maybe there was no such thing as 'God' after all, I realized that God really does exist. I was totally confident of this because of the things that had occurred in my life.
There have been many, many things in my life that give me complete confidence that God is real. Many of them, however, are things which I cannot adequately describe in words, because they are so beyond the normal human experience. Other things, taken individually, might be dismissed as mere coincidence; however, such things happen so frequently that the excuse of them being 'coincidences' becomes insurmountably inadequate; taken as a whole, they become overwhelming, glaring evidence of God working in my life. Still more things have happened in my life that are so extraordinary, unusual and miraculous that most people would not believe it. Because of all this, I will try to limit my examples to only those things which most people should, hopefully, be able to logically comprehend or relate to, or at least limit my examples to those things which are not as hard to believe as some of my other experiences. Not only that, but to list everything would take many, many pages of writing. Therefore, please realize that the following examples are only the tip of the iceberg.
Let me just preface it by saying that, just as is true with every born-again believer, I have met, and know, God personally (and please, don't ask me the silly question, "Well, then, what does He look like?", because God is spirit, not flesh; so He obviously does not have a physical body), and I, like every regenerated believer, have a personal, intimate relationship with Christ Jesus, God the Son, Who is my Lord and my Savior. I have been made into a new creation...the old is gone. In addition, God the Holy Spirit lives and dwells in me. God lives inside me! Not in the sense of, "Well, God lives in everyone," because that is not true. Not all people, contrary to popular belief, are children of God. You are only a child of God if you have been born again. Everyone is a creation of God (not a direct creation, like Adam and Eve, but a reproduced creation); but not everyone is a child of God.
Anyway, when I was 19 years old, I repented of all my sins, turned to Jesus, and asked Jesus Christ to forgive my wicked, sinful life; I acknowledged that I was a wicked sinner who deserved eternal torment in Hell, because of my evil, selfish, prideful rebellion against God, my Creator, and against His holy Law. I knew that I fully deserved God's wrath. I asked Jesus to come into my life, and to be my Savior and the Lord of my life from now on. I have surrendered my life and my future to Him. The sacrificial blood of Christ Jesus has cleansed me of all my sins, and because of His sacrifice for me, Christ's perfect righteousness has been applied to my account, so that God the Father considers me to be sinless, holy and perfect. Just as, in the Old Testament, where the broken tablets of the Ten Commandments (broken by Moses because of man's sin, showing man's inability to obey God's Law perfectly) were covered over by the Mercy Seat, and the sacrificed animal's blood covered the Mercy Seat, so that, when God the Father looked down at His Law broken by man, He saw the sacrificial blood between the broken Law and Himself. Similarly, when God the Father looks at me, He sees the sacrificial blood of His Son, Christ Jesus the Messiah, the Lamb of God, the King of all Kings, the Lord of all Lords, God the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, the "I Am," the Alpha and Omega, the only Intercessor between God the Father and man, the Second Adam, the One Who always was, Who is, and Who is to come...when the Father looks at me, He sees His Son's blood covering over my sins; He sees the perfect, holy, sinless life of Christ Jesus being imputed to my account; He sees me as a holy saint. Being now a clean, holy vessel, the Holy Spirit indwells me, and I became a living temple of God. The Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, the last time being around 70 A.D. God now dwells within those chosen, predestined individuals who have been regenerated/born again/made righteous and holy in God's eyes.
Years ago I was hiking with a group in North Carolina. For some reason which I don't even now remember, I got really, really, mad...I was EXTREMELY agitated! In fact, I was SO agitated, angry and irritated, that I took my walking stick and, in a fit of immature anger, smashed it in half against a tree. I was the last one in the line of hikers, so, realizing I could not go on with such an attitude, which would ruin everyone else's (and my) day (because, if I continued with that attitude, I knew people would start saying things like, "What's your problem? Why are you acting like such a jerk?"), I dropped to my knees and quietly (yet very sincerely) prayed. A few minutes later, I didn't stand up...instead, I actually LEAPED up with incredible JOY and EXUBERATION! I was extremely EXCITED and incredibly HAPPY---SO happy, that I lifted up my hands to God, rejoicing, and began jumping up and down for joy! I ran...actually, I BOUNCED...jumping up and down in excitement, to catch up to the rest of the group. God had not only taken away my furious anger, but He had replaced it with His joy. My attitude had been INSTANTANEOUSLY changed, to the very opposite extreme..to a RADICAL degree.
Now, I am the type of person that can nurse a grudge, and I tend to let things boil inside of me, until I explode like a volcano. At that point, I become so enraged, that it takes me a long, long time to cool down. (In the years since, God has been working on me to teach me not to be so much like that.) During that hike, when my furious anger was not only instantly erased, but replaced with ecstatic JOY, that was something that only God could do in me, because there was absolutely NO earthly or natural reason for me to not only stop being mad, but become instantly joyful and exuberantly excited.
Another time...and this happened after I had already been saved...I was deeply burdened with guilt over a specific sin that I had committed...this was the most burdened and guilty I had ever been and felt in my entire life. For the first and only time in my life, I seriously began believing (in ignorance) that I had committed the unpardonable sin. I began to consider that, no matter what I did from that point on...even if I asked for forgiveness...I was still going to burn in Hell forever. Everything that I had done and believed in my life didn't matter, because I had now possibly committed a sin that was absolutely unforgivable. I wondered if, no matter what happened, I was now destined for Hell, and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. I felt like there was a heavy, black cloud of depression and hopelessness over me. I was so upset and distraught over this, that it actually caused me to throw up!
Well, since I had nothing to lose, I knelt down and prayed. Even though I didn't believe I could be forgiven, I begged for forgiveness anyway, pouring my heart and soul out to the Lord Jesus, turning away from my sin and turning to Him for help. I was completely, totally, deeply sincere with God, and it was a true, heartfelt prayer. Suddenly, and instantly, I felt a huge, gigantic, incredibly heavy weight being lifted off of me! The 'dark cloud' which had seemed to cover me, suddenly vanished!
People often use the phrase, "it was like a heavy weight had been lifted off of me," to the point of being over-used, so that it is almost a meaningless phrase anymore. Well, for the first time in my life, that phrase became real to me. I suddenly felt an unearthly peace...not a peace like you feel sitting in a quiet meadow or beside the ocean as you relax...no, something far deeper. I suddenly knew that all was right with my soul. I was confident that nothing could harm me, because I was restored to God, and He was protecting me. Even someone being rescued after being buried for days by an earthquake could not feel such soul-deep peace. I felt like I had gone from Hell to Heaven in an instant...from a sense of the darkest depression, total futility, and complete hopelessness, to a peace and exhilaration, release and comfort, unlike anything else in the world! And this change had occurred in a split-second!
These are merely a couple examples of many, many events that have happened to me which, especially when you add them all up, provide unmistakable, personally-experienced evidence that God is not only real, but that He lives within me, and that He loves me. May each person reading this (if you have not already surrendered your life to Christ Jesus as your Lord, and become a new creation in Him) repent of their sins and ask Christ Jesus, Who is God the Son, to wash away all your sins, and follow Him forever. If you do so, the Holy Spirit, Who is the Comforter and the Teacher, will indwell you, and you will then KNOW He is real, because you will know Him personally and intimately.
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