32 comments on “BAPS Shri Swaminarayan temple at Robbinsville, New Jersey will be the Largest Hindu Temple in modern times.”

1. Bill Boyle

   August 8, 2014

   

   The Temple of Vedic Planetarium in Mayapur is shaping up to be mighty big. Will the New Jersey temple be bigger than TOVP?

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2. bob crouch

   August 14, 2017

   

   THE BIBLE IS SCIENTIFICALLY ACCURATE

   For the Bible to be regarded as the inspired word of God, it must be scientifically accurate…since God would certainly know the facts about his creation. A word of caution, however, as we seek to evaluate the claim of scientific accuracy. Over time, science has often discovered new facts that confirmed a revised understanding of the truth, previously unknown. These discoveries have always been consistent with the Bible, however, at times a careful consideration of the words and (importantly) the context of the words must be made.

   The Bible is scientifically accurate and even contains enormous number of insights far in advance of their discovery by humans. In evaluating the Bible from a “scientific standpoint” we must keep in mind that the Bible is not a science textbook, it is a book to define human beings’ proper relationship with God. Therefore, one would not expect a great deal of discussion of science. However, as the summary below indicates, when there is a reference in it about a fact or nature, it is accurate, and in many cases there are insights provided thousands of years in advance of their understanding by science.

   The account of creation (the Bible: 1450 B.C.; science: 1900s). The account of creation as given in the Bible (Genesis 1) is accurate according to the steps understood by science. Written down originally by Moses, they were not fully recognized by science until the 1900s, using modern astronomy, physics, chemistry, paleontology, and geology.

   The hydrological cycle (the Bible: 3000 B.C.; science: 1700s). The hydrologic cycle was first written about in the book of Job, about 3000 B.C. It states,

   He draws up the drops of water, which distill as rain to the streams; the clouds pour down
   their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind. (Job 36:27-28)

   In addition, Solomon described the hydrological cycle in about 935 B.C., saying,

   All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams from, there
   they return again (Ecclesiastes 1:7).

   Science, however, did not understand the hydrological cycle until Perrault and Marriotte correctly identified the process in the 1700s.

   The Earth hangs in empty space (the Bible: 3000 B.C.; science:1543). Ancient cultures believed many things, yet virtually all thought of the earth as being some type of flat, unmovable object. Many myths were associated with the various beliefs. The Bible correctly indicated that the earth was suspended in space:

   He spreads out the northern [skies] over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing
   (Job 26:7, brackets in original).

   Science did not discover this until Copernicus in 1543.

   Air has weight (the Bible: 3000 B.C.; science: 1643). Although ancient people widely believed air to be weightless, the book of Job indicated that it in fact had weight:

   To establish a weight for the wind, and apportion the waters by measure (Job 28:25).

   Torricelli, an Italian, discovered barometric pressure in 1643.

   Time, space and matter had a beginning (the Bible: 1450 B.C.; science: 1916). The Bible’s first words are “in the beginning.” And elsewhere, including the New Testament, there are references to the beginning of time (2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2; 1 Corinthians 2:7). In 1915, Albert Einstein’s equations of general relativity proposed a beginning of time, matter and space. Later these equations were confirmed by repeated experiments.

   The first law of thermodynamics (the Bible: 1450 B.C.; science: 1842). The law of conservation of energy indicates that matter and energy can neither be created nor destroyed (just converted). There are many biblical references to God’s completion (that is, there was no more creation), going as for back as Genesis (2:2-3), and also in several other books (Psalm 148:6; Isaiah 40:26; 2 Peter 3:3-7; Hebrews 4:3-4,10). Joule and Mayer both independently discovered this in the same year (1842), what is now known as the first law of thermodynamics.

   The second law of thermodynamics (the Bible: 1000 B.C.; Science: 1850). Commonly known as entropy, this law states that all things progress from a state of order to a state of disorder (within a closed system) without a purposeful input of energy. Common illustrations: things decay, springs unwind, stars burn out, heat dissipates, and materials become mixed over time. There are many references to the principle of entropy in the Bible, for example,

   In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of
   your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like garment
   (Psalm 102:25-26).

   Other similar references include Isaiah 51:6; Matthew 24:35; Romans 8:20-22; 1 John 2:17; and Hebrews 12:27. In 1850, Clausius discovered this second law of thermodynamics.

   The Earth is a sphere (the Bible: 700 B.C.; science 1543). Most of the world thought that the earth was flat until after the time of Copernicus in 1543. However, the Bible referenced the Earth in form of a “circle” (or implied it to be a sphere, using a broader definition of the original Hebrew word khug): He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers (Isaiah 40:22).

   The universe is expanding (the Bible: 1000 B.C.; science: 1916). The motion of the heavens is predicted by the general relativity equations first proposed by Albert Einstein and since confirmed many times. Experimental physicists, such as Edwin Hubble, verified the predicted expanding universe as early as the early 1900s. However, the Bible indicated that the universe is expanding far earlier than that. As early as about 1000 B.C.; the writer of Psalm wrote,

   He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent (verse 2).

   Many other verses indicate that the heavens were (and are being) stretched out by God (Job 9:8; Isaiah 40:22; 42:5; 44:24; 45:12; 48:13; Jeremiah 10:12; 51:15; Zechariah 12:1)

   The stars are uncountable (the Bible: 600 B.C.; science: 1920s). Ancient people thought the stars were countable. In fact, in about 100 A.D., Ptolemy was actively cataloguing the stars, estimated to number 1100 at that time. Of course, modern science, starting in about the 1920s with new high powered telescopes, realized that the number of stars was in the billions. Later they recognized that there are about a billion galaxies, each with about a billion stars. However, the Bible recognized this when it proclaimed the stars “uncountable” in about 600 B.C.:

   I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before
   Me as countless as the stars of the sky (Jeremiah 33:22).

   The accuracy of the literal biblical statement can now be easily verified. If stars were ‘counted” at a rate of ten per second, it would take more than 100 trillion years to “count” the stars…which is clearly impossible.

   Global wind patterns (the Bible: 1000 B.C.; science 1960s). It took satellite technology to fully recognize the globe wind patterns that exist. However, the Bible indicated existence of such patterns in the book of Ecclesiastes, written by Solomon in about 1000 B.C.:
   The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course (1:6).

   Engineering of Noah’s ark (the Bible: 1450 B.C.; science: 1900s). The Bible defines the dimensions and building specifications for Noah’s ark (Genesis 6:15). Modern engineering has calculated that for a barge type design best-suited for rough seas, the design of Noah’s ark is optimum.

   Circumcision on the eighth day (the Bible: 1450 B.C.; science: 1947). No one really knows for sure why God specifically chose circumcision as the sign of his covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17:11). Though it seems like an odd practice, research has indicated that it does have medical value. A study in the mid-1900s showed that Jewish women had a lower rate of cervical cancer. The smegma bacillus has been shown to be a major cause of cervical cancer. It can be easily carried in the foreskin of uncircumcised males and transferred to females through a abrasions of the cervix (as those occurring in childbirth).

   Interestingly, God specified that newborns be circumcised on the eighth day after childbirth (Genesis 17:12). Research shows that infants are particularly susceptible to hemorrhaging from the second day after birth to the fifth. A small cut can be deadly. Vitamin K, necessary for the production of prothrombin (the body’s blood-clotting substance) is not present sufficiently until days five through seven. It skyrockets to 110 percent of normal on day eight, and then levels off. The Bible specifies the best possible day.

   Quarantine (the Bible: 1450 B.C.; science: 1500s). When the Black Plague was killing much of Europe prior to the Renaissance, desperate nations turned to the Church for guidance. Germs and infections were not understood at the time. The clergy went back to the books of Moses for guidance and instituted the laws of Moses as taught to the Israelites, including those for dealing with infectious diseases like leprosy. Leviticus 13 stressed separating people with infectious disease from others. This, combined with the other laws of Moses, helped bring the Black Plague under control.

   Sterilization (the Bible: 1450 B.C.; science: 1800s). It is easy to take our understanding of germs and disease for granted. However, germs and sterilization were not understood until the time of Joseph Lister (1865), near the end of the Civil War. The Bible required sterilization for many things: infectious disease (Leviticus 13), childbirth (chapter 12), bodily discharges (chapter 15), and handling of the dead (Numbers 19).

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3. wyan abo

   September 11, 2017

   

   What the Bible says about THE CHURCH:

   1. There is only one true church:
   • All believers have been baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12:13-20
   • Believers are one in body though they are many in number & diversity Rom. 12:4-8
   • Though it is difficult to understand (a mystery) all believers are of the Eph. 3:5-7
   Same body and follow the same Gospel
   • All believers are unique and especially joined together Eph. 2:10-22
   • All believers are one family in Jesus Gal. 3:26-29
   • All believers are spiritually one, just as Jesus and the Father are one John 17:11-13
   • All believers were designed by God to be one body Col. 3:15

   2. There is only one gospel message:
   • There is only one simple Gospel message which saves men 1 Cor. 15:1-14
   • The one simple Gospel message is frequently distorted II Cor. 11:3,4
   • Any message that alters the simple Bible gospel is false Gal. 1:8

   3. The true “Witnesses” are Witnesses of Jesus:
   • They practice an earth wide witness of Jesus Acts 1:8
   • Their message includes salvation in Jesus’ name Acts 4:12
   • Their message includes a confession of Jesus before man Luke 12:8,9
   • Their faith includes an experience of Jesus in their midst Matt. 18:20

   What the Bible says about FALSE DOCTRINES:

   • Perverting the Gospel Gal. 1:6,7
   • Deception of Satan II Cor. 11:13-15
   • Deceive many Matt. 24:5,25
   • Attract many II Peter 2:2
   • Covetous Titus 1:11
   • Love error II Tim. 4:3,4
   • Avoid Rom. 16:17,18
   • Test I John 4:1

   What the Bible says about the DEITY OF JESUS:

   1. FACT: The Bible reveals that Jesus is called God…
   • The Word was God John 1:1
   • Thomas said: “My Lord and My God” John 20:28
   • God the Father calls Jesus God Heb. 1:8
   • I AM – God’s name in the Old Testament Exodus 3:14
   • I AM – Before Abraham I AM John 8:58

   2. FACT: The Bible teaches that Jesus is Deity…
   • It was prophesied Isaiah 9:6
   • Acknowledged by Thomas John 20:18
   • Affirmed by the Apostles Rom. 9:5, Heb. 1:8
   • Acclaimed by witnesses John 1:14,18

   3. FACT: The Bible teaches that Jesus has the attributes of God the Father…
   • All Powerful Matt. 28:18
   • All Knowing Col. 2:3
   • Ever Present Matt 18:20
   • Eternal John 1:1,2,15

   4. FACT: The Bible teaches that Jesus is worshipped by…
   • The Old Testament saints Joshua 5-13-15
   • The Demons Mark 5:6
   • A certain blind man John 9:38
   • All Angels Heb. 1:6
   • The Disciples Matt. 28:17
   • The saints in glory Rev. 7:9,10
   • Mary Magdalene Matt. 8:9
   • Eventually, by everyone Phil 2:10, 11

   What the Bible says about The TRINITY:

   1. There is only one God:
   • The Lord our God is one Lord Deut. 6:4
   • There is no other god with Me, i.e.,as far as there being a god, Isaiah 43:10
   I am the only one in heaven
   • No God was formed before me or after me Isaiah 43:10
   • No God was formed before me or after me Isaiah 44:6
   • There is no other God Isaiah 44:6

   2. Yet each is called God:
   • Father Eph. 4:6; John 6:27
   • Son Heb. 1:8; Titus 2:13
   • Holy Spirit Acts 5:3,4

   3. Yet each is described as CREATOR:
   • Father Isaiah 44:24
   • Son John 1:1-3
   • Holy Spirit Job 33:4; 26:13

   4. Yet each is described as ETERNAL:
   • Father Psalms 93:2
   • Son Micah 5:2, Heb 1:8
   • Holy Spirit Heb. 9:14

   5. Yet each is described as INSPIRED:
   • Father II Tim. 3:16
   • Son I Peter 1:10-11
   • Holy Spirit II Peter 1:21

   6. Yet each is described as OMINIPRESENT:
   • Father Jer. 23:24
   • Son Matt. 28:20
   • Holy Spirit Psalms 139:7-10

   7. Yet each is described as OMNISCIENT:
   • Father Jer. 17:10
   • Son John 2:24
   • Holy Spirit I Cor. 2:10-12

   8. Yet each is described as OMNIPOTENT:
   • Father Matt. 19:26
   • Son Heb.1:3
   • Holy Spirit Rom. 15:19

   9. Yet each is described as HOLY:
   • Father Habak. 1:12
   • Son Acts 3:14
   • Holy Spirit John 14:26

   10. Yet each is described as RESURRECTED:
   • Father I Thess. 1:10
   • Son John 2:19-21
   • Holy Spirit Rom. 8:11

   11. Yet each is described as TRUTH:
   • Father I Thess. 1:9
   • Son John 14:6
   • Holy Spirit John 14:17

   12. Yet each is described as SANCTIFIYING the Believer:
   • Father John 10:29
   • Son Heb. 2:11
   • Holy Spirit 1 Cor. 6:11

   13. Yet each is described as PRESERVING the Believer to salvation:
   • Father John 10:29
   • Son John 10:28
   • Holy Spirit Eph. 4:30

   14. Yet each is described as being an INDWELLING PRESENCE:
   • Father Eph. 4:6, II Cor. 6:16
   • Son Col. 1:27; John 14:20
   • Holy Spirit I Cor 6:19; John 14:17

   15. Yet each is described as LEADING believers:
   • Father Deut. 32:12
   • Son I Cor. 10:1-4
   • Holy Spirit Isaiah 63:11-14

   16. Yet each DRAWS people to themselves:
   • Father John 6:44
   • Son I Cor. 12:3
   • Holy Spirit John 12:32

   God is one, and apart from Him there is no God. He exists simultaneously and eternally as three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father is the author and initiator of love. Jesus Christ, the Son, is God in bodily form, a tangible expression of all the Father is, and the only way to eternal fellowship with the Father. The Holy Spirit imparts truth, convicts of sin, and turns individuals to Christ. As a person repents of sin and submits to Christ, the Spirit irrevocably indwells that person and places him or her into Christ’s Body, the Church.

   Many non-Christian Organizations teach that the relationship between the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit should somehow be understood by man. Since the Trinity cannot be understood by man, then it cannot explain the relationship within the Godhead. Of course, this is the point exactly: God’s nature is past finding out, His ways are unsearchable; etc. The nature of God is beyond full comprehension of man and that is why He is God! (See Rom. 11:33-36)

   For humans to be able to understand everything about God, they would have to have the very mind of God. There are several verses in the Bible that show human beings cannot possibly understand everything about God or His ways. For example:

   “Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the
   heavens – what can you do? They are deeper than the depths of the grave – what can you know? Their
   measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea.” (Job 11:7-9)

   “ ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.’ Declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens
   are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ “
   (Isaiah 55:8,9)

   Such verses make it clear that human reasoning has limitations. Finite minds cannot possibly understand all there is to know about an infinite being. Creatures cannot know everything there is to know about the sovereign Creator. Just as a young child cannot understand everything his father says, so also we as God’s children cannot understand all there is to know about our heavenly Father.

   • Did you know that discoveries in particle physics require that God exists in more than 10-Dimensions of space and
   time? (Yet we can experience and visualize only three)

   • Do you realize that the Bible clearly indicates that God is simultaneously singular and plural? (This is definitely possible in extra dimensions of space and time)

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4. fabio teci

   October 1, 2017

   

   Fully God and Fully Man

   Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
   (Hebrews 4:14-15)

   Before there was a world, before there were planets, before there was light, before there was matter, there was Jesus. Coequal, coeternal, and coexistent with the Father and the Holy Spirit, Jesus was with God—and He was God. John 1:1–2 tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” In John 1:14 tells us, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” When the Word became flesh, he dwelt in the womb of Mary and was born as Jesus. Jesus is the incarnation of God, the term “incarnation” means “to become flesh.” Jesus is God in flesh. Col. 2:9 says, “for in him dwells all the fullness of deity in bodily form.” Another term for the incarnation of God in reference to Jesus is the hypostatic union. The term “incarnation” does not appear in the New Testament, but the concept is definitely taught: John 1:1,14; Col. 2:9; Phil. 2:5-8; 1 Tim. 3:16; 1 John 4:2; John 20:28; Heb. 1:8.

   We cannot pinpoint the moment in time when there was the beginning, because John was going back in time to eternity past. He was going back further than our minds can imagine.

   Jesus is God, and He left the safety of heaven. He entered our world and breathed our air and shared our pain and walked in our shoes. He was fully God and fully man. This does not mean that Jesus had the capacity to sin; this could not and would not happen. Yet He was a man. He was in a human body. He felt human emotion. He faced physical limitations. He felt real pain. It was actual blood coursing through His veins. Yet He was deity. He was God in human form.

   Jesus did not become identical to us, but He did become identified with us. In fact, He could not have identified with us any more closely than He did. As Hebrews 4:15 reminds us, “We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

   It was total identification without the loss of identity as He became one of us without ceasing to be himself. He became human without ceasing to be God. Jesus left heaven, lived our life, and died our death. He has walked in your shoes—and then some.

   The Book of Hebrews links God’s saving power with his creative power. In other words, the power that brought the universe into being and that keeps it operating is the very power that cleanses our sins. How mistaken we would be to ever think that God couldn’t forgive us. No sin is too big for the Ruler of the universe to handle. He can and will forgive us when we come to him through his Son. Hebrews 1:3 it says: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”
   Jesus sat down means that the work was complete. Christ’s sacrifice was final.

   Because God’s Children are human beings, made of flesh and blood, Jesus also became flesh and blood by being born in human form. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the Devil, who had the power of death. (Hebrews 2:14)

   Jesus (as God) had to become human so that he could die and rise again, in order to destroy the Devil’s power over death. When we belong to God (being a born-again Christian), we need not fear death, because we know that death is only the doorway into eternal life. All who dread death should have he opportunity to know the hope that Christ’s victory brings.

   God is holy, and he will not be associated with sin. All people are sinful and so they are separated from God. In addition, all sin deserves punishment. Instead of punishing us with the death we deserve, however, Christ took our sins upon himself and look for punishment by dying on the cross. Now we can rejoice in God. Through faith in Christ’s work, we become close to God (friends) rather being enemies and outcasts.

   Salvation comes by faith alone (Romans 1:16,17) We are not saved by good deeds, but when we commit our life fully to God, we want to please him and do his will. As such, our good deeds are a grateful response to what God has done, not a prerequisite to earning his favor.

   There are those who say that people must add something else to simple faith. No person should add anything to Christ’s offer of salvation by grace through faith. Human achievements, no matter how impressive, cannot earn a personal salvation and eternal life with God.

   It is Jesus Christ who saves us, not our feelings or actions. Jesus offers us salvation as a gift because he loves us, not because we have earned it through our powerful faith. Faith is believing and trusting in Jesus Christ and reaching out to accept his wonderful gift of salvation.

   If you were to die right now, do you think you would enter into Heaven? Would you like to have the absolute assurance that you will be welcome there? If so then, pray this simple prayer:

   Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner, and I know I cannot earn my way into Heaven. I thank you for sacrificing your life so that my sins could be forgiven. I know the only way anyone can receive forgiveness is through you, and so I come to you now and ask you to come into my life, forgive me of my sins, cleanse me, heal me, and be my personal savior so I may have eternal life through you. I pray in your name Jesus. Amen.

   As a continuation of your faith in Christ, you should start studying the Bible daily in order to gain a closer relationship with God, also find a local church to attend that teaches directly from the Bible so you will have someone to answer any questions you may still have. Welcome to the family of God!

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5. Guy Nue

   October 19, 2017

   

   GOOD NEWS

   Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. (1 Corinthians 1:22-25)

   Many Jews considered the Good News (Gospel Message) of Jesus Christ to be foolish, because they thought the Messiah would be a conquering king accompanied by signs and miracles. Jesus had not restored David’s throne as they expected. Besides, he was executed as a criminal, and how could criminal be a savior? Greeks, too, considered the Good News foolish: They did not believe in a bodily resurrection, they did not see in Jesus the powerful characteristics of their mythological gods, and they thought no reputable person would be crucified. To them, death was defeat, not victory.

   The Good News of Jesus Christ still sounds foolish to many. Our society worships power, influence, and wealth. Jesus came as a humble, poor servant, and he offers his kingdom to those who have faith, not to those who do all kinds of good deeds to try to earn salvation. This looks foolish to the world, but Christ is the mighty power of God, the only way we can be saved. Knowing Christ personally is the greatest wisdom anyone can have.

   The message of Christ’s death for sins sounds foolish to those who don’t believe. Death seems to be the end of the road, the ultimate weakness. But Jesus did not stay dead. His resurrection demonstrated his power even over death. And he will save us from eternal death and give us everlasting life if we trust him as Savior and Lord. This sounds so simple that many people won’t accept it. They try other ways to obtain eternal life (being good, being wise, performing religious rituals, etc.). But all their attempts are futile. The “foolish” people who simply accept Christ’s offer are actually the wisest of all, because they alone will live eternally with God.

   “There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on the save them.” (Acts 4:12)

   Many people react negatively to the fact that there is no other name than that of Jesus to call on for salvation. Yet this is not something the church decided; it is the specific teaching of Jesus himself.

   “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

   If God designated Jesus to be the Savior of the world, no one else can be his equal. Christians are to be open minded on many issues, but not on how we are saved from sin. No other religious teacher could die for our sins; no other religious teacher came to earth as God’s only Son; no other religious teacher rose from the dead. Our focus should be on Jesus, whom God provided us the way to have an eternal relationship with himself. There is no other name or way!

   The Bible says “…all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) It is impossible for us to live a life that is righteous enough for us to “earn our way into Heaven. Salvation is a gift from God as a result of our faith in Jesus Christ and our acceptance of His sacrifice for the atonement of our sins. (See Ephesians 2:8-9) You can become a Christian today

   If you are willing to entrust your life to Jesus, to allow Him to be your Lord, to take control of your life, Then pray this simple prayer:

   “God, I admit that I have sinned. I don’t want to be separated from You because I need You in my life. Please forgive me for all my sins. Jesus, thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I invite You to come into my life to be my Lord and Savior. Make me the person You want me to be. In Your perfect name I pray. Amen.”

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6. will trin

   November 11, 2017

   

   THE WONDERFUL TRUTHS OF THE TRINITY

   For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one (1 John 5:7).

   The above text is the clearest and most succinct statement of the doctrine of the Trinity in the Bible, but also probably the most controversial verse in the Bible. Many authorities believe it was not in John’s original epistle, but was added by some ancient copyist. Consequently, although it is in the King James Bible, most modern English translations omit it. There are others (including this writer) who are convinced it was in the original and should be retained.

   In any case, the truth of the Trinity is taught in many other passages of the New Testament and does not depend on this particular verse. It is undoubtedly the most distinctive doctrine of the Christian faith. Most religions are either pantheistic (e.g. Buddhism) or polytheistic (e.g., Hinduism). Two other religions are monotheistic (Judaism, Islam), but only Christianity recognizes the one real God (the Triune God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit), one God in three Persons.

   The sacred book of the Muslims, the Koran, regards Jesus as only a prophet, repeatedly denouncing as infidels all those who believe in the Trinity. The Jews often consider Jesus to have been a great teacher, but no more than that. To the Christian, however, the Lord Jesus Christ is a person yet God incarnate, God’s only begotten Son, the Creator, Savior, King of kings and Lord of lords. Christians also believe that the Holy Spirit is not just a spiritual influence, but a real person, the third Person of the Godhead.

   When an individual becomes a Christian, he acknowledges it by being baptized in the “name [note, just a single name] of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19). He believes in one God, but not the unknowable, unapproachable “god” of Islam called “Allah.”

   Instead, he recognizes God as the infinite, invisible, omnipresent Father, but also as the Son, the visible, touchable, yet perfectly holy Word always revealing and manifesting the Father, and as the Holy Spirit, always present to guide, convict, and comfort. He is very real, eternal and invisible, omnipresent Father of all, yet visible and approachable through the Son and experienced and understood in the Holy Spirit. Majestic mystery, but wonderful reality!

   Christians believe in the Trinity, one God, not three gods, but three divine Persons, each equally and totally God. We cannot really comprehend this with our minds, but we can believe it and rejoice with our hearts. It is somewhat analogous to the “space” of God created the universe. Space is comprised of three dimensions, each of which permeates all space. This structure is helpful to illustrate the nature of the tri-une God. That is, God is one God, not three gods. Yet He is revealed as three Persons, each of which is eternally and completely God.

   This great truth appears again and again in the Bible, especially in the New Testament. But one can also discern it here and there in Old Testament. For example, note Isaiah 48:16: “Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and not the Lord God and His Spirit, hath sent me.” Note here that the Son, the divine Word who is speaking, is being “sent” into the world by the Father and the Spirit.

   But turning again to the New Testament, it is rather remarkable to note how all three Persons of the Godhead are significant in so many phases of the Christian life. First, as noted, the believer is baptized in the one Name but in every Person (Matthew 18:19) of the holy Trinity. Then, as he begins his Christian life, all three are still actively involved. “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:14).

   The actual event of salvation requires a miraculous creation, with the believer undergoing “regeneration,” and thus becoming “born again.” This tremendous miracle is indeed accomplished only by the working of all three Persons of the Godhead.

   The apostle Peter also noted the action of every Person of the divine Godhead in the great work of saving those who trust in Christ: “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:2).

   Once we have been born again by the regeneration miracle of the Holy Spirit, our bodies become His temple. But this also means that the tri-une God Himself is there through the Spirit. We can be “strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in [our] hearts by faith;…that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:16-17,19).

   This was also implied in Christ’s original promised that He would send the Holy Spirit. “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth…for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you…At that day ye shall know what I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you…If a man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him (John 14:16-18,20,23)

   At that time, Christ also promised that the Holy Spirit would teach us, and that this also would involve Himself as well as the Father. “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things” (v.26). The pervasive content of His teaching would, of course, concern the Lord Jesus Himself, as directed by the Father, “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of me” (15:26).

   Thus, in a wonderful sense, the tri-une Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one and all live in each Christian believer, teaching, strengthening, convicting, comforting,and guiding him in answer to his prayers. This is the marvelous truth of the Trinity.

   The Word “Godhead” appears just three times in the New Testament each from a slightly different, though essentially synonymous Greek word. The first occurrence of “Godhead” is in Acts 17:29.”…we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’ device.” That is, no one can make a model of our three-in-one God, neither any kind of graven image nor some kind of philosophical construct.

   But is seems that God Himself has made such a model. “For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead” (Romans 1:20).

   The physical universe is, in a very real sense, a trinity of trinities. Also, in a certain sense, human life is a trinity of body, soul, and spirit. In fact, tri-unity in various ways is often seen in the creation (but note that a “trinity” is not an entity composed of three individual parts, like the sides of a triangle, but rather an entity of three parts, each of which is the whole.

   Thus, although no man could ever model the Godhead, God has seemingly done this in His creation. But then the third mention of the Godhead is given in Colossians 2:9. “For in [Christ] dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” Thus, the Lord Jesus can say to His disciples: “…he that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9), for He Himself is “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15).

   Another Biblical mention of the Trinity: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all”. (II Corinthians 13:14).

   What the Bible says about The TRINITY:

   1. Yet each is called God:
   • Father Eph. 4:6; John 6:27
   • Son Heb. 1:8; Titus 2:13
   • Holy Spirit Acts 5:3,4

   2. Yet each is described as CREATOR:
   • Father Isaiah 44:24
   • Son John 1:1-3
   • Holy Spirit Job 33:4; 26:13

   3. Yet each is described as ETERNAL:
   • Father Psalms 93:2
   • Son Micah 5:2, Heb 1:8
   • Holy Spirit Heb. 9:14

   II Peter 1:21
   4. Yet each is described as OMINIPRESENT:
   • Father Jer. 23:24
   • Son Matt. 28:20
   • Holy Spirit Psalms 139:7-10

   5. Yet each is described as OMNISCIENT:
   • Father Jer. 17:10
   • Son John 2:24
   • Holy Spirit I Cor. 2:10-12

   6. Yet each is described as OMNIPOTENT:
   • Father Matt. 19:26
   • Son Heb.1:3
   • Holy Spirit Rom. 15:19

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7. hime anso

   January 7, 2018

   

   Hinduism Objections and Answers

   1. Christianity is a western belief. Hinduism is an Eastern belief. Since I am Eastern, Christianity is not for me.

   A. You do not have to give up your culture to become a Christian.
   B. Christianity spread rapidly in the West during the first few centuries A.D. However, Christianity was actually born in the Middle East in Jerusalem in modern day Israel. Therefore, Christianity is not a Western belief. In fact, most of the beliefs of Christianity come from a Jewish culture.
   C. You do not have to give up your culture to become a Christian. Christianity, though it has Jewish influences, is an international religion. Jesus came for people of all nations (John 3:16; 1 Tim. 2:5). The Bible also advocates unity among people, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). Christians are supposed to take the good news of Jesus to all nations (Mt. 28:18-20; Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8).
   D. Very early in the history of Christianity there were Jews, Romans, Greeks, Africans, and many other people who were converted to Christianity. The Bible does not expect these people to give up their heritage or culture. In fact, even in the first few centuries after Jesus, there were Indian people who converted to Christianity.

   2. British Christians persecuted the Indian people for years. Why should we want anything to do with Christianity?

   A. The British subjugation of India was motivated over political and financial gain for the British Empire. It is true that many of the British people who ruled over India claimed to be Christians, but they were not true Christians since their practices are against the teachings of Jesus. Jesus taught, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you” (Mt. 7:12). Would a British person want to be brutally mistreated by Indians? Of course, not.
   B. Jesus taught that we should love all people and treat others like we would wish to be treated (Mt. 7:12). If a person brutally harms another people or country for person gain, that person is blatantly sinning. Therefore, what the British colonists did was wrong.

   3. Jesus is not unique. He is one among many avatars.

   A. Jesus actually claimed not to be one among many avatars. He claimed there was only one God (Mark 12:29; John 10:30). And He claimed to be God in the flesh (John 8:58; 10:30; Mark 2). He also said that no one could come to God the Father, but through Him (John 14:6). He said that there was only one true religion (John 10).
   B. There is a large amount of historical evidence which indicates that Jesus rose bodily from the dead (Please see article: Is the Easter Story of Jesus’ Resurrection True?). There are numerous predictive prophecies regarding the nature of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection which were made hundreds of years in advance (cf. Isaiah 53; Micah 5:2; Daniel 9:24-27). Jesus Himself predicted His resurrection (Mt. 12:40; 27:63) and accomplished it (Mt. 28; 1 Cor. 15:3-8).

   4. It is irrational to say that Christianity is the only true religion. There are many paths to God.

   A. To say that Jesus’ statements regarding exclusivity are irrational implies that there is a logical contradiction in one of those statements. However, there is nothing illogical about saying that there is only one true religion.
   B. Truth by nature is narrow and exclusive. To say 2+2=4 is narrow and exclusive, but it an objective fact. Likewise, with Christianity, there is good evidence to suggest that Christianity is the only true religion due to specific prophecies made regarding Jesus thousands of years before His life (Micah 5:2; Isaiah 53; Daniel 9:24-27), the teachings of Jesus that there was only one way to God (John 14:6), and the strong historical evidence for Jesus’ miraculous resurrection.

   5. My whole family is Hindu. If I become a Christian, I will be an outcast. I cannot deny my family.

   A. This is definitely a difficult issue and one which cannot be treated lightly. It is true that following Jesus may cost you prestige, comfort, and even your life. However, it is better to know the true God and have certainty of eternal salvation than to be lost forever in the false religious traditions of Hinduism.
   B. Jesus said, “Do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Mt. 10:28; cf. Luke 12:5).”
   C. Are you burdened by this issue? Jesus says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest (Mt. 11:28).” It will not be easy, but God Himself will help you.

   6. There are many gods and goddesses. Why should I believe in just one God?

   A. There are a number of philosophical, scientific, and historical reasons for believing in one God.
   B. Scientifically, there is strong evidence to suggest that the universe had a beginning. Space, time, and matter had a beginning at some point in the past. As such, the Big Bang destroys any notion of an eternal universe or a universe that expands, collapses, and then re-expands. Therefore, Hinduism’s notion of an eternal, cyclical universe is unscientific.
   C. Scientific evidence against the eternality of the material universe also comes from the law of entropy. This law states that the universe is running out of usable energy. Since we have not run out of all of our usable energy now, the universe must not be eternal. If the universe was eternal, we would have run out of all of our usable energy by now. Therefore, the material universe cannot be eternal.
   D. Logically, an argument given for the existence of God known as the Cosmological Argument demonstrates that there can only be one uncaused Cause for the universe. The argument goes as the following: Everything that begins to exist has a cause; the universe began to exist; therefore, the universe has a cause. It is impossible for there to be an infinite regress of uncaused causes. In other words, it is impossible for there to be a god, another god, another god, and still another god which caused the god before him, etc. With such a model, it would have been impossible for the first god to even exist or get started. An infinite regress of causes is impossible. Therefore, there must be one first uncaused God.
   E. Historically, Jesus taught that there was only one God. Prophecies, the resurrection, the general reliability of the NT documents, and other evidence demonstrate that He was right.
   F. Though there is one God, there are angels and demons which could be called “gods” in this sense (1 Corinthians 8:4). However, these demons are not really gods. They are just fake or false gods. There is only one true God in all of existence (John 17:3; cf. Isaiah 43:10; 44:8).

   7. Hinduism is scientific.

   A. Please see comments above (#6C) regarding scientific and rational evidence against the eternality of the universe.
   B. Since science has demonstrated that the universe is not eternal, the notion of an eternal universe as taught by Hinduism cannot be true. Therefore, Hinduism is not scientifically accurate.

   8. I have great peace as a Hindu. I do not need Christianity.

   A. The issue of religion is not one of feelings, but of truth. The question that must be asked is, “Is Hinduism a true religion?”
   B. Many people have peace believing things which are just absolutely false. Some children have great peace believing that Santa Claus exists and he brings them candy every Christmas. However, Santa Claus does not exist. So it really does not matter what a person feels, but whether their feelings correspond to reality (truth).

   9. I love being Hindu. I enjoy the rituals and practices. I do not want to be a Christian.

   A. Do you have any certainty that you will reach samsara or moksha? Are you going to be in the endless cycle of reincarnations/transmigrations forever? Are these rituals actually going to help you with this process?
   B. Jesus Christ came to give us hope. He said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). He also said, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24). Jesus Christ offers you salvation from God’s judgment by faith. It is not by your works, but by faith that you can possess everlasting life (Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 4:5; 5:1). This salvation you can possess immediately and with certainty due to the completed work of Jesus who was the unique God in flesh.

   10. I am vegetarian and I respect life. Christianity is non-vegetarian and believes in the sacrificing and eating of animals which is cruel.

   A. Christianity is not anti-vegetarian. There are Christians who are vegetarians due to health preferences and even Biblical reasons. The Bible allows a person to be a vegetarian (see Romans 14). However, it also allows the practice of eating meat (cf. 1 Cor. 8:13; 10:25-28; Rom. 14:2-3, 21).
   B. The Bible does not teach that Christians should mistreat animals and use them for selfish purposes. In fact, most of the treatment of animals today by various Western companies is atrocious and wrong. The Bible teaches that man has dominion over animals; and, as such, has the right to use animals to meet his needs, but not to exploit animals.
   C. Furthermore, the Bible teaches that humans are to respect animals. Humans did not create animals nor did animals emerge through some random chemical process. Instead, animals were created by God (Gen. 1:20-25). Since animals are the creation of God, humans have no right to abuse their God-given dominion over the animals. For example, it is wrong for humans to slaughter animals just for the fun of it.

   11. Hinduism is a peaceful religion, but Christianity has a bloody history.

   A. It is true that “christianity” has had a bloody history. Many have claimed to be followers of Jesus, but have murdered others for their selfish gain. The crusades were a practice advocated by the Roman Catholic Church mainly for political reasons. Jesus did not advocate killing, but loving and forgiveness. The practices of these so-called “christians” were against Jesus’ teachings and are a disgrace to the rest of the teachings of the New Testament.
   B. There are many examples of brutal acts by Hindus against their own people such as the practice of widow burning. Or, even against other peoples such as the modern day persecution of Christians by militant Hindus. While these actions by persons claiming to be Hindus, does not make Hinduism false. Neither do the actions of these “Christians” make Christianity false. There are always fake adherents to religions who claim to be following the religion’s teachings correctly.

   12. Hinduism teaches personal moral responsibility for one’s actions, but Christianity does not.

   A. Hinduism’s insistence that a person pay for their moral actions based on the law of karma due to actions in their past lives, is irrational. One would be suffering for actions which they had no remembrance of committing.
   B. It is basically impossible for a person to get out of samsara since they are continually sinning. Christianity has a notion of grace, but Hinduism does not. With Hinduism, one must continually strive to be morally perfect. However, such perfection has never been reached by any Hindu. Jesus Christ, on the other hand, has been morally perfect. Due to the sinful nature of humans, He offers salvation as a free gift (John 5:24; 6:47).
   C. Christianity teaches that each person is morally responsible for their actions (Matt. 12:36; Rom. 14:12). However, ultimate salvation or liberation only comes as a free gift through the work of Jesus Christ (Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8-9).

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8. Reid Crani

   February 9, 2018

   

   I believe in reincarnation, so why do I need Christianity?

   What makes you think that reincarnation is true? Believing it to be true doesn’t mean that it is. Yes, I know, believing Christianity is true doesn’t make it true either. But there is a big difference. In Christianity, we have Jesus. Jesus said He was the only Way. “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” (John 14:6). Jesus also performed many miracles. He walked on water, healed sicknesses, raised people from the dead, and claimed to be God in flesh. Because of these things, we need to look at Him seriously and consider what He is saying.

   Now, if Joe Schmoe on the street said that he was the only way to God, we’d look at him and say, “Yeah, right.” But, if Joe calmed a storm with a command, raised someone from the dead, walked on water, etc., that would add a lot of credibility to his claim. After all, he is demonstrating extraordinary abilities consistent with his extraordinary claim.

   This is the case with Jesus. He made extraordinary claims and performed extraordinary deeds. Therefore, it is logical to conclude that what Jesus said was true–especially since He claimed to be God (John 8:24, 58; 10:30-33; 5:18).

   Jesus commissioned the apostles to teach and preach the Christian faith. In Heb. 9:27 it says, “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.” This verse alone shows that reincarnation is not true. Also, reincarnation negates the necessity of the Cross because reincarnation teaches, you can have different lives in which to try to “get it right.” Not so in Christianity. According to the Bible, God gives us one chance to escape the clutches of sin and damnation. God has given us the Law, which states that we are not to lie, to cheat, or steal. But, we all have. Therefore, we are all under the judgment of God, and He will execute His judgment upon sinners on the Day of Judgment. If reincarnation is true, then there is no Day of Judgment, no need of a sacrifice, and no need to trust in Christ.

   A person needs Christianity because reincarnation does not remove sin. Also, reincarnation contradicts the Bible which presents Jesus with His miracles, fulfilled prophecies, resurrection, and so much more. Reincarnation denies the Day of Judgment. Also, think about this. Reincarnation works with karma, the idea that your past lives of “goodness” or “badness” affects the quality and position of your next incarnation. The purpose of reincarnation is to help you develop perfect karma by which you might then achieve a union with the divine consciousness after you have learned whatever it is you are supposed to learn. The problem is that each person had a first incarnation. That means that each person then had perfect Karma since he had no previous life and had done nothing wrong. Therefore, if he had perfect Karma and didn’t learn or do what he was supposed to in his first life, then what makes him think that after hundreds of incarnations with accumulated bad karma that he will be able to achieve the perfect state of union with the divine consciousness that reincarnation moves him toward? It doesn’t make any sense.

   But what does make sense is that there is one God who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ, and the only way to have your sins forgiven is to trust in Him and not your own efforts through various lives to try to become perfect. That is why you need Jesus because reincarnation is not only false, it is empty.

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9. dan ress

   March 22, 2018

   

   What is the difference between Reincarnation and Resurrection?

   by Ryan Turner http://www.carm.org

   The Bible certainly mentions a notion of a resurrection, but this is different from reincarnation (or transmigration) in several ways. Reincarnation is a rebirth into a new form of existence that may be totally different from the first form of existence. For example, a human could get reincarnated as an animal such as a cow. The cow is a totally different form than a human.

   On the other hand, in a resurrection, the human stays as a human. The Judeo-Christian notion of resurrection is a transformation of the body into an immortal form of existence, but there is a relationship between the physical body that dies and the body that is physically raised to immortality. The body that dies is the exact body that is raised, yet it is transformed. However, the resurrection is a physical one.

   After his resurrection, Jesus said, “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have,” (Lk. 24:39). In this passage, Jesus clearly affirmed the physical nature of his resurrected body. His body was identical to the body that had been killed. Jesus’s essence was not inhabiting another object.

   In continuation, Jesus also stated, “Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ 20The Jews then said, ‘It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?’ 21But He was speaking of the temple of His body,” (Jn. 2:19-21). In other words, Jesus’ body would be destroyed and then raised.

   In agreement with Jesus, the apostle Paul taught that physical resurrection of the body in 1 Corinthians 15 stating “So also is the resurrection of the dead It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body,” (1 Cor. 15:42-44). There is a clear connection between the physical body in the grave and the resurrected, yet transformed, physical body that is raised. The “it” that is sown is the “it” that is raised.

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10. skyan foren

    June 5, 2018

    

    SCIENTIFIC FACTS & FOREKNOWLEDGE OF THE BIBLE

    Science means knowledge, and true science always agrees with the observable evidence. Scientific research continues to unfold the wonders and mysteries of our universe. Interestingly, there is one book that has anticipated many of these scientific facts. That book is the Bible.

    The following are several scientific facts found in the Scriptures. Many of these facts were penned centuries before they were discovered. Scientific foreknowledge found only in the Bible offers one more piece of the collective proof that the Bible is truly the inspired Word of the Creator.

    1. The earth free-floats in space (Job 26:7), affected only by gravity. While other sources declared the earth sat on the back of an elephant or turtle, or was held up by Atlas, the Bible alone states what we now know to be true: “He hangs the earth on nothing.”

    2. Creation is made of particles, indiscernible to our eyes (Hebrews 11:3). Not until 19th century was it discovered that all visible matter consists of invisible elements.

    3. Oceans contain springs (Job 38:16). The ocean is very deep, almost all the ocean floor is in total darkness and the pressure there is enormous. It would been impossible for Job to have explored the “springs of the sea.” Until recently, it was thought that the oceans were fed only by rivers and rain. Yet in the 1970’s, with the help of deep diving research submarines that were constructed to withstand 6,000 pounds-per-square-inch pressure, oceanographers discovered springs on the ocean floors!

    4. Joy and gladness understood (Acts 14:17). Evolution cannot explain emotions. Matter and energy do not feel. Scripture explains that God places gladness in our hearts (Psalm 4:7), and ultimate joy is found in our Creator’s presence, “in Your presence is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11).

    5. The bible states that God created life according to kinds (Genesis 1:24). The fact that God distinguishes kinds, agrees with what scientists observe, namely that there are horizontal genetic boundaries beyond which life cannot vary. Life produces after its own kind. Dogs produce dogs, cats produce cats, roses produce roses. Never have we witnessed one kind changing into another kind as evolution supposes. There are truly natural limits biological change.

    6. Chicken or egg dilemma solved (Genesis 1:20-22). Which came first, the chicken or the egg? This question has plagued philosophers for centuries. The Bible states that God created birds with the ability to reproduce after their kind. Therefore the chicken was created first with the ability to make eggs! Yet, evolution has no solution for this dilemma.

    7. Which came first, proteins or DNA (Revelation 4:11)? For evolutionists, the chicken or egg dilemma goes even deeper. Chicken consist of proteins. The code for each protein is contained in the DNA/RNA system. However, proteins are required in order to manufacture DNA. So which came first: proteins or DNA? The ONLY explanation is that they were created together.

    8. The First Law of Thermodynamics established (Genesis 2:1-2). The First Law states that the total quantity of energy and matter in the universe is a constant. One form of energy or matter may be converted into another, but the total quantity always remains the same. Therefore the creation is finished, exactly as God said way back in Genesis.

    9. The first three verses of Genesis accurately express all known aspects of the creation (Genesis 1:1-3). Science expresses the universe in terms of time, space, matter and energy. In Genesis chapter one we read: “In the beginning (time) God created the heavens (space) and the earth (matter)…Then God said, Let there be light (energy).” No other creation account agrees with the observable evidence.

    10. The universe had a beginning (Genesis 1:1, Hebrews 1:10-12). Starting with the studies of Albert Einstein in the early 1900s and continuing today, science has confirmed the biblical view that the universe had a beginning. When the Bible was written most people believed the universe was eternal. Science has proven them wrong, but the Bible correct.

    11. The Second Law of Thermodynamics (Enthropy) explained (Psalm 102:25-26). This law states that everything in the universe is running down, deteriorating, constantly becoming less and less orderly. Enthropy (disorder) entered when mankind rebelled against God, resulting in the curse (Genesis 3:17). Historically, most people believed the universe was unchangeable. Yet modern science verifies that the universe is “grow old like a garment” (Hebrews 1:11). Evolution directly contradicts this law.

    12. Rejecting the Creator results in moral depravity (Romans 1:20-32). The Bible warns that when mankind rejects the overwhelming evidence for a Creator, lawlessness will result. Since the theory of evolution has swept the globe, abortion, pornography, genocide, etc., have all risen sharply.

    13. The fact that God once flooded the earth (the Noahic Flood) would be denied (2 Peter 3:5-6). There is a mass of fossil evidence to prove this fact, yet it is flatly ignored by most of the scientific world because it was God’s judgment on man’s wickedness.

    14. Vast fossil deposits anticipated (Genesis 7). When plants and animals die they decompose rapidly. Yet billions of life forms around the globe have been preserved as fossils. Geologist now know that fossils only form if there is rapid deposition of life buried away from scavengers and bacteria. This agrees exactly with what the Bible says occurred during the global Flood.

    15. The earth was designed for biological life (Isaiah 45:18). Scientists have discovered that the most fundamental characteristics of our earth and cosmos are so finely tuned that if just one of them were even slightly different, life as we know it couldn’t exist. This is called the Anthropic Principle and it agrees with the Bible which states that God formed the earth to be inhabited.

    16. Our ancestors were not primitive (Genesis 4:20-22; Job 8:8-10; 12:12). Archeologists have discovered that our ancestors mined, had metallurgical factories, created air-conditioned buildings, designed musical instruments, studied the stars, and much more. This evidence directly contradicts the theory of evolution, but agrees completely with God’s Word.

    17. The order of creation agrees with science (Genesis 1). Plants require sunlight, water, and minerals in order to survive. In the first chapter of Genesis we read that God created light first (v.3), then water (v.6), then soil (v.9), and then He created life (v.11).

    18. Strong and weak nuclear force explained (Colossians 1:17) Physicists do not understand what binds the atom’s nucleus together. Yet, the Bible states that “all things consist”, or are held together by the Creator, Jesus Christ

    19. Atomic fission anticipated (2 Peter 3:10-12). Scripture states that “the elements will melt with fervent heat” when the earth and the heavens are “dissolved” by fire. Today we understand that if the elements of the atom are loosed, there would be an enormous release of heat and energy (radiation).

    20. Animal instincts understood (Job 39; Proverbs 30:24-28). A newly hatched spider weaves an intricate web without being taught. A recently emerged butterfly somehow knows to navigate a 2,500 mile migration route without a guide. God explains that He has endowed each creature with specific knowledge. Scripture, not evolution, explains animal instincts.

    21. Pseudo-science anticipated (1 Timothy 6:20). The theory of evolution contradicts the observable evidence. The Bible warned us in advance that there would be those who would profess: “profane and idle babblings, and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge (science).” True science agrees with the Creator’s Word.

    22. Science confirms the Bible (Colossians 2:3). These insights place the Bible far above every man-made theory and all other so called inspired books. In contrast, the Koran states that the sun sets in a muddy pond (Surah 18:86). The Hadith contains many myths. The Book of Mormon declares that Native Americans descended from Jews, which has been disproven by DNA research. The Eastern writings also contradict true science.

    23. Love explained (Matthew 22:37-40; 1 John 4:7-12). Evolution cannot explain love. Yet, God’s word reveals that the very purpose of our existence is to know and love God and our fellow man. God is love, and we were created in His image to reflect His love.

    The cause of suffering revealed (Genesis 3; Isaiah 24:5-6). The earth is subject to misery, which appears at odds with our wonderfully designed universe. However, the Bible, not evolution, explains the origin of suffering. When mankind rebelled against God, the curse resulted, introducing affliction, pain and death into the world.

    Death explained (Romans 6:23). All eventually die. The Bible alone explains why we die, “The soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20). Sin is transgression of God’s Law. To see if you will die, please review God’s Ten Commandments (Exodus 20). Have you ever lied? (White lies an fibs count). Ever stolen? (Cheating on a test or taxes is stealing). Jesus said that “whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28). Have you ever looked with lust? Then you’re an adulterer at heart. Have you ever hated someone or called someone a fool? If so, the Bible says you are guilty of murder (Matthew 5:21-2; 1 John 3:15). Have you ever used your Creator’s name (Lord, God, Jesus, or Christ) in vain? This is called blasphemy, and God hates it. If you have broken these commandments at any time, then by your own admission, you are a blasphemer, a murderer, an adulterer, a thief, and a liar at heart. And we have only looked at five of the Ten Commandments. This is why we die.

    Justice understood (Acts 17:30). Our God-given conscience reveals that all sin will be judged. Down deep we know that He who created the eyes sees every secret sin (Romans 2:16). He who formed our mind remembers our past offense as if it just occurred. God has declared that the penalty for sin is death. Physical death comes first, then second death, which is eternal separation from God in the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8). God cannot lie. Every sin will be judged. His justice demands it. But God is also rich in mercy to all who call upon His name. He has made a way for justice to be served and mercy to be shown.

    Eternal life revealed (John 3:16). Scientists reach in vain for the cure for aging and death. Yet, the good news is that God, who is the source of all life, has made a way to freely forgive us so that we may live forever with Him in heaven. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners. Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). God desires a loving, eternal relationship with each person, free from sin, fear, and pain. Therefore, He sent His Son to die as our substitute on the cross. “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Jesus never sinned, therefore He alone qualified to pay the penalty for our sins on the cross. He died in our place. He then rose from the grave defeating death. All who turn from their sins and trust Him will be saved. To repent and place your trust in Jesus Christ, make Psalm 51 your prayer. Then read your Bible daily, obeying what you read. God will never let you down.

    The solution to suffering (Revelation 21). Neither evolution nor religion offers a solution to suffering. But God offers heaven as a gift to all who trust in His Son. In heaven. “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

    The Bible offers the only remedy for sin, suffering, and death. God’s Word presents the only perfect, sinless Savior, one who died for our sins and rose from the dead. Jesus is the Creator (John 1: Colossians 1). He said, “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30). He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). And He promises His followers: “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish” (John 10:28). Your eternal destiny will be determined by your choice. There is only one provision for sin. Jesus died in your place. Only faith in Christ’s finished work will you be saved. This is God’s free gift offered to all.

    Please do not let pride, religion, opinions, or love for sin separate you from God. No sin is worth an eternity in hell. Please heed Jesus’ words, “Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). If you do, you will live in heaven with our awesome Creator forever!

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11. agnes loren

    July 24, 2018

    

    A Physician’s Look: The Agony of Love

    Personal Update, April 1998
    By Mark Eastman, M.D.
    (Former atheist)

    The Trials

    After Jesus’ arrest, they led Him away to the High Priest Caiaphas, where the Scribes and elders were assembled. During this inquisition we are told that “some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, ‘Prophesy!” And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands. (Mark 14:65)

    Beatings about the face received by a blindfolded individual cause even worse trauma because the victim cannot “roll with punches.” In the hours that followed Jesus received two additional beatings at the hands of Romans soldiers. (Matthew 27)

    Several disfigurement of the face would certainly have resulted from the brutal treatment. It is likely that the eyelids were swollen shut as a result of such beatings. This was done in fulfillment of Isaiah 52:13-14:

    Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted
    and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonished at
    thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his
    form more than the sons of men.

    Scourging

    After His trial before Pontius Pilate, Jesus was scourged (flogged) by the Roman guards. This process typically involved a whip with numerous leather thongs, 18-24 inches long, with bits of metal, bone or glass embedded in the leather. At times they would use an iron to beat the prisoner. According to Jewish custom, a prisoner was usually flogged 39 times (Forty minus one was a sign of Jewish mercy!)

    Scourging was an extreme form of punishment. The skin on the victim’s back was usually shredded, thus exposing the underlying muscle and skeletal structures. Severe blood loss and dehydration were the rule. Many victims died from such scourging.

    After the scourging of Jesus, the Roman soldiers beat Him a second time with their hands and with a reed. Then they put on him a “crown of thorns.” Jesus had not drunk since the night before, so the combination of the beatings, the crown of thorns, and the scourging would have set into motion an irreversible process of severe dehydration and cardio respiratory failure. All of this was done so that the prophecy of Isaiah would be fulfilled:

    I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked
    off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. (Isaiah 50:6)

    And:
    But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our
    iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his
    stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

    Crucifixion

    Crucifixion was invented by the Persians between 300-400 B.C. It was “perfected” by the Romans in the first century B.C. It is arguably the most painful death ever invented by man in where we get our term “excruciating.” It was reserved primarily for the most vicious of criminals.

    The most common device used for crucifixion was a wooden cross, which consisted of an upright pole permanently fixed in the ground with a removable crossbar, usually weighing between 75-100 lbs. Victims of crucifixion were typically stripped naked and their clothing divided by the Roman guards. In Jesus’ case this was done in fulfillment of Psalm 22:18, “They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.”

    As a gesture of “Roman kindness” the prisoner was offered a mixture of vinegar (gall) and wine as a mild anesthetic. This anesthetic was refused by Jesus. (Matthew 27:34) Consequently, He bore it all! The Apostle Peter stated of Jesus:

    Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that
    we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose
    stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)

    The victim was then placed on his back, arms stretched out and nailed to the cross bar. The nails, which were generally about 7-9 inches long, were place between the bones of the forearm (the radius ad ulna) and the small bones of the hands (the carpal bones). The placement of the nail at this point had several effects. First it ensured that the victim would indeed hang until dead. Secondly, a nail placed at this point would sever the largest nerve in the hand called the median nerve.

    The severing of this nerve is a medical catastrophe. In addition to severe burning pain the destruction of this nerve causes permanent paralysis of the hand. Furthermore, by nailing the victim at this point in the wrist, there would be minimal bleeding and there would be no bones broken! Thus scriptures were fulfilled:

    I can count all my bones: they look and stare upon me. (Psalm 22:17)

    He keepeth all his bones; not one of them is broken. (Psalm 34:20)

    The positioning of the feet is probably the most critical part of the mechanics of crucifixion. First the knees were flexed about 45 degrees and the feet were flexed (bent downward) an additional 45 degrees until they were parallel to the vertical pole. An iron nail about 7-9 inches long was driven through the feet between the 2nd and 3rd metatarsal bones. In this position the nail would sever the dorsal pedal artery of the foot, but the resultant bleeding would be insufficient to cause death.

    The Catastrophic Result

    The resulting position on the cross sets up a horrific sequence of events which results in a slow, painful death. Having been pinned to the cross, the victim now has an impossible position to maintain.

    With the knees flexed at about 45 degrees, the victim must bear his weight with the muscles of the thigh. However, this is an almost impossible task, try to stand with your knees flexed at 45 degrees for 5 minutes. As the strength of the legs gives out, the weight of the body must now be borne by the arms and shoulders. The result is that within a few minutes of being placed on the cross, the shoulders will become dislocated. Minutes later he elbows and wrists become dislocated. The result of these dislocations is that the arms are as much as 6-9 inches longer than normal.

    With the arms dislocated, considerable body weight is transferred to the chest, causing the rib cage to be elevated in a state of perpetual inhalation. Consequently, in order to exhale, the victim must push down on his feet to allow the rib muscles to relax. The problem is that the victim cannot push very long because the legs are extremely fatigued. As time goes on, the victim is less and less able to bear weight on the legs, causing further dislocation of the arms and further raising of the chest wall, making breathing more and more difficult.

    The result of this process is a series of catastrophic physiological effects. Because the victim cannot maintain adequate ventilation of the lungs, the blood oxygen level begins to diminish and the blood carbon dioxide (CO2) level begins to rise. This rising CO2 level stimulates the heart to beat faster in order to increase the delivery of oxygen and the removal of CO2.

    However, due to the pinning of the victim and the limitations of oxygen delivery, the victim cannot deliver more oxygen and the rising heart rate only increases oxygen demand. So this process sets up a vicious cycle of increasing oxygen demand, which cannot be met, followed by an ever increasing heart rate. After several hours the heart begins to fail, the lungs collapse and fill up with fluid, which further decreases oxygen delivery to the tissues. The blood loss and hyperventilation combines to cause severe dehydration. That’s why Jesus said, “I thirst.” (John 19:28)

    Over a period of several hours, the combination of collapsing lungs, failing heart, dehydration, and the inability to get adequate oxygen supplies to the tissues cause the eventual death of the victim. The victim, in effect, cannot breath properly and slowly suffocates to death. In cases of severe cardiac stress, such as crucifixion, a victim’s heart can even burst. This process is called “Cardiac Rupture.” Therefore it could be said that Jesus died of a “broken heart!”

    To slow the process of death the executioners put a small wooden seat on the cross, which would allow the victim the privilege of bearing his weight on his buttocks. The effect of this was that it could take up to nine days to die on a cross.

    When the Romans wanted to expedite death, they would simply break the legs of the victim, causing him to suffocate in a matter of minutes.

    At three o’clock in the afternoon Jesus said, “Tetelastai”, meaning “it is finished.” He gave up the ghost. When the soldiers came to Jesus to break His legs, He was already dead. Not a bone of Him was broken!

    How Should We Then Live?

    I realized that it is difficult to read the details of Jesus’ physical sufferings. And yet, when realize that He looked forward, on our behalf, to the cross, we are overwhelmed with His practical demonstration of love and, hopefully, a personal realization of our unworthiness. How should we then live? I believe that the Apostle Paul said it best:

    Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in
    the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but
    made Himself of no reputation,taking the form of a bondservant,and
    coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man,
    He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even
    the death of the cross. Therefore, God also has highly exalted Him and
    given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of
    Jesus, every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth,
    and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
    glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-11)

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12. Goodwin thres

    August 28, 2018

    

    Holy Spirit

    God has revealed to us [these things] through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For what person knows a man’s thoughts except the spirit of the man which is in him. So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. (1 Corinthians 2:10-11)

    Now here is this great Being of God in our universe, this fantastic Being of infinite wisdom and mighty power. How can we know anything about him? Paul’s answer is that we cannot, except he discloses himself to us. You cannot find out God by searching. Man by wisdom does not know God. Man by investigation of all the natural forces of life will never find his way to the heart of God. Only God himself must disclose himself, must open himself to us. That he has done by means of the Spirit of God — the Spirit has come to teach us about God. The Lord Jesus himself appeared as a man in order that we might have a visible demonstration of what God is like. The simplest answer to the question, “What is God like?” is to say he is like Jesus, under all circumstances. But it is the work of the Spirit to show us what Jesus is like. Jesus said, “He will take of the things of mine and show them unto you,” (John 16:14 KJV). You can read the record of the Gospels, and read the historical record of Jesus, but the living Lord does not stand out from the pages merely by reading them. It is as the Spirit illuminates those pages and makes them vivid and real that you find yourself confronted with the living, breathing Christ himself. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. Paul describes the method that the Spirit has taken by which he does this fantastic thing. Verse 12:

    Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who possess the Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:12-13 RSV)

    [We have received] the Spirit which is from God, that we might understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. (1 Corinthians 2:12b RSV)

    That is the reason why non-Christians can read their Bibles and it seems to be a totally different book to them than when a Christian reads it. Many of you have had that experience. Before you became Christians you read the Bible and it was such a dull book; there was nothing exciting in it. Then you became a Christian, you received the Spirit, and the result was that the book came alive. Things that you once had puzzled over became clear, and you found yourself fascinated by it. The Spirit began with the apostles; they were illuminated by him. Then another phenomenon happened, Verse 13:

    And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but words[implied here] taught by the Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:13a)

    As you know, one of the major arguments of our day is over the question of the inerrancy of scripture. People are asking afresh today, “Is everything in the Bible true? Does the Bible speak with authority in every realm of life? Is it true in what it says about scientific, geographic, and astronomic matters, etc? Or is it true only when it tells you how to get to heaven?” The question is answered by Paul’s statement here. He says that when the apostles began to speak and to write the Scriptures, they did so by words taught by the Holy Spirit. What he is really talking about is a process by which the Spirit of God awakened the minds of the apostles to understand truth, and they chose their own words to express it so that every apostle’s personality comes through in the words that he uses. And yet, in a strange and wonderful way, those words which the apostles chose are words that God himself approved. Therefore, they come from him, not in a direct, but in an indirect sense.

    Paul says to Timothy, “All scripture is breathed out from God,” (2 Timothy 3:16). If that is true, then it comes from a God who cannot lie, a God who makes no mistakes, a God who sees the end from the beginning, so every word in Scripture is true. As the apostles wrote these things down, therefore, we can trust what they had to say.

    According to the Scriptures you receive the Spirit when you believe in Jesus. That is what he himself said. On the great day of the feast of the Tabernacles recorded in John 7, he said, “If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water,'” (John 7:37-38 RSV). John adds, “Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive;” (John 7:39 RSV). And in the first chapter of his Gospel, John says, “To all who received him [Jesus], who believed in his name, he gave power [power is the work of the Spirit] to become children of God,” (John 1:12 RSV). Everywhere in the Scripture you find that the moment you believe the word about Jesus — who he is, what he did, and what he can do for you as Lord of your life — in that moment you receive the Spirit.

    There is the process. It begins with the indwelling of the apostles, then the illuminating of the apostles’ minds, the preaching of the apostles in words chosen by the Spirit, the indwelling of every believer by belief in the word that the apostles preached, and the illuminating of the mind of each believer to understand truth as it fits his or her life directly.

    That is the process by which this great body of fascinating truth, the secret and hidden wisdom of God which is intended for our glorification, will begin to change our lives, our homes, our families, our community, our nation, and ultimately, the whole of the world. You would never think up that process, would you?

    The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment:
    “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
    (1 Cor 2:14-16)

    What is it that is the central thing about Christian faith?

    Well, the answer of Scripture, of course, is very clear. Both the Old and New Testaments indicate that the “main thing” about Christianity is Jesus Christ himself. He is the center of our faith, not even the Word about him, but he himself as a living Being who imparts to us new life by faith in his name. His life, his death, and his resurrection are the central themes around which all truth gathers. All truth, whether of a religious, a scientific, a moral or a polemic or political nature, whatever it may be, all truth must center around that. That is the central truth of Christianity. Therefore, the fundamental question of life from the Bible’s point of view is, “What is your relationship with Jesus? What do you think about Jesus?” Our Lord himself put it in those terms when he said to the people of his day, “What think ye of Christ? Whose son is he?” (Matthew 22:42a KJV). The fundamental division of all humanity, therefore, comes right at that point. Are you related to Christ, or do you not yet know him? Are you regenerated by faith in Christ, or are you still on the way, perhaps yet to come to that encounter with him which will make the transformation in your life.

    Non-Christians cannot understand spiritual truths, and they cannot grasp the concept of God’s Spirit lives in believers. Many non-Christians do not approve or understand Christians who receive Christ as Lord and Savior and follow Him, believe is all seems so silly to them. Just as a tone-deaf person cannot appreciate fine music, the person who rejects Christ cannot understand truths from God’s Spirit. With the lines of communication broken, he or she won’t be able to hear what God is saying to him or her.

    No one can know what the Lord is thinking (Romans 11:34), but through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, believers have insight into some of God’s plans, thoughts, and actions. They, in fact, have “the mind of Christ.” Through the Holy Spirit, we can begin to know God’s thoughts, talk with him, and expect his answers to our prayers. An intimate relationship with Christ comes only from spending time consistently in his presence and in his Word. Now, have you received Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? Just ask Him to enter into your life and believe that He is the true and living God and that He can forgive all your sins: past, present and future! And you are guaranteed eternal life in heaven with Him, because He promises you will be saved by faith in Him alone!

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13. cary woods

    October 30, 2018

    

    WHAT IS CRUCIFIXION?

    A medical doctor provides a physical description: The cross is placed on the ground and the exhausted man is quickly thrown backwards with his shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire feels for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drives a heavy, square wrought iron nail through the wrist deep into the wood.

    Quickly he moves to the other side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flex and movement. The cross is then lifted into place. The left foot is press backward against the right foot, and with both feet extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees flexed. The victim is now crucified.

    As he slowly sags down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating fiery pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain – the nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the median nerves. As he pushes himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, he places the full weight on the nail through his feet. Again he feels the searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the bones of his feet.

    As the arms fatigue, cramps sweep through his muscles, knotting them deep relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to push himself upward to breathe. Air can be drawn into the lungs but not exhaled. He fights to raise himself in order to get even one small breath.

    Finally, carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream, and the cramps partially subside. Spasmodically, he is able to push himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen, hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint wrenching cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn from his lacerated back as he moves up and down against rough timber.

    Then another agony begins: a deep, crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compressess the heart. It is now almost over, the loss of tissue fluids has reached a critical level, the compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood into the tissues, the tortured lungs are making frantic effort to gasp in small gulps of air.

    He can feel the chill of death creeping through his tissues…Finally, he can allow his body to die…All this the Bible records with the simple words, “and they crucified Him” (Mark 15:24).

    What wondrous love is this? Many people don’t know that pain and suffering our Lord, Jesus Christ went through for us…because of the brutality, crucifixion was given a sentence to only its worst offenders of law. Thieves, murderers, and rapists would be the types of creeps who got crucified. Yet, here Jesus is being crucified between two hardened crimminals…What did Jesus do? Did he murder anyone? Did he steal anything? The answer as we all know is NO!! Jesus did nothing to deserve this type of death, yet he went willing to die, in between 2 thieves, so that we might be saved. And there, in between the sinners, was our slain Savior for our sins.

    Hope this message opened your eyes on how much Jesus really loves you!

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14. william

    December 27, 2018

    

    Why believe in Christianity over all other religions?

    By Matt Slick

    Critics often ask why Christianity is any better than any other religion in the world. After all, of all the religions that exist, how can it be that only Christianity is true? If God exists, why can’t God use different religions? Don’t all paths lead to God? Skeptics ask these kinds of questions all the time; and, unfortunately, few Christians have the answers. Therefore, in an attempt to demonstrate why Christianity is true and all other religious systems are false, I’ve prepared the follow list of reasons for Christianity’s superiority.

    There are such things as absolute truths

    If truth is relative, then the statement that truth is relative is an absolute truth and would be a self-defeating statement by proving that truth is not relative. But, if truth is absolute, then the statement “truth is absolute” is true and not self-defeating. It is true that truth exists. It is true that truth will not contradict itself as we have just seen. In fact, it is absolutely true that you are reading this paper.

    If we can see that there is such a thing as truth in the world, then we could also see that there can be spiritual truth as well. It is not absurd to believe in spiritual absolutes anymore than physical or logical absolutes. Even the statement that all religions lead to God is a statement held to be a spiritual absolute by many people. This simply demonstrates that people do believe in spiritual truth. Why? Because truth exists. However, not all that is believed to be true actually is true. Furthermore, all belief systems cannot be true since they often contradict each other in profound ways–and truth is not self-contradictory.

    Religions contradict each other; therefore, they cannot all be true.

    Mormonism teaches that there are many gods in existence and that you can become a god. Christianity teaches that there is only one God and that you cannot become a god. Islam teaches that Jesus is not God in flesh where Christianity does. Jesus cannot be both God and not God at the same time. Some religions teach that we reincarnate while others do not. Some teach there is a hell, and others do not. They cannot all be true. If they cannot all be true, it cannot be true that all religions lead to God. Furthermore, it means that some religions are, at the very least, false in their claims to reveal the true God (or gods). Remember, truth does not contradict itself. If God exists, He will not institute mutually exclusive and contradictory belief systems in an attempt to get people to believe in Him. God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33). Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that there can be an absolute spiritual truth and that not all systems can be true regardless of whether or not they claim to be true. There must be more than a mere claim.

    Fulfilled Prophecy concerning Jesus

    Though there are other religions that have prophecies in them, none are 100% accurate as is the Bible; and none of them point to someone like Jesus who made incredible claims and performed incredible deeds. The Old Testament was written hundreds of years before Jesus was born. Yet, the Old Testament prophesied many things about Jesus. This is undoubtedly evidence of divine influence upon the Bible.

    Please consider some of the many prophecies of Jesus in the following chart.

    Prophecy Old Testament Prophecy New Testament Fulfillment
    Born of a virgin Isaiah 7:14
    Matt. 1:18, 25

    Born at Bethlehem Micah 5:2
    Matt. 2:1

    He would be preceded by a Messenger Isaiah 40:3
    Matt. 3:1-2

    Rejected by His own people Isaiah 53:3
    John 7:5; 7:48

    Betrayed by a close friend Isaiah 41:9
    John 13:26-30

    His side pierced Zech. 12:10
    John 19:34

    Crucifixion Psalm 22:1
    Psalm 22:11-18
    Luke 23:33;
    John 19:23-24

    Resurrection of Christ Psalm 16:10
    Acts 13:34-37

    Fulfillment of prophecy can have different explanations. Some state that the NT was written and altered to make it look like Jesus fulfilled OT prophecy (but there is no evidence of that). Others state that the prophecies are so vague that they don’t count (but many of the prophecies are not vague at all). Of course, it is possible that God inspired the writers and Jesus, who is God in flesh, fulfilled these prophecies as a further demonstration of the validity of Christianity.

    The Claims and Deeds of Christ

    Christianity claims to be authored by God. Of course, merely making such a claim does not make it true. Anyone can make claims; but, backing up those claims is entirely different. Jesus used the Divine Name for Himself (John 8:58)–the same Divine Name used by God when Moses asked God what His name was in (Exodus 3:14). Jesus said that He could do whatever He saw God the Father do (John 5:19), and He claimed to be one with the God the Father (John 10:30; 10:38). Likewise, the disciples also called Him God (John 1:1, 14; John 10:27; Col. 2:9). By default, if Jesus is God in flesh, then whatever He said and did would be true. Since Jesus said that He alone was the way, the truth, and the life and that no one can find God without Him (John 14:6), His words become incredibly important.

    Again, making a claim is one thing. Backing it up is another. Did Jesus also back up His fantastic words with miraculous deeds? Yes, He did.

    • Jesus changed water into wine (John 2:6-10).
    • Jesus cast out demons (Matt. 8:28-32; 15:22-28).
    • Jesus healed lepers (Matt. 8:3; Luke 17:14).
    • Jesus healed diseases (Matt. 4:23, 24; Luke 6:17-19)
    • Jesus healed the paralytic (Mark 2:3-12).
    • Jesus raised the dead (Matt. 9:25; John 11:43-44).
    • Jesus restored sight to the blind (Matt. 9:27-30; John 9:1-7).
    • Jesus restored cured deafness (Mark 7:32-35).
    • Jesus fed the multitude (Matt. 14:15-21; Matt. 15:32-38).
    • Jesus walked on water (Matt. 14:25-27).
    • Jesus calmed a storm with a command (Matt. 8:22-27; Mark 4:39).
    • Jesus rose from the dead (Luke 24:39; John 20:27).
    • Jesus appeared to disciples after resurrection (John 20:19).

    The eyewitnesses recorded the miracles of Jesus, and the gospels have been reliably transmitted to us. Therefore, we can believe what Jesus said about Himself for two reasons: One, because what He said and did agrees with the Old Testament; and two, because Jesus performed many convincing miracles in front of people who testified and wrote about what they saw Him do.

    Christ’s resurrection

    Within Christianity, the resurrection is vitally important. Without the resurrection our faith is useless (1 Cor. 15:14). It was Jesus’ resurrection that changed the lives of the disciples. After Jesus was crucified, the disciples ran and hid. But when they saw the risen Lord, they knew that all that Jesus had said and done proved that He was indeed God in flesh, the Savior.

    No other religious leader has died in full view of trained executioners, had a guarded tomb, and then risen three days later to appear to many many people. This resurrection is proof of who Jesus is and that He did accomplish what He set out to do: provide the only means of redemption for mankind.

    Buddha did not rise from the dead. Muhammad did not rise from the dead. Confucius did not rise from the dead. Krishna did not rise from the dead, etc. Only Jesus has physically risen from the dead, walked on water, claimed to be God, and raised others from the dead. He has conquered death. Why trust anyone else? Why trust anyone who can be held by physical death when we have a Messiah who is greater than death itself?

    Conclusion

    Why should anyone trust in Christianity over Islam, Buddhism, Mormonism, or anything else? It is because there are absolute truths–because only in Christianity is there accurate fulfilled prophecies of a coming Messiah. Only in Christianity do we have the extremely accurate transmission of the eyewitness’ documents (gospels), so we can trust what was originally written. Only in Christianity do we have the person of Christ who claimed to be God, performed many miracles to prove His claim of divinity, who died and rose from the dead, and who said that He alone was the way the truth and the life (John 14:6). All this adds to the legitimacy and credibility of Christianity above all other religions–all based on the person of Jesus. If follows that if it is all true about what Jesus said and did, then all other religions are false because Jesus said that He alone was the way, the truth, and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). It could not be that Jesus is the only way and truth and other religions also be the truth.

    Either Jesus is true and all other religions are false, or other religions are true and Jesus is false. There are no other options. I choose to follow the risen Lord Jesus.

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15. Bemwell Ilag

    March 2, 2019

    

    BEWARE

    See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

    For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. (Colossians 2:8-10)

    Apostle Paul writes against any philosophy of life based only on human ideas and experiences. He is condemning teaching that credits humanity, not Christ, with being the answer to life’s problems. That approach becomes a false religion. There are many man-made approaches to life’s problems that totally disregard God. To resist heresy you must use your mind, keep your eyes on Christ, and study God’s Word.

    Paul asserts Christ’s deity: “in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” means that all of God was in Christ’s human body. When we have Christ, we have everything we need for salvation and right living. When we know Jesus Christ, we don’t need to seek God by means of other religions, cults, or unbiblical philosophies as the Colossians were doing. Christ alone holds the answers to the true meaning of life because he is life. Christ is the unique source of knowledge and power for the Christian life. No Christian needs anything in addition to what Christ has provided to be saved. We are complete in him.

    When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Colossians 2:13-15)

    Before we believed in Christ, our nature was evil. We disobeyed, rebelled, and ignored God (even at our best, we did not love him with all our heart, soul, and mind). The Christian, however, has a new nature. God has crucified the old rebellious nature (Romans 6:6) and replaced it with a new loving nature (Colossians 3:9, 10). The penalty of sin died with Christ on the cross. God has declared us not guilty, and we need no longer live under sin’s power. God does not take us out of the world or make us robots, we will still feel like sinning, and sometimes we will sin. The differences is that before we were saved, we were slaves to our sinful nature, but now we are free to live for Christ (see Galatians 2:20).

    We can enjoy our new life in Christ because we have joined him in his death and resurrection. Our evil desires, our bondage to sin, and our love of sin died with him. Now, joining him in his resurrection life, we may have unbroken fellowship with God and freedom from sin. Our debt for sin has been paid in full; our sins are swept away and forgotten by God; and we can be clean and new.

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16. Chris Hymn

    September 5, 2019

    

    Created to Know Him

    Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.
    — Ecclesiastes 12:13

    If you are seeking fulfillment, purpose, or meaning from this world and from human accomplishments, I have some bad news: you will never find it. There is nothing in the world that will fill the deepest void in your life—not the ultimate car, not the greatest job, not the most beautiful girl or the most handsome guy, not the greatest education, not winning it all on American Idol. There is nothing that can even come close.

    King Solomon, one of the wealthiest men who ever lived, had everything he wanted. Yet he went on a binge, trying to satisfy his appetites with the wrong things. He went after passion. He went after possessions. He went after things of beauty and buildings and land. He drank, and he partied. After all of that, here was his conclusion: “Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:11, NLT).

    Have you ever been ravenously hungry and tried to satisfy your appetite with snacking? It just doesn’t work. You want a real meal. In the same way, we were created with a God-shaped hole in our lives. We have been created to love God, to know God, and to bear fruit. Everything else is secondary.

    Think about it: everything else in life, every other responsibility, no matter how significant, must be ordered behind the central purpose of your existence on earth—knowing, loving, and serving your Creator. Yes, God cares about your career, your marriage, your family, and your ministry. But knowing Him, prioritizing Him, is number one. And when you do, the Bible says you never will be a loser for it.

    Jesus said it like this: “Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:32-33, NLT).

    The Power of Christ’s Words

    Christ’ passionate love for the world is evident in His statements from the Cross:

    Statement One

    “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34

    Do you realize that you are in need of the Father’s forgiveness?

    Statement Two

    “Today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:43

    Have you realized and confessed Jesus as your personal Savior?

    Statement Three

    “Woman, behold your son.” John 19:26

    Jesus is concerned for us and provides for all of us.

    Statement Four

    “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Matthew 27:46

    Jesus was forsaken so we don’t have to be.

    Statement Five

    “I thirst!” John 19:28

    This personal statement reminds us that Jesus is not only God, but He also was man. Jesus identifies with our needs.

    Statement Six

    “It is finished!” John 19:30

    Jesus paid for our sins, and sin’s control over our lives is broken!

    Statement Seven

    “Into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Luke 23:46

    You can entrust your life into God’s hands.

    If you are reading this today and you’ve never committed your life to Jesus Christ, would you and confess Him as Your Savior and Lord? If so, visit this important message, that will affect your eternal destiny:

    http://www.harvest.org/knowgod/

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17. adam gouda

    February 6, 2020

    

    The Atomic Glue

    Apostle Paul goes on to describe the work of Jesus.

    “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.”
    (Colossians 1:16)

    Apostle Paul is proclaiming here when he says that Jesus is the “creator of all things…things were made by him.” Now, as this verse goes on to say, that includes more than merely the material universe around us: more than stars, galaxies, superstars, planets, and solar systems, or even trees, grass, mountains and seas. It includes the earth, Paul says, but also heaven. Both the visible and the invisible. It would also include all forces. Electricity was invented by Jesus (not as a man, but as the Eternal Son) before the creation of the world. It would include radiation, magnetism, and the peculiar and mysterious dance of electrons from one level of energy to another within the atom that makes light. All this was the design of the Eternal Son.

    But not only forces, but concepts and attitudes as well: grace, mercy, truth, love, and life itself. Jesus is the originator of all life. And, as Paul specifies here, a whole pantheon of invisible beings (and their visible counterparts in earthly government): “thrones and rulers and powers and authorities”—all were created by him. The Colossian heresy here becomes visible in our modern experience as well. The Colossians began to believe, because of the Greek teachers among them, that the universe consisted of a “hierarchy of angels.” One must begin down at the bottom, with raunchy, unpleasant angels, and work one’s way up through the whole hierarchy to the good angels and, finally, to God. From that idea has come the eastern concept of reincarnation for that too was part of the Colossian heresy.

    We find a counterpart today, not only in the theory of reincarnation, but also in horoscopes and astrology—the idea of stars influencing and governing our lives. The claim that Transcendental Meditation is the means of getting in touch with invisible beings is another example. We are told that there are Astral Teachers and Divine Masters who appear from time to time to impart degrees of knowledge to the human race. Gradually, we are told, this is to result, after centuries and centuries of progress, in our being lost in the Divine presence. All this is nothing new. It is very old, but it is also new, appearing again and again in history. This is what the apostle labors to correct. He is telling the Colossians, “Jesus is above all angels. You are freed from bondage to these lesser beings when you see the true authority and power of your risen Lord.”

    Jesus controls space and history:
    “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:17)

    “He is before all things,” means he is outside his own creation; he was there first.

    When Paul uses the phrase, “all things by him hold together,” he is speaking of our Lord’s power to sustain and to prevent breakdown. The scientists who work on the great linear accelerator (a relatively small instrument) at Stanford University, trying to smash the atom apart, know that it takes incredible power.

    A Stanford University Professor said: “The power to operate this instrument, is equivalent to all the electricity it takes to run the city of San Francisco.”

    Something holds the atom together with enormous, incredible power. That power, according to the Word of God (both here in Colossians and in the letter to the Hebrews is vested in Jesus. He has the authority to rule as Sovereign. He has the power to sustain, because he is the Eternal Son.

    If you have a magnet in your right hand a magnet in your left hand, and you push the positive ends towards each other, they push away. Opposite charges attract; like charges repel. But here’s a great mystery: in the nucleus of the atom, protons are packed together which are all positive-charged particles.

    What keeps these positive-charged protons from repelling like the magnets? What holds them together? Science doesn’t know. You can study quantum physics and learn lots of hypotheses and theories, yet to this day, it’s a mystery to scientists, but not to Christians, for Scriptures tells us the real answers. It is Jesus Christ who holds all things together. And the day is coming when, suddenly, He will let go…

    “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in
    which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and
    the elements shall melt with intense heat, the earth and its
    works will be burned up.” (II Peter 3:10)

    This was written before man knew anything about nuclear physics or about an atomic reaction could actually melt the basic building blocks of matter itself. God was prophesying how the world would end.

    But now we know if the “atomic glue” which holds the atom together were to suddenly disappear, everything would dissolve in zillion degree “intense heat” accompanied by a “great noise” so powerful and quick it wouldn’t even be heard.

    The most astonishing phenomenon today is to see men who work with this physical universe, who intimately observe the beauty, order, and power inherent in the natural world as well as in the world of humanity, yet who fail to see the Power behind it all; the ordered Intelligence that possesses and originates all these things. It is difficult to understand a man like Carl Sagan can work in the field of astronomy, knowing of the great secrets that are now coming to light in the universe, and yet go on breathing air which God has supplied, eating the food with which God has stocked this earth, and relying moment by moment on a heartbeat whose continuation rests in the will of Someone other than himself, yet can busy himself telling us that only man matters!

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18. jess gould

    April 29, 2020

    

    Jesus the “Almighty God”

    If you look at Psalm 100:3 it says: “Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are his.”

    Many times Jesus referred to His own deity, both directly and indirectly, Jesus used the terms “Son of Man” and “Son of God” often. Both referred to His divine nature (Daniel 7:13,14; Matthew 26:63,64). Jesus also used the specific words I am (Ego eimi in Greek, Ani bu in Hebrew) on several occasions (e.g., John 8:56-58). God used these same words to describe Himself to Moses. Jesus also states specifically that He and God (Father) are “one” (John 10:30), meaning, the same substance, nature and essence.

    We also find in Isaiah 9:6, that Jesus is referred to as a “Mighty God”

    Did you know that “Mighty God” is translated from Hebrew word Elohim, a very common name for God in the Old Testament; used 2,570 times. Means: “strong one” plural ending (im in Hebrew) indicates fullness of power. “God of all the earth” “God of heaven”.

    Jesus is called “Everlasting Father” in Isaiah 9:6, is better translated “Father of eternity” in this context carry the meaning “possessor of eternity.”

    In Isaiah 40:3, we find that Jesus is called both Yahweh (Jehovah) and Elohim in the same verse. This verse was written in reference to future ministry of Jesus (see John 1:23) and represents one of the strongest affirmations of Christ’s deity in the O.T.

    We all know that we only pray directly to God, refer to John 14:13, John 15:16 you will find that we direct our prayers to Jesus.

    We also know that we only worship God, Jesus always accepted such worship as appropriate:

    From Peter (Luke 5:8)
    From Thomas (John 20:28)
    From Angels (Heb 1:6)
    From Old Testament saints (Joshua 5-13-15)
    From Demons (Mark 5:6)
    We see all of heaven worshiping Jesus (Rev 5:11)

    What the Bible says about Jesus
    Revelation 1:7-8 says: Jesus is the Almighty
    Genesis 17:1 says: The Almighty is God

    John 18:51 says: Jesus is the I Am
    Exodus 3:14 says: The I Am is God

    John 8:24 says: Jesus is I Am He
    Isaiah 43:10 says: I Am He is God

    Hebrews 1:6 says: Angels worship Jesus
    Psalm 148:2 says: Angels worship God

    Acts 4:12 says: Jesus is the One Savior
    Isaiah 45:21 says: The One Savior is God

    Luke 1:68 says: Jesus is the One Redeemer
    Isaiah 41:14 says: The One Redeemer is God

    Philippians 2:10 says: Every knee must bow to Jesus
    Isaiah 45:23 says: Every knee must bow to God

    Did you know that there are about 3,856 verses directly or indirectly concerned with prophecy in Scripture, about one verse in six tells of future events? God’s challenge to the world is “Prove Me now, I am the Lord … I will speak, and the word that I speak shall come to pass.” (See Jeremiah 28:9; Ezekiel 12:25) Buddhists, Confucianists, and Muslims have their own sacred writings, but in them the element of prophecy is obviously absent.

    In the brief life of Jesus alone we see over 300 fulfilled prophecies! Only Jesus as an all-knowing God could make and fulfill.

    Here are few other biblical passages proving that Jesus is God:

    Isaiah 44:6
    “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of
    host: “I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God.’”

    Isaiah 43:10
    “You are My witnesses,” says the LORD, “And My servant whom I have
    chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He.
    Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall be after ME.”

    Revelation 1:8
    “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the
    Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

    Revelation 21:6
    “And He said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the
    Beginning and the End.’”

    1 John 5:20
    “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an
    understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is
    true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.”

    1 Timothy 3:16
    “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was
    manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached
    among he Gentiles, believed on in the world,
    received up in glory.”

    Titus 2:13
    “…looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God
    and Savior Jesus Christ…”

    John 8:58
    Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was,
    I AM.’”

    Isaiah 7:14
    “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall
    conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”
    (Immanuel translated: “God among us.”)

    Philippians 2:10-11
    “…that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and
    of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should
    confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

    (There will come a day that all angels, all prophets, all religious leaders, including Buddha, Confucius, Muhammad bowing down to Jesus)

    We also find in Scripture that Jesus is described as:

    • OMINIPRESENT Matt. 28:20
    • OMNISCIENT John 2:24
    • OMNIPOTENT Heb.1:3
    • CREATOR John 1:1-3
    • ETERNAL Micah 5:2, Heb 1:8
    • GOD Heb. 1:8; Titus 2:13; John 1:1; John 20:28
    Conclusion: We clearly see that Jesus Christ claims to be God in human flesh and clearly identified as God. He is to be prayed to, worshiped to, and possess the many attributes of God.

    Can you see now, that Jesus is God?

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19. ryan obolia

    August 19, 2020

    

    Religious Performance

    “If you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.” (Colossians 20-23)

    We cannot reach up to God by following rules of self-denial, by observing rituals, or by practicing religion. Apostle Paul isn’t saying all rules are bad, but keeping laws or rules will not earn salvation. The Good News is that God reaches down to human beings, and he asks for our response. Man-made religions focus on human effort; Christianity focuses on Christ’s work. Believers must put aside sinful desires, but doing so is the by-product of our new life in Christ, not the reason for our new life. Our salvation does not depend on our own discipline and rule keeping but on the power of Christ’s death and resurrection.

    Following a long list of religious rules requires strong self-discipline and can make a person appear moral, but religious rules cannot change a person’s heart. Only the Holy Spirit can do that.

    Do you really think God is fooled by some kind of religious performance? What a low view of God, to think that if we run through some religious fol-de-rol he is going to be pleased with us! There must be a dozen passages in the Old Testament where God tells us what he thinks of that kind of thing. Here is one example verse out of Isaiah which illustrates what God says:

    “When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you. Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. Bring no more futile sacrifices. Incense is an abomination to me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths and the calling of assemblies I cannot endure any longer.” (Isaiah 1:13-15)

    God has a purpose for your existence. Do you know that? God loves you! And He desires to have a close, intimate, personal relationship with each one of you.

    Do you have that kind of a relationship with God? You can.
    Two thousand years ago Jesus (God in the flesh) died on that cruel wooden Roman cross to take the punishment for your sins so that you could be forgiven, saved from eternity in Hell, and come to experience the greatest relationship you’ll ever know:

    Knowing God personally, not only in this life
    but throughout eternity.

    Jesus rose from the grave on the third day and today He is offering mankind the “free gift” (Romans 6:23) of salvation and everlasting life for those who will turn from their sins and place their faith in Him.

    I exhort you friend to do that if you never have. A day of judgment is coming. You can stand before God still in your sins or forgiven. Standing before God still in your sins will result in condemnation and eternity in Hell. Being forgiven will result in everlasting life in paradise. The choice is yours. The ball is in your court. God made the first move. Now it’s your turn. Place your faith in Jesus, and receive Him as your personal Lord and Savior!

    If you want to begin a relationship with God now, you can.

    This is your decision, but if you want to be forgiven by God and come into a relationship with him, you can do so right now by asking him to forgive you and come into your life. Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door [of your heart] and knock. He who hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him [or her]” (Revelation 3:20). If you want to do this, but aren’t sure how to put it into words, this may help: “Jesus, thank you for dying for my sins. You know my life and that I need to be forgiven. I ask you to forgive me right now and come into my life. I want to know you in a real way. Come into my life now. Thank you that you wanted a relationship with me. Amen.”

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20. tha feina

    October 28, 2020

    

    Please check out these very interesting and informative videos on:

    • The Secret Code
    • Chinese Pictographs
    • The Ice Age
    • Cambrian Explosion
    • Carbon-14 Dating
    • Dino Tracks
    • Chimp DNA
    • Echolocation

    http://www.icr.org/thatsafact

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21. faye bilia

    January 24, 2021

    

    FASCINATING FACTS CONCERNING THE BIBLE

    William Albright (1891 – 1971). Once a director of the School of Oriental Research at Johns Hopkins University, William Albright wrote more than 800 books and articles, mostly on the validity of biblical manuscripts. He is best known for his work in confirming the authenticity of the Old Testament, and especially the authentication of the Dead Sea scrolls.

    Albright also researched and confirmed the dating of the writings of the New Testament. His conclusion was that there was “no longer any solid basis for dating any book of the New Testament after about A.D. 80.” Early in his professional life, Albright had some doubts about the validity of biblical claims about Jesus. These, however, were answered conclusively in favor of the authenticity of the Bible as he conducted his research.

    Sir William Ramsay (1852-1916). Sir William Ramsay was, arguably the greatest archaeologist of his day. He had rejected much of the written New Testament account and was determined to prove it false based on other writings of the day that contradicted the Bible. Ramsay believed that the books of Luke and Acts were actually written in about A.D. 150 and therefore did not bear the authenticity that first-century document would. His archaeological journeys took him to 32 countries, 44 cities, and 9 islands. Throughout some 15 years of intensive study, he concluded that “Luke is a historian of the first rank, this author should be placed along with the very greatest of historians.”

    What Critics Thought
    • There was no Roman census (as indicated in Luke 2:1).

    What Ramsay Discovered: There was a Roman census every 14 years, beginning with Emperor Augustus.

    • Quirinius was not governor of Syria at the time of Jesus’ birth (as indicated in Luke 2:2).
    What Ramsay Discovered: Quirinius was governor of Syria in about 7 B.C.

    • People did not have to return to their ancestral home (as indicated in Luke 2:3).
    What Ramsay Discovered: People did have to return to their home city, verified by an ancient Egyptian papyrus giving directions for conducting a census.

    • The existence of the treasurer of the city of Corinth, Erastus (Romans 16:23), was incorrect.
    What Ramsay Discovered: A city pavement in Corinth bearing the inscription “Erastus, curator of public buildings, laid this pavement at his own expense.”

    • Luke’s reference to Gallio as proconsul of Achaia was wrong (Acts 18:12).
    What Ramsay Discovered: The Delphi inscription that reads, “As Lucius Junius Gallio, my friend and proconsul of Achaia.”

    Time and time again Ramsay’s search to find evidence that Luke’s writing was in error turned up evidence that it was, in fact, accurate. As a result, Sir William Ramsay eventually converted to Christianity proclaimed Luke as “one of the greatest historians” of all time.

    Simon Greenleaf (1783-1853) Greenleaf, (former Atheist), one of the principle founders of the Harvard Law School, and a world-renowned expert on evidence, originally set out to disprove the biblical testimony concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He was certain that a careful examination of the internal witness of the Gospels would dispel all the myths at the heart of Christianity. But this legal scholar came to the conclusion that the witnesses were reliable, and that the resurrection did in fact happen. Being a man of conviction and reason, and in accordance with his conclusions, Greenleaf converted from Agnosticism to Christianity.

    Ralph Muncaster, (former atheist) in his book: Examine the Evidence, presents extensive evidence to validate the truth-claims of Christianity. He provides compelling arguments from science, biblical prophecy, history, and archaeology. This former skeptic points out that of all religions and philosophies on earth, only one, Christianity is verifiable and testable.

    1,456 hours of Sunday school and church turned Ralph Muncaster into a hard-core atheist. Then he was challenged to honestly investigate the Bible and the facts of modern science. He was stunned. Fact after fact, from biology, history, archaeology, physics, lined up with the Bible’s account!

    The Bible Itself Argues Against the Possibility of Its Corruption

    The charge that the Bible has been corrupted, contradicts what the Bible itself teaches. After all, in Isaiah 40:8 we read, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands for ever.” In the New Testament Jesus says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35).

    The Almighty God who had the power and sovereign control to inspire the Scriptures in the first place is surely going to continue to exercise His power and sovereign control in the preservation of Scripture.

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22. Schin Creigh

    March 21, 2021

    

    Science and the Bible: Cosmos and Creator

    By Mark Eastman, M.D.

    They have been called the two greatest questions that face mankind: Does God exist, and if He does, what is His nature? Since the time of the ancient Greek philosophers, the answer to these questions have been sought by examining the nature of the universe and its life forms.

    The Cosmos

    When Albert Einstein published the first of his relativity theories in 1905, he shocked the physics community with a staggering new view of space, time, matter and energy. Though he did not know it at the time, his theories provide dramatic insights into the attributes of the Creator of the cosmos.

    Among other things, what Einstein’s theories revealed was that the flow of time and the structure of space were relative to the velocity, mass and acceleration of the observers. That is, their observed values were not fixed: they were relative.

    For thousands of years, scientists and philosophers believed that time was nothing more than an abstract notion, conceived in the minds of men, and used to describe the change seen in the physical world. Time, it was believed, was not a thing, it was a mental contrivance. Einstein showed that this was wrong. Time, Einstein showed, was “plastic.” That is, it is a physical property of the universe, and that the observed rate that time flows depends on the physical conditions present at the measuring device.

    Several years after Einstein’s theories were published, astronomer Willem de Sitter found a mathematical error in Einstein’s equations. When corrected, he found a startling mathematical prediction buried within his equations: The universe was finite! Space-time, matter, and energy had a beginning.

    In his book, It’s About Time, popular author and physicist Paul Davies remarks on this incredible discovery.

    Modern scientific cosmology in the most ambitious enterprise of all to
    emerge from Einstein’s work. When scientists began to explore the
    implications of Einstein’s time for the universe as a whole, they made
    one of the most important discoveries in the history of human thought:
    that time, and hence all physical reality, must have had a definite origin
    in the past. If time is flexible and mutable, as Einstein demonstrated, then
    tt is possible for time to come into existence, and also to pass away again;
    there can be a beginning and an end of time. (Paul Davies, It’s About Time,
    Touchstone Books/Simon and Schuster, 1995, pg. 17.)

    The Skeptic

    I recently had an opportunity to speak on the origin of life at a major public university in Southern California. In attendance were a number of professors who are self-described agnostics. During the question period, one of the professors admitted that the evidence is compelling that the universe was indeed finite. He said that while he could not believe in God (because he couldn’t see Him, or study Him scientifically) he said he did believe that someday scientists would discover a law that would explain the origin and order of the universe and its life forms.

    After pointing out that he had just expressed faith, the belief in things unseen, but hoped for, I asked him if he believed that the laws of physics, which work in our space-time domain, also had a beginning. He was forced to concede that they did because they would have no place to act before the space-time domain existed.

    The final blow came when I asked him if he then believed that some “law” of physics could explain the origin of the laws of physics! He saw the point: The laws of physics cannot be the cause of the laws of physics! The cause of the universe and its laws must be independent of the space-time domain, exactly as the Bible claimed 3,500 years earlier!

    Apostle Paul’s statement regarding the attributes of God being discerned by an examination of the nature of the universe is quite staggering, considering the state of scientific knowledge in the first century A.D. At that time it was commonly believed that the universe was eternal. In the face of that commonly held bias, the Bible clearly taught that the universe was finite, and the Creator is independent of time and space, exactly as 20th century cosmology suggests.

    In the Beginning God created the heavens and the earth… Genesis 1:1
    …God, (v.9) who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not
    according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace
    which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.
    2 Timothy 1:8-9

    …in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before
    time began. Titus 1:2

    The finiteness of space-time not only points to a Creator who is independent of the cosmos, but it also gives us insight into the minimum resume of such a Being.

    The Uncaused Cause

    In my discussion with the agnostic professors, I asked them to give me the caveat, for the sake of my next argument, that God did indeed exist. They agreed. I then asked them what would be the minimum “resume” of such a Being. Remarkably, they were quite insightful in their deductions. They quickly recognized that such a Being would not only have to be independent of space-time, but must also be incredibly powerful, incredibly intelligent and able to act unencumbered, simultaneously inside and outside the time domain. Remarkably, without recognizing it, they had described the resume of the Creator as revealed in the Biblical text!

    Among other things, the law of cause and effect asserts that a cause is always greater than its effect. Applied to the cosmos it means that the Creator must be more powerful than all the energy stored in all the stars in all the galaxies in the entire universe. Physicists believe that there are at least 10 exp80 particles in the universe. Einstein’s famous equation, E=mc2 indicates that the energy stored in the mass of the universe is equal to the mass times the speed of light squared! From this perspective, the Creator must be an all-powerful, omnipotent Being. This very attribute is credited to God throughout the Bible’s text.

    Ah Lord GOD! Behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy
    great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for
    thee. Jeremiah 32:17

    Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard
    for me? Jeremiah 32:27

    In my discussion with the professors even they admitted that all the chemists, molecular biologists and physicists in the world combined have been unable to create a DNA molecule from raw elements: hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, phosphorus, etc. Moreover, molecular biologists admit that living cells are metabolic machines which are vastly more complicated than any machine made by mankind. They agreed in principle that the nature of these cellular “machines” would require a Being possessing unfathomable intelligence. Such a Being would be, from our limited perspective, an all-knowing, omniscient Creator. Throughout the Bible’s text God is described in such terms. For example, in Jeremiah 1:5, God’s omniscience is illustrated in his foreknowledge of the prophet even before he was born:

    Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I
    sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations. Jeremiah 1:5

    The infinite knowledge of God is proclaimed in 1 John 3:20 and in Psalm 147:5:

    For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knows
    all things 1 John 3:20

    Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; his understanding is infinite.
    Psalm 147:5

    Finally, if our space-time domain is the direct creation of God, then once he created the cosmos, in order to organize and uphold the galaxies, solar systems and its life forms, the Creator must be able to act simultaneously, inside and outside the space time domain. This attribute we call omnipresence. This too is an attribute that is ascribed to God throughout the Bible’s text.

    Am I a God near at hand,” says the LORD,”And not a God afar off? Can
    anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says the
    LORD; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the LORD. Jeremiah 23:23-24

    For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in
    the midst of them. Matthew 18:20

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23. pam peras

    June 14, 2021

    

    Positive Defense of the Christian Perspective

    A. The Trustworthiness of the New Testament

    1 The New Testament has better manuscript evidence than any other ancient book.

    a. There are over 5,000 New Testament manuscripts and portions of manuscripts. By comparison, the majority of classical works have less than 20 manuscripts.

    b. The dates of the New Testament manuscripts are close to the original writings. One Gospel fragment (Ryland’s) dates about 25 years after the Gospel of John and most of the New Testament (Chester Beatty and Bodmer Papyri) from 50-150 years after the originals. Most classical works date from 700 – 1400 years after the originals.

    c. None of the canonical New Testament is lost or missing. By comparison, 107 of Livy’s 142 books of history have been lost and about one half of Tacitus’ 30 books of Annals and Histories is missing.
    2. Good arguments can be given that each of the Gospels was either written by an eyewitness, or significantly influenced by firsthand testimony, as recognized by many contemporary scholars.
    3. Even without proving eyewitness authorship, the Gospels measure up well by normal historical standards used in ancient historiography.
    4. The Gospel are trustworthy sources, as explained by A.M. Hunter
    a. These Christian authors, like their Jewish counterparts, were careful to preserve traditional material.
    b. The Gospels are close to eyewitness sources.
    c. The Gospel authors were honest reporters.
    d. The picture of Jesus presented in the four Gospels is virtually the same (see Archibald M. Hunter, Bible and Gospel, pp. 32-37).
    5. The Gospels and Acts exhibit a specific interest in reporting historical facts, not mythology. This is especially the case when the life of Jesus is reported.
    6. Contemporary historians frequently opposed the application of radical criticism to New Testament studies. According to A.N. Sherwin-White and Michael Grant, such attacks fail at a number of crucial points (see A.N. Sherman-White, Roman Society, pp. 186-193; Grant, Jesus: An Historian Review, pp. 179-184, 199-201).
    a. Numerous ancient works exhibit intentions and methodologies similar to that of the New Testament authors, and yet these ancient works are well accredited as historical works.
    b. There are no ancient writings in the category that radical critics place the Gospels.
    c. New Testament books such as Acts have been largely confirmed by external test of historicity.
    7. The Gospel and Acts were recognized as inspired books almost immediately after being written (see J.B. Lightfoot, The Apostolic Fathers).
    a. 1 Timothy 5:18 quotes Luke 10:7 and refers to it as “Scripture.”
    b. Clement of Rome (about AD 95) speaks of the “Gospel” and quotes portions found in all three synoptic Gospels, referring to them as the words of Jesus (Corinthians 13,46).
    c. Ignatius (Smyrnaeans 3) and Polycarp (Philippians 2, 7), both writing about AD 115, refer to verses in the synoptic Gospels as the words of Christ.
    8. Paul’s epistles were also recognized as inspired Scripture almost immediately after being written.
    a. 2 Peter 3:15-16 calls Paul’s epistles “Scripture.”
    b. Clement of Roman (Corinthians 47), Ignatius (Ephesians 10; to Polycarp 5), and Polycarp (Philippians 1,3-4, 6) all refer to Paul’s writings as inspired.

    B. The Historicity of Jesus

    1. The trustworthy Gospels (A above) exhibit much interest in the historical Jesus and give accurate accounts of his life, death, and resurrection.
    2. Numerous pre- and extra biblical sources record much ancient testimony concerning Jesus within 125 years after his death.
    a. Early Christian creeds that pre-date the New Testament, as well as the historical facts that virtually all critical scholars admit, provide an extremely strong case for the death and resurrection of Jesus.
    b. Archaeology contributes a few finds that illuminate and provide background for Jesus’ career, such as the crucifixion victims investigated by archaeologist Vasilius Tzaferis, “Jewish Tombs At and Near Giv’at ha- Mivtar,” Israel Exploration Journal 20 (1970), pp. 38-59.

    Also the Shroud of Turin (Historically proclaimed to be the actual burial garment of Jesus). See Ian Wilson, The Shroud of Turin (New York: Doubleday, 1978, also see John Heller, Report on the Shroud of Turin (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1983), especially chapters 12-14.

    d. Secular historians (e.g. Cornelius Tacitus, Gaius Suetonius Tranquillas), government officials (e.g. Piny the Younger, Emperor Trajan), religious works (e.g. The Talmud, Toledoth Jesu, and other sources report many details about Jesus from non-Christian viewpoints.
    e. Ancient Christian sources preserve a number of historical statements about Jesus (e.g. Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Justin Martyr).
    4. To reject Jesus’ miracles a priori is to ignore correct inductive procedure where all the facts are investigated before a decision is made.
    5. To reject Jesus’ doctrinal teachings a priori as valid for today is to pick and choose portions of the Gospels. Further, If Jesus was raised from the dead, there is, at a minimum, some implied significance for Jesus’ teachings, as well.
    6. Without a significant historical basis in the life of Jesus, Christianity would have had no impetus for its origins.
    7. Jesus died on the cross, as indicated by several facts.
    a. The nature of crucifixion, including the discovery of Yohanan’s skeleton, reveals both the nature and assurance of death by this method.
    b. The explanation of Jesus’ heart wound indicates that it would have killed him even if he had been alive.
    c. The death of Jesus is the most recorded event in ancient, non-Christian history.
    d. The trustworthy Gospels give accurate accounts of Jesus’ death.
    8. After his death, Jesus was raised bodily and appeared to his followers.
    a. Naturalistic hypothesis that have sought to explain in normal terms the supernatural element of Jesus’ resurrection have failed to do so, chiefly because they are refuted by the known historical data. Several other reasons also indicate this failure.
    b. There are numerous positive evidences for the resurrection that indicate that Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to many of those who followed him.
    c. A case for the resurrection can be built by using only those minimal facts that are clearly established by the historical method. On a smaller scale, these facts can refute the alternative hypotheses and provide the best evidences for the resurrection.
    d. The Shroud of Turin may supply some additional scientific evidence of Jesus’ resurrection.
    9. Jesus’ message was not changed by Paul or by other followers.
    a. In both the synoptics, as well as in John, Jesus claimed to be deity. Often this was done by his words, such as his claims to be Son of God and Son of Man (c.f. Mark 2:10-11; 10:45; 13:32; 14:36). At other times he showed his deity by his actions, such as forgiven sin, fulfilling Old Testament messianic prophecy and by claiming authority much greater than that of the Jewish leaders (see Mark 2:1-12; Matthew 5;20-48; cf. Isaiah 9:6-7).
    b. Numerous pre-Pauline creeds such as Philippians 2:6-11, Romans 1:3-4, 1 Corinthians 11:23, and many from the book of Acts designate Jesus by the loftiest titles, thereby indicating the early teaching of his deity. These show further that this doctrine definitely did not originate with Paul.
    c. Neither Jesus nor Paul taught that Christianity was a new religion. Both held that Christianity was a fulfillment of Judaism (see Matt. 5:18; Luke 16:16-17; Romans 10:4:9-11; Colossians 2:16-17).
    d. Jesus’ central teaching of the Kingdom of God and its entrance requirements of faith in his person and teachings in found in all four Gospels (c.f. Mark 1:14-15; Matthew 18:3-6; Luke 18:28-30; John 1:10-13) and in Paul’s epistles (c.f. Romans 6:23; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
    f. Paul was known as the apostle to the Gentiles (see Acts 9:15;16; 22:21; Romans 11:13-14). Not only did Jesus command his disciples to take the gospel to the Gentiles (see Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 24:47; John 10:16; Acts 1:8), but this was actually a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, not a new doctrine (see Genesis 12:3; Isaiah 19:18-25 for two examples).
    g. Since Jesus literally rose from the dead, any verification of the truthfulness of his teachings would even extend to Paul’s message and writings, since they are in agreement with the Gospels at these points.
    10. Jesus was not an international traveler during his “silent years” or after his death.
    a. There is no viable historical evidence for such international ventures.
    b. The swoon theory fails and is rejected by critical scholars.
    c. These endeavors almost always involved a long trail of illogic and incredibly mysterious connections.

    C. Miracle-claims

    1. Although many would place miracle-claims completely in the realm of faith, such is to ignore their possibly objective theistic and historical nature.
    a. If it is taught that miraculous events have occurred in history, as in the case with New Testament miracle-claims, then at least the objective, historical side of such a claim can be investigated. In other words, if it actually happened, at least the portion of the event that touched the space-time world can potentially be examined.
    b. In the New Testament, the resurrection of Jesus is not only the central tenet Christianity, but it is asserted that if Jesus did not rise from the dead, then faith in actually in vain (1 Corinthians 15:1-20). Paul even supports his point that Jesus was raised by citing eyewitnesses, historical testimony to this fact (vv. 5-8). Under these circumstances, one could hardly claim that objective, factual interests in the resurrection are foreign to the New Testament.
    c. This objection also commits errors that are associated with the “leap of faith.” If carried to its logical conclusion, it provides no objective basis for faith, including any reasons why faith should be exercised at all. As such, it is difficult to distinguish between belief and credulity.
    2. Alternative theories that have been proposed to account for Jesus’ resurrection on naturalistic grounds have failed to account for the known historical facts.
    3. There are many strong historical reasons to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead.
    a. The disciples’ experiences
    b. The transformation of the disciples into bold witnesses
    c. The empty tomb
    d. The resurrection of Jesus was the very center of the apostolic message.
    e. The Jewish leaders could not disprove their message.
    f. The very existence and growth of the church.
    g. In this resurrected physical body Jesus appeared to more than five hundred of his disciples on twelve different occasions over a forty-day period and conversed with them (see Luke 24:13-49, 1 Corinthians 15:5-7, Acts 1:4-8, Matthew 28:1-10, John 20:24-31).
    This was the greatest of all miracles since the creation itself, and could have been accomplished only if Jesus indeed is God, as He had claimed to be.

    D. Predictive Prophecies

    Consider the following predictions made centuries in advanced that Jesus would be:
    1. born of a woman (Genesis 3:15; cf. Galatians 4:4);
    2. born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; cf. Matthew 1:21);

    3. “cut off” (die) 483 years after the declaration to reconstruct the city of Jerusalem in 444 B.C. (Daniel 9:24);

    4. of the seed of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3 and 22:18; cf. Mathew 1:1);

    5. of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10, cf. Luke 3:23);

    6. of the house of David (2 Samuel 7:12; cf. Matthew 1:1);

    7. born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2; cf. Matthew 2:1);

    8. anointed by the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2; cf. Mattthew 3:16-17);

    9. that Jesus would performed miracles (Isaiah 35:5-6; cf. Matthew 9:35);

    10. would cleanse the temple (Malachi 3:1; cf. Matthew 21:12);

    11. would be rejected by Jews (Psalms 118:22; cf. 1 Peter 2:7);

    12. die a humiliating death (Psalms 22; cf. Matthew 9:35);

    13. that he would rise from the dead (Psalm 2:7 and 16:10; cf. Acts 2:31)

    14. ascended into heaven (Psalm 68:8; cf. Acts 1:9);

    15. and sit at the right hand of God (Psalm 110:1; cf. Hebrew 1:3).

    It is important to understand that these prophecies were written hundreds of years before Christ was born. No one could have been reading the trends of the times or just making intelligent guesses, like the “prophecies” we see in the checkout line at the supermarket.

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24. mica wong

    August 19, 2021

    

    Is it wrong to choose my own form of morality?

    Throughout the Old Testament, Israel was warned about the folly of worshiping idols carved out of wood or stone by human hands (Daniel 5:23). That is a clear example of man creating God in his own image. We imagine what we think God and His laws should be like, create Him, then worship our creation. The apostle Paul wrote that those who do this, then and now, have “exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen” (Romans 1:25).

    The Christian faith is based on revelation, God revealing Himself to man (Hebrews 1:1-3). Besides what is apparent in nature (Psalm 19:1-6), what we know about God’s standards and expectation is revealed in the Bible. It stands as a unified source of morals and ethics from God’s point of view. One may change what the Bible says to suit his own moral views, but that is a freedom man takes, not one that God gives. Where the Bible doesn’t provide specific answers to a particular moral question, care must be taken to formulate positions that seem consistent with what the Bible does say. But where the Bible speaks clearly on moral matters, deviating from the biblical path can lead to pain, sorrow, and regret. The question always comes down to the issue of elevating one’s personal desires over God’s. It is a question of Who or what you live the most, the desire to set oneself as the moral authority or to trust in the moral authority of God as revealed through His Word. Jesus made it clear. One cannot serve God’s standards and man’s at the same time (Luke 16:13).

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25. eva sciano

    November 13, 2021

    

    Evidence from Scripture

    Authentic Text

    Many powerful men over the centuries have tried to discredit or destroy the Bible. All have failed. There is more evidence for the authenticity and accuracy of the Scriptures than for any other ancient book. No one who has studied these issues doubts the genuineness of the Bible. Many, however, reject its message.

    The Manuscripts

    There is more evidence for the Bible’s authenticity than for any literature of antiquity. Textual analysis begins with historical investigation, beginning with the latest documents and working backward. As evidence develops, the data is evaluated against other sources. The record is then checked for consistency of information, and the claims are analyzed as if it were a legal case, looking for credible testimony with cross-examination. There is an enormous amount of evidence for authenticity of the biblical manuscripts.

    The New Testament was written in first century A.D. There are some 20,000 manuscripts in existence. The earliest textual evidence we have was copied 100 years after the original. In contrast:

    • Caesar’s Gallic Wars was written in the first century B.C. There are only 10 manuscripts in existence. The earliest textual evidence we have was copied 1,000 years after the original.
    • Aristotle’s Poetics was written in the fourth century B.C. There are only 5 manuscripts in existence. The earliest textual evidence we have was copied 1,400 years after the original.

    There are many more writings of the Church Fathers quoting sections of Scripture; we could reconstruct the entire New Testament from their writings alone. There were millions of man-hours spent in cross-checking the manuscripts. There remains only 1 percent of all New Testament words about which questions still exist; no questionable passage contradicts any Bible teaching.

    The Old Testament has been more accurately transmitted to us than any other ancient writing of comparable age. The textual evidence is greater for both the Old and New Testaments than any other historically reliable ancient document. The ancient scribes were very meticulous. There were only 1,200 variant readings in A.D. 500.

    The Masorites produced an official text in A.D. 500. There are other versions that confirm the accuracy of the Masoritic Text.

    • Samaritan Pentateuch: 400 B.C.
    • Septuagint Greek: 280 B.C.
    • Dead Sea Scrolls: 0 A.D.
    • Latin Vulgate: 400 A.D.

    The quotations from pre-Christian writing confirm the text. The New Testament accepts the Old Testament as authentic, confirming the traditional authors, quoting from at least 320 different passages, and confirming the supernatural events cited in the Old Testament.

    The Message

    There are over 3,000 different religions in the world, all of which claim to teach the way to eternal happiness. It has often been said that each of them provides a different path to the same end, and that men are free to choose the path that best suits their own disposition and culture. The Word of God is insistent that this is not so!

    The Bible insists that the God of the Bible is the only true God (Isaiah 44:6; 45:5-6) and that Jesus Christ is the only way to God (John 14:6). All other religions, while stressing their “paths,” would allow for some other contingency.

    The Bible insists that it is the only true revelation, that its words are not to be changed (Proverbs 30:5-6;Revelation 22:18-19), and that its words are the basis of all judgment (John 12:47-50).

    The Bible has a unique account of origins (Genesis 1-11). All others are either evolutionary or pantheistic, with eternity of matter as the “beginning.” The biblical account of origins is unique in both quality and quantity of information.

    The Bible has a unique historical basis. Other religions are based on the subjective teachings of their founders. Biblical teachings are based on objective and demonstrable facts: creation, the fall, the flood, the life and work of redemption of Christ.

    The Bible teaches a unique plan of redemption. It reveals a unique Savior.

    • He was born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25).
    • He lived a sinless life (Hebrews 4:14-16).
    • He taught as no other man taught (John 7:46; Matthew 7:28-29).
    • He died a unique, volitional death (John 10:17-18; Luke 23:46).
    • He had unique victory over death (Acts 17:31; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8).

    The Bible demands a unique salvation.

    • Perfect holiness is required (Romans 3:10-18, 23; 6:23).
    • Substitutionary atonement is the only means of reconciliation (Hebrews 10:4-14; Romans 3:24-26).
    • Grace is the only measurement (Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 11:5-6).

    Other religions require some form of works or participation.

    Accurate Data

    The Bible is unique among all books. Not only is it different in its form, structure, and history, but it takes the position of supernatural superiority to all other communication. It insists on total accuracy for its content and absolute obedience to its commands. No other book is so demanding.

    Historical Accuracy

    The Bible has proven to be more historically and archaeologically accurate than any other ancient book. It has been subjected to the minutest scientific textual analysis possible to humanity and has been proven to be authentic in every way.

    Genesis Is Historically True
    The most controversial book of the Bible is Genesis, especially the first eleven chapters. Those chapters speak of the creation of the universe, the fall of man into sin, the world-wide flood of Noah, and the language-altering event at Babel. There is much evidence that these events are historically accurate.

    Biblical Data Is Historically Testable

    Historical evidence routinely includes ancient literature, business records, and government documents, analyzed in conjunction with linguistics, geography, and archaeological analysis of physical objects (pottery, coins, remains of buildings, etc.), using forensic science techniques.
    After many millions of man-hours of research and evidence analysis, archaeology has repeatedly confirmed the reliability of the Bible. The Bible has been proven geographically and re-proven historically accurate, in the most exacting detail, by external evidences.

    Scientific Accuracy

    Many would suggest that the Bible is an antiquated religious book, filled with scientific fallacies and mistakes. Others believe that the Bible is a book of true religion, but dealing solely with spiritual subjects, with any matters of science and history to be interpreted spiritually or allegorically.

    Either the Bible is wholly reliable on every subject with which it deals, or it is not the Word of God.

    Although the Bible is obviously not a science textbook (otherwise it would be continuously out of date), the Bible does contain all the basic principles upon which true science is built. The Bible abounds with references to nature and natural processes, and thus frequently touches on the various sciences. For instance, there are many passages that deal with principles of hydrology, geology, astronomy, meteorology, biology, physics, cosmology, and the grand principles of the space-mass/energy-time continuum.

    Again, if the God revealed in the Bible truly exists, then everything that He reveals would of necessity be true.

    One often hears of mistakes or errors in the Bible. Seldom, when confronted, is there an example provided. When such “errors” are cited, they fall into three kinds of alleged mistakes: 1) mathematical rounding, 2) relative motion, or 3) miracles. Obviously, mathematical rounding is both scientific and in constant use today, as is the use of relative motion for all sorts of navigation and distance calculations. To deny the miraculous is to assume that one is omniscient.

    Just as the Bible has become a source book for history and archaeology, so it is also a source book for the foundational principles of science. Those who ignore the information of Scripture will be “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7).

    Reliable Eyewitnesses

    The Bible, like many books, was written by eyewitnesses (Luke 1:2; 2 Peter 2:16) to the events and circumstances that they recorded. That they were trustworthy witnesses is only to be expected, since God inspired them to co-author their respective portions of the Bible. But some ask: how can we know if the Bible’s human co-authors were really reliable eyewitnesses?

    The following eyewitness traits are the ones emphasized in common law, in law school, and in the Rules of Evidence.

    A reliable witness will evidence honesty by his/her sincerity of speech, and be clearly motivated by a drive to speak the truth. The quality of a witness’s observations can be observed by accurate memory, evidenced often by access to accurate records. The competency of his/her communication will be demonstrated by an ability to recall and describe observations, with accurate information and relevant details. Testimonial consistency is also a key factor in reliability.

    Though each witness will provide idiosyncratic differences (due to different perspectives and interests), all Scripture has perfect evidentiary consistency. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Moses, Daniel, Jude, and all of the other Bible’s co-authors qualify as impeccably reliable eyewitnesses. Many of the Bible’s writers suffered cruel treatment, even death, for their stand on their witness. To the obvious credibility of their writings is added the unshakeable belief that their testimony was so true that it was worth suffering and dying for.

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26. Howard Hanock

    January 14, 2022

    

    HINDUISM

    by CHARLIE H. CAMPBELL
    Director of The Always Be Ready Apologetics Ministry

    What do Hindus believe?
    There are a wide range of diverse beliefs in Hinduism, and even different sects, but typically most Hindus do hold to five main beliefs.

    1. Belief in Brahman

    Brahman is the name of God or the supreme deity talked about in the Vedas. Hindus believe that the entire universe and all that is in it, is one divine entity, called Brahman. According to Hinduism, Brahman alone is all that exists. Everything else is ultimately an illusion, or what the Hindus call maya. Hinduism is, what we call, a pantheistic religion.

    Most religions can be categorized into one of three religions.

    A. Monotheism (belief in one God): Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Baha’i.
    B. Polytheism (belief in many gods): Mormonism, The Masonic Lodge, Many of the world’s primitive religions.
    C. Pantheism: The word pantheism comes from the word pan meaning “everything” and theos meaning “God.”

    Pantheistic religions believe that all is God and God is all. According to pantheism, God did not create the world; God is the world, along with everything in it. Other pantheistic religions include: the New Age Movement, Christian Science, Scientology, Wicca.

    What is Brahman, the God of Hinduism, Like?

    That’s hard to answer. Hinduism teaches that Brahman is totally impersonal, indefinable and indescribable. To the Hindu, Brahman is beyond all distinctions. A Hindu cannot describe Brahman as loving, or merciful, or just, or caring, or mighty, because Brahman is beyond all personal and moral description. Nothing can be truly said or thought of Brahman.

    Although Hinduism adheres to the view that there is only one supreme God, called Brahman, Hinduism is a religion that acknowledges and permits the worship of one of some 330 million lesser gods called avatars. Hindus believe that avatars (a Hindu word meaning “descent”) are manifestations or incarnations of Brahman. Two deities have risen to the top of the pile in popularity: Siva and Vishnu (aka: Visnu). Most Hindus worship one of these two deities.

    Pantheism and Polytheism Rejected by Bible

    Of course the pantheism and polytheism of Hinduism is absolutely contradicted by the Bible.

    Regarding pantheism, the Bible declares that all is not God. Rather than God being all that there is, the Bible says that God created all that there is (Genesis 1:1ff; Hebrews 11:3). God is at work in His creation but He is not to be confused with creation itself. In fact, the Bible issues strong warnings to those who confuse God with His creation (e.g., Romans 1:22–23).

    Regarding polytheism, God says in Isaiah 43:10-11: “Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me. I, even I, am the Lord, and there is no savior besides Me.” If God, who is omniscient, knows of no other god, well, then that rules out polytheism. There are no other gods. This is reiterated in New Testament passages like 1 Timothy 2:5 where it says, “For there is one God…”

    And unlike the impersonal deity of Hinduism (Brahman), the true and the living God of the Bible (who actually exists) is personal. The Bible regularly describes God as having personal attributes. The God of the Bible:

    • Talks (Genesis 1:3)
    • Sees (Genesis 1:4)
    • Hears (John 16:13)
    • Rejoices (Deuteronomy 30:9)
    • Rebukes (Genesis 3:17)
    • Guides (Psalm 48:14)
    • Can Be Grieved (Ephesians 4:30)
    • Becomes Angry (Exodus 4:14)
    • Laughs (Psalm 2:4)
    • Loves (Deuteronomy 7:13)

    Unlike the unknowable Brahman, the God of the Bible is knowable. God says in Jeremiah 9:24: “But let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises loving kindness, justice, and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things.”

    These are some of the differences between the God of the Bible and the god put forth in Hindu literature.

    The second belief common to Hinduism is…

    2. Man is One with God

    Hindus believe that we are extensions of Brahman and that we are one with Brahman. In other words, Hinduism teaches that we are God. And this logically follows from its pantheistic teachings. If all is God (Brahman), then mankind is God.

    Deepak Chopra said this in his book The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success:

    “We remain unfulfilled unless we nurture the seeds of divinity inside us. In reality we are divinity in disguise, and the gods and goddesses in embryo that are contained within us seek to be fully materialized” (p. 3, emphasis mine).

    Hinduism teaches that just as the air inside an open jar is identical to the air surrounding that jar, so to our essence is identical to that of the essence of Brahman. Hindus say that just like a drop in the ocean is exactly like that which makes the up the whole ocean, so we are a part of Brahman.

    Christians disagree with this assessment of man. If there is one thing that the Bible is clear on, it is this: MAN IS NOT GOD.

    The Bible condemns the belief that humans are divine. Far from being God, the Bible says quite the opposite. The Bible teaches…

    A. Man is ungodly.

    Romans 5:6 says, “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”
    In Matthew 19:17, Jesus said, “No one is good but One, that is, God.” We’re not even good, let alone God!

    B. The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.”

    Jesus said in Mark 7:21-23, “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these things come from within and defile a man.”

    So, for these reasons and others, we reject this Hindu teaching that man is one with God.

    3. Humanity’s primary problem is ignorance.

    Hinduism teaches that humanity’s main problem is the mistaken belief that we are individuals and not one with the ultimate divine reality, Brahman. Ignorance regarding this oneness, Hindus says, gives rise to our bad actions, which results in bad karma, which in turn traps us in a supposed cycle of life, death and rebirth (which we’ll talk more about in a second).
    What we need Hinduism says, is “enlightenment” or “self-realization.” What must we be enlightened to? What must we have a realization of? That we are one with Brahman.
    Christians disagree that that man’s biggest problem is ignorance of divinity. What is man’s biggest problem according to the Bible?
    Sin. Mankind’s rebellion against God.

    Is God’s solution for us to just realize that we are God? Not at all, in fact, the idea that we could even be like God is what got us in trouble in the first place…

    Genesis 3:4-5 says: “And the serpent said to the woman, ‘You shall not surely die: For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God…'”

    So, God’s solution to mankind’s problem is surely not that we become enlightened to the fact that we are God. What is God’s remedy for man’s sin?

    Self realization? No. Savior incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection. That’s God’s solution for mankind’s sins. And now, if you’ll confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9-10, Acts 16:31).

    The fourth belief common to Hinduism is…

    4. We are reaping in this lifetime the consequences of the actions we committed in previous lifetimes.

    Hinduism teaches that all of humanity is on a ever-revolving wheel (or cycle) of life, death, and reincarnation or rebirth. This cycle of life, death and rebirth is called samsara.
    Why is man stuck in this wheel, this cycle? Well, according to Hinduism, the ignorance of our divinity leads us to bad actions that lead to bad karma.

    What is karma?

    According to Hinduism, karma refers to the unalterable consequences that are attached to every thought and action. Hinduism teaches that everything a person does results in certain unalterable consequences. If you do good deeds, the law of karma will ensure you reap good. If you do bad deeds, the law of karma will ensure you reap bad.

    Well, it is a person’s bad karma that keeps him or her stuck in the cycle of life, death and rebirth (samsara). Why? He needs to finish working off (i.e., suffering) the consequences (the bad karma) he earned because of his bad deeds. And since it is impossible that all of one’s karma or consequences be experienced in one lifetime, the Hindu scriptures teach that after death individual souls will be “reborn” or reincarnated into another body – human or otherwise.

    For the Hindu, a person’s actions in this life, determine the kind of body into which he or she will be reincarnated in the next lifetime. It could be an insect, animal or a human. According to Hinduism, every person is wholly responsible for his or her present condition and will have exactly the future he or she is now creating.

    This worldview (that says that a person’s present suffering is because of bad karma accumulated in past lives) has led to horrible living conditions in many parts of India (where Hinduism is so prevalent)! Have you ever seen pictures of India? Are you aware of what life is like there? There are thousands of poor, crippled, maimed, homeless and starving people lining the streets. And no one seems to notice them. Why is it that way? It has to do largely with their belief in karma. Hindus believe that everything that comes one’s way is exactly what a person deserves.

    Hindus believe that if they were to help the suffering with a blanket or a meal and thereby ease their suffering, they would only be prolonging the suffering that the person must endure to work off their karma (that put them in that place to begin with). Hindus believe that they would be doing something cruel by helping the suffering! And for being cruel, they would increase their own bad karma.

    False religions built around the “doctrines of demons” (1 Tim. 4:1) have tragic and very real consequences in the lives of real people. This belief system is an abominable deception. We need to pray for the Hindu people that they might experience the joy and freedom we enjoy in Christ.

    So, according to Hinduism, it is karma that keeps a person on the cycle of life death and reincarnation. Well…

    The Bible knows nothing of reincarnation.

    Resurrection? Yes. Reincarnation (coming back as another living creature)? No. Jesus said in John 5:28-29, “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; those who have done good, to a [Notice that. Just once!] resurrection [a resurrection, not a reincarnation] of life, those who have done evil, to a resurrection of judgment.”

    The Bible says in Hebrews 9:27: “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” The person who has turned their back on God’s revelation and His offer of forgiveness in Christ will go to Hades (Luke 16) to await the resurrection (John 5:29) and the judgment of the wicked at the end of the 1,000 year reign of Christ spoken about in Revelation 20:5-15.

    The person who has accepted God’s provision of forgiveness provided in Christ, and who dies today goes immediately into the presence of God. Second Corinthians 5:8 says, “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present [where?] with the Lord.” Philippians 1:21-23 says, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart [where to?] and be with Christ, which is far better.” Jesus said to the repentant thief on the cross in Luke 23:43, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

    There is no need to keep coming back when Christ takes away your sins!

    The fifth belief common to the Hindu is this:

    5. The goal of existence is escaping the cycle of life, death and rebirth.

    The supreme goal in Hinduism is not to know God, or to commune with Him in Heaven throughout eternity. No. The highest goal in Hinduism is to break free from the cycle of life, death and rebirth (samsara). This breaking free is something Hindus call “moksha.” Moksha is a Hindu word that means “liberation.”

    To achieve moksha is to finally experience liberation from the karma that has kept one in the cycle of samsara. The person who breaks free from this cycle becomes free from his earthly existence and free from pain and suffering.

    According to Hinduism the person who is liberated finally achieves the highest state of existence:

    Absorption in to Brahman.
    (I thought we were already part of Brahman??)
    In Hinduism there is no Heaven. A Hindu’s goal is to lose their identity and be absorbed in the universal oneness (Brahman).

    How Does a Hindu Achieve Moksha (Liberation)?

    The Bhagavad-Gita tells us that there are 3 ways.

    A. The Way of Works
    This is a very popular way of achieving moksha (liberation). This way lays emphasis on the idea that moksha may be obtained by fulfilling specific social and religious obligations. Once that happens, the Hindu reaches moksha and will be liberated from samsara upon death.

    B. The Way of Devotion
    This is the most popular way to achieve moksha amongst Hindus. It satisfies the longing for a more emotional and personal approach to religion. In the way of devotion the Hindu surrenders to one of the many personal gods or goddesses (avatars) of Hinduism. Such devotion is expressed through acts of worship at: the temple, in the home, through participation in the many festivals in honor of such gods, and through pilgrimages to one of the numerous holy sites in India. In the way of devotion, the focus is on obtaining the mercy and help of a god in finding release from samsara.

    C. The Way of Knowledge

    This way of liberation is open to men only. In this way, the Hindu achieves moksha (liberation) through attaining a state of consciousness in which he finally realizes his identity with Brahman. How is this state of consciousness achieved? Through deep meditation, often as a part of the discipline of yoga.

    So, that is the goal of life according to Hinduism: MOKSHA, escaping the cycle of life.

    What a pitiful goal, especially in light of the fact, that it is all a phantom! A farce. A cleverly devised Satanic deception that is leading millions of people down a road to destruction.

    The goal of life according to the Bible is to be reconciled to God, to know God, and glorify God as He makes us more like Jesus on our journey to Heaven.

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27. myra corta

    April 11, 2022

    

    What makes you think Christianity is the only way to God?

    The truth of Christianity rests completely in the person of Jesus. The Gospels are the written accounts by eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life and deeds. Jesus said that He alone was the way to the Father (John 14:6) and that He alone revealed the Father (Matt. 11:27, Luke 10:22). Jesus claimed to be God (John 8:58, Exodus 3:14), who forgave sins (Mark 2:5, Luke 5:20, 7:48) and who rose from the dead (Luke 24:24-29, John 2:19-21). Jesus said that He was the only way. Jesus is unique. He was either telling the truth, He was crazy, or He was a liar. But since everyone agrees that Jesus was a good man, how then could He be both good and crazy or good and a liar? He had to be telling the truth in order to be good. He is the only way.

    Furthermore, Christianity is not just a religion. It is a relationship with God. It is trusting in Jesus and what He did on the cross (1 Cor. 15:1-4) and not on what you can do for yourself (Eph. 2:8-9). It is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and dependence upon the One who died and rose from the dead (John 2:19-21).

    Buddha didn’t rise from the dead nor did Confucius or Zoroaster. Muhammad didn’t fulfill detailed prophecy or rise from the dead either, and though there is far less reliable information written, people believe in them.

    The Scripture is right when it says in 1 Peter 2:7-8, “This precious value, then, is for you who believe. But for those who disbelieve, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, this became the very corner stone,’ and, ‘A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense’; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.”

    It is Jesus to whom we look for the validity of Christianity. If Jesus is false, then Christianity is false. If Jesus is who He claimed to be, then Christianity is the only correct religion.

    The Mathematical Odds of Jesus Fulfilling Prophecy

    “The following probabilities are taken from Peter Stoner {See Note 1} to show that coincidence is ruled out by the science of probability. Stoner says that by using the modern science of probability in reference to eight prophecies, ‘we find that the chance that any man might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in 10 exp 17.” That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. In order to help us comprehend this staggering probability, Stoner illustrates it by supposing that “we take 10 exp 17 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas (268,820 square miles) [(696,241 km (square)] . They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man.”

    Stoner considers 48 prophecies and says, “we find the chance that any one man fulfilled all 48 prophecies to be 1 in 10 exp 157 or 1 in 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
    000,000,000,000,000,000,000.” {See Note: 2}

    The estimated number of electrons in the universe is around 10 exp 17. It should be quite evident that Jesus did not fulfill the prophecies by accident. He was who He said He was: the only way (John 14:6).

    1.Science Speaks, Moody Press, 1963.
    2.McDowell, Josh, Evidence that Demands a Verdict.

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28. myra corta

    November 1, 2022

    

    Made Alive with Christ

    But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus… (Ephesians 2:4-6)

    The Apostle Paul wrote about our old sinful nature (Ephesians 2:1-3). Here Paul emphasizes that we do not need to live any longer under sin’s power. The penalty of sin and its power over us were miraculously destroyed by Christ on the cross.

    Through faith in Christ we stand acquitted, or not guilty, before God (Romans 3:21, 22). God does not take us out of the world or make us robots, we still feel like sinning, and sometimes we will sin. The difference is that before we became Christians, we were dead in sin and were slaves to our sinful nature. But now we are alive with Christ (see also Galatians 2:20).

    Because of Christ’s resurrection, we know that our body will also be raised from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:2-23) and that we have been given the power to live as Christians now (Ephesians 1:19). These ideas are combined in Paul’s image of sitting with Christ in “the heavenly realms”. Our eternal life with Christ is certain because we are united in his powerful victory.

    For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God — not because of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8,9)

    When someone gives you a gift, do you say, “That’s very nice, now, how much do I owe you?” No, the appropriate response to a gift is “Thank you.” Yet how often Christians, even after they have been given the gift of salvation, feel obligated to try to work their way to God. Because our salvation and even our faith are gifts, we should respond with gratitude, praise, and joy.

    We become Christians through God’s unmerited favor, not as the result of any effort, ability, intelligent choice, or act of service on our part. However, out of gratitude for this free gift, we will seek to help and serve others with kindness, love, and gentleness, and not merely to please ourselves. While no action or work we do can help us obtain salvation, God’s intention is that our salvation will result in acts of service. We are not saved merely for our own benefit but to serve Christ and build up the church (Ephesians 4:12)

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29. chris hymn

    February 4, 2023

    

    Christ’s two natures

    Jesus Christ played a role in the creation since the New Testament says that God made the world through (Greek: dia) Christ. The Greek word dia is used several times of Christ’s role as Creator of the universe (John 1:3; 1 Corinthians. 8:6; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2), the New Testament also states that the world came into being through (dia) God (Romans 11:36), specifically through (dia) the Father (Hebrews 2:10). The Greek word dia cannot be taken to indicate a secondary, lessor role.

    Though the New Testament teaches that the world was created “through” Christ, it also teaches that the world was created “through” the Father. Hence, Christ did not act as a junior partner in the creation of the universe.

    It is important to note that the scriptural teaching that only God is the Creator. God says in Isaiah 44:24: “I, the Lord [Yahweh], am the maker of all things, stretching out the heavens by Myself, and spreading out the earth all alone”.

    The fact that Christ Himself is the Creator of “all things” (John 1:3) proves that Christ is God Almighty, just as the Father is.

    In Hebrews 2:9, Christ Jesus in His incarnation had two attributes: human attributes, and Divine attributes. The apostle Paul made this clear when he affirmed that in the incarnation Christ was “taking the very nature of a servant,” “being made in human likeness,” and “being found in appearance as a man” (Philippians 2:7,8)

    The incarnation of Jesus Christ involved not the subtraction of deity but the addition of humanity. So, in order to dwell among human beings, Christ made Himself nothing in the sense that He veiled His preincarnate glory, He submitted to a voluntary nonuse (without surrendering) of some of His divine attributes, and He condescended Himself by taking on a human nature. All this adds great significance to Hebrews 2:9 “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. Clearly, this verse was cited from the vantage point of the incarnation.

    One of the most complex aspects of the relationship between Christ’s two natures is that, while the attributes of one nature are never attributed to the other, the attributes of both natures are properly attributed to His one person. Thus Christ at the same moment in time had what seem to be contradictory qualities. He was finite and yet infinite, weak and yet omnipotent, increasing in knowledge and yet omniscient, limited to being in one place at one time and yet omnipresent. In the incarnation, the person of Christ is the partaker of the attributes of both natures, so that whatever may be affirmed of either nature, human or divine, may be affirmed of the one person.

    Though Christ sometimes operated in the sphere of His humanity and in other cases in the sphere of His deity, in all cases what He did and what He was could be attributed to His one person. Even though Christ in His human nature knew hunger (Luke 4:2), weariness (John 4:6), and the need for sleep (Luke 8:23), in His divine nature He was also omniscient (John 2:24), omnipresent (John 1:48), and omnipotent (John 11). All of that was experienced by the one person of Jesus Christ.

    The Gospel accounts clearly show that at different times, Christ operated under the major influence of one or the other of His two natures. Indeed, He operated in the human sphere to the extent that it was necessary for Him to accomplish His earthly purpose as determined in the eternal plan of salvation. At the same time, He operated in the divine sphere to the extent that it was possible in the period of His humiliation (Philippians 2:6-9).

    Here is the key point: Both of Christ’s natures come into play in many events recorded in the Gospels. For example, Christ’s initial approach to the fig tree to pick and eat a fig to relieve His hunger reflected the natural ignorance of the human mind (Matthew 21:19a). (That is, in His humanity He did not know from a distance that there was no fruit on that tree.) But then He immediately revealed His divine omnipotence by causing the tree to wither (verse 19b).

    On another occasion, Jesus in His divine omniscience knew that His friend Lazarus had died, so He set off for Bethany (John 11:11). When Jesus arrived, He asked (in his humanness, without exercising omniscience) where Lazarus had be laid (verse 34). Robert Reymond notes that “as a God-man, [Jesus] is simultaneously omniscient as God (in company with the other persons of the Godhead) and ignorant of some things as man (in company with the other persons of the human race).” (Reymond, Jesus, Divine Messiah: The New Testament Witness, p. 80).

    All that helps to give a proper understanding of Jesus’ comment in Mark 13:32: “But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone”. In this passage, Jesus was speaking from the vantage point of His humanity. Thus, as a human being Jesus was not omniscient but was limited in understanding just as all human beings are. If Jesus had been speaking from the perspective of His divinity. He wouldn’t have said the same thing.

    Bible scholar Thomas Schultz has provided an excellent summary of the massive evidence for Christ’s omniscience:

    First, He knows the inward thoughts and memories of man, an ability
    peculiar to God (1 Kings 8:39); Jeremiah 17:9-16). He saw the evil in
    the hearts of the scribes (Matthew 9:4); He knew beforehand those who
    would reject Him (John 10:64) and those who would follow Him (John 10:14).

    Second, Christ has a knowledge of other facts beyond the possible
    comprehension of any man. He knew just where the fish were in the water
    (Luke 5:4,6; John 21:6-11), and He knew just which fish contained the coin
    (Matthew 17:27). He knew future events (John 11:11; 18:4).

    Third, He possessed an inner knowledge of the Godhead showing the closest
    possible communion with God as well as perfect knowledge. He knows the
    Father as the Father knows Him (Matthew 11:27; John 7:29; 8:55).

    The fourth and consummating teaching of Scripture along this line is that
    Christ knows all things (John 16:30; 21:17), and that in Him are hidden all
    the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3). [Quoted in
    McDowell and Larson, Jesus: A Biblical Defense of His Deity (San Bernardino,
    CA: Here’s Life Publishers, Inc., 1975), p. 54.]

    Questions:
    • Can anyone do the things Christ did in these verses without having the attribute of omniscience?
    • Can anyone other than God have the attributes of omniscience?
    • Since Christ in the incarnations had both a human nature and a divine nature, and since Christ in His divine nature exercised His omniscience on numerous occasions in the Gospels, can you see how Jesus was speaking from His human nature when He said He didn’t know the day of the hour?

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30. skyan foren

    April 17, 2023

    

    Sin Does Exist

    If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9 RSV)

    It is necessary that we note first the difference between the words, sin and sins. In Verse 8 it is in the singular number, “If we say we have no sin,” in Verse 9 it is plural, “If we confess our sins.” Now this marks a very important distinction, the distinction between the root which is sin, singular, and the fruit, which are sins, plural. Sin is that fallen twist in man which makes him want to play God on every occasion. We know how this is: We want the world to revolve around us, always to be the center of things. That self-centeredness is sin. It goes by other names as well — pride, selfishness, or independence. That is the root, the twist in human nature which makes us commit sins.

    Sins, therefore, are those specific forms which this inward bent makes us take from time to time. They can cover a wide range of experience. There are many kinds of sins, but all from one root, sin. This is now what Apostle John is zeroing in on. He says if we say we have no sin, that is, no capacity to commit sins, if we deny the very possibility of sins, then we deceive ourselves. Obviously, this is a worse case than the previous one. In the first instance, you remember, Apostle John says, “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live according to the truth” (1 John 1:6 RSV), i.e., we are trying to deceive others and to some degree we often succeed. But if we say we have no ability to sin at all, we are only deceiving ourselves. Others are quite aware that we are lying to and deceiving ourselves. They are not fooled, it is we who are. That is always pathetic. The man who ignores the light deceives others, but seldom himself. He knows that he is not living as he ought, he knows he is ignoring light. But this one deceives himself. He actually believes that he can no longer sin, that there is no longer any possibility of evil in him.

    You say, does this really happen? Are there people so deluded that they have come to the place where they really think they cannot sin? Unfortunately, we must say “Yes,” it often happens in our day, and for several reasons. But whenever it happens, the one who makes this claim loses immediately that glorious “fellowship” which makes Christianity so vital and unforgettable. He loses his power, his influence, his vitality, and his effectiveness as a Christian. His life becomes lusterless, orthodox, dull, and deadening. Now how does this happen? There are primarily three ways in which this occurs:

    First, a Christian can become the victim of one of the cults which teach along this line. There are cults which deny the reality of sin, who say that sin is but “an error of mortal mind.” Sin, they say, has no real existence, it is a mere figment of the imagination, and all that is necessary to deal with sin is to correct your thinking. You will recognize that this teaching is widespread. It is represented by groups such as Christian Science, the Unity School of Christianity, and Religious Science. Also, it is widespread in non-Christian religions such as Theosophy, Hinduism, and Buddhism. They teach this concept that sin does not really exist, it is merely in the mind. Truth exists, and good exists, but sin does not have objective reality.

    Unfortunately there are many who are really Christians who have fallen into this trap and believe that sin merely calls for an adjustment in their thinking. But John says if you believe that, the truth is not in you, there is no light in you, for light is truth and truth is light. The truth as it is revealed in Jesus says quite differently. According to the word of the Lord, both directly from his own lips and through the apostles that followed, the truth is that sin is a very objective reality. It does exist, it is always a present possibility. It finds its final expression in the great hosts of satanically-controlled beings who are at work in the world, as we have seen in previous series, influencing and controlling the thinking of men. Sin is personified in the person of the adversary, the devil, but it exists as a very powerful and persuasive factor in life. To treat it as though it is not there is but to practice self-deception and to become the victim of the saddest of delusions.

    Sin does exist. There is nothing more pathetic than the person who denies the reality of sin.

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31. Bob kaplan

    April 22, 2023

    

    Cool story bro

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32. eva sciano

    August 3, 2023

    

    EVIDENCE FOR GOD

    Lecture notes by CHARLIE H. CAMPBELL
    Director of The Always Be Ready Apologetics Ministry

    THE CANON OF SCRIPTURE

    The Bible is a book unlike any other book. It is a compilation of 66 different books written by more than 40 different authors, over a period of 1,500 years, on three different continents, in three different languages.

    Over and over the authors of the Bible claim to be recording events and writing words inspired by God Himself (2 Timothy 3:16). And of course, the Bible reveals to us very plainly…

    • God exists
    • What He is like
    • And what His will is for our lives

    SKEPTIC: “Charlie, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the Bible is true.”

    You’re right. But don’t misunderstand me. I’m not asking you to believe the Bible “because it says so.” I want you to believe the Bible because of the wealth of good evidence that has demonstrated the Bible is historically reliable and divinely inspired. I’m talking about:

    • Its hundreds of fulfilled prophecies
    • The Bible’s amazing internal harmony
    • The Bible’s incredible scientific accuracy and foresight
    • Thousands of archaeological discoveries
    • Numerous details in the Bible that have been corroborated by extrabiblical historical sources
    • And so on

    Another reason you can be confident God exists is…

    5. CHRIST

    Many who doubt the existence of God have reassured themselves with the thought, “If God wanted us to believe in Him, He would appear to us.” Well, we have to be careful when we talk about wanting God to appear to us. If He were to do that in all His glory, while we were in our sinful fallen condition, the Bible says we would not live through the experience (Exodus 33:20, 1 Timothy 6:15-16, John 1:18) . But what if God was to veil His glory and appear to mankind in the form of a man, someone mankind could really relate with? What kind of a man would God be?

    Someone wisely pointed out that, “We would expect Him to be sinless; we would expect him to be holy; we would expect His words to be the greatest words ever spoken; we would expect Him to exert a profound power over human personality; we would expect Him to perform supernatural doings; and we would expect Him to manifest the love of God.” [John MacArthur summarizing a teaching by Bernard Ramm.]

    Hmmm. Has anyone ever come on the world’s scene, who claimed to be God and who met all of those criteria? Ahh, of all the human beings who have ever lived, Jesus Christ alone met these criteria. When someone says, “If God wanted us to believe in Him, He would appear to us,” I like to tell them that is what God has already done.

    The Bible tells us that Jesus was God in human flesh (Isaiah 9:6, Colossians 2:9, John 20:28) and Jesus Himself made that clear in verses like John 5:18 and John 8:58.

    And Jesus didn’t just claim to be God. Anybody can do that. So Jesus proved that He was God by doing things that only God can do:

    • He opened the eyes of the blind
    • He healed the lame
    • He raised the dead
    • He walked on water
    • He lived a sinless life
    • He rose from the grave three days after He was put to death
    • And forty days later, He ascended visibly into Heaven

    These are just a few of the miracles the disciples recorded for us in the New Testament that help substantiate Jesus’ claims to deity.

    SKEPTIC: “Hold on here a second Charlie!
    That doesn’t mean that what the disciples said about Him was actually true. Maybe they were making up the whole story about His resurrection!”

    Well, I’m not sure what their motivation would have been for doing that. Liars lie to get out of trouble or gain some type of advantage or benefit. But what the early Christians said about Jesus, didn’t get them out of trouble or result in any kind of benefit. The things they said and wrote about Jesus got them in trouble. What they received was rejection, persecution, torture, and martyrdom. Hardly a list of perks! That, to me, is compelling evidence these men were telling the truth about Jesus.

    So, we’ve considered five lines of evidence for the existence of God…

    1. The Cosmos
    2. The Conditions for Life
    3. The Complexity of Life
    4. The Canon of Scripture
    5. The Christ

    Friends, this evidence from cosmology, biology, philosophy, history, and the Bible is a reminder that there is a God! If you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ, you haven’t followed after cleverly devised tales. Your faith isn’t grounded in wishful thinking. Your faith is grounded in the truth. There is good evidence that the God of the Bible is actually there.

    What good news this is!
    You are not part of some gigantic cosmic accident! You are not just some conglomeration of cells walking around without meaning on a random planet in a purposeless universe. You’re not the result of millions of years of evolution. No. You are one of God’s creations. He formed you in your mother’s womb. The Bible says that you are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) and that God has a purpose for your existence. Do you know that? God loves you! And He desires to have a close, intimate, personal relationship with each one of you.

    Do you have that kind of a relationship with God? You can.
    Two thousand years ago Jesus (God in the flesh) died on that cruel wooden Roman cross to take the punishment for your sins so that you could be forgiven, saved from eternity in Hell, and come to experience the greatest relationship you’ll ever know:

    Knowing God personally, not only in this life
    but throughout eternity.

    Jesus rose from the grave on the third day and today He is offering mankind the “free gift” (Romans 6:23) of salvation and everlasting life for those who will turn from their sins and place their faith in Him.

    I exhort you friend to do that if you never have. A day of judgment is coming. You can stand before God still in your sins or forgiven. Standing before God still in your sins will result in condemnation and eternity in Hell. Being forgiven will result in everlasting life in paradise. The choice is yours. The ball is in your court. God made the first move. Now it’s your turn. Place your faith in Jesus, and receive Him as your personal Lord and Savior!

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