Why Should I Become A Christian?

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Aren’t Christians arrogant to claim their faith is the only way to God and Heaven?  Don’t all religions teach be good to your fellowman and all roads lead to God and Heaven? No! Atheists assume no God of any kind exists, people have no soul, and return to dirt. Pantheist religions teach people are merely recycled energy and lose all self-identity. Mystics claim a special revelation from God or from an angel but furnish no evidence their claim is true. Unlike other religious believers, Christians give logical factual reasons to believe we are beings of dignity and destiny who can live eternally with God in a new Heaven and earth. Let’s give these reasons honest scrutiny.

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The Christ of history demonstrated he was the way, the truth, and the life being the God-man. Some persons make light of history. But this is most foolish. What we know today is predicated on past knowledge and past mistakes that we hopefully learned to avoid. Past cultures did astonishing building projects as the pyramids, performed brain operations a thousand years ago, drew miles long art carvings on a plain. We marvel at these things lost to modern knowledge. Even critics who claim we can’t know the past ironically claim they know how to correct it. Archaeology digs uncover coins, relics, objects, writings that tell us much about the past. We don’t have to know everything to know some things.

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In the case of Jesus, we not only have six independent documents but secular writings, even hostile unbelievers who verify things said about him in the four gospels, Acts, and epistles. They are not once upon a time in a far off country fairy tales, but details of real events, places, persons that can’t be denied. Further, these extra biblical sources mention or allude to the supernatural events of his life such as his virgin birth, healings, resurrection, claims to be God, and that people believed Jesus was God and died horrible deaths in testimony to that fact. These writings were published within thirty years of his death when eyewitnesses lived to refute any falsehoods. There is nothing like this among world religions. See my other articles for more details. John 8:24; 14:6.

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The God-man, Jesus Christ, overcame sin, death, and demons qualifying him to be our Savior. Jesus chose a dozen men who followed him for more than three years. They heard his every word, watched his every move, often misunderstood his teachings, and often were astonished at his miracles since they were unlike the patterns of nature observed all their lives. Jesus preached holy, godly, pure living to his disciples and others. If he didn’t display this in his own life, his movement would have been quickly exposed him as a fraud. He dared to challenge hostile enemies looking for any fault to discredit him, but the only fault they could find was that he claimed to be God. His life was impeccable, his miracles undeniable, his claims to be God irrefutable. Millions have found forgiveness of sins, hope in the mist of adverse circumstances, assurance of life eternal by believing in the dying, rising, coming Son of God.  

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The God-man, Jesus Christ, died and arose again demonstrating the truth of his deity and teaching. How is it possible to know life exists beyond the grave? We see our loved ones once warm, vibrant with life engaged in all kinds of activities, only to find them become cold, stiff, and lifeless. Reincarnation, mystical speculations about genetic defects, the changing seasons of the year, and human injustices, don’t demonstrate life after death.
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Jesus was a cold stiff dead body that become alive and active again. That’s what Jesus’ despairing disciples believed, but came to rejoice about when he appeared to them again twelve times under all kinds of conditions. He ate, drank, touched, and talked with them about the kingdom of God. Jesus was no ghost, no deception, no hallucination. There could be no doubt now that it was Jesus alive and risen from the dead just as he told them he would. Yes, he is the God-man, so all his teaching is the authority and truth of God. Halleluiah!

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Again, there’s nothing like this in world religions. This is reasonable, eyewitness reasons to trust in the one who gave his life to save us. Jesus paid for our sins in his own body--took our punishment by his death on the cross. He showed us love when in our guilt and shame we deserve justice. And he arose proving his offer of eternal life was no empty claim but the truth and authority of God.

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The God-man, Jesus Christ, offers us the choice of fulfillment in loving service with God forever. The alternative is eternal darkness, despair, tears, and torments. We are not puppets on a string completely controlled by nature’s forces, heredity, circumstances, or even by God. Our sins are inexcusable (Rom. 2:1). The Almighty Judge gives us the option to believe or disbelieve. Yes, Christians have problems, temptations, and failures just like everyone else. But we have the Lord with us in them all to guide, strengthen, forgive, and restore us. Millions will testify we have a peace, assurance, love, and joy like we never knew before (John 5:24; 10:10).

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According to the Word of God, if we trust in the Lord Jesus to be our Savior, we will go to eternal fulfillment in the service of a loving and just God (John 3:16-17). But if we disbelieve, then we will live in eternal darkness, despair, tears, and torments (John 3:36; Matt. 8:12). It’s our choice. That’s God’s teaching, not human guessing as in world religions. Won’t you say yes, I trust you Lord to save me from this day and forever and be my Guide throughout life? Now link this blog with yours and tell people about the love of the Savior.
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What God Promised Israel

                                   What God Promised Israel

#Israel   #Tanakh
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One group of people that for millennia have been hated, mistreated and murdered is the Jews. They’re like everyone else with one exception. According to the Bible, the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were given great and far-reaching promises God intended to fulfill literally. God said that if they obeyed Him they would be blessed, but if not, they would be cursed (Deut. 28). Further, God said the nations that blessed his chosen people would be blessed, but those who opposed them would be cursed (Gen. 12:3). Let me sketch the great covenant promises God gave the Jews.
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A Land Forever
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God told Abraham “All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.” This land extended from Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates and to Lebanon and the whole land of Canaan. It was to be an everlasting possession to Abraham and his descendants. And although Israel would periodically be exiled for disobedience, God would bring back a remnant. God’s promise of the land was unconditional and not dependent upon Israel’s obedience. See Gen. 15:18-21; 17:8; Isa. 11:11.
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A Nation Forever
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God promised Abraham’s descendants would become a great nation forever, repeated it to Isaac, then Jacob from which came the twelve tribes and a great nation in Egypt. Ishmael, the slave woman’s son, was not the promised son and was cast out (Gen. 21:10-12). God made Israel the only chosen nation, a kingdom of priests and holy nation giving them the covenants, the law, the prophets, the temple and promised Israel would endure forever regardless of unfaithfulness. And that one day the Messiah would come through them. See Ex. 19:5-6; Ps. 147:19-20; Isa. 65:17; 66:22; Rev. 21-22. ”Forever” means the same whether Israel or the church.
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A King Forever
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God alone has the knowledge, wisdom and power to make certain His promises will be kept. He has promised His son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the God-man, will reign both over a political and spiritual kingdom. “To us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor; Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6). But in 605 B.C., Israel went into exile and has no king since. Were God’s promises annulled?
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No. God’s prophets predicted this would happen. “The Israelites will live many days without king or prince” (Hosea 3:4). “I will maintain my love to him [David] forever, and my covenant with him will never fail. I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure” (Ps. 89:28-37). The thrown was unoccupied but the promise was not occupation but establishment forever and it will be (Matt. 24:30; 19:28).
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Restoration of Israel Forever
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The Tanakh, OT, repeatedly promised Israel would return to the land and have a king. See Amos 9-11; Mic. 4:7-8; Dan. 2:44; 9:24-27. Daniel predicted the king’s absence from the decree to restore Jerusalem until the Anointed ruler comes which is from 445 B.C. until Christ died in A.D. 33.
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Presentation of the Messianic King
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John the Baptizer, Christ, and his apostles all announced Jesus as the promised ruler (Matt. 3:1-2; 4:17; 10:5-7). Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey as such and the common people received him gladly throwing palm forms before his way and recognizing him as the son of David meaning a rightful heir.
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Rejection of the Messianic King
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But Israel’s rulers rejected Jesus as their king calling his casting out of demons a work of the devil (Matt. 12:24). At his trial, the high priest tore his garments meaning Jesus blasphemed saying he was the Son of the Highest (Matt. 26:65). When crucified, the authorities protested that his superscription not say Jesus was king of the Jews, but that he said, he was king of the Jews (John 19:21). Jesus predicted the Jews would fall by the sword, be taken to all nations and Jerusalem would be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled (Luke 21:24). Israel won’t be restored until the full number of Gentiles has come in (Rom. 11:25). 
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Restoration of the Messianic Kingdom

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Thus, the kingdom without the King is postponed, but Jesus is coming to set it up (Acts 1:6-7). We are, however, not to be deceived by Jehovah’s Witnesses and others who are not the tribes of Israel but false prophets predicting the time of Christ’s return (Matt. 24:36). Meanwhile, the Jews will continue in unbelief until the tribulation when 144,000 will witness to the coming restored Messianic kingdom (Rev. 7; 14).

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Israel was again declared a nation in 1948. It has always had to fight for its existence and does today. Great Britain and the United States support it today as a true democratic alley. But that support seems to be wavering because of influence from socialism and radical Islam that want to destroy it. Israel is 1/6 of 1% of the Arab world and 5.5 million Jews compared to 300 million Arabs and Muslims who want to drive her into the sea. Why such hatred of God’s chosen people? Jesus predicted a beginning of tribulation when all nations will hate Israel for Christ’s sake (Matt. 24:9) and then a great tribulation unlike anything since the beginning of the world and that if the time were not shortened no flesh would be saved (Matt. 24:21-22). This is no time to be playing church and Christian. We should be living for Christ and telling others about his wonderful salvation. It’s the world’s only deliverance from hate and Hell and means of hope.

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While Israel and the church have much in common as chosen people of God, I don’t believe Israel is the church. Moses was the head of Israel; Christ is head of the church. Israel began with Abraham, the church at Pentecost. Israel was governed by law, the church by grace. Jews are born of Jacob, Christians born of Christ.

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Christians are instructed to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, to seek to win Jews to their Messiah (means Anointed) and Savior. God has promised that the nations that bless Israel will be blessed; those who curse her will be cursed (Genesis 12:1-3).  I believe God's promises--what about you.? Only the Lord Jesus Christ could be Israel's Messiah for only he was virgin born, without sin, died to save sinners, and rose from the dead, ascended into heaven as Scripture said Messiah would (Isaiah 7:14; 53; Psalms 22:16-18; 16:10; 68:18).   

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A Good News Messenger’s Prayer

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#Prayer
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Almighty Creator, hear this prayer of your messenger. It’s from a heart of love and devotion broken by the sin, selfishness, and rebellion of people You created in Your image for relationship with You. Its people, You love, destroyed by this world system of evil. Its people, You died to save, deceived by Satan and his demon spirits. Its people, You offer the gift of eternal life to, doomed by unbelief. Lord, in their blindness billions of persons just like us offer so many excuses that only prove their deception and seal their doom.
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Some say there’s no God because of all the evils in the world. They’re unwilling to admit they cause these evils. But You created a good world, gave us free will, and everything we needed. We chose to hate, deceive, abuse, murder—not God. We do the evil, but point our finger at You. Oh Lord, how blind can we be.
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Others say evolution explains everything and we don’t need God. But nothing can’t explode into everything. Nothing means without power even existence. So this dependent universe depends upon a self-existent eternal Source, a Creator. Life, mind, love, justice, truth, reason, everything makes no sense unless that be true. If there were an eternal regression of causes, we couldn’t be discussing it today. No, evolution doesn’t explain everything, but the personal ethical God-man does. Help us our Life-giver and Judge to be honest.
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They say we’ve developed science and technology that meets our needs now. We’ve gone to the moon, extended our lifespan, communicate with people on the opposite side of the world. Yes, but that knowledge may destroy us. Instead of sticks and stones, today we use ballistic missiles and chemical warfare. Science can’t teach us about ethics or life after death. But you Lord, meet these crucial needs in Your Word.
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They claim God is a Legalist who only wants to spoil our fun. This is what baby Johnny thinks when daddy takes away the shiny knife or moves him away from the colored fiery flames. The all-knowing Creator is far more knowledgeable and wise than we can ever be. His warnings express His love and protect us from harm.
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They cry we will not have God govern us; we can do it ourselves. Power, position and wealth are intoxicating. They can turn governments and leaders into arrogant, selfish, greedy beasts that devour those they’re supposed to serve and protect. History shows governments easily become corrupt, wasteful, even kill their own people while they promise them it’s for their own good. Human depravity aligned against God and people cannot be trusted. God help us not to destroy ourselves by our ignorance and foolishness!
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Others trust idols to provide and protect them. But they are made of wood and metal. They can’t move, talk, know or do anything for them. They have to repair their defects and take them in at night lest they are stolen.  Some persons worship rats, monkeys, cows knowing they are an inferior form of life than themselves. We willfully reject the true God who witnesses to us in creation, conscience, and Christ.
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Oh Lord, cleanse our hearts, and minds and lives that we can be fit vessels of Your grace. Give us a fiery passion for the Savior who alone can deliver us from eternal darkness, despair, tears and torments. Father, set before us an open door no man can close, grant us faith to move mountain ranges of destruction and death, use us to tear down the devils strongholds of unbelief, fill us with your wisdom, power and love to change this vile world for your glory. May we be soldiers who stand for righteousness, farmers who sow the seed that brings abundant fruit, ambassadors who effectively represent our King, fishers of men snatching them from polluted waters. Master, enable us to be your GOOD NEWS MESSENGERS in the Lord Jesus. Amen.

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God & Evil
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#Evil

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Perhaps the most painful problem we have believing in a good God is why there’s so much evil in the world. This problem seems to turn more people away from belief in God. I’m not an internet theologian with all the answers but I’ll give you the best I have and hope it proves helpful. My understanding consists of six propositions. 

God’s Reality is shown in the Existence of Evil.

Contrary to atheist thinking that evil disproves God,  atheist C. S. Lewis came to realize it’s the very opposite. That is, if God doesn’t exist, then nothing can be evil since there is no standard by which we can measure evil. Evil then is just a given or the way things are and we’ve no God to hear our complaint. So the very fact that we make the complaint shows we inwardly feel there is someone who can know and care about us. Our anger at God is pointless if He doesn’t exist.

Now it seems pointless to be angry with any god but the Christian God of the Bible. A lesser god may be helpless to come to our aid. Any god limited in knowledge, wisdom, compassion, or power may not know, or care, or have ability to help us in our need. This would seem to eliminate lesser gods and excuse them from helping us in our distress. We then can place no hope in god as universal energy of which we are part and will lose our individuality. We can’t depend on a mere tribal or locality god who may be at war with other gods or worn down by distress himself unable to come to our aid. And if god is not perfectly good and compassionate why trust in him in the first place, he likely doesn’t care what happens to us. Only the Bible’s God perfect in every way but who allows evil even poses the problem. But how did this evil get started in the first place?

God Created a Good World of No Evil.

According to the Bible, God created a good world ideally suited for us. He made Adam from the ground in His image or in ways like Himself. Man was a person with a mind who could recognize the nature of animals and name them in accord with it. He could take care of the beautiful garden God designed to meet his need for beauty and for food. And being alone, God used Adam to fashion a helpmate for him. God designed male and female to be “one flesh” and she became the mother of humanity. Everything Adam and Eve needed was provided. Adam enjoyed perfect fellowship with God walking together in the garden paradise--but!.

God Allowed His Creatures the Freedom to do Evil.

But evil entered paradise. God told Adam he and Eve could enjoy fruit from all the trees of the garden but one, the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Of course, it was a test of love and trust to be shown through obedience. And God solemnly warned that the day he eats of that tree he would surely die.

One day when Eve was near that mysterious forbidden tree, she heard a friendly voice. It instilled doubt that God was not good to forbid her eating from that tree. Eve’s reply to the beautiful serpent was that they could eat from every tree but that one. But in her excitement and doubt, she added they could not even touch it lest they die.

The serpent said what he’s been saying to us ever since, that God knows you will not die but know the reality of good and evil. Can’t you see God lied? Eve saw the tree was good for food—don’t we all have to eat? She realized it was beautiful fruit—what harm could that be? And it would make one wise—and we surely need wisdom. Wow! A three-time winner. God surely was mistaken. She ate some fruit and gave to her husband who happened by and he ate.

Immediately things changed—serious consequences occurred. Their spiritual eyes were opened. They realized their nakedness before God, and made fig leaf aprons to hide their shame. When they heard the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, rather than greeting Him with love, they sought refuge behind the trees of the garden.

God cried out to Adam, “Where are you Adam?” Adam was where the human race has been ever since. In guilt, shame, and separation from God. And Adam did what we all tend to do—blame someone else for our wrongdoing. He blamed the woman God gave him as if it was all God’s fault. She likewise blamed the serpent.

Man’s disobedience brought God’s curses—it’s the old adage “Crime does not pay.” God cursed the serpent to crawl on its belly. God cursed man to work by the sweat of his brow. God cursed woman to have pain in childbirth. And in mercy, God caste man out of the garden and from the tree of life lest he be forever cursed. Evil is simply corruption of the good like a wrecked car, rusted tools, fallen down house, moth eaten clothes, rotten fruit, blind eyes.

God Sent His Unique Son to Save Us from Evil.

But God’s plan is not to curse man forever but to give him life forever. The first of many promises and prophecies is Genesis 3:15. “And I will put enmity between you (the serpent used by the devil) and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” This refers to the ongoing conflict between good and evil and of Christ’s final defeat of Satan and of evil. We must be tested many times and many ways all the while with the choice of God or self, good or evil.  

God Will Justly Judge All Evil.

No human judge is completely qualified to judge crime and evil accurately. The judge and all of us are tainted with evil or what the Bible calls sin, rebellion, self-centeredness, missing the mark of God’s perfect standard. Moreover, we are naturally bias favoring some things above others, can’t know all the facts in a given situation, nor can interpret them correctly.

But the God of the Bible is perfect in knowledge, goodness, love, justice, truth, power, in all His ways. In our finitude, we won’t see it that way many times. But one day He will right all wrongs and reward all rights and we will be better able to understand the why and wherefores we can’t possibly understand now. In the meantime, we must fight our three great enemies the world system of evil, our own depraved sinful nature, and the devil with his demons. In the end, we win out and all evil is quarantined in hell to bother us no more. God doesn’t make us robots or annihilate us if we reject Him. Instead, God appeals to us in love. He forever says come to Me, and I will give you rest. And, we will one-day shine as the stars of Heaven. That’s Christian faith. But why did it have to be this way with all the sufferings and evils?

God is Omniscient and Glorified by Evil as well as Good.

The all-knowing and sovereign God knew it would be this way before creation—He heard every cry, knew every broken heart, saw every tear, felt every pain. He knew His unique Son, the God-man, would be shamefully displayed before a cruel heartless world (Rev. 13:8). Yes, He knew, this would not be the best world; but it would be the way to the best world.

Without the Fall of Adam into sin and the curses upon the world, God knew we would not understand and serve Him with immense love and gratitude for what He did for us as vile, selfish, wicked evil sinners. Without the Fall, the Cross, and the Resurrection, we could never know such things. God is glorified by great good, and God is glorified by great evil as well. Because of the Fall, we can know forgiveness, truth, love, hope, mercy, justice, and the sovereignty of God we could otherwise never know. Praise God for He works out all things for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28). Amen (so be it). So few people understand that great truth.

If you’ve never understood Christianity before, but understand it now, won’t you say Lord Jesus Christ I trust You now as my Lord and Savior from this day forward. Now, if you are a disciple of Christ, but not living as close as you should, maybe you would like to renew your commitment. Eternity's rewards are must longer and more precious that the pleasures of sin for a season. Now you can serve the Lord in the most crucial way. Link with my blog and share the articles with those who don't know the Savior or who have little understanding of God's Word. God bless.
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