Some Reasons People Believe in God

                     Some Reasons People Believe in God

Atheists who deny a Creator and Sustainer of the universe show a terrible arrogance toward theists and especially Christians. They point to plants, animals, sky, ground and say, see there's no God! We're just animals who die and that's all there is! Christians who talk about God and an afterlife are really stupid maybe even brain dead. But could atheists be overlooking so much that a little honest thought makes obvious? Could what they call wishful Christian thinking really show rebellious atheist arrogance, maybe even fear of giving account of their rebellious lives to God?

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Christians reply. Honestly, if God created this material universe, wouldn't He have to exist before and apart from the matter, space, and time He created? Wouldn't God then be of an immaterial nature or spirit we normally wouldn't see? And to sustain His universe, wouldn't God have to have infinite power, be everywhere and know everything? Might it be a bit premature for atheists to claim the Almighty must show up at their command, or He doesn't exist?  Do they know the Almighty couldn't show up at his appointed time and place and for his purpose unknown to them? Actually, such attributes are what the Bible says and what Christians believe about God (Genesis 1:1; Exodus 3:14). Could atheist objections really show bias or lack clear thinking?

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Scientists work on the principle that every beginning thing has a cause. Common sense shows from nothing, nothing comes. Nothing means no thing--no mind, no power, no force. An expanding universe points to a central beginning point. A running down universe like a clock means it was once wound up. Most scientists believe in the Big Bang which requires a beginning universe. And if time could go back into the past forever, we would never be here today. A beginning universe then, depends on an unchangeable, self-existent eternal God as its Cause.
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 What does the anthropic principle tell  us about the universe? We see such exactness of hundreds of factors working together in order for man to arrive on this planet. Such as earth's just right size, molten core, this crust, climate, rotation, revolution, gravity, chemical composition, magnetism, atmosphere, distance from sun, one moon, its size & distance, water and right amount, place in solar system, in galaxy and well over a hundred other exact factors. Blind random chance doesn't explain this, but an intelligent Creative Mind does.  It seems God must have some purpose in mind for us. Could it be a personal love-trust relationship with Him?
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What does nature's order and rationality tell us? Nature's orderliness shows-- means adapted to ends, birds wings are designed for flying, animal legs for walking, fish fins for swimming, eyes and ears to know surroundings. There can be no partially developed reproductive or digestive systems or limbs or organs. Take anything away and the animal perishes. Moreover, geological strata show life forms completely developed and functional from outset until extinction.  Nature shows order and rationality that our minds can understand. Doesn't all this show Creation true and evolution myth?

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Can blind mindless molecules select and arrange chemicals into life forms? No! Animals are genetically programmad to reproduct after their own kind but in great variety. In other words, dogs birth varieties of dogs but never birth horses--its small changes in kind, but not one kind changing into another. Mutations are coping errors, usually harmful and eliminated.The genetic code within life forms shows intelligent intervention and they can't be reduced or they perish. There form and function is complex and specified at the outset  that shows a self-existing creative Mind.
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Life forms show a genetic alphabet of instructions. The DNA molecule is a coded language of millions of cells programmed to build  organs and systems of immense specified complexity that all work together in harmony. The cell is organized like a city of machines working  together to maintain life in millions of unique life forms. To say nature's blind mindless forces can accomplish all this by chance is like saying red, white and blue confetti dropped from a plane a trillion times will form an American flag. The DNA molecule is not an accident of nature, it's a cells instructions designed by the personal intelligence and will we know as God.
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Moreover, aren't life forms irreducibly complex? A million small steps must be shown to prove a single cell can evolve into all life forms. Fruit flies live only a few days so that many generations can be radiation tested. Such testing produced only defective fruit flies, nothing else. There are no partly evolved reproductive or digestive systems, or limps or eyes and ears. Animals are born fully functioning, or won't live. Evolution isn't proven by extinct dinosaurs and monkey skulls. Artists drawings of the evolutionary tree is a gap theory without transitional links. Their pictures of a knuckle-walking monkey evolving into an upright man shows the theory can be pictured when the evidence can't be found. Died out life forms only prove they were not adoptable.  Huge gaps exist between life forms that are irreducibly complex. Now, doesn't this imply a Common Creator rather than a common ancestor?

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 Atheists claim science and reason prove evolution and disprove religion. But if the universe evolved by chance and our ancestors by accident from monkeys and perhaps rodents and roaches, how then can we have confidence that we are rational. Different sciences use different methods, physical sciences differ from social sciences. Science has nothing to say about crucial fields of history, law, aesthetics, and ethics. Science assumes that the external world exists, is orderly, knowable, uniform, that our minds and senses are reliable, numbers exist, the laws of logic work, and that truth exists and can be known. Evolutionary scientists devise new explanations to replace disproven ones. Scientists in all fields differ among themselves. Its hard to see where evolutionary science has the last word. And if all is an accident of  chance, how can we trust human reason?
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 World religions are based upon the thinking, beliefs and teachings of some admired wise man.  They present conflicting ideas about god, the world's  problems, salvation by what they mean by good deeds, and their speculations about the afterlife. What few writings we have of the founders beliefs is usually dated centuries after their deaths which makes them uncertain. They don't give evidence of anything beyond their founders valued philosophy of life. But details of  Jesus' life were predicted centuries before about his virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, death for us sinners, and resurrection. They were published during the lifetime of persons who knew him. (For more explanation, see my other articles.)

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Bible Christianity tells of a God who acts in our world. The Bible is said to record the actions of a real God who acts in our real world. It tells about the world from creation to recreation. It names kings, priests, cities, wars, and dates events archaeologists can correlate with statements of other nations and times to know such things existed. Bible events do not read like fairy tales, but like real people act in the real world with all their problems, evils, joys and sufferings. It's embarrassing that Bible heroes failed so often and so bad, but it's evidence that truth was more important than fiction. Unlike other holy books, the Bible records hundreds of predictions and miracles eyewitness knew were true, even affirming with their life's blood. Persons, places, and events critics denied existed, have been dug up from the ground. God showed His awesome presence in many ways from Genesis to Revelation. Could it be that the real reason atheists reject their Creator,  ridicule His people, and ignore its evidence is that they don't want God to interfer with their selfish desires?

Atheism has no higher authority than limited, conflicting, human opinions. Life without God ending in death destroys the basis for human dignity, ethics, freedom, love, justice, a rational purposeful world, absolute truth, empirical science, and hope for life after death. Atheists as Satre, Camus, and Russell admit this, but were inconsistently passionate about ethical issues. Richard Dawkins, for example, vigorously condemns harassment of homesexuals, and religious education  of children. Atheism is a philosophy of despair that when followed leads to hatred, chaos, warfare, and self-destruction of individuals, homes, and nations.
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Biblical Christianity gives good reasons that Jesus is the God-man who walked among us, died to save us, arose from the dead to prove all He told us was God's truth and our only hope. Jesus said, "The thief's purpose is to steal, and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life" (John 10:10). Dear reader, won't you say, Lord, Jesus, I'm a sinner, but I don't want eternal separation from the holy pure love-life You give. I surrender my life to you now forever. I trust you from this point on as my Lord and Savior. Now I'll share these articles and get with God's people in proof that I mean it. Thank you for giving me eternal life.
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What Do Jehovah's Witnesses Believe?

                   What Do Jehovah's Witnesses Believe?

Jehovah's Witnesses in some ways put most Christians to shame. They are often more knowledgeable and better trained in answering questions and defending their faith. They meet in Kingdom Halls rather than Churches and are earnest in Bible studies. They are zealous in presenting their faith even engaging people door-to-door. They're sometimes called the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, but better known as Jehovah's Witnesses. I will briefly discuss their founders, key writings, beliefs about God, how to be saved, what happens after death, and other interesting beliefs and practices in contrast to biblical Christian teachings. Then I will make some Christian comments.

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Their Founders. The original founders were Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916) and later Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942). with headquarters in Brooklyn, New York. They were business men, not Bible trained, church ordained, didn't believe many Bible teachings they felt unreasonable, and they control their followers thinking. So they ignore or distort Bible passages they don't agree with and have developed their own religion of Bible interpretations which have spread to millions  worldwide. They are one of the world's largest publishers.

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In contrast, Biblical Christianity began with the resurrection of Jesus (A.D. 30-33) who claimed he was the Son of God and the Jews Messiah. At the same time, Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecies, performed many miracles, died to save sinners, arose from the dead, and ascended into heaven before hundreds of witnesses. Many died to testify to this truth. And yes, Bible teachings may seem unreasonable, but only if you don't or won't accept a just and loving, sovereign Creator, Sustainer, and rightful Judge and Authority over the universe and humanity. All these things are discussed in my other articles.

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Their key writings. The only Bible JW accept is their own New World Translation. Their other real authoritative writings are Reasoning from the Scriptures, You Can live Forever in Paradise on Earth, and the Watchtower and Awake! magazines. While they claim to follow the Bible, their other writings are their real authorities and they won't allow anyone in their organization to disagree or question their teachings.

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It's unknown who produced their New World Translation, but scholars who know the original Hebrew and Greek languages say their New World Translation isn't correctly translated, and that they differ and distort passages that show Christian beliefs. Christians believe that is putting human opinion over God's inspired and proven revelation. Further, when Hebrew and Greek authorities say their New World Translation is incorrect;  how can JW feel honest to use it for their teaching?

Their beliefs about God. Among the teachings Jehovah's Witnesses deny are: the trinity, deity of Christ, his bodily resurrection, visible return, the Holy Spirit as God, God's promise of heaven for believers, their eternal security, and conscious eternal punishment of God-rejectors in Hell.

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All these teaching they deny are clearly taught many times in the Bible, and have been challenged ever since Jesus arose from the dead. There are so many evidences that support Bible teachings, but the Bibles God of love doesn't force himself on us. And being in his image and likeness is what gives us our dignity, freedom, ethics, love, justice, absolute authoritative truth, assurance of life after death, and his Word, the Bible is the basis for it all. No other world religion, worldview, or system of beliefs can compare with it.

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Their way to be saved. If God Created the universe, then it's reasonable he has infinite knowledge and wisdom making ours almost nothing (Isa. 40:13-14; 55:8-9). We show arrogance to think God must agree with our limited thinking. If God is perfect, then our thoughts, words, deeds can never measure up. The Bible is clear, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8-10). We can't achieve perfection to earn salvation nor erase our sins against God. Therefore, door-to-door telling people our beliefs won't make us fit for a perfect Heaven or earth. That's why, "God made Christ who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ" (2 Cor. 5:21 NLT; Also see Eph. 2:8-10; John 3:16-21; Acts 16:31.
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Their beliefs about after death. Since JW taught so openly that only 144,000 persons will go to heaven, when their numbers exceeded that, they had to say the others will live on earth. They deny the Bible teaching of Hell and say unbelievers will be annihilated..

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But every time throughout the Bible the twelve tribes of Israel are mentioned, that's exactly what they were (Revelation 7), not JW that came into being centuries later when more persons became JW (Rev. 14). The loving Jesus mentioned Hell more than Heaven as a real conscious place of punishment. Jesus, being the God-man, is the one person absolutely certain. He cared enough to warn us of the truth. In Matthew 25:46, Jesus said conscious punishment of God-rejections is as real and long as eternal life is for the righteous. Are we to believe Jesus lied or meant to deceive us?

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Their other interesting beliefs and practices. They do not observe holidays or birthdays. They don't accept blood transfusions since we're commanded not to eat blood in Leviticus 17: 13-14. They are forbidden to vote, salute the flag, or work in the military since it's idolatry to show allegiance to any government  except Jehovah's Kingdom. But Romans 13;1-7 and 1 Pet. 2:13-14 says to submit to governments since governments are ordained of God to keep peace and punish evil doers.  Shouldn't we be sure of what the Bible really teaches?

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Christian comments. The Bible nowhere says that Jesus was Jehovah's first created being, was Michael, the archangel before his incarnation, and or Jesus died on a stake, not a cross. It doesn't say the Holy Spirit is a force from Jehovah, or that door-to-door engagements earns the way to heaven. JW firmly believe that Revelation 1:8 & Rev. 21:5-7 describe Jehovah God. But that same description describes Jesus in Rev. 1:17-18. JW are correct that the Latin term "trinity" is not mentioned the Bible, but it is taught in the Bible. It's no different than JW use the term "theocratic kingdom" in  their literature that's not mentioned in the Bible.
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Founder Russell predicted Christ would return in 1874, but when Jesus didn't show up, he recalculated the date 1914. When he didn't return then, Russell said he came to earth as a spirit. Founder Rutherford predicted Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would return to earth to promote the Kingdom of God between 1925-1929. He even built them a mansion in San Diego, California. But when they failed to show up, he moved into the mansion for himself.
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To set the record straight, carefully compare these verses in your Bible with JW New World Translation to see their many distortions: Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Micah 5:2; John 1:1; 8:58; Philippians 2:11; Colossians 1:16; 2:9; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:3, 8. Remember language experts don't agree with unknown JW translators.
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"How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the Lord? If the prophet speaks in the Lord's name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the Lord did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared (Deut. 18:21-22) 
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In the beginning the Word already existed, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. "Jesus told him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me" (John 1:1; 14; 14:6 NLT). Only believe, love, and follow.
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Will Jesus Reign Over Earth A Thousand Years?

             Will Jesus Reign Over Earth A Thousand Years?

Postmillennial Christians say the church will win the world to Christ in an indefinite period, maybe a 1,000 years and then Jesus will return. Amillennial Christians say there is no literal millennium, and Revelation 20:1-6 just means that Jesus reigns in the hearts of those who trust in Him. I love and respect my brothers in Christ, but all the Bible's unfulfilled prophecies about the Messiah must be fulfilled according to a holy God who cannot lie or deceive us. Check out God's promises.

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Premillenialists, like myself, reason that since all the Bible predictions about Jesus' first coming--his virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, death for sinners, resurrection, and ascension were literally fulfilled exactly as stated, then what all the prophets and apostles said about His second coming to earth to reign as its King should literally be fulfilled exactly as stated. But before the 1,000 years the Church will be raptured (1 Thess. 4:16-5:3), and then there will be tribulation unknown since the world began (Rev. 4-19). Both Jesus (Matt. 24:21), and John said so (Rev. 3:10). Examine what the Bible actually says.
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God made an unconditional land grant to Abraham and his descendants. He gave the land from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River then occupied by pagan tribes (Gen. 15:17-21). But Israel has never fully occupied that land, not in Joshua's day, David's time, or even today. And God said His promises are irrevocable (Rom. 11:29).
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God promised King David He will have a descendant upon his thrown forever."Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever (2 Samuel 7:16). And in Psalm 89:35 we read: "I have sworn an oath to David, and in my holiness I cannot lie: His dynasty will go on forever; his kingdom will endure as the sun. It will be as eternal as the moon, my faithful witness in the sky." Israel will one day occupy all the land God promised. It just became a nation again since A.D. 70 fulfilling many prophecies.
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The Tanakh (Old Testament) ends with Israel expecting the Messianic Kingdom. We read in Malachi 3:1 "Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming says the Lord of Heaven's Armies." See also Isa. 9:6-7; 16:5.
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John the Baptizer and others offered Israel the Messiah-King Matt. 3:1-2. Jesus offered the kingdom when he said, "Repent for the kingdom is near. "(4:17). The Twelve Jesus sent out offered the kingdom (10:5-7). But the chosen nation of Israel rejected their King and His kingdom offered to them. "He (Jesus) came into the very world he created, but the world didn't recognize him. He came to his own people and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn--not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God (John 1:10-12 NLT). Have you rejected him too? You are now invited to humbly admit your wrong doing and trust in his forgiveness, cleansing, new and eternal life. Greater love has no one but Jesus, who took the punishment of our sin in his death for us on the cross. See the movie, The Passion of Christ.

Israel's rejection only meant a delay in order that the Gentiles may be offered salvation. God intended Israel to be his ambassadors to the Gentiles--but they became proud despisers of them instead. Christ then instituted instead a spiritual kingdom (the Church) until he returns to earth and Israel will then accept their king. "Jesus replied, I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Man sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel" (Matt. 19:28).See also Rom. 11:11ff:
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The next verse is his promise to believers today--"And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life.  But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then" (Matt. 19:30). CAN ANY PROMISES IN THE WORLD BE GREATER THAN THESE?
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The Jewish people will come to believe in Christ as their King and fulfill all God's promises. Just prior to his ascension, the apostles kept asking Jesus, "Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?"  They understood the promises above and were wondering when the kingdom would come and they would reign with him on twelve thrones. Jesus replied, "The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit is come upon you. And you will be my witnesses" (Acts 1:7-8).  So we are to be witnesses to the grace and glory of our Savior and God, the Lord Jesus, until he returns to take us to Him--Heaven (John 14:1-3).    
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Jesus, the Messiah, will return to fight for Israel, (called Armageddon) and then establish his 1,000 year worldwide rule.  We are in the very last days and Jesus' coming is described. "On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives east of Jerusalem. Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past" (Zechariah 14:3) . 
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Are you ready for the Lord's return? Are you living for him and telling others about his love, justice, and saving grace? With the computer we have the greatest opportunity in the world. Read these gospel articles, pray for God to use them, and send them every way you can and have great treasures in Heaven until Jesus comes for us. God bless.
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