By the Numbers

Showing posts with label Challenging Chats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Challenging Chats. Show all posts

Monday, November 16, 2015

Christian! Are You Ready for Test Day?

                    Christians! Are You Ready for Test Day?

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he promised his disciples, "When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am" (John 14:3). Paul later explained when Jesus comes for his church they would be caught up to meet him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). Then great tribulation would occur on earth, (Dan. 9:26; Matt. 24:21).Christians will be taken up to be with Jesus to have their earthly works and service evaluated for it's quality of reward. Paul compares the life in Christ as a building with foundations. 
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"Because of God's grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have--Jesus Christ.
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Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials--gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value. If the work survives that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames" (1 Cor.  3:10-15 NLT).
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As believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, our every thought, word, and deed will be tested like gold, silver, jewels that to various degrees glorify God, or like wood, hay, straw that reveal we did it for selfish reasons/motives and we lose what could have been rewarded. Now let's see some review questions that may be asked us on the test when we stand before Jesus.
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Do you treat other believers who differ somewhat from you with respect and kindness? Heb. 6:10; Matt. 10:41-42. Our individual interests, teachers, experiences influence our beliefs and behavior. We don't believe every detail exactly alike and should be gracious. Gentle loving persuasion, not force or threats are in order.
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Do you use your talents and abilities to help others or just to promote yourself? Matt. 25:14:29; 1 Cor. 12:4; 1 Pet. 4:10. We are to love our neighbor as ourselves. We make a better world to follow the Golden Rule.
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Do we you use your money to help others without blowing your trumpet?  Matt. 6:1-4; 1 Tim. 6:17-19. They we will be helped and we will please and be rewarded by God. We should care more about being God-pleasures than men-pleasures.
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Do you humbly accept mistreatment and injustice? Mark 10:29-30; Rom. 18:18. It shows true faith and follows the example of Jesus. The world that doesn't love Jesus won't love His followers either.
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Do we patiently accept sufferings and trials? James 1:12; Rev. 2:10. It shows strong faith and is the means to growth. They will come as Jesus warned but patiently endured prove our faith and bring us great reward.
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Do you use your time in positive, disciplined and holy activities? Psalm 90:9-12; Ephesians 5:16; Col. 4:5. Time is fleeting and shouldn't be wasted. We're to be disciplined like athletes keeping our mind on the goal.
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Do you control your fleshly appetites? 1 Cor. 9:25-27  Out of control desires lead to destruction, shame on our testimony for Christ.
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Do you speak up for principles of our faith and are not ashamed of Jesus? Prov. 11:30; Dan. 12:3; 1 Thess. 2:19-20. If we be ashamed of Jesus and things eternal, he will be ashamed of us when we see Him.
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Do you speak carefully and respectfully of other people? Matt.12:36; James 3:1-12 The tongue is a fire for evil or it can be a tool of encouragement.
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Do you study and mediate on God's Word or just read it quickly and soon forget its instructions? Acts 20:26-28; 2 Tim. 4:1-2; Heb. 13:17. God's Word is the means He uses to guide us in knowing how to live for Him and be shinning lights in this dark sinful world.
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Do you seek to win others to the Savior? Matt. 28:19-20: Acts 1:8. We are the King's ambassadors which is a high honor. Soul winners who turn many to righteousness will shine like the stars in space. Modern technology enables us to do today what people before could only dream of doing. We can reach the world with the good news from any place on the globe. Pray for God's Holy Spirit to use you sending these computer articles WWW. That's the best thing we can do for people in life now and for their eternal life in Heaven. Lord, use my brother/sister in faithful and fruitful ministry.
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Friday, July 20, 2012

Could We Be Mistaken about Hell?

                                        Could We Be Mistaken about Hell?

If God is love and mercy how can He cast people into hell? An unending hell at that? How can He  punish serial killers equally with innocent persons in a lake of fire? I couldn't be happy in heaven knowing my loved ones were burning in God's torture chamber! Didn't Jesus teach forgiveness? Few preachers even mention hell today. Maybe they realized it's all wrong and got ashamed of it.
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I don't want you to think I'm an arrogant, closed minded, know it all emotional coward unwilling to listen to reason. If you somehow think there's a case for hell, I'm willing to hear it. Put it on me!
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I thought you'd never ask. If we're honest thinking persons, God can open our minds and hearts to see things we've never imagined before. I pray this will be the case now. Many arguments from both reason and the Bible show the reality of  hell. I'll list them by numbers. Thank you for your patience, open mindedness, moral courage and intellectual integrity.
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1. Earth's Injustices Require Hell. A world in tears screams for justice. Dictators murder countrymen they swore to serve. Men rape helpless children. Ruthless swindlers bankrupt couples of life savings. Human justice systems never achieve full justice. Any indignity from trashing streets to destroying nations occurs. If  justice is ever to be served, it requires hell to bring it about.
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2. God's Justice Requires Hell. Only a perfectly just God can insure justice is served. The Bible is clear, God knows all circumstances and judges everyone according to truth and impartially. Fact is, if there's no personal ethical God who cares about us and we're just perishing animals, justice ceases to mean anything.  Life then frees us to do whatever satisfies our desires. Like with other animals, life simply is eat or be eaten. God's principles of justice are truth, deeds, impartiality, conscience, and the gospel are in Romans 3.
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3. Jesus Preached Hell. Jesus preached hell more than others, more than heaven. Jesus lived in a multicultural world as we do today. He said hell was more serious than losing an eye, hand, or foot. Could the Lord Jesus be wrong about preaching Hell? Aren't believers to follow His example? Should we be ashamed of His preaching it? Or, rather ashamed of our not obediently preaching the whole counsel of God  (Acts 20:27)? I rest my case? See Jesus' mention of Hell (Matthew 5:29-30; 10:28; 11:23; 13:40-41; 13:49-50; 22:13; 23:15, 33; 25:41; Mark 9:43-48).
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 4. Life's Meaning Necessitates Hell. If there's no life after death, and we're just perishing animals, what real meaning is there to life? But if we must face a holy God and give account of our life, then every thought, word, and deed has serious consequences. We better be careful how we live. We know the holy fear of God. Now this is exactly what the Bible teaches. See Galatians 6:7-8; Romans 2:5-6; Psalm 9:17.
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5. God's Love Demands Hell. Sentimentalist's idea of do good but don't judge or condemn evil is a huge mistake. Not to judge and punish evil is to allow evil to overcome and destroy good. How can we truly love good and not correct or disarm the evil that destroys it? Civilized peoples put criminals away to protect citizens. Likewise, is God less civilized to confine evil doers to stew in their own juice?  Further, all God's commandments, laws, warnings, and judgments are expressions of His love. What loving parent would not warn their child not to touch a hot stove, an electoral outlet, or not look both ways before crossing a street? If there is no penalty for evil, then good and evil cease to have meaning. Warnings of hell show God's love is real and given to save us from disaster and from hell. Hebrews 12:5-9; Psalm 119. God loves us enough to tell us the truth.
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6. God's Love Rejected Requires Eternal Hell. God will forgive, reform, restore, and save all who trust in Him and His way (John 3:16, 36; 10:10). But prideful, selfish, rebels who want to do their own thing contrary to God cannot stand before a perfectly holy or ethical God. "God is light and in Him is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5). Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is an eternal unforgivable sin (Mark 3:29). Persons fixed in rejection of God continue their unacceptable ways in Hell (Rev. 22:11). Hell is said to be just as everlasting as God and heaven (Matt. 18:8; 25:46; 2 Thess. 1:8-9). The wicked are not annihilated--words such as perish, destroy, waste, cease to exist, burn up mean ruined of their intended purpose being separated from God. It's like a totaled car that's ruined and junked but not annihilated. Besides, hell's degrees of punishment exclude the idea of human extinction. Jesus loves us, this we know for the Bible tells us so. Hell is our choice, not God's will (2 Peter 3:9) .
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7. Human Freedom Requires Hell.  God gives us the choice  to accept Christ and heaven or to reject Christ with the alternative being Hell. A loving God can invite but not force Himself on us. Love can't be forced for force would destroy our dignity, and would dishonor God. But God invites us to seek the Lord while He may be found (Isaiah 55:6-7; Matt. 7:7-8; John 3:16-17). And, "if anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine" (John 7:17). We are without excuse as God can't force His love on us but whoever will can seek Him and find Him (Matt. 7:7-8).
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8. Heaven's Existence Requires Hell. Indeed, there can be no Heaven without Hell. The Bible doesn't say God does away with the wicked (annihilation), but rather allows them their own way whose consequence is Hell. They have hated God and His ways insisting on their way as best for them, so Hell is the natural and logical alternative (Matt. 25:46). Not wanting to sing God's praises in life, they would not want to in Heaven either. They really reap what they sow (Galatians 5:19-21; 6:7). And God is fair in giving those who trust His promises, seek to live for Him and love His appearing will be rewarded with a home free of every kind of evil (Rev. 21:27; 22:15).
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9. Heaven's Happiness Requires Hell. If the redeemed in Heaven cried over the the wicked in Hell, that would make a Hell out of Heaven. But the Bible is quite clear there will be no tears, death, sorrow, or agony in Heaven, all that is in Hell (Rev. 21:4). When God's true people see their Lord, they will be conformed to His image understand things exactly as He does (1 John 3:2-3). But the unredeemed would be miserable in Heaven and turn it into Hell. They didn't love God on earth and wouldn't in Heaven because they love darkness rather than light (John 3:19-21). In a real sense, God is merciful to let incorrigible rebellious sinners have their own way. Their abode is self-chosen darkness, tears and torment forever in accord with each person's sins.
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10. Hell Said to be Degrees of Punishment. All sinners will not be punished equally. Each sinner's  punishment will be according to each one's works. Justice means that one reaps exactly what he or she sows (Gal. 6:7-8). A murderer deserves greater punishment than a liar though both sin. Just as Heaven has degrees of reward, Hell has degrees of punishment. See Matt. 10:15; 11:22, 24; 23:14; Mark 6:11; Luke. 12:47-48; Heb. 10:29. Some understand the lake of fire metaphorically  as God's wrath against evil (John 3:36; Romans 1:18). It will be degrees of shame, contempt, regret, torment, despair forever. But it doesn't have to be that way.
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11. Human Conscience Implies Hell. All persons have a natural sense of fair play, justice, or right and wrong. We expect reward for good behavior and punishment for bad.  We may be silent or deny injustices shown others, but are quick to protest when they are shown us. Conscience makes no sense unless there exists a moral standard and an all-knowing moral Lawgiver and Judge, namely God. Conscience is an inner light leading to God if we follow it. Rom. 2:14-15; John 3:19-21.
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12. God's Sovereignty Demands Hell. The Almighty who Created and Sustains the universe can have no opposition except He allows and uses it to suit His purposes. He upholds all existence--every minute particle of energy is at His command (Col. 3:16-17).  He has revealed most clearly in His Word that Satan and sinners will be caste into hell. Death and disease will be done away with (1 Cor. 15:24-28; Rev. 20-21). God is very patient, but His wrath can wait only so long. A day of reckoning must come (Rev. 20:11-15). Please trust in the One who loves us more than any other.
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13. God's Glory Is Confirmed by Hell. God is jealous of idols usurping His rightful place.We are to prefer nothing in our lives before the Almighty. It's not His will that we perish, but we do by living unholy lives.  We're proven wrong choosing other things above the greatest thing. Hell vindicates God's justice, truth, rightness, love, grace, mercy in His victory over evil. And apart from the Fall and God's eternal plan, we could not understand or appreciate His glory and worthiness.  Some say the wish for Heaven is illusion for it seems too good to be true. But they wish Hell's the illusion since it's so bad they don't want it to be true. Is it worth taking a chance? Delay can prove fatal.
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14. Jesus Alone Saves from Hell. Founders of world religions may make wise sayings and unproven claims--for example about angels and life after death. But only Jesus claimed to be sinless, the Savior of sinners, the God-man from Heaven, the way to Heaven, and the One who will judge us for sin. Only Jesus gave visible evidences to substantiate His claims being fulfilled prophecies, miracles, transfiguration, death for sinners, resurrection, and ascension. No other religion has anything comparable. I'm not against people of other religions--I just pray they will be saved.
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15. The Church's Mandate Requires Hell. Jesus said He had all authority and for His followers to make disciples of all nations, to be fishers of men, to represent him as ambassadors, and that He is the  truth, life, and only way to Heaven (John 14:6; Mark 8:38; Luke 19:10). To reject Him or refuse the light that leads to Him results in eternal Hell. We who know Christ should be ashamed of our cowardice and disobedience in not telling others in a humble, respectful, loving way as our Lord commanded (1 Pet. 3:15-6). Sharing Christ is the best thing a Christian can do for others. My readers may download my blog articles and share them with others.
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16. The Bible's Authority Requires Hell. Hell is usually the first Bible teaching doubters deny. It's a mistake to think we can deny or ignore Hell and maintain other Christian teachings. Like a line of dominoes when the first is toppled the others follow. Not punishing sin makes God an imperfect untrustworthy Being. No Hell makes a Savior of sinners unnecessary. No Hell floods Heaven with unredeemed sinners and corruption. The local church becomes only a social club of do-gooders. The gospel, evangelism and missions are a waste of time and money. Each person is enthroned as their own authority and it doesn't matter what you believe or how you live. The world is without God and without hope. Could that be true with you?
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17. Christ's Cross Demands Hell. There was no other way (John 3:16; 14:6; Acts 4:12), no greater love. Jesus lay down His  human life to save us.  His death paid for our sin, satisfied God's justice, opened the door to Heaven. He was beaten, cursed, ridiculed, and crucified naked before the world giving His all so we could live eternally, could be made acceptable to a perfect God and fit for a perfect Heaven. To reject Jesus is to choose eternal  Hell. We must not pass up life's greatest opportunity!
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18. Tearful Compassion Proclaims Hell. Christians have been deceived and diverted by multi-- cultural opponents. We must prayerfully weep over the erring ones, care for the dying, lift up the fallen, snatch them in pity from sin and Hell. Pray God will send revival and renewal to His erring church. We may be in the last hour of the last days, but that only means we must work harder. We've a factual message to tell to the nations that can turn their hearts to the right. Lets do it!
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19. Speculative Philosophies and Religions Deny Hell. Religions philosophies make dogmatic claims beyond limited human knowledge. Atheism claims to know  there's no personal ethical Spirit called God. Agnosticism does the same thing to say we can't know or don't know about God. Pantheism denies sensory experience and rationality to claim we'll be absorbed in a god of universal energy. Finite godism says God is too limited in either power, knowledge or love for us to be sure of any outcome. Panentheism claims an evolving bipolar god that isn't trustworthy or worth serious consideration. Recent so-called Christian cults twist Christian terms and teachings to teach their own ideas. Non-biblical religions are only human guesses. Feel-good preachers don't declare sinners need a Savior. All such claimants in effect deny Hell by their unwarranted and conflicting claims. Let's not be deceived.
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20. Fact and Logic Confirm Hell. Unless we believe the absurd notion that nonexistence can explode into everything, the universe is the effect of an eternal, self-existent, powerful, creative intelligence and will like the God the Bible mentions in Genesis 1:1; Ex. 3:14; John 1:1-5, 14; Heb. 1:1-3. A creator of everything has no problem taking on a human nature and body. Both Bible history and secular history tell us Christians believed Jesus was God. Only an anti-supernatural bias can deny it. Jesus fulfilled ancient prophecies as a virgin birth, performed miracles, claimed to be God with us, and best of all  died to pay for our sins. Although His tomb was guarded and sealed, He arose from the dead and said all who trust in Him have life eternal. This is God's good news for you and me and our most serious issue of life--Hell is the alternative!! Please turn from darkness to light, from self and Satan to the Lord who gave Himself for us!
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My reader friend, thank you for your time. Won't you say yes to the Savior who will save you from Hell, give you a new life, a new hope, a new love you never dreamed possible. All our problems won't be solved or all our questions answered. But eternal life is offered us to trust the Savior of us sinners. Say, Lord Jesus, I trust you now to forgive my sins and make me your servant now and forever. Amen.  Lord, bless and use my friend. May he/she share this good news.
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Thursday, March 31, 2011

The Socratic Cafe Dialogue

                               The Socratic Cafe Dialogue
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Chris and two of his committed Christian friends John and Matt started a Socratic Cafe. They wanted it to start on a good basis so they laid down some specific rules. The Cafe would meet whenever convenient—monthly or biweekly. It would meet wherever convenient—at member’s houses, a church, coffee house, or national bookstore. It would meet for 2 hours at a convenient time such as Saturday or Sunday afternoon or a weeknight, and friends could socialize awhile afterwards. It could choose to provide light refreshments or a meal if persons desired.
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The group could start with a few people singles or married and grow into hundreds. Everybody’s ideas and opinions would be given respectful consideration. Each contributor would state his or her name such as Sue, Bill, Sharpe, etc and express their view for the group’s consideration. Questions may be asked and issues explored. Everyone is welcome Christian or non Christian.
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Topics for the next meeting would be announced and sources of books and GOOD NEWS MESSAGES suggested for study. Any topic of interested may be explored. Topics might be Evil and God, What Constitutes the Ideal Family? Is Christ God? What Is Biblical Salvation? What is Free Will or Predestination? What does a particular religion believe? Can evolution of man be demonstrated? How can we know God’s Will? When should Nations go to War? Is Abortion a Good Thing?
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Chris and his friends were excited. They left notices on house doors or car windshields inviting people, advertised it in the local newspaper, called or emailed friends about it. Everything was made ready and the meeting began.
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The first meeting was small but challenging. Besides the three founders Atheon, Skeptus, Pan, and Deeus showed up. The topic for this Socratic CafĂ©’s discussion is, “Does God exist and if so how could we know?” Chris asked, “Who would like to give their view first? We’re all friends here and as human individuals have our own viewpoints that need to be explored. Nobody knows it all and education and exploration of different ways to look at issues is good.”
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Pan: Well, I believe in god. God is the greatest thing there is and god is everywhere and everything. God is the trees, the clouds, the grass, the air, the ground. God takes a million forms. I’m even a part of god.
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Skeptus: I don’t know about that Pan. I have my doubts. It’s difficult for me to imagine all of nature as being god. How can god be so many conflicting things? I mean wouldn’t god have to be both mind and matter, both good and bad karma if we can even use the terms good and bad, both alive and dead. Sure, there’s energy and force in the universe but I can’t see that it’s all just one thing and all illusion. I mean it seems everything I do; I couldn’t do, if all is illusion.
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Deeus: I agree with Skeptus, Pan. I believe there’s more to God than energy, principle, force, or whatever you want to call it. I look at nature’s beauty, its complexity, its design, and am overwhelmed with awe. There just must be some kind of intelligence behind it. It just couldn’t come about from nothing. It seems to me there must be a Creator to explain all this. But then again, I don’t feel there’s any God who hears my prayers or has anything to do with me. I don’t know if there’s life after death or not. Life is difficult and I can’t explain why things never seem to work out the way I hope or would like.
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John: I think you’re right at least in part Deeus. All that suggests a personal God. He’s not just a principle or force. But God doesn’t give us everything we want. If there is a Mind great enough to create a universe, it seems to me there would be many things I don’t know or can understand. That seems reasonable to my limited understanding. I sure don’t know it all. Maybe too we are ungrateful for the things God does give us and really want nothing to do with God in our life. He could be trying to tell us things we don’t want to hear. That’s sure been true in my life and I hope I’ve learned some lessons. There was a time in my life when I wouldn’t think of going to church or pick up a Bible.
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Pan: I can see you guys have a much different background from me. My folks came from India and I’ve just went along with what I was told. I never gave it serious thought. I can see there are things I should consider. This meeting may be a real help to me.
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Atheous: Hey, not so fast! Let me get a word in here. I’m not going to let God off the hook. If there really were a God or at least a good God, there wouldn’t be such great evils in the world. The whole thing of God and evil seems like a contradiction to me. A good and powerful Creator of the universe would have eliminated these evils long ago or at least greatly reduced them to manageable proportions. What do you guys say to that?
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Matt: You have raised a serious problem here Atheous. Its bothers unbelievers and Christians alike. I believe it challenges all of us at times. I don’t think we can have a complete answer in specific cases. And it sure brings grief, confusion, and pain to our hearts and lives. But I don’t think God and evils, no matter how bad the evils, are a contradiction. Yes, murders, rapes, robberies and wars occur. But God could allow them for reasons we don’t understand. Deeus was right that a Creator of the universe with all its complexity, its design, and its beauty, must do things far beyond our meager understanding. Pan too had a point that there is a unity to the way things work out, but a reason to the way things interact together. Even the elements show a harmony of design. Nothing can’t create something--shaking his head—it doesn’t make sense. And all we know from science points to a beginning and a Beginner. There is a God. That God must be a HE, not an IT. That God must be intelligence and will evidenced throughout the design and harmony of the created universe.
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Skeptus: Well, I still have my doubts. I’ll concede we maybe can’t know in particular cases. But what about events in general? Even supposing there’s no contradiction between God and evils since God may have reasons for allowing so many evils, what are God’s reasons?
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John: It seems to me that if God suddenly quelled all the evils in the world, God would have to do away with all the people in the world. Don’t we all do some things we know aren’t right? I mean wouldn’t you tend to hate somebody who murdered you spouse or children? Isn’t even hatred a motive itself that leads to revenge and murder? Don’t we all find ourselves attracted to someone else’s spouse at times? But wouldn’t we abhor someone coveting the spouse we loved?
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Atheon: So, we’re all imperfect. But I’m no sinner and I’m not convinced there’s any personal God.
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John: Atheon, I’m glad you feel free to express your honest feelings and convictions. But I hope all of us are open-minded enough to hear opposing viewpoints and give them honest consideration.
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Matt: About those general reasons why God may allow evils, I can think of two definite reasons. One, to prevent evil, God would have to make us puppets and pull our strings. We would be forced to do God’s will. That would make God a tyrant and us no better than programmed machines. That neither honors God crediting him as love nor honors us as being any different from machines. Moreover, the Bible shows that our first parents chose to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil choosing a world of both good and evil. We wouldn’t be any different in their place as we do wrong things or sin in various ways every day.
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Atheon: All right! I’ll admit if God exists, he could have reasons for allowing evils in the world and we limited human beings may not understand them. But that doesn’t give me reasons to believe God exists. And I’ll try to be open-minded if somebody can give me reasonable evidences. I’ve experienced a lot of pain in my life from my father’s harsh treatment and it’s not easy to see a good God in the world. Some psychologists say God is delusion. Maybe they’re right.
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Matt: I mentioned science shows the universe had a beginning that points to a Beginner or God. This is shown by the universe’s expansion, by its use able energy running down, by the fact that we can’t backtrack eternally or we wouldn’t be here today. The Creator of space, matter and time must be eternal, self-existent, unchangeable, immaterial Personal consciousness and will or He could never decide to create. A nonexistent unintelligent force can’t create anything.
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Deeus: But Matt, even supposing God created, that doesn’t have anything to do with me personally. I have to face this world of sweat, blood, and tears.
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Matt: Yes, we all do and it can be painful. But our Creator knows this firsthand. He took on a human body and nature and was tempted in all points like us. God became man and walked among us. Jesus, the God-man, told us many times and ways that he is our God. It was no empty claim—he fulfilled hundreds of ancient Jewish prophecies only God could fulfill. Jesus walked on the water, commanded angels and demons, lived without sin, died in our place to save us from our sins and arose from the dead. He said anyone believing in him will be given eternal life.
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Atheos: What do you mean? I’ve never heard of Jesus. It sounds too good to be true. I want to hear more.
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Chris: Good. I assure you, you will. But time is up. So much turmoil and revolt is occurring in the Muslim world. Would you people like to discuss next meeting the question, “Can non-Christian governments under dictators and Shari’a law gain real freedom of religion and representation for their people? All hands voted yes for this being the next discussion topic.
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Some time later, it seems regretfully, there's no foundation for freedom and different faiths.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Contrasts between Christ and His Critics

Contrasts between Christ and His Critics

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The world is in conflict and always has been since Adam ate the forbidden fruit in disobedience to God. We have numerous conflicting views today all agreed in trying to dethrone Christ. Christian students entering secular and sometimes supposedly Christian colleges sit under professors doing all they can to undermine their beliefs. Statistics show that up to 80% of supposed Christian students graduating from secular colleges lose their faith. Textbooks and teachers just don’t see things the Christian way. Students are awed with such a display of knowledge thinking these teachers are smart persons with PhD's. My parents and my pastor never told me about such things. And students are expected to pass tests giving answers teachers say are correct.
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Teachers may regard Christian students as bigoted, homophobic, religious fundamentalists and work to have them leave with views like their own. So much of what believing parents tried to instill in the hearts and lives of their children seems lost and the church loses them to service of Christ. While “heart” in the Bible refers to the complete inner person—mind, feelings, conscience and will, churches stress the heart hardly mentioning the mind leading persons to believe Christianity is all emotional and anti-intellectual. And church leaders rarely discuss critical issues students face in school. Sadly, these skeptical students become tomorrow’s world leaders.
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What now are these contrasts between Christ and his critics? They are crucial issues with serious consequences for life and behavior, maybe even the survival of civilization. What did Jesus say contrasted with his critics?
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Is Man Created or Evolved?
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“From the beginning of creation, God made them male and female (Mark 10:6).”
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But Darwin and his followers such as Marx, Freud, Nietzsche, Huxley, Russell, Rorty, Dawkins, and others teach man evolved from slime. Further, they use evolution to explain everything. They see varieties in living creatures, similarities in their makeup, and can classify them in an order of complexity. They claim acquired characteristics and mutations are the mechanisms of change. Thus, life forms evolved from the simple to the complex and have a common ancestor. We don’t need to assume God to fill in the gaps in our knowledge.
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Biologists know experiments demonstrate that life can only come from the living. Change is limited genetically so that dogs don’t turn into horses, worms to snakes or monkeys to men no matter how much alike they appear and are  classified. Acquired characteristics and mutations simply can’t make such changes possible. Moreover, there is no simple to complex display of fossils that alone could prove such change. Specified complexity is obvious throughout life forms—each living thing has multiple complex organs and systems that work together in harmony that could never have originated by chance given any amount of time. So living things must be complete and functional from the start and to reduce even one organ or system—say liver or respiratory system--makes life impossible.
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Modern experimental science originated by theists and Christians before Darwin gained ascendency. Christian belief in a rational orderly world created by a rational knowable and benevolent God is largely what made experimental science possible. Further, women are in God’s image as well as men and titled to the same dignity and respect (Gal. 3:28) but fulfill different roles. God is a better gap-filler than nature simply because it’s obvious the evidence points to a creative rational Mind--God. Good science doesn’t reject evidence and possibility but goes where the evidence leads.   
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Is Man both Body and Soul?
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Jesus said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell (Matt. 10:28).”
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Atheist psychologists such as Wundt, Watson, Skinner and others deny the existence of the human soul. They claim there are no souls and no Hell to shun. We are merely evolving sexual animals in heat seeking pleasure and avoiding pain. Oh, how the deceiver and destroyer must laugh at that.
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Honest reflection can radically see man is unique and on a higher plain than animals or machines. Whether we call it mind, soul or self, man is an I who is self-conscious, with power of abstract thought, ethical discrimination, appreciation of beauty, need for worship, companionship and creative endeavors. All this is in keeping with his being in the image of God. It’s so foolish to reject the holy purposeful life Jesus offers us as seen today in every sphere--education, entertainment, government, law and science. It spells the death of human decency and the coming judgment God warned us about in the second Psalm.  
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Is Ethics Based on God or on Culture?
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Jesus said, “You are of this world, I am not of this world . . . you will die in your sins if you do not believe that I am He . . .  If you abide in My word you are My disciples indeed. You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:23-23, 31).”
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Freud, Nietzsche, Rorty, Dewey, and other critics say ethics based on faith in God is weakness and insanity. Persons and cultures create their own reality and morality. The fact is that if individuals and cultures create their own morality, then there is no universal objective morality. This leads to chaos, injustice, and warfare allowing tyrants to usurp power to oppress and enslave us. There simply is no foundation for right and wrong, good and evil unless there is a personal ethical God who has set absolute standards and holds individuals and nations accountable. And this personal ethical God is exactly what biblical Christianity alone provides. We’re either governed by God or oppressed by tyrants. And only the holy loving God shown us in Christ qualifies.
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God or Atheism in Practice?
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Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all you mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these (Mark 12:30-31).”
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Marx and Lenin deny God and say we must eliminate the bourgeois landowners by violence if necessary since they exploit and destroy the worth of the proletariat or poor people. We must establish an equitable classless society. Socialism’s promises of freedom from tyranny by landowners are deceptive. Instead, it destroys free market exchange, takes away land, private enterprise and incentive to production. It is corrupt government that controls individual lives and reduces people to poverty.
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Its classless society is achieved by eliminating all who oppose the government by brutal imprisonment or a blood bath of millions.  Socialists have to build walls to keep their people from escaping their tyranny and oppression. Their promised humane benefits are all lies. Every form of secular humanism destroys the dignity of people making us mere animals and even reducing us to soulless dirt that can be manipulated and murdered.
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Also, Islam is oppressive as well. The Qur'an teaches infidels who won’t submit to Allah are enemies of the state especially Christians and Jews, and they can be killed. This happens today when and where Islam is in control. Shari’ah Law derived from the Qur'an and the Hadith governs politics, economics, banking, business, contracts, social issues and private lives of citizens under Muslim control. Women too have little freedom and in some places must wear black clothing covering everything but their eyes. Strange how Muslims men say it wrong for women or wives to flaunt sex in society, but alright with all the beautify maidens they will have in paradise.
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All this above is radically different from the teaching of biblical Christianity and Jesus. Christ taught all persons are in God’s image entitled to the same respect, rights, and loving concern. First, love to God in obedience to his Word, and second, love shown other persons would immensely improve our individual lives and world conditions. Atheists and critics who misconstrue and misrepresent Christian teaching should be ashamed. Jesus said they are of their father, the devil (John 8:44) and if they were willing to do God’s will they would know concerning his doctrine (John 7:17).

Resurrection or No Afterlife?

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Jesus again said, “I am the resurrection and the life . . . whoever lives and believes in me shall never die (John 11:25).”
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Dewey, Rorty, Foucault, and other atheists insist there is no afterlife and life itself is an accident of nature. We don’t need a PhD to know man is more than an unconscious, unthinking rock. The only certainty about whether there is life after death is that a living person could return from the dead. This is exactly what biblical Christianity claims in Christ Jesus. Careful candid examination of the evidence, not closed-minded bias and dismissal would disclose the truth. Brilliant minds have for centuries tried to explain away Jesus’ resurrection but failed. Honest skeptics being fair with the evidence have become joyous Christians. 

Heaven or Wishful Thinking?
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Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many mansions . . . I go to prepare a place for you (John 14:1-3).”
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Freud, Marx, Nietzsche, Feuerbach and others say religion is illusion, wishful thinking, an opiate of the masses, and pie in the sky. But subjective claims aren’t evidence. If we are open to a loving Creator desiring relationship with man made in His image, Heaven is most reasonable. It seems irrational that human hostility would deny a loving Creator. Studies of atheist backgrounds show such persons have had bad relationships with their father or serious disappointment in life. Hostility too can result from guilt and fear of judgment and Hell.  
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Rule of God or Government?
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Jesus said, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s (Matt. 22:21).”
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Atheist views as humanism, socialism, secularism, naturalism don’t believe this because there is no God. So nothing belongs to God. This is an assumption that never has been proved. It would take exhaustive knowledge to prove. God is Spirit not within the scope of scientific demonstration. Visible eyewitness testimony established Jesus as the God-man. Wars between religious peoples and nations are bad but nothing like atheist government dictators like Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and numerous others. Every government operates under a worldview either constructive or destructive.
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Of course, a Creator and Sustainer of everything indirectly would be over everything. Secular governments that outlaw belief in a personal ethical God destroy the foundation for human dignity, restrict freedom, produce a police state, oppress and murder citizens who cry for liberty from oppression. But citizens would support fair and equitable rulers who treat them justly and uphold human dignity and rights—a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Biblical teaching realistically recognizes both the dignity and depravity of man. Following Isaiah 33:22, government under God is divided into three divisions: the judicial, legislative and executive. Recognizing wealth and power tends to corrupt politicians; each branch is assigned duties and limitations to serve as checks and balances on the others. A constitution is needed to spell out the rights and procedures the people may expect to uphold. Citizens running for limited terms of office must clearly state their aims and be held responsible to the citizens who elect them. Criticism of government is welcomed recognizing our human limitations and failures and need for citizen input.
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Evils or Just Nature?
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Jesus said, “This is the condemnation that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness because their deeds were evil (John 3:19).”
 
We are hurt by natures’ calamities and moral injustices. But the fact is that if there is no good personal God to know, set standards and judge evil, then there’s no basis to call anything evil—opinions are just individual preferences. All events and behaviors are simply a normal part of nature—no way to call any happening good or evil, right or wrong, just or unjust. But aren’t even our feelings of wrongness pointers to God? Jesus’ answer to physical and moral evils was “repent or perish." (Luke 13:1-5).” Human evils began in wrong attitudes that lead to evil actions.
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Life is full of unavoidable choices. The wrong choices may bring an eternity of painful torment and grief. Jesus said He came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). If He meant you, won't you pray, Lord, I acknowledge I'm a sinner destined for eternal damnation unacceptable to a perfect holy God and unfit for an eternal perfect Heaven. Lord, I trust You now and forever to be my Savior and Guide through life. Help me live to please you from this day forward.
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Please share these vital articles God has given me. It's the best thing we can do for our fellowman.
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I recommend Understanding the Times by David A. Noebel to whom I’m indebted for my outline. It's a very good book for a college philosopy course. U are welcome to link with me & get my articles.
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Christian Love or Atheist Power?

Christian Love or Atheist Power?

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Two crucial worldviews compete for man’s allegiance and control of planet earth: biblical Christianity and atheism. I don’t believe most persons fully or rightly understand the essence and implications of either. We can either be nice guys or mean ones since everyone’s influenced by their background, maturity, moods, circumstances, health, social conceptions and misconceptions. And sometimes, we don’t really know, understand or believe what we profess to believe. Could the above title capture the essence of each worldview? You may vehemently protest the suggestion and I affirm your right. But let me explain and you may see it differently.

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Biblical Christianity and its Implications. 

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Creation “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). If God created them, then God would have to exist before his creation and be an eternal, unchanging, self-existent, infinite, immaterial, intelligent being. Since God can’t create himself, he must be an eternal unchanging self-existent being. And since he created a material universe, he must be an immaterial (Spiritual) being who existed prior to and greater than the space-time material universe he created. And as science, good sense and the Bible shows everything didn’t just pop into being but are effects of an independent intelligent cause. So then, God is the Source, Sustaining and Unifying Explanation of everything that exists.
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The Fall of Man.

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“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them” (Gen. 128). “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate” (Gen. 3:6).
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God provided a perfect environment that met man’s every need. But Adam and Eve chose self over God, rebelled against God’s rule, and ate the one forbidden fruit in the whole garden. In that moment, man died spiritually being separated from his perfect Creator, Life-giver and Owner. Would you protest if the offspring you loved and provided for disobeyed you? God’s expelling them from the garden was another act of love since if they ate from the tree with the fruit of life they would have no further opportunity of redemption. The ground was cursed, man had to work harder to produce food, the woman now suffered pain in childbirth, and spiritual and physical death passed on to all Adam’s descendants since they inherited a sinful self-centered nature.
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Critics can argue all day about how man’s creation and fall is no more than fairy tales. But how would they write an account that all generations and cultures could accept and understand? The Bible consistently teaches the creation and fall of man were real historical events and human redemption makes no sense unless they’re true.
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Redemption in Christ.
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“ God who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds, who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:1-3).
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What could make it impossible of the universe’s Creator to take on the body and human nature of a man? Nothing! “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” John 3:16; 15:13
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God spoke through prophets, apostles, angels, miracles, fulfilled prophecies, and last of all through his Son, the God-man who visited us here on earth and both claimed and empirically demonstrated that he is God. Only an unwarranted assumption amounting to infinite knowledge can deny these things. And honest research of Christ’s life will show more evidence for his existence than for Tiberius Caesar or Aristotle who historians have no doubt. No world religion gives the visible eyewitness evidence Jesus gave of his purity, love, wisdom, transfigured glory, and bodily resurrection.
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Because Jesus arose from the dead, we know there’s life after death and he is God as he said--thus all he taught is absolute truth. He taught we’re in God’s image giving us the basis for human dignity, rights, freedom, ethical accountability, justice, love, life with ultimate purpose, and opportunity for eternal life. He gives us the choice to trust him for salvation and Heaven, or eternally endure our self-provided torments in the darkness of Hell. Jesus is hope and love.
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Biblical Christianity provides the philosophical framework for interpreting reality. Experimental science took hold in Christian Europe. Modern science’s founding fathers were devout Christians such as Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Newton, Boyle, and Pascal. They believed God’s creation real, rational, orderly, dependable and good like its Creator. The Bible encouraged Christians to explore the heavens, subdue the earth, and to test and verify everything. Further, it provides the moral requirements as honesty, integrity, discernment, humility, and truth without which science would be impossible.
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Prior to that time paganism thought nature to sacred, capricious, cyclic, illusory, magical, or fated which discouraged experimental investigation. If evolutionists hadn’t borrowed from biblical Christianity, it’s doubtful their belief in blind chance and mindless accident would result in scientific method. Naturalists simply take it all for granted today. Further, naturalists are willfully blind that matter, life, mind, personality, truth, order, rationality, and morality cannot evolve from nothing even in infinity--they require an eternal, self-existent, infinite, intelligent Creator.    
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A Renovated World.
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This world has been corrupted from the beginning by man’s rebellion toward his loving Lord. God once purged it with water and promised to purify it again with fire. All who enter God’s perfect new world will be like their Lord pure, undefiled, godly people acceptable to him and fit for Heaven. God’s people didn’t earn his acceptance by following rules, rituals, joining a church, positive thinking, doing good deeds as good as these things are. They humbly trusted in the promised Savior and then sought to live for God as scripture teaches.
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“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Cor. 2:9. See Revelation 21.

Atheism and its Consequences.


Whether they dress as socialists, humanists, secularists, naturalists, materialists or anti-theists, they are atheists who deny a god of any kind and have a SERIOUSLY different agenda. It denies the biblical Christian basis for faith, family, freedom and a secure future. Atheism prides itself on being rational and scientific and claims world religions, especially Christianity, are superstitious and ignorant. But you judge whether that’s true.
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Atheists believe everything came about by chance and evolution and that man is really just the   soulless dirt he came from. Atheists say they are the superior informed elites. They must guide the ignorant masses to do what’s best for them. There’s no future world so we must make the most of the time we have and achieve what greatness we can for ourselves. And since there is always conflict in the animal world, it’s always survival of the fittest so the strong must vanquish the weak. Atheists must take what they can while they have time. And since there’s no higher authority, people always have conflicting opinions and preferences. So the government must assume strong control
and force citizens to obey less everything become chaos and anarchy. It may require elimination of obstinate and religious elements one step at a time or a revolutionary bloodbath as in Russia, China and other socialist countries. Without moral incentive within, atheist elitists must impose laws, penalties, and taxes to force their will from without.
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Let’s not fool ourselves, nature’s essence is always might makes right, survival of the fittest, animal eat animal. Whoever atheist elites deem uncooperative may be mistreated, manipulated and murdered if they don’t comply for the greater good of the rest of us unbelievers. And it may be U and your loved ones.
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BUT, at every point: creation, man’s fall, redemption, and new creation, God in love seeks rebellious self-centered man. Yet, man fails to acknowledge his Life-giver or appreciate God’s wonderful gifts. Unlike atheism, love doesn’t force itself on others. So God gives many witnesses to and warnings of coming judgment—Christianity in essence is love. Atheist hurtful power or Christian helpful love--both have life and death consequences: it’s your choice! Pray, "I choose You Jesus as my Savior and Lord to live for You and tell others about You. Thank You Lord." Now show you mean it by sharing these articles with friends and loved ones so they may learn God's Word and be saved. God bless you in your work of faith and labor of love.  See the book list below.
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Is It True That There Is No Absolute Truth?

Is It True That There Is No Absolute Truth?

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A Bible-believing seminary student attended a postmodern church by mistake. The pastor preached that all religious beliefs are true. Sermon over the student tried to slip out unnoticed, but the pastor with booming voice and a big smile shook his hand and asked if he lived in the area.
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He replied, “No sir, I’m a seminary student living in Bowling Green, home on break.”
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“Wonderful” the pastor said, “What are your beliefs?”
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“I’d rather not say sir,” replied the seminary student.
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“Why not son?” asked the pastor.
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“Because I don’t want to offend you sir,” he replied.
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“Oh, son, you can’t offend me because I believe all religious beliefs are true. It’s okay, he said, nodding and smiling. “Please tell me what you believe.”
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“Okay,” the student leaned toward the pastor, cupped his hand around his mouth so those going out the door wouldn't hear him, and whispered, “Sir, I believe you’re going to Hell!”
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Pastor Postmodern stood straight, eyebrows raised; face turned pink as cool aid, cleared his voice and replied, “Well, guess I’m wrong after all. All religious beliefs can’t be right since yours certainly isn’t.”
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Pastor Postmodern's Rethinking
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This seminary student put huge troubling question marks in Pastor Postmodern’s mind about absolute truth. The pastor thought all college and seminary professors taught there’s no objective truth, or if so, we can’t know it. All truth is relative, not absolute. Statements can be true for you but not for me.
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Scratching his head, the light came on. Every one of these denials assumes there is absolute truth. And if there isn’t, then we have no sure reason to believe anything anybody says—religious or secular. Nobody could ever tell a lie and we can’t live by relativism. Oh, to think I paid those misfit professors to feed me demonic deceptions that destroy men’s souls denying absolute truth.
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When someone makes a claim that’s true all opposing claims have to be false. If it’s true that 2+2=4, then any number other than #4 is false. And that never changes. Truth is truth for everybody, everywhere, at all times. Truth is what corresponds to reality. It’s telling it like it is. In a room with the temperature 75%, some persons may feel cool, others comfortable, and others hot, but 75% is the same temperature for everybody, everywhere, at all times. People once believed the world was flat, but discovered it's round. The truth didn’t change. Its round no matter what people believe. One can’t even argue against truth without assuming the truth of their arguments to disprove truth. Absolute truth then is unavoidable and is always absolute, exclusive, and knowable. Everything opposing it is false and a lie.
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People hope to get the truth from parents, children, doctors, teachers, politicians, food labels, advertisements, salespersons, and the list is unending. Relativism of truth and morals is certain breakdown of society that leads to a dictatorship of forced slavery to curtail anarchy.
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What Then Is Fair and Truthful?
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Persons sometimes ridicule Christians as narrow-minded, bigoted, intolerant, arrogant, unloving, dogmatic, absolutist, imperialistic, even dangerous for saying their faith is true. But why is this only directed to Christians? It seems they alone have an the only sure basis for absolute truth. An infinite personal, ethical Creator is the only certain basis for absolute truth, and for human dignity in God’s image, human rights as God holds us accountable, ethics as God’ given ethical standards in creation, conscience and Christ. There can be no more certain basis for absolute truth than in the absolute standare of God Himself shown to us in the person of Jesus by his claims to deity with fulfilled prophecies and multiple miracles that prove it.
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The above objections apply to everybody who says their beliefs are true. Socialists say they’re politically correct. Atheist professors deny absolutes. Pantheists think the universe’s energy is god. Muslims believe the Quran is unquestionable truth and they should force infidels to accept it. All these groups hold beliefs claimed absolute truth but deny it to others. But unlike Jesus, they show no evidence their claims are true.
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Isn’t it hypocritical to condemn Christians for judging--always taken out of a context that specifies hypocritical judgment, Matthew 7:1-5--while their accusations judge Christians? Only Christians preach that God is love and that we should love one another because only Christians have a basis for love. God enables us to love by putting His love in us, and He will one day judge our behavior toward our fellow man. Before Christ came, the world had no concept of a loving God. Today society ignores the biblical basis of moral concern and responsibility—agapa. Society defines love to mean any physical pleasure and unrestrained sex with anybody anytime--eros.
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 How Tolerant Is The New Tolerance?
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The “buzz word” today is intolerance. Tolerance no longer means to respect a person’s right to hold views you believe false and disagree with. The absolutist’s view of truth and morals angers our postmodern secular society. You must accept their view as true and not claim your view is absolute truth. It’s like Nazism—Hitler murdered anyone who disagreed with him. Laws made behind closed doors are suspect because lawmakers know public protest. Christian teaching requires honest, fair, free, open debate that seeks the most good for citizens.
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 Pastor Postmodern converted to Pastor Truth-teller. Until now unwilling to admit it, he knew world religions and philosophies differ radically in their beliefs about God, man, salvation, and life after death. Limited human beings make opposing assumptions that are often no more than human guesses. Buddha’s philosophy, Confucius’ wise sayings and Muhammad’s claims could be their subjective human thinking. And we know these conflicting views can all be true and give no objective evidence of being true.
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The Only Certainty!
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The only certainty about such things would be if God himself came into our world, told us who he was, and did things honest, fair-minded people, who could put aside their pride and prejudice, could believe. And this is exactly what the New Testament, the Christian creeds, and Christians from Jesus until today claim. Christian faith is the only world religion that can show multiple ancient detailed prophecies of Messiah that fit Jesus exactly.
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Bible Christianity is the only faith that can show published records proclaiming Jesus deity and miracles within three decades of Jesus’ life--witnesses still lived who could verify the facts. And creeds and hymns used in the churches were incorporated into the letters of the apostles scholars believe go back to within three to eight years after Jesus’ death (Rom. 1:3-4; 1 Cor.11:23; 15:3-8; Phil. 2:6-11; Col. 1:15-18; I Tim. 3:16; 2 Tim. 2:8; John 1:1-18; 1 Pet. 3:18-22). Christian martyrs didn’t die to blow up innocent men, women and children and send them to Hell, but to verify God’s truth with their own blood. Bible Christianity is God’s authority—it teaches love, respect, free speech, truth. As such, it has no rivals--it alone is God's absolute truth. 
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Jesus is the Source of truth because He's our creator. He then is the Judge of whether we follow His will. And He can be our Savior if we trust Him to save us as unworthy sinners. In John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." Have you come to the Savior of sinners yet? If not, won't you humbly admit your sin and trust Jesus to save you? Then link this blog to yours & share God's truth with as many persons as possible. See my note below. God bless you as you unashamedly share God's absolute truth.
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