Ape-man or God-man?

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Two opposing worldviews compete for the lives and souls of men. One is naturalistic science. Evolutionists claim man is purely a product of nature, claimed up from the clime, is dispensable, and will become food for worms. The other is biblical Christianity. Bible believers affirm Jesus is the God-man who taught God created us and we’re responsible to choose eternal life with God.     

Darwin’s followers, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, believed God a hindrance and man only a more evolved animal. They murdered their countrymen and millions of others they claimed inferior or who disagreed with them. Their ‘survival of the fittest mentality’ justified their actions.   

Evolutionists destroy everything Christians uphold. Evolutionists kill human dignity and human rights saying we’re just dispensable animals. Evolutionists deny the world has meaning and life ultimate purpose. Evolutionists disaffirm absolute truth and ethics. Evolutionists bury hope of life beyond the grave. Secular humanist countries demonstrate this: “those who hate him (God), love death”. Proverbs 8:36.

Christians uphold Creation and Christ as our loving Lord and Savior. This inspires us to found great universities, create great literature and art, established science on an experimental basis, build hospitals, and establish humane organizations. Believing the world created by a rational God who loves us, we’re assured it’s a rational world to be nurtured and developed. The Christian church is imperfect, yet provides the basis for everything good evolution destroys.

To decide which worldview is the truth two questions require our utmost attention. One, is Darwin right that we evolved from the apes or something lower? The other question, could Jesus be the God-man and only hope of the world?  

First, Question: Is Man Just an Animal Ascended from Slime?      

 Consider these three lines of argument. First, in science observable, repeatable experiments are what establish a theory as fact. And it’s believed that given enough time unconscious nature can arrange mindless molecules into men.

Evolutionists made this experiment with fruit flies. Since they have a short lifespan, many generations can be examined. Radiation experiments conducted on multiple generations showed they can develop long or short legs or wings and various deformities. As England became industrialized, black smoke covered the trees. People noticed black moths replaced white moths birds could see to eat. Darwin observed birds called Finches had longer beaks in the dry season.

Now fruit flies were the only experiment and it clearly showed they don’t evolve into anything else. The moths and Finches were observations, but not experiments. And they proved only that creatures can adapt to their environments. No experiments establish evolution.

 We know various kinds of dogs, horses, monkeys, and men exist. But we don’t know that dogs can change into horses or monkeys evolve into men. That’s theory, not fact. Furthermore, we know animals and plants have a genetically programmed limit that they cannot pass. The fossil record confirms the Bible that plants and animals reproduce only their own kind (Gen.1:21-25). And God made man in his image--a rational, moral, immortal person like Himself (Gen. 1:27; Ps. 8:5; Eph. 4:23-24).

Second, evolutionists argue transitional forms or bones called fossils can demonstrate evolution to be fact. Fossils showing transitional steps from ameba to Adam would without doubt show evolution is fact. Museums overflow with fossils. Some show unusual characteristics of animals that died out such as the duckbilled platypus. But no bones discovered show one animal evolved into another.

Paleontologists dig up bones and announce to the world they have found the missing link. So we’ve told about the missing link called Piltdown Man, Java Man, Peking Man, Lucy and Nebraska Man. All supposed extinct races of people that turn out to be hoaxes, just lies. Neanderthal Man was a real robust person who may have had a much longer lifespan than people today.

The famous Tennessee Scopes trial convinced America science discovered the missing link, Nebraska Man. Science proved man evolved from the monkey. Science then is fact, religion mere faith. Textbooks should teach science, not religion. Scientists are learned authorities, Christian’s ignorant dummies. Nebraska Man, however, turned out to be an extinct pig’s tooth. Don’t believe the sensational artist’s drawings, journalist’s articles and cave man models shown in newspapers and science textbooks. All are reconstructions not based upon proof but upon evolutionist bias.

Third, evolutionists argue that similarities between man and animals prove evolution. Both man and animals have similar limb structure, organs, bodily fluids, and DNA. They classify animal complexity in an ascending order then say this confirms man and the animals evolved from a common ancestor.

But there’s no rule God has to make life forms of entirely different patterns. Life and mobility require similar legs, arms, organs, fluids, DNA. The differences are more significant. Besides, creatures can’t live with partially developed digestive or reproductive systems or heart, eyes, ears, legs, arms. Built-in genetic limitations allow varieties within kinds but not change to a different kind of creature. Similarities don’t prove a common ancestor—more likely, they show a Common Designer.

But couldn’t the Bible account of man’s creation be myth or fable to allow for evolution as naturalistic science claims?

No! The text is clear that God created animals to reproduce after their own kinds. But God made man directly from the ground in his image and dominant over animals. With no suitable helpmate among animals, God made Eve (mother of all living) from Adam. These first people had intelligent speech, named the animals, kept sheep, farmed the ground, make offerings to God, and build cities.

 Further, the Bible always assumes the creation account is literal history. Jesus affirmed God made man beginning at creation (Mark 10:6). Paul said God made man’s flesh different from animals, that Adam  was made direct from dirt and formed before Eve (1 Cor. 15:39, 48; 1Tim. 2:13). All this precludes both naturalistic evolution and theistic evolution as God’s means of creation. Moreover, unless the Fall is literal, the Bible becomes nonsense and there’s no need of a Savior (Gen. 3; John 3:16; Rom. 5:12-21). It all boils down to belief or unbelief in the Bible’s God.

The sacred writer’s intent was not an imaginative entertaining story but a historical account to show our origin in God’s image. Moreover, because archaeologists have no collaborative data and aren’t likely to find any doesn’t mean it can’t be true. Critics are wrong multiple times.

Second question: Could Jesus be the God-man and Only Way to Heaven?

Do we know God is required to have many ways to Heaven? Could there be something about God or about us that we haven’t considered? Do we know God must follow our thinking and we can’t be wrong? How can we even know there is a heaven or what it’s like?  

Would the mere word of Buddha, Confucius, Zoroaster, Hindus, Mohammad, or Jesus prove their religion to be true? Don’t crazy persons claim to be God or talk with God? How can we know God is more than just a thought in their head, their imagination, invention, or philosophy? What would demonstrate their God is real and acts in our material world?

As we mentioned, true science confirms or discredits their theories by repeated empirical tests and observations. So which of the just mentioned religions exceeds mere words with repeatable public proofs?

Consider this. I announce that this year the snow will melt off Mt Everest and the volcano in Yellowstone National Park will erupt and it occurred. Wouldn’t that get attention and suggest I have super human knowledge? And what if I could do incredible things like walk on water, heal open sores immediately, and ascend into the sky? Wouldn’t that suggest I have greater knowledge than men ordinarily have?  

Well, Jewish prophets made hundreds of specific predictions about their Messiah that only Jesus Christ could fulfill such as be God, virgin born, in Bethlehem, live without sin, fulfill prophecies, perform miracles, die for people’s sins and rise from the dead. Also, over three years before astonished disciples and hostile critics in open daylight wherever he went, Jesus performed miracles, probably hundreds. Moreover, Jesus’ life doesn’t need repeating for every generation since greater historical evidence exists for Jesus than for Aristotle or Tiberius Caesar. Check it out--The Historical Jesus by Gary R. Habermas.

What can we conclude with regard to world religions? Jesus gave us repeated, public, eyewitness, evidences confirming his claims to be God. Founders of non-Christian religions give only teachings, no objective visible evidence of God. Can’t we then conclude, based upon good evidence, that Jesus is God?

What can we conclude with regard to the naturalist’s claim that mindless molecules arranged themselves into men? No experiment has shown this. A Common Designer explains arguments of similarities better than a common ancestor does. Bones showing each transitional step would conclusively demonstrate evolution. But all we have are a few supposed missing links exposed as hoaxes. Can’t we also conclude that the repeated, eyewitness evidence Jesus gave to show he is God is far more scientific than all the missing links and hoaxes that fail to demonstrate evolution? Aren’t we wise to trust Jesus to save us sinners when our eternal well-being is at stake?

A naturalist assumption may send us to the eternal darkness, torment and weeping of Hell. It’s too late to repent and believe then. “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” Hebrews 9:27 God may be speaking to you now to trust in the Lord Jesus as your eternal Savior. Won't U say, Lord Jesus, I trust you now as my Savior, Lord, and Guide throughout life until I see You in death or You come for me? 

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Are You Sure We Can Avoid God?

Are U Sure We Can Avoid God?

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Do we know for sure no personal, ethical, infinite God exists? If there is such a person, that would seem to be the most serious issue of life. I mean, what if he is a wrathful being who could burn us to ashes with a lightning bolt because we’ve displeased him somehow. That’s serious--nobody wants to be zapped. On the other hand, maybe God is all love and if we ever need him, we can just send up a little prayer. And being so grateful we acknowledged his existence, God will gladly and quickly answer our every request. But if he doesn’t, then he’s not worth our time and bother. How can we know for sure he’s either of these ways? What is God like anyway?

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Christians claim God exists and has spoken to us with authority and finality in the Bible. They claim God entered our world in the person of Jesus, the God-man. God has told us who he is, and gave multiple evidences showing us it’s so. They further claim that to ignore or reject Jesus is to seal our doom in outer darkness and torment forever. Well, I don’t believe it! Furthermore, I have a thousand reasons to show it’s just not so. Think with me honestly about just these five reasons to avoid or dismiss this Christian God thing.

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Poke Fun at the Bible

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I’ve heard people make fun of the Bible as though only narrow-minded old persons or children who can’t think critically can believe it. They say it’s full of myths, contradictions, and immoral characters we wouldn’t want to know. They claim you have to leave your brain at the church door to believe it. They affirm science has utterly discredited all its teaching. So it can’t be true and so there’s no Christian God.

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If we assume at the outset no God exists who can act in the real world, then these above things will seem to be just and fair criticisms. If our concern is acceptance with our friends, then fear of their rejection will prevent us from honest research. Frankly, assumption is not proof. What facts show there’s no God? Doesn’t our dogmatism smack of arrogance, disrespect, and unfairness? Would we want others to treat us this way? What happened to the saying: Innocent until proven guilty? The Bible is the world’s bestseller. Do we even know or can intelligently explain the Bible’s central message? Are we being reasonable to deny what Christians believe not even knowing what it is? Many honest seeking skeptics who examined the Bible found such accusations false and became Christians.
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Listen to Skeptical College Professors

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Now everybody knows college professors are smart dudes. I mean they have spent years in school, in reading and research, writing papers and taking tests. They are PhD.s and know of what they speak. They’re brilliant and knowledgeable persons. And when they say Christianity is outmoded, unscientific, unreasonable, and no longer accepted in the modern world, who am I to say otherwise? Besides many college professors are either atheists or pantheists.

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Is there any difference between being knowledgeable and being correct? I’ve heard of professors’ office walls being papered with college degrees and they didn’t have the good sense to come out of the rain. But of course, that’s just hearsay. Don’t persons hold doctors degrees in science, philosophy, the arts and religion that differ radically with each other? Isn’t it true that far more non-Christians than Christians exist in the world? Don’t our varied backgrounds, influences, and preferences enter into our thinking? And yes, it’s more difficult to believe in God than in a pear tree that we can see and eat its fruit? Then doesn’t all this require faith no matter what we believe about God and spiritual matters? The question then seems to call for good evidence to support one’s beliefs. Not just that many college professors are atheists or pantheists.

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What would it take to show evidence of an eternal, ethical Creator God? Christians maintain a mystic’s mere subjective claims—whether Buddha, Muhammad, or whoever--can’t do it. It requires something visible and tangible occurring in our real world. This is exactly and exclusively what we find in the Bible with its multitude of fulfilled prophecies, miracles and the God-man, Jesus Christ. And to claim these ancient people were stupid or ignorant of natures laws simply isn’t true when they were always astounded at miracles themselves.    

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Claim All Religions Are Equally Good

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We don’t want to hurt peoples’ feelings and to avoid this and keep the peace we can claim all religions are equally good. It just seems so narrow-minded, arrogant, and intolerant to claim your own religion is exclusively true and superior to the others. There are good people in all religions that try to be good and hope to go to Heaven or receive reward after death. They just call God by different names. Of course, Christians deny neither that there are moral and kind persons in all religions nor that there is truth in other religions.

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Good intentions are praiseworthy. And all this is true, and seems so reasonable. But the different religions claim no God, one God, two Gods, millions of gods, or the universe is god. And at death, they say people perish as a dead dog, or go to Heaven, or take on another life, or become absorbed into the energy of the universe. So if any one religion is right, all the others would be false.

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All these views about god and about human existence after death are contradictions. There is a universal law of logic called non-contradiction. It states that if one proposition is true, all others that contradict it must be false. And it’s true in India, Africa or wherever. So logic forces us to say only one if any of these religions can be correct. Even the view that all religions are good and correct is exclusive and open to the same objections. Worse still, it ignores, downplays, and denies the very tenants these differing religions hold deer and amounts to a lie.  

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As mentioned above, biblical Christianity is the only religion that can produce objective, visible evidence in hundreds of fulfilled prophecies, miracles, and the God-man Jesus Christ. No other world religion has such evidence—only subjective teachings and speculations. Further, only Christian faith assures us of absolute truth, human dignity, rights, absolute morals, life after death, and opportunity for Heaven.

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Say Physical and Moral Evils Exclude God

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To put it simply, physical evils such as devastating plagues, diseases and accidents ruin lands and kill thousands of people every year. Moral evils meaning human abuses as robbery, rape, beatings, murders, and wars destroy millions of others as well. Such evils show no all-good, powerful and wise God exists, or he would have put a stop to such evils long ago.

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I have space for only some brief responses. Because we don’t see God in the picture may mean we’re shortsighted. Easy 99 % of what happens we may not know about or understand. From our short-range perspective, we may have a distorted picture. Adversities of all kinds can test and prove the genuineness of our faith—perfect knowledge excludes faith. Adversities challenge us to creative and noble actions. Many of our problems we bring on ourselves due to carelessness, thoughtlessness, and stupidity—it’s unfair to blame God for our mess-ups.

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According to the Bible, we brought the curse on ourselves due to our sin and we’re still at it. Because God is all good, all-powerful and all wise we’re assured he will stop it in his time. If God stopped moral evils right now, we sinners would be judged. And if God suspended his natural laws every time an accident would occur, then we would jump out of buildings or stand before trains to have fun, or just to see how God would save us. When we ask, ‘why me Lord,’ do we think we should be humanities exception? If there’s no God, then there’s nobody to complain to and no injustice; it’s all just a given. God could have created other worlds, but this world is the best to preserve our dignity, free will, and opportunity for Heaven, as well as his truth, love, justice and glory. God’s answer to all evils is that the perfect world will be found by trusting in the death of Jesus on the cross for our sins and then holy living. That’s his plan and his infinite wisdom.

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Say Jesus Was Just a Good Man

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Yes, Jesus was a good man. But can any honest person reading the New Testament say that’s all he was? Jesus is said to always do good, never sin, command angels and demons, control the forces of nature, heal diseases instantly and completely, and even raise the dead. Can any of those things be ascribed to a mere man? No, only to God.
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Unless we have all knowledge, we can't say no Creator, and no afterlife exists. Doesn't wisdom dictate we give it honest consideration? If they exist, we may be in real trouble to deny them. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through Me. (John 14:6).
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You can receive God's unearned gift of eternal life in a love-trust relationship with him today. Just turn form your way to God’s way in Christ trusting him from now own as your guide and Savior. You can do great good as well by becoming a GOOD NEWS MESSENGER.
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 People use the www to tell others how to make bombs to kill people, date rape, pornography. Why not use it to do good in the world?
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Is Atheism Best For Us?

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#Atheism    #Atheists   #Relativism
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Atheists affirm there’s no God of any kind, or angels, miracles, revelations, or human souls. They’re called humanists because they emphasize man as the measure or most valued animal on planet earth. And naturalists, since nature and its laws are all there is. Also, secularists since they say religious beliefs are only superstition and ignorance of a prescientific era. They’re materialists too because on a lower plane life is just energy or atoms in motion. Further, they’re socialists as they claim to seek the good of society as a whole—never mind the individual as our way is right. And we’re anti-theists because we believe that any reference to God is ignorant, closed-minded and dangerous to the well-being of humanity. Many use force if necessary to enlighten or eliminate these dangers of ignorant moral and religious restrictions opposed to government authority.

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So, you see some atheists feel they must do everything possible to exclude religion from the public square. They infiltrate education, government, the courts, news media, the entertainment field, and the sciences and arts. Some have a globally aggressive and comprehensive agenda and are confident of success. Now please let me enlighten you on five of the many "advantages" of atheism so they say.

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Atheists Deny Absolute Truth.

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Scientific minded intelligent persons know everything came about by chance and evolution that eliminates any need for God. Life arose spontaneously by random processes and everything flows along continuously as it always has. It’s all chance so anything can happen at any time. Society and the world is a dialectical process determined by economics; Karl Marx dialectal materialism proved that. Ignore those ignorant fool’s spurious deceptive arguments about God. Long ago brilliant minds discredited that propaganda. Truth is what we say it is, and what advances our cause. And when we’re in power, you best agree with us or face the consequences.

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Atheists Affirm the Relativity of Morals.

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 Since everything is in a state of flux and man is the highest evolving animal of nature, he must decide for himself what is right or wrong, or better what works or doesn’t at the present time. Since there’s no God, man must save himself by his own wisdom, power, and education. We are the elite of society who base our knowledge on science and reason. The ignorant, indifferent masses of people need us to guide them to provide a better world order. We are the elites, superior and politically correct.

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Atheism Frees People to Do As They Please.

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Religion is an escapist, restrictive mentality. It substitutes comfort and security—pie in the sky by and by—for science and fact. In the name of a judgmental God, it imposes all kinds of restrictions on sex, bodily pleasures, and enjoyable experiences. Since there’s no absolute truth and morals, we can do as we Johnny well please. Anarchy--everybody does what's right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25).     

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Atheist’s Claim to Insure Human Peace, Prosperity and Happiness.

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Human nature is creative and good. Take away the shackles of religion and we the elite are free to plan what’s good. We can create a world of peace, prosperity and happiness. People will unselfishly love each other and prosper as never before. Injustices and disparities such as racism, wealth, status will simply vanish and utopia finally arrive. It unrealistically denies both human dignity in God's image and human depravity as a fallen self-centered creature.

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Atheists Will Finally Insure Quality and Equality Living.

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 Karl Marx envisioned this utopia would last a thousand years. But it would take awhile to achieve. There is first the thesis, the status quo or things as they are at present. Then, an antithesis or radical change evolves, or we can help it along through revolt or plot disasters. When things get so bad, people will cry out for relief and hope government will resolve the crises. So, government seizes control piece by piece to resolve it if necessary by force. That changes things into a new synthesis. The dialectical process continues until we achieve utopia. Of course, we will have to eliminate defective elements (objectors) that don’t understand or won’t cooperate to have the classless society. Survival of the fittest you know. But the price is worth the outcome—people don’t really count anyway.

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Consider Comments by a Supposed Ignorant Unenlightened Christian Theist.

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 Of course, atheists can be kind, compassionate, helpful, likable, moral people and not all agree on all the points mentioned above. And atheists don’t always adhere to their philosophy just as Christians and merely professed Christians don’t always adhere to biblical Christian teaching.

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What bothers me is that the atheist worldview logically destroys everything human and good. Without God, human dignity is reduced to a soulless perishing animal—really just dirt. And it doesn’t matter much what you do with dirt. Thus, atheism destroys human dignity, ethics, human rights, and especially freedom of speech and religion, and then private property.

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Government ownership and control decides what’s true and what’s right--atheist freedom means slavery to the state and poverty among its unfavored people. The state must maintain tight military control and a secret police to prevent rebellion and anarchy. Government officials make secret deals behind closed doors. They advance by lying promises, deceptive schemes, and eliminate rivals--it all depends on who can get and keep the power. Elitist's are never secure that some rival won't eliminate them to take their place. Hitler had a hundred security guards; Churchhill had one.

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Our friends and loved one’s possessions and lives are usurped any time government decides it’s necessary. State planners carefully control production of goods less profit produce freedom and power. Incentive to produce is curtailed so everyone is kept in poverty under government control—this is the one class society and utopian equality—a slave welfare state.

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Atheists must erect walls to confine citizens. This is the peace, prosperity and happiness atheism produces and wants to engulf the world. Atheist dominated countries murder humanity. They’re a godless tyranny and blood bath people risk their lives to escape. Millions have been slaughtered in atheist countries--survival of the fittest you know. That’s the atheist utopian dream for humanity. Check it out in true, not revised, history.

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Why do atheists insist we ignore arguments for God if they’re no threat? Biblical Christianity is the antithesis of atheism. It assures us of God and absolute truth and morals in Jesus Christ. Jesus gave visible evidence in fulfilled prophecy, miracle, a sinless life, and in His cross and resurrection that He is our God and Savior. Jesus provides us with human dignity, ethics, freedom, rights with humane responsibilities, opportunity for Heaven, a creative productive purposeful life, and the basis for love, justice, science, art, and all the things we really need to be human. His higher power is truth, love, hope and salvation. Our choice is between life and death, tyranny or freedom, God in Christ or no God. Jesus showed us the better way—love first of God, then of our fellowman—His Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5-7.
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Jesus saves us unworthy sinners and makes us new persons in Christ. We have God's gift of eternal life and Heaven when we trust the Savior. Of course we retain our sinful nature and struggle with sin but we have God's Holy Spirit within to prompt us to grow in the knowledge and grace of God.  You will have brothers and sisters in Christ to encourage you and you can have rewards in Heaven. Won't you pray, "Lord, I'm a sinner and I trust You to come into my life and make me a child of God. Thank You Lord." Now share these good news messages with others to make a happier more secure world now and go to Heaven.
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Did Jesus Arise from the Tomb?

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#Resurrection
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Christianity stands tall and solid or crumbles into dust depending upon whether Jesus arose from the dead. All the tremendous benefits it alone promises humanity mean nothing if Christ is still in the grave like Muhammad, Buddha, Confucius and other religious founders are. Anyone who wants to destroy Christian belief can certainly do so by showing Jesus’ resurrection is a Christian lie. The major Christian spokesman, the Apostle Paul, admitted that if Christ is not raised, then the faith is vanity and all a lie (I Cor. 15:14-15). No resurrection means no Christianity.

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First, let’s consider the barricade of facts hostile critics must knock down. Then look at the tremendous benefits Christ alone offers suffering humanity.

The Barricade of Facts that must be Explained Away.

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Unless we have exhaustive knowledge, we can’t show God doesn’t exist, can’t walk among us as a man, and can’t arise from the dead. Such denial is simply metaphysical bias. So critics must show a better explanation that accounts for the facts than the actual resurrection itself. If they cannot, then honest thinking people should believe the bodily resurrection of Jesus is fact and Jesus is Lord and Savior as the Bible teaches and Christians have always believed.

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The critics deny the resurrection yet refute each others theories to explain it away. Failed theories include the swoon theory that Jesus didn’t really die, the disciples went to the wrong tomb, somebody stole Jesus’ body, the disciples had a vision from Heaven, or all the disciples hallucinated. Other more recent theories are Jesus’ body was buried somewhere, Judas or somebody substituted for Jesus on the cross,  Jesus' twin was crucified in his place, or we don’t know what really happened.

A superficial explanation will show how impossible and ridiculous these theories are.
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Consider these facts. The Old Testament predicted the Messiah would rise from the dead (Ps. 16:10). Jesus too predicted his death and resurrection several times. It’s clear Jesus actually died on the cross. The disciples fled in fear of their lives and were in despair. When his side was punctured with a spear, water and blood came out. His mother and disciple John who knew him well watched him die on the cross. Women who observed Jesus die went to the tomb where he was placed. A heavy two-ton stone was rolled before the tomb entrance. Roman soldiers sealed and guarded the tomb until it was opened by the angel. The guards were bribed to say the disciples stole the body while they slept. But the soldiers and Jewish authorities knew the tomb was found empty. Anybody could have investigated the tomb just outside Jerusalem. Jesus' presence was known all the while.
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On Easter morning, women came to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body and found the tomb empty and the angel said Jesus was not there. Mary met Jesus thinking he was the gardener. Women first testified to Jesus’ resurrection though their testimony is legally discounted. Even though Jesus had predicted it, the disciples were astonished with unbelief.
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Peter and John visited the tomb and found the grave clothes neatly folded and the headpiece laying aside. Thomas wouldn’t believe unless he saw the nail-prints and felt Jesus’ speared side. Jesus appeared to them a dozen times in different places and in varied circumstances. He ate with them and talked of the kingdom of God. They touched him several times.
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The disciple’s attitude changed from despair to rejoicing. They changed Sabbath worship to Sunday worship since Jesus arose from the dead. They went everywhere preaching Jesus was God’s Son raised from the dead and formed churches. Jesus’ brother James at first doubted but became a believer. Saul the persecutor of Christians met Christ on the Damascus Road and became Paul the great preacher of Christ. He gave up a prospective leadership in Judaism to be persecuted for Christ and counted it not loss but gain. Jesus' resurrection is the only reasonable answer.

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Non-Christian writers mention many of the facts of Jesus’ life including his death and resurrection. Archaeology confirms many of the personalities, places and events mentioned in the New Testament. Can honest thinking people seriously believe these early Christians experienced all these things including torturous deaths for what they knew to be a lie?

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The Tremendous Benefits Only Christ’s Resurrection Can Provides Humanity.
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The risen Lord Jesus Christ alone assures us of resurrected life. If atheist views such as humanism, secularism and materialism are true, then there is no hope for life beyond the grave. We are just soulless dirt without dignity and destiny that anyone who usurps authority can abuse, manipulate and murder. If monist views such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism are true, we are just recycled energy that assumes multiple life forms until completely liberated into universal energy.
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Unlike other religions, only the resurrected Christ gave us visible proof of life beyond the grave. Jesus walked among us as the God-man. He claimed to be God many times and demonstrated it in many ways. He fulfilled specific ancient prophecies of the Jews Messiah and God. He walked on water, healed diseased immediately, raised the dead, accepted worship and forgave sins. Nobody but God can do such things. In Jesus, we alone have hope for life after death and rewards for godly service in this life.

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The living God-man alone assures us of dignity, rights, freedom and ethical responsibility. Jesus acknowledged our creation from the beginning (Gen. 1:26-27; Matt. 19:4). Molecules can’t arrange themselves into men. We, meaning both men and women, from the beginning were made in God’s image, a little lower than the angels. How we are treated and how we treat others, we will one day give answer to God our great Lawgiver and Judge. No other worldview can assure us of these most precious of human needs.  Only where Christian influence is strongly felt is this realized. Even apart from God’s Word, we have a conscience, human compassion, and the Golden Rule to tell us of right and wrong and of human dignity and rights. Even so, when temptation is strong, detection unlikely, and ambition fierce, human abuse is likely to follow. Jesus assures us we must all stand before him one day to receive reward or punishment for deeds done in the body. My friend, are you ready?
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The living loving Lord gives us other consolations. The world is real, rational and designed for us to understand, appreciate and acknowledge its Creator (Ps 19:1). It makes modern experimental science and all creative endeavors possible. In Christ, he will never leave or forsake us (Matt. 27:20). We have meaningful motivation for service (1 Cor. 15:58). No despair in death and comfort of seeing saved loved ones again (Heb. 2:14-15). Power for witnessing (Acts 1:8). And Christians have assurance of being in the new Heaven and earth. WOW! What terrific benefits!
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My friend, this could be your opportunity to turn from sin to trust in the Savior. You can assure your destiny with the Lord forever. Pray, Lord forgive me and make me your child to live for you from this day forward. Scripture says quite plainly, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9).
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Jesus Is The Only Way to Heaven!

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Does everything begun require a beginner? Can time backtrack eternally? Can nothing explode into everything? Can molecules arrange themselves into men? Can we even be rational if all is chance? Christians believe it’s most reasonable that a Creator sustains and explains every particle of matter. There’s no rational basis to deny an intelligent God, creation, miracles, divine revelation, and that the Creator can take on a human nature, body, and tell us all we need to know.
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Skeptics can only make negative assumptions and derogatory accusations--they are just as dogmatic and exclusivist as anyone else. If there’s any possibility of Heaven, it’s terribly foolish to ignore that possibility. There may even be a Hell—skeptics can only hope there isn’t! And anyone arguing there’s no absolute truth assumes his argument true—thus his arguments mean nothing. Now consider arguments for entrance into Heaven.  

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Only God Can Set the Entrance Requirements to His Heaven.

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Ancient peoples believed in some ideal form of life after death. American Indians have their happy hunting grounds. Vikings dying with sword in hand have their Valhalla. Greeks have their Elysian Fields. Egyptians believed that at least their Pharaohs would have an ideal life after death. Of course, we can have different opinions as to what Heaven is like, who can enter Heaven and under what conditions. We all have a right to our own opinions and we have them regardless of what others may think or say. But apart from logical factual evidence, claims about God and the afterlife are mere opinions and guesses unworthy of belief.   

If God were the Creator of Heaven, that would make him its Owner, Lawgiver and Judge. Ownership conveys rights and excludes other opinions and claims. God alone then has the right to say what his Heaven must be like, and what its entrance requirements must be. And if God created man in his image for relationship with him, then it’s reasonable that Heaven exists. So then, no person has any right to tell God he can’t have just one way to enter his Heaven.

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Only God Can Tell Us His Entrance Requirements to His Heaven.

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If we can be opened-minded, there’s biblical evidence a God-man walked among us and told us about the afterlife and Heaven. Since I’ve discussed this evidence in other articles, I won’t discuss it here. It includes fulfillment of hundreds of ancient promises and prophecies about individuals, Israel and other nations. It records supernatural occurrences through angels, miracles, and most specifically the Lord Jesus Christ. Honest examination will show there’s simply nothing like these historical events in other sacred literature. Further, the Bible with all its diversity written over fifteen centuries shows an amazing unity of teaching from creation to recreation not found in other secret literature. Without such actions of God, we have no visible assurance and authority about Heaven, its rightful occupants, and entrance requirements.
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God Has Told Us Moral Perfection Is Required to Enter His Perfect Heaven.

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Almighty God was under no obligation to create a universe but did create one good for his purposes (Gen. 1:1, 4, 10, 12, 18, 25, 31). God made a paradise for man meeting man’s every need. God gave man the choice of eternal life in a love-trust relationship with him in paradise or of a world of good and evil. Man chose to eat from the tree representing a world of good and evil. Thus, all persons are born with a natural tendency to put self above all else including their Lifegiver. God expelling man from paradise showed mercy to keep man from eating from the tree of life and being eternally condemned in sin (selfishness, rebellion and eternal loss). Man’s choice brought the consequences of a cursed world and sinful posterity. Theologians call it the Fall of man. Even then, God gave humanity the promise of redemption (Gen. 3:15; 1 Jn. 3:8). Reason then requires that a morally perfect God find corrupt rebellious persons unfit and unacceptable to enter and maintain His perfect Heaven.

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Jesus, the God-man said, “You shall be perfect, just as you Father in heaven is perfect” (Matt. 5:48).

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“Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:9-10). See also Rev. 21:27.

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God’s Entrance Requirement Is Trust in the Lamb Slain as a Substitute for Our Sin.

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Only God’s way is acceptable to him and can maintain a 100% perfect Heaven. It must be a humble trust in God’s gift of salvation since we can never achieve perfection or cleanse past sins. It is the greatest expression of love known to man, as the just (Christ) died for the unjust (us sinners). Only the sinless Christ could be the perfect sacrifice for sin and satisfy God’s justice. We can never understand it all; we can only trust the infinite God’s way is right and the only way.

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“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9).

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“God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten (unique) Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (Jn. 3:16-17).

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Now back to First Corinthians 6:11 speaking to believers, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified (set apart for God’s service), but you were justified (declared just) in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

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Jesus death and resurrection proved he is Lord over death; he is God as he claimed, all he said is God’s absolute truth, and we are not just soulless dirt but created in God’s image with dignity, rights, freedom and responsibility. Will you trust him now for forgiveness of sin and eternal service with and for him who gave his life to save you?

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Jesus & His Contemporary Challenges

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Man has been in rebellion toward God since our first parents, Adam and Eve, ate the forbidden fruit. And likely, that fruit was a fig rather than an apple since no apple is mentioned while the context says they made aprons of fig leaves to cover their shame. How easy it is for us humans to distort God’s Word and believe the devil’s lies, as did our first parents. Their disobedience didn’t make them gods but fallen self-centered human beings under God’s curse of death. Even then, a merciful and gracious God promised a future deliver from Satan, sin, death and Hell (Gen. 3:15; John 1:1-4, 10-14; 8:44; 10:10; Gal. 4:4). Are we their children any different today? 

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Skeptics laugh at this event and call it a fairy tale but all the Bible regards it as a real historical event and bases all it teachings upon it. Indeed, the Bible makes no sense unless it’s true. God fulfilled his promise when he came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ, the God-man. Jesus told many times in many ways that he was our God. He gave many proofs beyond what nature or mere man is able to accomplish. But despite visible eyewitness proof, men still refused to believe. Even his own disciples traveling with him more than three years were difficult to convince. It’s no different today.

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In this article, I will examine some of the many adversaries to Jesus and his teachings. I’m largely indebted to the excellent book, Understanding The Times by David A. Noebel

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Creation of Man

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Jesus said God made us from the beginning of creation in his image male and female (Mark 10:6). Come lately atheists Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, and Christopher Hitchens often resort to ridicule of God and of believers calling them ignorant and dangerous. They insist that spontaneous generation and evolution explains everything. They prefer to believe something comes from nothing and mindless unconscious molecules arrange themselves into man. But they know actual science shows life comes only from life suggesting an eternal Creator. Thousands of missing links between molecule and man suggest creation of original kinds. Irreducible complex of interrelated human systems and organs suggest divine design. Despite all this contrary evidence of science and reason, and despite man is in a rational and moral category miles above the highest animal, they still insist we are only perishing animals with all the horrors that entails.     

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The Human Soul

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Jesus warned us to fear those who would destroy the soul in Hell (Matt. 10:28). Atheist psychologists Wundt, Watson, Skinner and followers claim we’re only atoms in motion and animals in heat seeking pleasure and avoiding pain. So there’s no soul and no Hell to shun. But they’re only claims--no scientific experiment demonstrates this. Their speculative theories self-destruct not being atoms in motion. We are aware of a consciousness, an ego apart from our physical body. The brain could be the tool through which the mind, self, or soul functions. If it is not so, then all is fixed, determined and we have no free will. Psychology books don’t discuss psychologists’ sexuality. So their unjustified theories may be attempts to relieve their own guilt of sexual immorality. Their materialist reductionist claims discourage clean moral living. 

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Belief in God

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Jesus claimed to be God as clearly understood by the Jews (John 10:30-33). Yet Freud, Nietzsche, Rorty, Dewey and their ilk say persons and cultures create their own God, reality and morality. I wonder if they have ever given any thought to the evidences of Jesus as the God-man, or were only motivated by prejudice and hearsay. The biblical Jesus is not easy to believe nor his teachings easy to practice—they contradict selfish sinful human nature and popular culture. And his, at first skeptical followers, would never have endured ridicule, persecution, and torturous death knowing it all a lie.

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Love God and Man

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Jesus said we should love God with our heart, mind soul, and strength, and our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31). By love, Jesus meant self-giving to help others, not self-taking to gratify our desires. What a beautiful world of cooperation, peace and prosperity we would have if people practiced godly love! But socialist governments such as Russia, China, Cuba and other followers of Marx and Islamic governments following Muhammad’s Quran teachings (Sura’s 2:191; 3:85; 5:33, 51; 9:123), eliminate those who won’t submit to their rule. Dictatorial government control is their pattern, which suppresses free speech, religion and results in a blood bath for the non-submissive millions. Check it out in history.

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God First and Government Second

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Jesus said, “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matt. 22:21). No humanist believes anything belongs to God, as there is no God. A socialist state controls everything including your property, your rights, and your life. Christians are to honor and obey the king and rulers except when they disobey God (Ex. 1:17; Dan. 3:16-18; 6:7, 10; Acts 4:19-20; 5:28-29). Rulers are God appointed to punish evil and maintain order, not destroy their people (Rom. 13). Christians are to pray for rulers and work for good government trusting in God’s rule (Prov. 19:21 21:30).
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Life after Death

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Jesus tells us He is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25). But Dewey, Rorty, Foucault and followers inform us we’re only perishing animals and life is an accident. Why won’t they honestly admit the obvious in nature: something doesn’t come from nothing, disorder doesn’t evolve into order? Buildings, gardens, anything left alone deteriorates, which shows intelligent creation. Life is no accident and chance evolution is not science but the myth of a naturalistic philosophy. Brilliant skeptics have repeatedly tried to explain away the resurrection of Jesus and failed utterly. Honesty has compelled some of them to find eternal life in the Savior of sinners.

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Heaven and Hell

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Jesus promised Heaven for believers and warned unbelievers of Hell (Lk. 19:10; Jn. 3:36; 8:24; 14:6). But Freud, Marx, Russell, Nietzsche and disciples call all religion illusion, neuroses, wishful thinking, an opiate of the masses, and pie in the sky. Their negative comments don’t prove anything about life after death and may indicate their prejudice, fear of judgment, and sin guilty conscience. Moreover, it’s most foolish to ignore the abundant evidence of Jesus’ deity—it’s a self-chosen forever destiny of darkness, tears and torment.

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Men Love Darkness Rather Than Light

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Jesus taught that people love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil (Jn. 3:17-21). We know about all the lies, deceptions, abuses, injustices, murders and still say man is basically good--we want to save face. So we suppress and forget 99% of our wrongdoing and distance ourselves from a perfect holy God. Then we choose idols that don’t command and condemn us. But in rejecting the true God and truth about us, we choose Hell. That’s loving darkness to light. The biblical God lovingly warns us and pleads with us but doesn’t force us—he allows us our choice.

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Apart from Jesus We’re without God and without Hope

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There was no universe and an infinite eternal personal God created it. So God is the Source of matter, mind, life, man, human dignity, truth, ethics, justice, love, a meaningful world, ultimate purpose to life, and assurance of an afterlife (John 1:1-5; Heb. 1:1-3). Godless materialism denies the basis for all these things making us mere perishing animals. Monism claims one substance of energy or force and calls it god (pantheism). It too destroys the Source and basis for all the above believing we’re absorbed into the great pool of nothingness. Jesus showed himself in our space-time world, told us he was God, and demonstrated it by fulfilling ancient prophecies, by miracles, and especially by his resurrection. Jesus calls us to come to him to be saved. Our finite minds will never understand everything. But we’ve evidence enough to make a crucial and wise decision of faith. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.” John 11: 25-26 It’s your choice.  

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If you want the Savior and Lord of the universe and all He offers, Romans 10:13 says, “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved”. In humble and sincere trust, pray—

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Lord God of the universe, I’m a sinner unworthy of your gift of eternal life. But you in love died for me to pay for my sins and took the punishment I justly deserve. You promise to save all who will acknowledge their wrongdoing and turn to you in faith. Lord, I trust you from this moment on to be my Savior and Lord throughout life and to guide me to know your will and to do it. Thank you Lord Jesus. Now teach me how to follow your ways and your Word and to tell others of Your promise of everlasting life.
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