Jesus, Faith, & Knowledge

#Knowledge   #epistemology

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I don’t claim to be a philosopher, theologian, scientist or logician. But I know something about each of these fields. And, if one human being has the right to think, ask questions and have an opinion, then all do because of our common humanity. I’m a Christian, but the same would be true if I were a Hindu, atheist, or Muslim.

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Of course, we can be threatened and forced to say we believe only particular truths, but really believe things much different from what we’ve been forced to believe. And if we can gain our freedom, we can then be ethical and honest as our common humanity dictates. And while we may hold particular views, we are wise to be somewhat open to other views since we make mistakes and can gain greater knowledge. Moreover, we’re wise also to have some reasons or evidence to justify our belief; otherwise, we may look foolish, may even have an erroneous faith.
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This article is an attempt to understand the relationships between faith and knowledge. It’s called epistemology that deals with the nature, scope, and validity of knowledge. And I take responsibility for my views. 

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We begin with a childlike faith. As children, our parents and teachers provide, protect and teach us. We have little understanding of the world and must depend upon them. In growing up, we become able to think for ourselves and may come to see things a bit different from what we’ve been taught. Conditions too may change calling for different beliefs and ways of doing things. We become individuals in our own right. I became a Christian at an early age. But as a youth, I questioned things about God, the Bible, and Christianity. About the only thing, I didn’t at some time doubt was Proverbs 27:1, which said not to boast about tomorrow for we don’t know what a day may bring forth. I struggled with issues about science, philosophy, biblical criticism, other religions, and the evils and injustices I saw. I wanted some honest answers that made sense. Yes, we must test the spirits, but unbridled skepticism tends to torment and self-destruct us.

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To save space let me list some things I’ve come to believe are universally and objectively true. Equals added to equals are equal—2 + 2 = 4. Absolute truth is not only possible, but is assumed in its denial. All rational thinking depends upon correspondence to reality, is not contradictory, and so the opposite of true is false. In other words, truth is the same everywhere, for everyone, all the time--the world is either round or it isn't. Sense experience is valid—seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, and smelling gives true knowledge, although things like seeing a crooked stick in water or a mirage need further testing.
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Further, everything begun must have a cause—things can’t just appear or occur without cause. Things can’t give something they don’t have. There are different kinds of things and mind must exist to affirm matter. Without a higher standard of moral behavior, we are left with limited conflicting human opinions. I must exist to affirm all this. Sincerely, how can anyone avoid or deny any of these things and live honestly in this world?

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Now am I unbiased, without vested interests, and always think correctly? No! But I don’t believe anyone else is either, no matter how earnest, educated or expert someone may be. So it’s wise to maintain a degree of openness to new thought and ways of seeing things. It’s wise to show respect and kindness to others that we would want them to show us. Now may I present my epistemological view? I call it Christohistological Revelationalism. And it may be presented in four principles.

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The Metaphysical Principle.

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First, without sufficient evidence, we can’t say spiritual things unknown to us or beyond our physical senses—sight, touch, etc.—are impossible or can’t exist. Thus, we can’t say a Creator and of the universe can’t exist. We can’t say a personal ethical God, angels, miracles, divine revelation or human souls, can’t exist. We can’t say a Creator God can’t take on a human nature and body as God-man and walk among us. And if nature’s uniformity is sustained by God, limited human beings can’t say what the Almighty can and cannot do, or where and when he must do it. In the nature of the case, all such things depend upon valid testimony given us through human senses. The burden of proof rests upon anyone who would deny spiritual things. But even with proof of them, we must have an open mind to receive and understand them. Denial then is a closed-minded, unwarranted prejudiced and arrogant claim to exhaustive godlike knowledge we simply don’t have.

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Further, science is the friend of Scripture teaching, not its foe as critics like to claim. True open-minded science unbiased by a naturalistic prerequisite takes us where the evidence leads. That evidence points to a self-existent, immensely powerful, infinite Mind that created and sustains our dependent and incredibly complex universe. Moreover, an infinite Creator lacks nothing, so there can’t be more than one infinite being (God). This being true, pantheism, polytheism, and atheism logically must be false. Scripture provides the rational basis for an orderly and understandable universe making experimental science possible. See my articles on science.

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The Empirical Principle.

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Human beings have the capacity to communicate. And if we’re creatures God made with this capacity, there can be no possible reason our Maker can’t communicate with us, any time, any place, any way He might choose. He can communicate with us through events, angels, visions, dreams, insights, even visible appearances and direct speech. If He chose to, He could take human form, tell us He is God, and demonstrate it in many surprising ways. Naturalism and the uniformity of nature have no say against it. Further, if Jesus is the God-man who walked among us, that would show us He is God and constitutes a final authority above human guesses and opinions.
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Jesus is claimed to fulfilled numerous ancient prophecies about a coming Jewish Messiah who would be born of a virgin, in Bethlehem, live without sin, claim to be God, perform miracles, accept worship, forgave sins, die for sinners, and rise from the dead. As prophecies, they are specific not vague, could not be artificially fulfilled, were predicted centuries before fulfillment, and cannot be a misinterpretation since Jesus is the only historical person said to do these above events. As miracles, there were hundreds since He performed them everywhere He went over three years in public before crowds and skeptical critics standing by who could not deny them. These eyewitness critics and disciples were always astonished proving they were as knowledgeable of nature’s laws as we are today. Jesus’ followers were put out of the synagogue that meant damnation. They were ridiculed, persecuted, tortured, and died in testimony to their faith. They are real true factual events.
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Neither eyewitness prophetic fulfillments nor miracles are known in other sacred literature. Yes, devoted followers of other religions do claim miracles in literature written centuries after their founders. But the founders never claimed miracles and their pantheistic or atheist religions simply wouldn’t allow it or make sense. An unbiased mind cannot dismiss Jesus as a mere teacher, wise man, good man or deceiver, His prophetic fulfillments and miracles require He be the God-man as He claimed numerous times and ways .
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Again, this is not a mere man’s claim or human philosophy devoid of proof. This is not Confucius’s wisdom, Buddha’s remedy for pain, Muhammad’s claim an unseen angle spoke to him. This is the God-man speaking to all humanity about a love-trust relationship and a real eternal Heaven and Hell and our lives residing eternally in one or the other. It’s no honor to admit God exists—even the demons in Hell believe that!.
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The Historical Principle.
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Pantheists make little of history since they believe the world is merely recycled energy that takes various forms. Yet Hindus depended upon the history of persons preserving and passing down historic documents—the Vedas, Upanishads, and the Bhagavad-Gita--written by ancient men who held these historic beliefs. These writings contain conflicting views of god/gods and are the limited opinions and reasoning’s of mortal men. Others have claimed to be a prophet of God or that an angel revealed God’s will to them but could not show the angle to be more than an empty claim anybody could make. Atheist’s claim evils prove there’s no God but can’t define evils without assuming a perfect standard that would have to be a personal and holy God. I see no reason to base our lives upon their mere empty claims, limited human reasoning’s and conflicting imaginings.
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Further, while we know death occurs, we don’t know and can’t show that human bodies are not animated by eternal souls that survive death. Both pantheist and atheist denial of eternal souls surviving death is mere limited human opinion. Pantheists make us recycled energy released to nothingness and atheists make us soulless dirt of no great value. If there is good historical evidence that we are beings of dignity and destiny whatever it be, wouldn’t we be wise to give it honest consideration?
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Of course, we don’t have exhaustive knowledge of the past. That’s no reason to say we don’t have some knowledge. Archaeologists have discovered monuments, documents, and artifacts that tell us much about the past and that confirm mention of many of the characters and events of the Bible. As I’ve discussed in other articles, Jesus is a real person who walked among us. Six independent scriptural sources, early church fathers and creeds describe and quote him. Besides, many secular and even hostile sources describe events of Jesus’ life including his miracles, sayings, and claims to deity. There is more evidence for Jesus’ historical reality than for many unquestioned persons such as Plato and Tiberius Caesar. Only an unwarranted bias can deny it.
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The Revelation Principle.
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Critics claim 2,000-year-old documents translated repeatedly into different languages can’t be accurate. But Bible translations are made into modern languages from early Hebrew and Greek copies placed together. And unlike only a handful of other ancient writings, we have thousands of biblical manuscripts. This makes it easy to correct obvious misspellings and added or deleted words. The New Testament all but eleven verses can be reconstructed from writings of the church fathers. The New Testament is seen to be as much as 99% accurate, which is far greater than any other ancient document. And no essential teaching is in doubt. And yes, the Bible uses figures of speech to communicate as in other languages. Only an unwarranted anti-supernatural bias prevents objective consideration and denial of God acting in our real world. Intellectually, we have a high degree of probability. But God’s Spirit can open us to experiential knowledge and the assurance we need.
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Abundant evidence shows Jesus is the God-man who alone saves us from sin and eternal Hell, puts forgiveness, love and peace in our lives. Won’t you ask him to save you? Say, Lord Jesus Christ, “I trust you now who died to save me from sin (my evil thoughts, words and deeds) and Hell (eternal imprisonment in darkness and torment) and to guide me to live for you and be with you forever. Thank you Lord.” See my other articles.
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Space forbids further discussion. I discuss related issues in other articles. But I recommend two outstanding books in English discussing these issues. Normal L. Geisler and Frank Turek’s book, I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist. And Paul Copan’s book, Loving Wisdom: Christian Philosophy of Religion. These books present the biblical Christian worldview of Creation, the Fall, Redemption, and Recreation, answer questions, and present Christianity’s tremendous unequalled benefits. Please link my blog and share these articles with others to come to know the Savior. Their knowing the Lord who died to save them is eternally better than winning the lottery ticket and going to Hell. Also, see my other article on epistemology: Faith, Reason & Revelation. Thank you. God bless.
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Is Knowing Jesus Essential for Heaven?

Is Knowing Jesus Essential for Heaven?

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At an Urbana Christian missions conference 8,000 questionnaires were distributed and 5,000 responded and returned. Thirty-seven percent said the gospel of Jesus wasn’t essential to go to Heaven. This is a most serious issue for Christian faith from a world perspective.

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Persons who believe Jesus was a good person but not essential for Heaven think as follows. People can be utterly sincere in following the only religion they know. It’s not their fault they haven’t heard of Christ. There’s truth in all religions. God may be called by different names. You can find good descent people everywhere and in all religions. Religions essentially teach be good or follow the golden rule. Jesus said God loves, forgives, and doesn’t want anyone to perish. It’s shameful to imagine a cruel God who would fry good innocent people in Hell. I wouldn’t treat a dog that way. Some Christians are too judgmental. This viewpoint seems so reasonable to some persons.

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Many persons exposed to only Christian teachings believe in God and good works. They see no essential differences between Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, Catholics or other Christian churches. They are cultural “Christians” not Bible Christians. They believe Jesus was a good man and example we should follow. They may have heard things about non-Christian religions but not taken them seriously. “People aren’t all that bad,” they say. So, what’s the big deal?”

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Can we consider the issues involved realistically? Can we be open to facts we might find distasteful? There are hundreds of religions in the world. How do we know the particular one we were taught or exposed to is correct when they all differ?

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Doesn’t the fact that world religions contradict show all can't be correct? A study of world religions shows they have radically different views about God, man, man’s problem, its solution, ethics and the afterlife. They teach:  no God, universe is god, many gods, a finite god, deist God. They teach man has a soul, no soul, afterlife, no afterlife. If any one view is correct all opposing views must necessarily be incorrect. That's a basic fact of logic we can't deny.

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Isn’t it obvious some religions are more productive of human life and well-being than are others? Some world religions are atheistic, others pantheistic, or teach hate and murder to those who won’t submit to their beliefs. You may believe anything and be a Hindu but you must stay within your caste and work off bad karma to achieve the enlightenment that you are a part of the universe’s energy or god. Buddha’s philosophy was release from pain in his four noble truths and eightfold path. Essentially, it was to deny a personal God and attachment to all desires and follow his philosophy to achieve nirvana--personal extinction. Socialist’s teach there’s no God and that elites must seize control and keep the ignorant masses under control even if some must be eliminated.

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Some Muslims stress the Quran’s one statement on no religious compulsion (Surah 2:256). But they somehow fail to mention the Quran’s other teachings. Non-Muslim religions are unacceptable (Surah’s 3:85). Jews and Christians are not friends and protectors (Surah 5:51, 33). Treaty obligations with non-Muslims may be resolved (Surah 9:3). And Muslims are to fight and slay non-submissive infidels (Surah’s 9:5, 29; 123; 47:4). Now can we honestly believe all religions agree and teach the golden rule? Muhammad was the prophet of the sword. Jesus said put up the sword and love your neighbor as yourself.

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The Christianity of the Bible is the only world religion that gives objective empirical evidence that it is of God. I’m not saying non-Christians don’t have some profound and spiritual truths. But Buddha, Confucius, Lao Tzu, Muhammad, Zoroaster, Nanak performed no eyewitness miracles, fulfilled no specific ancient prophecies. These founders usually denied a personal God and some avid followers’ centuries’ later ascribed miracles and deity to them. What evidence is there that their religions are anything more than human thinking even imagination? What basis do they provide for life after death, human dignity, rights, freedom, ethics, and hope?

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Jesus alone lived without sin, claimed to be God, fulfilled many ancient prophecies of the coming Messiah (Christ or Annointed One), performed many miracles, died in place of us sinners, and arose from the dead to establish his claims to be our God. No other world religion can claim anything like that. 

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The Apostle Peter’s statement about the Lord Jesus Christ makes more sense than all others. “There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). We must trust humanities only Savior from our sins and giver of eternal life. Then share Him with others. Jesus is the Lord we all must bow to one day at the judgment. We had best know Him as our Savior and Lord now. Won't you pray, Lord I trust You now and forever to forgive my sins, make me a child of God, and guide me through life until death or You come for me. Now the best thing you can do is share these blog articles with others who may come to know the Savior and be with you in Heaven.
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Please Check Out These Comparative Belief Charts

           Please Check Out These Comparative Belief Charts

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 I don't often recommend books though I use hunddreds. I feel it inappropriate in most articles.

Many inexpensive charts can be purchased through Comparative Belief Charts. www.Rose-Publishing.com . For example,What Christianity Has Done For The World (50 key contributions). Christianity, Cults & Religions (compares 17 religions and cults with Biblical Christianity). Apologetics. Prophecy & End Times. These charts give good quick information about a lot of subjects and are worth getting. Link my articles to your computer and share them with others who don't know Christ or much about Bible teaching. God bless you in your work of faith and labor of love.
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Let me also recommend just a few outstanding books that present the Christian position and its adversaries. Understanding The Times, by David A. Noebel. This amazing book is a through discussion of the important worldviews today out to destroy Bible Christianity. Systematic Theology, by Dr. Norman Geisler. He is in my estimation the outstanding theologian and apologist today. I Don't Have enough Faith to Be an Atheist, by  Norman L. Geisler & Frank Turek. The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics,  Ed Hindson & Ergun Caner. Tough Questions About God, Faith, And Life, by Charles Colson. Parents, teachers, students and everybody who want to understand the Christian faith and be able to defend it against all the objections and attempts to destroy it will want to get and use these excellent sources. Many of the books I recommend can be purchased on the www or at a book store or may be borrowed from a library.
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Human dignity, ethics, justice, love, truth, life after death, hope, and a rational purposeful world all depend upon the Biblical Christian faith. Ignorance, indifference and cowardice  will set up back to pre-Christian times and barbarianism. No world religion can furnish objective evidence but Bible Christianity. Indeed, a personal ethical God must be assumed even to make sense of life and the world.

Jesus Is The Only Way to Heaven!

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 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 the reasonable cause of everything is a Creator who sustains and explains every particle of matter.

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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. It would require a godlike knowledge which only God has.

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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 His 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.

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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.

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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 your 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 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 meaning not condemned) 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? Then the best thing we can do is share Jesus with others. Join us as computer missionaries telling friends about these gospel articles. U may see those you have told in Heaven! "Lord, give this servant conviction and courage."

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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 Café’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.

Human Evolution--Did We Climb from the Slime?

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#Evolution
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Even though we are regarded as experts in our field of science, philosophy, theology, or whatever, we still may have biases. We can feel so certain we're right about the facts but they turn out not to be facts at all.  We may so intensely want something to be true that we stretch the truth and dismiss alleged contrary evidence as foolish. Even the great Albert Einstein so wanted the universe to be self-existent that he miscalculated his theory of General Relativity because it implied a definite beginning of time, matter and space. He didn’t like the fact that a beginning implied a self-existent Beginner or Creator.
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Our bias may be peer pressure from our colleagues, a prestigious good paying job we don’t want to lose, too much pride to admit we’re wrong, or other series consequences affecting our lives. Sometimes it takes real integrity and courage to be honest.

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Now it’s often said science is fact, but religion is mere theory and preference. Well, are you sure? I know that what’s often been called scientific fact in one decade is found to be error the next. And what has sometimes been called theological nonsense at one time was discovered later to be true and known before science discovered it. For example, science a century ago discovered what the Bible said centuries before that life is in the blood and that quarantine of diseases prevents their spread. Isn't that an amazing fact? That being true but unknown to science, might other Bible teachings be true and worthy of honest investigation?

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I believe I can show several reasons we didn’t climb from the slime and that God created us with a dignity and destiny evolution won’t allow. In this article, I will discuss evolutionist’s unproved assumption, spurious arguments, ignoring of evidence, and human destruction.

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Naturalistic Evolutionist's Unproved Assumption

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Yes, multiple life forms exist, but that they all by chance descended from one single cell millions of years ago can't be demonstrated by science. No scientific experiment proves it. No fossible remains exist to show all the necessary steps in evolution and the divisions animals and plants take. No spontaneous generation is known to occur from dead chemicals. The probability against the right chemicals combining is immense.  As far as we know every life form descends from it's own kind though verities of kinds exist within the genetic pool. Naturalistic evolution is only an assumption.
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For three reasons it seems impossible for  naturalistic evolutionists to say no Creator who made man directly and in his image exists or can act in our world. One, in the universal circle of knowledge our knowledge is limited to a small dot. We don't even know what exists or may occur in the next room, outside our office, or down the road. Two, if God be an all pervading Spirit everywhere as the Bible teaches, then he is all around us and our limited senses can't detect him. Three, if God be a Creator upon which the world and life depends, then he designed and made all things conform to his will and can change them any way any time he so desires.
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If God exists people may have souls, angels may appear, God may speak,  and miracles may occur. For a Creator of the universe, miracles and God’s intervention and revelation would be trivial. God could do anything He desires, any place He chooses, for any reason He thinks best. Only an unwarranted bias could deny a supernatural God. So such things must be demonstrated by honest credible eyewitness testimony and cannot be dismissed by philosophical prejudice. See my other articles for evidence of God and his actions within our world.

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Evolutionist’s Spurious Arguments

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Good science is demonstrated by repeatable measurable controlled experiment. Experiments were conducted on fruit flies since they had a very short lifespan. All that many generations of fruit flies proved was that they can be made to have mutated and handicapped wings and legs but not become anything other than fruit flies. Evolution failed the experiment and isn't based on experiment.

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Evolutionary theory is that life forms are improving in ability to survive. A law of physics (Second Law of Thermodynamics) is that things naturally deteriorate. Breeding can improve life forms but only from what is already in their genes as no new genetic material is created. Acquired characteristics and mutations are not a sufficient mechanism to change one life form into another. Genes are fixed by inheritance. A great many mutations designed to function together would be required. But mutations are detrimental and are not passed on. So atoms didn't on their on accord arrange themselves into Adam--God made us. and in His rational, moral, immortal image.
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Useless appendages are said to be a carryover from evolution. But that is an argument from ignorance. It was once thought there were over a hundred useless such appendages such as the appendix. But further research demonstrated these appendages have been found to have specific uses in an animal’s life cycle after all. Only a small number are in doubt today. Another evolutionist's argument based on ignorance.

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We can classify similarities of life forms in an order of complexity that shows evolution. We could if creation were true as well. And yes, a monkey’s arm is similar to a man’s arm; life forms have similar organs, systems, fluids and DNA. But there’s no rule God must make every life form different. Indeed, birds must have wings to fly, land animals legs to walk, fish fins and a tail to swim and all require lungs, mouth, and a reproductive system and so on. What really needs explanation is how sex differences throughout the animal and plant kingdoms could come about except by or from a Creator. This is a problem evolutionists are without answer while creationists do--the almighty will of God. 
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 The human embryo’s development shows the steps of transition from its animal ancestors. Absurd! What was once thought to be a fish’s gills and a monkey’s tail were no more than undeveloped parts of a human baby. Abortionists use this silly argument to torture with acid or cut up and murder human babies without mercy. Evolution doesn't enhance human dignity but diminishes it and leads to human destruction. Aren't the Brits correct to call it EVILution?
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We know varieties of animals exist and so given enough time we are all related to a common ancestor. Yes, there are varieties of dogs, horses, monkeys, and men. But we don’t know that dogs change into horses or monkeys evolve into men. Genetic limitations forbid it. Microevolution (limited change) is known fact; macroevolution is speculative theory. And the real evidence can best be explained by a  Common Designer, not a common ancestor. Dead mindless molecules can’t arrange themselves into men no matter how much time. Design requires a Designer—a Living Intelligence and will.

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Missing links show man descended from a lower form of life. That would be the real proof of evolution. But even the term “missing links” is prejudicial influencing persons to believe evolution. That molecules can arrange themselves into men would require thousand of bones demonstrating it step by step. But all we have is a few disputed hoaxes. Paleontologists occasionally announce they have found the missing link to enjoy world fame for a brief time until their find is shown to be only some kind of monkey form. The Tennessee Scopes trial convinced Americans Nebraska man was the missing link that proved evolution. So science was right and religion wrong and shouldn’t be allowed to be taught in school textbooks. The fossil found turned out to be an extinct pigs tooth. Still in many minds it caused God and morality to take a nose dive. Get real! The alleged ape-men turn out to be either monkeys or men. Why not give human dignity and destiny serious and honest consideration with all the evidence for the God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ.

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Evolutionist’s Ignoring of Evidence

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First, evolutionists know only life can produce other life. There’s no spontaneous generation from the non-living, but this is required in evolution theory. Further, everything that is alive must have been designed to be that way from the start or what is termed specified complexity. Imagine a single celled amoeba taking on multi-cells, developing legs to walk outside water and eyes to see where it’s going and somewhere along the line a brain to control everything. And what about when these things are only partially developed—a partial eye, leg, digestive or reproductive system? It seems ridiculously funny but that must be what must take place. If any one of those organs or systems were destroyed, the organism would become helpless. Do unconscious, mindless chemicals arrange themselves into people? That’s what evolutionists must believe.

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Evolutionist’s Theory of Human Destruction

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If the theory of evolution is true, then we’re only soulless dirt. We come from the elements of the ground to which we return. People’s skin even takes the colors we see in dirt being brown, black,  white, red and yellow. As soulless dirt, somehow evolved by chance from slime, we are only a more evolved animal. Our only law is survival of the fittest, which means we must exercise power over weaker animals. Whoever gains power can manipulate and murder us without remorse. What a terribly sad wicked state evolution has brought to us!
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The Savior and Lord who died and rose again, Jesus Christ, gives back everything evolution takes away—absolute truth, human dignity, rights, ethics, justice, love, Heaven. Doesn’t it make more sense to trust our lives into His care?
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If we don't knell before our Savior now, we will knell before Him as Judge at the great white thrown. So will you knell now and say, Jesus I come to You as a humble sinner and trust You  as my Lord and Savior right now and forever. So be it.  Sharing these blog articles can bring about immense good in people's lives both now and eternally. Just link them with your blog.
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Isn’t God Universal Energy?

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Things appear vastly different to us as plants, animals, persons and stars. But these apparently different things in size, shape, color, temperature and density are all forms of energy. Everything is dying and being reborn or always changing form.
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 It is simply illusion to think there’s any one permanent substance other than universal energy. I am part of that energy that will die and take other forms thousands of times. Everything forever moves round and round in cycles (samsarah). It is reality and so obvious it hardly needs proof. If all is ultimately, one substance we call energy, and what’s ultimate we call god, then as part of it, I can say I am god and there can be any number of gods.

We call this viewpoint monism because it claims that ultimately all is one substance and pantheism because that ultimate substance we call god. This is the view of Hinduism and religions derived from this way of thinking such as Buddhism, Taoism, New Age Religion, Christian Science, Unity School of Christianity. While these religions differ on some particular points and applications, they are essentially as described above. I trust I have stated this way of thinking accurately.

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 As a Christian and Bible believer, however, I have reasons to think it is not the whole truth or reality. Also, I have reasons to believe my Christian faith is truth, fact and reality. I’m not open to discuss  the pantheist view  as I don't want to waste my time with e-mails. God's ministry is too vital. People need to know and share the truth of God's Word which is the hope of humanity--period!

Reasons to think the pantheist way of thinking is not the whole truth or reality

 First, unlike pantheists I don’t deny the realty of pain, sickness and death. These things exist in reality and we must cope with them, not excuse them with the idea of karma. Karma is the concept that we get what we earned in a former life and to interfere with karma only delays the inevitable. How do we even know we had a former life or lives?

Even supposing the world of things is ultimately illusion it is not presently illusion. Pantheists cannot live as though the world or all existence is mere illusion (maya). They like everyone else must wear clothes, take baths, eat, make purchases, look in the mirror, look both ways for coming traffic and bury the dead. Our human senses tell us these things are not illusions and we must act on them even if they will one day disappear. How can such a philosophy or worldview be illusiion when we cannot consistently apply to our lives?

Second, our human conscience and compassion tell us otherwise. When we all experience sickness, pain and agony, and see these same things in our friends and relations, how can we harden our hearts and turn our backs on such appalling need? Would we not appreciate someone honoring our thirst with a drink of water? In countries where pantheism is dominant persons are seen everywhere in need and passed by without conscience or compassion. Indeed, these persons treat wild beasts with more respect than themselves. Cows are treated better than real people!

Third, mind precedes and transcends matter. A real and distinct difference exists between mind and matter, the physical and the immaterial. Matter is compact energy but is not the same as mind and requires mind to explain it. A rock is not the same as a person--that should be obvious.

Unconscious energy has no capacity and will to plan and create complex life forms we see everywhere in plants and animals. From beginning to end, the structure of life forms requires planning of an infinite intelligence and will. Moreover, everything must begin complete and functional. No living thing can survive with a partially developed digestive system, reproductive system, lungs, eyes, ears, arms, legs, wings. No evidence exists that mutations and acquired characteristics will bring it about--mindless molecules do not arrange themselves into men even if in eternity. Think about it.

Frankly, if I didn’t know about Christian faith and all the evidences and benefits it brings human lives, I might think pantheism made ultimate sense, but at the same time have heartless despair. Pantheism destroys human personality, rationality, human dignity, social concern, absolute truth and ethics. If we are only energy that ends in absorption into Brahma, the World Soul (Atman is Brahman), then what purpose or incentive to life can there be? It seems only escape from a terrible human existence.

Reasons to believe Biblical Christianity is reality

History reveals Jesus is our Creator, Redeemer, and Judge.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him  nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men . . .   And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as   of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-4, 14. 
 In 350 B.C., the great philosopher, Plato, said this: “We wait for one, be he a God or an  inspired man to instruct us in our duties and to take away the darkness from our eyes.”

 “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 . . . when He had by Himself  purged our sins.” Hebrews 1:1, 3-4.

 “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be  spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing  witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit,  according to His own will?” Hebrews 2:3-4.

“He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was  ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”  Acts 10:42.

First, Jesus is Creator. It is reasonable that a finite dependent universe requires an eternal, infinite, independent Creator. Energy dispersion points to a beginning point. Human conscience suggests a moral order. But besides creation and conscience, do we have any personal, visible, objective evidence God exists? Yes, but only in Christian faith. Our planet earth has been invaded by the man from Heaven—the God-man, our Creator and King.

It is no problem for the universe’s Creator to become a man. Jesus Christ not only told us He is God, He demonstrated it visibly in fulfilling ancient prophecies of the Jew’s Messiah, in living a perfect sinless life, in performing hundreds of public miracles spontaneously before astonished disciples and hostile critics, and in predicting his own death and resurrection.

Besides the Bible, more historical evidence exists for Jesus Christ than for Aristotle or Julius Caesar. Check it out. Read, He Walked Among Us, by Josh McDowell & Bill Wilson, or The Historical Jesus, by Gary R. Habermas. The resurrection is the crucial test and while brilliant skeptics have industriously applied their wit to demolish it, the resurrection defies every attack—Jesus is God.  

Hear Peter, the chief apostle of Christ and traveling companion more than three years. He told the Romans to crucify him upside down because he didn’t feel worthy to die the same way as his Lord. Peter would never have died if he knew Jesus-the God-man was only a lie!

 "We did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power  and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” 2 Peter  1:16.

Unlike pantheism, things make sense since we have a personal, ethical Creator as the source and foundation of everything. He provides all we need and cherish—human dignity, rights, ethics, purpose, hope, love, truth, rationality, justice, life beyond the grave and the basis for science and creativity that arise from this.

Second, Jesus is Redeemer. Secular professors and dreamy optimists can talk about the goodness of man all they want to--it just “ain’t so.”  Earth’s soil is drenched in human blood. Human history records the decimation of properties and peoples, violence, rape, murder, crime, everywhere. Why do all nations have armies, jails, police, judges, locks on doors, security guards? Is it because everybody’s so good and trustworthy? Certainly not! Why do people everywhere steal, lie, cheat, fight, hate, gossip? The list of human abuse is unending.

We ignore our sin and blame God for the world’s evils when God created a good world and paradise for man. Like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, Satan still deceives us to deny God and have our own self-centered rebellious way. Many people mention God’s name but in profanity rather than in praise and thanksgiving.

We need a Redeemer and only the sinless God-man qualifies. Only the willfully blind would deny it. Try as we may, we cannot keep God’s perfect standards. We cannot even keep our own standards, which are much lower. We tend to criticize other’s sins while blind to our own. And we find ways to justify our habitual sins or claim I’m working on them.

 Moreover, any human notion of an imperfect God won’t do. How can we trust an imperfect God? He might betray us, have problems he can’t handle, be too busy for our concerns, or lose patience with us. Good deeds that outweigh bad deeds are unacceptable to a perfect God. Only 51% goodness cannot assure us of a sinless Heaven. Most religions don't believe in an ethically perfect God and that we can make it on our own.  Are they realistic about the real world around them? Sinful human nature cannot attain perfection--we need a loving forgiving Savior. 

Being God, Jesus can save us. Tested in all points like ourselves as a human being, Jesus proved worthy to be our Savior and assure us of a perfect Heaven. His bloodshed on the cross paid for our sins, made us acceptable with God and worthy of Heaven.   

And finally, Jesus is Judge. The risen Lord promised our every thought, word and deed exposed before Him will receive justice. Jesus, the all-knowing, perfect Ruler of the universe offered us forgiveness, His purity and eternal life. Now we receive our eternal reward or punishment for deeds done in the body and for our acceptance or rejection of Him, the only Savior. Our goodness will not avail. We must humble ourselves and trust the Savior alone as our only answer to sin, death, and Hell.

"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him" (John 3:36).  Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6). Friend, won't you acknowledge your sin, and say Lord I trust You now and forever to be my Saviour and Guide.

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