Has God Made Himself Known to Us?

                      Has God Made Himself Known to Us?.

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#World-Views   #God-knowledge
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Can we be honest with the facts whether we like them or not? Some statements are true and others false--opposites can't both be true in the same way at the same time. The universe either exists, or it doesn't. Some actions are right and others wrong--if it's wrong to mistreat you, it's wrong to mistreat anyone. If you as a human being have rights to your life and beliefs, then so do all human persons. Now, without these principles of human dignity, rationality, equality, ethics, and free speech can we even survive? Is there an ultimate reality we can stand on that ties it all together and insures human survival and well-being? Let's think it through. 

Aren't these ideas mistakes destructive to human life?

Atheism assumes that nothing of itself exploded into everything and that mindless atoms arranged themselves into all life forms (macroevolution). Atheism takes many forms some being as follows. Materialists say matter exists but not mind. Naturalists claim all is nature and there can't be anything supernatural such as miracles. Secularists affirm anything sacred is superstitious and to be rejected. And humanists hold there's nothing higher than we human animals. Atheist assumptions are contrary to science, logic and common sense. Further, they reduce human beings to soulless dirt, ethics to conflicting human opinions, destroy hope for life after death, and make life a chaotic and manipulative power struggle--survival of the fittest. Elites who get the biggest stick beat down all the rest of us as with laws, taxes, poverty, dependence, secret policing and maybe a blood bath revolution.

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Agnosticism is either a dogmatic assumption or an unwillingness to search out the facts. Some agnostics say we can't know any kind of god exists. Now like atheism this is another dogmatic claim to exhaustive knowledge. Or, if the agnostic means, "I just don't know." this leads to the same problems and becomes a practical atheism.

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Polytheism and  subjective relativism are contradictory destructive absurdities. Animism is the belief in spirits in trees, animals, and things. Polytheism raises spirits to gods that control forces of nature, are worshiped by certain tribes, or have their own domains. It's still alive and well in parts of the world.  Logically, however, there can't be but one absolute. These gods arise from nature and can cease to exist. They are finite  and give no visible evidence of their existence. So they are fears of nature's forces or projections of human desires and imagination. Makers of idols have powers to see, hear, talk, and move that their idol gods lack. It's all absurd.
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Moderns have largely lost faith in one Almighty, holy and loving God. So everything becomes relative, uncertain, chaotic, subjective, competitive. The only sin is to believe in real truth and righteousness. Is this not a prescription for warfare, destruction, disease and death? And what is the philosophy of politically correct but tyranny? Is there a basis for recovery? I believe so but it would require honesty, courage, maybe death!

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Monism (reincarnation philosophies and religions) is the claim that God is all that exists and the world is illusion. God is conceived as a great pool of energy whose parts stretch out temporarily to assume every form or identity plants, puppies, people, everything only to return to the pool. This happens repeatedly and things can assume different identities until final absorption. Consequently, nothing has any real identity or permanent existence. So nothing is considered real and important--all is God the great pool of energy and the material world is illusion. In effect, truth, pain, good, evil, life, death, success, failure, history, nothing is ultimately important. What will be will be--the only goal is final absorption. This results in a stagnant depressed compassionless society. It doesn't ultimately matter if we be ministers or murderers. See my article on Understanding Reincarnation.
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Deism claims a Creator God who forsook us. Deists say a real personal infinite Creator God exists. For this dependent universe requires a first cause. And design throughout nature points to an intelligent Creator. But the world is a closed system of cause and effect so only natures laws guide us and can't be violated by miracles or divine revelations.. Some deists believe our spirits survive death and are rewarded if good or punished if bad.  Persons who feel their prayers go unanswered and see no evidence of God think no caring God exists. It's a sort of practical atheism like above that assumes exhaustive knowledge. Now, we need more than a Creator of stars  and planets. Can we be open to evidence that the God we need may really exist, love and want to save us?

Can we be open to God acting in our world? 

 If we've been taught a particular way of believing all our lives, or one way has been forced upon us and we've never heard anything different, how do we know there is anything different, or that God and the world is different from all that we've heard? Can we be courageous, open and honest to consider another way of seeing things that might be greatly beneficial and even true? Three great religions each claim a personal, ethical Creator God exists.

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Could God's angel have made God known to Muhammad? Like Christians, Muslims believe in one God, angels good and evil, heaven, hell, and a judgment day. Muslims say the angel Gabriel told Muhammad all we need to know in the Quran. Muhammad accepted some of the Jewish Scripture and Christian New Testament, said Moses, David, and even Jesus were prophets. But Jesus is not God's Son, didn't die on the cross for our sins nor rise from the dead. There are so many problems with Islam, it's really difficult to accept and to explain in this three page article. Basically, Islam wants to force the world into submission if need be.

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Could God have made Himself known to Israel? When we survey Israel's history recorded in its Scripture (O.T.), incredible events occur. Israel's God sends plagues to kill Egypt's firstborn, waters stand up in walls to let Israel through, they're fed mysterious manna in the dessert forty years while their clothes never wore out, and they defeated seven nations stronger than themselves. Now we don't know of such things happening today, but we do know of other nations claiming gods and fantastic tales so shouldn't we carefully examine such claims and try to be objective?
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When we do examine them, we notice significant differences with Israel's God. He's not like spirits in trees or families of gods of the other nations--Egyptians, Canaanites, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans. Israel's God is the universe's creator who made man in his image and entered into relation with people. He is fiercely moral who imposes moral standards nobody can attain and issues warnings for disobedience. He imposes a sacrificial system to teach his people there is no forgiveness without the shedding of a blood sacrifice. He establishes unconditional covenants with Israel to become the head nation with a Messiah to bless the world. See my article, God's Unconditional Covenant Promises to Israel.
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The problem with Israel is that it was always going astray. God sent prophets and warnings and promises. But like us today, Israel was sinfully human and rebellious. The predicted forerunner, John the Baptizer (Isa. 40:3-5; Matt. 3:3; John 1:29) appeared and pointed to Jesus saying, see the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Wanting and expecting a political and military Messiah to deliver them from Roman oppression, the Jews had no thought of a Savior of sinners. Jesus, however, did everything the prophets said of the Messiah to die for the sins of his people. And while some rabbis were confused by prophecies of a suffering Messiah as well as a reigning king, Jesus died rejected and ridiculed by his people.
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Could God have made Himself known to humanity in Jesus Christ? If there exists a great Creator God who cares for us, how can we know this? Surely not by ignoring or abandoning us. Wouldn't it call for doing things nature and men are not known to do in order to get our attention and demonstrate he is truly Lord of his creation? How about predicting events impossible for us to know or imagine like a virgin birth and ascension into heaven? How about walking on water and healing all kinds of diseases immediately? Wouldn't these do it especially with him explaining at the time that he is our God?
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While Bible events are supernatural, they are not like the silly things found in other religions of once upon a time in some impossible to go place. They speak of real persons, nations, events, practices known to history. Even a time line can be established. Its heroes are very normal and imperfect. The Jews, unlike what the critics make out, knew nature's laws and were skeptical as persons today. Such events and their teachings could never have been accepted if made up stories or myths. Bible prophets and apostles would never have endured such tortures and horrible deaths had their writings been pure lies.
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Only biblical Christianity supplies the needed principles mentioned in the introduction and ties them together to give us humans a foundation to stand upon. But we will sink back into barbarianism again, if we don't strongly embrace the Lord Jesus again as our Lord, Savior, and Guide for our world and our personal lives.  Won't U say YES to Jesus?
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See booklist below.

What Is The Bible's Lake of Fire?

                         What Is The Bible's Lake of Fire?

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Some persons simply reject Hell. To them a God who throws people into a fire to burn forever seems horribly cruel and really merciless. To them Jesus is not that kind of God! Justice is not served if the most wicked and least wicked burn together in a lake of fire. If it's true, why even try to be good.  Yes! But are there other things said of Hell that never get mentioned? Could the fire be something other than the physical fire we imagine? Can we examine arguments about this painful subject with an open mind?

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1. Yes, Jesus spoke many times of Hell as eternal fire (Matt. 5:29-30; 22;13). He used vivid figures of speech to capture attention, warn us, and save us from sin that corrupts and confines us away from God and all his blessings. He explained Hell's worse than losing an eye, foot, or hand. It's outer darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth. Now that's not physical consuming fire; it's great loss and inconsolable grief, unremitting torment. Jesus' warnings show great compassion for human well-being.
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We shutter at  Hell and  delight in  Heaven.  But if there's no Hell,  neither can there be Heaven. Unbelieving rebels would do the same wicked things  in Heaven they do here (Mark 7:21-22; Rev. 21:11). Ultimately, it wouldn't matter how we believe or behave. Laws, police and jails don't prevent our evil passions or keep us safe. Jesus,  the God-man, is our ethical authority (Matt. 25:46), or we're at the mercy of a dictator's whims and human chaos.  Wisdom then dictates we need to get it right about the prospect of Hell!

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2. Are some sinners in Hell whipped more than others? In  Luke 12:47-48, Jesus said the wicked servant who knew his master's will but didn't do it will be beaten with many strips, but the one who didn't know it yet deserved punishment, would be beaten with few strips. Isn't this just a way of saying Hell  is degrees of punishment? Mom's lying about her age then would never be punished in a lake of physical fire with Hitler who caused the deaths of millions of people? So many passages that plainly teach Hell is degrees of punishment make it difficult to believe in a lake of physical fire where all would be burned, consumed, or be punished equally. For degrees see also Matt. 10:15; 11:22, 24; Mark 6:11; Hebrews. 10:29

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3. The Bible says Hell was made for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41).  Angels as spirit beings who wouldn't be burned or consumed by physical fire. But later the beast, false prophet, and the devil are  said cast apparently meaning bodily into the lake of fire and brimstone forever but said only to be  tormented (Rev. 20:10). Could the fire be a metaphor used to depict its serious nature?
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4. Jesus said the worm doesn't die and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:44). That' s another powerful figure of speech.  Jerusalem's garbage dump was always burning dead carcasses with maggots eating rotting flesh, and fires that never went out. Jesus borrowed that loathsome sight to illustrate Hell. Of course there are no maggots in Hell. The worm is used to express contempt as used of Jacob and of Jesus (Isa. 66:24; 41:14; Ps.22:6), and the physical fire we know can go out. Could the fire then be something like the burning bush that attracted Moses because it didn't burn up (Exodus 3:2).

5. Jesus told about a rich man in Hades and Lazarus in Abraham's bosom (Luke 16:19-30). Unbelievers such as this rich man at death went to the place of torment or anxiety as  mentioned here four times.  This tormented man was concerned for his five unrepentant brothers. Jesus said that if they would not heed Moses and the prophets, they would not believe even if one rise from the dead.  His undying memories, lost opportunities, and eternal despair were agonizing. Revelation 20:10, 14 says plainly the lake of fire and brimstone where Death and Hades will be cast, is torment, forever torment. Torment is agony of mind, not torture of body as in physical fire.

6. Our Lord's brother, Jude, says several things about Hell that never seem to get mentioned. Speaking of doomed sinners, he says they are "clouds without water carried about by the winds, late autumn trees without fruit twice dead and pulled up by the roots, raging waves of the sea foaming up their own shame, wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever" (Jude 12-13).  Here persons in Hell are pictured as empty, fruitless and spiritually dead, in rage and shame, lost, and  alone in darkness forever. Daniel 12:2 and 2 Peter 2:17 say similar things. That's the meaning of Hell.
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7. Pure justice is that we reap exactly what we sow. If we sow to  sinful desires it brings  corruption and death, but  to sow to the Holy Spirit leads to everlasting life (Gal. 6:7-8). Only God who knows our secrets and everything about us can ensure true justice (Gen. 18:25). According to the Bible, trusting Jesus is what decides whether we go to Heaven or Hell (John 3:16, 36). But Scripture everywhere says we're rewarded in Heaven or punished in Hell according to our works which is different with each of us. Believers are rewarded at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10; 1 Cor. 3:9-15). Unbelievers condemned at the Great White Thrown (Rev. 20:11-15)
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8. Bible lessons are literally true (spiritually), but not necessarily true literally. The fire is real, but not necessarily physical to burn or consume. Persons in Hell have imperishable physical bodies unaffected by fire as we know it (John 5:28-29; Rev. 20:13-15). Moreover, Jesus and others of his day used exaggerated speech or hyperbole to drive home a point. For example, Jesus said his disciples are to hate family in comparison to loving him (Luke 14:26). Strong faith  can move mountains into the sea (Mark 11:23). Lake of fire, furnace, flames, smoke, brimstone are exaggerated metaphors to get attention and drive home the point.

It's unfortunate that Hell fire is sometimes screamed at us without careful explanation. We  have trouble believing God is love when he seems represented so cruelly. Hell is not God torturing us in physical fire--it's our choice of self-torment without God alone in an eternity of darkness. When we turn from God's love, truth, righteousness, and gospel, he gives us up to uncleanness, vile passions, and a debased mind (Rom. 1:24, 26, 28). We are then without excuse (Rom. 1:20; 2:1).
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What then is the Bible's lake of fire? We already seen above that rebels in Hell will have imperishable physical bodies. I believe those who won't obey the gospel experience Hell as God's fiery wrath judging sin (2 Thess. 1:7-9). They love evil, won't repent, and live in darkness (Jn. 3:19-21). John 3:36 tell us what Hell is, "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." Hell is the wrath of God felt by everyone who chooses to reject the Lord's truth, love, righteousness, and gospel (good news) of  Jesus dying on the cross to pay for our sins. Love and righteousness can't be forced. God lets unbelievers have their own way forever. So all who reject God  feel his fiery wrath in their anger, hate, guilt, contempt, shame, darkness, despair (Rev. 21:11-15). Can anything be more serious?
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The Bible is clear that God is love and it's not his will that anyone perish or burn. A loving  God  doesn't and can't force us to trust him when we don't want him in our lives (2 Peter 3:9). A guilty conscience, the promptings of God's Spirit, the beauty and design of nature, the Bible, Christian witnesses, all testify to a personal ethical Creator. He is known to us as the Lord Jesus Christ. Won't U say, Lord Jesus, I trust You now as my Lord, Savior, and Guide from this moment on to live for You and to see You some day in Heaven.
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What Will Heaven Be Like?

                                What Will Heaven Be Like?

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Will we talk with angels who ministered to us on earth? Will our babies who died at birth be there? Is Heaven merely a state of mind or inactivity? Will we be real people doing things like we do here on earth? Is Jesus preparing each of us a mansion? Can our good deeds earn us a place in Heaven? Let's consider what the Bible says about each of these ideas.

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Will we talk with angels who ministered to us on earth? Angels are said to be ministering spirits to those who are saved and there are thousands (Heb. 12:22). The Bible does speak of persons seeing angels in bodily form to bring people God's message or protection (Heb. 1:7, 14; 2 Kings 6:17).  I wish I could tell of experiences I've had with good angels, but if I've had them, I didn't recognize it. But I did mention some experiences I've had with evil or fallen angels in one of my articles. I have good reasons to believe it as corresponding with what the Bible says about demons. Yes, we will be with angels in the new Heaven on the New Earth and according to the Bible we will judge them (1 Cor. 6:3).  I recommend Billy Graham's book, Angels: God's Secret Agents.  

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Will our babies who died at or after birth go to Heaven? The Bible doesn't definitely  say so perhaps because parents would then kill unwanted children thinking they sent them to Heaven. We are all born with a sin nature and told salvation comes by true faith (Ps. 51:5; Jn. 3:36). The following are reasons for believing God in mercy will save infants and those mentally incapable of understanding. (1) Isaiah 7:16 seems to teach a child is not responsible if not old enough to choose between good and evil.  (2) David, believing in the resurrection of life after death (Ps. 16:10-11), implied that he would go to his deceased infant son who would be in Heaven (2 Sam. 12:23).  (3) Jesus  seemed to say spiritually blind persons which infants would be, don't sin (John 9:41). (4) Jesus implies in Mark 10:14  that children should come to him  for of such is the kingdom of God. Heaven being the perfect place, they likely will become adults.

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Is Heaven merely a state of mind and inactivity? No!  Then we will see God's face  and all His glory (the Beatific Vision), and we'll know our sufferings were worth it. Heaven's a place of greater fulfillment and activity than we could ever imagine (John 10:10; 1 Jn. 3:2-3; Rev. 22:3-4).  It's everything good and blessed of God that we experience in our lives now and a lot more. It's God's original idea for the Garden of Eden only now without the possibility of sin and its negative consequences. While this cursed world of sin and suffering is not the best world, God's wisdom knew it is the best way to the best world. In God's plan Jesus was slain before creation (Rev. 13:8). We will have new strong spiritual bodies of flesh and bone like Jesus, and made fit for Heaven with no reason to be ashamed (I Cor. 15: 35-49). Our experiences and testing here will enable us to understand and appreciate God and our new home far more than if we had never had them. God works all things together for good to those who love God, to those called according to his purpose (Rom. 8:28). God's apostle Paul tells us our present suffering are nothing comparable to the glory revealed in us (Rom. 8:18).  Praise God, then we'll know it was all worthwhile!  
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Will we be real people doing things like we do here on earth? During the thousand years (Rev. 20:4-6) the Lord Jesus rules earth righteously with an iron scepter. The devil will be put in the bottomless pit, and the curse will be partially lifted, and so many unfulfilled Scriptures will be fulfilled. Peace, prosperity, good health, and knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth. People will live hundreds of years like in Methuselah's time (Gen. 5). Animals will be harmless even to children. There will be nations and rulers, and people do many of the things we do now only without all the bad stuff. Yes, people will have their own name and identity and will eat, drink, enjoy friendships, have good times with little sickness, pain, misery, boredom, or despair. Afterward Satan's let loose, there's  the final rebellion and judgment of the wicked. Then the New Jerusalem descends to the New Earth and eternity begins with no more curse. See just a few sample passages Psalms 2:6-9; Isa. 11:4-9; 59:20-61:11; Acts 1:6-7; Matt. 19:28; Rev. 20:1-15. Jesus came the first time as the Suffering Servant (Isa. 53), and will come again as the Reigning King in fulfillment of all God's promises (Isa. 54). His second coming will be as true and real as his first coming.
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Is Jesus preparing each of us a mansion in Heaven? Jesus promised to prepare us a dwelling place perfectly suited to us and that he would return for us (John 14:2-3). But a better word to describe it is a room  or apartment rather than a mansion. Our New Jerusalem home on the New Earth will be 1400 miles square with perhaps hundreds of floors each with thousands of rooms.  The landscape of the New Earth will be radically changed so that there will be no more ocean, desserts, ice caps or wasted land. The new Heaven on the New Earth will contain many people which no one could number of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues (Rev. 7:9). If we consider Old Testament saints, those saved in all the ages, the tribulation, the millennium and babies who died in childbirth, it may add up to trillions of persons and far more than are in Hell. The broad road leading to destruction Jesus spoke of in John 7:13-14 may have applied before the Christian era. The devil is the loser. I'll say more about this in other articles. An eye opening through discussion of Heaven is Randy Alcorn's book, Heaven.

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Can our good deeds earn us entrance into Heaven? No! Biblical Christianity has a different conception of man, God, Heaven and life after death from other world religions. Unlike reincarnation religions, we cannot work off karma to achieve Nirvana, or loss of identity, or be absorbed into Brahman as universal energy.  And unlike Islam, Christians cannot earn their way to Paradise with more good deeds than evil deeds (Titus 3:5). In Jihad, Muslim men defending Islam by killing Jews, Christians, and others who won't submit to Islam earn men sex in Paradise with many virgins (Surah 23:102-103; 3:195; Hadith 1:35). In contrast, the Christian Bible says seek to win others to faith in Christ, and loving service (Rom. 3;23; 5:8-9; Eph. 2:8-9).

Heaven for Christians is personal fulfillment in relationship with the God they love who loved them enough to bear their sin in his death on the cross (John 3:16; Gal. 2:16, 21). Bible teaching is that God is perfect who has prepared for us a perfect sinless Heaven. God made man--meaning both man and woman--in his image with the same dignity and for relationship with him (Gen. 1:27; Gal. 3:28), and there is no sex in Heaven (Matt. 22:30).  If we sinners choose our way rather than God's way, we're exempt from God and Heaven (Gal. 5:19-25). We must trust Jesus to save us and make us acceptable to God and fit for Heaven (2 Cor. 5:17-20). For if we want our own way rather than God and his blessings, He regretfully lets us have it in the place called Hell.

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God lovingly invites everyone to accept his way for Hell is darkness, despair, and self-inflicted torment forever. Dear friends, won't you say: Lord Jesus, I'm the sinner deserving Hell, but I trust you from this moment on to be my Lord, Savior, and Guide until I go to be with You in Heaven. Thank You, dear Lord.  Now U can serve God by sharing these articles with others.

Will We Go to the Stars?

                                Will We Go to the Stars?

We've put a man on the moon? We've sent space probes that give us detailed pictures of planets in our solar system and on out into space. We've discovered hundreds of planets circling hundreds of stars. One science channel program discussed planting a colony on Mars. Telescopes have mapped out the ends of the universe and cosmic background radiation shows the universe is not round like a basketball but stretched out or oval like an egg. I'm neither astronomer nor physicist, so I must rely on what they say. What does both science and the Bible say about other worlds?

                What Does Science Say about other Worlds?

Modern telescopes show us there are billions of galaxies like our Milky Way Galaxy each containing billions of stars that must contain billions of planets. It seems reasonable that some are inhabited with intelligent life forms like us. Could aliens travel in space to reach us or we to reach them? And would their advanced civilization be helpful or harmful, develop us or destroy us?

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There were millions of reports of unidentified flying objects (UFOS) in the 50's. Television science fiction series such as Star Trek and others became very popular. Movies of space exploration fascinated young movie goers. People grew up wondering if we had been invaded by flying saucers and extraterrestrials. But the reports turned out to be of natural phenomena, home made or experimental aircraft, or pranks. No visible evidence was found of flying saucers, sighted aliens, crash debris, or persons found to have travel in a space ship.
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Today scientists know of multiple problems that would be connected with space flight. Even the closest stars in our galaxy are light years away. Light travels at approximately 186,000 miles a second. If we  or aliens could travel through space at just 1% of the speed of light or 6.7 million miles an hour it would take 25,000 years to reach another planetary system. It would require hundreds of generations. Just the known hazards of space such as dust, gas, gravity, radiation, and black holes could prove fatal. A little pebble traveling at thousands of miles an hour colliding with the space craft would destroy it. The ship would have to steer away from meteors, comets, asteroids, wandering planets and things in the darkness maybe impossible to detect.
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Enormous quantities of food, water and other supplies must be preserved. It seems doctors, medicines, labs, machines, mechanics, engineers would be needed as well. Such a super large scale project would demand a huge space craft and its cost would break world banks. Experiments to be encountered in a long term space journey were conducted with only eight people in a 3.15 acre capsule. Oxygen and carbon dioxide levels varied wildly to toxic levels. Cockroaches multiplied out of control. And long term confinement in limited space would cause mental breakdowns. It seems machines and robots would work better but even they would break down after awhile.
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You may have heard all we need to populate a planet is water. Don't believe it! That's science fiction. Human life on earth requires literally hundreds of exactly right factors that are not known  elsewhere in our galaxy--it's called the anthropic principle.
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Even a slight variation of earth's gravity, heat,  atmosphere, chemical composition, water, light, rotation, magnetism would make all life impossible. Smaller planets closer to the sun enable us to receive the right amount of light and heat while those bigger planets further out protect us from incoming meteors and space debris. The moon's craters evidence this protection and its gravity enables our tides to cleanse the oceans whose right amount of water enables us to have the right atmosphere. Earth contains the right elements needed in our bodies such as carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium. Our distance to the nearest star and our exact location between the spiral arms of our galaxy and hundreds of other factors enable us to live on earth.
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Such utter complexity working in harmony couldn't be an accident of chance and must be a God thing. A nonexistent universe couldn't create itself and the scientific physical law called entropy means heat energy will spread out and one day the universe will become cold, inactive and dead. The universe is the effect, and its cause must be an infinite, self-existent, immaterial, and independent intelligence much like what the Bible describes as God. What now does the Bible say about other worlds?
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             What Does the Bible Say about other Worlds?
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The Bible is clear that ultimately there are only two worlds to which we can go as our eternal home, and they are as different as night and day. Both worlds are the same for all their occupants, but our experiences in our new world will be very different since we all are different persons with different ways. In other words, we are forming our character every day by the things we think, say and do, our beliefs and behaviors, attitudes and acts, what we like and dislike, how we respond to others and even to what we understand about God. At death our character is fixed and final (Heb. 9:27; Rev. 22:11).  So it's most important that we assess ourselves in light of all this--we reap what we sow (Gal. 6:7-8).
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The Natural Man Will Go to the World of Darkness to Reap What He's Sown in this World.
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I like to party with my friends and don't see anything wrong with a few social drinks and drugs. Why are Christians against some sexual pleasures that are just a natural part of different lifestyles? There's nothing wrong to exploit nature's resources, its beauty, its animals, or anything to make me rich and powerful. We have to get what we can while we can. I don't believe in those Bible myths of alleged miracles and God. With so many conflicting religions, we can never know if any religion is right.  Christians are judgmental to say some things are wrong and I don't believe that nonsense about being born again. Everybody knows we can only come from our mother's womb. We have to live it up and get what we want today since we may not have tomorrow. Gal. 3:19-21; Rev. 21:8; Jude 12-13. Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.
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The Spiritual Man Will Go to the World of Light to Reap What He's Sown in this World.
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My body is God's temple, so I try to avoid harmful things that could  enslave me, and to use by body to serve  the Lord I love. Sex is God's precious gift for our pleasure and for producting children in covenant relationship with God and our spouse. Nature's resources, beauty, animals, and objects too are God's gifts for our benefit which we are to care for and use responsibly. Its no advantage to gain the whole world and lose our own soul. I once was blind to the things of God until I opened my heart and invited Jesus to save me. It was like being born all over again with a new outlook on life, a love for God, His Word and His will. I've found the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He lives within me and I'll go to live with Him as my eternal home in His world of light. Gal. 5:22-25; 1 Cor. 3:9-14.  Lord, I love You, trust You, and want my life to count for You eternally.                 
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What Does the Bible Say About the End of the World?
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"What manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless, we according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells" (2 Peter 3:11-13).  

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What Does the Bible Say About the Two Worlds?
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"Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever" (Daniel 12:2-3).
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"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life" (Gal. 6:7-8). Yes, by trusting Jesus as Lord and Savior we join His world of light; rejecting Him confines us away in darkness forever. But our degree of rejoicing together in light, or degree of torment alone in darkness, is decided by how we live now. If we don't want God in our life, He respects our dignity and choice--He lets us have our own way, forever. And being ungrateful for His benefits, we'll cease to have them. Think about it! Is that what U want?
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"We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us; we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21). Which world will be your eternal home--His light, or your darkness? Say, Lord Jesus, I trust You to come into my life, save me from sin, and be my Guide forever. Thank You. 
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Darwin's Missing Links, or Jesus' Miracles?

                 Darwin's Missing Links, or Jesus' Miracles?

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Believing in Darwin's missing links or in Jesus' miracles both require a commitment of faith as we can't observe or experiment with either. But! What we believe will decide what our world becomes. Either nature is everything making us evolving perishing animals fighting each other to survive, or Jesus performed miracles showing he's our God and we're in his image with our world saved from barbarism with the prospect of Heaven. Either alternative has the most serious consequences for us and our world. Let's check it all out.

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Why not believe in Darwin's missing links?

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Since we see no miracles or evidence of God, and evolution explains everything, then that's what happened. Yes, the thousands of missing links are the actual proof of evolution.  But since many intermediate life forms didn't survive and were lost, we're confident they did exist whether we find them or not.  All the varieties of fish, reptiles, and birds show evolution occurs. So we're free to make our own kind of world and reach for the stars. It's all so logical, scientific and factual. Let's not get tripped up in ignorant religious superstitions and myths.
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Abundant evidence shows evolution is fact. Life forms arose spontaneously and evolved by chance over time through acquiring good characteristics and favorable mutations. We can classify life in its order of complexity, animal body fluids and DNA are similar, structures such as a monkey's arm and man's arm are similar, embryo's show evolutionary stages of growth, and useless appendages as the appendix are an evolutionary hangover. We can breed improved life forms. What more can we ask?

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Why not believe in creation by God?

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Could we have been looking in the wrong places not really wanting to see evidence of God? All science operates on a cause and effect basis so we know this dependent complex universe must be the effect of an infinite, independent, immaterial, self-existing, intelligent cause not unlike what the Bible calls God. And if God has claim on our life, we may willfully ignore or suppress the evidence of God desiring our way rather than His. If God designed us superior intelligent creative beings, wouldn't it mean he desired relationship with us and has our best interests at heart? Moreover, if God created the universe, then angels, miracles, and revelations would be a small achievement.
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Physical law of heat loss shows things left to themselves deteriorate, not improve.  Honest science admits life comes only from life, not spontaneously arise from dead chemicals. Specified complexity of life cells shows an encyclopedia of instructions of what each life form must be. Yes, there are varieties of  reptiles, fish, and birds that within limits adapt to their environments. But no evidence one changes into another (macroevolution). For example, the fossil fish Coelacanth claimed 60 million years old was found swimming unchanged. Mindless molecules can't arrange themselves into animals or men  no matter how much time. All the fossils once claimed to be primitive men's bones have turned out to be either some monkey forms, real human bones, or contrived fakes designed to deceive the public. The facts correspond with the Bible statements that God created things separately and to reproduce after their own kind.
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Evolution's arguments such as classification of complexity, similar body structures, DNA and fluids would be the same whether evolution or creation.  Of course life forms would have similar structure as fishes have fins, reptiles legs, and birds wings to fit in their  environments whether sea, land, or air. There's no rule God must make things entirely different. Embryo evolutionary stages and useless appendages are arguments of ignorance. Irreducible complexity means each life form must be complete and functional at the outset and cannot survive with a partially developed digestive, reproductive, circulatory system or organs to see, hear and move. Just as an example, the chicken came before the egg. Roosters must pregnant hens who must lay on eggs and furnish the chemical needed for egg shells to develop proving creation. Isn't designed sexual union imperative with all mammals?

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Why should we seriously consider Jesus' miracles?

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We rightfully are cautious and critical about reports of miracles. People report unusual, surprising and beneficial events they call miracles when the circumstances aren't fully known. The Bible cautions us to test the spirits as fake healers, deceivers, even lying wonders of demons are in the world associated with the occult, error or evil (Matt. 24:24; 2 Thess. 2:9; Rev. 16:14).
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But we've already shown there's every reason to believe in God as Creator who wants loving relationship with us. Miracles would be God's way to attract human attention and confirm His power to act in our world. When our knowledge is like a grain of sand on the beach of knowledge, we have no basis to say in advance what the Almighty Creator and Lord of nature can and cannot do if and when it suits His purposes.  To arbitrarily rule God out may prove to be the biggest mistake of our life!
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These invalid closed minded objections attempt to tie the Almighty's hands. (1) Nature's laws won't allow miracles. (2) Events within nature must be natural, not supernatural. (3)  No such miracles today make them historically incredible. (4) Regular natural events make rare miracles  improbable. (5) Science rejects unrepeatable and untestable miracles. (6) A real miracle would make nature chaotic and science impossible. (7) Persons who testify of  miracles aren't qualified. (8) Miracle reports supporting doctrinally diverse religions cancel themselves out. (9) Miracles are myths of prescientific imagination. (10) Mystery religions of gods supernatural birth, death, and resurrection abound in Jesus' day. (11) The Bible has been radically changed through the centuries.
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Nature and evolution simply can't account for everything. I've discussed these above objections in other articles and shown they amount to an unsubstantiated prejudice against God acting in our world or having any claim on our life. They are neither scientific, factual, nor in our best interests. (1) The universe requires a self-existent infinite, independent, intelligent cause like the Bible's Creator God. (2) We know nonexistence can't produce anything, which again points to an originating self-existing cause. (3) Mindless chance would be an irrational chaotic accident that couldn't produce a rational world--naturalism is a loser. So let's consider the evidence now with an open caring and candid attitude; we may discover what millions have found to be the joy of their life, even hope of life eternal and fulfilling.
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What's the evidence for Jesus' miracles?
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I like Dr. Norman L. Geisler's book, Miracles and the Modern Mind. And I like his definition,"A miracle is an act of God to confirm the Word of God through a messenger of God." We specifically are examining the miracle claims of Christ that he is the Son of God, and the Lord and Savior of all who trust in him. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:31).
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1. No reputable historian would deny the existence of Jesus or what's said of him. Nineteen pagan writers mention names, places, events associated with Jesus. Roman historian Tacitus mentions Pontius Pilate put Christ to death as a malefactor and that his prophecy of the Jerusalem temple destroyed was fulfilled. Pliny the Younger says Christians worshipped on the first day of the week and adored Jesus as God. Celsus despised Christianity but mentioned statements in Matthew, Luke, and John such as Jesus' virgin birth, flight to Egypt, cured the lame and blind, raised the dead, was betrayed by Judas, denied by Peter, crucified and resurrected. Only skeptical writers of last few centuries even questioned Jesus' life.  The claim that Jesus life and miracles is myth is itself myth. See He Walked Among Us, by Josh McDowell & Bill Wilson.
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2. There is nothing like Jesus' miracles in other world religions.  He healed sicknesses, lepers, the paralysed, blind, lame, deaf, epileptic, withered hand, cut off ear. He controlled nature in turning water to wine, stilling a storm, feeding thousands with little food, walking on the sea, cursing a fig tree that withered. Several times he caste out demons. His brought cold stiff corpses back to life as the widow of Nain's son, Jarirus' daughter, stinking Lazarus. He was transformed to light,  raised from the dead, and ascended into Heaven. Miracle traditions in other religions occur centuries later of  Buddha who denied god and Muhammad who disclaimed miracles. The mystery religions of a dying and rising god came after apostolic times and never claimed a virgin birth, sinless God-man who died to save sinners, arose again, and promised to one day judge humanity.

3. There's nothing false or tricky about Jesus' miracles. They usually  occur in the daylight before persons close at hand.  He healed people spontaneously upon request, and sometimes at a distance. For three and a half years he healed people before crowds at the sea shore, the temple, and passing through towns when people brought their diseased, sick and maimed. He healed them immediate without relapses and the  healed were known both before and after. Jesus challenged his opponents to find fault in him which forced them to admit his miracles,  but attribute their good to the devil. The apostle John says these are only a part of his miracles which must have been hundreds (Jn 21:24-25).
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4. Natural explanations can't explain away Jesus' miracles. Nobody can fake so many and such varied kinds of miracles--nature miracles, healings, casting out demons, and raising the dead. They can't be freaks of nature, hypnotism, coma, or  magic. They were not like statues crying blood or the walking cross of the Apocryphal Gospels. His healings were not done under cover of night in a tent at a distance using speaking devices and manipulative techniques like fake healers requesting money. And doctored up skulls to look half human shouldn't be made to deceive us about a supposed race of ape-men. Modern translations are made from many early Greek manuscripts and the New testament is now estimated to be 99% accurate and the most accurate document of antiquity.
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5. Jesus' miracles are entirely credible.  Matthew, Mark, and Luke published their accounts within  thirty years of Jesus' death from earlier documents, and not in the second century as critics would have us believe. Proof his disciples were not ignorant of nature's patterns is that they were at first astonished and skeptical. Jesus repeatedly rebuked them for unbelief. They were skeptical even about his resurrection though he raised three persons and told them several times he would die and rise again. Jesus and his apostles taught honesty, integrity, and the world's highest moral standards in the Gospels and Epistles. Would you endure ridicule, torture, and horrible death for what you knew to be a despicable lie? Neither did Jeus' disciples! See  Lk. 1:1-3; Jn. 19:35; Acts 1:3; 2:22-24; 2 Peter 3:16
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6. Jesus continually claimed to be God all the while he performed his miracles. He claimed to be the bread of life and fed thousands on two occasions with little food. He claimed to be the resurrection and the life and raised three persons from the dead. He fulfilled multiple prophecies about his virgin birth, sinless life, death for sinners, and resurrection. He claimed the attributes of God: He existed before the world came into being (Jn. 17:4, 24). He is in heaven and on earth at the same time (Jn. 3:13). He forgives sins as God (Matt. 9:1-8). He knows all things (Jn. 16:30). The Jews fully understood his claims to be God rather than just a man (Jn. 10:33).
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Our world is at the crossroads. We will side with Darwin saying nature is everything meaning atheism is true and live an animal lifestyle returning to barbarianism. Or, we trust in Jesus who gives us salvation, truth, moral standards, human dignity, freedom for responsible living, justice, love, a rational world, and hope for eternal life. Loving and serving Jesus who paid for our sins on the cross will make a better world. Darwin's atheism  will reduce us to animals and destroy all hope. WHICH LIFE DO YOU CHOOSE?  Think about it carefully.
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God's Instructions for A Better World

                    God's Instructions for A Better World

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 Jesus and the Bible tell us of a God who loves us, became a man among us, lived a perfect life, died to save us, and rose again to show us it's all true. This teaching has been Christianity's  light through the darkness and it's standard of hope.  But Creation, the Bible, prayer in Jesus' name, the Ten Commandments, moral absolutes, the Cross, Jesus, and Christians are often ridiculed and banned. Evolution, moral relativism, corruption, condoms, the pill, S.T.D.'S, abortions, homosexuality, pornography, rape, divorce, violence, crime, poverty, suicide, and disregard for human life is taking their place in many areas. Why? Let me share reasons I believe it's true and what we can do about it.

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Why Such Spiritual and Moral Decline?

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1.  The atheist philosophy of evolution destroys everything Christian faith provides. No God means by chance and time we evolved as soulless animals without a basis for dignity, rationality, ethics, ultimate purpose and life after death. True, we can't perform an experiment to prove God, but we can't prove evolution that way either. If the missing links between life forms were found, that would prove evolution, but the fact that they're missing suggests they may never have existed, and that points to creation and God. We know too that life forms have genetic limits which again points to the Bible's claim that God created everything to reproduce after its own kind. Moreover, irreducible complexity among life forms shows they all must be complete and functional from the outset as none can exist with  partially developed reproductive, circulation, and digestive systems and organs to see, hear, and move. Now shouldn't reason and our most crucial benefits be preferred to unscientific prejudice? Shouldn't good science seek the truth wherever it's found?
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According to the Bible, God created the universe, then man in his image distinct from the animals. This gives us the basis for a rational world, human dignity, ethics, life after death, responsibility to God, justice, love, truth, even experimental science. Biblical Christianity gives abundant evidence of creation to those with open minds to receive it. Our conscience too makes no sense unless there's a God we're responsible to. Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, is right that it doesn't ultimately matter how many human heads he puts in his refrigerator if there's no God. Christ's fulfilled prophecies, miracles, claims to be God are based upon good history for those willing to check out the evidence both biblical and secular. But denials and unwilling excuses may prove fatal while chaos covers our lands and insecurity grips our people.
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2. Hollywood entertainment is demoralizing the United States and the world. One doesn't have to have lived long to discern the moral lapse of Hollywood entertainment. Profanity, adultery, nudity, betrayal, sex, seduction, violence, murder--things we would have been horrified to witness decades ago are standard shows now. Shooting the "walking dead" is just one example of dehumanizing human life. Hardly any pictures portray moral examples to solve our problems and guide our lives.

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3. Corrupt politicians that promise reform but promote their own agenda. They may be well meaning at first, but when politicians can raise their own salaries, cater to special interests that benefit them and enhance their power, prestige and wealth, the temptations are enormous. History is replete with emperors, dictators, kings and tyrants who live in palaces, suppress citizen's freedom, keep them poor and dependent with taxes, restrictions, and secret police so they can control them. They promote some ideologies such as socialism, communism, racial liberation, or Islam they claim will help their people, but it is a false hope and means to usurp power and control citizens. 

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4. Exploding Islam imposing Islamic Law on the world. Growing Islam is based upon Muhammad's claim that the angel Gabriel gave him the Qur'an making him Allah's final prophet or authority.  Knowledgeable people know Muhammad lived centuries after Jesus and His apostles yet claimed meticulous devout Jews and Christians changed God's Word which he corrected in the Qur'an. Muslim ethics is do whatever Allah's prophet Muhammad did to establish Islam. Muhammad robbed caravans, broke promises, and had persons killed with the sword who didn't submit to Islam (means submission). Women are denied rights given to men. Muslim teaching is that there's only two worlds: Islam and those who oppose it. And, there's no separation of Islam from the state and its duty to impose Islamic Law on every aspect of life by force if necessary.

5. The wicked world system. "Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God (James 4:4). Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh,  lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of God (1 John. 2:15). 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).

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6.  The devil and his demons. Certainly, if the universe's Creator exists who made man, there's no reason He could not create spirit beings or angels as well. To deny God is to give place to the devil. The Bible calls him the god of this world, the prince and power of the air, the originator of evil, and a mighty angel. He can appear as an angel of light to deceive us about the the truth of God and the gospel (Gal. 1:8). But he can't be everywhere or know everything as God. He and his fallen angels or demons can be resisted by prayer and submission to God. Satan will one day empower the Antichrist to temporarily deceive and take over the world (Rev. 13:3-8).  But he is under God's power, his evil  included within God's purposes, and for God's greater glory. Praise our sovereign Lord!

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What Can God's People Do About It?
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 If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
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If my people who are called by My name. Threw out the ages people thought and called religious persons God's people who were not His people. God's people must have the true faith in the one true God (John 1:1-4; Heb. 1:1-3; 11:1-2; 6).  Today God's people are believers in Christ as Lord and Savior and called Christians. It's true all people are God's creation, but few people know God in redemption, and that makes an eternity of difference. Jesus said, "You must be born again" (John 3:7).
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Will humble themselves. Christians are to turn from self-promotion to God promotion. The lust of the flesh mentioned above is our attempts to satisfy our sinful nature in opposition to God.  Instead, we must trust, love and obey God seeking his kingdom first, then our heavenly Father will provide our basic needs such as food, drink, and clothing (Matt. 6:31-33). Others may not esteem our godly living as it makes them feel guilty about their rebellious lifestyle. Yes, we are to strive for excellence but beware of arrogance. Worldly positions of greatness people admire may be least in God's kingdom as it's not how many serve us, but how many we serve (Mark 9:34-35). "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up" (James 4:10). 
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And pray and seek My face. A selfish, rebellious heart wants nothing to do with God. And it's not men of standing, but men of kneeling who please God. "Confess your tresspasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 4:16). Good king Jehoshaphat set up reforms throughout his land and when an overwhelming army came up against him, he turned eyes unto the Lord acknowledging the God of heaven who ruled the nations. He told his people to "Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe the prophets, and you shall prosper." When they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against his enemies and they were defeated." When God's people get right, God acts  (2 Chronicles 20:6, 20, 22).  2 Chron. 19 and 20 are most inspiring.
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And turn from their wicked ways. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear" (Ps. 66:18). God who designed us knows what's best for us. His Word can speak to us about our family life, our work, our relationships, our financies, our temptations, fears, successes, failures and opportunities (Heb. 4:12; 2 Tim. 3:16).  Following His instructions enable us to accomplish things that make a huge difference in the world for good and that count for eternity. We are to be as salt that keeps the world from moral and spiritual decay and light that penetrates the darkness of ignorance and evil.  We need the Lord but we must turn from our wicked ways (Isiah. 55:6-7; Jeremiah 33:3).
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Then I will hear from heaven. "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes" (Prov. 21:1). The Lord can turn the king's heart and any heart to do His will but the Lord works through His people. Of the serious problems above and others I've not mentioned, I believe Christians themselves are the biggest hindrance to God's work. The Lord's final words were to tell others He Saves us sinners (Matt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15; Lk. 24:46-47; Jn. 20:30-31). Acts 1:12).  Jesus said, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matt. 4:19). Are you obeying Jesus telling others of the Lord and Savior that can make a better world?
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We can make a dozen excuses to keep from following and obeying the One we call Lord. I don't have time, but may watch hours of TV, play computer games, or something else. That's for qualified pastors or theologians, but we've heard the gospel many times and they can only reach a few. My friends will think I'm a religious fanatic, but that means we're ashamed of the One who loves us most.  Even those on my blog without pictures show more fear than faith. I witness by my life, but only the gospel can save people from hell. The loving Jesus warned us more about hell than any other and if it doesn't exist, then it doesn't ultimately matter how we believe and behave. Modern technology enables us to witness in ways previous Christians could never imagine. Such as letters, telephone, radio, TV, and the internet in addition to warm loving face to face attention.
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We can win others to the Savior simply by explaining any Bible passage such as John 1:12-13; 29; 3:16; 3:36; 5:24; 11:25; 14:6; Rom. 5:8-9; 6:23; 10:9-10; Eph. 1:29; 2:8-9 and others.  Young people join the military knowing they may give their life for their country, how much better for time and eternity to give our lives for Christ. We can avoid being ashamed when we stand before the judgment seat of the Lord Jesus Christ to answer how we conducted our life (1 Cor. 3:7-15). Let's pray and trust God to enable us to tell others of our Lifegiver wherever we go.
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And will forgive their sin and heal their land. God is looking for gap men on behalf of the land or He's sure to bring judgment (Ezek. 22:30-31). Are you willing to be one? Considers how God made proud King Nebuchadnezzar a beast in the field until he acknowledged God as king (Dan. 4). How the Lord stirred up Cyrus, king of Persia, to build the temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 1:1-3). "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know (Jer. 33:3).
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Would you do service for Jesus your King? There's power in the blood, pow'r in the blood;
Would you live daily His praises to sing? There's wonderful pow'r in the blood.
There is pow'r pow'r, Wonder working pow'r in the blood of the Lamb.  Hymn by Lewis E. Jones
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When Our Life Has Ultimate Meaning

                     When Our Life Has Ultimate Meaning

Yes! Family and friends give meaning to our life. We love our spouse, enjoy good times together, are eager for children, grandchildren and to guide them to know the best life. We take pride in our job, our achievements. We've important in government, the military, sports, art, acting, as a writer, farmer, newscaster, scientist, or a hundred other things. We're a good golfer, fishermen, dressmaker, homemaker, and counselor that people respect and ask our advise. Now here's the big question: Can we take anything with us beyond the grave? Does our life have ultimate meaning? Consider these five Bible teachings.

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1. Our life has ultimate meaning when we recognize God as the intelligent Source of everything. We don't live in a magical world where things can appear from nothing without cause or reason and organize themselves into elements, life forms and man. Nor are there limited gods evolved from nature who fight and destroy themselves as ancient peoples believed. Things are not meaningless irrational wonders but purposefully related and  make sense  because  they originated from One infinite intelligent Source the Bible defines as our Creator and God. He deserves our abundant thanksgiving and praise. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1).
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2. Our life has ultimate meaning when we acknowledge God is working out everything to fulfill His great plan and we can be part of it. Unlike other religion's Holy Books, the Bible records the beginning and the end from creation (Genesis 1-2) to recreation (Rev. 21-22). For only God can know the end from the beginning (Isa. 46:9-10). God's hand is evident a thousand times throughout the Bible working to bring his great plan to fruition., Moses, the child of slaves, became the son of Pharaoh's daughter, yet was raised by his own parents, and became Israel's leader and lawgiver. Joseph, dreamed of his family bowing before him, but then everything seemed to go wrong.His brothers sold him into slavery, in a hostile he was jailed for a crime he didn't commit. But in God's time he interpreted Pharaoh's dream and became the Prince of Egypt. Abram, following God's commands against impossible circumstances, became the father of many nations. God anointed a lowly shepherd boy David to become Israel's greatest king. Saul, the great persecutor of Christians, became Paul the great preacher of Christ. Wonderful ideals impossible for us can become certain with God. Jesus said, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matt. 19:26).  "I know the plans I have for you" --this is the Lord's declaration--"plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11). HCSB 
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 I think trust in God's promises becomes relevant at this point.  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil" (Prov. 3:5-7). "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly . . . but his delight is in the law of the Lord" (Ps. 1:1-2). "I am God and there is none like Me . . . saying my counsel will stand and I will do all my pleasure" (Isaiah 46:9-10). "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:15-17).  "It is God who works in you both to will and to do His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).
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3. Our life has ultimate meaning when we accept that we're accountable to our great Moral Lawgiver. If there's no personal ethical God, then there's no standard of right or wrong and our actions are accountable only to ourselves and what we can get by with. We may feel guilt, but it makes no sense. Why not have our fling?--sex, drugs, killing, whatever, passions are so strong,  all we do is ultimately meaningless as we may die any time.  Yes, we try to be nice to others so they hopefully will be nice to us. And we make laws so we can live together and survive until the end. It's so depressing we surpress it. But practical logic dictates--eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die. From dirt we came and to dirt we return--without God life has no great eternal purpose.
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But if we can be open minded to the evidence of God all around us we can gain a different persepective. The hairs in our nose make no sense unless God know they are needed to filter out dust particles and two nostrils are needed since one stops up. Our eyes are recessed for protection against bumps. Our head is on our shoulders with two eyes to focus vision and two ears to hear better. We have bitting teeth in front and crushing teeth in back of our mouth and a tongue to move food around with digestive acids in our stomach to digest food. Our brain is capable of far more than we ever learn. Now tell me unconscious mindless chemicals can plan and execute all this even in unlimited time! No! It's our intelligent God who did it and who loves us and wants to be Lord of our life. But he is love and never forces entrance; He stands at the door of willing hearts and knocks (Rev. 3:20).
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4. Our life has ultimate meaning when we understand God has made Himself known to us in Christ. We know there's so many religions; we can't check them all out and they all claim to be right. But honesty compels us to admit that when they contradict each other, they can't all be right. Further, they are based upon the claim to have spoken with an angel, or to have spoken with God. Anybody can claim that--it proves nothing! We must have a firmer basis than just a man's statements anybody can make.
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What would it take to demonstrate to honest thinking persons a religion is of God? What if someone who claimed to be God did things predicted centuries before such as be born in Bethlehem, from a virgin, have a sinless life, die for sinners, perform miracles, arise from the dead, and ascend into heaven? What if he claimed Godly characteristics such as being eternal, knowing men's minds, existing  everywhere, having power to raise the dead, command angels and demons, and judge men on the last day?  What if he could walk on water, instantly heal all manner of diseases, and raise stiff cold corpses from the dead? What's known of Jesus is never said of any other religion. And His disciples would never have rished torture and died for what they knew to be a lie.
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All these things were written of Jesus in the Gospels. He had twelve followers as eyewitnesses for three and a half years. Knowing nature's patterns, they were repeatedly skeptical at first. But later endured ridicule, rejection, torture and death from their countrymen and later the Romans being so convinced Jesus was God. Secular writers, often hostile to Christianity, mention many of the same things said of Jesus. Archaeological writings and artifacts confirm the persons, places, events, and dates given in the Gospels are true to fact. Jesus' miracles were not weird things as statues moving said of the Greek and Roman gods, but natural things as multiplying food to feed hungry people as would be expected of a loving God and nature's Lord. Wouldn't all that be genuine evidence that Jesus claims to be God were true? Only in Christ can we have such great assurance, meaning and purpose in our life.

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5. Our life has ultimate meaning when we trust in the only One who can assure us of Heaven. Skeptical scientists predict a meteor or asteroid stricking the earth can destroy it. Or earthquakes, volcano eruptions, or even man's awesome weapons may destroy us all. The Bible says, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness" (2 Peter 10-11).
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Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6)."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. DO YOU BELIEVE THIS?" (John 11:25). "Amen, Even so, come Lord Jesus! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen" (Revelation 22:21, 17). "WHOEVER DESIRES, LET HIM TAKE OF THE WATER OF LIFE FREELY." A faith-love relationship in life and Heaven later can be yours. It's your choice. Jesus loves and died for you, will you now say, I trust you now Lord to save me, the sinner?
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Standing on the promises of Christ my King, Thro' eternal ages let His praises ring;
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing, Standing on the promises of God.
Standing on the promises that cannot fail, When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living word of God I shall prevail, Standing on the promises of God.
Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord, Bound to Him eternally by love's strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit's Sword, Standing on the promises of God.  --Hymn by R. Carter.

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