Life's Crucial Questions

                                  Life's Crucial Questions

Look at ME! Listen to My experiences. I'm so great? If all I care about is Me and My little world, then I might be in serious trouble! Three questions capture the essence of where I'm going.
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#Questions

Is There A God?

For many persons it's purely an academic question so when they decide a yes or no answer they can return to themselves. But what if this question decides more issues of greatest import than all else and it's simply ignored? Is that wise?

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 In the world we observe many kinds of trees, plants, birds, fish, animals, creeping things. Did they create themselves? Each one is designed with a specific genetic code and is far more complex than even the most brilliant persons could ever imagine. Doesn't all this point to an intelligence and will far exceeding us?

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Humans are the most intelligent creatures we know of on the planet. For sure the elements are forms of unconscious energy that can neither know nor design anything. And, isn't it absurd to say their atoms just happen to all fall in place to produce such an enormous variety of complex creatures? Aren't partial developed organs such as wings, legs, eyes, ears, arms and partially developed systems such as digestive and reproductive useless unless complete and operative from the beginning? All these things compel me to believe nothing less than a creative God is required to explain it all. Can you agree?

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Common sense tells us something can't come from nothing as nothing means powerless nonexistence. We now know the universe had a beginning point suggesting a Beginner since nothing of itself explodes into everything. The universe is elongated or stretched out not spherical as an explosion would be. It is both expanding and losing useful energy. Unless it existed to create itself which is absurd, it is dependent upon an outside originating Source or Creator. Further, its present dependent existence requires such a Source to uphold its existence. Isn't all this obvious?
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Is There Life After Death?

A mystic's claim that life exists after death  gives me no assurance it's true. Mystics can claim frogs can turn into people or anything else if they like. Mormons claim people can become gods and have their own planet. But I must see some examples of such things to believe them true.

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The only way we can really know if life exists after death is for dead persons to come back to life. It amazes me that liberals claim persons of the Bible brought back to life were merely revived from a coma and that Jesus' death on the cross was that he merely swooned. Anybody who has ever touched dead persons know they are cold stiff corps, life has departed and body oder shortly sets in.

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Do skeptics think the trained soldier executioners guarding Jesus on the cross were uncertain of his death? They overlook the fulfillment of the prophecy that no bone of his would be broken while the guards broke the legs of the two thieves to hasten death, that Jesus promised one thief would join him in paradise, and  that one guard acknowledged Jesus was the Son of God. Furthermore, they overlook Psalm 22 and 15 New Testament messianic quotations of or allusions to it which lead some in the early church to call it "the fifth gospel." If the event occurred, it doesn't matter if it was two thousand years ago or two million. The reality and meaning of it remains forever the same that Jesus died to save us sinners bearing our sin upon the cross.

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But Jesus didn't remain a dead man upon the cross, but is a risen Lord and Savior of all who put their trust and hope in Him. Evidences of it abound for those willing to consider them. There is the empty sealed guarded tomb, the heavy bolder rolled from its entrance, the soldiers admitting Jesus was not there, the  neatly folded grave clothes, the angel announcing he is risen, a dozen appearances under all kinds of circumstances, Jesus eating and talking with astonished skeptical disciples talking about the kingdom of God, and his Ascension before five hundred eyewitnesses. All skeptic's theories honest with the evidence break down. See my other articles: Did Jesus Arise from the Tomb? Is There Life After Death?

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What does it mean for humanity? It means the most wonderful things. Unlike others imaginings, we are not soulless dirt as atheists believe, nor recycled energy as monists believe, but we alone in God's image have basis to be beings of dignity and destiny. Because Jesus lives, we know he is the God-man as he claimed so many times and ways. We know everything he taught and approved of is God's absolute truth. A rational Lord made a rational world we can understand, care for and use for our well-being. That makes literature, philosophy, and science possible. It makes ethics, justice, love, faith, hope and human well-being possible too.

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But while man is a being of dignity, it must not be overlooked that he is just as much a being of depravity--we have noble and creative potential, but also an ignoble destructive dark side to our nature. When our first parents, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God, it meant we inherited from them a sinful nature-- we naturally choose our desires and our will over our Maker's if we're not careful.

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This means we must way our attitudes and actions most carefully in light of God and His will. Every thought, word, and deed will one day come up for judgment and reward with God in the new Heaven, or for eternal separation from all we're known to be good in this life in an eternal abode of darkness, torment and despair. It's our choice--we're not robots without dignity and our loving God can't force Himself upon us. God and His Heaven cannot be corrupted as the earth.
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How Should We Then Live?

We not only have a conscience and human compassion to tell us we are to treat others as we would want them to treat us, but our God has given us His instruction book, the Bible, to inform us in specific matters. There is the Ten Commandments, The Sermon of the Mount, and many other lists of things we are and are not to do. Of course all God's instructions are based upon his holy or perfect nature which is our standard and by which we will one day be judged. To ignore all this or find excuses, or claim we're exempt as a special case is to one day face our all knowing Lord who won't except such excuses. See my article: The World's Excuses & God.

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Essentially, we must avoid human abuse and encourage others to follow God's instructions. That required that we learn and apply His word, that we meet together for worship, praise, thanksgiving, and instructions with God's people. And of course, it means we tell other's of our Lord and His saving experience. One way of sharing is to tell others of these Internet blog articles. You might be the means of them coming to the Lord and making wonderful differences both now and eternally.

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Probably, many reading this article know little or nothing, or have assurance  about the things discussed above. Let me invite you to relationship with your Maker, Savior, and Judge. He loves you and gave his human life to save you. Won't you enter a love-trust relationship with the Lord Jesus now that issues in obedience. He promised to never leave you and to give you eternal life with Him?

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"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)." Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed into life. . . . the dead will hear the voice of of God; and those who hear will live (John 5:24-25). Pray, Lord I trust You now to give me eternal life and forgive all my sin.

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Years I spent in vanity and pride, Caring not my Lord was crucified,

Knowing not it was for me He died On Calvary.

By God's Word at last my sin I learned; Then I trembled at the law I'd spurned,

Till my guilty soul imploring turned To Calvary.

Now I've giv'n to Jesus every thing, Now I gladly own Him as my King,

Now my raptured soul can only sign Of Calvary.

Oh, the love that drew salvation's plan! Oh, the grace that bro't it down to man!

Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span At Calvary.

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Mercy there was great, and grace was free; Pardon there was multiplied to me;

There my burdened soul found liberty, At Calvary.    ---Hymn by William R. Newel.

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