Until

Until
Rick Warren stated,

You were made by God and for God, 

and until you understand that, 

life will never make sense. 

                                                                        Rick Warren
For me life makes no sense without God. Life has no meaning if all we are here to do is to produce the next generation then die. Those who do not believe in God I believe have it wrong.
Peter John Kreeft make an interesting point when he states,
“Atheism treats people cheaply. Also, it robs death of meaning, and if death has no meaning, how can life ultimately have meaning? Atheism cheapens everything it touches, look at the results of communism, the most powerful form of atheism on earth.
And in the end, when the atheist dies and encounters God instead of nothingness he had predicted he’ll recognize that atheism was a cheap answer because it refused the only thing that’s not cheap the God of infinite value” Peter John Kreeft ph.d.
The Psalmist tells us,

“Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 

Worship the LORD with gladness;

 come before him with joyful songs. 

Know that the LORD is God. 

It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, 

the sheep of his pasture. 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; 

give thanks to him and praise his name. 

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; 

his faithfulness continues through all generations.” 

Psalm 100:1-5.

 I as a Christian believe we were created by God to have fellowship with God.
The choice however to believe in God or not always belongs to you the individual. God did not create robots. He created living beings who have a freewill, a freewill to believe in him or not. Thus the choice is yours.
Please think about it.

God

God
Thomas Aquinas said,
“To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” Thomas Aquinas.
I as a Christian believe you have two choices in this life.
1/ Believe there is a God who created the Heavens and the Earth. That He entered this world He created in the form of Jesus, His one and only Son through whom he provided a way to heaven.
2/ Do not believe in God and the Saving Grace offered by Jesus and not go to heaven.
It all comes down to faith. Be you a Christian or Atheist you must have faith.
A Christian has faith that the words of the writer of Hebrews is true when he said,
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had self-righteous purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:1-3  
Christians believe,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9.
Christians believe you cannot work your way to heaven. It is only by accepting the free grace of God by faith that you may enter heaven.
The writer of Hebrews states,
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6.
Obviously Atheist do not believe this. Never-the-less Atheist do not believe in “nothing” their faith is in their own for lack of a better term “self-righteousness”
They have made themselves if you will “a god.” For in order to be absolutely certain there is no God you must have been everywhere and know everything.
For if you don’t know everything then your not knowing God exists may be the thing you don’t know.
Likewise if you have not been everywhere then God may well be where you have not been and we all know there is no one living today who has been beyond the grave.
Thus the choice is yours.
Believe what the New Testament says about God and Jesus or do not believe.
The question I would ask you those who do not believe in God is, Are you so confident in your beliefs that you are willing to risk your eternal destiny on those beliefs?
The way I see it as a Christian if I am wrong I have lived a good moral life. If I am wrong I have lost nothing.
On the other hand if you do not believe in God and he exists as I believe he does, you have lost everything.
Please think about it.

God Created

God Created
The Book of Genesis tells us,

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” 

Genesis 1:1

Paul Dirac said,

“God used beautiful mathematics in creating the world.” 

Paul Dirac

I am a Christian. I have read the Bible. At the same time I am a firm believer in that science done correctly will give proof God created the heavens and the Earth.
The Psalmist states,

“The heavens declare the glory of God;

 the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 

Day after day they pour forth speech; 

night after night they display knowledge. 

There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.” 

Psalm 19:1-3

I am told by scientist that the earth is at the exact place not only in the solar system to sustain life as we know it, but in the exact place in the universe.
The scientists are showing that the universe is mathematically perfect. We may not have all the correct formulas for predicting things that happen in the universe yet, but given enough time that will happen.
The perfection of the universe to sustain life as we know it, to my way of thinking points to the universe being created by God.
Whether God used the big bang or any other means makes no difference. The fact remains God could have created the universe any way He wished.
What I would ask of those who are reading this and don’t believe in God or for that matter Christians who do believe in God, is look up on You Tube a couple of videos by Hugh Ross.
Hugh Ross is an astrophysicist who believes in God. Two of his videos use science to show God could create the universe. The Videos are “God and the Big Bang” and Genesis One and Natural History.
Please take time to both read the Bible and listen to these videos. Do so with an open mind and I believe God will show Himself to you.
Please think about it. 

Faith in God

Faith  in God

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for

 and certain of what we do not see.”  

Hebrews 11:1

Blaise Pascal said,
“Belief is a wise wager. Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He exists.” Blaise Pascal.
Do you believe in God? I have heard many ardent atheist state there is no God and speak loudly against God. Many sadly ridicule those who believe in God.
If you do not believe in God that’s your right. However I would ask are you certain, truly certain there is no God?
Like Pascal said, “faith cannot be proved” but having faith in God even if He does not exist cannot hurt. After all to state the obvious something that does not exist cannot hurt you.
Following God who has set before every person a set of morals that make life better both for the individual and society as a whole is a good thing even if he doesn’t exist.
On the other hand if God does exist and I as a Christian truly believe this. Then those who do not believe in Him have a problem. Why would God let someone into heaven who does not believe in Him.
Jesus speaking of himself said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”. John 3:16-18.
We in this life are given a choice. We can act in faith and believe in God or we can reject God completely there is no middle ground.
The writer of Hebrews tells us,

“And without faith it is impossible to please God,

 because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists 

and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” 

Hebrews 11:6

What I would ask you the reader be you an Atheist, a Christian or someone of another faith, is read at least the New Testament and see what believers in Jesus said and taught about Him.
Please think about it.

The Bible

The Bible
The Bible does not defend itself. It was written to people who accepted its message and therefore spends little time convincing its readers of its authenticity.
It states.

“In the beginning God created 

the heavens and the Earth” 

Genesis 1:1. 

        Then essentially leaves the reader to decide for themselves.
Charles Spurgeon once said,
       “The Bible does not need to be defended any more than a caged lion needs to be defended. All we need to do is let it out of its cage, and it will defend itself.” Charles Spurgeon 
What I find is most people who do not believe the Bible have not read it. Those who have read it and don’t believe it, all too often have read it with their minds already made up.
What I would suggest to anyone especially if you have not read the Bible is to read it for themselves. Then talk to people who believe in the Bible. To go to a Church and ask the pastor to explain what he believes and why. I always suggest going to Baptist churches around the world as they are well rooted in their beliefs.
  There are also some excellent teachers that you can go to on the internet. William Lane Craig explains the existence of God very well. He has numerous videos on Youtube. As does Hugh Ross. Hugh Ross is a pastor and Astrophysicist. He is especially good at explaining the creation of the world and showing how it lines up with the Bible.
The key however here, is don’t go by what others say about the Bible. Take time to at least read the New Testament. Read what the first century Christians believed about Jesus. What Christians today believe about Jesus. Then decide for yourself.
Please think about it.

An Admission

An Admission
The apostle Paul states,
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  
For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 
Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  
For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.  
Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom,  but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,  but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” 1 Corinthians 1:18-25.
Paul in the above portion of his letter to the Corinthian church points out that what we Christians believe, that Jesus was crucified, died, and rose from the grave, seems foolishness to those who are not Christians. Yet we believe this.
The writer of Hebrews tells us,
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:1-3.
Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God, God incarnate that he provided purification for our sins.
To my knowledge no other faith believes the founder of their faith is God in the flesh. That he entered the world He created to provide purification for our sins. That we may spend eternity with Him in heaven.
If this belief is false then the close to three billion Christian in the world today and millions who have passed on into eternity have been fooled, in what would be the biggest lie in history.
Fortunately it is not a lie and the call of Jesus is,

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, 

and I will give you rest.  

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,

for I am gentle and humble in heart,

 and you will find rest for your souls.  

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

 Matthew 11:28-30.

Christians offer the world a choice. Jesus speaking of himself said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”. John 3:16-18
  Thus the choice is yours. Who do you think Jesus is. Before you answer that however read the new testament for yourself and see what the followers of Christ thought about him.
Please think about it. 

All God Requires

All God Requires
A. B. Simpson said,

“All that God requires of us is an opportunity 

to show what He can do.” 

A. B. Simpson.

Part of the problem I find with those who do not believe in God is that they do not give God a chance.
Many atheist that I have met have made up their minds and refuse to listen to even the most logical argument about the existence of God.
Peter John Kreeft states
“Atheism is cheap on people through because it snobbishly says nine out of ten people through history have been wrong about God and have had a lie at the core of their hearts.” Peter John Kreeft ph.d.
True Atheist also set themselves us as the ultimate judge. A god if you will. They in effect say I know everything and have been everywhere. Because if they do not know everything and not been everywhere there exists the possibility that one of the things they do not know about is the existence of God.
Also if they have not been everywhere there exists the possibility that God is in the one place they have never been. And one place they have never been is beyond the grave.
The Psalmist states bluntly,

“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” 

Psalm 14:1.

Likewise the Psalmist tells us,

“The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” 

Psalm 19:1.  

To my mind without extensively examining the existence of God with an open mind from all perspectives, both the prospective of an atheist and a believer in God. Without looking at the facts that are all around that point to the existence of God is simply a poor way of deciding there is not God.
The choice however is up to you. I as a Christian believe there is a God who gave each person a freewill to choose to believe and act as they wish. That freedom includes whether a person believes in God or not.
The two questions I always ask those who don’t believe in God is are you truly certain that what you believe is true? Are you so certain that you are willing to risk your eternal resting place on that belief?
Please think about it.

God, Eternity, and You

God, Eternity, and You
The other day I found this statement on the internet by and unknown author it says,

“Peace is not the absence of affliction, 

but the presence of God.” 

Jesus said,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.
As a Christian I have found this statement to be completely true. I have gone through many highs and lows in my life and at all times God has been there for me.
I know it seems odd to some people but it’s true. God truly cares for you the individual. C. S. Lewis states,
“He died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less.” C.S. Lewis.
The God I love and serve truly does care for the individual who would have faith in Him.
Do you believe in God? Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God, God in the flesh?
Do you believe Jesus is the Christ who died for you sins, that you may have eternal life?
The Bible also makes it clear how we get to heaven. It come down to who you think Jesus is and what his purpose on this earth was for,
Jesus said,

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, 

that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,

 but to save the world through him.” 

John 3:16,17.

Jesus also said

“I am the way and the truth and the life. 

No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

 John 14:6b

   Paul writing to the Romans said,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
 Romans 3:23,24.
Sinning is falling short of what God wants for you in your life. Sin separates us from God.
Isaiah telling us,

“All of us have become like one who is unclean, 

and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; 

we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”  

Isaiah 64:6

  The apostle John noting,

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins 

and purify us from all unrighteousness.  

If we claim we have not sinned, 

we make him out to be a liar

 and his word has no place in our lives.” 

1 John 1:9,10.

Paul make it clear salvation is not something we can work for. Paul writing to the Ephesians stating,

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith

and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God

 not by works, so that no one can boast.”  

 Ephesians 2:8,9

Ultimately salvation is an act of faith, Hebrews stating,

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, 

because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists 

and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him”

Hebrews 11:6

Faith defined as,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see.” 

 Hebrews 11:1

What do you believe?
Think about it.

A Truth

A Truth
Voltaire said

“I cannot imagine how the clockwork of the universe

 can exist without a clock maker.” 

Voltaire

C. S. Lewis said,

“We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade,

 the presence of God.” 

C.S. Lewis.
The Psalmist declares,

“The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” 

Psalm 19:1.

As I look around I see an ordered universe. One so well balanced so coordinated that it allows life as we know it to exist on this planet. I cannot believe this happened by chance.
To my mind it takes far more faith to believe the Universe as we know it simply came together by chance, than it does to believe in a God who created the Universe. As a Christian I believe the Apostle John who wrote,
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  
He was with God in the beginning. 
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  
In him was life, and that life was the light of men....
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ” John 1:1-4,14.
I believe God created the heavens and the earth. I believe that, that same God entered His creation in the form of His one and only Son Jesus to point mankind to Himself.
I believe that God has given everyone a freewill to choose whether or not to believe in Him or not. God did not make androids designed to follow his every desire without question.
God created each human being with the ability to think for him or her self. To decide whether or not God even exists. Whether or not Jesus is God’s one and only Son the Saviour of mankind.
Jesus speaking of himself gave all people everywhere a choice when he said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”. John 3:16-18.
Please take some time to read the New Testament at the very least and see what the followers of Jesus thought and taught about him.
Please think about it.

Of Atheist and God

Of Atheist and God
Peter John Kreeft said,
“Atheism is cheap on people through because it snobbishly says nine out of ten people through history have been wrong about God and have had a lie at the core of their hearts.” Peter John Kreeft ph.d.
The Psalmist states,
“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” Psalm 14:1.
Most people I meet who claim to be atheist simply haven’t taken the time to find out for themselves anything about God.
The ones I would call true atheist are as Kreeft put it “snobbishly saying nine out of ten people throughout history have been wrong about God”
They have made themselves judge and jury. In doing so they have essentially put themselves in the position of being a god. For to say there is no God is to say I have been everywhere and know everything.
For to say absolutely that there is no God one must have been everywhere because the one place the person may not have been may very well be the place God is. And we know for a fact no one living today has gone beyond the grave.
I make no apologies I am a Christian I believe there is a God that loves us and has prepared a place for those who would have faith in Him.
I believe God went to the extreme of entering the world he created in the form of His one and only Son Jesus to point mankind to Himself the writer of Hebrews telling us,
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:1-3  
All it takes on our part to get to heaven is faith in Christ. The writer of Hebrews telling us.

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, 

because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists 

and that he rewards 

those who earnestly seek him.” 

Hebrews 11:6.

Faith being defined as,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for

 and certain of what we do not see.”  

Hebrews 11:1

I know for many who do not believe in God it is hard to have faith in someone you cannot see feel or hear.
Perhaps that however is the point. God knows those who have faith in anything are the true believers.
Please think about it.

A note about Christians

A Note about Christians
Jesus said,
“Many will say to me  on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’  
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Matthew 7:22,23.
Throughout the centuries until the present day there are many who call themselves Christians who are not. It’s easy to call yourself a Christian quote some Bible references and not be a Christian. Going to church or saying you are a Christian does not make you a Christian anymore than standing in a fire station and calling yourself a fireman make you one.
There are many sitting in every church around the world today that are not Christians. There are may preachers, pastors, evangelist, priests and other preaching from the pulpit, be it in the church or in the electronic media that are not Christian.
Evangelical Christians in a nutshell will tell you that in order to be a Christian you must recognize Jesus as the One and Only Son of God, accept Him into your heart and life. That you must confess your sins to God. And accept the Saving Grace God offers you through Jesus.
It’s a simple and true formula. However far too many who call themselves Christians follow the formula only. They fail to let Jesus lead them. They fail to follow the teachings of Christ. They do things that God never intended them to do.
A true Christian is called to love God, their neighbour and even their enemy to do less is to question if the person is a Christian at all.
Jesus when asked,
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  
This is the first and greatest commandment.  
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40
Jesus also said,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,...” Matthew 5:43,44
Note Jesus tells Christian to Love God, their neighbour, and even their enemy.
Jesus tells Christians
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1,2.
The apostle Paul states,
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  
God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:12,13.
Christians are not allowed to judge those outside the church that is God’s job. Christians may judge those inside the church but that is to make sure the person is teaching the word of God correctly.
The apostle Paul tells Christians
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  
gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”   Galatians 5:22,23.
Here the apostle Paul tell Christians what attributes a Christian should show in their life. Positive things, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.  Attributes respected by all people.
James the half brother of Jesus said,
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?  
Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  
If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?  
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.  
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?” James 2:14-20.
What James is telling Christians is that Christianity while believing the individual is saved by the grace of God. That same faith should result in actions to help the needy and others.
The Writer of Hebrew tells Christians,
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14.
This is what it is to be a true Christian. To be and do less is to question if a person is truly committed to Christ.
Please think about it.

Who is Jesus

Who is Jesus?
         Here are a few things Christians believe about Jesus.
The gospel of Matthew states,
“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.”  Matthew 16:13-17.
John’s gospel records Jesus speaking to Martha asked,
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;  and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
“Yes Lord” she told Him, “I believe you are the Christ the Son of God, who was to come into the world,” John 11:25,26,27.
Earlier in John’s gospel, John records this incident in which Jesus is asked directly who he is. John records,
“The Jews gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 
Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.  
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.  
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  
I and the Father are one.” 
Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” John 10:24-32.
Note here that Jesus even when faced with possibly being stoned to death did not deny that he and God were one. Jesus left nothing to chance. He and his disciples claimed He was the One and only Son of God. The Saviour of mankind.
This is what Christians believed in the days when Jesus walked the earth. This is what Christians believe in 2016.