I recently had the painful joy of listening to an audio book called "Letter To A Christian Nation" by Sam Harris. I found it painful to listen to because of the arrogant tone filled with misrepresentations of my faith. I found it a joy because as I began to meditate more on some of the issues brought forth by Mr. Harris, and my faith in Jesus Christ was only strengthened, which I'm sure was not the author's intention. No his intention was clear, he wants his book to convert people to atheism.
It was a well written representation of the faith of an atheist. You may be confused by the term "The Faith of an atheist." However, after hearing the case presented by Sam Harris, I am convinced that he is a very faithful man. He is committed to his belief that the God of the Bible, or any god for that matter does not exist. This belief is not based on any evidence he has that God does not exist, only on his personal belief. He is committed to spreading the gospel of evolution. He is equally committed to eliminating any religous influence or representation in government. He is also committed to a fully secular world because he believes faith in any god is dangerous, and is holding back the advancement of humanity in many ways. In fact he even makes the case that Christian faith is actually immoral in several instances. In reality he is trying to impose his faith on others through government. Atheism is a faith in the sense that it makes us all our own gods with our own standards of what is good and what is bad. If you are an atheist, you answer to no higher authority of morality than yourself, which I find scary. So what he is trying to do is no different and no more or less dangerous than Christians imposing our faith into government. He makes the claim that his view is based on evidence and fact, but all of the points he asserts with great conviction were not backed up with any sort of objective evidence. He failed to provide any evidence as to how he knows there is no god, and all religions are foolish.
You see this is an act of faith on his part. He readily admits he cannot prove there is no god. He also admits that he cannot explain the origins of the universe or even how evolution got started. These are crucial points to skip over in making the type of bold assertions he makes in his book. So if his beliefs are based on his own personal faith and not fact, then what gives him the intellectual right to say Christianity is "False?" That is not a rhetorical question, it is an actual question. I will assert what the Bible says about atheists, and I will back it up with evidence that shows we can trust the Bible. Sam Harris backs up his claims with his own interpretations and opinions to back up his claims. Why should I trust or believe anything Sam Harris has to say. He cannot even tell us how the core of his faith (evolution) began. The Bible however provides prophetic, archaelogical, historical, philisophical, and scientific evidence that it indeed is a credible and trustworthy source for the truth about our common existance.
Though Sam Harris seems to be a very intelligent and well read individual, he does make several errors in his understanding of faith in the God of the Bible. So I will begin a series of responses to the points Sam Harris made in his book.
Sam Harris attacks several areas of the Bible that have to do with the consequences for violating the law under the covenant given to Israel through Moses. For Example: “We read the Golden Rule and judge it to be a brilliant distillation of many of our ethical impulses. And then we come across another of God’s teachings on morality: if a man discovers on his wedding night that his bride is not a virgin, he must stone her to death on her father’s doorstep (Deuteronomy 22:13-21).”
Sam Harris is making the point here that decrees like this are immoral. He goes on to make assumptions that Christians believe this verse applies to how we are to conduct ourselves. First of all this consequence for sin was not part of the universal moral law God gave, it was part of the judicial penalties He called for to be enforced by Israel. The Church has no mandate to stone anyone for violating the law of adultery. God deals with each person individually with great mercy and grace. God delt with Israel as a nation under strict observance of His perfect standards of righteousness to show us how serious He is about sin. To the extent that we are offended by God's judgement, is equal to how far we have fallen from God's love of righteousness in our hearts.
Sam Harris is missing the point of the Old Testament law and the righteousness of God. Harris is applying his own standard of good to these issues. His implication is that pre-marital sex is not bad enough to warrant the death penalty. That point fails to prove any sort of immorality in the scriptures. The law was given to show us God's standard of morality and how serious sin is to Him. The law also gives us an appreciation for God's mercy through Jesus Christ, because we are all deserving of death for the sins we have willfully comitted. There is an example of a woman caught in the act of adultery, yet Jesus did not condemn her. Scriptures say that Jesus did not violate any aspect of the law. This shows us that stoning this woman was not part of the law, but was the judicial penalty for breaking the law. Jesus being God, chose to have mercy on that woman, as he has mercy on His church today. The covanent was given to Israel to show us what we deserve. Scripture is clear about this, in fact Paul the Apostle goes to great lengths explaining this concept. The fact that Sam Harris does not get it, does not prove that the God of the Bible does not exist. It just shows that Sam Harris is judging right and wrong by his own corrupted standard, and not by the standard of his Creator and Savior. More to come...
Friday, June 3, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
A Message To All Bloggers
Although I greatly appreciate any comments, questions or even disagreements anyone may have, I am not doing this blog to be mocked or insulted. I do not tolerate any inappropriate language. If one does engage in this behavior, I have no reservations about deleting any comments written in such a tone. If one chooses to engage in this type of communication it means to me that this person has no interest in seeking truth, but in fact is so full of pride, they have convinced themselves they know it all. Not to mention the lack of common decency in treating another human being with respect. I apologize to those who have commented in a civil and respectful tone, for this posting.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Science and Philosophy Require the Existence of God
When dealing with the universe we have only two options to explain how the universe came into being. We know that the universe itself is not eternal. There is an abundance of evidence that supports the fact that at some point in time the universe did not exist and then did. The law of causality requires a deeper explanation for the genesis of the universe than the big bang theory. The big bang theory does not define a cause, but only a process. If something like the big bang happened ( which is a weak theory in and of itself), a cause is still required. This means a self existent, eternal designer is required. We can't just say this dependent universe came out of another dependent universe. At some point an eternal, self existent creative designer is required to explain the law and order we observe in our universe.
We also observe a natural moral law that is common throughout creation. Several studies have determined that moral law is not a product of environment, but it is written in our genetic make up. Therefore not only do we have a creative designing force, but we have a personal creator who has shown there is an intention or a purpose for our existence.
The athiest is not thinking this issue through. The athiest is basically saying " Because I cannot see my thoughts, my thoughts must not exist." This is no different than their approach to God. However the natural world has the fingerprints of a personal, moral, and creative designer all over it. To ignore this is called foolishness by the author of the Bible. The apostle Paul declared in Romans chapter one that we can know God exists through observing His creation.
It is actually quite simple. When we look at a painting, how do we know a painter exists. We look at the painting and know in our hearts that someone designed this painting personally and with a purpose. We can't prove scientifically that there was a painter but we know there was one, because paintings don't form themsleves by chance. How much more is this true when we look at the complexity and design of the natural universe. Once the so called athiest comes to terms with the fact the God exists we can move forward and start a discussion about how we can know the God of the Bible is the very God that created our universe.
We also observe a natural moral law that is common throughout creation. Several studies have determined that moral law is not a product of environment, but it is written in our genetic make up. Therefore not only do we have a creative designing force, but we have a personal creator who has shown there is an intention or a purpose for our existence.
The athiest is not thinking this issue through. The athiest is basically saying " Because I cannot see my thoughts, my thoughts must not exist." This is no different than their approach to God. However the natural world has the fingerprints of a personal, moral, and creative designer all over it. To ignore this is called foolishness by the author of the Bible. The apostle Paul declared in Romans chapter one that we can know God exists through observing His creation.
It is actually quite simple. When we look at a painting, how do we know a painter exists. We look at the painting and know in our hearts that someone designed this painting personally and with a purpose. We can't prove scientifically that there was a painter but we know there was one, because paintings don't form themsleves by chance. How much more is this true when we look at the complexity and design of the natural universe. Once the so called athiest comes to terms with the fact the God exists we can move forward and start a discussion about how we can know the God of the Bible is the very God that created our universe.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Are We Better Than Osama Bin Ladin?
In light of the recent events involving the killing of Osama Bin Ladin, I thought it was important to take a sober look at the situation from the perspective of God's Word. Many Americans and others have expressed great joy and actually celebrated the death of O.B.L.. My first response was my personal memory of people in the Middle East celebrating in the streets when the events of September 11th, 2001 happened. I was disgusted with anger then. Today I am disgusted with sadness.
I am saddened by this response Americans have had primarily because God said in Ezekial 33 that He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Secondly I am saddened at the spiritual blindness of our nation. Jesus said if we hate someone we are as guilty as a murderer. Most people who reject the Bible reject this statement and defend themselves by saying they would never do what O.B.L. did. I would add that God also said "If not for His grace, we would do the same evil."
Think about it. Lets say you were born in O.B.L.'s family, environement and nation. Already the chances of you becoming a hate filled terrorist has increased signifigantly. Now lets say you also were indoctrinated with the same garbage he was, and you had the same temperment. It is likely you would follow the teachings of Muhammud and become a terrorist unless some eye opening intervention took place.
You see we all have the capacity within us to become something evil. We hide alot of our hate and evil in our thoughts, but God knows our thoughts. God placed us in this society where it is likely we will not be tempted to become terrorists. So then the question that demands to be asked is this: Is God then not just because He allows people to grow up in environments where they can be tempted to be something so evil such as the case with O.B.L.? The answer is no. I can say this because God sees sin as sin. Here in America we sin in our thoughts, in Osama Bin Ladin's world, his sin manifested into his acts. God sees both the same. Therefore we have no right to celebrate the death of a wicked man, because we too are just as wicked. The only thing that could have saved Osama Bin Ladin, would have been him responding to God's call to repentance, and then him receiving Jesus Christ as his savior. I don't know if O.B.L ever heard the gospel, but as far as I can tell, I saw no repentance of his sins. True repentance, would have led him to the cross of Christ. God gave O.B.L. a conscience, so he knew what he was doing was evil. However he hardened his heart to God's love and then was blinded to the truth about Islam. That truth is that it is a religion created by Satan himself.
Most Americans have also hardened their hearts to God and need to repent. For those who claim they are not as evil as O.B.L. and yet live their lives rejecting God's call to repentance; they will end up in the same environment Osama Bin Ladin may have ended up in...The Lake of Fire.
I am sure this may have offended you, but the reality is that we are all dead in our sin, and can only be saved through what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross. We cannot be saved by being religous, and we cannot be saved by just trying to be "Good People." By God's standards, we are incapable of being "Good People." Therefore we need the grace and mercy of God that is given to us through Jesus.
I am saddened by this response Americans have had primarily because God said in Ezekial 33 that He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Secondly I am saddened at the spiritual blindness of our nation. Jesus said if we hate someone we are as guilty as a murderer. Most people who reject the Bible reject this statement and defend themselves by saying they would never do what O.B.L. did. I would add that God also said "If not for His grace, we would do the same evil."
Think about it. Lets say you were born in O.B.L.'s family, environement and nation. Already the chances of you becoming a hate filled terrorist has increased signifigantly. Now lets say you also were indoctrinated with the same garbage he was, and you had the same temperment. It is likely you would follow the teachings of Muhammud and become a terrorist unless some eye opening intervention took place.
You see we all have the capacity within us to become something evil. We hide alot of our hate and evil in our thoughts, but God knows our thoughts. God placed us in this society where it is likely we will not be tempted to become terrorists. So then the question that demands to be asked is this: Is God then not just because He allows people to grow up in environments where they can be tempted to be something so evil such as the case with O.B.L.? The answer is no. I can say this because God sees sin as sin. Here in America we sin in our thoughts, in Osama Bin Ladin's world, his sin manifested into his acts. God sees both the same. Therefore we have no right to celebrate the death of a wicked man, because we too are just as wicked. The only thing that could have saved Osama Bin Ladin, would have been him responding to God's call to repentance, and then him receiving Jesus Christ as his savior. I don't know if O.B.L ever heard the gospel, but as far as I can tell, I saw no repentance of his sins. True repentance, would have led him to the cross of Christ. God gave O.B.L. a conscience, so he knew what he was doing was evil. However he hardened his heart to God's love and then was blinded to the truth about Islam. That truth is that it is a religion created by Satan himself.
Most Americans have also hardened their hearts to God and need to repent. For those who claim they are not as evil as O.B.L. and yet live their lives rejecting God's call to repentance; they will end up in the same environment Osama Bin Ladin may have ended up in...The Lake of Fire.
I am sure this may have offended you, but the reality is that we are all dead in our sin, and can only be saved through what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross. We cannot be saved by being religous, and we cannot be saved by just trying to be "Good People." By God's standards, we are incapable of being "Good People." Therefore we need the grace and mercy of God that is given to us through Jesus.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
The Resurrection
With Easter upon us, I thought it appropriate to again explain the importance of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the greatest evidence we have that Jesus was who He said He was. If this event did indeed happen there can be no other explanation as to how it happened in the way that it did.
First we have the Old Testament prophecies that the Messiah would be put to death (Daniel 9, Isaiah 53, Zechariah 12, to name a few). Then we have accounts of Jesus Himself telling His disciples before hand that this would happen. This is interesting, because if the disciples had made up this whole thing, then why would they make themselves look so thick. Jesus told them ahead of time, and then afterward, the disciples could not believe it had happened. If someone had made this resurrection story up, they would have put themselves in a better light by at least saying they had faith that Jesus would rise after He died just as He said. However, none of the apostles said this.
Second, the apostle Paul in 1st Corinthians 15 explained how if Christ is not really resurrected from the dead, their preaching is in vain. That is so true. Paul was an accomplished Pharisee. If this was a lie, (which he would have known it was, being a supposed eye witness of the resurrected Jesus) why would Paul give up his career, his devotion to his God, his lifestyle, and ultimately his life to spread this crazy story about a guy who claimed to be God. Thousands of people don't just get up and follow that story, especially when they could be killed for doing it. These were not thousands of weak minded people, they were mostly Jews. Jews are tough and very stubborn. They are devoted to their heritage and culture and don't easily give it up. I have yet to hear a reasonable explanation for how the church took form so quickly in the first century under extreme persecution. There is an abundance of historical documentation outside the Bible that the church was growing by the thousands well within the 1st century AD. This documentation also testifies to death of Jesus, and miracles He performed. If, as some skeptics claim, the resurrection account is a mere legend, then the church would not have spread throughout the Roman Empire within 30 years of Christ's resurrection. So the argument that the Gospels are exagerations of what really happened does not hold water, in light of the fact that there was no reason for anyone to become Christian unless the resurrection had indeed happened as recorded in the Gospels.
Some other evidence we can point to includes the fact that the Jews and Romans could have ended this Christian movement by just showing them the dead corpse of Jesus. This never happened obviously. So what then, did the apostles steal the body? Again this does not explain why anyone would believe them. Not to mention they had nothing to gain by making this story up. Thye certainly would not have been able to convince the thousands upon thousands that converted within those first 30 years.
We also have no conflicting accounts of what happened. If indeed the apostles made this stuff up about Jesus healing people, walking on water, and rising from the grave, there would have been people who would have spoke up and denounced what the apostles were saying. We have no such account.
We also see the conversion of skeptics like Paul and James who were not followers of Jesus until after they saw Him resurrected. We also see a change in the apostles behavior after the resurrection. They feared for their lives and ran when Jesus was arrested. After He rose from the grave, the apostles boldly proclaimed the Gospel even after they were arrested and beaten.
The bottom line is that there is no other explanation for the rise of the church and the historical accounts we have other than the fact that the resurrection of Jesus did occur just as it is recorded in the New Testament. This is wonderfully joyful news, and should invoke a response on our part to get serious about our relationship with God through our savior Jesus Christ.
First we have the Old Testament prophecies that the Messiah would be put to death (Daniel 9, Isaiah 53, Zechariah 12, to name a few). Then we have accounts of Jesus Himself telling His disciples before hand that this would happen. This is interesting, because if the disciples had made up this whole thing, then why would they make themselves look so thick. Jesus told them ahead of time, and then afterward, the disciples could not believe it had happened. If someone had made this resurrection story up, they would have put themselves in a better light by at least saying they had faith that Jesus would rise after He died just as He said. However, none of the apostles said this.
Second, the apostle Paul in 1st Corinthians 15 explained how if Christ is not really resurrected from the dead, their preaching is in vain. That is so true. Paul was an accomplished Pharisee. If this was a lie, (which he would have known it was, being a supposed eye witness of the resurrected Jesus) why would Paul give up his career, his devotion to his God, his lifestyle, and ultimately his life to spread this crazy story about a guy who claimed to be God. Thousands of people don't just get up and follow that story, especially when they could be killed for doing it. These were not thousands of weak minded people, they were mostly Jews. Jews are tough and very stubborn. They are devoted to their heritage and culture and don't easily give it up. I have yet to hear a reasonable explanation for how the church took form so quickly in the first century under extreme persecution. There is an abundance of historical documentation outside the Bible that the church was growing by the thousands well within the 1st century AD. This documentation also testifies to death of Jesus, and miracles He performed. If, as some skeptics claim, the resurrection account is a mere legend, then the church would not have spread throughout the Roman Empire within 30 years of Christ's resurrection. So the argument that the Gospels are exagerations of what really happened does not hold water, in light of the fact that there was no reason for anyone to become Christian unless the resurrection had indeed happened as recorded in the Gospels.
Some other evidence we can point to includes the fact that the Jews and Romans could have ended this Christian movement by just showing them the dead corpse of Jesus. This never happened obviously. So what then, did the apostles steal the body? Again this does not explain why anyone would believe them. Not to mention they had nothing to gain by making this story up. Thye certainly would not have been able to convince the thousands upon thousands that converted within those first 30 years.
We also have no conflicting accounts of what happened. If indeed the apostles made this stuff up about Jesus healing people, walking on water, and rising from the grave, there would have been people who would have spoke up and denounced what the apostles were saying. We have no such account.
We also see the conversion of skeptics like Paul and James who were not followers of Jesus until after they saw Him resurrected. We also see a change in the apostles behavior after the resurrection. They feared for their lives and ran when Jesus was arrested. After He rose from the grave, the apostles boldly proclaimed the Gospel even after they were arrested and beaten.
The bottom line is that there is no other explanation for the rise of the church and the historical accounts we have other than the fact that the resurrection of Jesus did occur just as it is recorded in the New Testament. This is wonderfully joyful news, and should invoke a response on our part to get serious about our relationship with God through our savior Jesus Christ.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Skepticism
A good friend pointed out a mistake I have made in my posts and comments. He told me that when I say "Skeptics say," I am implying all skeptics believe this and I am making skepticism seem wrong. I agree with his criticism of me, and will be more careful how I phrase my points. I never intended to lump all skeptics together or imply that all skepticism was wrong.
In fact skepticism is a Biblical principle. The center scripture of this blog; 1st Peter 3:15 is based on having a healthy practice of skepticism, so that you may be able to explain why you believe what you do. The writer of Acts also pointed out the importance of skepticism.
Act 17:10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
Act 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
The Bereans were skeptical of what Paul was saying and searched the scriptures to make sure he was rightly representing the word of God. It was skepticism that caused me question my own beliefs and see if this Bible stuff had anything to it. It is skepticism that has strengthened my faith as I have sought out answers for all those doubts and questions I have had. I am very skeptical of most so called Bible teachers, because there is a lot of flat out false teaching out there. I am even skeptical of some of my own Pastor's views from time to time.
This skepticism is not based on any great wisdom I have, but on what the Bible actually says. Many people disregard the Bible because so many churches have different interpretations of what it says. However, I have found in most cases where churches diagree on doctrines, the disagreements are not based on an ambiguity in scripture, but in a refusal to accept what the scripture says on the matter. Core doctrines are not open for interpretation, the Bible is clear in almost every case. This is why skepticism is so important. A lack of skepticism in the church causes people to blindly follow leadership that is not representing God's word. The Westborough Baptist Church is an example of this. This heretical church is an agent of hate, not the love of Christ. There are many examples I could cite, but suffice it to say that a lack of honest skepticism in the church has given the church a bad name.
There is a balance however. I also have spoken with individuals who are skeptical just because they refuse to even entertain the possibility they might be wrong about something. Some may even accuse me of this. I admit I have been overly passionate in some discussions I have had about God. I am sure in some cases it was more about my pride than my desire for truth. I have been convicted of this on a couple of occasions, and I admit I was wrong in the tone I took. Believe me I am convinced that the Bible is indeed the word of God. I have many reasons for this. This does not mean I claim to know everything. I know I lack understanding about certain things. However I have experienced God intervening in my life on a daily basis for over 10 years. Because of this and the evidence I see in scripture, I don't believe anything will destroy my faith. I do pledge, however to listen to all points of view with an open mind and an open Bible.
In fact skepticism is a Biblical principle. The center scripture of this blog; 1st Peter 3:15 is based on having a healthy practice of skepticism, so that you may be able to explain why you believe what you do. The writer of Acts also pointed out the importance of skepticism.
Act 17:10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
Act 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
The Bereans were skeptical of what Paul was saying and searched the scriptures to make sure he was rightly representing the word of God. It was skepticism that caused me question my own beliefs and see if this Bible stuff had anything to it. It is skepticism that has strengthened my faith as I have sought out answers for all those doubts and questions I have had. I am very skeptical of most so called Bible teachers, because there is a lot of flat out false teaching out there. I am even skeptical of some of my own Pastor's views from time to time.
This skepticism is not based on any great wisdom I have, but on what the Bible actually says. Many people disregard the Bible because so many churches have different interpretations of what it says. However, I have found in most cases where churches diagree on doctrines, the disagreements are not based on an ambiguity in scripture, but in a refusal to accept what the scripture says on the matter. Core doctrines are not open for interpretation, the Bible is clear in almost every case. This is why skepticism is so important. A lack of skepticism in the church causes people to blindly follow leadership that is not representing God's word. The Westborough Baptist Church is an example of this. This heretical church is an agent of hate, not the love of Christ. There are many examples I could cite, but suffice it to say that a lack of honest skepticism in the church has given the church a bad name.
There is a balance however. I also have spoken with individuals who are skeptical just because they refuse to even entertain the possibility they might be wrong about something. Some may even accuse me of this. I admit I have been overly passionate in some discussions I have had about God. I am sure in some cases it was more about my pride than my desire for truth. I have been convicted of this on a couple of occasions, and I admit I was wrong in the tone I took. Believe me I am convinced that the Bible is indeed the word of God. I have many reasons for this. This does not mean I claim to know everything. I know I lack understanding about certain things. However I have experienced God intervening in my life on a daily basis for over 10 years. Because of this and the evidence I see in scripture, I don't believe anything will destroy my faith. I do pledge, however to listen to all points of view with an open mind and an open Bible.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
How do We Know God Exists
Many people question the very existance of God because they don't see Him. But we never question the existance of gravity or the wind. We don't see these things but we see what they do. The wind moves the trees, and gravity keeps us from floating away into space. So in that way what do we see God doing?
Well we must begin with the fact that we live in a finite universe. This means that our universe had a beginning and will have an ending. The law of thermodynamics states that all things in our universe are slowing down and decaying or dying. This is strong evidence that space, time, and matter in our universe had a beginning. If the universe was eternal, then things would not be dying. We also see that the universe is expanding out from a central location. This indicates a starting point. Every starting point or beginning requires a cause.
Skeptics will say "Big deal, that just supports the Big Bang theory." No it does not. The Big Bang theory basically says there was some cosmic cell of energy that exploded, and thus all the planets, stars and laws of the universe formed by accident. The first question I have is where did this cosmic cell of energy come from. The second question I have is that this theory violates the universal law of entropy. This law basically says that all things move from order to chaos. However the Big Bang theory reverses that law.
What does this have to do with God? Space, time, and matter are complex things that are held together by laws and ordered systems. We do not observe complex things like these forming by accident. We only see order created out of chaos by an outside intelligence who had a purpose for creating such an order. For example a computer could never have formed without a personal creative designer who had a purpose for it. Yet skeptics attribute much more complex systems such as life, space, time, and matter to a natural accident.
When we look in the mirror and see our eyes, and think about our inner systems such as our immune, digestive, nervous, and reproductive systems, we have to know these things were creatively designed. To attribute the complexity needed for life to exist to a series of accidents and coincedences is in my opinion the greatest folly of mankind. God is that intelligent designer. He has given us all kinds of clues to His existance. Creation is just one evidence. Some may still wonder why we can't see God. God is spirit and sin has blinded us from being able to see Him in spirit. Faith is the only path that will cure our blindness. No I have not seen God physically but I have seen Him working intimately in my life through answered prayers, His word speaking to me in amazing ways and just through amazingly coincedental events in my day to day life. I see now that these events are not coincedences but Godincedences.
You want evidence of God, just look at the complexity of nature and how everything works together. The laws of the universe require us to know there is a God. We are created by God with a purpose. That purpose is revealed to us in the Bible.
Well we must begin with the fact that we live in a finite universe. This means that our universe had a beginning and will have an ending. The law of thermodynamics states that all things in our universe are slowing down and decaying or dying. This is strong evidence that space, time, and matter in our universe had a beginning. If the universe was eternal, then things would not be dying. We also see that the universe is expanding out from a central location. This indicates a starting point. Every starting point or beginning requires a cause.
Skeptics will say "Big deal, that just supports the Big Bang theory." No it does not. The Big Bang theory basically says there was some cosmic cell of energy that exploded, and thus all the planets, stars and laws of the universe formed by accident. The first question I have is where did this cosmic cell of energy come from. The second question I have is that this theory violates the universal law of entropy. This law basically says that all things move from order to chaos. However the Big Bang theory reverses that law.
What does this have to do with God? Space, time, and matter are complex things that are held together by laws and ordered systems. We do not observe complex things like these forming by accident. We only see order created out of chaos by an outside intelligence who had a purpose for creating such an order. For example a computer could never have formed without a personal creative designer who had a purpose for it. Yet skeptics attribute much more complex systems such as life, space, time, and matter to a natural accident.
When we look in the mirror and see our eyes, and think about our inner systems such as our immune, digestive, nervous, and reproductive systems, we have to know these things were creatively designed. To attribute the complexity needed for life to exist to a series of accidents and coincedences is in my opinion the greatest folly of mankind. God is that intelligent designer. He has given us all kinds of clues to His existance. Creation is just one evidence. Some may still wonder why we can't see God. God is spirit and sin has blinded us from being able to see Him in spirit. Faith is the only path that will cure our blindness. No I have not seen God physically but I have seen Him working intimately in my life through answered prayers, His word speaking to me in amazing ways and just through amazingly coincedental events in my day to day life. I see now that these events are not coincedences but Godincedences.
You want evidence of God, just look at the complexity of nature and how everything works together. The laws of the universe require us to know there is a God. We are created by God with a purpose. That purpose is revealed to us in the Bible.
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