Apologetics - V

"CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS"
Evidence For The Early Existence Of The New Testament

In our last lesson we looked at the evidence found in internal and historical evidence for the early existence of the New Testament and why this is crucial. In continuing this lesson we will be looking at the evidence for the early existence of the New Testament in the papyri fragments.

CHESTER BEATTY BIBLICAL PAPYRI (dated 200-250 A.D.)
Made public in 1931, contains the Gospels, Acts, Paul's Epistles, and Revelation
PAYPRUS BODMER II (dated 200 A.D.)
Discovery announced in 1956 contains fourteen chapters of John, and portions of the last seven chapters
EARLY CHRISTIAN PAPYRI (dated 150 A.D.)
Made public in 1935, written by someone who had the four gospels before him and knew them well
JOHN RYLANDS MSS (dated 130 A.D.)
This is oldest fragment of the NT "Because of its early date and location (EGYPT), some distance from the traditional place of composition (ASIA MINOR), this portion of the gospel of John tends to confirm the traditional date of the composition of the gospel."
GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE BIBLE, Geisler & Nix
Looking at the evidence for the early existence of the New Testament we find patristic writings.
EPISTLE OF POLYCARP TO THE PHILIPPIANS (dated 120 A.D.)
A personal acquaintance of John, the apostle, he quotes from the Synoptic Gospels, Acts, Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Hebrews, 1 Peter, and 1 John
LETTERS OF IGNATIUS (dated 115 A.D.)
Written to several churches in Asia Minor, he quotes from Matthew, John, Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus
EPISTLE OF CLEMENT TO THE CORINTHIANS (dated 95 A.D.)
This letter was written to encourage the church to respect their elders, he quotes from the Synoptic Gospels, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, Ephesians, Titus, Hebrews, and 1 Peter

The implications of this evidence shows that the New Testament was in existence and well known by the end of the First Century A.D. As stated by Nelson Glueck, former president of the Jewish Theological Seminary in the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, and renowned Jewish archaeologist: "In my opinion, every book of the New Testament was written between the forties and eighties of the First Century A.D."
"We can already say emphatically that there is no longer any solid basis for dating any book of the New Testament after 80 A.D." - W. F. Albright, biblical archaeologist.

Thus the New Testament passes the "Acid Test" for the authenticity of "any" document of antiquity. It was written in the same generation in which the events took place. It was circulated among the very people about whom these documents spoke while they were still alive to deny them! For example, remember Clifford Irving and his "biography" of Howard Hughes? It was quickly denounced as a fraud by those who knew best and soon lost its credibility. The fact that the first generation preserved the New Testament for posterity shows their regard for the genuineness of its contents.

But the "ACID TEST" is only the FIRST test any historical document must pass. So what if it was written early? How do we know that what we read today is an accurate representation of the original "autographs" (the manuscripts actually penned by the authors)? How can we be sure that in the passing of time the content of the original did not become corrupted through mistakes in copying? These questions shall be examined in the next study...

The Executable Outlines Series, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2000

Apologetics - IV

"CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS"
Evidence For The Early Existence Of The New Testament

The New Testament presents itself as a historical record of events that supposedly occurred during the First Century A.D. How reliable is it? How do we determine the reliability of any ancient document that professes to record events of history? To establish the reliability of ANY historical document, one of the first questions to be raised is:
"How soon after the events took place were they recorded?" Applied to the New Testament, this involves trying to determine what evidence there is for THE EARLY EXISTENCE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT...
Why is evidence for the early existence of the New Testament crucial? If some event is recorded long after it occurred it is not likely to have been written by "eyewitnesses". It is not likely to have been written when "other eyewitnesses" were around to confirm or dispute its accuracy. It’s credibility would be weakened; for example, which would be the more credible source for information about an event that occurred during The Civil War Between The States. A present day writer depending totally upon second-hand sources? Or diaries and letters written by eyewitnesses of the event? Of course, it would be necessary to show that such diaries and letters were authentic and where possible shown to be accurate.

During the last Century, some scholars asserted that the Gospels and the Book of Acts did not exist before 130 A.D. This would mean the Gospels and Acts were not written by eyewitnesses! Rather, it was written by frauds who misrepresented themselves as eyewitnesses! For the author of Acts claims to have been present during some of the events described in that book - cf. "we" in Ac 16:11-12 "Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a straight course to Samothrace, and the day following to Neapolis; and from thence to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the first of the district, a Roman colony: and we were in this city tarrying certain days." The author of the Second Epistle Of Peter claims to have been an eyewitness of the Transfiguration - 2 Pe 1:16-18 "For we did not follow cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there was borne such a voice to him by the Majestic Glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: and this voice we ourselves heard borne out of heaven, when we were with him in the holy mount."

Written by eyewitnesses and others who lived during those times, or a book written by liars in a effort to deceive...these are the only choices we have! This is why it is important to establish the early existence of the New Testament! Looking at the evidence for the early existence of the New Testament we find internal evidence at the ending of the Book of Acts. The book ends abruptly with Paul in prison, awaiting trial - Ac 28:30-31 "And he abode two whole years in his own hired dwelling, and received all that went in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, none forbidding him."

A plausible explanation is that Luke wrote ACTS during this time, before Paul finally appeared before Nero. This would be about 62-63 A.D., meaning that ACTS and LUKE (which came first - cf. Ac 1:1 with Lk 1:1-4) were written within thirty years of the ministry and death of Jesus. There is no mention of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Matthew, Mark and Luke record Jesus' prophecy that the temple and city would be destroyed within that generation - e.g., Mk 13:1-4 "And as he went forth out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Teacher, behold, what manner of stones and what manner of buildings! And Jesus said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left here one stone upon another, which shall not be thrown down. And as he sat on the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when these things are all about to be accomplished?", 14 "But when ye see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not (let him that readeth understand), then let them that are in Judaea flee unto the mountains:", 30 "Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, until all these things be accomplished."; Lk 21:5-9 "And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and offerings, ehe said, As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in which there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And they asked him, saying, Teacher, when therefore shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when these things are about to come to pass? And he said, Take heed that ye be not led astray: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am he; and, The time is at hand: go ye not after them. And when ye shall hear of wars and tumults, be not terrified: for these things must needs come to pass first; but the end is not immediately.", 20-24 "But when ye see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that her desolation is at hand. Then let them that are in Judaea flee unto the mountains; and let them that are in the midst of her depart out; and let not them that are in the country enter therein. For these are days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. Woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days! for there shall be great distress upon the land, and wrath unto this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led captive into all the nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.", 32 "Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all things be accomplished."

History records that in 70 A.D. Jerusalem with its temple was destroyed, exactly as Jesus foretold! Yet not a single book of the New Testament refers to this event as having happened! Such would be very unlikely if they had been written after 70 A.D. For that event helps to verify Jesus' claim to be the Son of God, and it is hard to imagine that any writer after 70 A.D. would not make mention to the fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy! This has prompted some scholars to conclude that ALL of the books of the New Testament were written prior to 70 A.D.- e.g., John A. T. Robinson, in his book REDATING THE NEW TESTAMENT

In our continuation of this lesson we will be looking at the evidence for the early existence of the New Testament in what we can find in papyri fragments.

God Bless,
Jim Newsted

Apologetis - III

Having looked at the evidence of Jesus being a historical person we will continue our studies in Apologetics by looking at the New Testament as a historical document and the evidence of its reliability.

"CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS"
Our Dependence Upon The New Testament
We have seen the evidence from UNBIASED SOURCES that establishes Jesus of Nazareth as a person of history who lived and died in the First Century A.D. But we also pointed out that such sources tell us nothing about who He was or what He did to earn such a reputation that, centuries later, His teachings and life still has so much influence in our society.

For the Christian, the only record which describes in any detail the life and death of Jesus is the NEW TESTAMENT. But as a HISTORICAL DOCUMENT, is it reliable? Can we trust it to be accurate in relating facts of history concerning Jesus, His life, death and resurrection? Can we even have confidence that what we have today in the form of the New Testament is an accurate copy of that penned by the original authors? These are some of the questions we shall attempt to answer as we begin to examine "The Historical Reliability of the New Testament".

But first, to appreciate the importance of this subject, it may help to demonstrate how dependent our faith is on the reliability of the New Testament as a historical document. Why do we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God? The answers we would give are "because of the miracles He did" and "because He fulfilled hundreds of the Messianic prophecies found in the Old Testament" also "because He rose from the dead." But where does one learn about these things? Where do we read about His miracles? THE NEW TESTAMENT! Who says that He fulfilled the Messianic prophecies? THE AUTHORS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT! What evidence is there for the resurrection of Jesus Christ? AGAIN, IT IS PRIMARILY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT!

What if it is shown concerning the New Testament that it was written over 100 years after the events supposedly happened? Then the New Testament was not written by eyewitnesses, nor by those whose names are connected with it (Paul, Peter, etc.)! It was the general consensus of many scholars in the last century that the New Testament was in fact composed during the Second Century A.D., not the First. If such is true, then the New Testament is a FORGERY! What if it is shown concerning the New Testament that it is filled with errors in reference to geography, people, and events? Then how could we trust the authors of the New Testament to be accurate in describing supernatural events, when they were careless with describing the natural ones? This would make the New Testament an UNRELIABLE RECORD!

What if it is shown concerning the New Testament that the manuscript evidence is very scarce, and a thousand years removed from the original documents? Then we would have no way of testing the accuracy of the copyists, who for hundreds of years preserved the New Testament only by making copies by hand. Then our faith in Jesus would be based upon shallow ground, upon a document which is historically questionable!

Our faith in Jesus is dependent on the New testament being reliable as a historical document! Blind faith may seem adequate for some such as children who believe whatever their parents say; people who are never placed in an environment where their faith is challenged (like state universities) or for people who are not trying to convince others to trust in Jesus for their salvation. But if we desire to have a "stong faith" for ourselves and others then we need to understand our dependency upon the New Testament. We need to know how to demonstrate the evidence which supports it as a reliable, historical document!
Hopefully, we now appreciate the need to carefully examine the evidence for the historical reliability of the New Testament. In doing so, we shall apply the same kind of tests applied to any ancient document to determine its reliability! The next study will examine what is called the "ACID TEST" for any ancient document claiming to be a historical record of certain events.

The Executable Outlines Series, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2000

God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year

View my new Blog at http://jimsbiblestudies.blogspot.com/
Join my Bible Study Group at internet-bible-studies-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/internet-bible-studies
Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing
Even though you can't see God, It doesn't stop you from believing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Apologetics - II

"CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS" The Historical Jesus In the previous lesson, we laid the foundation for a study in Christian apologetics. We established that the Christian faith is an objective faith, with Jesus of Nazareth as the object of that faith. We established that He is the Son of God, who died for our sins and rose from the dead. A historical faith in Jesus is based upon real people, places, and events that actually took place in history. It is an intelligent, rational faith which invites people to use their minds. It invites them to examine the historical evidence which logically supports placing one's faith in Jesus of Nazareth as the Son of God. With these things in mind, we begin by considering the evidence which establishes Jesus of Nazareth as a HISTORICAL FIGURE. One who actually lived in Palestine during the First Century A.D. Some might wonder was there ever any question? There are skeptics who believed Jesus was just a "myth." This concept was popular with some scholars of the 1800s'. It is rarely found today, except among those who are ignorant of the facts and who purposely suppress the evidence (e.g., as was done in formerly communist-dominated countries) Today, no serious historian (even those who are atheists) disputes the fact that Jesus existed. H. G. WELLS, as an atheist, spoke of Jesus in his book, Outline Of History "...one is obliged to say, 'Here was a man. This part of the tale could not have been invented.'" WILL DURANT, an ex-professor of Philisophy of History at Columbia University. He spent two chapters in The Story Of Our Civilization depicting Jesus as a historical figure right along with the Caesars. ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA, used over 20,000 words to describe Jesus. More than Aristotle, Cicero, Alexander, Julius Caesar, Buddha, Confucius, Mohammed, or Napoleon. So there appears to be sufficient evidence to have convinced these and others like them that Jesus actually lived. What is this evidence? There is evidence among "pagan" sources. THALLUS (a Samaritan historian, ca. 52 A.D.) wrote attempting to give a natural explanation for the darkness which occurred at the crucifixion of Jesus. Note carefully: he did not deny the existence of Jesus, but only tried to explain away the strange circumstances surrounding His death. LETTER OF MARA-SERAPION (written to his son, ca. 73 A.D.) He tells of the deaths of Socrates, Pythagoras, and of Jesus. "What advantage did the Jews gain from executing their wise king?...Nor did the wise king die for good; he lived on in the teaching which he had given." CORNELIUS TACITUS (Roman historian, ca. 112 A.D.) Writes of Jesus in his ANNALS; "Christus, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberias." PLINY THE YOUNGER; Governor of Bithynia in Asia Minor, ca. 112 A.D, wrote to the emperor Trajan about Christians and their devotion to Christ. SEUTONIUS (Court official and annalist under Hadrian, 120 A.D.) "As the Jews were making constant disturbance at the instigation of Chrestus, he expelled them from Rome." Luke makes reference to this same expulsion in Ac 18:1-2 "Paul left Athens and went to Corinth, where he met Aquila, a Jewish man from Pontus. Not long before this, Aquila had come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Emperor Claudius had ordered the Jewish people to leave Rome. Paul went to see Aquila and Priscilla" There is evidence among "Jewish" sources. THE TALMUD Consists of two separate books dealing with Jewish law, written during the period from 100 A.D. to 500 A.D, speaks frequently of Jesus of Nazareth, in unfriendly terms, of course. But never disputing his status as a historical figure. FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS A Jewish general turned Roman historian, born 37 A.D. He makes several references to Jesus in his History Of The Jews. E.g., "...and brought before it the brother of Jesus, the so-called Christ, whose name was James." Such is the evidence which must be taken into account by any intelligent and rational person. But what are the implications of such evidence? It provides a solid basis upon which one can intelligently believe in Jesus as a person who actually existed in history. It exposes the shallow thinking of any who would try to mark off Jesus as a myth. It requires everyone to give some sort of answer to the question posed by Jesus Himself: "But who do you say that I am?" - Mt 16:15 The evidence we have seen thus far DOES NOT prove Jesus to be the Son of God. In fact, it does not tell us anything about Jesus except that He lived and died during the First Century A.D. and that He must have done something significant to gain some notoriety by the historians. To learn more about Jesus, we must look elsewhere. There have been many fanciful stories written about Jesus. But the Christian considers the twenty-seven books known as the New Testament to be the only reliable source of information about Jesus. But are they? Is the New Testament reliable as a historical document? Can we even be sure that what we have is actually what was penned by the original authors of the New Testament? The next study shall begin an attempt to answer these questions. For now, we have simply laid one block as we build a foundation upon which we can rest our faith. We have seen that it is more logical to believe that Jesus did in fact exist. To assert that He is a myth is groundless. And since He actually existed, that requires our giving some answer to the question Jesus asked: "WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?" Will our answer be "LORD!", or "A CAREFULLY CONTRIVED LIE!" As we shall see, these are the only two choices we have. The evidence we shall continue to examine should help give us the right answer! Original Outline, The Executable Outlines Series, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2000 God Bless, Jim Newsted Shamrock, Tx The town that turns green for a week every year View my new Blog at http://jimsbiblestudies.blogspot.com Join my Bible Study Group at internet-bible-studies-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/internet-bible-studies Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing Even though you can't see God, It doesn't stop you from believing ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Apologetis - I

"CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS"
Introduction To Christian Apologetics

In 1 Pe 3:15, all Christians are commanded to be ready to make a "defense" for the reason of their hope in Christ... "but sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord: being ready always to give answer to every man that asketh you a reason ("defense") concerning the hope that is in you, yet with meekness and fear:" The word "defense" is from apologia, which means "a speech in defense of what one has done, or of truth which one believes" The formal use of this word is used by Paul in Ac 22:1 "Brethren and fathers, hear ye the defence which I now make unto you."; 1 Co 9:3 "My defence to them that examine me is this."

Peter, however, uses the word in the context of an informal inquiry by a friend or neighbor...e.g., someone asking "Why are you a Christian?" To such Peter says that we should be ready to give reasons why we believe.

In this series of lessons on "CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS", we shall examine some of the evidence that exists for placing one's faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God. In doing so, I hope to accomplish two objectives. To STRENGTHEN OUR FAITH in Jesus Christ. To HELP PREPARE OURSELVES to be able to do the very thing enjoined by Peter in 1 Pe 3:15

In this lesson, I wish to establish some "BASICS" for Christian apologetics that are important for all to realize the Christians faith is "an intelligent, rational faith." It appeals to the "mind" as well as to the "heart." God expects us to use our minds - Mt 22:36-38 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? And he said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the great and first commandment."; Jn 8:32 "and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." I.e., we do not have to commit "INTELLECTUAL SUICIDE" in order to have faith! This is important, for as one person said, "My heart cannot rejoice in what my mind rejects!" A "WEAK FAITH" may be the result of the heart trying to believe in something the mind cannot accept. But the "STRONG FAITH" God requires involves both the mind and the heart. So it is important that we present reasons why we believe in an INTELLIGENT and RATIONAL manner. "We cannot pander to a man's intellectual arrogance, but we must cater to his intellectual integrity." - PAUL LITTLE

Does this mean we can offer 100% proof? No, because there is virtually nothing of which we can be 100% sure (e.g., who our parents are) Yet, we often make 100% commitments with less than 100% proof; e.g., flying on an airplane. We cannot be 100% certain that we will have a safe journey. But the statistical evidence is strong enough to convince us that we will. So though we may not have 100% certainty of arriving safely, when we step on the plane we make a 100% commitment! So the question becomes: IS THERE ENOUGH EVIDENCE OR PROOF TO WARRANT MAKING A 100% COMMITMENT TO CHRIST? I believe that there is. Certainly enough evidence to commit myself 100% FOR HIM, rather than be 100% AGAINST HIM! There is no other alternative - Mt 12:30 "If you are not on my side, you are against me. If you don't gather in the harvest with me, you scatter it." Jesus is like is like taking a trip on an airplane; either we get on board totally, or we get left behind! So the
Christian faith is to be an INTELLIGENT, RATIONAL FAITH. As an example, consider the next "BASIC".

The Christian faith is "a historical, factual faith." Christianity appeals to history, and the facts of history. "The facts backing the Christian claim are not a special kind of 'religious' fact. They are the cognitive, informational facts upon which all historical, legal, and ordinary
decisions are based." - CHARLES PINNOCK
It will be my purpose in future lessons to present these HISTORICAL FACTS then demonstrate that the CHRISTIAN INTERPRETATION is more logical than any other.

To briefly illustrate that Christianity is based upon historical facts consider Lk 2:1-5 "About that time Emperor Augustus gave orders for the names of all the people to be listed in record books. These first records were made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to go to their own hometown to be listed. So Joseph had to leave Nazareth in Galilee and go to Bethlehem in Judea. Long ago Bethlehem had been King David's hometown, and Joseph went there because he was from David's family. Mary was engaged to Joseph and traveled with him to Bethlehem. She was soon going to have a baby," 3:1-2 "For fifteen years Emperor Tiberius had ruled that part of the world. Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was the ruler of Galilee. Herod's brother, Philip, was the ruler in the countries of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was the ruler of Abilene. Annas and Caiaphas were the Jewish high priests. At that time God spoke to Zechariah's son John, who was living in the desert." Notice the appeal to time, places, people and events that actually existed in history. The Christian faith, therefore, is a historical faith that appeals to certain facts of historical
occurrence. Not a PHILOSOPHICAL faith appealing to philosophies of men, nor a faith based upon MYTHS and LEGENDS.

As we consider the evidences for the Christian faith, it is also important to bear in mind that the Christian faith is "an objective faith." It is a faith in "an object"; Jesus of Nazareth! Faith in WHO He was: The Christ, the Son of God. Faith in WHAT He did: He rose from the dead on the third day. It "does" make a difference "what" we bwlieve! The old cliche "It doesn't matter what you believe, as long as you believe in something" is
inconsistent with the Christian faith. Consider Jn 8:24 "That is why I said you will die with your sins unforgiven. If you don't have faith in me for who I am, you will die, and your sins will not be forgiven.""; Ro 10:9 "So you will be saved, if you honestly say, "Jesus is Lord," and if you believe with all your heart that God raised him from death." Note that it is not faith IN OF ITSELF that is important, but IN WHOM (the object) our faith is based!

And then consider that the Christian faith is "based on principles of truth" such as "truth is always open to Examination." So is the Christian faith. For example, Ac 2:22 "Now, listen to what I have to say about Jesus from Nazareth. God proved that he sent Jesus to you by having him work miracles, wonders, and signs. All of you know this." - Peter appealed to the crowd to examine what they themselves knew. Another example, Ac 26:24-26 "Before Paul finished defending himself, Festus shouted, "Paul, you're crazy! Too much learning has
driven you out of your mind." But Paul replied, "Honorable Festus, I am not crazy. What I am saying is true, and it makes sense. None of these things happened off in a corner somewhere. I am sure that King Agrippa knows what I am talking about. That's why I can speak so plainly to him."" - Paul invited Agrippa to examine the evidence. Unlike some religions (esp. "Jehovah's Witnesses" and the "Mormons"), the CHRISTIAN FAITH is open to honest examination.

We also need to consider that "truth is always open to non-truth (falsification)" That is, it is open to be proven wrong. To illustrate, if you don't believe Jesus was raised from the dead. Use the evidence that is available, and attempt to prove by it that He wasn't! Do this and then we shall see which interpretation of the facts is more logical (intelligent and
rational).

Before I close this lesson, I wish to address one last question: "If the Christian faith is such an intelligent, rational, historical and factual faith, then why do many people reject it?" In the days of Christ, it is usually due to one of three reasons. Reason one is ignorance - Jn 7:40-43 "When the crowd heard Jesus say this, some of them said, "He must be the Prophet!" Others said, "He is the Messiah!" Others even said, "Can the Messiah come from Galilee? The Scriptures say that the Messiah will come from the family of King David. Doesn't this mean that he will be born in David's hometown of Bethlehem?" The people started taking sides against each other because of Jesus." Some rejected Jesus as the Christ because they were ignorant of the historical facts concerning
His birth. So, many do today for a similar reason: LACK OF ACCURATE INFORMATION!

The second reason is Pride. John 12:42-43 "Even then, many of the leaders put their faith in Jesus, but they did not tell anyone about it. The Pharisees had already given orders for the people not to have anything to do with anyone who had faith in Jesus. And besides, the leaders liked praise from others more than they liked praise from God." Pride in wanting to be approved by men kept them from confessing Jesus as the Christ. Today, many do not want the RIDICULE or REJECTION one might face for following Christ.

The third reason is a moral problem. Jn 3:19-20 "The light has come into the world, and people who do evil things are judged guilty because they love the dark more than the light. People who do evil hate the light and won't come to the light, because it clearly shows what they have done." Some people reject the evidence because it would mean having to change their LIFESTYLE. Today, many people in efforts to justify their immorality accept only that evidence which supports theories which allows them to continue their lifestyle. They reject any evidence which may support a doctrine which would condemn their behavior and require a change. What it boils down to is this. The rejection of Christ is not so much a problem of the "MIND" but of the "WILL"! It is not so much "I CAN'T" but "I WON'T"! There is enough evidence to convince the honest and sincere seeker, but there is not enough evidence to force a man against his will when he is determined to reject it!

In conclusion it is with these "BASICS" in mind that I shall endeavor to give evidence that warrants faith in Jesus of Nazareth as the Christ, the Son of God. I shall not attempt to prove anything "beyond a shadow of a doubt," for that is not possible. But I shall try to show that it is more logical to believe in Jesus, than for one not to! And we shall begin by examining the evidence that demonstrates Jesus to be a true, historical figure, a person who actually lived!

The Executable Outlines Series, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2000, used by permission.

Bible Reading - II

The Book of Genesis - A Must for Bible Reading

In our last lesson we summarized the first eight chapters of the book of Genesis. We will now look at the remaining chapters and some of the reasons for our understanding of this book.
After the flood Genesis tells of the procreation of our current races of man from the family of Noah, of the tower of Babel, where God gave the various foreign tongues or languages to man, thus dividing them up into various races of peoples.
Genesis covers much of the history of the time of the Babylonian Dynasty, of the Egyptian Empire, the time of the great pyramids; during which time Abraham lived. Genesis tells us of Abraham in Chapters 11-14. Abraham lived in a time when most of man worshiped idols, but not Abraham.
The New Testament refers to Abraham and his Seed, which was Christ. (c.f. Romans 5) Even in the first book of the Bible, we see the importance of the prophecies regarding the coming blessing which would bless all nations of the earth, the Messiah.
In Genesis, we see Abraham receiving the call from God and he believed in 1 God, not the many false idols. We read of Lot and his separation from Abraham's fellowship. Lot went to live in the city, where he finally had to flee because of the coming of God's wrath on Sodom and Gomorrah.
Genesis tells of a battle between Abraham and his forces and the Babylonian kings to rescue Lot, who had been captured. In Genesis 14, we read of Melchizedek. Without reading this, you will not quite have a good understanding of the New Testament passages that compare Christ to him. (Heb.5-7)
Genesis tells us of the miraculous birth of Isaac to Abraham and Sara when they were both old beyond the age of having children. We read in chapters 20-21 of Ishmael, who was born of Hagar and Abraham. The New Testament mentions both Ishmael and Isaac in Galatians 4.
Abraham and Sarah are mentioned in Hebrews 11 and other places, such as in the sermon of Stephen in Acts.
Genesis tells of the offering of Isaac upon an altar to God in Chapter 22. See in the New Testament of this in Heb. 11.19. This event happened on the same mountain, where 2,000 years later the Son of God was offered as our sacrifice for sins. This account in Genesis 22 is so important for you to understand.
Genesis 24 tells us of Isaac taking Rebekah for his wife. They had twins, named Jacob and Esau (chapter 25) These are also referred to in our New Testament.
In Genesis 29-30, you can read the love story of Jacob for Rachel, for whom he had to work for 20 years to get, but her daddy Laban deceived Jacob and gave him Leah instead.
In chapter 37, Joseph, the son of Jacob was sold into slavery into the country of Egypt. You must read and understand this story to understand much of Christianity.
The book of Genesis ends with the death of Jacob and also Joseph. The great family of Jacob, his 12 sons, and all of the descendants of these and servants are now in Egypt, from which in the next book they will be rescued. This is to fulfill one of the promises and prophecies given to Abraham in chapter 14-15.
The entire Bible rests upon Genesis. Jesus gives it credibility by quoting from it. The apostles refer many times to the events that are recorded there. What we are as God's people today was planned from the very beginning of time.
I greatly encourage you to read again the book of Genesis and study it. If you have a reference bible, look at how many references are made to the New Testament.

This lesson has been adapted and expanded from a lesson on Bible reading written by Joe McLure and is used with his permission.

Bible Reading

The Book of Genesis - A Must for Bible Reading

If you have read and studied the last two lessons that I have published, accept that God is; in a believing faith and likewise accept that He has spoken through the Bible as His Holy inspired Word, I would encourage you to read and study it. I would encourage you to take thirty minutes out of your day to do so. Set your alarm thirty minutes earlier or spend this time at the end of the day. There is no other way that I know of to compliment God than to start our day reading or meditating (thinking, reflecting) in His Word. Likewise, before ending our day to do the same. I know of people who have purchased the Bible on audio tape. By using a pillow speaker attached to a portable tape player, they listen to God’s Word read as they go to sleep.

If you are a novice student or reader your most likely question is where do I start? I would suggest at the beginning. The book of Genesis is a book of beginnings. If we do not properly understand and have faith in the book of Genesis, it is extremely difficult to ever come to a full knowledge of the rest of the scriptures. Once you understand, or even get a glimmer of understanding of the book of Genesis, it will be like a light turned on in your brain.

God is the author of a grand plan, even from the first day of creation. This is important. Some believe that God set in motion the world, and then allowed it to develop without any further action on the part of God. This is not exactly the case. It is true that individuals have the choice to choose good or evil, but God still has a plan.

As we read the creation account, we see the plan of God for the physical world, and how that God made it so that all things worked well together. When we read of the creation of the universe, and couple that with the findings of scientists today, we get an idea of how great and Almighty our God is. Consider that just our universe contains the Milky Way, which within itself contains over 30,000,000,000 suns, many of them larger than our own sun. Our sun is a million and 1/2 times larger than the earth. It would take 200,000 light years to travel from one edge of the Milky Way to the other. There are at least 100,000 galaxies like the Milky Way, some of them millions of light-years apart. What we can know scientifically about space may only be a tiny speck of what is beyond. God created all of these planets, stars, suns, galaxies, and universes.
When you read of the creation of the man and then the woman, you see the beginning of the greatest human institution, that of the home. Here is made possible the procreation of the human race. There are two important laws that God gave at this time. We are introduced to morale law regarding marriage; one man and one woman bound together for life. The other law was that they were not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. As long as they obeyed this law they remained innocent before God, and was given the promise of life. If they disobeyed they were to die. At this time we find Satan introduced in the form of a serpent that chose to deceive the woman first and her to deceive the man. Although Adam was responsible for Eve he negated that responsibility, thus sin (disobedience to God) was introduced. We also find the first animal sacrifice in God providing them with a covering. As a consequence of their disobedience they were cast from the Garden, the presence of God. No longer having access to the tree of Life mankind would now experience spiritual and physical death. But God had a plan and in the Garden of Eden, we see the first promise (prophecy) of a Saviour of mankind. God made the following pronouncement to Satan in Gen 3:15 "and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."

All of this occurs within the first three chapters of this Book of Genesis. In the next five chapters we see the beginning and the consequences of evil’s influence upon mankind. Genesis tells us of the 1st murder, when Cain slew Abel. We see that even in the early days of man's history that God required worship. One brother worshiped as God required. The other chose to do it his way. Result, God rejected it, envy and anger leads to murder. God confronted Cain and then we see God showing mercy. He could have required Cain’s life. However, instead He lays out Cain’s consequences.

Another younger brother, Seth followed after God. With Cain representing evil and Seth representing righteousness Genesis tells of evil’s influences over mankind growing worse and worse until God decided to destroy all that would not repent. Only Noah and his family were receptive to God's message and faithful enough to be save by water. We see this referred to in the New Testament. (1 Peter 3:18-22) This will not be the only time that God will use water to separate good from evil, old from new, or past into the future. More will be said about this in future lessons. Genesis tells of the building of the ark and the punishment meted out to all but 8 souls of all mankind.

There are a number of lessons one can choose and elaborate on in these eight chapters. Lessons on the influence of sin, finding God’s pleasure in striving to remain righteous in His ways, the need to for obedience and the results, would any have been saved if Noah had chose to change any of the instructions God gave Him, and more.

Genesis tells of the procreation of our current races of man from the family of Noah, of the tower of Babel, where God gave the various foreign tongues or languages to man, thus dividing them up into various races of peoples.

We will pick up the further events in our next lesson as we start with chapter nine.

This and a future lesson has been adapted and expanded from a lesson on Bible reading written by Joe McLure and is used with his permission.

God Hath Spoken - II

"God Hath Spoken"

Part Two

Let us consider how we are affected by a strong conviction that "God hath spoken" and what effect that has upon our behavior.

Since "God Hath Spoken" I Must Not Neglect What He Said––
Hebrews 2:1–4 "We must give our full attention to what we were told, so that we won't drift away. The message spoken by angels proved to be true, and all who disobeyed or rejected it were punished as they deserved. So if we refuse this great way of being saved, how can we hope to escape? The Lord himself was the first to tell about it, and people who heard the message proved to us that it was true. God himself showed that his message was true by working all kinds of powerful miracles and wonders. He also gave his Holy Spirit to anyone he chose to."

"Dust on the Bible is indicative of a drought in the soul."
The Bible is still the best selling book of all time. More copies of it sold in more languages than any other book. However, it is probably the least read book that is owned. Most know very little of what it actually says, and less of what requires for salvation. If you truly believe the Bible to be the Word of the One True God you will read and study it with a willing enthusiasm.
Psalms 119:97 "I deeply love your Law! I think about it all day.," 131 "I honestly want to know everything you teach."
You will make time for the consideration of it.
Psalms 63:6 "I think about you before I go to sleep, and my thoughts turn to you during the night."; 119:147–148 "Even before sunrise, I pray for your help, and I put my hope in what you have said. I lie awake at night, thinking of your promises."
You will make opportunity to be instructed therein by those who know it best.
Isaiah 2:3 "Many people will come and say, "Let's go to the mountain of the LORD God of Jacob and worship in his temple." The LORD will teach us his Law from Jerusalem, and we will obey him."
Micah 4:2 "People of many nations will come and say, "Let's go up to the mountain of the LORD God of Jacob and worship in his temple." The LORD will teach us his Law from Jerusalem, and we will obey him."
It is an unconvincing affirmation that leads to so little real study and inquiry into the pages of what is "the mind of Christ." There should be in all of us an insatiable yearning to commune with our God; a yearning that can only be satisfied by hearing Him speak to us.

Since "God Hath Spoken," I Should Expect to Understand Him––
Acts 17:11 "The people in Berea were much nicer than those in Thessalonica, and they gladly accepted the message. Day after day they studied the Scriptures to see if these things were true."
The nobility of the Bereans lay in their unwillingness to accept anything without proving it by the Scriptures. Their confidence was in God, His word and their ability to understand it for themselves.
1 John 4:1 "Dear friends, don't believe everyone who claims to have the Spirit of God. Test them all to find out if they really do come from God. Many false prophets have already gone out into the world,"
There are so many that rely upon a preacher, family member or close friend to "tell" them what the Bible says or what they should believe.

Since "God Hath Spoken" I Must Tell Others––
What if…
I knew how to cure cancer? I had discovered a map that led to riches beyond belief?
I found the way to feed the whole world? You would expect me to share this good news with you and everyone we met, even strangers and enemies. Once God has spoken to you the greatest news that has ever been heard is now in your possession.
Examples of those to whom God had spoken:
The Samaritan woman, John 4
The demoniac, Mark 5:18–20
Witnesses to the healing of the deaf and dumb man, Mark 7:31–36
Andrew and Philip, John 1
If we truly believe God has spoken, we cannot be silent with those around us.

Since "God Hath Spoken" I Expect Him to Enforce His Word––
It is unbelievable that one should believe the Bible is God’s Word and then live a life contrary to its principles.
"I believe the Bible, but…"
"I know the Bible says this, but I think…"
"I know it’s not in the Bible, but I feel…"
"The Bible might not allow this, but we like…"
The God whom we serve is the God revealed in the Bible. He is the God who took Adam out of the Garden of Eden for one sin. He is the God who rejected Cain’s offering. He is the God who destroyed the world with a flood. He is the God who destroyed Egypt with the plagues. He is the God who left Israel strewn in heaps in the wilderness. He is the God that consumed Nadab and Abihu with fire. He is the God who opened the earth to swallow Dathan and Abiram. He is the God who struck Uzza dead. He is the God that smote Uzziah with leprosy. He is the God that drove Nebuchadnezzar like a mad man into the fields.
Judgment is according to the Word of God:
John 12:48 "But everyone who rejects me and my teachings will be judged on the last day by what I have said."
Romans 2:6 "God will reward each of us for what we have done.", 16 "when God appoints Jesus Christ to judge everyone's secret thoughts, just as my message says."
Revelation 20:12 "I also saw all the dead people standing in front of that throne. Every one of them was there, no matter who they had once been. Several books were opened, and then the book of life was opened. The dead were judged by what those books said they had done."

CONCLUSION:

There Is No Salvation Apart from God’s Word––
Do you believe that God has spoken and the Bible is His Word? If so how has that transformed your life? How does that truth direct your conduct?

Belief that "God Hath Spoken" Will––
Motivate genuine interest for study and meditation.
Cause you to seek your own understanding and not to rely upon others. Lead you to tell others what you have learned. Give rise to an expectation of judgment according to His word.

Please address all questions to jnlnewsted@nts-online.net

Note:
The basic outline for this lesson was taken from a 66 page lesson book written by Jeff Asher. I have edited, adding and deleting as necessary for clarity by converting the outline to textual form. All scripture verses added are from the Contemporary English Version for ease of readability. (JMN)

God Hath Spoken

"God Hath Spoken"
Part One

Hebrews 1:1, 2
"Long ago in many ways and at many times God's prophets spoke his message to our ancestors. But now at last, God sent his Son to bring his message to us. God created the universe by his Son, and everything will someday belong to the Son."

There Is No Faith in God or Salvation from Sin Apart from His Word––
Faith comes by hearing the Word of God, "No one can have faith without hearing the message about Christ." (Romans 10:17). If we are not willing to read or listen with an open mind how are we to learn and obtain a knowledge of God? How is our faith to come about? Without faith it is impossible to please God, "But without faith no one can please God. We must believe that God is real and that he rewards everyone who searches for him." (Hebrews 11:6). Therefore, without the Word of God we cannot please God.

That God Hath Spoken Is Evident––
It is reasonable to believe that the God who created would communicate with His creation, "He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, shall he not see? He that chastiseth the nations, shall not he correct, Even he that teacheth man knowledge? Jehovah knoweth the thoughts of man, That they are vanity." (Psalms 94:9–11). The God that made us rational thinking beings is Himself a Rational Thinking Being, necessarily of superior thought guided by infinite wisdom. He made speech, hearing and thought. He made us in His image, "God said, "Now we will make humans, and they will be like us. We will let them rule the fish, the birds, and all other living creatures." (Genesis 1:26). He must have intended to communicate with us and give us instruction, "Our God, be kind and bless us! Be pleased and smile. Then everyone on earth will learn to follow you, and all nations will see your power to save us." (Psalms 67:1, 2). Just as a parent is able to communicate with an infant child, so God has made himself known unto us. He is not beyond our comprehension provided He makes the revelation of Himself known, which He has, "They know everything that can be known about God, because God has shown it all to them. God's eternal power and character cannot be seen. But from the beginning of creation, God has shown what these are like by all he has made. That's why those people don't have any excuse." (Romans 1:19–22)
"God has done all this, so that we will look for him and reach out and find him. He isn't far from any of us," (Acts 17:27). He is not hard to find. Any revelation that God would make would be so conceived and designed as to make it possible for His creation to gradually come to know and understand, "They will always be my most prized possession and my source of joy." (Psalms 119:111). With God caring so much would He create us and then leave us ignorant of Him?

The Bible Is the Means by which God Has Spoken––
The Holy Scriptures make the claim to be the only revelation of the one true God, "Long ago in many ways and at many times God's prophets spoke his message to our ancestors. But now at last, God sent his Son to bring his message to us. God created the universe by his Son, and everything will someday belong to the Son."; "Everything in the Scriptures is God's Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. The Scriptures train God's servants to do all kinds of good deeds." (Hebrews 1:1, 2; 2 Timothy 3:15–17). The evidence supporting this claim is overwhelming. The unity of the Book exemplifies its claim. The Bible is a collection of 66 books written by about 40 men over a 1500 year span, with a harmonious thread and essential agreement characteristic of a single Mind, "We do use wisdom when speaking to people who are mature in their faith. But it isn't the wisdom of this world or of its rulers, who will soon disappear. We speak of God's hidden and mysterious wisdom that God decided to use for our glory long before the world began. The rulers of this world didn't know anything about this wisdom. If they had known about it, they would not have nailed the glorious Lord to a cross. But it is just as the Scriptures say, "What God has planned for people who love him is more than eyes have seen or ears have heard. It has never even entered our minds!" God's Spirit has shown you everything. His Spirit finds out everything, even what is deep in the mind of God. You are the only one who knows what is in your own mind, and God's Spirit is the only one who knows what is in God's mind. But God has given us his Spirit. That's why we don't think the same way that the people of this world think. That's also why we can recognize the blessings that God has given us. Every word we speak was taught to us by God's Spirit, not by human wisdom. And this same Spirit helps us teach spiritual things to spiritual people."; "All of this makes us even more certain that what the prophets said is true. So you should pay close attention to their message, as you would to a lamp shining in some dark place. You must keep on paying attention until daylight comes and the morning star rises in your hearts. But you need to realize that no one alone can understand any of the prophecies in the Scriptures. The prophets did not think these things up on their own, but they were guided by the Spirit of God." (1 Corinthians 2:6–13; 2 Peter 1:19–21).

The character of the Book verifies its origin.
It is not the kind of book a man would write if he could, or could write if he would. It reveals the weaknesses of its heroes and condemns their sins and shortcomings. It presents a morality that none, but one, have lived up to, but which all have admitted is excellent.
The knowledge revealed in the Book certifies its supernatural character.
Undeniable accuracy in matters of history, geography and contemporaneous culture (e.g. the Hittites, Pilate, writing). No statements of fact that can be demonstrated to be out of harmony with established and knowable principles of physics, earth science and
mathematics (e.g., the ark properly proportioned for sailing, circle of the earth in Isaiah 40:22, one blood (common ancestory) in Acts 17:26). Biblical prophecy obviously revealed and written years, and in some cases centuries, before the events transpired establish the supernatural superintendence given to its authors (Daniel’s visions, Isaiah’s reference to Cyrus, the prophecies concerning Christ).

As Noted Before, Conviction Determines Conduct––
The unbeliever, the atheist or agnostic, does not order his conduct to please God, "The wicked brag about their deepest desires. Those greedy people hate and curse you, LORD. The wicked are too proud to turn to you or even think about you. They are always successful, though they can't understand your teachings, and they keep sneering at their enemies. In their hearts they say, "Nothing can hurt us! We'll always be happy and free from trouble." They curse and tell lies, and all they talk about is how to be cruel or how to do wrong. They hide outside villages, waiting to strike and murder some innocent victim. They are hungry lions hiding in the bushes, hoping to catch some helpless passerby. They trap the poor in nets and drag them away. They crouch down and wait to grab a victim. They say, "God can't see! He's got on a blindfold." (Psalms 10:3–11). Neither does the fallen Christian, "My friends, watch out! Don't let evil thoughts or doubts make any of you turn from the living God." ; "We see that those people did not enter the place of rest because they did not have faith." (Hebrews 3:12, 19). All unbelief and apostasy begins with doubting the Word of God.
"I’ll take the words of Christ, but I’m not so sure about those Apostles."
"There are many things the Bible which just cannot be true, like that fish story and the tale of making a man out of dust."
"When science, reason and experience contradict the Bible we cannot ignore the preponderance of evidence that necessitates we conclude differently."
Numerous times in the Scriptures we are warned that men can and will lead us astray if we are not diligent to test the things were are taught. Our confidence is in the word not men ("Friends, I have used Apollos and myself as examples to teach you the meaning of the saying, "Follow the rules." I want you to stop saying that one of us is better than the other." 1 Corinthians 4:6; "But you must make them be quiet. They are after money, and they upset whole families by teaching what they should not.", Titus 1:11; "Do your best to win God's approval as a worker who doesn't need to be ashamed and who teaches only the true message. Keep away from worthless and useless talk. It only leads people farther away from God. That sort of talk is like a sore that won't heal. And Hymenaeus and Philetus have been talking this way" 2 Timothy 2:15–17). God has not placed His word in the keeping of special handlers, a clergy, who have a supernatural gift of understanding, "Christ Jesus made me his prisoner, so that I could help you Gentiles. You have surely heard about God's kindness in choosing me to help you. In fact, this letter tells you a little about how God has shown me his mysterious ways. As you read the letter, you will also find out how well I really do understand the mystery about Christ." (Ephesians 3:1–4). Note that the readers were to read the letter, the whole congregation, not just the hierarchy. We are commanded to understand, "Don't be stupid. Instead, find out what the Lord wants you to do." (Ephesians 5:17). We are told that we can know and do the truth, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32). We can not only know, but also do the will of the Father in Heaven, "Not everyone who calls me their Lord will get into the kingdom of heaven. Only the ones who obey my Father in heaven will get in."; "Anyone who hears and obeys these teachings of mine is like a wise person who built a house on solid rock." (Matthew 7:21, 24).

God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year

Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing
Even though you can't see God, It doesn't stop you from believing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"God Is ..." or is NOT-II

"God Is …" or is Not
Part Two

Let’s consider how we are affected by a strong conviction that God is and what effect that has upon our behavior. Lets also note some of the opposite.

Believing "God Is" Gives Me an Elevated View of Mankind––
Unlike the lower creatures mankind is "in the image" and "after the likeness" of God ("God said, "Now we will make humans, and they will be like us. We will let them rule the fish, the birds, and all other living creatures." Genesis 1:26). I am not a dumb animal driven by instinct and appetite. No, I am a rational, reasoning, moral and spiritual being "a little lower" than the angels and not "far from God". This knowledge causes me to stand in awe of God who created me making me wonder why He has loved me so ( "Our LORD and Ruler, your name is wonderful everywhere on earth! You let your glory be seen in the heavens above. With praises from children and from tiny infants, you have built a fortress. It makes your enemies silent, and all who turn against you are left speechless. I often think of the heavens your hands have made, and of the moon and stars you put in place. Then I ask, "Why do you care about us humans? Why are you concerned for us weaklings?" You made us a little lower than you yourself, and you have crowned us with glory and honor. You let us rule everything your hands have made. And you put all of it under our power-- the sheep and the cattle, and every wild animal, the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and all ocean creatures. Our LORD and Ruler, your name is wonderful everywhere on earth!" Psalms 8:1–9). Furthermore, this knowledge causes me to treat my fellow man differently than I might otherwise do. Why? His life and soul are equally precious ("Men were created to be like God and to bring honor to God. This means that a man should not wear anything on his head. Women were created to bring honor to men." 1 Corinthians 11:7). Not only are we all of one blood, but we are "his offspring" ("Our earthly fathers correct us, and we still respect them. Isn't it even better to be given true life by letting our spiritual Father correct us?" Hebrews 12:9). He is worthy of what I desire and deserve ("Don't be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves." Philippians 2:3, "Treat others as you want them to treat you. This is what the Law and the Prophets are all about." Matthew 7:12).
God says He made us a little lower than the angels. Scientific intellectuals say we evolved from a lower life form. In other words we are just above the level of the most intelligent animal form. Who or what do you believe?

Believing "God Is" Gives a Sense of Purpose to My Existence––
The great question men ask is: "What is the meaning of life, why am I here?" Knowing there is a God makes me understand that I am accountable and beholden to someone far greater than myself ("Everything you were taught can be put into a few words: Respect and obey God! This is what life is all about. God will judge everything we do, even what is done in secret, whether good or bad." Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14). Life is not a finite journey to be filled with as much pleasure and as little pain as possible ("Then I'll say to myself, 'You have stored up enough good things to last for years to come. Live it up! Eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.' " Luke 12:19; "What do you think I gained by fighting wild animals in Ephesus? If the dead are not raised to life, "Let's eat and drink. Tomorrow we die." 1 Corinthians 15:32).Such is the attitude and lifestyle of many. Rather, it is a pilgrimage toward an eternal reunion with Our Maker ("Then after Moses grew up, his faith made him refuse to be called Pharaoh's grandson. He chose to be mistreated with God's people instead of having the good time that sin could bring for a little while. Moses knew that the treasures of Egypt were not as wonderful as what he would receive from suffering for the Messiah, and he looked forward to his reward. Because of his faith, Moses left Egypt. Moses had seen the invisible God and wasn't afraid of the king's anger." Hebrews 11:24-27). With this knowledge we canin now move on to a higher plane. Desiring to be with God I recognize the imperative of walking with God ("and Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him." Genesis 5:24).
Having faith that "God is" naturally leads to conviction that He is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). The diligent search results in the obedient life such as did Abraham in his search for the real God (11:8 "Abraham had faith and obeyed God. He was told to go to the land that God had said would be his, and he left for a country he had never seen."). We truly fear(respect) God and keep His commandments ("Everything you were taught can be put into a few words: Respect and obey God! This is what life is all about. God will judge everything we do, even what is done in secret, whether good or bad." Ecclesiastes12:13, 14; "We show our love for God by obeying his commandments, and they are not hard to follow." 1 John 5:3) and in this we achieve the sum of that for which God brought us into existence ("When you become fruitful disciples of mine, my Father will be honored. I have loved you, just as my Father has loved me. So remain faithful to my love for you. If you obey me, I will keep loving you, just as my Father keeps loving me, because I have obeyed him. I have told you this to make you as completely happy as I am." John 15:8–11)

Believing "God Is" Puts the Joy into Living—
Life is filled with many unpleasant tasks and experiences; there are hardships of every kind and description. Without the hope of heaven and eternal fellowship with God, life would be dismal, utterly meaningless and frankly not worth living. However, joy is ours in the midst of these trials ("God will bless you, if you don't give up when your faith is being tested. He will reward you with a glorious life, just as he rewards everyone who loves him." James 1:12). We rejoice because through trials we are perfected for our ultimate goal of heaven and our Father ("On that day you will be glad, even if you have to go through many hard trials for a while. Your faith will be like gold that has been tested in a fire. And these trials will prove that your faith is worth much more than gold that can be destroyed. They will show that you will be given praise and honor and glory when Jesus Christ returns." 1 Peter 1:6, 7).
We rejoice because our efforts in the kingdom in redeeming souls are not wasted ("Do everything without grumbling or arguing. Then you will be the pure and innocent children of God. You live among people who are crooked and evil, but you must not do anything that they can say is wrong. Try to shine as lights among the people of this world, as you hold firmly to the message that gives life. Then on the day when Christ returns, I can take pride in you. I can also know that my work and efforts were not useless. Your faith in the Lord and your service are like a sacrifice offered to him. And my own blood may have to be poured out with the sacrifice. If this happens, I will be glad and rejoice with you. In the same way, you should be glad and rejoice with me." Philippians 2:14–18). We rejoice because we are able to share somewhat in Christ’s sufferings for us ("Be glad for the chance to suffer as Christ suffered. It will prepare you for even greater happiness when he makes his glorious return." 1 Peter 4:13). We rejoice because we have a great reward in heaven ("Be happy and excited! You will have a great reward in heaven. People did these same things to the prophets who lived long ago." Matthew 5:12).

Believing "God Is" Takes the Fear Out of Dieing––
If there is no God death is the senseless end to a senseless life. We are like the animals in the end, but more miserable. The animals have no desires, yearnings or aspirations. They do not dream, neither do they purpose. Their lives are fully what they ought to be in sleeping, eating, breeding and even in dying. Yet, if "God is" we know that death is the door through which we must pass to attain all that we hope for. Death is no longer a miserable end to fear, but the first step on the last leg of a wonderful journey to God. The man in Christ is prepared for death ("It is a hard choice to make. I want to die and be with Christ, because that would be much better."
Philippians 1:23; "We should be cheerful, because we would rather leave these bodies and be at home with the Lord" 2 Corinthians 5:8). There is no "sting," its pangs cannot hold us just as they could not hold Christ Jesus our Lord (1 Corinthians 15:55, 56 "Where is its victory? Where is its sting?" Sin is what gives death its sting, and the Law is the power behind sin."; Acts 2:24 "But God set him free from death and raised him to life. Death could not hold him in its power."). When the Lord returns for us we will break forth from the grave incorruptible, glorious, powerful, spiritual, immortal (1 Corinthians 15:42–44 "That's how it will be when our bodies are raised to life. These bodies will die, but the bodies that are raised will live forever. These ugly and weak bodies will become beautiful and strong. As surely as there are physical bodies, there are spiritual bodies. And our physical bodies will be changed into spiritual bodies."; Romans 2:7 "He will give eternal life to everyone who has patiently done what is good in the hope of receiving glory, honor, and life that lasts forever.", 10 "But all who do right will be rewarded with glory, honor, and peace, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.").

CONCLUSION:
Salvation Begins with the Proposition: "God Is"––
Do you believe that "God is"? Does your conduct indicate that you truly believe "God is"? Are you seeking God and His will? Are you obeying His commandments? Is your life in rebellion?
Like the fool, do you live without fear of God? Are you a part of the secular world that has no respect for God and denies His existence? Would you like more information?

Belief that "God Is" Will…
Elevate your view of mankind. Give purpose to your existence. Put joy into living. Take fear out of dying. If you are I hope that your faith has been strengthen, your view elevated, resolved in purpose and joy added to your living, please pass it on to another in need.
Note:
The basic outline for this lesson was taken from a 66 page lesson book written by Jeff Asher. I have edited, adding and deleting as necessary for clarity. All scripture verses added are from the Contemporary English Version for ease of readability. (JMN)

"God Is …" or is Not

"God Is …" or is Not

Hebrews 11:6
"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him"

The Road to Salvation Begins with the Proposition, "God Is …"

During my life time I have never met a true atheist (one who believes that there is no deity). However I have met a number of agnostics (one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god). Even those that I have met that believe God is, do not have any real convictions concerning Him. The response is somewhat like a shrug of, "Yes I believe God exist, but so what." Is this apathy or do they really have no concern either way and why? There are many questions to ask if God is NOT, along with questions to ask if, God is. So let’s examine this question.

During one of Paul’s missionary journeys, as recorded in Acts 17:19–30 the writer, Luke, writes, "For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead" .

Even the Greek scholars with whom Paul’s preaching in Athens had perked instrest in the God he spoke of and asked to hear more. The above was Paul’s response. These Greeks recognized that there was another God, an unknown God, superior to their man-made gods. But is there any proof of His existence? Much of the proof has to be accepted on faith (a firm belief for something for which there is no proof) just as much as science is. There are no absolutes to scientific theories or hypothesis, just as there is no absolute proof that God is. However .................

There Is Ample Proof for the Existence of God––
The Argument from Creation (Romans 1:20 "God's eternal power and character cannot be seen. But from the beginning of creation, God has shown what these are like by all he has made. That's why those people don't have any excuse."; Hebrews 3:4 "Of course, every house is built by someone, and God is really the one who built everything." )

The Argument from Beauty

(Psalms 19:1–6 "The heavens keep telling the wonders of God, and the skies declare what he has done. Each day informs the following day; each night announces to the next. They don't speak a word, and there is never the sound of a voice. Yet their message reaches all the earth, and it travels around the world. In the heavens a tent is set up for the sun. It rises like a bridegroom and gets ready like a hero eager to run a race. It travels all the way across the sky. Nothing hides from its heat." )

The Argument from Life,

Intelligence and Will (Genesis 1:26 "God said, "Now we will make humans, and they will be like us. We will let them rule the fish, the birds, and all other living creatures." ; Psalms 94:9–11 "God gave us ears and eyes! Can't he hear and see? God instructs the nations and gives knowledge to us all. Won't he also correct us? The LORD knows how useless our plans really are.")

The Argument from Morality

(Genesis 20:9 "Abimelech then called in Abraham and said: Look what you've done to us! What have I ever done to you? Why did you make me and my nation guilty of such a terrible sin?")

The Argument from Man’s Spiritual Nature

(Acts 17:23 "As I was going through your city and looking at the things you worship, I found an altar with the words, "To an Unknown God." You worship this God, but you don't really know him. So I want to tell you about him.", 27–29 "God has done all this, so that we will look for him and reach out and find him. He isn't far from any of us, and he gives us the power to live, to move, and to be who we are. "We are his children," just as some of your poets have said. Since we are God's children, we must not think that he is like an idol made out of gold or silver or stone. He isn't like anything that humans have thought up and made.")

Now I ask, what’s to argue. We can find God in the creation. Science says otherwise. Are scientist not mere men/women using limited human intelligence to explain how the universe, earth and all that is on earth came from. The one thing that always intrigued me was their explanations bring order out of chaos. This does not happen by chance. It takes intelligence in order do that. Where did the intelligence come from. Look around yourself at nature. Look at the heavens. Everyday the sun is there, the moon follows predictable cycles, the stars can be used to navigate oceans. All creatures reproduce after their own kind. Is this by chance or by intelligent order and design. Humans are the only species that can use logical reasoning and intelligent communication. All of our moral values did not come about by chance. One would have had to escaped and returned to earth not to recognize the moral decline in the world today as many are following or being taught in public education that that morality is philisophical and relative. This eliminates fixed standards. Therefore as the times and the secular thinking changes morality changes.
Man also has a spiritual nature that longs for the same conditions as the Garden of Eden where God placed mankind, or the way heaven is described and we long for it here on earth. We desire our own utopia. People with money spend a lot of it to create it. Now, I ask again, where is the argument.

Our Conviction Determines Our Conduct––
The unbeliever, the atheist or agnostic, does not order his conduct to please God (Psalms 10:3–11 "The wicked brag about their deepest desires. Those greedy people hate and curse you, LORD. The wicked are too proud to turn to you or even think about you. They are always successful, though they can't understand your teachings, and they keep sneering at their enemies. In their hearts they say, "Nothing can hurt us! We'll always be happy and free from trouble." They curse and tell lies, and all they talk about is how to be cruel or how to do wrong. They hide outside villages, waiting to strike and murder some innocent victim. They are hungry lions hiding in the bushes, hoping to catch some helpless passerby. They trap the poor in nets and drag them away. They crouch down and wait to grab a victim. They say, "God can't see! He's got on a blindfold."). Is this not very visible in our society today?
It is possible for the believer to become an unbeliever when they set aside their convictions or loose their belief (Hebrews 3:12 "My friends, watch out! Don't let evil thoughts or doubts make any of you turn from the living God.", 19 "We see that those people did not enter the place of rest because they did not have faith." ).
The former believer may deny that "God is" by his conduct ( Jude 12 "These people are filthy minded, and by their shameful and selfish actions they spoil the meals you eat together. They are like clouds blown along by the wind, but never bringing any rain. They are like leafless trees, uprooted and dead, and unable to produce fruit.", "without fear;" see also: 2 Peter 2:10, 21, 22; 2 Timothy 3:1–8)

Questions that Need to Be Asked
What belief do hold? What is the driving force behind your convictions? Are you willing to believe what comes from the mind of another person or are you willing to put your trust in a higher intelligence and that we are here for a purpose? Are you willing to be taught and learn more?