Finding Truth Today - Blog

A rock solid argument for atheism toward the biblical God; Really?

LiveFreeOrDie1985 made a series of comments on one of my YouTube videos which I consolidated here so that I can give answer to per LiveFreeOrDie1985’s request of me to reply.

LiveFreeOrDie1985’s Comments

Quote: I have a rock solid argument for atheism toward the biblical God. I would like to hear your opinions on it please. I will make four assumptions on the biblical God. He is all knowing all powerful all loving and Just. Basically perfect. ok here is the argument. If God is the greatest possible good then if God had not created there would be nothing but the greatest possible good.

If for some reason God could not create a world without evil because of humans free will then if he was all good it should not have been created. For instance God made Adam and Eve in a perfect world they sinned and messed up the world and brought pain and suffering in. If God was all knowing and all Good why were humans created in the first place.

It’s the same as a parent giving a loaded handgun to the baby knowing they will shoot themselves or someone else.

Lastly what makes you think everything in heaven will be great if you still have free will???

After all the angels according to the bible rebelled against a perfect God indicating free will in heaven. You see what I am getting at if suffering is from free will of man and man has free will in heaven how will there be no suffering??????? :End Quote

My reply to LiveFreeOrDie1985

LiveFreeOrDie1985, your so claimed “rock solid argument for atheism toward the biblical God” is a really weak argument to anyone who has actually read the Bible in context. So either you misrepresent God purposefully or you are purely ignorant about what the Bible teaches about God. I’ll assume that you need to actually read the Bible instead of taking hearsay from people as you show your ignorance about it greatly with the way you phrased your questions about God.

The four assumptions LiveFreeOrDie1985 made about God are true; “He is all knowing all powerful all loving and Just.” God is “perfect” instead of “basically perfect” as you stated. “God is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He.” Deuteronomy 32:4 NIV

LiveFreeOrDie1985’s states: “If God is the greatest possible good then if God had not created there would be nothing but the greatest possible good.”

God, being the greatest possible good, if God had not created anything there would be nothing but the greatest possible good. So LiveFreeOrDie1985’s statement is true.

Yet God did create the heavens and earth and we know that when He finished creating everything, it was all very good. Genesis 1:31 “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. …”

LiveFreeOrDie1985 then states: “If for some reason God could not create a world without evil because of humans free will then if he was all good it should not have been created.”

God could have created a world without evil yet to do so God could not have given to anyone “free will” because for anybody having “free will” means that anybody can freely choose to do evil.

LiveFreeOrDie1985 then states: “For instance God made Adam and Eve in a perfect world they sinned and messed up the world and brought pain and suffering in.”

True, God made Adam and Eve knowing that they would each sin, doing the single request God made of them to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they each ate from it; Genesis 3. This did indeed bring in pain and suffering; Genesis 3:16-19 ‘To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."  To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.’

LiveFreeOrDie1985 then asks: “If God was all knowing and all Good why were humans created in the first place.”

Good question, why did God who knows everything that ever was, is, and will be, create you and me in the first place when God knows that we knowingly do things we know we shouldn’t do and we knowingly don’t do things we know we should do? You can ask the same question of a man and woman who plan to have and have a child or more. Why do a man and woman knowingly plan to have a child and have a child when they know their child will knowingly do things they know that they shouldn’t do and knowingly not do things they know they should do? Why do a man and a woman knowingly plan to have a child knowing that their child may grow up and not love them? For the same reasons God planned and created you and me; God wanted to create us and because of love. God loves us.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." John 3:16-21

LiveFreeOrDie1985 then states: “It’s the same as a parent giving a loaded handgun to the baby knowing they will shoot themselves or someone else.”

No LiveFreeOrDie1985, parents knowingly planning and having children the parents know will disobey them isn’t the same as parents giving a loaded handgun to their baby. Knowingly planning and having children is done because the parents can do it and done in love. Parents giving a loaded handgun to a baby is stupidity on the part of the parents and does not relate to why a man and woman knowingly bring a child into this world whom they both know will knowingly do things the child knows it shouldn’t and will knowingly not do things the child knows it should do.

God could have made each of us like robots i.e., without free will yet He didn’t. God gave to us free will to choose to knowingly do what we know is good and free will to knowingly do what we know is evil because He loves us and God loves each and every one of us equally, regardless of if we love Him or not. Just like loving parents love their child who has knowingly done something wrong or evil still love their child and desires that their child not knowingly do evil, God loves us and desires for us to not do evil.

Because you and I knowingly do evil things, doesn’t make it the same as if God gave to either of us a loaded handgun. And, even if God had given to either of us a loaded handgun, it would be your and my free will at work in what we shot with it or not and your and my fault if we shot someone with it and not God’s fault. Just as good parents correct their child for knowingly doing something wrong or knowingly not doing something right, God corrects us through the consequences of pain and suffering we experience and cause other people to experience.

LiveFreeOrDie1985 at this point asks:
“Lastly what makes you think everything in heaven will be great if you still have free will???”

Another good question. This is where my faith in God comes in. From what is taught to us in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation is of how God knew from the beginning that mankind using their free will would sin. And that God from the beginning had a plan in place by which you and I could using our free will be redeemed. And by God allowing our sin to happen He was able to show the redeemed how much He loved us by His sacrificing His only begotten Son for us.

“For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 14:17

LiveFreeOrDie1985 ends with these statements: “After all the angels according to the bible rebelled against a perfect God indicating free will in heaven. You see what I am getting at if suffering is from free will of man and man has free will in heaven how will there be no suffering???????”

Another good question indeed. First of all, we know from Genesis 1:31 that God created everything to be “very good.” Everything that God made was originally perfect! Unfortunately, Lucifer sinned by rebelling against God at some point after the Creation Week (Isaiah 14:12–15). Adam and Eve also sinned by rebelling against God (Genesis 3:1–11). They chose to eat the forbidden fruit, and as a result, the earth was cursed because of sin (Genesis 3:17–18). We live in a world affected by the consequences of their sin. Of course, God knew that all this would happen.

Colossian 1:16 tells us that God created all things “through Him and for Him.”

Basically God created Lucifer, the angels that chose to rebel, and people because He wanted to. Let’s explore this a further so that we can better understand it.

Not only did God create all things, but he also gave angels and people the freedom to rebel against Him. And rebel is exactly what Lucifer, the fallen angels, Adam, Eve, and all of us have done. We (you and me) have sinned and rebelled against God, so we are all guilty.

We know that God is not pleased when someone who rejects Him dies (Ezekiel 33:11), but it is precious in His sight when one someone who accepts Him passes away (Psalm 116:15). There is also joy in the presence of angels when a sinner (like you and me) repents (Luke 15:10). Why? Obviously, God does not want to sentence someone to eternity apart from Him (2 Peter 3:9), but He is also holy and just, so God does if the person chooses to be separated from Him. Since God is love (1 John 4:8, 16), perhaps He enjoys (pleasures in) showering His love on His creation.

We must always keep in mind that God created a perfect world (Genesis 1:31) and that we (you and me) are the ones who messed it up. So even though God knew Satan and 1/3 of the angels would rebel, and much of mankind would reject His offer of salvation, it is not God’s fault that they rebelled against Him.

Of course, sin and a broken world are not the end of story. Let’s not forget that someday God promises that He will make a new heaven and a new earth (Rev. 21:1). There will be no more pain, tears or death (Rev. 21:4). Everyone who has asked Jesus to save them from the penalty of their sins will be with Him for all eternity (Rev. 22:1–5)!

We also need to realize that there are so many things which we do not understand and never will fully understand. God has a wonderful plan that stretches into eternity, full of things that we “do not know.” It is important to remember that God is in control and that He promises to work everything (even the bad things) together for the good of those who love Him. Sometimes we need to trust Him and walk in faith.

And thus my faith is in God’s promise of salvation through His only begotten Son Jesus for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Romans 10:13)" along with my faith in God keeping His other promises of a new heaven and new earth, no more pain, tears, suffering, and death assures me that once I am in Heaven with God, that I’m there to stay.

“Why” you ask, “do you have faith that God will fulfill His promises in the first place, Victor?” I have faith in God fulfilling the promises He has made because God has shown a rock solid history of fulfilling the promises He has made all throughout the Old Testament and New Testament. From Genesis to Revelation, God has proven worthy of fulfilling every promise He has made. That’s why.

Are you ready for that day? Have you accepted Christ’s redeeming work on the cross? It is a free gift! If you want to receive Christ’s free gift of salvation, take seriously John 3:16 (above) which reveals God’s resolve, it states that God loves the world (you and me) and that He sent His Son to die on a cross, because of this love He has for you and me.

“Why” you ask, “did God have to send His only begotten Son to earth to die for us? Could God not just let everyone into Heaven?”

I’ll answer the second question first. As we talked about already, not everyone wants to be with God. Remember, Satan and 1/3 of the angels decided to not be with God and God let them rebel (use their free will) against His desire for them to stay with Him. Not every human being wants to be with God. I have had many people tell me that they don’t want anything to do with God. Because God loves everyone equally, and because God is just in every way, God allows those people who do not want to be with Him, to not be with Him. If God were to force someone into Heaven against his/her will who did not want to be in Heaven, that would neither be loving nor just to the person not wanting to be with God. So, God at the time of judgment will tell those people who do not want to be with Him in Heaven that their will, will be done, not His.

The first question’s answer we’ve touched on a few times already. God loves us very much and made a way for us to become is children. God sent His only Son, Christ Jesus, to earth (John 3:16). Jesus was both fully God and fully human (like you and me) yet while He grew up, Jesus didn’t act out against His heavenly Father; Jesus was always obedient to God and never sinned. Jesus told people how they could have a right relationship with God and become His children.

God said that death was the punishment for sin and that eternal life is in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:23). So, “Everyone must die once, and after that be judged by God. (Hebrews 9:27)”

Basically, God set down the consequences for our wrongful behaviors (death) and how we can be redeemed from an eternal separation from Him through Christ Jesus.

Now, you ask, “Why do we have to die?” Again, we have to die once because we have each sinned and the punishment for sin is death.

You ask, “But how does Christ Jesus’ death count towards our having eternal life?” The death Christ Jesus died, He died to sin once for everyone which was a unique event that need not be repeated; but Jesus’ life, He keeps on living for God. (Romans 6:10)” What this means for you and me is that if we place our trust in Christ Jesus’ physical death and physical resurrection from death as actually happening, you and I are at that time accepted by God the Father as pure and holy just as Christ Jesus truly is because God accepts us through Christ Jesus’ perfectness and not as we truly are which is sinful.

“Yet could God not just let those people who accept Him into Heaven without having Christ Jesus go through all of that pain, suffering, death?” Not as explained in the Bible because as we know, God is perfectly just and being so it is against God’s nature to have anything not perfect near Him. The only way for you and me to be in Heaven with God would be if we were perfect (which we are not) or for God to have some way for us to be accepted as being perfect (even though we are not).

So because of our not being perfect, God sent His only Son, Christ Jesus, to earth (John 3:16). Jesus was both fully God and fully human (like you and me) yet while He grew up, Jesus didn’t act out against His heavenly Father; Jesus was always obedient to God and never sinned. Jesus told people how they could have a right relationship with God and become His children.

Are you ready for that day, the day you die? Have you accepted Christ’s redeeming work on the cross? It is a free gift! If you want to receive Christ’s free gift of salvation, take seriously John 3:16 (above) which reveals God’s resolve, it states that God loves the world (you and me) and that He sent His Son to die on a cross, because of this love He has for you and me.

To take seriously John 3:16 you need to stop sinning and not plan to sin and accept Christ Jesus as full payment for your sins. Call upon Christ Jesus to save you because everyone who calls upon Christ Jesus to help them will be saved from eternal death; for “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord Christ Jesus will be saved!” Romans 10:13  

Why Do I Believe?

The other day I made the following comments on a YouTube video;

 

The Bible was written over a period of roughly 2,000 years by 40 different authors from three continents, who wrote in three different languages.

 

And one of its most remarkable qualities is the complete unity of the overall message despite having so many different authors writing over many centuries on hundreds of controversial subjects.

 

The unity of Scripture demonstrates its supernatural inspiration. Only the one true, holy God could provide us with such a flawless Bible that reveals such a matchless message: the Lord’s staggering love for His creation.

 

trajaen534 sent to me an email via Facebook wanting me to say in my own words what makes me believe those comments. trajaen534 holds that what I quoted; “has not been established as fact or most probably true scientifically, historically, or in any way, or there would be no debate.. you know of inconsistencies and errors in the Bible,” as he went on to say; “you know it isn't inerrant so why make such claims you can't back up?”

 

trajaen534 went on and asked: “Tell me in your own words why you think this is even remotely true let alone believable.* Have you read the Bible yourself? It's not all literally true is it..?”

 

Basically trajaen534 is asking me a very good question, “Why do I believe?”

Why would anyone believe something that’s not been clearly established? If the Bible was as trajaen534 states, has not been established as fact or most probably true scientifically, historically, or in any way, there would be no debate about someone not believing in what it says. If the Bible is as trajaen534 says, it would be foolish for anyone to believe anything the Bible has written in it.

 

However if one actually researches the facts about the Bible, one finds that it is very much established as confirmed scientifically, historically, archeologically, biologically, through astronomy, physics, and even has eyewitnesses for many of the events. And to date, no one has ever brought forth a contradiction in the Bible or an error in the original language manuscripts that if even the slightest research made on it, confirms that it is actually a contradiction or error. Also, the New Testament has stronger manuscript support than any other classical literature from Homer, Plato, Aristotle, Caesar and Tacitus.

 

I have read the Holy Bible. The Holy Bible is a world best seller and no other book has ever out sold it. It is the bloodiest book in all history with many of its writers death resulting from their work on it and forfeiting their lives for their believes in it. The Holy Bible is also the most precious book on earth giving to us in its New Testament the good news of Jesus Christ who with His blood, freely paid the price for your and my sins so that if only we place our faith in Him, that we will be saved from our sins for ever and ever. The Holy Bible tells us of God’s great love for us and of His wanting us to choose to love Him.

 

If you are interested, here’s a starting point for you to learn more about the Bible: http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1352&context=lts_fac_pubs http://thebibletrial.org/resources.asp
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/aid/v3/n1/look-at-the-canon
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v6/n2/unity-bible
http://www.biblequery.org/bible.htm
and my website: http://findingtruthtoday.org/faq.htm

 

What is it that I believe?

It wasn’t but within the last five years that I actually researched how well the Bible is supported and confirmed. Yet just because the Bible is a world best seller with no other book outselling it and is confirmed by eye witnesses, science, astronomy, biology, archeology, etc. and the fact that there are no contradictions or errors in it doesn’t make what is written in the Bible true. Nor does this make me believe what is written in it is true. It does however create a great foundation that helps me believe that what is written in the Bible is true.

I’m guessing trajaen534 is thinking that my belief is in the Bible. My belief is not in the Bible per se although I do believe without any doubt that what is written in the Bible is factual and true.

 

I believe in the promises that God has made to us that He told to us that are found in the Bible.

 

But the ultimate question to me by trajaen534 is; Why do I believe?

From the Old Testament Genesis the first book of the Bible including each and every book (66 books in all) through the New Testament Revelations the last book of the Bible, we see man’s repeated rebellion against his holy Creator. God made a perfect world, but mankind has continually rejected God’s authority and sought to decide truth for himself. Nevertheless throughout each of the 66 books of the Bible, God promised to extend His love, grace, and mercy to unworthy people (including you and me) who deserved to be cast into the lake of fire for all eternity. I fully have faith in God and trust God will fulfill all that is written in the Bible.

 

The most simplistic answer as to why I believe is that I believe because of the drastic change that transpired in my life after I made the choice to really accept Christ Jesus as full payment for my sins and allowed Him to direct my life instead of me directing my life. The personal relationship that I have with Christ Jesus radically changed the direction of my life 180 degrees from when I didn’t allow Him direct my life to currently where I am totally aware that I’m unable to live without Him.

 

Saying that I Accepted Jesus

I first accepted Jesus Christ as my savior when I was eleven years old however going into my mid adolescence I did not at all times act as a Christian which means that in reality, I did not act at all like a true Christian. I was a hypocrite in my thoughts and actions and it lasted from my mid adolescence to later into my adult life. Although I said that I had accepted Jesus Christ, I did not allow Him to lead me in my life choices thus I didn’t really accept Him at all as I continued to do what I wanted to do instead of what God wanted me to do. So really, I didn’t truly accept Christ Jesus as I did not allow Him into my life. (1 Timothy 4:1-12)

 

Even though I knew and understood what I was doing was wrong and against Jesus' teachings, I did it anyway just because I wanted to do it. I wanted to do it because I enjoyed doing what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it and how I wanted to do it. I wanted to do what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it how I wanted to do it and that’s what I did. I did not listen to anyone’s advice and I didn’t follow Christ Jesus’ teachings as I knew what it was I wanted to do. Anyone else’s direction especially Christ Jesus’ did not fit in with how I wanted to live. So I did what I wanted to do whether or not it hurt someone or not because I at that time did not care about anyone but me; I did not even care about God’s will for me. I just wanted to do and did whatever it was I wanted to do because I could do it and because I wanted to do it how I wanted to do it without thought of any future consequences. (Romans 1:18-21)

 

I Deluded the Truth

Although I did not plan to do so, along the way I know that I deluded the truth to many people around me hearing my words and seeing my actions because I was deluding the truth to myself. The delusion of truth I created around me caused turmoil in my thinking and the longer I let myself think what I was thinking was true even though it wasn’t, it was only true to the point which I could suppress my conscience thought because deep inside I knew that I was living in a self-made delusion yet I just didn’t want to admit to myself that I was; and so to the best of my ability, I did not admit it to myself. (Jeremiah 17:5)

 

I did not admit it to myself because I wanted to continue to believe that what I was doing was okay to do. I kept justifying what I was doing to myself. In all these things that I was doing I kept saying to myself that they were really okay because everyone else was doing it and that with everyone else doing it, it must be okay for me to do it too. My “everyone” included the worldly peers who were doing it, movies and TV showing and doing it and songs telling about it. The temptations were all there for me to choose to do and with many examples to follow, I made my choice and fell to those temptations. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

 

In reality however; I was continually lying to myself to suppress the truth. The more and longer I lied to myself the easier it got for me to lie to not only myself but to others as well. My initial lie to myself grew to include other lies which included me lying to other people verbally and/or in my actions. All along the way I also continued to tell myself and others that I was a Christian.

 

After all I would think to myself; I did grow up in a Christian home and called myself a Christian. Yet really I was not a Christian because I was not following Christ Jesus’ teachings and had not regretted nor had stopped any of my sinful ways. (Romans 1:18-32)

 

Living a Multiple Life of Lies

Dependent upon who it was I was with, I would totally act differently around them. When I was with my party friends, I’d be a partyer. When I was with my parents and certain family members, I’d act more devout. At work I would be somewhere in between. On my own I’d be scheming and trying to keep track of the various stories I’d told the people around me and predominantly selfishly thinking of only myself. It was very difficult at times when I was required to be around more than one group of people at a time because I was always putting on an act and I was never just me because I didn’t feel like anyone would like just me being me. In reality, I didn’t really know who I really was because I had let myself lie to myself so often and for so long. At times I had some feelings of guilt and during these times I’d get a slight awareness of who I should be and how I should act yet I would quickly suppress that notion of who I was because it didn’t fit with what I was telling myself I wanted to do. (Proverbs 12:5)

 

Underage drinking, experimental drug use, totally reckless driving, taking advantage of family and friends, theft, planning a murder (shortly after my father was murdered) and sexual addiction are among the most terrible things I did. All are against God’s will for anyone to do yet I did them without thinking of any consequences for myself or those around me. During this time I easily broke each of the “Ten Commandments” and did not think anything about breaking them either. After all, I said that I was a Christian and at certain times I acted as one. Yet just saying and acting as a Christian isn’t asking forgiveness and truly not planning sinful actions and following Christ Jesus’ teachings is it? (Psalm 7:14)

 

Arguing with God

One night when I was 18 years old after taking more than half a bottle of over the counter sleeping pills, I lay wide awake in bed all night not being able to close my eyes for more than a few seconds at a time. God told me that I was going to be an evangelist spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ to thousands of people and point them to the truth of His love for them. I started arguing with God. I told Him that there’s no way that I’m going to do that because if I did that, that I’d be a huge hypocrite. God told me again that I would be and evangelist pointing people to Him and again I told Him that I would not be. (Proverbs 17:19)

 

I knew of and actually ran around with a preacher who was in secrete living the same lies I was and I first hand saw his hypocrisy. We would compete for the same women, drink the same alcohol, and smoke the same pot. There was no way that I wanted to be that much of a hypocrite. I remember asking him about how could he preach in the pulpit and do what he was doing and not feel that it was wrong. He told me that it was easy because he didn’t preach against what he was doing. Yet in reality, he was doing the exact same think I was, not letting God lead his life and going against God’s teachings and living a life of lies. Thus this preacher’s hypocrisy was the same as mine. He was not asking forgiveness and not planning sinful actions and following Christ Jesus’ teachings yet he was supposedly teaching Christ Jesus’ instructions and saying that he was a Christian. (Psalm 59:12)

 

I Chose to Really Accept Christ Jesus

On and on I went living my life for myself and living a life of multiple lifestyles dependent upon where and who it was I was with and lying as needed to everyone about who I was until one day I came to my senses and realized that I had become someone I did not want to be. Not only did I realize that I had become someone I did not want to be, I realized that I had become someone who I did not want to be around. I had realized that I was not able to trust myself and this especially became clear to me when I caught myself planning to take someone’s life in revenge of my father’s murder. (John 14:1)

 

I was in my mid 30s when I admitted the truth to myself and to God that I was a liar. I confessed to God that I should not be acting as I was because I know the truth. I asked God for forgiveness and through the loving gift of His only begotten Son Jesus’ death on a cross and resurrection, God forgives me because I repented of and repent of the sins I commit (Romans 5:8 ). At that time I also started allowing God to lead me in life instead of just doing things on my own although I didn’t fully let God lead me as I didn’t place all of my trust in Him at first. (2 Samuel 22:31)

 

At first, I continued to take sexual advantage of women as before but unlike before when I could lie to myself about it and suppress any guilty feelings I had because my relationship with Christ Jesus would not let me suppress any guilt. In fact, the guilt I felt would increase even more intensely over time and to such an extent that I finally realized that what I was doing was wrong. It was wrong because in my actions were selfish and not healthy for neither me nor the women I was taking advantage of in a number of ways. It wasn’t healthy in that still today I deeply regret that I had not waited until I was married and I’m sure that the women I was with have the same regrets as to being with me and any other man other than their husband. Another way it isn’t healthy to have sexual relations outside of marriage is that of sexually transmitted diseases. The main way it is wrong is that it goes against the teachings of Christ Jesus. (1 John 2:16)

 

Humbling Myself

Very soon after I repented of my sins and accepted Christ Jesus as full payment for my sins, God led me to give apologies to many of those whom I hurt during my deceitful era which I humbled myself and apologized to them. Still to this day God brings to my attention people I need to apologize to by bringing them back into my life and reminding me of how I hurt them. (2 Corinthians 12:21) It’s hard for me to humble myself and apologize to someone I’ve done wrong. Yet God doesn’t bring these people back into my life and wag His finger in my face telling me how wrong I was to do whatever it was I did to them. God brings these people back into my life and reminds me of how I hurt them and He not only gives to me the courage and strength to apologize to them but the right opportunity to apologize to them. (Isaiah 12:2)

 

God has shown to me that I am not any more or less special than anyone else in this world. God loves me just as much as he loves you; no more and no less. From God showing to me His love for me by His changing the destructive life I was living, I learned how to humble myself and to put others ahead of myself. (Proverbs 11:2) As I’ve learned over the years from God how to humble myself, God has over these years gave to me hundreds of blessings including my wonderful wife and opportunities which if I had continued along the way I was prior to my acceptance of Christ Jesus as full payment for my sins would have never come along. (James 4:10)

 

A Positive Change in My Life

Right after I really accepted Christ Jesus as full payment for my sins and made the choice to let Him lead me in life, I started becoming me with everyone instead of putting on an act of whom I thought the people around me wanted me to be with them. God help me realize that no matter what goes on around me and with whomever it is I am with even if I am alone, I need to be consistent with my thoughts and actions and follow His teachings of loving Him and everyone. Loving everyone includes loving those people who cut you off while you are driving and for me those people who murdered my father when I was 28 years old just after Christmas. (Romans 12:19)

 

The more I let myself trust God in my life, the more I realized that the hatred I held against those people who murdered my father wasn’t hurting them, it was hurting me. By my actively thinking negatively about the people who murdered my father, I was giving these negative thoughts an opportunity to control me and thus my actions. By my giving these thoughts of hate a place in my thinking, I was still not fully letting God lead me. (Proverbs 10:12)

 

Yet now after I had really accepted Christ Jesus as my Savior, God would convict me of my thinking negatively about my father’s murderers making me feel guilty for wanting them dead. God would remind me that I am in fact no better than they are because I had planned their murder and would have done it if I had not finally been honest with myself and with God about the life of lies and multiple life that I was living. Each time I thought hate about anyone God would not let me do so without continually reminding me of how wretched I am and of how He loves these people just as much as He loves me. God reminds me that I should rightfully be against and hate what they did but not hate the people who did it. (James 4:7)

 

At that time instead of hating the people who murdered my father, I realized that they were living a life of lies like I had been. I realized too that God loves them just as much as He loves me and that He wants them to come to realize that they are living a life of lies and that God loves them. It was at this point in my life in my late 30s that instead of hating those people who murdered my father, I understood that they were lost as I had been and I forgave them for murdering my father and started to love them and pray for them to accept Christ Jesus as their Savior. (Matthew 6:14-15)

 

I read Richard Dawkins’ book, “The God Delusion”

One day not long after “The God Delusion” was published, I was in a book store and was strongly compelled to get it. So I bought it and I started reading it. As I read it, I realized that even though I had not done much study of the Bible, that what Richard Dawkins had written was way off from what the Bible actually had written in it. I also noticed that Richard Dawkins has a habit of stating something as fact when there is no evidence of it at all. As I continued to read “The God Delusion” I couldn’t help but realize that Richard Dawkins was attacking straw men he made up and was stating that this is was God and Christianity was all about. The more I read “The God Delusion” the more I was compelled to do something to correct all of the erroneous teachings about God and Christ Jesus that Richard Dawkins had written. (2 John 1:7; 2 Peter 2:3)

 

It was at this point in my mid-forties that I remembered and realized that what God had told me when I was 18 about me being an evangelist for Him was going to actually happen. God had not told me that sometime in the future I would be an evangelist for Him. God just told me when I was 18 that I would be an evangelist for Him. I knew now as I read “The God Delusion” that just as God had told me when I was 18 that I would not be a hypocrite being an evangelist for God because unlike when God first told me what I would be doing for Him, I now let Him lead me in life and I fully trust Him. (James 3:1)

 

So in 2008 at the age of 46 I started a web site, blog (http://FindingTruthToday.org) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/GospelToday) and in December 2010 a YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/FindingTruthToday) to evangelize God’s message of love and to point people to Him just as God had told me when I was 18 that I would do.

 

My evangelism of the Gospel of Christ Jesus thus started because of Richard Dawkins’ book, “The God Delusion” and reading “The God Delusion” also was when I started studying the Bible and evidence supporting it. The more I read the Bible and study it and learn more about it and am asked to answer questions about it, the more the Bible stands as solid evidence that it came from God to us so that we can learn of His great love for us. (Romans 5:8)

 

Why Do I Believe?

trajaen534, I believe God loves me because of the positive change He made in my life. I know from the universe and life that God exists and through the personal relationship I have with Him. I believe that God loves me because of the positive change God made in my life through my personal relationship with Christ Jesus which demonstrates to me that God cares about us so much that He only wants the best for us and He tells us in the Bible how to do this (Titus 2:5-15; ).

 

From the way God positively changed my life, I trust that God will fulfill the promise He made that His only begotten Son, Christ Jesus, through His living a sinless life as a fully human man and with His suffering on a cross and His bodily dying for my and your sins Christ Jesus fully paid the debt of death we (you and I) owe and through His physical resurrection from death, He created for you and me a means by which if we choose to believe in Him, opens up the narrow path’s gate for us to be in Heaven with God (1 Corinthians 15:4-14).

Christopher Hitchens Legacy to Humanity

Christopher Hitchens legacy to humanity falls short of what it could have been.

A statement released by Vanity Fair late the night Christopher Hitchens died stated:

"There will never be another like Christopher. A man of ferocious intellect, who was as vibrant on the page as he was at the bar," Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter said in the statement. "Those who read him felt they knew him, and those who knew him were profoundly fortunate souls."

I agree that there will never be another person like Christopher Hitchens and there was never anyone like him before. God creates each of us uniquely and to each of us gives some exceptional ability which not many of us actually aspire to achieve to the level that Christopher Hitchens did during his lifetime of 62 years.

Christopher Hitchens’ legacy to Humanity is in my eyes two fold. Overall, Christopher Hitchens could have been so much greater than he was. Christopher Hitchens had a chance to positively change the world yet instead his legacy promotes and inspires an immense hatred against people who have placed their faith in God’s promises and follow Christ Jesus.

Firstly his greatest success: Hitchens correctly went after and exposed perverted religious zealots who aspire to power and wealth and bring corruption into the world stating that God is giving them authority to do so. With his God given wit, Hitchens attacked them using his God given verbal and writing skills.

In Hitchens’ rightly attacking religion, he was following what God teaches us in the Bible as religion separates people from God. “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27 NIV

Secondly his greatest failure: Although Hitchens knew who God is, he also attacked God during his fight against religious zealots. With his inclusion of God during his attacks, Hitchens even though knowing who God is, is today giving many atheists an enhanced inspiration to spew messages of vile hatred towards God and Christians.

To his credit: Christopher Hitchens during his lifetime clearly defined to everyone who God is and what a true Christian is yet many atheists choose to overlook and not care to know what Hitchens said and wrote about God.

To his discredit: Instead of pointing people to Whom God actually is and clearly dividing a rightful line between religion and God, Hitchens chose to muddle religion with God just as those religious zealots Hitchens so rightly went after and exposed.

Christopher Hitchens knew who God is: Upon more than one occasion Hitchens made it clear that he knew what true Christianity is. In his article NewYorkTimes.com; “In the Name of the Father, the Sons . . .”(1) Hitchens clearly shows his knowledge and understanding of and articulates to those who read it in context, who Christ Jesus is:

‘Belief in the divinity of Jesus of Nazareth and belief in the virtue of his teachings are not at all the same thing. Writing to John Adams in 1813, having taken his razor blade to the books of the New Testament and removed all "the artificial vestments in which they have been muffled by priests," Thomas Jefferson said the 46-page residue contained "the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has ever been offered to man." Ernest Renan, in his path breaking "Life of Jesus" in 1863, also repudiated the idea that Jesus was the son of God while affirming the beauty of his teachings. In rather striking contrast, C. S. Lewis maintained in his classic statement "Mere Christianity":

"That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse."

As an admirer of Jefferson and Renan and a strong nonadmirer of Lewis, I am bound to say that Lewis is more honest here. Absent a direct line to the Almighty and a conviction that the last days are upon us, how is it "moral" to teach people to abandon their families, give up on thrift and husbandry and take to the stony roads? How is it moral to claim a monopoly on access to heaven, or to threaten waverers with everlasting fire, let alone to condemn fig trees and persuade devils to infest the bodies of pigs? Such a person if not divine would be a sorcerer and a ­fanatic.’

In Hitchens’ review of a book by fellow atheist Philip Pullman who is writing about Jesus, Hitchens makes an incredibly important point. If we take Jesus seriously, then we have to take seriously what he said about himself. You cannot separate the ‘words’ of Jesus from the ‘identity’ of Jesus.

C. S. Lewis says Jesus is the Son of God or a madman or something worse. Hitchens agrees. Lewis says he's the Son of God whereas Hitchens stated Jesus might have been a sorcerer or a fanatic.

This brings us back to the famous "trilemma."

Is Jesus Lord?

Is Jesus a liar?

Is Jesus a lunatic?

Hitchens is absolutely right to insist that the so-called "moral teachings" of Christ make no sense unless he is indeed the Son of God, a conclusion Hitchens utterly rejects at the time of his writing the review. Christians would say that Hitchens is right on the first point but wrong in his conclusion. But at least he frames the issue correctly.(2)

Christopher Hitchens knew what true Christianity is and how to be saved From eternal death: During a “Portland Monthly Magazine” interview when asked about what is a true Christian Hitchens stated:

“I would say that if you don’t believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ and Messiah, and that he rose again from the dead and by his sacrifice our sins are forgiven, you’re really not in any meaningful sense a Christian.”(3)

Christopher Hitchens’ overall legacy to humanity deeply saddens me: Hitchens knowing clearly who God is muddled his rightful hatred of religion and religious zealots with an irate hatred of God. Today this clearly is wrathfully fueling immense hatred and vile comments in so many atheists against people who worship Christ Jesus and desire that Hitchens prior to his death repented of his sins. It also saddens me that to my limited knowledge Christopher Hitchens continued to reject his Creator’s gift of salvation, our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus.

There is hope “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” Romans 10:13 KJV: With Christopher Hitchens knowing who God actually is and what a true Christian is, it brings to me hope that Hitchens just prior to his final moments of life on this earth be it expressed out loud or not, could have accepted Christ Jesus as his Christ and Messiah.

Yet you and I will not know until our deaths will we. Neither you nor me have died so you and me don’t know Christopher Hitchens’ final choice on accepting Christ Jesus or not. My desire is that Christopher Hitchens prior to his death did accept Christ Jesus as his savior.

One thing however I do know is that at this time either if he chose to accept Christ Jesus as his savior or not is that Christopher Hitchens’ desire now more than ever is that he wants you to accept Christ Jesus as your savior.

References

1) http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/11/books/review/Hitchens-t.html?nl=books&emc=booksupdateema3

2) http://www.afa.net/Blogs/BlogPost.aspx?id=2147496549

3) Quote from Christopher Hitchens from “Portland Monthly Magazine” http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/arts-and-entertainment/category/books-and-talks/articles/christopher-hitchens

Christopher Hitchens Knew what a True Christian Is

My deepest condolences to the Hitchens family at their time of loss of husband, father, brother, friend; Christopher Hitchens died on December 15th, 2011 from complications brought on by cancer. Though the melancholy as time goes by lessens it never fully dissipates. Our hope then must be beyond our meager means. We need to look to God for it is through His mercy and love we get peace. Knowing that through Christ Jesus, God gave to us His love.

It deeply saddens me that to my limited knowledge Christopher Hitchens continued to reject his Creator’s gift of salvation, our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus. Christopher Hitchens knew how to be saved from eternal death as during an interview when asked about what is a true Christian he stated:

“I would say that if you don’t believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ and
Messiah, and that he rose again from the dead and by his sacrifice our sins are
forgiven, you’re really not in any meaningful sense a Christian.”

Quote from Christopher Hitchens from “Portland Monthly Magazine”
http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/arts-and-entertainment/category/books-and-talks/articles/christopher-hitchens

With Christopher Hitchens knowing what a true Christian is, it brings to me hope that Hitchens just prior to his final moments of life on this earth be it expressed out loud or not, could have accepted Christ Jesus as his Christ and Messiah. My desire is that Christopher Hitchens prior to his death did accept Christ Jesus as his savior.

I will not know Christopher Hitchens’ choice until my time on this earth ends. One thing however I do know is that at this time Christopher Hitchens either if he chose to accept Christ Jesus as his savior or not now more than ever wants you to accept Christ Jesus as your savior.

Why Would Anyone Think Noah's Flood is True?

 

Morals - Absolute or Not?

@GRIMACHU from Twitter says that morals are subjective (not absolute) and that we live within secular morality. Going on to say that the Bible has contractions in Luke 16:17 and Matthew 5:18-19 which undermines 'absolute morality' said to be within the Bible thus it retains the entire, vicious Old Testament laws as being binding today.

 I have to admit that many people in today’s secular society state that society follows secular objective (not absolute) morality meaning that it is based upon opinions of individuals and of a ruling society, morals seem to shift from position to position dependent upon varying circumstances. To these people saying that, I say that they have not sat down and actually thought about what subjective morality really is.

Morals; Absolutely

Objective (not absolute) secular morality is not the case if one were to absolutely look at the morality that is within each of our God given nature. If we look at the morality within each of our nature, we each absolutely know instinctively right from wrong and good from evil although be it that we do not always choose to adhere to what we know to be right and good. We know instinctively right from wrong and good from evil because we ourselves each do not want to be raped, murdered, lied to, cheated on (adultery), or wronged in any way. None of us need to be told by a community standard that we don’t want to be raped, murdered, lied to, cheated on (adultery), or wronged in any way because we absolutely know beyond doubt we do not want these things to happen to us. From our each knowing instinctively that we do not want these things to happen to us, we therefore absolutely know that these things are wrong and evil to do to others thus within each of us we have and know absolute moral standards which we each should follow.

Morals; Subjectively

@GRIMACHU tweeted; “You can't really create an absolute [morality] though, conditions are too changeable. Any moral system is subjective. The best we could hope for is objectivity in human context.” This is absolute hogwash because as we each know instinctively right from wrong and good from evil because we ourselves each do not want to be raped, murdered, lied to, cheated on (adultery), or wronged in any way therefore we know within us an absolute moral standard which we should follow.

If @GRIMACHU was right in that every moral system is subjective and that we cannot have absolute moral standards because conditions are too changeable, then at any time subjective morals of a society could not only consider rape, murder, adultery, larceny, infanticide, etc. as morally okay but could actually put them into action as moral standards of law. Here are examples of subjective morals that were actually put into action: Remember Stalin, Mao, Hitler, and others like them who starved and eradicated certain people groups, took their belongings and called it good for society. Many people in their society went along with it as though what was going on was a moral thing to do because their leader said it was okay and commanded it even though those people groups who were being starved and eradicated had done nothing deserving to be starved and eradicated.

Now think about if Stalin, Mao, Hitler, etc., had not been stopped and could not be stopped and had continued to starve and eradicate certain people groups and taking their things. Would Stalin, Mao, Hitler, etc. being in control of society, making moral laws saying that it was good to starve and eliminate certain people groups and take their belongings, really make it moral? Of course not because absolutely we know morally that it is morally wrong to starve and eliminate people groups and take anyone’s belongings because we each do not want our people groups to be starved and eliminated and our things taken.

If morals were subjective then there was nothing wrong or evil with what Stalin, Mao, Hitler, and others like them did (or do) because it was done by Stalin, Mao, and Hitler objectively in human context to those who were not being eliminated as helpful to their society. Yet we (you and me) know absolutely beyond doubt that what they did was wrong and evil because morals are not subjective to human context, clear-cut absolute morals are unquestionably known to us because instinctively we know right from wrong and good from evil because we ourselves each do not want to be raped, murdered, lied to, cheated on (adultery), or wronged in any way.

Morals; In the Bible

GRIMACHU tweeted that, “We're the ones who decide, the only common standard is community standard.” As we’ve learned, if the only common standard is a community standard moral, then we’d be open to having rape, murder, adultery, lying, larceny, etc., as acceptable morals because some people who gain control of  communities and countries, Mao, Stalin, Hitler for example, impose their subjective morals to which we know are not real morals because morals are not subjective, morals are absolutely known to us because instinctively we know right from wrong and good from evil because we ourselves each do not want to be raped, murdered, lied to, cheated on (adultery), wronged in any way, etc.

I’ve had many atheists make statements to me such as, “You have to have God tell you to not rape and murder so that you don’t rape and murder.” Yes, God put knowledge of absolute moral standards into each of us so that we instinctively know right from wrong and good from evil by our not wanting to be raped, murdered, lied to, cheated on (adultery), wronged in any way, etc. God also gave to us the Ten Commandments which He originally wrote in stone.

Laws In the Bible’s Old Testament

@GRIMACHU tweeted that the Bible has contraction which undermines 'absolute morality' said to be taught within Luke 16:17 and Matthew 5:18-19 that is said to back up and retain the entire, vicious Old Testament laws as being morally binding today. Let’s look over what is in the Old Testament and who it was written for and then go into the New Testament and see what is in it and to whom it was written.

In the book of Exodus 19:1—40:38, God is giving the law to the Israelites, including tabernacle instructions and construction details, and what happens when the law is broken. God’s law system is described in three parts within the book of Exodus. The first part, the Ten Commandments contain the absolutes of spiritual and moral life. The second part was the civil law which gave the Israelites rules to manage their lives. Thirdly, the ceremonial law described patterns for Israelites to build a tabernacle and regular worship. God revealed His law to the Israelites so that they could learn more about what God is like and how He expected them to live as His people.

The book of Leviticus defines instructions for the priests and Levites outlining their duties in worshiping a holy God and a guidebook of holy living for the Hebrews. Leviticus 1:1—17:16 are instructions for the offerings, instructions for priests, instructions for the people, and instructions for the altar which all are for worshiping a holy God. Leviticus 18:1—27:34 define living a holy life and has standards for the people, rules for priests, descriptions of seasons and festivals and receiving God’s blessing. In Leviticus, God gave clear standards to the Israelites for how to live a holy life, separate and distinct from pagan nations around them.

The book of Deuteronomy was written to the new Israel generation about to enter into the Promised Land for daily living guidelines and civil laws. In Deuteronomy, God reviewed His laws for the people and the legal contract between God and His people had to be renewed by the new generation of Israelites about to enter the Promised Land. Deuteronomy 4:44—28:68 go over again the Ten Commandments and is God reminding His people that in order to ratify His agreement, they must choose the path of obedience and follow the daily living guidelines given to them.

Laws given during those Old Testament times are as laws given today which means, there are consequences to choice we make or do not make but should have made. It is vital for you and me to actually think before we act today so to not break the law and back then, it was no different. In fact, if the people who were given the Ten Commandments could have actually kept the Ten Commandments, there would have been no reason for any further rules and laws. It’s the same with us today. If each one of us could actually not break the Ten Commandments, there would not be any need for new laws. But the people back then make poor choices just as you and I today make poor choices and as such, we have more and more complex laws.

(Read this article to learn more about some of the most graphic Old Testament laws: http://findingtruthtoday.typepad.com/finding-truth-today/2010/12/barbarous-rules-from-a-loving-god.html)

Laws In the Bible’s New Testament

As a follower of Christ Jesus, both the Old Testament and the New Testament make up the Holy Bible. The Old Testament isn’t called “The Old Testament” by Jewish people yet it is the same writings in both only a slight different order of books. Jewish people do not consider the New Testament as holy scripture. Only people who follow Christ Jesus consider the New Testament as holy and as the Word of God. The reason for this is that Jewish people do not accept Christ Jesus as the Messiah. Many Jewish people are still waiting on the Messiah to arrive however, people who used to be Jewish at the time Christ Jesus was walking in human flesh, saw the miracles Jesus performed and saw Him die, and then saw Him after He rose from death which fulfilled the Jewish holy scriptures (today’s Old Testament) prophecies about the Messiah. These previously Jewish people wrote the scriptures which became the New Testament.

People who actually follow Christ Jesus are true Christians (Acts 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16) and take the whole bible, Old Testament and New Testament as God’s word and as absolute truth and read it all in context.

Christ Jesus as stated in Matthew 5:17-20, said the following concerning the Law and Prophets;

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus then goes on and gives a list of the commandments He is discussing:

Murder – Matthew 5:25,26 -- Luke 12:58,59

Adultery – Matthew 5:27-30

Divorce – Matthew 5:31-32 – Luke 16:16-18

Keeping One’s Word – Matthew 5:33-37

Turning the other Cheek – Matthew 5:38-42

Love your Enemies – Matthew 5:43-48

Giving to the Needy – Matthew 6:1-4

Prayer – Matthew 6:9-13pp -- Luke 11:2-4

So if Jesus didn’t come to abolish the law, doesn’t that mean that all of the Old Testament laws still apply to us today? Those who do not read the Bible in context say, “Yes, it does mean that the Old Testament laws apply to those who say that the Bible is God’s never changing word and those who say it doesn’t are ‘cherry picking’ what they want the Bible to say because they don’t want to abide by those laws.” Reading the Bible in context however, we learn that there were three categories of law given to the Israelites by God; ceremonial law, civil law, moral law.

The ceremonial law related specifically to Israel worshiping God as described in Leviticus which points forward to the Messiah to come - Christ Jesus. These laws became nullified and no longer necessary after Christ Jesus’ death and resurrection. While we are now not bound to ceremonial laws, the principles behind each of them (to worship and love a holy God) still apply. The Pharisees often accused Jesus as not following and breaking ceremonial laws.

The civil law like Deuteronomy 24:10 for example, applied to daily living in Israel. Today’s society and culture is very radically different than back then and trying to follow civil guidelines of that era today, couldn’t specifically be something we could always do. Jesus actually demonstrated the principles of the civil law.

Moral law (The Ten Commandments in Exodus) is a direct command of God which requires strict obedience; i.e., Exodus 20:13. Moral law reveals the nature and will of God for us to follow and does still apply to us today. Jesus completely obeyed the moral law and teaches them to us in Matthew chapters 5 through 7.

Absolute Morals

Clearly @GRIMACHU has not read the Bible in context or is only taking someone’s word for contradictions being in it because as we see, there are none with regard to absolute morals we should follow; those taught to us by Jesus in the New Testament. The absolute moral standards given to us in the Bible cover each of the

The Gospel (Good News)

With ceremonial law not applicable due to Christ Jesus’ death and resurrection, civil law being given specifically for the Israelites to follow, it leaves only moral law which we all should follow. This is good news that we don’t have to follow the ceremonial and civil law of that time. However, the Ten Commandments are something that no one can fully follow because you and I are not perfect. Being imperfect, we cannot at each moment of the day for every day of our life totally follow each and every moral law given to us by Jesus.

Because you and I are not perfect and thus cannot completely obey the Ten Commandments, Jesus came and fulfilled them in full for us (Matthew 5:17-20). This is the Gospel of Christ Jesus, that He came and perfectly followed the Law for you and me. You see, God knew you and I couldn’t follow the Ten Commandments so He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to do it for us (John 3:16-21). We each only have to accept that Christ Jesus did this for us and admit that we cannot do this on our own.

Your Choice

It is your choice to make to read the Bible in context. It is your choice to make if you want to know truth. It is your choice to make if you want to not just take my word for truth and do your own seeking for truth. I suggest that you not take my word for anything that I’ve said. It is your life, why should you believe me? I don’t know everything.

References

“Life Application Study Bible” New International Version (NIV), Zondervan

Bible Study Tools:

http://www.biblestudytools.com/matthew/5.html

http://www.biblestudytools.com/matthew/6.html

http://www.biblestudytools.com/matthew/7.html

http://www.biblestudytools.com/luke/12.html

http://www.biblestudytools.com/luke/16.html

From where do Morals come? http://findingtruthtoday.typepad.com/finding-truth-today/2011/01/from-where-do-morals-come.html

Yes I am a Liar

What is a liar? From dictionary.com: a liar is a person who tells lies. Lies are a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive; an intentional untruth; a falsehood - something intended or serving to convey a false impression; imposture - an inaccurate or false statement - the charge or accusation of lying. Lying is the telling of lies, or false statements; untruthfulness.

Over the years I’ve been accused of being a liar by hundreds of atheists. Up to this point, I’ve just ignored their accusations. Today however, I will admit that yes, I am a liar.

 In fact everyone including you is a liar to some extent. Some people lie more lies and larger lies than others and many people lie about different things but the truth is, everyone is a liar.

 Be honest with yourself and with others and above all be honest with God. You know you have lied. You know you lie. You know when you tell a lie. You know what you lie about. You know why you lie when you lie. You even know that it is wrong to tell the lie as you are telling the lie.

Just because everyone (including you and me) lies, does not make lying a good thing to do, the right thing to do or an okay thing to do. All lies, even the so called “white” lie are wrong for us to do  because even a so called “white” lie is in reality, a lie.

Many people do not want to admit that they are a liar. They lie to themselves and deny that they are a liar. They make up excuses to cover up their lies so to feel better about themselves. In their lying to themselves they train themselves to better ignore their lies and how to make up excuses for their lies. Their ignoring and making excuses for their lies helps them to tell more lies easier. Do you ignore yourself when you tell a lie? Do you lie to yourself? Do you make up excuses for the lies you have told and are telling? Do you deny that you lie or have ever lied?

You know you don’t want anyone including your family and friends to lie to you. You know how it feels to be lied to by someone. So why do you continue to lie?

“Loyalty is desirable in a person, and it is better to be poor than a liar.” Proverbs 19:22 - GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)

I used to lie a lot about a lot of things and to everyone and to myself. I didn’t let my lying bother me much because I made excuses for my lying. You can read about some of it here: http://findingtruthtoday.typepad.com/finding-truth-today/2009/08/a-testimonial-of-a-sinner.html

God says that lying is a sin and that everyone has committed sin. Sin is  knowingly doing something we know we should not do i.e., lying and knowingly not doing we what we know we should do i.e., tell the truth.

“Everyone has sinned. No one measures up to God's glory.” Romans 3:23 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

God informs us that; “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.” Exodus 20:16 - King James Version (KJV)

God affirms that; "You (and me) must not tell lies. …” Exodus 23:1 - New Century Version (NCV)

God warns us that; “A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape.” Proverbs 19:5 - English Standard Version (ESV)

“When people sin, they earn what sin pays -- death. But God gives us a free gift -- life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 - New Century Version (NCV)

“Everyone must die once, and after that be judged by God.” Hebrews 9:27 - Good News Translation (GNT)

“And I tell you that on the Judgment Day people (including me) will be responsible for every careless thing they have said.” Matthew 12:36 - New Century Version (NCV)

“If we (you and me) say we have not sinned, we make God a liar, and we do not accept God's teaching.” 1 John 1:10 – New Century Version (NCV)

I am a human being and like you I am not perfect. At times I do lie but nothing like I did prior to my repenting of my sins and accepting God’s free gift; Christ Jesus as my savior and Lord. The lies I tell now albeit the “white” lie kind are few and infrequent yet tear me up inside more so than any of the huge lies I told and lived out before I allowed God to work in me to change my evil ways. True, I am not perfect yet I continue to tell fewer and fewer lies. I will however never be perfect and cannot ever be perfect on my own.

Everything in my possession including each heart beat and breath I take comes from God and nothing in my possession can I take with me when I die. If it was not for Christ Jesus taking my sins upon Himself, I would have no means to pay the debt of death I owe God for the sins I have committed against Him.

“For God had such love for the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that whoever has faith in him may not come to destruction but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to be judge of the world; he sent him so that the world might have salvation through him.” John 3:16-17 - Bible in Basic English (BBE)

“Anyone who believes in the Son of God has the truth that God told us. Anyone who does not believe makes God a liar, because that person does not believe what God told us about his Son.” 1 John 5:10 – New Century Version (NCV)

“Who is the liar? It is the person who does not accept Jesus as the Christ. This is the enemy of Christ: the person who does not accept the Father and his Son.” 1 John 2:22 – New Century Version (NCV)

It is a lie to think that atheism offers anything good and that any value can come from atheism. Truth is Atheism offers only eternal death. Christ Jesus offers eternal life.

It is your choice during your time here on this earth to choose either death or life. I suggest that you choose wisely; accept God’s free gift of Christ Jesus by placing your trust in Him and turn away from sinning.

In this article and video; “God knows I am not lying. He is the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, and He is to be praised forever.” 2 Corinthians 11:31 - New Century Version (NCV)

 

My Prayer for Christopher Hitchens

A Little Background On Christopher Hitchens

In April 2011, Christopher Hitchens was forced to cancel a scheduled appearance at the American Atheist Convention. He instead sent a letter that stated, "Nothing would have kept me from joining you except the loss of my voice (at least my speaking voice) which in turn is due to a long argument I am currently having with the specter of death." He closed the letter with "And don't keep the faith." In the letter Christopher Hitchens also dismissed the notion of a possible deathbed conversion, in which he claimed that "redemption and supernatural deliverance appears even more hollow and artificial to me than it did before." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Hitchens#Cancer_treatment

“...About a year ago, I was informed by a doctor that I might have as little as another year to live. In consequence, some of these articles were written with the full consciousness that they might be my very last,” Hitchens wrote in his introduction to his new book; “Arguably: Essays by Christopher Hitchens.”

Christopher Hitchens’ Thoughts on Prayer for Him

According to an Associated Press report, Christopher Hitchens feels that those praying for him can be broken down into three groups: "those who seem genuinely glad he's suffering and dying from cancer; those who want him to become a believer in their religious faith; and those who are asking God to heal him." And for his part, he said that he will not be participating in any prayer because he does not feel that prayer, or "incantations" as he puts it, will help him with this. He has elected to put his "faith" in medicine.

A Fourth Group Christopher Hitchens Left Out

Christopher Hitchens did not include the fourth group praying for him of which I belong. This fourth group is praying for Christopher Hitchens is praying for God’s will to be done; For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). This fourth group sincerely wants Christopher Hitchens to stay away from religion, for him to not wait until he is on his death bed for him do what he knows is the right thing to do.

Christopher Hitchens Knows the Right Thing to Do

Christopher Hitchens during an interview when asked about what is a true Christian stated: “I would say that if you don’t believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ and Messiah, and that he rose again from the dead and by his sacrifice our sins are forgiven, you’re really not in any meaningful sense a Christian.” Quote from Christopher Hitchens from “Portland Monthly Magazine” http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/arts-and-entertainment/category/books-and-talks/articles/christopher-hitchens

Why should Christopher Hitchens do the Right Thing

New Testament book of James Chapter 4 - New Century Version (NCV)

Do you know where your fights and arguments come from? They come from the selfish desires that war within you.

You want things, but you do not have them. So you are ready to kill and are jealous of other people, but you still cannot get what you want. So you argue and fight.

You do not get what you want, because you do not ask God. Or when you ask, you do not receive because the reason you ask is wrong.

You want things so you can use them for your own pleasures. So, you are not loyal to God!

You should know that loving the world is the same as hating God. Anyone who wants to be a friend of the world becomes God's enemy.

Do you think the Scripture means nothing that says, "The Spirit that God made to live in us wants us for himself alone?"

But God gives us even more grace, as the Scripture says, "God is against the proud, but he gives grace to the humble."

So give yourselves completely to God. Stand against the devil, and the devil will run from you.

Come near to God, and God will come near to you.

You sinners, clean sin out of your lives.

You who are trying to follow God and the world at the same time, make your thinking pure.

Be sad, cry, and weep! Change your laughter into crying and your joy into sadness.

Don't be too proud in the Lord's presence, and he will make you great.

Brothers and sisters, do not tell evil lies about each other. If you speak against your fellow believers or judge them, you are judging and speaking against the law they follow. And when you are judging the law, you are no longer a follower of the law. You have become a judge.

God is the only Lawmaker and Judge. He is the only One who can save and destroy. So it is not right for you to judge your neighbor.

Some of you say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to some city. We will stay there a year, do business, and make money."

But you do not know what will happen tomorrow! Your life is like a mist. You can see it for a short time, but then it goes away.

So you should say, "If the Lord wants, we will live and do this or that."

But now you are proud and you brag. All of this bragging is wrong.

Anyone who knows the right thing to do, but does not do it, is sinning.

New Testament Book of Romans chapter 6 verse 23 - King James Version (KJV)

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

My Prayer for Christopher Hitchens

Mr. Hitchens, I know you know the right thing to do as you’ve stated it clearly and concisely. My prayer is for you to actually do the right thing. In Christ Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Why do atheists like Penn Jillett, use God's name as profanity?

I’ve been watching Penn & Teller (Penn Jillette and Raymond Teller) do their blend of illusion and comedy from when they were first on Saturday Night Live, through their TV specials, guest appearances, and most lately their “Fool Us” and “Tell a Lie” shows. I have not had the privilege of watching them in person, although that would be very cool even though both are atheists.

Over the years, I’ve noticed that on and off stage (via YouTube video clips) that Penn Jillett uses God’s name as profanity in an assortment of ways. Penn’s blasphemy is a show of disrespect, a desecration and debasement of and is an offensive attack on God (The Father, Only Begotten Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit) which is sinful, violating the first, second, and directly violating the third commandment given in, ‘The Ten Commandments’ - Exodus 20:7 "Never use the name of the LORD your God carelessly. The LORD will make sure that anyone who carelessly uses his name will be punished.” GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)

Why do atheists like Penn Jillette who openly says and teaches his daughter that “God does not exist” use God's name as profanity instead of using false gods names like, Allah, Buddha, Ra, Zeus, Aphrodite, Apollo, etc. as profanity? Penn Jillette and other atheists do it because of the power using God’s name as profanity brings to them as they know God is real unlike, Allah, Buddha, Ra, Zeus, Aphrodite, Apollo, etc. who are not real.

Their openly demeaning God with such blasphemous behaviors is serving them in three ways; it helps them continue to deny God, it helps them cope with their denial of God, and it gives them power when defying God and using God’s name as profanity. It helps them to continue to deny God because each time they use God’s name as profanity they say to themselves; “See, God really doesn’t exist as He didn’t drop me dead for using His name that way.” It helps them cope with their denial of God by their looking back at their habitual use over time of the most mighty name ever as a curse word without any consequences giving them comfort with themselves in their denial of God.

Atheists like Penn Jillette don’t use the names of Allah, Buddha, Ra, Zeus, Aphrodite, Apollo, etc. because there is no power in using the names of these false gods. Atheists like Penn Jillette enjoy the power using God’s name as profanity brings to them. The ACLU (and atheists) claim that God’s name is divisive, offensive and controversial. Thus when atheists like Penn Jillette who use God’s name as profanity, knowingly are calling upon that divisive, offensive and controversial nature of God’s name to bring more emphasis and power into their statements so to bring to themselves more power via their profane use of God’s name.

Think about these questions:

1. Is it rational that a person who claims God doesn’t exist (like atheist Penn Jillett does) to continually use God’s name in their vocabulary in any way at all in public or private settings?
2. Is it rational that people who hold God’s name as Holy and deserving of respect are being forced to stop using God’s name in public because it is said by the ACLU (and atheists) that God’s name is divisive, offensive and controversial?
3. Is it rational that atheists like Penn Jillette who publicly says God doesn’t exist, to publicly use God’s name as profanity?
4. Why is God’s name divisive, offensive and controversial and the names of Allah, Buddha, Ra, Zeus, Aphrodite, Apollo, etc. are not?

The atheists’ use of God’s name as profanity confirms that they know God exists and that they are merely choosing to deny God. If the atheist actually believed that God did not exist, the atheist would not use God’s name as profanity just as they don’t use the names of Allah, Buddha, Ra, Zeus, Aphrodite, Apollo, etc. as profanity.

“A wise (or as some people may say a ‘bright’) person is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is careless and overconfident.” Proverbs 14:16 GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)

“Do not be stubborn as in the past when you turned against God...” Hebrews 3:8 New Century Version (NCV)

“God keeps renewing the promise and setting the date as today, … Today, please listen, don't turn a deaf ear…” Hebrews 4:7 The Message (MSG)

“Instead, in order that none of you be deceived by sin and become stubborn, you must help one another every day, as long as the word "Today" in the scripture applies to us.” Hebrews 3:13 Good News Translation (GNT)

“Yet, Pharaoh continued to be stubborn and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, as the LORD had predicted.” Exodus 7:13 GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)

"You can be sure that on the Judgment Day you and I will have to give account of every useless word you and I have ever spoken.”  Matthew 12:36 Good News Translation (GNT)

"Every sin or blasphemy can be forgiven -- except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which can never be forgiven.” Matthew 12:31 New Living Translation (NLT)

Please do not be as Pharaoh who continued to be stubborn and who continued to harden his heart as the time will come when God will  add to your hardened heart. If you continue to blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, meaning that you flat out reject and never will choose to accept God’s grace, mercy and love for you, you will never be forgiven because you have chosen to not be forgiven. Exodus 10:1; Romans 1:18-32

You are reading and/or listening to this right now which means that at today, your heart isn’t beyond your softening it to truth.

Our knowingly doing what we know is wrong and our knowingly not doing what we know is right is called sin. Everyone (including me) sins. In fact, I have myself used God’s name as profanity. As with all choices we make, each have a consequence and our choice to sin has a consequence. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 English Standard Version (ESV)

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son (Christ Jesus), that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged ; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God." John 3:16-21 New American Standard (NAS)

“He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But he who walks wisely will be delivered.” Proverbs 28:26 New American Standard (NAS)

“You don't even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? It is a mist that appears for a little while. Then it disappears.” James 4:14 New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

“Today I put before you a blessing and a curse: The blessing if you give ear to the orders of the Lord your God, which I give you this day: And the curse if you do not give ear to the orders of the Lord your God, but let yourselves be turned from the way which I have put before you this day,…” Deuteronomy 11:26-28 Bible in Basic English (BBE)

“The path of life for a wise person leads upward in order to turn him away from hell below.” Proverbs 15:24 GOD'S WORD Translation “GW”

Make your choice today wisely as there may not be a tomorrow.

 

Life or Death - It's Your Choice

This is just another example of atheists using their meme of blind faith: Many atheists say; "There's probably no god. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."

How can any intelligent person actually enjoy his or her life when the probability of God as the Bible describes exists even in the slightest percentage? Rational and intelligent people actually seek to discover the truth instead of betting their life on a statement of mere chance.

Your choice is to choose life or to choose death. Atheism offers certain death. Christ Jesus offers eternal life.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16 NAS

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.” John 6:47 NAS

I suggest you choose wisely.