For the College graduate that has been convinced, through their professors, that Christianity is a myth or a 'yarn' of sort.
Once again it was wonderful to see you yesterday. All grown up and all you’ve become a beautiful woman inside and out; full of joy and expectation of what is to come. I’m writing this to you because it was so apparent that the Lord Blessed you on the outside that it was time that you become Blessed on the inside.
I know you have questions regarding God and I will be so glad to answer them all for you. But, I want to give you a foundation of knowledge that you can always refer to. I used to call it in the business world 1st things 1st.
It was great to hear that one of your college courses was world religions. That is a great way to discover generically what various people believe about God, the universe and how it works as they have been taught. You most likely also learned that it has been their religion that has outlined their way of life, culture and political system.
Christianity has done the same for the western world especially the United States. Where people from all cultures have gathered to stake their claim for the American Dream and work shoulder to shoulder with multiple religions and cultures with respect which was next to impossible in their home Country. People don’t come here because of the geography they come here risking life and limb for freedom. Bible Scripture tells us: “it was for freedom that Christ set us free.”
However, I’ve also read up on the world’s religions. Each one has a sacred book written by their Prophet. But, my litmus test for all holy books is telling the future. The Bible tells the future. Therefore since God is the only one who can tell the future he would have had to inspire other writers or prophets of other religions to do the same through the same inspiration.
Unfortunately, Melissa, not one of them tells the future. The holy books are full of stories of what people did to warrant acceptance and meet the requirements of a Holy God. And if anyone conducts their life in the same way they have a hope to do the same. But, if you ask any of them if they know for sure that they will go to heaven upon their death not one can tell you that they know for sure. Not even the Dali Lama.
But, what is significant about telling the future. If a being can tell the future and then people can see that it actually came true just as was predicted that would mean that that being could actually transcend all time and space which is an absolute attribute of a deity. In my mind unless this occurs in a ‘holy book’ it is not inspired by God.
Now if God did this once would this not be proof enough? But, God inspired his writers to tell the future 8,000 times. It is estimated that 6,200 of the verses have already come true. That leaves 1,800 that have yet to come true. With this basis of litmus it appears to me that when we read our Bible we are reading the very words of God.
There are only 32,000 verses in the entire Bible. 8,000 concern themselves with telling the future. That means 25% of the Bible is dedicated to telling the future.
The book of Daniel in the Bible is a prime example. In this book God’s prophet, Daniel, lays out the attributes of the four primary empires that would rule the then known world from 606 BC to 400 AD. He was so accurate that scoffers claimed the book of Daniel was written after these events and was a spoof. Not to mention that the book of Revelations in the Bible cannot be interpreted without it and Jesus even called him a prophet.
It wasn’t until the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered during a ten year excavation of caves in the Judean desert between 1946 and 1956 that Daniel got a break. Included in the find were ancient copies of the Book of Daniel dating it to the time of its writing and silencing an unbelieving world.
Therefore, if God inspired men to write about the future so often and everything unfolded just as He said it would then all Scripture is not only true but Truth. There are even several places where God says, “Isn’t this how I ordained it?” Can we understand how he does it? Of course not. But, should we believe it? Of course.
The most asked question I get is, “If there is a God why does he allow so many bad things happen?” The short answer is that he has given everyone the ability to make their own decisions whether to act in love or not. Therefore, it is less of a wonder of why there is so much violence in the world then why there is so much good.
News programs cannot be the gauge by which we determine how much good or evil is happening in the world. News programs are all about ratings. No ratings; no readership; no paid advertising. Bad news and controversy sells. The best gauge is to look around and talk with your peers. Good stuff is happening all the time.
Therefore, what is the primary tenant of the Bible?
In a nut shell.
God created Adam and Eve so that through his provision and relationship they would respond in love to him. This is not too hard to understand as it is every good Father’s objective. However, God wanted them to choose him freely. If they didn’t have to make a choice it could not be called love. Therefore, God put the tree of good and evil in the middle of the Garden of Eden next to the tree of life. They could eat all they wanted from the tree of life but they were forbidden to eat of the tree of good and evil.
He explained that once they ate of the forbidden fruit they would surely die. For up to this point there was no death of plant or animal. They were created for an eternal existence.
Once Eve ate and gave some to Adam both of their spirits died which was the tie between God and man. As a result Adam plunged the entire human race into sin and from that time everyone inherited a sin nature.
No spirit…no communication with God. Without communication with God there is no vision, no peace, no power or dominion and no future. But, God put a fix in place to restore mankind to himself once for all.
From that point on there is a thin scarlet thread that weaves its way through the Bible all the way to the crucifixion where God himself bore the sins and sin nature of everyone past, present and future. God shows us repeatedly through the Bible of how man could in no way ever satisfy the requirements of a Holy God. Only a Holy God could meet the requirements of a Holy God. Jesus said I lay my life down freely and freely I pick it up again.
Our only requirement is that we believe he did this. Upon believing this God makes our spirit alive again and sends his Holy Spirit to dwell in us to open our hearts so we can begin to understand his book. And as we read he continues to reveal Truth in an inexplicable way.
Please read Faith + Nothing on this website. It is a good Bible study to start getting acquainted with the God that says he knew you before time began. He so loved Melissa that he gave himself for her so that she could be with him for all eternity.
The best part, Melissa. Is that I’m going to know you forever!
Once again it was wonderful to see you yesterday. All grown up and all you’ve become a beautiful woman inside and out; full of joy and expectation of what is to come. I’m writing this to you because it was so apparent that the Lord Blessed you on the outside that it was time that you become Blessed on the inside.
I know you have questions regarding God and I will be so glad to answer them all for you. But, I want to give you a foundation of knowledge that you can always refer to. I used to call it in the business world 1st things 1st.
It was great to hear that one of your college courses was world religions. That is a great way to discover generically what various people believe about God, the universe and how it works as they have been taught. You most likely also learned that it has been their religion that has outlined their way of life, culture and political system.
Christianity has done the same for the western world especially the United States. Where people from all cultures have gathered to stake their claim for the American Dream and work shoulder to shoulder with multiple religions and cultures with respect which was next to impossible in their home Country. People don’t come here because of the geography they come here risking life and limb for freedom. Bible Scripture tells us: “it was for freedom that Christ set us free.”
However, I’ve also read up on the world’s religions. Each one has a sacred book written by their Prophet. But, my litmus test for all holy books is telling the future. The Bible tells the future. Therefore since God is the only one who can tell the future he would have had to inspire other writers or prophets of other religions to do the same through the same inspiration.
Unfortunately, Melissa, not one of them tells the future. The holy books are full of stories of what people did to warrant acceptance and meet the requirements of a Holy God. And if anyone conducts their life in the same way they have a hope to do the same. But, if you ask any of them if they know for sure that they will go to heaven upon their death not one can tell you that they know for sure. Not even the Dali Lama.
But, what is significant about telling the future. If a being can tell the future and then people can see that it actually came true just as was predicted that would mean that that being could actually transcend all time and space which is an absolute attribute of a deity. In my mind unless this occurs in a ‘holy book’ it is not inspired by God.
Now if God did this once would this not be proof enough? But, God inspired his writers to tell the future 8,000 times. It is estimated that 6,200 of the verses have already come true. That leaves 1,800 that have yet to come true. With this basis of litmus it appears to me that when we read our Bible we are reading the very words of God.
There are only 32,000 verses in the entire Bible. 8,000 concern themselves with telling the future. That means 25% of the Bible is dedicated to telling the future.
The book of Daniel in the Bible is a prime example. In this book God’s prophet, Daniel, lays out the attributes of the four primary empires that would rule the then known world from 606 BC to 400 AD. He was so accurate that scoffers claimed the book of Daniel was written after these events and was a spoof. Not to mention that the book of Revelations in the Bible cannot be interpreted without it and Jesus even called him a prophet.
It wasn’t until the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered during a ten year excavation of caves in the Judean desert between 1946 and 1956 that Daniel got a break. Included in the find were ancient copies of the Book of Daniel dating it to the time of its writing and silencing an unbelieving world.
Therefore, if God inspired men to write about the future so often and everything unfolded just as He said it would then all Scripture is not only true but Truth. There are even several places where God says, “Isn’t this how I ordained it?” Can we understand how he does it? Of course not. But, should we believe it? Of course.
The most asked question I get is, “If there is a God why does he allow so many bad things happen?” The short answer is that he has given everyone the ability to make their own decisions whether to act in love or not. Therefore, it is less of a wonder of why there is so much violence in the world then why there is so much good.
News programs cannot be the gauge by which we determine how much good or evil is happening in the world. News programs are all about ratings. No ratings; no readership; no paid advertising. Bad news and controversy sells. The best gauge is to look around and talk with your peers. Good stuff is happening all the time.
Therefore, what is the primary tenant of the Bible?
In a nut shell.
God created Adam and Eve so that through his provision and relationship they would respond in love to him. This is not too hard to understand as it is every good Father’s objective. However, God wanted them to choose him freely. If they didn’t have to make a choice it could not be called love. Therefore, God put the tree of good and evil in the middle of the Garden of Eden next to the tree of life. They could eat all they wanted from the tree of life but they were forbidden to eat of the tree of good and evil.
He explained that once they ate of the forbidden fruit they would surely die. For up to this point there was no death of plant or animal. They were created for an eternal existence.
Once Eve ate and gave some to Adam both of their spirits died which was the tie between God and man. As a result Adam plunged the entire human race into sin and from that time everyone inherited a sin nature.
No spirit…no communication with God. Without communication with God there is no vision, no peace, no power or dominion and no future. But, God put a fix in place to restore mankind to himself once for all.
From that point on there is a thin scarlet thread that weaves its way through the Bible all the way to the crucifixion where God himself bore the sins and sin nature of everyone past, present and future. God shows us repeatedly through the Bible of how man could in no way ever satisfy the requirements of a Holy God. Only a Holy God could meet the requirements of a Holy God. Jesus said I lay my life down freely and freely I pick it up again.
Our only requirement is that we believe he did this. Upon believing this God makes our spirit alive again and sends his Holy Spirit to dwell in us to open our hearts so we can begin to understand his book. And as we read he continues to reveal Truth in an inexplicable way.
Please read Faith + Nothing on this website. It is a good Bible study to start getting acquainted with the God that says he knew you before time began. He so loved Melissa that he gave himself for her so that she could be with him for all eternity.
The best part, Melissa. Is that I’m going to know you forever!