Sunday, July 14, 2013
The Case For Christ
I've decided to take a short break here from my series of posts on answering common objections to the Christian faith, to share this incredible short video by Lee Strobel. Those of you who are regular readers of my blog know that this is not the first time I've shared the insight and wisdom of Lee Strobel with you.
I also shared a series of video tapes by Lee called "The Case for a Creator". If you have not watched those videos I highly recommend them if you are currently of the belief that evolution is the truth. Lee does an excellent job of dispelling this non truth as he shows his proof that the world and humanity is a creation of God.
For those who do not know who Lee Strobel is, here is a quick bio. Lee was an investigative legal reporter for the Chicago Tribune. A former atheist, in 1980 he took a journalistic approach to "dis proving" the Christian faith. 100% confident that he could attack and destroy the fallacy of the bible and the Christian faith, he took a 1 year and 9 month journey into researching and preparing to write the article of his career. What happened instead is that he found undeniable proof not only for the bible, but for the proof that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is known for saying that the resurrection of Christ is the "lynch pin" of Christianity and his pain staking research uncovered and convinced him without a doubt that the resurrection was an actual historical event.
He wrote the book "The Case for Christ" which is the 2nd book I read back in 2002 when I began my own research on spirituality. As I've explained in earlier posts, I too have a journalism background and spent my first 2 years in college studying journalism. I was a reporter for my college newspaper and was trained to uncover evidence before reporting facts. This early college training taught me to be very skeptical about things is general. I was NOT one to leap into Christianity based on the fact that it "felt right" or to "try it out and see". Which is why I studied all of the religions I could find information on before coming to the same conclusion that Lee Strobel did. Like Lee, I then gave my life to Christ and over the past 11 years I've continued on my spiritual journey...however with one big difference....the seeking ended when I found that the truth was in Jesus and the bible.
I am completely confident in saying that watching this video could very well be the most important video you ever watch. It is THAT powerful. I challenge you to watch it without pre-conceived thoughts or ideas and to put everything you have ever learned about spirituality and religion aside and open your mind to just hearing the evidence that Lee presents. Forget about all of your pre-conceived feelings about Christianity and your long list of objections. Feel free to take notes, to pause, rewind and listen again and again if you need to. Then, take that evidence and consider it...really give it some thought. If you are intrigued I then challenge you to purchase and read Lee's book "The Case for Christ". This book is also available at your local library.
You may be asking yourself...why is Debi putting so much time into this blog? Why is she trying to convince people that Christianity is true? Trust me it isn't to win any popularity contests! It isn't exactly popular or politically correct to be a Christian in 2013! Coming from a girl who would have done just about anything to be popular and liked back in High School, this goes against that totally! In fact, since starting this blog I've lost Face Book friends. Friends that knew me before I was a believer don't call me anymore....and not because I've said a word to them about my faith...just because they know I'm a Christian! Why would I chose to outcast myself from many for a lie?
Why am I sharing Christ through this blog? To share what I found over a 2 year period of over 4-6 hours a day of research (1 year before my back surgery in 2002 and 1 year after) when I was practically bed ridden due to an injured back & failed back surgery; to be the truth for all of man kind. This truth is so critically important to what we need to know in light of our future destinies that I can not not share it. Additionally, when it became clear that due to my back injury and subsequent journey with chronic pain that I could not return to my pharmaceutical sales career, I cried out in prayer one day to God. I asked Him, "WHY GOD, why oh why would you take my sales career away from me? I love it, I'm good at it! People listen to me and believe me because what I present and share is true. (referring to the products I sold at the time) I was simply devastated that the career I loved and succeeded in was over due to a fall down the stairs. Prior to my injury every day when my alarm went off for work I would bounce out of bed and eagerly drive out into the sales field to visit doctors and pharmacists to talk to them about the medications I sold. I was one of the lucky few that actually LOVED my job. I will never forget God's answer then and again recently when he re-confirmed to me when he said to me very clearly:
"My child, your gift of persuasion is no longer to be used in the pharmaceutical sales field....I need you in the mission field. Share the good news about my Son. Be a light to others"
If you are not 100% sure you have the truth regarding God and if you have not done the same amount of research that I have done and that Lee Strobel has done; and if you are not 100% sure what would happen to you if you died today...then I challenge you to realize that you can not afford to sweep this issue under the carpet any longer. From a journalistic standpoint consider this equation.
RESEARCH+ FACTS=EVIDENCE
You need EVIDENCE to be sure that what your current belief system or religious beliefs are equal truth. Just because you were raised in one religion and it is what your parents taught you does not make it true. It is up to you to be sure that you have the truth.
Enjoy this short video by Lee Strobel. As always I thank you for reading Living a Spirit Filled Life and I welcome your comments.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Objection! Christianity is a crutch.
Christianity is a crutch. Actually, it is much more embarrassing than that. If we want to stick with a medical analogy, I would say that Christianity is more like life support.
During the year after my back surgery, I got hooked on apologetics (Defending the Christian faith). As I mentioned in my testimony of faith I took a journalist's approach when I was seeking spiritual truth. I researched every religion I could find anything written about and I was NOT going to be one of those religious persons who found a blind faith all because of a "feeling it was right". No, I wanted facts. I wanted the truth. After weeks upon weeks of reading and researching I finally found truth in Christianity. Any book I could find that promised to answer questions I had about Christianity, I bought and read without hesitating. Most of these books proved to be very helpful as I met non-Christians and was able to give them reasons why Christianity was true. However as I sought out to evangelize the good news of Christ there has always been one "argument" that I hated, simply because I didn't have a good answer for it:
"Christianity is a crutch!"
It isn't much of an argument, but it is definitely an accusation that needs to be answered. What people mean by saying this is, "You are weak and have a hard time accepting reality. Reality is that you will die and then cease to exist, but you can't handle that, so you make up God, heaven, and the Bible." Recently I also was told, "That's great (Christianity) if YOU need that....but I don't" Again, referring to the fact that as a "weak person in need", I have a NEED for Christianity. This person is in sense saying "I've got life under control, I'm good...I don't NEED God" These are both pretty good accusations, but the reason why they are good is because they have a lot of truth to them.
What people don't understand when they make this accusation is that they have a misconceived idea of what state the world is actually in. If the world were a perfect place, crutches would not be needed, but because the world is incredibly messed up with tons of pain, hurt, and sin, crutches are a necessity. Whoever invented the first pair of crutches didn't do it to make a fashion statement or because it would make for a fun way to walk! They invented crutches because someone hurt their foot, knee or leg and needed help getting around. No one in their right mind would go up to a person with a broken leg and make fun of them for using crutches because crutches are not a bad thing when are broken.
So now when people fire off the accusation that Christianity is a crutch, I wholeheartedly agree with them! It is a crutch, and crutches are incredibly helpful when you have a broken leg. In this world, we not only have an occasional broken leg, but also broken hearts and lives because of sin. Sin has messed up this world drastically, and both you and I play a starring role in that drama. Because of our sin, we are in deep need, we are hurting, and we need help. Jesus is the best crutch that we could ever imagine. He not only helps us get around in this world, but also saves us from this world and ourselves.
In Luke 2, Jesus said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." The problem is that we are all sinners. The bigger problem is that most don't think so. The only thing more embarrassing than walking on crutches is limping around without them in pain pretending everything is okay. We need Jesus and He alone can heal us.
Everyone needs a crutch. It's not so much a question of whether you have one, but it is more of a question of what your particular crutch is. Unfortunately we often make other things our crutch: sex, money, our career, popularity, power, etc. In fact rather than being viewed as signs of weakness, many of these crutches are even considered to be relatively normal in society, provided they don't turn into the more destructive behavior associated with strong addiction. Nevertheless, many of these only offer a short-term release from the struggles of life and they sometimes only cover up deeper problems that a person might be suffering from. To suggest, therefore, that atheists are somehow stronger than believers is to deny the darker side of humanity, which is only too apparent if we look at the world around us.
The God of the Bible is awesome and appears to many to be a threat to mankind. A God who is all-powerful, all-knowing, righteous, holy, and just, and who is going to judge the world for it's sin, is an extremely imposing figure to ponder. Thus it is only fair to point out that some need the crutch of denying God's existence in order to live their lives as they please without fear of judgment. None of these crutches will last. They are like crutches made of soggy cardboard. We need a solid crutch that can actually support us. So if you are a believer and someone accuses you that you are weak and need a crutch, nod your head and agree with them. That is exactly who Jesus came to save.
Once again it comes back to the real issue which is the person of Jesus Christ. Does mankind need to lean on Him, or can we lean on something else? Jesus made the issue very clear,
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash" (Matthew 7:24-27, NIV)
It is important to mention however that the crutch of Christianity is NOT based on the objection that believers created or invented a Father like God to comfort themselves. If Christians were just looking for a God who would simply function as a crutch to make life easier to bear, why come up with a God who is holy and just, a God who finds many of our desires and thoughts to be immoral? Shouldn't that be the last sort of God we would want to make up if we just wanted a crutch to get through life? Wouldn't we want a God who just nods at all our behavior and desires? I certainly would have. If I was making up a God before I was a Christian he would have been the very opposite of the God I've just described. Why come up with a God who is impossible to please by our good works and effort? The truth of the matter is that Jesus never offered a crutch, only a cross; it wasn't a call to be a better person with high self esteem or a plan to help us scrape through our existence. It was a call to acknowledge that the forgiveness we all seek is to be found in him by following Him onto the cross. The Bible says that all sin and fall short of the glory of God. Because the wages of sin is death, Jesus died in our place so we could have a relationship with God....and what a relationship it is! My relationship with God is the most important relationship in my life. I look to Him daily to help me. I worship Him in thanksgiving and praise, I petition Him for help in prayer and I give Him my troubles and earthly concerns.
In conclusion, as I have discussed....Christianity in one sense is a crutch. But it is more than a crutch; it is the sure foundation, the truth of life. If Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and creates us to be in a fellowship through Him, then to call Him a crutch would be like a light bulb saying to an electrical socket, "You are my crutch". As a light bulb was created to function properly when inserted into the socket, so we have been created to function properly in a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
During the year after my back surgery, I got hooked on apologetics (Defending the Christian faith). As I mentioned in my testimony of faith I took a journalist's approach when I was seeking spiritual truth. I researched every religion I could find anything written about and I was NOT going to be one of those religious persons who found a blind faith all because of a "feeling it was right". No, I wanted facts. I wanted the truth. After weeks upon weeks of reading and researching I finally found truth in Christianity. Any book I could find that promised to answer questions I had about Christianity, I bought and read without hesitating. Most of these books proved to be very helpful as I met non-Christians and was able to give them reasons why Christianity was true. However as I sought out to evangelize the good news of Christ there has always been one "argument" that I hated, simply because I didn't have a good answer for it:
"Christianity is a crutch!"
It isn't much of an argument, but it is definitely an accusation that needs to be answered. What people mean by saying this is, "You are weak and have a hard time accepting reality. Reality is that you will die and then cease to exist, but you can't handle that, so you make up God, heaven, and the Bible." Recently I also was told, "That's great (Christianity) if YOU need that....but I don't" Again, referring to the fact that as a "weak person in need", I have a NEED for Christianity. This person is in sense saying "I've got life under control, I'm good...I don't NEED God" These are both pretty good accusations, but the reason why they are good is because they have a lot of truth to them.
What people don't understand when they make this accusation is that they have a misconceived idea of what state the world is actually in. If the world were a perfect place, crutches would not be needed, but because the world is incredibly messed up with tons of pain, hurt, and sin, crutches are a necessity. Whoever invented the first pair of crutches didn't do it to make a fashion statement or because it would make for a fun way to walk! They invented crutches because someone hurt their foot, knee or leg and needed help getting around. No one in their right mind would go up to a person with a broken leg and make fun of them for using crutches because crutches are not a bad thing when are broken.
So now when people fire off the accusation that Christianity is a crutch, I wholeheartedly agree with them! It is a crutch, and crutches are incredibly helpful when you have a broken leg. In this world, we not only have an occasional broken leg, but also broken hearts and lives because of sin. Sin has messed up this world drastically, and both you and I play a starring role in that drama. Because of our sin, we are in deep need, we are hurting, and we need help. Jesus is the best crutch that we could ever imagine. He not only helps us get around in this world, but also saves us from this world and ourselves.
In Luke 2, Jesus said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." The problem is that we are all sinners. The bigger problem is that most don't think so. The only thing more embarrassing than walking on crutches is limping around without them in pain pretending everything is okay. We need Jesus and He alone can heal us.
Everyone needs a crutch. It's not so much a question of whether you have one, but it is more of a question of what your particular crutch is. Unfortunately we often make other things our crutch: sex, money, our career, popularity, power, etc. In fact rather than being viewed as signs of weakness, many of these crutches are even considered to be relatively normal in society, provided they don't turn into the more destructive behavior associated with strong addiction. Nevertheless, many of these only offer a short-term release from the struggles of life and they sometimes only cover up deeper problems that a person might be suffering from. To suggest, therefore, that atheists are somehow stronger than believers is to deny the darker side of humanity, which is only too apparent if we look at the world around us.
The God of the Bible is awesome and appears to many to be a threat to mankind. A God who is all-powerful, all-knowing, righteous, holy, and just, and who is going to judge the world for it's sin, is an extremely imposing figure to ponder. Thus it is only fair to point out that some need the crutch of denying God's existence in order to live their lives as they please without fear of judgment. None of these crutches will last. They are like crutches made of soggy cardboard. We need a solid crutch that can actually support us. So if you are a believer and someone accuses you that you are weak and need a crutch, nod your head and agree with them. That is exactly who Jesus came to save.
Once again it comes back to the real issue which is the person of Jesus Christ. Does mankind need to lean on Him, or can we lean on something else? Jesus made the issue very clear,
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash" (Matthew 7:24-27, NIV)
It is important to mention however that the crutch of Christianity is NOT based on the objection that believers created or invented a Father like God to comfort themselves. If Christians were just looking for a God who would simply function as a crutch to make life easier to bear, why come up with a God who is holy and just, a God who finds many of our desires and thoughts to be immoral? Shouldn't that be the last sort of God we would want to make up if we just wanted a crutch to get through life? Wouldn't we want a God who just nods at all our behavior and desires? I certainly would have. If I was making up a God before I was a Christian he would have been the very opposite of the God I've just described. Why come up with a God who is impossible to please by our good works and effort? The truth of the matter is that Jesus never offered a crutch, only a cross; it wasn't a call to be a better person with high self esteem or a plan to help us scrape through our existence. It was a call to acknowledge that the forgiveness we all seek is to be found in him by following Him onto the cross. The Bible says that all sin and fall short of the glory of God. Because the wages of sin is death, Jesus died in our place so we could have a relationship with God....and what a relationship it is! My relationship with God is the most important relationship in my life. I look to Him daily to help me. I worship Him in thanksgiving and praise, I petition Him for help in prayer and I give Him my troubles and earthly concerns.
In conclusion, as I have discussed....Christianity in one sense is a crutch. But it is more than a crutch; it is the sure foundation, the truth of life. If Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and creates us to be in a fellowship through Him, then to call Him a crutch would be like a light bulb saying to an electrical socket, "You are my crutch". As a light bulb was created to function properly when inserted into the socket, so we have been created to function properly in a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Big Daddy Weave - "Redeemed" (Official Music Video)
kk
My current favorite worship song.
"I am redeemed, You set me free. So I'll shake off these heavy chains, wipe away every stain, I'm not used to be. I am redeemed."
"Thank God Redeemed"....amen :-)
My current favorite worship song.
"I am redeemed, You set me free. So I'll shake off these heavy chains, wipe away every stain, I'm not used to be. I am redeemed."
"Thank God Redeemed"....amen :-)
Objection!
Over the years I've heard many objections from people about why they do not believe in Christianity. If you are already a believer, I'm sure you too run into this from time to time with the people you encounter. If you are not a believer, than undoubtedly you have objections to Christianity.
The goal of the next several posts is to hopefully address some of the most common objections. My prayer is that if you are NOT currently a believer in Christianity that this blog will help you to overcome some of your questions and objections as to why you are not a believer. If you are currently a Christian than hopefully this post will help you to be able to answer these objections more effectively should they come up while in a conversation with a non believer.
At this point in my venture with this blog I've covered my testimony about how and why I came to faith in Christ, I've explored why I believe the Bible is the true, infallible word of God, why Jesus had to die and what that means for you and I've discussed why I believe the earth and everything in it is a creation of God, not the result of evolution. If you are new to my blog I recommend you read my past posts which hopefully will help to answer many of your possible questions and/or objections. If you look in the right hand column of this blog you will see past posts. Start at the beginning with my first post posted in January and work your way forward to now.
In today's post I will cover the following objection:
IF CHRISTIANITY IS TRUE, WHY ARE THERE SO MANY HYPOCRITES?
What is a hypocrite?
The Oxford English Dictionary defines hypocrisy as follows: "The assuming of a false appearance of virtue or goodness, with dissimulation of real character or inclinations, especially in respect of religious life or beliefs; hence in general sense, dissimulation, pretense, sham."
To put it in simpler terms, a hypocrite is someone who not only does not practice what one preaches, but a person who does the opposite of what one preaches. Some critics of Christianity who raise the hypocrisy objection usually point to some moral failure in the lives of Christians they know as examples of Christianity as being false or at least highly suspect. "See!" they exclaim. : There goes another hypocrite in the church! How can I believe Christianity if the church is full of hypocrites?" Before I attempt to answer this question I want to take a brief look a biblical examples of hypocrisy.
"Hypocrisy" or variations of it appear 17 times in the NIV translation of the Bible. Often it is Christ calling people hypocrites. For example in Matthew 7:3-5 He says, "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, "Let me take the speck out of your eye," when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."
"You hypocrites!" in fact is a recurring phrase spoke by Jesus. (see also, for instance Matthew 6:2, 16, 7:2, 15:7 22:18, 23:13, 15, 23:23, 25, 27, 29, 24:51; Mark 7:6, Luke 6:42; 12:56, and 13:15)
Was Jesus guilty of pointing out the speck in someone else's eye when in fact he had a plank in his own? Not at all. When examining this topic Josh McDowell and Don Stewart write:
"Christianity does not stand or fall on the way Christians have acted throughout history or are acting today. Christianity stands or falls on the person of Jesus, and Jesus was not a hypocrite. He lived consistently with what He taught, and at the end of His life He challenged those who had lived with Him night and day, for over three years, to point out any hypocrisy in Him. His disciples were silent, because there was none. Since Christianity depends on Jesus, it is incorrect to try to invalidate the Christian faith by pointing to horrible things done in the name of Christianity." 1
McDowell and Stewart bring up two important points. First, whether or not Christianity is true does not depend on how it's followers behave. This, of course, does not excuse hypocrisy in the church, but neither does it mean that hypocrisy is sufficient reason to dismiss Christianity. Second, Christ was not a hypocrite in any sense of the word. Often even critics agree with this point, exalting the high moral standards of Christ without understanding His larger claims.
Are all Christians hypocrites? Not at all! In fact, the history of the Christian church is filled with examples of selflessness, courage, moral action and reform and many other positive influences on the world. These are not the acts of hypocrites, but of sincere believers transformed by the resurrected Christ and moved by the Holy Spirit to live according to God's law.
The church is a work in progress (and so are it's members). The process from a new believer to a mature Christian can be long and arduous, but someday it will be complete and stand as a beautiful testimony to the power of Christ to transform lives for the better. Remember, too, that only some professing Christians act hypocritically. What about all those who do not?
We must also remember that, biblically speaking, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:23-24) In other words, no one is perfect and all are dependent on Christ for redemption, salvation and growth in spiritual maturity.
On one hand, Christians should not act hypocritically lest we give critics the flimsy objection to reject the gospel message. On the other hand, critics should no better attempt to throw out Christianity and all of Christ's claims on the objection of hypocrisy.
As I pointed out in my testimony of faith, don't let the failures or actions of people keep you from God. People can and will fail you, but God never fails. Both my parents and my husband's parents left the church due to the hypocritical actions of a person or people in the church. They allowed the actions of a few misguided people to turn them against the church. My husband and myself were also terribly hurt and disappointed in the past by someone in the church as well. However these actions of this person did NOT shake our faith in the Lord or erase what Christ did for us on the cross. In fact it encouraged us to pray for that person and his/her actions and shortcomings in how they treated our family. Lastly, just because someone claims to be a Christian does not mean they are. Sadly, often these are the people who fall into the trap of hypocrisy thus lending people to point the finger at ALL Christians and Christianity as a whole.
__________________________________________________
1 Josh McDowell and Don Stewart, Answers to Tough Questions Skeptics Ask About the Christian Faith (Here's Life Publishers, 1980), 128
The goal of the next several posts is to hopefully address some of the most common objections. My prayer is that if you are NOT currently a believer in Christianity that this blog will help you to overcome some of your questions and objections as to why you are not a believer. If you are currently a Christian than hopefully this post will help you to be able to answer these objections more effectively should they come up while in a conversation with a non believer.
At this point in my venture with this blog I've covered my testimony about how and why I came to faith in Christ, I've explored why I believe the Bible is the true, infallible word of God, why Jesus had to die and what that means for you and I've discussed why I believe the earth and everything in it is a creation of God, not the result of evolution. If you are new to my blog I recommend you read my past posts which hopefully will help to answer many of your possible questions and/or objections. If you look in the right hand column of this blog you will see past posts. Start at the beginning with my first post posted in January and work your way forward to now.
In today's post I will cover the following objection:
IF CHRISTIANITY IS TRUE, WHY ARE THERE SO MANY HYPOCRITES?
What is a hypocrite?
The Oxford English Dictionary defines hypocrisy as follows: "The assuming of a false appearance of virtue or goodness, with dissimulation of real character or inclinations, especially in respect of religious life or beliefs; hence in general sense, dissimulation, pretense, sham."
To put it in simpler terms, a hypocrite is someone who not only does not practice what one preaches, but a person who does the opposite of what one preaches. Some critics of Christianity who raise the hypocrisy objection usually point to some moral failure in the lives of Christians they know as examples of Christianity as being false or at least highly suspect. "See!" they exclaim. : There goes another hypocrite in the church! How can I believe Christianity if the church is full of hypocrites?" Before I attempt to answer this question I want to take a brief look a biblical examples of hypocrisy.
"Hypocrisy" or variations of it appear 17 times in the NIV translation of the Bible. Often it is Christ calling people hypocrites. For example in Matthew 7:3-5 He says, "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, "Let me take the speck out of your eye," when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."
"You hypocrites!" in fact is a recurring phrase spoke by Jesus. (see also, for instance Matthew 6:2, 16, 7:2, 15:7 22:18, 23:13, 15, 23:23, 25, 27, 29, 24:51; Mark 7:6, Luke 6:42; 12:56, and 13:15)
Was Jesus guilty of pointing out the speck in someone else's eye when in fact he had a plank in his own? Not at all. When examining this topic Josh McDowell and Don Stewart write:
"Christianity does not stand or fall on the way Christians have acted throughout history or are acting today. Christianity stands or falls on the person of Jesus, and Jesus was not a hypocrite. He lived consistently with what He taught, and at the end of His life He challenged those who had lived with Him night and day, for over three years, to point out any hypocrisy in Him. His disciples were silent, because there was none. Since Christianity depends on Jesus, it is incorrect to try to invalidate the Christian faith by pointing to horrible things done in the name of Christianity." 1
McDowell and Stewart bring up two important points. First, whether or not Christianity is true does not depend on how it's followers behave. This, of course, does not excuse hypocrisy in the church, but neither does it mean that hypocrisy is sufficient reason to dismiss Christianity. Second, Christ was not a hypocrite in any sense of the word. Often even critics agree with this point, exalting the high moral standards of Christ without understanding His larger claims.
Are all Christians hypocrites? Not at all! In fact, the history of the Christian church is filled with examples of selflessness, courage, moral action and reform and many other positive influences on the world. These are not the acts of hypocrites, but of sincere believers transformed by the resurrected Christ and moved by the Holy Spirit to live according to God's law.
The church is a work in progress (and so are it's members). The process from a new believer to a mature Christian can be long and arduous, but someday it will be complete and stand as a beautiful testimony to the power of Christ to transform lives for the better. Remember, too, that only some professing Christians act hypocritically. What about all those who do not?
We must also remember that, biblically speaking, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:23-24) In other words, no one is perfect and all are dependent on Christ for redemption, salvation and growth in spiritual maturity.
On one hand, Christians should not act hypocritically lest we give critics the flimsy objection to reject the gospel message. On the other hand, critics should no better attempt to throw out Christianity and all of Christ's claims on the objection of hypocrisy.
As I pointed out in my testimony of faith, don't let the failures or actions of people keep you from God. People can and will fail you, but God never fails. Both my parents and my husband's parents left the church due to the hypocritical actions of a person or people in the church. They allowed the actions of a few misguided people to turn them against the church. My husband and myself were also terribly hurt and disappointed in the past by someone in the church as well. However these actions of this person did NOT shake our faith in the Lord or erase what Christ did for us on the cross. In fact it encouraged us to pray for that person and his/her actions and shortcomings in how they treated our family. Lastly, just because someone claims to be a Christian does not mean they are. Sadly, often these are the people who fall into the trap of hypocrisy thus lending people to point the finger at ALL Christians and Christianity as a whole.
__________________________________________________
1 Josh McDowell and Don Stewart, Answers to Tough Questions Skeptics Ask About the Christian Faith (Here's Life Publishers, 1980), 128
Friday, May 17, 2013
Worship with Kari Jobe
Kari Jobe is absolutely my favorite worship singer. This song expresses how I feel about my Lord and Savior Jesus better than probably any other. Hope you enjoy this song and Kari's God breathed voice.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Examining the Bible: The proof of Archaeology
This is the last in my series of posts on examining the Bible. To see the other posts go to the tab at the top of this page " The Bible" and you can find them there. So far I've discussed that we know that the Bible is the living, inspired and infallible word of God due to many proof sources. I've discussed the proof of prophecy, the proof of science and in this post I will discuss the proof of archaeology.
Literally thousands of details in the Bible, including references to specific people, places and events have been proven accurate through modern archaeological excavations and study. Archaeological confirmations of the Biblical record have been almost innumerable in the last century. Sir William M Ramsay of Oxford University, one of the great archaeologists of the last century, started out as a staunch skeptic, doubting many of the details recorded in the New Testament. Specifically, he thought Luke was foolish in his storytelling because he named so many specific names, locations and dates. These specifics would be easy to check out and refute--assuming, as Ramsay did at the beginning, that they were not actually true. But over his thirty years of study, research, and excavation, Ramsay increasingly realized that Luke's writings in both the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts were accurate records of the events and details they reported. He later summarized his findings in this way: "Luke is a historian of the first rank.....This author should be placed along with the very greatest of historians." 1 Also, renowned archaeologist Nelson Glueck, who once featured on the cover of Time magazine because of his extraordinary work, concluded, "No archaeological discovery has ever controverted a single biblical reference. Scores of archaeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or in exact detail historical statements in the Bible. And, by the same token, proper evaluation of Biblical descriptions has often led to amazing discoveries"2 No other "holy book" outside of the Bible has ever earned such overwhelming support and affirmation, or given us so many reasons to be confident in its integrity as we read.
The bottom line is this: The Bible is historically correct. No one has ever proved otherwise. The more we learn of history, the more the Bible is validated. Hundreds of statements in the Bible, which in times past have been held as untrue by enemies of the Bible, have recently been proven true by archaeologists. The more that archaeologists find from the past, the more the Bible is proven accurate historically.
No archaeological discovery has ever disproved a biblical reference. The Bible is trustworthy and historically reliable. Thank you for reading A Spirit Filled Life.
____________________________________
1. Rudolf Bultman, et. al Kerygma and Myth, www.religiononline.org
2. Mark Mittelberg, Losing your Faith
Literally thousands of details in the Bible, including references to specific people, places and events have been proven accurate through modern archaeological excavations and study. Archaeological confirmations of the Biblical record have been almost innumerable in the last century. Sir William M Ramsay of Oxford University, one of the great archaeologists of the last century, started out as a staunch skeptic, doubting many of the details recorded in the New Testament. Specifically, he thought Luke was foolish in his storytelling because he named so many specific names, locations and dates. These specifics would be easy to check out and refute--assuming, as Ramsay did at the beginning, that they were not actually true. But over his thirty years of study, research, and excavation, Ramsay increasingly realized that Luke's writings in both the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts were accurate records of the events and details they reported. He later summarized his findings in this way: "Luke is a historian of the first rank.....This author should be placed along with the very greatest of historians." 1 Also, renowned archaeologist Nelson Glueck, who once featured on the cover of Time magazine because of his extraordinary work, concluded, "No archaeological discovery has ever controverted a single biblical reference. Scores of archaeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or in exact detail historical statements in the Bible. And, by the same token, proper evaluation of Biblical descriptions has often led to amazing discoveries"2 No other "holy book" outside of the Bible has ever earned such overwhelming support and affirmation, or given us so many reasons to be confident in its integrity as we read.
The bottom line is this: The Bible is historically correct. No one has ever proved otherwise. The more we learn of history, the more the Bible is validated. Hundreds of statements in the Bible, which in times past have been held as untrue by enemies of the Bible, have recently been proven true by archaeologists. The more that archaeologists find from the past, the more the Bible is proven accurate historically.
No archaeological discovery has ever disproved a biblical reference. The Bible is trustworthy and historically reliable. Thank you for reading A Spirit Filled Life.
____________________________________
1. Rudolf Bultman, et. al Kerygma and Myth, www.religiononline.org
2. Mark Mittelberg, Losing your Faith
Monday, April 15, 2013
Proof of the Resurrection of Jesus
I want to take the opportunity before too much time passes since Easter to discuss the Resurrection of Jesus. As I mentioned in my last post it wasn't until my late twenties that I knew that Easter had anything to do with Jesus. For me, Easter was always about egg hunts, the Easter bunny and candy. Easter however is much more than that. It is one of the most important holidays celebrated by Christians. It represents Christ's Resurrection. After being humiliated, tortured and nailed to a cross he died on Good Friday. Three days later Jesus rose from the dead, thus proving that he was in deed the son of God. Of course, there are many people out there that do not believe that Jesus rose from the dead. You may be one of those people. If you are, then my hope is that this post will change your mind or at least prompt you to look further into the matter with your own additional research. If you are already a believer than I hope this post will help arm you with information that you can use to share with others or defend your faith.
IS the resurrection of Jesus Christ an historical event that really happened, or is it only a myth, as many atheists and agnostics claim? While no one witnessed the actual resurrection, many people swore they saw the risen Christ after his death, and their lives were never the same.
Archaeological discoveries continue to support the Bible's historical accuracy. We tend to forget that the Gospels and book of Acts are eyewitness accounts of the life and death of Jesus. Further non-biblical evidence for Jesus' existence comes from the writings of Flavius Josephus, Cornelius Tactus, Lucian of Samosata, and the Jewish Sanhedrin. The following seven proofs of the resurrection show that Christ did, indeed, rise from the dead.
The Resurrection Proof #1 The Empty tomb of Jesus
The empty tomb may be the strongest proof Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Two major theories have been advanced by unbelievers: someone stole Jesus' body or the women and disciples went to the wrong tomb. The Jews and Romans had no motive to steal the body. Christ's apostles were too cowardly and would have had to overcome the Roman guards to accomplish such a feat. The women who found the tomb empty had earlier watched Jesus being laid inside, they knew where the correct tomb was. Even if they had gone to the wrong tomb, the Sanhedrin could have produced the body from the right tomb to stop the resurrection stories. Jesus' burial cloths were left neatly folded inside, hardly the act of hurrying grave robbers. Angels said Jesus had risen from the dead.
The Resurrection Proof #2 The Holy Women Eyewitnesses
The holy women eyewitnesses are further proof that the Gospels are accurate historical records. If the accounts had been made up, no ancient author would have used women for witnesses to Christ's resurrection. Women were considered second hand citizens in Bible times; their testimony was not even allowed in court. Yet the Bible says the risen Christ first appeared to Mary Magdeline and other holy women. Even the apostles did not believe Mary when she told them the tomb was empty. Jesus, who always had special respect for these women, honored them as the first eyewitnesses to His resurrection. The male Gospel writers had no choice but to report this "embarrassing act" of God's favor, because that was how it happened.
The Resurrection Proof #3 Jesus Apostles New-Found Courage
After the crucifixion, Jesus' apostles hid behind locked doors, terrified they would be executed next. But something changed them from cowards to bold preachers. Anyone who understands human character knows people do not change that much without some major influence. That influence was seeing their Master, bodily risen from the dead. Christ appeared to them in the locked room, on the shore of the sea of Galilee, and on the Mount of Olives. After seeing Jesus alive, Peter and the others left the locked room and preached about the risen Christ, unafraid of what would happen to them. They quit hiding because they knew the truth. They finally understood that Jesus is God incarnate, who saves people from sin.
The Resurrection Proof #4 Changed Lives of James and Others
Changed lives are yet another proof of the resurrection. James, the brother of Jesus, was openly skeptical that Jesus was the Messiah. Later James became a courageous leader of the Jerusalem church, even being stoned to death for his faith. Why? The Bible says the risen Christ appeared to him. What a shock to see your own brother, alive again, after you knew he was dead. James and the apostles were effective missionaries because people could tell these men had touched and seen the risen Christ. With such zealous eyewitnesses, the early church exploded in growth, spreading west from Jerusalem to Rome and beyond. For 2,000 years, encounters with the resurrected Jesus have changed lives.
The Resurrection Proof #5 Large Crowds of Eyewitnesses
A large crowd of more than 500 eyewitnesses saw the risen Jesus Christ at the same time. The Apostle Paul records this even in 1 Corinthians 15:6. He states that most of these men and women were still alive when he wrote this letter, about 55 AD. Undoubtedly they told others about this miracle. Today, psychologists say it would be impossible for a large crowd of people to have had the same hallucination at once. Smaller groups also saw the risen Christ, such as the apostles, and the Cleopas and his companion. They all saw the same thing, and in the case of the apostles, they touched Jesus and watched him eat food. The hallucination theory is further debunked because after the ascension of Jesus into heaven, sightings of him stopped.
The Resurrection Proof #6 Conversion of Paul
The conversion of Paul records the most drastically changed life in the Bible. As Saul of Tarsus, he was an aggressive persecutor of the early church. When the risen Christ appeared to Paul on the Damascus Road, Paul became Christianity's most determined missionary. He endured five floggings, three beatings, three shipwrecks, a stoning, poverty and years of ridicule. Finally the Roman emperor Nero had Paul beheaded because the apostle refused to deny his faith in Jesus. What could make a person willingly accept-even welcome-such hardships? Christians believe the conversion of Paul came about because he encountered Jesus Christ who had risen from the dead.
The Resurrection Proof #7 They Died for Jesus
Countless people have died for Jesus, absolutely certain that the resurrection of Christ is an historical fact. I am so completely and positively sure that Jesus is the son of God and my savior that I too would rather be killed than deny Him. I know many friends that feel the same. Tradition says ten of the original apostles died as martyrs for Christ, as did the Apostle Paul. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of early Christians died in the Roman arena and in prisons for their faith. Down through the centuries, thousands more have died for Jesus because they believed the resurrection is true. Even today, people suffer persecution because they have faith that Christ rose from the dead. An isolated group may give up their lives for a cult leader, but Christian martyrs have died in many lands, for nearly 2,000 years, believing Jesus conquered death to give them eternal life.
What about you? Do you believe that Jesus died for your sins so that you could have a relationship with God? Remember from my last post, according to God the punishment for sin is death. God is incapable of being in the presence of sin. Therefore in order to have a relationship with us a sacrifice was necessary. Because God loves us so much and yearns to have a relationship with us, he sent his own Son to die in our place so that we could come to intimately know and have a relationship with our Father in Heaven. Jesus died for the sins of the world so that we could know God and live with Him eternally in Heaven when we die.
If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior then you are walking a very slippery slope. If you died today are you certain you would go to heaven? Or, do you believe in an alternative scenario like being reincarnated or that death is the end. The extensive research I have done has proven to me without a doubt that reincarnation is not possible (more on that in an upcoming post on The New Age Movement) and that death is NOT the end for your soul. If you admit that you are a sinner and in need of Savior and ask Jesus to forgive you for your sins, than you will be saved. You will be guaranteed a place in God's Kingdom and upon your death you can joyfully anticipate living eternally in Heaven. According to the Bible which my research proves is the infallible word of God, the only alternative is to be separated from God eternally in a place no one wants to go.....hell. If you have come to the point where you believe that the Bible is the word of God, that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and you want your soul to spend eternity in Heaven than you need to be saved.
Please do not depend on man's word, including mine! Only one word counts: Almighty God's. Trust entirely in what God says in His word. It is a tragic error to rely on religion, what the world may be telling you, your past traditions, doctrine, personal beliefs or even your church. They are utterly worthless to save you. Religions, doctrine, tradition and churches change with the seasons: Whereas God's words is from eternity to eternity, unchanging.
Take this challenge from the Bible:
"Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17
God has promised:
"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." Romans 10:9-11
These words promise that salvation is as close as your own mouth and heart. It is not a complicated process to be saved. If we believe in our hearts and say with our mouths that Christ is the risen Lord, we will be saved. Be assured, God loves you, and wants to forgive, save and heal you. Cast your burden on Him and embrace Jesus with all your heart. Pray the following prayer and mean it with all your heart and you will be saved, right where you sit.
"Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. Please forgive me, and help me to avoid sinning in the future. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen
If you just said this prayer and meant it, then you are born again and saved! The Bible says that the angels in heaven are rejoicing over their new citizen right now! (that's you) I can assure you that you have made a wonderful decision for your life and for your eternal salvation which is now guaranteed to be with the Lord in Heaven. I recommend that you purchase a Bible and find a Bible believing church where you begin to attend and worship God with fellow believers. For me, attending church and Bible studies for the last 11 years has been one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. God desires us to be in fellowship with other believers and you will receive wonderful teaching from the pastor and other church leaders to help you grow in your walk with God.
If you did not pray the above prayer for whatever reason, than I ask that you continue to read this blog and keep an open mind to what I am sharing. Don't just take my word for matters of spirituality however! Do like I did and do your own research. I highly recommend the book "The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel and "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren. Both these books were instrumental in my research that lead me to the truth in Christ.
In the upcoming weeks I will be finishing my series of posts that prove that the Bible truly is the word of God and will be discussing the life and ministry of Jesus. I will be opening up discussion on "Is Satan real and is Hell a real place" as well as discussing the role of the Holy Spirit in the believer's life. In addition I will be posting a series on examining other religions including the New Age Movement and Mormonism among others.
Thank you for reading Living a Spirit Filled Life. May God Bless you.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Information in this post was compiled and summarized from the following sources:
gotguestions.org,xenos.org, faithfacts.org, newadvent.org,tektons.org,biblicalstudeis.info,
garyhabermas.com and ntwrightpage.com
IS the resurrection of Jesus Christ an historical event that really happened, or is it only a myth, as many atheists and agnostics claim? While no one witnessed the actual resurrection, many people swore they saw the risen Christ after his death, and their lives were never the same.
Archaeological discoveries continue to support the Bible's historical accuracy. We tend to forget that the Gospels and book of Acts are eyewitness accounts of the life and death of Jesus. Further non-biblical evidence for Jesus' existence comes from the writings of Flavius Josephus, Cornelius Tactus, Lucian of Samosata, and the Jewish Sanhedrin. The following seven proofs of the resurrection show that Christ did, indeed, rise from the dead.
The Resurrection Proof #1 The Empty tomb of Jesus
The empty tomb may be the strongest proof Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Two major theories have been advanced by unbelievers: someone stole Jesus' body or the women and disciples went to the wrong tomb. The Jews and Romans had no motive to steal the body. Christ's apostles were too cowardly and would have had to overcome the Roman guards to accomplish such a feat. The women who found the tomb empty had earlier watched Jesus being laid inside, they knew where the correct tomb was. Even if they had gone to the wrong tomb, the Sanhedrin could have produced the body from the right tomb to stop the resurrection stories. Jesus' burial cloths were left neatly folded inside, hardly the act of hurrying grave robbers. Angels said Jesus had risen from the dead.
The Resurrection Proof #2 The Holy Women Eyewitnesses
The holy women eyewitnesses are further proof that the Gospels are accurate historical records. If the accounts had been made up, no ancient author would have used women for witnesses to Christ's resurrection. Women were considered second hand citizens in Bible times; their testimony was not even allowed in court. Yet the Bible says the risen Christ first appeared to Mary Magdeline and other holy women. Even the apostles did not believe Mary when she told them the tomb was empty. Jesus, who always had special respect for these women, honored them as the first eyewitnesses to His resurrection. The male Gospel writers had no choice but to report this "embarrassing act" of God's favor, because that was how it happened.
The Resurrection Proof #3 Jesus Apostles New-Found Courage
After the crucifixion, Jesus' apostles hid behind locked doors, terrified they would be executed next. But something changed them from cowards to bold preachers. Anyone who understands human character knows people do not change that much without some major influence. That influence was seeing their Master, bodily risen from the dead. Christ appeared to them in the locked room, on the shore of the sea of Galilee, and on the Mount of Olives. After seeing Jesus alive, Peter and the others left the locked room and preached about the risen Christ, unafraid of what would happen to them. They quit hiding because they knew the truth. They finally understood that Jesus is God incarnate, who saves people from sin.
The Resurrection Proof #4 Changed Lives of James and Others
Changed lives are yet another proof of the resurrection. James, the brother of Jesus, was openly skeptical that Jesus was the Messiah. Later James became a courageous leader of the Jerusalem church, even being stoned to death for his faith. Why? The Bible says the risen Christ appeared to him. What a shock to see your own brother, alive again, after you knew he was dead. James and the apostles were effective missionaries because people could tell these men had touched and seen the risen Christ. With such zealous eyewitnesses, the early church exploded in growth, spreading west from Jerusalem to Rome and beyond. For 2,000 years, encounters with the resurrected Jesus have changed lives.
The Resurrection Proof #5 Large Crowds of Eyewitnesses
A large crowd of more than 500 eyewitnesses saw the risen Jesus Christ at the same time. The Apostle Paul records this even in 1 Corinthians 15:6. He states that most of these men and women were still alive when he wrote this letter, about 55 AD. Undoubtedly they told others about this miracle. Today, psychologists say it would be impossible for a large crowd of people to have had the same hallucination at once. Smaller groups also saw the risen Christ, such as the apostles, and the Cleopas and his companion. They all saw the same thing, and in the case of the apostles, they touched Jesus and watched him eat food. The hallucination theory is further debunked because after the ascension of Jesus into heaven, sightings of him stopped.
The Resurrection Proof #6 Conversion of Paul
The conversion of Paul records the most drastically changed life in the Bible. As Saul of Tarsus, he was an aggressive persecutor of the early church. When the risen Christ appeared to Paul on the Damascus Road, Paul became Christianity's most determined missionary. He endured five floggings, three beatings, three shipwrecks, a stoning, poverty and years of ridicule. Finally the Roman emperor Nero had Paul beheaded because the apostle refused to deny his faith in Jesus. What could make a person willingly accept-even welcome-such hardships? Christians believe the conversion of Paul came about because he encountered Jesus Christ who had risen from the dead.
The Resurrection Proof #7 They Died for Jesus
Countless people have died for Jesus, absolutely certain that the resurrection of Christ is an historical fact. I am so completely and positively sure that Jesus is the son of God and my savior that I too would rather be killed than deny Him. I know many friends that feel the same. Tradition says ten of the original apostles died as martyrs for Christ, as did the Apostle Paul. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of early Christians died in the Roman arena and in prisons for their faith. Down through the centuries, thousands more have died for Jesus because they believed the resurrection is true. Even today, people suffer persecution because they have faith that Christ rose from the dead. An isolated group may give up their lives for a cult leader, but Christian martyrs have died in many lands, for nearly 2,000 years, believing Jesus conquered death to give them eternal life.
What about you? Do you believe that Jesus died for your sins so that you could have a relationship with God? Remember from my last post, according to God the punishment for sin is death. God is incapable of being in the presence of sin. Therefore in order to have a relationship with us a sacrifice was necessary. Because God loves us so much and yearns to have a relationship with us, he sent his own Son to die in our place so that we could come to intimately know and have a relationship with our Father in Heaven. Jesus died for the sins of the world so that we could know God and live with Him eternally in Heaven when we die.
If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior then you are walking a very slippery slope. If you died today are you certain you would go to heaven? Or, do you believe in an alternative scenario like being reincarnated or that death is the end. The extensive research I have done has proven to me without a doubt that reincarnation is not possible (more on that in an upcoming post on The New Age Movement) and that death is NOT the end for your soul. If you admit that you are a sinner and in need of Savior and ask Jesus to forgive you for your sins, than you will be saved. You will be guaranteed a place in God's Kingdom and upon your death you can joyfully anticipate living eternally in Heaven. According to the Bible which my research proves is the infallible word of God, the only alternative is to be separated from God eternally in a place no one wants to go.....hell. If you have come to the point where you believe that the Bible is the word of God, that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and you want your soul to spend eternity in Heaven than you need to be saved.
Please do not depend on man's word, including mine! Only one word counts: Almighty God's. Trust entirely in what God says in His word. It is a tragic error to rely on religion, what the world may be telling you, your past traditions, doctrine, personal beliefs or even your church. They are utterly worthless to save you. Religions, doctrine, tradition and churches change with the seasons: Whereas God's words is from eternity to eternity, unchanging.
Take this challenge from the Bible:
"Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17
God has promised:
"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." Romans 10:9-11
These words promise that salvation is as close as your own mouth and heart. It is not a complicated process to be saved. If we believe in our hearts and say with our mouths that Christ is the risen Lord, we will be saved. Be assured, God loves you, and wants to forgive, save and heal you. Cast your burden on Him and embrace Jesus with all your heart. Pray the following prayer and mean it with all your heart and you will be saved, right where you sit.
"Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. Please forgive me, and help me to avoid sinning in the future. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen
If you just said this prayer and meant it, then you are born again and saved! The Bible says that the angels in heaven are rejoicing over their new citizen right now! (that's you) I can assure you that you have made a wonderful decision for your life and for your eternal salvation which is now guaranteed to be with the Lord in Heaven. I recommend that you purchase a Bible and find a Bible believing church where you begin to attend and worship God with fellow believers. For me, attending church and Bible studies for the last 11 years has been one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. God desires us to be in fellowship with other believers and you will receive wonderful teaching from the pastor and other church leaders to help you grow in your walk with God.
If you did not pray the above prayer for whatever reason, than I ask that you continue to read this blog and keep an open mind to what I am sharing. Don't just take my word for matters of spirituality however! Do like I did and do your own research. I highly recommend the book "The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel and "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren. Both these books were instrumental in my research that lead me to the truth in Christ.
In the upcoming weeks I will be finishing my series of posts that prove that the Bible truly is the word of God and will be discussing the life and ministry of Jesus. I will be opening up discussion on "Is Satan real and is Hell a real place" as well as discussing the role of the Holy Spirit in the believer's life. In addition I will be posting a series on examining other religions including the New Age Movement and Mormonism among others.
Thank you for reading Living a Spirit Filled Life. May God Bless you.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Information in this post was compiled and summarized from the following sources:
gotguestions.org,xenos.org, faithfacts.org, newadvent.org,tektons.org,biblicalstudeis.info,
garyhabermas.com and ntwrightpage.com
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