This website is just my opinion about faith. I invite you to find your own truth. It is my hope that the views presented here will help those in search of God find a start- for those who believe in “A” god, to find “The” God, and for those who already know the one true God to perhaps find an alternative viewpoint. I will add to and modify this site as time allows.
This site is a one way communication and does not offer any provision for comments as I do not want it to become an anonymous debating site. Please just take what you read here at face value and pursue your own faith.
To save you some time, if you do not believe that a “creator” made all life as we know it, do not read any further. Until you realize that the universe, our planet, your body or even a single cell is so completely and absolutely complex that it MUST be engineered by a creator, you will not find faith from anything written here. If you need help, read this Wikipedia page describing the amazing complexity of the human brain: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_brain and decide if you think this complexity could possibly evolve from a single cell for no reason…
About the author: I am a Christian and have no formal theological training. I personally think religion is man-made and faith is God-made. I simply have faith.
Disclaimer: I have not fact-checked any of my ramblings. I will endeavor to correct errors but hope the reader can see through any mistakes and find their own truth.
The Short Version:
- God created everything.
- God loves you without bounds.
- Jesus freely gives us the gift of Grace of eternal life with Him in Heaven by simply believing in Him.
Life on earth is many different things to everyone. One thing it is to most folks, though, is all consuming. The problem with never setting aside time to find and accept Jesus as your personal savior, is that you are trading the 80 or so years you might live on earth for eternity in Heaven. If anything you read here makes you curious, that is the Holy Spirit at work. I urge you to act on those feelings sooner than later. You never know when your life could end suddenly- and then it’s too late.
I noticed a sign while traveling recently. It simply read:
“Life has many choices. Eternity just has two.”
Please stop here and think about that a bit. You need to make the right choice!
The Long Version:
On God
There is only one true God. The first thing you have to do is acknowledge there is a god – but not just “A” god but “THE” God. Mankind has always sought a creator and in absence of a credible teacher or reference (the Bible)- they invent something to worship. For example: animals, things, mythical gods, idols, other people, etc. I will hopefully provide enough thought provoking words below for you to ponder so that when you really think about it, you will find the only possible conclusion is that God is real.
On the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is one part of the Holy Trinity and is in everyone. It is the thing that makes you wonder, and deep-down know, that God exists. Many people suppress this urging with science, IQ, ego or any number of reasons. The Holy Spirit is what ties and draws you to God. Do not ignore it.
On the Bible
The Christian Bible is the true Word of God. It is the longest living, most printed book of all time. There’s a reason for its survival. Read it. If you don’t have time to read it, get an audio-book and listen to it. If you really don’t have time just read the gospel of John.
UPDATE 2023:
Eureka! A friend just introduced me to the Bible Project! This site has many excellent videos and instruction but, if you’ve never picked up a bible (and even if you have), this site has short (~8 minutes) “cliff notes” synopsis on each book of the Bible. Check it out!: https://bibleproject.com/explore/book-overviews/
The Main Site is here: https://bibleproject.com/ where you will find a treasure trove of Biblical information!
If you think the Bible is some conspiracy or just a work of fiction, let me ask you this- Think of the most amazing thing that you have ever witnessed. Did you write it down for someone else to learn from or experience through your words? Probably not. Today, it is easy to share information such as I am now. But 2000 years ago, someone had to write the details of a story down. Then, to share, many others had to copy, by hand, what was written. And then again and again. Why would so many people hand copy a work of fiction? Even great works like “Moby Dick” only sold about 3700 copies. And that’s after the printing press was invented. The Bible, in contrast, is estimated to have over 5 billion copies printed! A lot of folks have been involved in making this book of God accessible to virtually everyone today that wants to learn.
You may be thinking “But what about the Torah or Quran?” No doubt a bunch of them have been printed as well- The common connection is God. Yep, he’s the same God for all three branches of faith. Islam branches with Ishmael, Abraham’s son by Hagar. Christianity branches with Isaac, Abraham’s son by Sarah. Jews are in sync with Christians up to the death of Jesus.
If the Bible is fiction- which implies the Torah and Quran are as well, how could it withstand the test of time in human history? If its survival is plausible as a work of fiction, where are the rest of the “novels” from 1200 BCE?
The Bible is the inerrant inspired writing by humans. These means that there are no mistakes or conflicts in the Bible. The conflicts come from individual, and often out-of-context, interpretation. Be careful of others interpreting the Bible for you. Use teachings to help point you but sort it out for yourself.
On the Old Testament
Judaism, Islam and Christians all reference the same Old Testament, more or less, as the common story of the creation and is the beginning of multiple faiths. In the Old Testament, God tries to govern mankind with the “Law”, given through Moses, which evidently was too much to ask.
On the New Testament
The New Testament is the basis of Christianity and is an account of the world after Jesus’ birth. Christians embrace both the Old and New Testaments as the complete inspired Word of God. It’s all you need. It is worth mentioning here that the New Testament fulfilled the prophecy of the Old Testament regarding the Messiah- that is, Jesus. Jesus gives us a reprieve from the Law by forgiving us our sins and our inability to behave.
On Religion and Faith
Religion is not Faith and Faith is not a religion. Faith is simple, peaceful. Religion is created by man for man- it can be complicated, convoluted and unnecessary. Christian faith only requires that you believe in the one true God and his only Son, Jesus. Religion encompasses faith but piles on a myriad of man-made rituals, rules, politics, business (money), conflict and controversy that Faith alone does not need.
On Creation
God created everything, period. God is that big.
I like listening to The TED Radio Hour Podcasts during my commute. I really enjoy these talks. One repeating science talk theme is something like: “We have science theory and facts that explain how the universe came to be… but we cannot explain (X)”. This is when I usually shout “God!” out loud.
(Update 2021- A recent science story I read states that they now know for certain that the earth was once completely covered in water. This story theorized the earth’s crust “soaked up” a bunch of water to create the land mass we live on. How, or why is that possible?! I could have saved the researchers a great deal of time- Genesis 1:6 reads: “And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” )
The experts generally detail how amazingly low the odds are that everything on our planet Earth is just perfect for life to form out of nowhere. They go on to describe that statistically, life should occur many times over in our Universe. I might concur if life was truly accidental. But since God created life, there is no statistic that would demand life should be elsewhere. If life in any form does exist elsewhere, it is because God made it as well.
Most every theory describes the beginning of our universe in the same way: “The Big Bang”. Simply described, everything we know of the universe started as a singularity. A single, infinitesimally small point with all the energy and matter that exploded outward to kick-start our universe. They do not know how or where this singularity came from.
The answer is simple- God! Genesis 1: 1In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
On the alternative
A question I like to ask an atheist is: “If not God, then how do you think we got here?” The most common reply I get is aliens, microscopic life arriving on an asteroid or even just a spontaneous event from the depths of the ocean. Ok, let’s go with any of those as a premise- what created that life?
On Atheism
There seems to be a driving force to make some folks actively disavow God. That force is satan, of course, but I am at a loss on how otherwise thoughtful, intelligent people think that we only exist by random happenstance to simply die into the abyss. That is, life has no meaning at all. Perhaps it is simply easier to deny God than to navigate the quagmire of religions. If this is you, keep reading as the quagmire is man-made and easily dismissed!
Many devout theists doubted their own belief at some point. C. S. Lewis writes in “The Rival Conceptions of God”: “If the universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that is has no meaning”
On Reality
I like science. A recent theory suggestion is that we live in a simulation and that nothing is “real”. I find this topic fascinating and very plausible. Take a read of this well written article:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/confirmed-we-live-in-a-simulation/
When the author asked: “Who do we create this product for? How do they receive the output of the qualia generating algorithms that we are? We don’t know.” That’s easy! God!
It makes sense to me that God only reveals things to us as we are able to discover and grasp them. There is no reason for distant galaxies to “really” exist until we actually have the ability to get to them. If there were no observable galaxies in the expanse of the universe for us to ponder, we would know that God existed and it’s about faith, not proof.
Think for a moment if all we could see was our own solar system and that absolutely nothing was detectable beyond. If this were the case, we’d know that we were contained in a “fish bowl” and that we were “kept”. This would make God’s existence absolute. Think the “All hail Jay!” scene in Men In Black.
Personal opinion: I suspect we will never get beyond our solar system because Jesus will return long before we can, or do.
As we get into evolution, please note the paragraph in the Scientific American article about questioning why we have consciousness:
“So here we are generating this product called consciousness that we apparently don’t have a use for, that is an experience and hence must serve as an experience. The only logical next step is to surmise that this product serves someone else.”
Um, God? I do not know why the author cannot bring themselves to acknowledging God.
On Evolution
Did you know that even Darwin believed in a “creator”? Check out Darwin’s “Evolution of the Species” conclusion circa 1860: “Therefore I should infer from analogy that probably all the organic beings which have ever lived on this earth have descended from some one primordial form, into which life was first breathed by the Creator.” So the next time you’re behind a car with a Darwin bumper sticker, take solace in knowing they believe in a guy that believed in God- although I doubt they know that. By the way, even Darwin did not fully endorse his own theory. A favorite Darwin quote: “But it deserves especial notice that the more important objections relate to questions on which we are confessedly ignorant; nor do we know how ignorant we are.” We are unbelievably ignorant of God and creation.
I do not believe that species “evolve” into other species. In all of science’s searching, there is no evidence of a cross-species evolution. Species do, however, adapt to their environment and develop attributes that enable them to survive. This adaptation is basically “survival of the fittest” which is one of God’s brilliant design features. People want to believe in evolution for a variety of reasons but, and Darwin admits this, the “creator” started the basis of life but he thought all the species evolved from one or more initially created life. If you are really stuck on evolution, let me ask you this: why would a single cell amoeba ever want, or need, to be anything but a single cell amoeba? Or for that matter, why would algae want to become a tree?
If it all started with a single organism, then when did plants and animals separate- and why? Further, “creatures” breath oxygen and expel carbon dioxide. Plants “breath” carbon dioxide and expel oxygen. What an amazingly balanced system, right? The questions on pure evolution theory are endless and have no answers. The questions on creation may be endless but they all have a single answer: God.
Finally, ponder your own body for a bit. With its countless cells, electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems topped with a super computer brain running it all- Why? Conscientiousness? Why? If a single celled organism started it all, why would it need to be so complex, or self aware?
How would a single cell organism ever become this?:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8z9Ifq_rdI
Sorry to harp so long on this- if none of this rant makes you really wonder, then there is nothing else I can say.
On Proof of God (a simplistic view)
Ponder this: the humane genome (DNA in a single cell) is equivalent to about 1.5 GB of storage and contains enough information to build you. Your entire body contains about 150 Trillion GB (10^21) bytes worth of data! Yeah, this just happened…
On Science
I admire science and I love technology. Many science experts want you to “believe” that life sprung up some billions of years ago by some cosmic accident. But with all our intelligence and technology, we still cannot create life in the lab. We can influence and tweak it, but we cannot create it. If you listen to any of the mainstream philosophers, cosmologist, or “Brainiac” thinkers, they all come to a point of “we just can’t explain…” The answer is always: God! Science and God are not mutually exclusive. God created all the laws of physics and everything scientists discover. Many scientists come to God after concluding their own discoveries are too miraculous for chance.
On Time
Time is an illusion. God’s time and our perception of time are not the same. The only reason we are able to learn and grow is because of our perception of time.
More on this later when I have time…
Fun Fact: Google’s Quantum computer recently “built” a “time crystal” What fun!
On the Environment
Of all the things we take for granted, did you know the Earth’s orbit around the Sun is slightly elliptical? And our axis is slightly tilted. And finally there is slightly more land mass in the northern hemisphere. Why does this matter? The northern hemisphere, with the larger land mass, is tilted toward the Sun when we are the farthest away from the Sun, This keeps us a bit cooler in the northern hemisphere’s summer. Conversely, we are a bit closer to the Sun when the southern hemisphere is in summer keeping us a bit warmer. If the axis was aligned or the opposite tilt occurred, the planet would be too hot or too cold for habitation. At least for us humans. What an amazing bit of dumb luck, eh? Or maybe a brilliant design by God?!
By the way, without the tilt, we would not have seasons and water would not be stored as snow in the mountains only to melt when we need it in the summer. Ponder that a bit…
On Evaporation
So why talk about simple evaporation on a website about God? Well, without it, there would be no life on land. There would be life in the ocean but sea water is salty and unsuitable for most plant, animal and human consumption. Evaporation (the process of water changing to vapor) is actually a mysterious process- Google it. But to the point, without it, no water would leave the ocean, form clouds, float over land where it falls as rain or snow to create the lakes and rivers. Only because of evaporation is the land mass on Earth anything but dry ground. More over, water evaporation leaves all impurities behind which gives all land life fresh water.
Evaporation is necessary for life on land and this peculiar process that we take for granted was made by God!
On Recycling
I think mankind has a responsibility to care for our planet and to keep it nice for all generations. I also believe we do not need to worry about running out of resources. For example, crude oil is very important to our civilization right now. No one cared about oil just 200 years ago and scientist don’t really know how it formed. It was discovered at exactly when we needed it and our technology could use it. I know, chicken/egg… The point is, it was there when we needed it. Jesus will either be back before we run out of stuff we need or our big God-given brains will find another solution to our worldly needs until He does return. The main point here is that our existence on this planet is finite.
On Mother Nature
If you’re still thinking Mother Nature is not a creation of God, I propose that nature in and of itself does not create anything but only reduces things to their elements. Nature is the original and most powerful recycler!
On Star Stuff
As a kid, I loved watching Carl Sagan. He is famously known for saying: “The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of star stuff.” Maybe you never thought that every atom formed inside a star. Everything you are came from within a star! Scientist believe this and God did this!
On Einstein and Hawking
Einstein was raised Jewish and reportedly originally believed in God, although not a “personal” God. He once wrote: ” “the situation may be expressed by an image: science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.” These are good words. Sadly, at the end of his life, Einstein dismissed God entirely. Apparently, Hawking was never on board with God although he used the word “god” in his papers occasionally. Like so many religious folks, he was blinded by his passion for his belief. By the way, belief and faith are not the same…
On Dinosaurs and Neanderthals
Without getting too deep here (because it really doesn’t matter) there is an “Old Earth” and a “New Earth” theory. Google it. Some people need to take the Bible literally but if you add up all the generations since Adam and Eve, you only get about 8000-12000 years. Therefore, taking the Bible literally, the Earth can only be that old. Scientifically, however, we have hard evidence of prehistoric creatures and homo-sapiens existed well (~230 million years) before this period. It could be that God was just trying out different DNA combinations (playing around while the Earth stabilized) until it was time to “install” a soul into the first man, Adam. OK, I may be out in the weeds on all this but again, it really doesn’t matter. God is timeless- He has to be as He created time- therefore, He cannot be bound by it! No matter how long it took the Earth to form and cool, to God, time is irrelevant. But how was He going to tell Adam or Moses (or any mortal) about the Big Bang and the laws of physics (all made by God) that formed the Universe so that they would understand? Not possible. I think He left it as a curiosity for us to ponder and discover. In the end, all will be revealed. But again, it really doesn’t matter!
On DNA
The Human Genome contains an impossibly large number of combinations. There are 3 billion base pairs packed into about a 6 micron space. Your pattern is unique and defines everything about you: every physical feature, your personality, everything. DNA is the blueprint of every living thing. It tells the first cell (fertilized egg) how to divide and as the number of cells divide exponentially, it tells each one what their function is. Then, as your brain developed, the primary programming is installed so all your internal systems know how to work. Every heartbeat and every breath! This did not just happen – seriously, think about it!
On Jesus
Jesus is real! I don’t just think this, I know this. Jews and Islam both acknowledge Jesus even though they do not agree on his divinity. Christians believe in Jesus as their personal Savior. Because of His simple free gift called “Grace”, anyone who believes in Jesus as their personal Savior will enter the Kingdom of God. Nothing else is required!
On Grace
God loves you! All you have to do to receive his freely given gift of eternal life with Him is to accept Jesus as your personal savior. That’s it. You cannot fake this belief, however. God knows your heart and you cannot fake it. There is no “hedging” the bet just in case…
On Forgiveness
Only Jesus can forgive sins (see On Sin below) but to find peace, you need to forgive others. We have all had wrongs done to us by others, but holding a “grudge” against someone will not hurt them but will only give you angst. Isaiah 43:18 (NIV) says: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” To me, this means let bygones be bygones! Chances are that the person that did you the wrong does not give it a second thought- but if you dwell on the transgression, it will continue to torment you.
I know people that remember every bad thing that ever happened to them and it torments them every day. How can you focus on a pleasant now, and future, if you keep looking backward?
Forgiveness is not easy- we are human and it seems we are possessed by anger and a desire for revenge. Let the Lord judge and take vengeance. In Luke 6:28 (NIV) Jesus said: “Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Let go of your anger. Do this and you will find peace!
On Works
What I mean by “works” is the belief that if I’m a good person and do good things, surely I will go to Heaven. You cannot enter Heaven just by being good or doing good things. You MUST believe in Jesus! However, you cannot believe in Jesus and not be a good person. You must truly try to walk the walk- but don’t worry if you stumble… That’s why we need Grace.
On satan
Yes, I did not capitalize his name. satan is a fallen angle and is the prince of this world. It has been said his greatest accomplishment is convincing people that he does not exist.
On Tragedy
Do not blame God for tragedy. He does not cause or prevent tragedy. As mentioned above, satan is the prince of this world. All of the evil, tragedy, pain, sadness, despair etc.in this world comes from satan. God never tempts or does harm. Give all that credit to satan. Man opened the door to satan with the original sin.
On Sin
God gave Adam and Eve only one rule and they broke it. Man’s track record since has not improved. Man has a sinful nature and we cannot avoid sin. Only Jesus was without sin because while He is fully man, He is also fully God. You cannot get through a day without sinning but the good news is that all sin is forgiven if you accept Jesus as your savior- save one: the only unforgivable sin is denying the Holy Spirit. Mark 3:28 states: “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
Do not turn away from the Holy Spirit within you!
On Eternal Life
Everyone will have eternal life. You get to choose if it is with God or satan. Billy Joel (“Only the Good Die Young”) got this one wrong, great tune but wrong message; eternal damnation is not a party with your friends.
A lot of unbelievers have the idea that when they die, that’s it- there’s nothing. They mistakenly think they if they are wrong about God’s existence, they just miss out on eternal life with God but they won’t know because they’re, well, dead. The reality of the matter is that their eternity will be in hell with satan. No laughing with friends Billy…
On Communicating with God
I do not know if God “talks” to any mortal since John (Revelation) or not. He’s never spoken to me. The Holy Spirit compels me to be one with Jesus and God but I’ve never heard a voice. I speak to God, and Jesus, through prayer but answers come in inner peace and faith that He controls my life. For what it’s worth, I do not know if God ever “spoke” to Jesus. Jesus was fully God and fully man. It is the fully man part that set him apart from direct communication with God. But, he was driven by the same Holy Spirit you and I have in us. Jesus received the Holy Spirit at the time of his baptism by John.
On Prayer
This is a tough one. As noted above, God has never spoken directly to me but, I do believe he answers my prayers. For me (your mileage may differ), He answers with inner peace and subtle guidance of my life. Whether or not the guidance is direct or indirect, I do not know but the result is the same. Some folks want immediate or obvious influence by God. For example, a loved one gets cancer and they pray to God to cure the cancer. If the loved one dies anyway, they wonder if they did not pray hard enough or perhaps are not worthy. Some even feel ignored by God and question or abandon their faith because God abandoned them. God will never abandon you!
First of all, dying is not a punishment but simply the “gateway” to eternal life with God (assuming you’ve accepted Jesus!). One should always be prepared for that inevitability. See On Dying below. Second of all, I don’t think God not answering your prayers the way you think He should means they were not answered. Moreover, some believe that if enough folks pray for a result (prayer circle or similar mass appeal), God is more inclined to answer with a positive result. I do not subscribe to that notion. God’s will is God’s will and I personally do not think we can alter His course. Having said that, there are unexplained healing accounts- the point is, do not be discouraged if what you want, and pray for, goes seemingly unanswered. Through prayer, you will find inner peace and strength to get you through anything. God knows what you can bear.
Finally, keep your prayers short and to the point. Matthew 6:7 says: “”When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.” And never pray for trivial or earthly things.
I’ve heard it said that God answers prayers in three ways:
1. Yes
2. Not now
3. I have other plans for you
Prayer is a very personal thing. Your thing will be different than mine but will bring you closer to God.
On Lightning Bolts
I have met and read about some folks that had an epiphany moment when they found God and their lives immediately turned around. I describe this as a “Lighting Bolt” moment. I never had one per se. Perhaps this pivotal moment is more obvious when someone was going in the wrong direction in their life and when they found Jesus, the 180 degree turn was so intense, it hit them like a lightning bolt. I do not believe everyone experiences this but don’t despair, you may have been on the right track all along and only needed to strengthen your faith.
On Angels
They do exist and they walk among us. You’ve met several. I have no proof, just a feeling…
On the Flood
God hit the reset button and regretted it. He said he would never again destroy the world. Since man cannot behave and follow God’s will, Jesus was sent as the path of our salvation.
On “Christian” Based Religion
If it’s in the Bible, believe it – but only with your interpretation based on your understanding and help from those you trust and who truly believe. If anyone puts a spin on the words in the Bible and creates any rules to follow, don’t be lured.
On Other Religions
Beware of any religion that has rituals, a revered (or worshiped) human leader (yes, including Catholicism), rights of passage, demands money (legitimate organizations need money to operate but should not demand you pay anything, give freely if you want to), or threatens or punishes you if you don’t believe like they do. Christianity only requires your belief in Jesus as your personal savior. And His gift is free!
On Catholicism
I believe Catholicism belongs in the “other” religion category. Some of my best friends are Catholics, are really good people, and believe that Jesus is their personal savior. The problem is that their church is largely a business and has taken great liberty with the teachings of the Bible.
For example, the bible teaches: Matthew 23:9, “And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father.” This means your spiritual father, not your mortal “dad”. Catholics refer to their priest as “father” which I extract as meaning spiritual. In my opinion, the Pope is no closer to God than anyone else can be.
Catholics also pray to Mary and the Saints to “obtain favors from God” (this statement depends on your reference and is not true for all Catholics). The Bible does not teach us to pray to Mary or the Saints or to confess to a priest. You do not need an intermediary to pray to God, or confess- talk to Him directly! I could go on and on about the rituals, politics, wealth and so on but this is not about bashing fellow Christians, it is about you trying to figure out for yourself what is truth.
On Mormonism
Like Catholics, I think most Mormons are good intentioned people and do believe in Jesus as their savior. They use the Old and New Testaments but believe in a third book that was written by Joseph Smith as the foundation of Mormonism. Google “Joseph Smith” (look for results other than from LDS) and decide for yourself but again, know what is man-made and what is God-made. Matthew 7:15 says: “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” I personally do not believe there have been any prophets since John who wrote Revelation. The Bible was complete with John’s writing of Revelation and there is no need to add to it.
On Church
Church is a great place to learn and be with other believers. But, do not get caught up in the entertainment, politics and mind-washing of many churches. Find one that teaches the Word of God and helps you to understand it. There are some good teaching churches out there but there are many more with their own agenda. If anyone tries to force your way of thinking, look elsewhere.
I personally believe some good intentioned churches have driven people away from God. Curious folks come (remember the Holy Spirit?) to try and satisfy their curiosity only to find confusion, judgement, rituals and cult-like behavior. Be very careful with your selection.
On Fellowship
It is important to surround yourself with fellow believers to reinforce and keep your faith strong. If you do not attend a church, seek other believers. Keep your mind open, you might learn alternate points of view that will help you form your own understanding.
On Why We Are Here
I do not think anyone knows. One theory is that we were all together in Heaven before the fall of satan, satan challenged God that given free will, others would follow him instead of God. Read the story of Job in the Old Testament. Life on Earth may be just about choosing sides.
On Choosing
I personally believe we are placed in this life to choose sides with our own free will. That is, do you want to hang with the good side of the force (like with Yoda and team) or on the dark side of the force (like with Darth and cronies) for all of eternity. This decision should be easy but temptation gets in the way. Choose team Jesus- Choose God!
On Temptation
The Apostle Paul said: “The mind is willing but the flesh is weak”. This basically means that we all want to do good but the temptations of the world makes us do things we know we ought not to.
On Language
One Ted Talk topic was about human language. The linguistic expert, and I paraphrase badly, said that although it has been proven that all of mankind can be traced to a single origin, they were baffled how human language became so disjoint. Again, this is easy and documented thousands of years ago:
Genesis 11 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.
3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”
8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel – because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.
On Understanding
If you don’t understand much, or really anything, about the Universe, the laws of physics or the meaning of life, don’t despair. I think the life we are given is meant to be enjoyed and, more importantly, give us time to know and accept Jesus. One does not need to understand how to build a car or computer in order to use one. My dog is very smart and understands her little corner of her world very well and seems very comfortable with her understanding. She has no concept of the next street over much less the entire Earth, our solar system, the galaxy or the universe and what lies beyond. Nor does she need to in order to be happy.
Similarly, we humans have a solid grasp on our world and observed universe. We cannot even begin to comprehend God and all of creation beyond what we can observe any more than my dog understands the TV. So like my pup, enjoy what you know and don’t sweat the stuff you don’t.
On Wealth and Stuff
Most folks have about 80+/- years to enjoy life and find God. Don’t waste all your time on acquiring treasures in this world but rather focus on the treasures of Heaven. I like stuff and a comfortable life as much as the next guy, but like you, I’m not taking any of it with me when I die. Matthew 6:19 says: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
It’s been said that he who dies with the most toys, wins. This is simply not true. Experiences and relationships are what life is about. Go for the long journey and not just the sprint.
On Dying
We’re all going to die- are you ready? One of my favorite movie series is the Pirates of the Caribbean. From the movie “Dead Man’s Chest”, Davy Jones asks Captain Jack: “Do you fear death? Do you fear that dark abyss? All your deeds lay bare, all your sins punished?” If you cannot honestly answer “No!” to this question, then you need to get busy. It’s natural to fear the manner of death, but you will not fear death itself if you have truly accepted Jesus as your personal savior. To me, life is just waiting in a long line to enter the big show- the reward for having lived well and chosen Jesus! Why, after waiting in line for your entire life would you fear entering the door to your reward?! Fictional Davy Jones suggests you will be punished for your sins which is true unless you have given your life to Jesus, who accepted your sin and punishment as his own when he died on the cross.
On Dying Early
People often ask how a merciful God could “take” or allow someone good, or especially a child to die early in life. First of all, remember free will. Free will means God does not intercede in such things. But, to answer this question, the real result of dying is that the person is released from the difficulty and hate in this world and joins with God early! It’s sad for the loving ones that remain but remember that life on earth is but a blink of an eye compared to eternity with God! Always be ready.
More on children or those who have not yet known Jesus: Yes, I truly believe He is merciful and provides for the innocent.
On Losing Your Faith
It happens. A lot. Perhaps you’ve become to busy with your life. Perhaps your “soul mate” is not a believer. Perhaps you’ve just become disillusioned with all the suffering in the world- no matter the reason, it is not uncommon for some to pause, or question their faith.
Many Christians start early with Sunday School and learn the Bible basic stories and learn the habit of praying and faith but are too young to really decide for themselves. Then, as young adults, they lose their way only to rediscover their faith later in life. This was my path, but in my case, whereas I never lost Jesus as my savior, my faith was not my priority in my late teens and 20’s.
It has been my observation (and hope), however, that for those that really accepted Jesus at any point in their life but lost their way, often return back to making their faith paramount in their life.
On the Second Coming of Jesus
Don’t listen to anyone proclaiming the end is near. It could be, or not. No one knows but God, not even Jesus. Matthew 24:36 says: “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.” This basically means to be prepared- Jesus could return at any time or your life could end at any time and there are no “do-overs”. I cannot imagine anything more wonderful than being alive to witness Jesus’ return!
On Reading the Bible
Ugh- who has time and how do I understand?! I got an audio Bible and have listened to the Bible on my daily commute several times. You do not have to read the entire thing! If you really don’t have time, read just one New Testament book: John. Then re-read it. When your interest is piqued, read the other Gospels, Matthew and Mark. Then maybe Revelation (Spoiler alert: God wins!), Acts and Genesis! You may find you cannot put it down.
As you read, remember the Bible is not a novel and it is not necessarily laid out in chronological order- especially the Old Testament. Do not worry if you do not understand much (or most) of it and do not always take verses literally and never out of context! Just go with it. Theologians have been debating the Bible for decades- it might take you some time to absorb.
Remember that the New Testament trumps (supersedes) the Old Testament. The New Testament is the new covenant (contract) from God. The Old Testament is a great history reference and predicts the birth and death of Jesus. It is also full of laws and rules mankind could not follow so God made it easy for us as written in the New Testament; Just believe with all your heart in Jesus as your personal savior. End of discussion. I feel sad for modern Jews trying to abide by Old Testament laws- and a bunch of their own. Jesus did not abolish the law, but rather He fulfilled them and gave us forgiveness for breaking them- that is, sin.
For example, in Matthew 5: 38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
On Non-belief
So what happens if you do not believe? That is between you and God! But, a true follower of Jesus:
1. Will not judge or condemn you
2. Will not pressure you to believe. A true Christian will point you in the proper direction to Jesus. It is up to you to go.
History and modern times are full of hate and war over religion. Remember that religion is manmade and therefore, the hate and wars are also manmade.
The current tragic conflict in Israel (October 7, 2023) is rooted in conflicting religious ideals. This was predicted in the Bible and is not a surprise to God. The following was spoken by Jesus when his disciples asked how we will know the end times are upon us. Matthew 24:6-13 reads:
6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
I am not suggesting we are in the end times, but we could be. Only God knows when the final days will begin but always be diligent, and by all means, be saved!!!
Conclusion
Do not seek God through religion, but rather seek God through Faith in Jesus!
Don’t overthink your faith but do make certain it’s authentic. You cannot casually have faith in God and our Savior Jesus. You must be “all in” and cannot fake it.
As Dennis Miller says: “That’s just my opinion, I could be wrong.” None of my opinions or conjecture matter. Neither does anyone else’s. You only need to find your own understanding that there is only one true loving God and Only One Jesus who was sent by God to die in our place for our sins. Accept Him as your personal savior and you will have eternal life in Heaven with Him. Please just get a Bible and read the book of John if nothing else.
I apologize for any grammatical or spelling errors.
I also apologize to my Jewish, Catholic and Mormon friends if you are offended by any of my comments. Some of the best folks I know are blinded by their religion.