What if God really exists? Part 7 – God speaks

 In earlier blogs, I am discussing the question of God's existence and that it is possible to know that God does exist and even to know God. I also asked such questions as:

If such a being exists, can we know? (Yes)

How can we know? (Logic demands it– Necessary Being)

Has this God communicated to us in any way?

Did this Being leave any signs or hints that it exists, like a painter signing his art? (Yes - creation)

Has this Being interacted with us-- or anyone at all ---in any way?

We may also ask questions such as, “If such a being exists, is it good?

Is it benevolent towards lesser creatures or pay any attention at all?

Does this God set things in motion and then move onto something else, leaving us to our own decisions? Can we get its attention and perhaps win awards or favors? Or the opposite? That is, incur God's disfavor or wrath?  I suggest that you read the series in order and that you should start here:

What if God really Exists?

Through logic and careful observation of the existing universe, we can know that God is necessary, self-existent, eternal, a god of order, a god of law, a god with intelligence, a god of logic, a god of life, a god of beauty, a god of morality, a god of justice who is omniscient and omnipotent.

You can read that here:

The observable attributes of God

But can we know more? Has this self-existent God communicated with us in any way? Perhaps He has. It seems reasonable He would communicate with us or reveal Himself in some way other than creation (known as “natural theology”) if He existed. Throughout the world and history, there have been several books created claiming to be the Word of God. The Torah, the Quran, the Book of Mormon and the Christian Bible are some of the most known. There are also other works that are considered inspired like the Bhagavad Gita, the teachings of Buddha and the Tao Te Ching, but they do not directly claim to be from God that I am aware. Because the authors do not make a direct claim to be the word of God, we will not consider them.

So how do we know which ones are, if any, truly from God? It is possible none are from God. Just because a work claims to be divine does not mean it actually is. It has been demonstrated that God created an orderly universe, including the law of non-contradiction. It has also been demonstrated that God is just and therefore not a God of falsehood. Using these two concepts, we can know which writings are truly the Word of God.

The Bible and the Quran teach different and contradictory ideas and beliefs about God. The Bible says Jesus is God, the Quran says he is not god but just a prophet. The Quran claims that the Bible is the Word of God, except for the “Tahrif” or corruption that has been found. That is, if there are differences between the texts, the Bible is wrong. To claim that the Bible is God's word but contains errors, implies a contradiction in rationality and goes against the character of God. In the Quran are also found mathematical errors, self-contradictions, scientific errors, and other errors. The author is also a confessed false prophet.¹ This would indicate a false claim by the Quran as the true word of God.

The Book of Mormon teaches ideas that contradict the Bible and the gospel such as that Jesus was a created being (not God) and that Lucifer is his brother. The Book of Mormon makes claims of places and people that cannot be confirmed by archaeology or history.² These would indicate a false claim by the Book of Mormon as the true word of God as well.

So what about the Bible. Is it the word of God or not? The Bible has been accepted by most scholars, both secular and religious, as a reliable work of history. In fact, Luke, who wrote the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts, is said to be a historian of “the first rate” and his works are written with great accuracy and detail. Archaeology also has shown over and over the Bible to be an accurate historical source.³ So, it can be said with confidence that it is, in general, an accurate, reliable book of history, at the very least on the same level as other books of history.

Another confirmation of the Bible as an accurate source are the thousands of manuscripts found. Over 25,000 manuscripts confirm that Bible we have today is the same Bible that was written thousands of years ago, some dating before 200A.D. The Dead Sea Scrolls confirm the accuracy and completion of the Old Testament even before Christ was born. No other book has anywhere near the sources available to confirm the accuracy of the original manuscript.

However, the Bible is full of more than just a reliable historical record and that is not its prime purpose. The Bible claims to be the word of God over 3000 times. There are miracles recorded and incredible things like a great fish swallowing Jonah, a great world-wide flood, fire from heaven, talking animals, angels, demons, prophecies, etc. How do we account for such things? Do they contradict laws of science or logic? So either it is the word of God or a sham that should be discarded.

If the Bible is a reliable source of history and in that source there are claims of fantastical things recorded such as miracles, we cannot completely dismiss the record of those miracles. God, who is omniscience, omnipotent, omnipresent and the creator of all things is outside of the created order and is certainly capable of doing miracles. God is not only omnipotent, but the only potent. As the only self-existent, eternal being, He is the only one capable of doing certain things outside of the created order. This is sound and reasonable. So we cannot rule out miracles just because it goes against a secular, materialistic belief system. Miracles are recorded in the Bible from eye witness accounts, many times by multiple people. We need to consider the possibility of miracles taking place in history. Miracles point to and are there to confirm the events and words recorded as being from God. Miracles are used by God to confirm that a messenger is truly from the real and living God.

Prophecy is one of those supernatural concepts that points to the Bible being from God, more than any other in my opinion. Hundreds of prophecies have been written and fulfilled, sometimes with minute detail hundreds of years later. It is something anyone today can confirm. Jesus himself fulfilled over 300 prophecies. There are also many other predictions that included the nations surrounding Israel such as Edom, Babylon, Assyria, Tyre, Egypt and others. Most have been fulfilled.

Scientific and statistical probability also confirm the Bible. Despite every effort, no scientific law or discovery has been proved to contradict the Bible. There are may claims of proofs, but none that can be confirmed. In fact, I would say science and history actually confirms the Bible over and over. The fact that Jesus fulfilled hundred of prophecies (or even just ten!) written in the Old Testament (that we have proof was complete before he was born) is so unprobable mathematically as to be supernatural.

With all of these supernatural events and prophecies authenticating the Bible, therefore, the Bible out to be received as divine. The Bible contains the doctrine of its own inspiration and is more than a generally reliable and historical record. It is a divinely inspired record. It is God's Word. It is God communicating with us.

“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen...” Deuteronomy 18:15

And Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God.” Joshua 3:9

1Bible vs Quran

2The Bible vs the Book of Mormon

3How archaeology confirms the Bible; GCI.org

What if God really exists? Part 6 -The observable attributes of God

In earlier blogs, I am discussing the question of God's existence and that it is possible to know that God does exist and even to know God. I also asked such questions as:

If such a being exists, can we know? (Yes)

How can we know? (Logic demands it– Necessary Being)

Has this God communicated to us in any way?

Did this Being leave any signs or hints that it exists, like a painter signing his art? (Yes - creation)

Has this Being interacted with us-- or anyone at all ---in any way?

We may also ask questions such as, “If such a being exists, is it good?

Is it benevolent towards lesser creatures or pay any attention at all?

Does this God set things in motion and then move onto something else, leaving us to our own decisions? Can we get its attention and perhaps win awards or favors? Or the opposite? That is, incur God's disfavor or wrath?

I suggest that you read the series in order and that you should start here:

What if God really Exists?

`In the last two blogs, logic has shown that God must exist as a Necessary Being that is beyond just matter, energy. The Big Bang cannot explain the universe, it can only be explained by God alone.

So God does exist, but is that all we can know about him? Logically, can we only affirm the deist, theist or the agnostic? Not at all. As was mentioned in the last blog, the universe is complex and concepts exist within creation that cannot be adequately explained logically by materialism, as much as atheistic scientists and philosophers try to do so based on their belief system.

God is a being of order. Laws of physics control how the universe operates. The Laws of Motion and the Laws of Thermodynamics guide how objects interact. Metaphysical laws guide molecules, atoms, and subatomic particles in ways we are still trying to comprehend. The universe is complex but not random or chaotic. We have 3 primary colors and three secondary colors that combine to create all colors. Music is in scales that can be ordered. Gravity moves the heavenly bodies with mathematical precision. The planets move with such accuracy that we can predict exactly what the sky looked like thousands of years ago. These laws that govern the universe had to be created as part of the universe. Lawful order in the cosmos demonstrates an orderly, lawful and intelligent Creator.

God is a being of logic. Logic is not a man-made construct developed by Aristotle. The laws of logic, such as the law of non-contradiction, would still function even in the farthest reaches of the cosmos. The fact that logic exists and affects the universe, demonstrates it was there from creation.

God is a being of life. Life exists. The earth is full of it in every corner, from the clouded highs to the depths of the seas. Life is complex and diverse. With life comes emotions and intellect as well as reproduction. Life is unique and cannot be explained materially despite the claims of illogical and unproven evolutionary theories. There are no discovered powers or laws within the DNA or molecules to bring about life or change life from one kind of being to another kind being. There is great adversity and complexity within a kind, but not the power to create new kinds of life. The spark that is life comes from God himself.

God is a being of intelligence. In order for there to be logic, order, law, or life, there must be intelligence. Scientists speak of evolutionary processes moving through time and reacting or “deciding” to change in order to survive or improve. A dinosaur cannot “decide” to grow feathers. DNA or cells or molecules in a creature cannot “decide” this either. These entities do not have intelligence, they react to laws of life and physics and within the limits of these laws. An intelligence being can create and work with these properties.

God is a being of beauty. Color, music, savoring aromas, fine textures and overall beauty also demonstrates an intelligent Creator. He is a God from which beauty comes. If we were only beings of materialism, beauty would mean nothing. We may not even notice it. Beauty is not needed for the functioning of the materialistic world. Instead, we are deeply moved by it. Our appreciation of beauty points to a Creator who brings about beauty.

God is a being of morality. What about morality and love? To a materialist, these would be meaningless constructs of chemical reactions. “Two pieces of meat lying on a table says they love each other.” It is foolishness. The idea of morality points to something beyond humanity. There also seems to be a universal law of morality. For instance, almost everyone would say murder is wrong, even if we define in differently in different societies. If you look closely at morality with logic, a precision develops in these moralistic laws, demonstrating a uniformity that it is not obvious upon first glance. C. S. Lewis explores the idea of a universal moral law thoroughly in Mere Christianity. Most recently in western society, moral relativism is failing (as it must logically) and giving way to a secular and liberal moral ideology that is being thrust on all people. What is this secular liberalism based on? The personal opinions or moral ideas of people with authority. But these people in authority are finite in wisdom and knowledge and biased in agendas (and morally corrupt). However, this also must fail and even collapse for it cannot be sustained as it is. Morality, logically, must come from an all powerful and perfectly good God.

What about justice? The concept of justice exists, but does true justice exist? We experience injustice regularly. This experience is either personal or witnessed in society. A person is murdered and the murderer is not found or is overlooked by the authorities. Personal property is damaged or stolen and no compensation is given. In order for there to be true justice, it must go beyond this life experience. Justice cannot be ultimately found in this mortal life. Justice points to an afterlife and a proper judgment in that afterlife. For proper judgment, there must be a perfectly moral and good Judge. This Judge must not only be perfectly moral, but all-knowing so that there is not some unknown or hidden factor that may affect the understanding of the cause. In order for justice to prevail, this Judge must be able to completely enforce the proper verdict, otherwise it may not be carried out and justice still fail. That implies an all-powerful Judge. God is a being of justice that is all-knowing and all-powerful.

Through logic and careful observation of the existing universe, we can know that God is necessary, a god of order, a god of law, a god with intelligence, a god of logic, a god of life, a god of beauty, a god of morality, a god of justice who is omniscient and omnipotent. All this points beyond any mythological being or materialistic secularism, but points in the direction of the God that is described in the Bible.

What if God really exists? Part 5 – God alone

In earlier blogs, I am discussing the question of God's existence and that it is possible to know that God does exist and even to know God. I also asked such questions as:

If such a being exists, can we know? (Yes)

How can we know? (Logic demands it– Necessary Being)

Has this God communicated to us in any way?

Did this Being leave any signs or hints that it exists, like a painter signing his art? (Yes)

Has this Being interacted with us-- or anyone at all ---in any way?

We may also ask questions such as, “If such a being exists, is it good?

Is it benevolent towards lesser creatures or pay any attention at all?

Does this God set things in motion and then move onto something else, leaving us to our own decisions? Can we get its attention and perhaps win awards or favors? Or the opposite? That is, incur God's disfavor or wrath?

I suggest that you read the series in order and that you should start here:

What if God really Exists?

In the last blog, we came to the conclusion that “God” must exist based on the need for a first cause that is a self-existent, eternal Necessary Being. This is a logical necessity.

You can read that here:

What if God really exists- Part 4 - Necessary Being

Some may challenge the concept and say things such as:

What about the Big Bang theory or other theories of origin?

Could not matter and/or energy be eternal instead of assuming “God”?

First, let me say, I am not a scientist. However, a rudimentary understanding of science and logic are all that is needed to proceed. Lets look at the Big Bang theory. According to the theory, all matter and energy was compressed into a point of singularity that exploded billions of years ago. The latest adjustment to this theory now says that it must be “inflation” instead of a “bang,” but still millions of years ago and still the same basic concept.¹ What both of these distinctions of the theory are not able to answer is: What caused it to explode (or change) 13.8 million years ago (or whenever is the latest guess)? How did it and everything else come to exist originally? Something must be eternal and self-existent (able to exist in and of itself) that caused all to happen and come into being. Any other origins theory would have the same dilemma. Stephen Hawking claims nothing existed before. He then goes onto state this “nothing” was actually “something” that moves in a time that can be imaged as more circular rather than linear and is basically eternal.² Hawking believes this without any evidence whatsoever, yet Christians are criticized for what we believe with much reason and evidence.

What about the foundation of all material - matter and energy? Could matter/energy possibly be eternal? One of the problems with this is that matter is constantly changing. The laws of motion says an object at rest will remain at rest and an object in motion will remain in motion unless acted upon by an outside force.³ So the question is, how did it get started? Where and when will it stop? Did it have a beginning and will it end or will it forever move? The law of thermodynamics tells else that us that matter and energy cannot be destroyed but move towards equilibrium and that the entire universe is moving towards entropy.⁴ This implies it will not go on forever in a sustaining way. The universe is governed by laws of physics which give limits to its changes and actions. If something is always in a state of change, especially if these changes are caused forces outside of its own entity, then it cannot be existent of itself (self-existent). To overcome these problems, other ideas like multi-verses are theorized, but they have the same dilemmas. You will not find the answers to the universe by only looking in the 'box'. You need to look outside of the universe to find the Author.

Another problem with such theories that try to get rid of God through theories of origin is they cannot adequately answer the origins of other facets of the universe such as: the laws of logic, the existence of life, and concepts of such things as love, good, and evil (universal morality). Can a material universe explain these concepts? I know that scientists claim that all these things came from the material universe. That is, life was sparked from the matter and energy and evolved in more and more complexity. Living being then invented such things as love, morality, logic. However, these things seem to part of the created order and not something that man invented. The idea of life is still a mystery to most. Scientists cannot replicate it or truly explain it. Morality seems to be universal and beyond the material existence. Same with the laws of logic, which laws we have been assuming as I write these blogs. Logic is a law of the universe that goes beyond the earth, and is not man made. ⁵

These concepts imply an intelligent, eternal creator and not a materialistic origin of all things. The Necessary First Cause could not have been a big bang or an big inflation or just the eternal changing of matter and energy. God alone is the only possible eternal, self-existent, necessary being. So the next discussion will be what we can know of God.

“For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”

-Romans 8:19-20 (ESV)

1Surprise: the Big Bang isn’t the beginning of the universe anymore, Big Think; October 2021 It is interesting that the article admits to being ignorant of origins, yet still says it must have happened based solely on 'faith'. “Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, we can no longer speak with any sort of knowledge or confidence as to how — or even whether — the universe itself began. By the very nature of inflation, it wipes out any information that came before the final few moments: where it ended and gave rise to our hot Big Bang. Inflation could have gone on for an eternity, it could have been preceded by some other nonsingular phase, or it could have been preceded by a phase that did emerge from a singularity. Until the day comes where we discover how to extract more information from the universe than presently seems possible, we have no choice but to face our ignorance.”

2Before The Big Bang: Stephen Hawking Says Nothing Existed At Singularity; International Business Times; 3/4/2018 Hawking has only pure speculation. “...he says anything that existed before the beginning of the universe as we know it has no role at all to play in everything that came after, and can therefore be completely left out of any theories we formulate to explain our observations. This is because he believes the universe at the moment of Big Bang was a singularity, a time when “all the laws of physics would have broken down. This means that the state of the universe, after the Big Bang, will not depend on anything that may have happened before, because the deterministic laws that govern the universe will break down in the Big Bang. The universe will evolve from the Big Bang, completely independently of what it was like before.”

3Laws of Motion, wikipedia

4Khan Academy, The Laws of Thermodynamics; Khan Academy

5The Biblical Basis for the Laws of Logic, Dr. Jason Lisle, Biblical Science Institute

What if God really exists? Part 4 – Necessary Being

 In an earlier blog, I am discussing the question of God's existence and that it is possible to know that God does exist and even to know God. I also asked such questions as:

If such a being exists, can we know?

How can we know?

Has this God communicated to us in any way?

Did this Being leave any signs or hints that it exists, like a painter signing his art?

Has this Being interacted with us-- or anyone at all ---in any way?

We may also ask questions such as, “If such a being exists, is it good?

Is it benevolent towards lesser creatures or pay any attention at all?

Does this God set things in motion and then move onto something else, leaving us to our own decisions? Can we get its attention and perhaps win awards or favors? Or the opposite? That is, incur God's disfavor or wrath?

I suggest that you read the series in order and that you should start here: https://bylivingwatersministries.blogspot.com/2021/11/what-if-god-really-exists.html

We are taking a step by step approach to these questions and need to establish some foundations. We started with self-awareness and moved to the basic reliability of the five senses: seeing, hearing, touching, tasting and smelling. With our senses to perceive the universe. This led us to these questions: Why is there something rather than nothing? Where or how did this universe with all of its complexities come from? If I exist, and I am a finite being, where did I come from?

You can read the last blog here:

https://bylivingwatersministries.blogspot.com/2021/11/what-if-god-really-exists-part-3.html

Now we can get closer to the heart of the matter. What an amazing and complex universe our five senses can perceive! With the assistance of instruments, we can peer into the deepest reaches of the cosmos and down to the smallest particles of matter. It is a universe of incredible beauty and diversity. There are unfathomably large stars and microscopic molecules. There is abundant life and harsh death. There is electromagnetism, gravity, and multiple laws of physics. The universe is ordered by such laws as the law of thermodynamics, the law of causality, the laws of life and the laws of logic.

As amazing as the universe is, it is finite, it has limits. It is most likely finite in size as well as finite in time. We, as humans, have a beginning and an end. People, animals, trees, and even stars have been observed to perish and change. The material universe, let's say matter and energy, is in constant motion. So the question is, how did it get started? Where and when will it stop? Did it have a beginning and will it end or will it forever move?

The law of Causality states that for every effect, there must be a cause. Read that carefully, again. For every effect, there must be an antecedent cause. A cause is defined as a reason for an action or condition. Something that brings about an effect.¹ An effect is defined as something that inevitably follows an antecedent (a cause or an agent)² For instance, you hit a ball with a bat (cause) and the ball moves (effect). David Hume and Immanuel Kant stated you cannot “prove” the law of causality, but all of science and life is based on this foundational law. It is assumed in all we do.

If everything in the universe seems to be finite and is in motion, then everything is basically an effect. An entity may be both a cause and an effect, but something started it all. What is the first or Ultimate Cause? There MUST be an ultimate cause. Aristotle called it the “unmoved mover.” This original (or first) cause is necessary. It is necessary in two ways. It is necessary to be the first cause for anything and everything else to exist. Without a first cause, nothing else would exist. It is necessary to bring all other things about. Secondly, it is necessary in that it cannot be an effect in any way, but must exist of itself. It must be Self-existent. It must have always existed. It must be eternal and it MUST exist.

We asked earlier, why is there something rather than nothing? There is something (that is, all the universe or everything) Because a necessary first cause must exist that is self-existent (not dependent on anything else) and it must be eternal. It is the only logical conclusion. If there ever was nothing—no matter, no energy, no forces, no God, absolute nothing ---the universe and all of creation could not exist now. It is logically impossible to be otherwise.

To summarize our thoughts so far: we have demonstrated an awareness of self and an awareness of the universe through our senses, which leads us to an understanding of all that exists must have a ultimate original cause that is self-existent and eternal. Who or what this necessary entity or first cause may be (i.e. Creator) we will discuss more in the next blog.

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” -Genesis 1:1 (ESV)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made.” -John 1:1-3 (ESV)

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” -Psalm 19:1 (ESV)

1https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cause

2https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/effect

What if God really exists? Part 3 – the reliability of the senses

In an earlier blog, I am discussing the question of God's existence and that it is possible to know that God does exist and even to know God. I also asked such questions as:

If such a being exists, can we know?

How can we know?

Has this God communicated to us in any way?

Did this Being leave any signs or hints that it exists, like a painter signing his art?

Has this Being interacted with us-- or anyone at all ---in any way?

We may also ask questions such as, “If such a being exists, is it good?

Is it benevolent towards lesser creatures or pay any attention at all?

Does this God set things in motion and then move onto something else, leaving us to our own decisions? Can we get its attention and perhaps win awards or favors?” Or the opposite? That is, incur God's disfavor or wrath?

I suggest that you read the series in order and that you should start here: https://bylivingwatersministries.blogspot.com/2021/11/what-if-god-really-exists.html

We are taking a step by step approach to these questions and need to establish some foundations. In the last blog, we started with self-awareness which led us to at least knowing that we, ourselves, exist. I exist, but I am finite. I do not know everything and there is much I experience that is outside of myself. This realization of self-existence and awareness leads me to ask the next questions:

1. How can I know if anything else exists?

2. If I exist, and I am a finite being, where did I come from?

3. Why does anything exist and how did it all come into existence? (Why is there something instead of nothing?)

You can read that in my blog here:

https://bylivingwatersministries.blogspot.com/2021/11/what-if-god-really-exists-part-2-i.html

How can I know if anything else exists?

In order to do that, we need to understand a few things about ourselves. So what am I aware about myself? We established that I can think and doubt, at least. I believe we can also conclude that we not only have a mind capable of thought, but also have a material component and have physical bodies. (There is also a spiritual component, which we will explore later.) We, as physical or material beings, experience the material universe through our five senses: sight, smell, touch, hearing, and taste. How reliable are our senses? Can our senses be fooled? Most certainly they can be! If our senses can be fooled, can we truly trust our senses at all? And if we cannot trust our senses, can we truly know what else exists or what is true? Sometimes we believe we saw something but it was not accurate. Or we hear a sound that we interpret as one thing, but it turns out to be something else or maybe the trick of our mind. Illusions occur, as the cinema and magicians demonstrate regularly. However our five senses are the only way we can possibly process the material universe. Living in physical bodies, sight, sound, touch, taste, and hearing are all we have as ways to interact with the physical world.

Fortunately, I believe are senses are basically reliable, even if they are not absolutely reliable or infallibly reliable. We may hear something incorrectly or see something incorrectly, or guess wrong what we are touching. However, we can trust our senses enough to walk down the steps without falling or know that we are eating an apple instead of a cactus or to stop at a red light. We will quickly pull our physical hand out of a real fire. So our five senses must be at least basically reliable. In fact, the scientific method is dependent on the reliability of our five senses.

So, if our senses have a rudimentary reliability, and we see, taste, touch, hear and smell things in this world, that we can perceive that a material world exists. We can can conclude that we, ourselves, exists and that some type of physical world exists.

If these statements are true, then it brings us to another question:

Why is there something rather than nothing? Where or how did this universe with all of its complexities come from? If I exist, and I am a finite being, where did I come from?

We can conclude that there is something (you, myself, a physical universe, etc., exist) because God exists, which we will explore in the coming blogs. We will also need to look at some assumptions that I have been using in these posts and which everyone assumes when engaging in any discussions even if they do not realize.

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! -Psalm 34:8 (ESV)

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

-I John 1:1-4 (ESV)

What if God Really Exists? - Part 2 - I Think, Therefore I Am

In my last blog, I discussed the question of God's existence and that it is possible to know that God does exist and even to know God. I also asked such questions as:

If such a being exists, can we know?

How can we know?

Has this God communicated to us in any way?

Did this Being leave any signs or hints that it exists, like a painter signing his art?

Has this Being interacted with us-- or anyone at all ---in any way?

We may also ask questions such as, “If such a being exists, is it good?

Is it benevolent towards lesser creatures or pay any attention at all?

Does this God set things in motion and then move onto something else, leaving us to our own decisions? Can we get its attention and perhaps win awards or favors?” Or the opposite? That is, incur God's disfavor or wrath?

I suggest that you read that first and that can be found here: https://bylivingwatersministries.blogspot.com/

These questions do not have simple answers, so we will need to go step by step to logically understand who God is and if he really exits. Where to start logically can be a challenge and apologists start a different places. No matter where we start, we will have deal with the finite and explain assumptions. I believe a good place to start is with the self. Though we do not understand everything about ourselves, we know it better than many other things. Self-awareness is something everyone can confirm in some way: I exist in some fashion.

At a very young age we start to become aware of ourselves and the world around us. I can remember as a small boy becoming more and more aware of myself and that I was consciously “alone” in my body and mind. I was an entity looking out from within through the tiny portal holes of my eyes. It was a little frightening at first to this boy, realizing I had to make decisions on my own in some sense. It took me quite some time to come to accept the reality of it about myself. I am a finite being in a material world. I knew came from my parents, but that still left many questions about existence.

Philosopher Rene Descartes (1596-1650) has also explored this idea of self and existence. Through a series of doubting everything, he came to the conclusion that, at the very least, he himself must exist.

“While we thus reject all of which we can entertain the smallest doubt, and even imagine that it is false, we easily indeed suppose that there is neither God, nor sky, nor bodies, and that we ourselves even have neither hands nor feet, nor, finally, a body; but we cannot in the same way suppose that we are not while we doubt of the truth of these things; for there is a repugnance in conceiving that what thinks does not exist at the very time when it thinks. Accordingly, the knowledge, I think, therefore I am, is the first and most certain that occurs to one who philosophizes orderly.” ¹

Descartes reasoned that if he is able to doubt, he is therefore thinking, and if thinking, then he must exist for only something that exists can think. So at the very least, I can conclude that I myself (or yourself) does truly exist. Even if I know nothing else, I can affirm to myself that I exist. I am self-aware.

“While other knowledge could be a figment of imagination, deception, or mistake, Descartes asserted that the very act of doubting one's own existence served—at minimum—as proof of the reality of one's own mind; there must be a thinking entity—in this case the self—for there to be a thought.”²

I exist, but I am finite. I do not know everything and there is much I experience that is outside of myself. This realization of self-existence and awareness leads me to ask the next questions:

1. How can I know if anything else exist?

2. If I exist, and I am a finite being, where did I come from?

3. Why does anything exist and how did it all come into existence? (Why is there something instead of nothing?)

The next step in our quest for God will explore how we, as finite thinking entities, experience the material world: the reliability of the five senses.

1Principles of Philosophy, Descartes 1644; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cogito,_ergo_sum

2https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cogito,_ergo_sum

What if God Really Exists?

 Some comments I hear all the time in this strange post-Christian western society sound something like this:

“Whatever you believe is fine, as long as you are sincere”

“Whatever you believe is okay, I will respect that”

“I am Christian, but that is what I believe. You can believe whatever you want.”

I believe this, but it is okay if you can believe something different.”

“COEXIST”

“All religions or beliefs are equal”

People who say such things are revealing something about themselves and their beliefs that they may not even realize. They are revealing their actual foundational worldview-- a world view that they may be aware or they may not be aware. That worldview is most likely materialistic, secular and atheistic. They also probably believe in macro-evolution as a realistic scientific explanation of the universe as well. Before continuing, let me take a moment to define these terms. Materialism is believing that the physical universe (i.e. matter/energy) is all there is—there is no God or no spiritual beings or spiritual world.¹ There are only planets, and stars and animals and plants, etc. They may believe in multiple universes or other theories, but agree to these ideas can be explained in materialistic ways. Secular in the sense of non-religious or leaning towards a observable understanding, using the senses. Atheism is a belief that there is no God or supreme being (a=without, theo=god). “Macro-evolution refers to major evolutionary changes over time, the origin of new types of organisms from previously existing, but different, ancestral types. Examples of this would be fish descending from an invertebrate animal, or whales descending from a land mammal.” ²

Someone may respond to this by saying, “Not so, I believe in God or powerful spirits” or “I am Baha'i” or “I am Buddhist” “I am a Christian”. They might add, “I am trying to be respectful to others beliefs.” I understand being respectful to others beliefs, and I agree to a point, as long as it does not compromise the truth or disrespect God Himself.  However, I would disagree that you truly are convinced of these ideas or you would say, “Respectfully, this is the truth, what you believe is false.” What you are really saying is “I do not know if anything is really true, so I will believe what makes me happy or feel comfortable, and you should do the same.” I understand some will say “I truly believe in Buddhism, but you are not understanding these truths yet, or have not grown spiritually enough yet to understand, and my beliefs allow for that growth.” But this is a slightly different response than “believe whatever seems right to you.”

Let me ask these sincere questions: What if a supreme being really does exists? What if there really is a being that is far more knowledgeable and wise, even all-knowing (omniscient)? Would you not want to know if that were true? Would you not want to ask this being some questions? What if this supreme being had incredible powers and abilities, even was all-powerful (Omnipotent)? What if this being could be many places quickly across the universe or many places at once or everywhere present (Omnipresent)? A being that created all that there is and perhaps ruled the created universe? Would you not want to get to know this being? Would you not want to know what its purpose and plan was or what it thought of as good, right, just? Would you not want to know the truth or would you just say, “I do not care, my beliefs make me happy, comfortable.” If such a being is real and you decide on something that was not true or real, would not your plans and beliefs eventually collide with those of reality or those of the supreme being? You would be living in a bubble, a fantasy world of your own making that was not realistic. For instance, you can say “I do not believe that the IRS exists and I do not need to pay taxes,” but eventually, there will be consequences.

So my next question is, do you want to know what is really true to the best of your understanding or do you want to just believe what makes you comfortable or happy or what is easy to believe (for now)? Do you want to seek truth or not? Do you want to truly know if God exists or not? If God does exist, not knowing that could be very perilous or at the very least you may miss out on something beneficial. Not knowing what this being wants, plans or demands could be very dangerous.

Now I have been talking in generalities up to this point. If a supreme being exists and we believe that, but we know nothing about this being, we have only reached the belief of a theist, deist or an agnostic (a=without, gnostic=knowing, knowledge) . The theist, deist, or agnostic does not know if God exists, they only suspect or believe that such a being exists. If such a being exists, can we know? How can we know? Has this God communicated to us in any way? Did this Being leave any signs or hints that it exists, like a painter signing his art? Has this Being interacted with us-- or anyone at all ---in any way? We may also ask questions such as, “If such a being exists, is it good? Is it benevolent towards lesser creatures or pay any attention at all? Does this God set things in motion and then move onto something else, leaving us to our own decisions? Can we get its attention and perhaps win awards or favors?” Or the opposite? That is, incur God's disfavor or wrath?

Would you disagree that these are honest questions?

Let me say to you that I know that God does exist and you can know Him. How do I know that and others do not? Let me say that I am not unique. There are millions of us, even billions, that have encountered the Supreme Being, the Living God, the Creator of all things over thousands of years. He has revealed Himself to us, so we know who He is and that He is. Moreover, I believe a Biblical worldview is the most logical and reasonable concept you can have.

Seek to know Him, do not just believe what is easy or makes you feel good. Seek truth. That takes great humility. Over the next few posts, we will look at how we can know that a god exists and what we can know of Him and how to know Him- that is, have a relationship with Him. What is more glorious than that?

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord...” Isaiah 1:18 (ESV)

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the Everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.” Isaiah 40:27 (ESV)

“Why do you spend your money for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live...” Isaiah 55:2 (ESV)

1Britaannica.com https://www.britannica.com/topic/materialism-philosophy

2“What is the Difference Between Macroevolution and Microevolution” ICR.org, https://www.icr.org/article/what-difference-between-macroevolution-microevolut/

The Seasons do not Cease

"While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease."  Genesis 8:22

The ice is slowly breaking on the lake and I hear the geese honking again as they walk about pairs by the dozen. Soon, it will be by the hundreds and then the thousands. Spring equinox is here again and the dark winter passes. One season rolls into another. Nature and time do not stop, but continue on. I love nature, the wildlife and experiencing the beauty of it all. It is a touch of God in this fallen world.

"In this world you will have trouble,"  Jesus reminded us, as if we needed reminding. There is much trouble for us, and maybe more to come, I fear. But as trouble comes, it then passes, too, and more will come after that again most likely. 

In the book, The Lord of the Rings, there is a little scene that is easy to forget. Frodo is burdened by the ring as he makes his way to Mordor. It is scary and overwhelming what he must do. The times in which he is living are dangerous and there is little hope for the world.  Then Frodo looks up and sees a star shining in the black sky. It reminds him that many beautiful things will last long after they have all passed into history. It gives him hope and peace for the future, whether he personally succeeds or fails.  

We worry about many things in this world. "Climate change", war, evil that seems to be growing. But nature and the seasons continue without noticing. They are consistent. They remind us that no matter what is happening with our culture and what evil people may plan in the world, God is sovereign, He is good and He keeps it all going with His perfect plan.

"Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animals and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in His heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of Man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease."    Genesis 8:20-22

Until the return of Christ, while the earth remains, the seasons shall come and go as they always have. God has it all in His hands. Christ wore the crown of thorns and paid not only the price of our sins, but also the curse. Someday He will make all things new.  

This is what I heard the honking geese and cracking ice saying to me:

"Do not let your heart be troubled, for I have overcome the world."