Month: February 2021

Do you remember the movie, “The Green Mile,” starring Tom Hanks? It was a movie about inmates on death row back in the 1930’s. Have you ever imagined yourself in a similar situation, on death row awaiting your execution by the electric chair or by lethal injection? Imagine that all legal challenges to reverse your sentence have failed and the only hope you have left to avoid execution is a last minute a pardon from the governor of whatever state your prison is in. I have a vivid imagination and I’ve thought about how I would feel in that situation. But my mind didn’t stay on that topic for very long because the thought of being on death row was uncomfortable to think about. In fact, it is a downright scary subject to dwell on. Most of us shudder at the thought of being on death row and say to ourselves, “I hope I never do anything that puts me there.”

John 14:6 – (Jesus speaking) – I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Me.

John 3:36 – (Jesus speaking) – He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

It’s also human nature to put off thinking about our own mortality. We all know we’re going to die someday but most of us just put off thinking about it altogether. Just like we put off thinking about God and what we ought to do about him. One of the problems that we have is a lack of information that stems from us not reading God’s Word. The Bible provides all the knowledge, understanding and wisdom we’ll ever need to make informed choices about our lives. Let me be clear. Every person who has even been born on this earth comes into the world already on death row. When Adam fell from grace in the Garden of Eden for the sin of disobeying God Adam’s sin was passed on to all men who came after him. That was the spiritual law of imputation at work. That sin nature we human beings received at birth causes all of us to continue to sin on earth all our lives There are no exceptions.

Romans 3:20 – Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Ephesians 2:1-2 – And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sin, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.

God cannot abide sin and he won’t allow sin in heaven. Even thought God made man to fellowship with him in heaven our sin separated us from God. One of the spiritual laws of heaven is the wages of sin is death. Since we’re all born in sin our sentence is death. I’m not talking only about our physical death (the first death) which we all have to face. I’m also referring to our spiritual death sentence (the second death) in the lake of fire for eternity which we’ve all earned by our sins. God knew we couldn’t remove our sins and save ourselves so he sent his only son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place. Jesus came to redeem us so our sins could be forgiven. God is better than any governor could be because only God can issue us a pardon that’ll get us off spiritual death row. Only God can pardon or forgive our sins, which will restore the broken fellowship between God and man and allow us to go to heaven to be with the Lord forever. Our deliverance by God can only come through our belief in Jesus Christ and our acceptance of Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Luke 19:10 – (Jesus speaking) – For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.

1 John 5:12 – He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

You either have everlasting life within you or the wrath of God upon you. Those are your only two choices. Another spiritual law of the kingdom of God is that you must accept God’s mercy and grace unto eternal life before you physically die. The wrath of God hangs over all the unsaved like the sword of Damocles. Imagine you’re facing the guillotine and your neck is already in the notch waiting for the blade to fall and end your life. Only the thread of a human heartbeat keeps the blade from falling on the neck of all unbelievers. The moment believers are saved unto eternal life God removes their neck from the notch of the guillotine leading to spiritual death. By our faith in Jesus God has forgiven our sins.

Hebrews 9:27 – And it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.

God has given us his Word, the Holy Bible, so we can become aware of the spiritual blade that is suspended over our heads and so that we can remove ourselves from the danger. God exhorts us all throughout the Bible to study his Word for knowledge, understanding and wisdom so we’re aware of the danger of spiritual death we all face. You cannot act appropriately in this world until you know what to do and the Bible tells us everything we need to know. The Bible is key to understanding what we’re supposed to do in this world so it’s critical we read it. God made us and he has a reason for everything he does. God is allowing our time here on earth as our grace period, our “testing time”, for us to decide whether we will serve God or Satan and the Bible is our guide to the truth of God.

John 1:4 – In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

God’s grace automatically extends to all children from conception up to the age of decision, which is normally around twelve years old. It varies depending on the individual. God is both merciful and just. When a person is old enough to make a decision about God he must accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to be saved unto eternal life. To reject Jesus or to make no decision means we don’t get our pardon from God and we remain on spiritual death row. On the last day when Jesus judges the unsaved the death sentence will be carried out. Unbelievers will be tossed into the lake of fire for eternity.

Here’s the picture I want you to hold in your head. Imagine you’re bobbing up and down in the lake of fire and brimstone like a cork. You’re screaming your head off because you’re in constant pain and agony 24 hours a day of every day for all of eternity. Remember that a hundred billion years is only a blink of the eyes in eternity. No matter how uncomfortable it may be to think about our impending death, thinking about the alternative of going to hell is downright terrifying to contemplate but we must do it. Our eternal soul depends on it. We must avoid the fate of eternal damnation at all costs. We must take action now and make the right decision before it’s too late. We’re only a heartbeat away from either heaven or hell so please repeat the sinner’s prayer to God right now and ensure your eternal destination is heaven and not the lake of fire.

Man stands condemned before a holy God if he rejects the sonship offered by God the Father and citizenship in the kingdom of God. Spiritually speaking, all men are born as citizens of this evil, depraved and sin-filled world. Spiritually speaking, all men are born as sons of the devil because Satan is the god of this world. Sons of Satan are by definition citizens of the world and they are lost, guilty before God and unsaved. Satan blinds the mind of his children and dulls their spiritual perceptions so they cannot see the truth of God.

1 Peter 5:8 – Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

James 4:7 – Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

1 John 5:19 – We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

The unsaved love the world and sinning and they hate anyone who isn’t a part of their world. They worship and obey Satan and they’ll blindly follow him down to the pit. Those who are condemned love Satan and hate God. They don’t know any better nor do they want to. Believers witnessing for Christ is the only hope these lost souls have of finding salvation. Witnessing for Christ is the thing dearest to God’s heart and should be our top priority. It’s why God leaves us on this earth. Emulate Jesus in order to bring honor and glory to God the Father.

Ephesians 6:12 – For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places.

1 John 3:10 – In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

John 15:19 – (Jesus speaking) – If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet, because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

John 12:30-32 – (Jesus speaking) – This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.

Jesus came down from heaven and is not part of this world. When we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior he reaches down and removes us from the world by grace and makes us sons of God and citizens of his world, citizens of heaven. When man becomes a son of God he can no longer be a son of Satan. When the believer becomes a citizen of heaven he loses his world citizenship. Man can’t have dual citizenship. A man only has two choices for citizenship, the world or heaven. We’re all born into world citizenship but we choose to have citizenship in heaven.

Philippians 3:20 – For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 11:13 – These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Romans 8:14,16 – For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

Colossians 1:13 – He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.

Once a believer receives his new spiritual passport into the kingdom of God it’s final and can never be revoked or changed. This sinful world and the sin free kingdom of heaven are like oil and water, they don’t mix. They are polar opposites and unalterably opposed to each other in a heaven-earth conflict. A friend of the world is naturally the enemy of God and vice versa. Man cannot serve both God and Satan. God placed man on this earth to make the free will choice between God and Satan and choose we must. As long as a person remains an unsaved world citizen and slave of Satan he is lost.

Ephesians 2:1-2 – And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sin, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 – But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

John 17:6 – (Jesus speaking) – I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.

John 18:36 – (Jesus speaking) – My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.

Believers need to wake up and realize what has happened to them. It’s not business as usual. Their new citizenship in heaven isn’t a secret. Satan and his demons know it immediately when someone is saved and their spiritual attacks increase a a result of it. Satan hates all men but he especially hates Christians because we’re children of God and Satan hates God and seeks to grieve him through our destruction. The citizens of the world also know we’re citizens of the kingdom of God by our actions and our testimony for God and Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 12:1 – Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is et before us.

1 Corinthians 9:24 – Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.

The battle lines are drawn. World citizens will ostracize the Christian and oppose him at every turn. The lost have a satanic nature and we’re a threat to them so the believer will be hated, persecuted, attacked and even killed in some cases. The world persecuted and hated Jesus because he was not a citizen of the world and we can expect the same treatment. In the Bible God has warned us this was coming and how we should respond. Besides our brothers and sisters in Christ for support we also have God at our back, guardian angels to either side of us and the Word of God held up before us as the sword of the Spirit. As soldiers for Christ we are to gird ourselves so that we can face a hostile world with determination, pressing ever forward with our witness for Christ until the battle is won or God brings us home. We fight for God! You know what you have to do to prepare so do it!

Man stands condemned before a holy God if he rejects the divine revelation he has been given. All unsaved men are guilty before God because they have rejected God’s divine revelation, no matter what form it has taken-creation, the image of God in man, the Bible, or the written and oral message of the cross. All men of all ages have received some form of divine revelation and God holds these men accountable for what each has been given, no matter how much or how little he has received.

Psalm 8:3-4 – When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?

First of all, God has revealed himself to all men through nature and creation. The heavens above, the earth below, and the physical bodies we possess were all designed to reveal truth about God’s character and being. Stop and think about it. If you look at the intricacies of inner and outer space an intelligent design is evident. Look inside a single living cell and you’ll notice a million of moving parts. Look at the heavens and notice how they are synchronized and operate in a very predictable and precise manner. What has been made can only be created by the fingers of God.

Hebrews 1:1 – God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets.

Psalm 19:1 – The heavens declare the glory of god; and the firmament shows His handiwork.

Romans 1:19-20 – Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.

John 4:24 – (Jesus speaking) – God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

As we look at the physical body of man we see 75 trillion specialized cells grouped into specialized tissues, organs and enclosed biological systems and equipped with a brain that is the greatest supercomputer in the universe. If that’s not enough to impress us then we can look into the inner man, either casually or through a psychological study, and we find a living being who is self-aware. A moral being who knows right from wrong. Being moral, knowing right from wrong, is not something that can be evolved. It has to be given.

Genesis 2:7 – And the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

Psalm 139:14 – I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.

Ephesians 2:10 – For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Man knows in his soul he’s a created being. That knowledge placed inside every man can only come from without. Where could this self-awareness of man come from? How does man know good from evil? The only logical conclusion is that a moral God created moral man in his own image; meaning man was created with not only intelligence, emotions and will but also with a moral compass and eternal spirit like the one possessed by God the Father. God made man a sentient being with a free will to choose whom he will serve, God or Satan. God made man to be responsible to God for his attitudes and actions.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Peter 1:20-21 – Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 1:18 – For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

John 3:18 – (Jesus speaking) – He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

In fairly recent times God has given us the Bible, a special revelation to man, God’s written word. God speaks to all men through the pages of the Bible in order to share what he wants known. The New Testament is the account of the life of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and his redemptive work on earth and, along with the Old Testament, gives to man God’s total revelation of himself and his program for the ages. To reject the Bible is to reject God and the saving grace Jesus Christ, resulting in condemnation.

Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joint and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Ephesians 6:17 – And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

For man to escape condemnation they must be saved. For man to be saved they must receive by faith Jesus Christ of the gospel message contained in the Bible. When man hears the gospel he can either accept it or reject it, but he cannot remain neutral. If any man rejects the gospel message of Christ God holds him guilty and condemned. If man regards the message of the cross as nothing but foolishness then he is numbered among the condemned, those who are perishing. Condemnation is to be sentenced to the lake of fire and brimstone forever.

Unsaved man stands condemned before a holy God for their sin nature inherited from Adam after the fall and also for their sins committed in the body during their time on earth. Saved man, on the other hand, while he stands guilty before God for both of the sins mentioned above he is not condemned. The saved man by grace has their sins forgiven through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Salvation is our, “get out of jail free card,” that will keep us from going to hell.

Sin is any lack of conformity to the character and will of God. God created the universe so his will is law. God makes the rules. There’s no need to debate the semantics of sin. Sin is whatever God says it is and God says to disobey him is a sin. As a creature of God we are simply to obey. God is good and God is great. Never lose sight of the fact God is always fair and God always does what’s in our best interest.

Deuteronomy 7:9 – Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.

Psalm 51:1 – Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.

Psalm 117:2 – For His merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever.

Jeremiah 31:3 – The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.”

God reveals his will, his commandments, through the Holy Bible. God makes positive statements and explicit commands in the Bible we’re to follow. Let me be clear, we sin any time we disobey a command of God. My Bible guide lists 129 separate commands God makes to man. Admittedly, some of these commands are redundant. For our discussion, let’s say there are 100 different commands from God to man. Most of us are familiar with the ten commandments and as believers we try to follow them.

Few believers consistently obey all ten commandments, including me. If we can’t obey God’s first ten commandments how are we doing on the other ninety? How many of the other ninety commandments of God do you know? I’ll bet not more that ten. That means most of us don’t know 80% of what God requires of us. Does that scare you? It does me. We’re held accountable for those unobeyed commandments whether we know them or not because we could know them if we searched the Bible for them and etched them in our hearts.

Proverbs 23:12 – Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge.

Psalm 32:8 – I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.

Psalm 119:2 – Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart!

Psalm 119:18 – Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law.

How can we obey the commands of God if we don’t know what they are? How can we know what God requires of us if we don’t read and study the Bible to find out? We can’t. That’s why God repeatedly commands us in the Bible to study the Word of God so that we can gain the knowledge, understanding and wisdom we need. Spiritual maturity is a journey but you must make the effort to know God. The Bible makes it clear that nobody consistently obeys God. We’re to try our best to obey God knowing we’ll probably fall short. Then we’re to ask God to forgive our sins and strengthen us so that we sin less over time.

Personally, I ask God every night to forgive the sins I’ve committed that day. As a believer saved unto eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior I’m a child of God. As his child, God has promised to forgive my sins if I ask him. I have peace with God and the peace of God every night before my eyes close. I don’t want to stand before God with unforgiven sins on my books. God cannot lie so I know my sins are forgiven. God is always faithful and true. What can be better than going to sleep in the arms of Almighty God?

Proverbs 8:34 – Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.

Isaiah 55:6 – Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.

Psalm 106:1 – Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

Proverbs 14:25 – A true witness delivers souls.

My recommendation to anyone who is unsaved is to seek God while he may be found and accept the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. My suggestion to believers is to study the Bible so you know all of God’s commands and then obey them. Any decent Bible guide will have a listing of all the commands of God contained in the Bible. I cover these commands in more detail in my blogs posted in December, 2019. Nobody who is saved suddenly becomes a saint. We’re all sinners living in sin-filled world and we’ll all continue to sin while we’re on this earth. That’s a given. We should make it our goal to sin less over time and try our best to stop sinning altogether. It’s a slow incremental process.

When you do sin, ask God’s forgiveness, right then if you can, and then try to do better going forward. Remember that our race for God is a marathon and not a sprint. We’re to persevere in the faith. Don’t listen to Satan when he tells you God can’t possibly love you because of your sin. That’s Satan’s biggest lie. God made us and he loves us all equally, sin or no sin. God wouldn’t have sent his Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for all sinners if he didn’t love us all dearly. Our job down here on earth is to seek God’s face and to obey his commands, especially the command to witness for Christ. Then we’re to emulate Christ in the way we live our lives so as to honor and glorify God the Father.

Man stands condemned because of his position before the holy God of the Bible (unsaved as opposed to saved). Most men profess to believe in some kind of a God, but it’s a god of their own making or one that has been passed down to them by tradition. All men know deep down in their soul that there’s a God whether they admit it to themselves or not. I know this because the Bible says God put eternity in the hearts of men so they would seek him. All religions have their own god or gods so how do we find the one true God? How can we be sure we have the right God? We have to see which religion bears fruit we can see with our own eyes. We need to see which religion has a body of evidence to support it.

Psalm 46:10 – Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

Is there a plethora of books being published today touting how much these false religions and false gods have changed the lives of their followers? No. All false religions and false gods stand mute before Jehovah, the true God. The fruit of Christianity has been revealed in books, in churches, on television and by the personal testimony of millions of people who have had their lives changed through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The real God of creation would not have made the universe without revealing himself to man so that we can know him. The real God of this world would have made himself known so man can praise and worship him and glorify his name. Jehovah God has done this for us and much more. Those who believe in Jehovah have testified to the truth of God and I add my testimony.

John 8:32 – (Jesus speaking) – And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

John 1:14 – And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

When I look at Islam I don’t see any fruit. I don’t see a body of evidence to support Allah as god. Muhammad was the founder of Islam and he’s buried in a grave somewhere. Allah was originally the name of the moon god of one of the ancient desert tribes of present day Saudi Arabia. Muhammad borrowed the name Allah when he started his new religion and then spread it throughout the region by the sword. Islam is a religion spread by fear and subjugation. A true God has no need to use force to gain converts. The Koran was written by Muhammad whereas the Holy Bible was written by God himself. The same thing applies to Hinduism and their many gods and to Buddhism. Their founders are also buried in a grave somewhere and their holy books were written by men. Christianity is the only religion that has an overwhelming body of evidence to prove Jehovah is the one true living God of this world.

Isaiah 45:22 – Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God and there is no other.

Only Jehovah has revealed himself to man through his written Word. The Bible contains more than 1000 prophecies, over 500 of which have been fulfilled and documented as fact. All the other false religions combined have not produced even one fulfilled prophecy because they can’t. They’re fake. Only Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity, is not buried in a grave somewhere because he is risen. Jesus is God in the flesh who came down to earth from heaven to redeem mankind from their sins by his sacrificial death on the cross. Jesus now sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven and is the Lord and Savior of all who believe in his name. Those who believe in Jesus have eternal life.

John 11:25-26 – (Jesus speaking) – I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.

John 14:6 – (Jesus speaking) – I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

The problem is all the followers of the false religions of the world think their god is the right one. Satan has blinded them to the truth of God. Common sense tells us there can be only one God, only one path to heaven. Millions of these followers of false religions die every day thinking they’re going to heaven because someone told them they would if they followed a set of prescribed rules. They never checked it out themselves to see if their religion was the real deal or not. They just blindly accepted what they were told. Just imagine their shock at the moment of death when they suddenly find themselves in hell. It doesn’t have to be that way. Just imagine their terror when they stand before the Great White Throne of Jesus on the last day to be judged and they realize their fate is to reside in the lake of fire in pain and torment forever. This fate can be avoided. The unbeliever will say, predictably, that they didn’t know about the true God. The point is they could’ve known if they had taken the time to look. God left an easy to follow trail of bread crumbs leading straight to salvation for all searchers after the truth of God. We must seek the true God.

Matthew 15:14 – (Jesus speaking about the Pharisees) – Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.

Luke 6:39 – (Jesus speaking) – Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?

Isaiah 43:11 – I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior.

How do we, who know the truth, tell everyone else they’re chasing after false gods without offending them? How do we get unbelievers to understand that Christianity is the true faith and our God is the one true God? How can we get them to listen to us and have an open mind about this? The leaders of these false religions either know they’re fake or Satan has blinded them. Either way, they make their gods mysterious and unapproachable and followers are never allowed to question their faith and they never know whether they’ve done enough to achieve heaven or not because the leaders themselves don’t know. The followers of these false religions are kept on the treadmill of false hope which ultimately leads to condemnation from Jesus, who will judge unbelievers on the last day.

Isaiah 45:5 – I am the Lord and there is no other; there is no God besides Me.

Isaiah 1:18 – Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Isaiah 43:12-13 – I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, and there was no foreign god among you; therefore you are My witnesses, says the Lord, that I am God. Indeed before the day was, I am He; and there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it?

All these false religions in the world are sponsored by Satan and they’re nothing but a spiritual shell game without a winner. They’re all designed to keep man from finding the true path to God and the shining light of the gospel message of Christ and eternal life. These fake religions are just a form of idolatry that God hates and condemns. Those who dare to question the tenets of these false religions are then ostracized and threatened with death or serious bodily harm because their leaders can’t afford for their followers to find out they’re fake. It’s a sad case of the blind leading the blind straight to hell. Christianity is the truth of God and only Christianity welcomes everyone of all faiths to come evaluate and decide for themselves if our faith is the truth of God. Only Jehovah God says, “Come let us reason together.”

John 1:12 – But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.

John 5:24 – (Jesus speaking) – Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

Let me be clear, the unsaved person is condemned before God and their ultimate fate is to be thrown into the lake of fire on the last day for eternity. In this world you are either a child of God or you are not. Those who receive the gospel message of Christ and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior are saved unto eternal life. They become children of God and the Holy Spirit indwells them forever. In the final analysis, there are only two groups of people in the world: those who have the Holy Spirit (saved) and those who have not the Spirit (unsaved). There are no other possibilities.

Proverbs 11:14 – Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

You cannot have a saved man without the Spirit and you cannot have an unsaved man who has the Spirit. One of the spiritual truths of heaven is that God requires the Holy Spirit to be on the inside us when we are saved and before we are sealed as God’s own possession and our names are entered into the book of life. Our selection for the kingdom of God is irrevocable. Our destiny is to be in God’s presence in heaven forever. The evidence for our faith is overwhelming so unbelievers have no excuse when they stand before Jesus on the last day for judgment on how they conducted their lives while on earth.

While studying God’s Word I became acutely aware that I’m guilty of not obeying the number one command of God, which is to witness for Christ. I’m a believer who has accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior so I know I that God in his love, mercy and grace has given me eternal life in heaven in his presence. I’m in no personal jeopardy of losing my soul if I don’t witness for Christ but Scripture makes it clear I’ll lose potential rewards in heaven for disobeying God on the one thing closest to his heart. God chose me to be saved, to become a child of God, before the foundation of the world was laid. With my selection as a child of the Most High God comes great responsibility. God commands me and all believers to witness for Christ, to share the gospel message with all people and all nations.

Luke 12:48 – (Jesus speaking) – But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much more will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask more.

Romans 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek (Gentile).

1 Thessalonians 2:4 – But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.

The Apostles provide us examples how to share the gospel message of Christ. Few of us will ever face the opposition and persecution the Apostles endured. It’s highly unlikely any of us will end up being martyred for preaching the gospel like the Apostles. The Apostolic example I’m referring to is the passion for God they all exhibited once they were filled with the Holy Spirit. The Apostles had a plan for sharing the “good news” of the gospel with the world and then they went forth boldly witnessing for Christ to all people and all nations. If we can captured just a fraction of their boldness and passion for Christ we can do great things for the kingdom of God. Don’t just sit back and let the other guy witness for Christ and reap souls for the kingdom of God. Don’t say to yourself, I’ve got my salvation, let the other guy worry about his own salvation. God leaves believers here on earth primarily to witness for Christ and to help harvest those lost souls for the kingdom of God. Make no mistake, we’ll all be judged on the last day on how well we shared the gospel message.

1 Peter 3:15 – But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 – Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.

2 Corinthians 5:9 – Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.

Let’s think about this. There are roughly 2.5 billion Christians in the world. There are 1.5 billion Catholics and their priests discourage witnessing because they want salvation to run through their hands exclusively. To promote Christ would be counterproductive to their unscriptural church doctrines. The Catholic Pope has made himself the dispenser of salvation and turned Jesus into a cookie used only during mass. Jesus is given lip service by the Catholic church but in reality Jesus has been stripped of his honor and glory by the Catholic church.

Proverbs 11:30 – The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

Proverbs 14:25 – A true witness delivers souls.

James 1:22 – But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

That’s probably why I’ve never run across a Catholic who witnesses for Christ. Catholics leave salvation in the hands of the Pope and his priests. To put it bluntly, Catholics simply don’t obey the “great commission” Jesus gave all believers which is to witness for Christ to all the world. Then we have the one billion Protestant Christians and their denominations. Some church denominations push personal witnessing more than others. I’m a Southern Baptist and Baptists probably do as good a job of urging members to witness for Christ as anyone. But even the Baptists don’t do any more than say “go witness”. Church members aren’t really told how to witness. They certainly don’t receive any personal training, encouragement and support when it comes to witnessing.

1 Peter 2:9 – But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

Colossians 3:2 – Set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth.

What it boils down to is very few saved Christians boldly witness for Christ no matter what denomination they are. What witnessing is done is done poorly and infrequently. Not one Christian in a hundred can witness worth a damn. If you want to be a good witness for Christ you’re going to have to do it on your own. Study God’s Word so you know it well. Learn the different paths Pastors use to bring people to the decision of accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior. I prefer what’s know as the Roman road to salvation by using primarily the book of Romans to guide unbelievers to Christ. Others prefer using the book of John. Everyone who witnesses has their own personal method that works best for them. Any sinner’s prayer can walk someone through the steps of salvation but it’s not always that easy.

2 Peter 3:18 – But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

2 Timothy 2:15 – Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Proverbs 23:12 – Apply your heart to instruction, and your ear to words of knowledge.

Some unbelievers may have questions about God and you need to be able to answer those questions when asked. To be an effective witness you need to put in the time to study God’s Word so you have the knowledge, understanding and spiritual insight to answer questions unbelievers may have in their search for God. Without faith you can’t please God and without witnessing you can’t please Jesus Christ. When it gets right down to it, almost all Christians are guilty before God of not witnessing for Christ enough or for doing a poor job of whatever witnessing they are able to do. I’m not just pointing fingers at others. I also judge myself as guilty but I’m trying to rectify the the situation through the study and application of God’s Word. Sometimes it’s easy to see what must be done but usually much harder to see that it gets done.

Physical proofs of God continued:

11. Earth’s rotating molten metal core creates a magnetic field around the planet that’s perfect. If the magnetic field was any weaker it wouldn’t deflect incoming cosmic radiation and if it was any stronger it would create deadly magnetic storms on the earth’s surface.

12. The earth’s 24 hour rotation is perfect to support life. A slower rotation would cause extreme winds and a faster rotation would cause extreme temperature fluctuations.

13. The 23% tilt of the earth on its axis is perfect for maintaining the surface temperature of the earth in the range which is needed to sustain all life.

14. The earth’s crust is just the right thickness; any thinner and volcanic activity would increase to levels that would prevent life; any thicker and the buildup of oxygen would also prevent life.

15. Earth’s gravitational field exactly balances the centrifugal force of earth’s rotation in order to keep it in orbit around the sun.

16. The level of earth’s volcanic activity is perfectly balanced to recycle earth’s resources; more or less volcanic activity would prevent life on earth.

17. The moon is just the right distance from earth to create ocean currents and tides which helps to regulate the earth’s temperature and keeps the oceans oxygenated and clean which allows the existence of all marine life.

18. The planet Jupiter is 318 times bigger than earth for a reason. Jupiter’s strong gravitational pull prevents space debris from striking the earth.

19. The speed of light is 186,000 miles per second. If light were any faster or slower no life could exist on earth.

20. Our solar system is located perfectly within our Milky Way galaxy to sustain life. We’re two thirds of the way from the center to the edge of the galaxy. If earth were situated anywhere else within the galaxy stars would affect earth’s orbit and thus prevent life.

21. The universe is expanding at the precise speed to allow life on earth; any slower and gravity would cause the universe to collapse on itself; any faster and heavenly bodies could not form.

22. The earth’s size is perfect for life to exist. If the earth was 10% larger it would elevate the surface temperature too much. If the earth was 10% smaller it would result in a snow and ice wasteland.

23. The oceans act as a thermostat for the earth. The oceans absorb heat from the sun during the day to keep the earth from getting too hot and then releases that heat at night to keep the earth from getting too cold. The earth’s temperature range is thus kept in the range where life can exist.

24. The atomic structure of all things is very precise and balanced to support life. If protons were any larger or smaller molecules could not form the basic building blocks of life. If positive proton and negative electron charges did not balance no life could exist.

My list of 24 physical proofs of God isn’t complete. How can we explain a human being made up of 75 trillion specialized cells arranged into numerous tissues, organs, and enclosed body systems, all with a critical role to play in our existence and survival? An enclosed body system cannot evolve. It either works or it doesn’t. How can an eye evolve and how would evolution know the path to take for sight? There isn’t one shred of proof to support evolution and the only reason most people believe it is because our education system has been cramming it down our throat our whole lives. It’s true the basic chemicals in our body, the raw materials, can be found in the, “dust of the ground,” just like it says in Genesis. However, these chemicals cannot, on their own, arrange themselves into cell tissue, organs, and body systems in order to become a living being. That can only happen with input from an intelligent Super Designer, which is God.

Science has proven man only uses 10% of his brain. The basic premise of evolution is an organism will evolve in linear fashion from simple to more complex and it’ll only evolve to the level it needs for survival and no more. Evolution cannot explain the excess capacity of the brain of man. How then can we explain man’s 90% brain capacity that’s unused? Evolution may not be able to explain this but the Bible can. God made Adam and Eve to use 100% of their brain capacity. When Adam and Eve sinned against God their mental capacities were reduced to 10% before they were expelled from the Garden of Eden. Man will regain their full mental capacity at the second coming of Christ to the earth. Even at 10% capacity our supercomputer brains are far more than we need for survival so that also doesn’t fit the evolution parameters. Our minds are a gift from God and did not evolve from one cell organisms on the ocean floor.

My blog on the natural revelation of God was originally intended to be a two-part blog but after mentioning my list of 22 physical proofs of God in the previous blog I’ve changed my mind and decided to republish my list from one of my very early blogs. I added two more physical proofs of God later so my list now contains 24 proofs. Redundancy is a good thing. The more times we read or learn something the more likely we’ll remember it permanently. I’ve read that scientists know of over 200 conditions that must be present for our universe to exist. I’m not a bit surprised.

Every single physical proof on my list is necessary for life to exist. If even one of the proofs listed weren’t there we couldn’t exist. Think of the odds! In the Powerball lottery you only need to pick six numbers right to win and the odds of doing that are 300 million to one. To get 24 things exactly right the odds are astronomical to the point it’s virtually impossible. That means there had to be a Super Designer who created our universe and that would be God. The fingerprints of God are evident in creation. Here is the list I keep in my witness Bible for those who want physical proof that God exists:

1. Life as we know it requires water and the earth is two thirds water. Earth is the only known water planet in the universe.

2. Earth is just the right distance from our sun to support the existence of water. If the earth was any closer to the sun all water on earth would evaporate. If the earth was any farther away from the sun all water would freeze into ice.

3. Our sun is the right color spectrum to support the photosynthesis needed for plant life.

4. Earth’s atmosphere supports life (21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen).

5. Earth’s atmosphere absorbs just the right amount of light (heat) to keep the earth from freezing during the night cycle.

6. The atmosphere disperses just enough CO2 tp prevent a buildup which would otherwise create a greenhouse effect.

7. The atmosphere helps shield the earth from cosmic radiation.

8. The ozone layer in the upper atmosphere blocks harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun from reaching the earth’s surface.

9. The earth’s molten core heats the earth from within to keep the earth from freezing.

10. The earth’s molten core rotates to create a magnetic field around the earth that deflects incoming cosmic radiation.

Prior to the Bible there was still ample evidence of God in our natural world. All we needed to do was lift our gaze to the stars in our galaxy and beyond. All the laws of the universe work in unison to keep our stars and planets in their proper place. The intelligent design of the universe is evident to scientists and laymen alike. It’s a little bit like watching the inner workings of a swiss watch. Then we have the earth which God prepared for us as our home. In my witness Bible I carry a list of 22 physical proofs of God’s existence, all of which are necessary for life to exist on earth. The list is in my blogs from December 2019.

Colossians 1:16 – For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.

Life exists on a knife’s edge. Think of the 22 proofs I just mentioned as peas that God has placed on the edge of a knife. God himself created and balances each pea on the knife edge and if he lets even one pea fall off the knife man cannot exist. There are many more proofs than the ones I mention. The point is, God sustains them all so that we can have life. We don’t need the spiritual world to prove God lives. The fact we’re alive is proof enough. All we really have to do is use our own observation skills and our own science to validate God. The odds of all 22 life parameters occurring on their own, at one time, and existing very precisely or in very narrow ranges, all of which are necessary for life, are so large it’s virtually impossible without divine intervention. God is the only logical answer.

Hebrews 1:2 – (God) Has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom He made the worlds.

Before I found God I was happy as a clam. I went about my life oblivious to the fact that I needed God. I didn’t come from a religious family that read the Bible to us kids and my parents never taught me about God. I was never taught to seek God or to look for God in the world around me. I didn’t know that’s what I needed to do or what I was supposed to do. I was unaware that Satan had blinded me to the truth of God just like he does to all men. It was only after I started going to church regularly and hearing the Word of God that the fog of sin started to dissipate from my mind and the light of the truth of God shined in my life.

John 8:32 – And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Mark 1:15 – The time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!

Brothers in Christ led me out of the darkness and into the light of God’s salvation and I’m eternally grateful to them. They cared enough to save me and I’ve taken up their banner, the banner of Almighty God. I owe it to them, and to God, to be able share the gospel of Christ with anyone who asks the reason for my faith. . All believers have the same “great commission” from Jesus to share the gospel with all people of all nations. Witnessing for Christ is a command of God although everyone may not feel it as keenly as others. Sharing our witness for Jesus is God’s number command to the believer so how could we not comply and still please God? We can’t please God if we don’t witness for Christ. It’s that simple. It’s incumbent upon each of us to serve God to the best of our ability. As believers we must offer our bodies to God as our normal service and let God use us as he sees fit. God has a plan for all of us and no two plans are alike. God devised your plan just for you before the foundation of the world. God loves each of us. We are precious to God and beyond price.

John 14:15 – (Jesus speaking) – If you love Me, you will obey what I command you.

Mark 16:15 – (Jesus speaking) – Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.

God put eternity in the hearts of men when they were created. Even uneducated heathens do not deny God, they just don’t worship him. Instead, the unsaved make many gods out of wood, metal and stone. They create false gods and bow down to them. The unsaved ignore the clear evidence that Jehovah is the one true living God of this world. Many more are lost than find the truth of God and that’s because Satan is the god of this world and he has blinded men to the truth of God. It’s hard for men to find God on their own. Many times unbelievers need help to find their way to God and that’s where believers can help.

Matthew 20:16 – For many are called, but few are chosen.

Matthew 28:19-20 – (Jesus speaking) – Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all the things that I have commanded you.

God has left believers here on earth to share with unbelievers the gospel message of Christ and to lead them to salvation unto eternal life. There’s no greater calling in life and no better use of your time. If we want to make a difference for an eternity then go save someone. Make it the goal of your life to help save just one person unto eternal life. Once you’ve helped change someone’s eternal destiny from hell to heaven you’ve validated your reason for being here on earth. Your life will be deemed a success but why stop there? Once you’ve saved one person make it your ongoing goal to save, “one more for Jesus.” Once you do that you’ll be where I’m at now, where my focus is on saving as many as possible for the kingdom of God in the short time I have left on this earth. You’ll become a, “fisher of men,” as Jesus described it and you’ll be in good company. Plan your salvation work and work you plan. Set a personal goal of helping to save 100 people to the kingdom of God and then go achieve it. Godspeed!

Mark 1:17 – Then Jesus said to them (Peter and Andrew), “Follow Me and I will make you become fishers of men.”

Luke 10:2 – Then He (Jesus) said to them, The harvest is truly great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

I once thought God was being unfair to all people born in countries where Christianity wasn’t the main religion. I thought those people weren’t given the same opportunity to know God that I had in America. I was judging God and I was wrong. Studying about God is my passion and what I’ve come to realize is God is good and God is great, always. That means God deals fairly with every person who has ever lived. God doesn’t play favorites. God will judge everyone fairly based on the revelation of God they have been given, no matter how much or how little that revelation is. Without the necessity of speaking directly to his creatures God has revealed to all of us his existence, his power, and his intelligence by what he has made. A thoughtful and inquiring look at nature will show us God. How could it not? Because of our fallen state and sinful nature most people will not see the evidence of God all around them without help. The job of all believers is to help unbelievers remove the scales from their eyes so they can see the truth of God. We do that by sharing our witness for Christ and what we know about God and his Word.

Psalm 19:1 – The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.

Psalm 8:3-4 – When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?

Psalm 14:1 – The fool has said in his heart, there is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good.

Romans 1:19-20 – Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.

I also once naively thought every person who heard the gospel of Christ would rush to be saved unto eternal life. All we had to do as believers was share the truth of God with unbelievers, open the doors of heaven for them, stand back and let everybody rush right in and be saved. Sad to say that’s not the case. It’s not common for someone to be saved the first time they hear the gospel message of Christ. Most people need to hear the gospel multiple times before accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. That’s why it’s important for us to share our witness for Christ knowing beforehand we probably won’t reap their soul for the kingdom of God. Don’t be discouraged. Every time we sow the seeds of the gospel message of Christ with someone we’re moving them along the path of decision and at some point they’ll accept or reject Jesus. When someone is saved unto eternal life God equally rewards the one who reaped that soul and all those who sowed the seeds of salvation along the way in that person’s life. God is nothing if not fair.

John 4:36 – (Jesus speaking) – And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.

Isaiah 43:11 – I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no savior.

Isaiah 45:5 – I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me, I will gird you, though you have not known Me.

For an unbeliever to admit to the existence of a God who created them would imply moral responsibility to that God. Unbelievers refuse to do this. They suppress the truth because they don’t want to change their behavior. They like sinning. To justify their decision to reject God the unbeliever uses the guise of scientific observation and intellectual honesty. Instead of looking at the plain evidence of God the unbeliever has convinced himself their preconceived ideas are correct. Spiritually speaking, they have stuck their head in the sand and ignored the truth of God. God designed nature to be perceived by the human mind. Those who refuse to use the mind God gave them to discover the truth of God are referred to in Psalm 14:1 as fools by God and so they are.

Genesis 2:7 – And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

Psalm 139:14 – I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

John 1:3 – All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.