Proof, Part XVIII

In ancient times there was a reality, in order to kill a God you must kill it's people. Although there is evidence of mixture of cultures and religious activities at times throughout history, another idea is certain. When empires took over and destroyed regions around them, they destroyed everything including their parchments, their statues, the images of their gods, their relics, synagogues, and temples. This was always a bold statement to the conquered people. It demoralized them and the victor not only boasted that he (as King) was more powerful but that his god or gods were more real and also more powerful. This was common place throughout history. The Egyptians had an empire, as did the Greeks, as did the Babylonians, as did the Assyrian's, and Romans, and so on. None of their empires stand today, nor do the religions or gods that they worshipped except Christianity which was adopted later in the Romans case. Paganism died as a major religion because their empires and people were conquered.

Yet, there was this small band of people called the Israelites and Judeans that believed in the one true God and even they were corrupted by pagan religions and served Asherah, Molech, and Ba'al at times. For this, God punished them as He prophesied and warned them that He would. When you look at history, something very interesting is noticed. Israel has been conquered from their land many times. They were always small, they were always surrounded by enemies, those enemies were always stronger with more weapons and resources. Israel was not only conquered many times, temples destroyed, writings burned, temple items melted down to pure gold, but they were also exiled from their land many times. More than any other people in recorded history.

Yet, every time they were conquered, it would not be long until they were back again. When you consider all of these events and the events of the holocaust, it is a wonder that this people still remain. They do not only remain but also still remain in their land that God gave them and thrive. The Muslims (who also suffered perseceution throughout history) broke off from Jewish decent and we as Christians are adopted members of God's family through Christ. Christians who were once just 100 people strong... killed and murdered daily by the Romans and Jews yet they continued to thrive and multiply their numbers even at the cost of their own life.

Though in modern times we have shamefully (ignoring God's teachings and in arrogance) perseceuted and been at war with our own.  Yet, a small band of tribes has now become and makes up 65 percent of the worlds population. Persecueted, killed, abandoned, destroyed, bibles and scrolls burned, temples ruined, people exiled, crucified, impaled, burned at the stake, and banished from their land. Jews and Christians being the most destroyed people, the most persecueted of all time, now thrive and outnumber any other world view. Is it any wonder that little historical evidence remains? They can try to kill us, although they will try again and again... they will never kill or be rid of us and they will never kill our God. He, like us... is eternal!

In this, it is true, God chooses those that are weak, He chooses the small things, those that suffer, those that are poor, those that are humble and frail, those of a broken heart, to put to shame all other things and lift those He calls His (in due time), to greatness and to great riches. Is this not true in David's case, Christ's case, or Joshua's case, or in any other case? One day, I assure you, though we have been tried and suffered scorn, ridicule, pain, weakness, poverty, persecuetion, and death, we will be the greatest people that ever lived.

^{Judges 6:14-16}

¹⁴The LORD turned to him and said, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?"

 ¹⁵"But Lord , " Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family."

 ¹⁶The LORD answered, "I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together."

Proof, Part XVII

One of my favorite arguments to pick apart is that the Atheist thinks that if God were a God of love, He couldn’t possibly be just. Therefore, He does not exist. In other words, God has no right to send me to hell. If He does that, He’s just as evil. Since God is a God of love it contradicts His existence. Another whine moment for the Atheist. I know that they want to do as they please, and wallow in sin without consequence, but it just doesn’t work that way. God’s not sending people to hell, they are sending themselves and He has given them every opportunity (or will) to receive Jesus and believe. Yet, I also know that God is just and this means that He will judge, each of us, by the same standards. He will be equal and fair and I am sure He will take many things into consideration on a person by person basis. Yet, Jesus is the ultimate life giver as He paid the penalty of sin in our place. It is not for me to judge other people, because judgment belongs to God and no one else but it is evident in the bible that God does not want anyone to perish. I believe He will do everything He can to save us but then again, considering what Jesus did, seems to me that He already has.

As He states “I have set before you today blessing and cursing, life and death. Therefore, choose life.” In other words, don’t be foolish and choose death. Why would anyone do that? What sense does that possibly make? It is not for God to choose, (even though He has chosen us) the choice, and the consequences of making the wrong one, fall squarely on each individual.

This effectively goes back to my gravity story. Little Johnny and God are standing on top of the Empire State Building and God says, "I created Gravity to be balanced and perfect for life and to support life as you know it. Ya know, gravity is great and all and certainly necessary for you but there is a couple of things you must keep in mind. First, it will always benefit you if you live within the boundaries of the law of gravity BUT, secondly, if you decide to jump off this building… you will die. That’s the way the system works.  So, listen here little Johnny, don’t be stupid and get all full of yourself and try to test that theory but instead trust in what I say because I understand things that you don’t. You must trust me little Johnny, ok?”

Johnny sticks his tongue out at God and says… “I don’t believe you!” “You are a liar!” “I am jumping off anyway, you stupid God can’t tell me what to do!” “I make the rules, you don’t!”

So,  little Johnny jumps. God looks down shaking His head in panic and disbelief and says. “I LOVE YOU,.... BUT YOU ARE AN IDIOT!!” Johnny yells back at God, “Heeeeyyyyy! No fair.”   SPLATT!!!!

^{Deuteronomy 32:39}

³⁹ "See now that I myself am He!
       There is no god besides me.
       I put to death and I bring to life,
       I have wounded and I will heal,
       and no one can deliver out of my hand.

Proof, Part XVI

I once was a young Christian and then an Atheist. It happened so many years ago. I became a stout and arrogant skeptic. At the time I thought, no one (and no not anything) can be trusted. I tried God out for years and He just never showed for me. I was angry, felt lied to, and crushed. Answers to prayer did not come, and His word made no sense to me. That experience made me hate Him and everything associated with Him. Though I was an hardened Atheist, I spent the next few years in studying every major religion and even mystic thought (I guess I was still looking for something). Years later, He led me back to Him and after some time, in a quiet moment, while writing a journal entry on thankfulness, I all of the sudden stopped writing and then resumed to write these words.

“You were not ready. If I had shown myself to you then, you would’ve been forever lost; you would’ve messed it up to the point of no return. You needed that time. You needed the experience. I had to do it, in order to break you. I needed to show you your own weakness and frailty. You would have never understood the way you do now if I had not done it this way.

There were some places you needed to go to and some suffering you had to endure in order to see and understand the truth. You even needed the sin and to come face to face with those things.  Remember that I told you, he who has little to be forgiven of; loves little but he that is forgiven of much; loves much.  

I knew what you would become long before you ever were. I did not call you to be a healer, I did not call you to work great miracles, I called you to sow seed. It is an amazing thing to accept who you are and what I created you to be. You needed humility and to be broken in order to have the desire to seek me. For all men hope for me. I made you a skeptic to win the skeptic. I made you to know exactly how one feels and the questions one asks so that you would be a hard stone to them, but I never left your side. I was with you all along.”

I tried to keep writing, but I could not. The emotion was overwhelming. I realized this one thing, I just wasn't at the right place or in the right frame of mind to understand such things back then. I wanted it so bad but sometimes what we want can not be received. It is true that God has His own timing and trying to force His hand is not the answer but instead to seek Him out with faith and never stop. It dawns on me now that He is indeed close to those who are broken-hearted.

^{Psalm 10:1-4}

¹ Why, O LORD, do you stand far off?
       Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

 ² In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,
       who are caught in the schemes he devises.

 ³ He boasts of the cravings of his heart;
       he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.

 ⁴ In his pride the wicked does not seek him;
       in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

Proof, Part XV

The dragon (leviathan) has been a legend and myth spanning many centuries amongst many cultures. However, the dragon is no myth for God speaks of this creature in great detail in the book of Job. God speaks to Job out of the storm to humble him and make him understand that God is powerful and wrestling with God is like wrestling with one of His greatest works... the dragon. Attempts to tangle with or question God is like going toe to toe with a dragon. It is futile and senseless.

We know that the book of Job is extremely old. You can do research on this for yourself but I assure you that it is one of the older books of the Old Testament. Many biblical scholars presume it was written by Moses. As God speaks about this creature, it becomes apparent that the dragon was an animal that lived during Job's lifetime. Considering how fossils develop, fossils of any type are very rare. Despite this, I believe that Science may one day find fossils of this Leviathan creature which lived in the water but could also fly. The passage gives details of a fire breathing reptile-like creature that was extremely large and could fly. As mentioned before, this animal did not live in caves but water. After Job 41:10, He goes into even greater detail concerning His immense size, hide, fearsome teeth, and the fire that spews from His mouth. These verses help us to understand that the animal that God speaks of is directly linked to other verses where leviathan or dragon are used. In some cases, He uses this animal to discribe satan.

^{Job 41:1-10}

¹ "Can you pull in the leviathan with a fishhook
       or tie down his tongue with a rope?

 ² Can you put a cord through his nose
       or pierce his jaw with a hook?

 ³ Will he keep begging you for mercy?
       Will he speak to you with gentle words?

 ⁴ Will he make an agreement with you
       for you to take him as your slave for life?

 ⁵ Can you make a pet of him like a bird
       or put him on a leash for your girls?

 ⁶ Will traders barter for him?
       Will they divide him up among the merchants?

 ⁷ Can you fill his hide with harpoons
       or his head with fishing spears?

 ⁸ If you lay a hand on him,
       you will remember the struggle and never do it again!

 ⁹ Any hope of subduing him is false;
       the mere sight of him is overpowering.

 ¹⁰ No one is fierce enough to rouse him.
       Who then is able to stand against me?

Proof, Part XIV

The book of Job was written (according to many scholars and historians) around the time of 400 BC and some claims are that Moses wrote it even earlier, but we can not be certain of that. Our most clear, physical evidence of it, is the Codex Sinaiticus which is a mostly complete bible dated the 4th century AD. That's the best we have. We know this because it was written in Kione Greek which was used only during this time period. We have other fragments that are older but that is not important.

It is interesting that as God goes on to talk to Job... He mentions two things. The behemoth and the Dragon. Here is the excerpt on the behemoth. It is clear to me, although my opinion, that He is referring to a dinosaur. Many, many centuries before the first dinosaur fossil was discovered in 1676. Of course, He didn't refer to it as a dinosaur because that name wasn't given until after 1842. He may have been speaking about Moschops, Bagaceratops, or Euoplacephalus. No one knows for sure but it is an interesting read. This would also indicate that a type of dinosaur lived during Job's time. One of God's first works.

(Job 40:15-24)

15 "Look at the behemoth,
       which I made along with you
       and which feeds on grass like an ox.

 16 What strength he has in his loins,
       what power in the muscles of his belly!

 17 His tail sways like a cedar;
       the sinews of his thighs are close-knit.

 18 His bones are tubes of bronze,
       his limbs like rods of iron.

 19 He ranks first among the works of God,
       yet his Maker can approach him with his sword.

 20 The hills bring him their produce,
       and all the wild animals play nearby.

 21 Under the lotus plants he lies,
       hidden among the reeds in the marsh.

 22 The lotuses conceal him in their shadow;
       the poplars by the stream surround him.

 23 When the river rages, he is not alarmed;
       he is secure, though the Jordan should surge against his mouth.

 24 Can anyone capture him by the eyes,
       or trap him and pierce his nose?