III. Can We Prove The
Existence Of GOD?
The
Christian faith is not fiction, selfishly imagined by men. There are several ways to prove the existence of GOD and the truthfulness
of His Word, The Holy Bible; ranging from the Bible’s prophecies of the rise and fall of nations to the supernatural
demonstrations of miracles found in every culture of earth.
Second only to the prophecies pointing every man to the Great Deliverer from sin, Jesus Christ, there is the grandfather
of time-prophecies found in the book of Daniel, chapters 2 & 7 describing the ruling nations of earth from the 6th
century B.C. to the close of time. There are only four, and each has been fulfilled exactly as foretold.
These four kingdoms are Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. GOD gives two descriptions of these
kingdoms. In the first description they are illustrated by a great statue of a man, made up of four different
metals: head of gold, chest of silver, belly and thighs of brass, and legs of iron with feet of iron mingled with clay.
GOD tells Daniel that these metals are representative of the four kingdoms that would rule over GOD’S people
to the close of time. GOD chose this illustration of a statue of man because self-idolatry lies at the
heart of man’s character. This self-exalting nature stems from Satan’s own character (Eze.28:17).
He tempts man to worship himself, his opinions, his power, and his religions above “pure religion” that
is “undefiled before God” (Ja.1:27). This pride is typical among the leaders in government;
and explains the lack of essential reforms. So, in every case the history of these four kingdoms displayed
an immoral character and abuse of the power GOD granted them to receive. But this does not discount the
godly men and women who have lived within these kingdoms. Nevertheless, each of these kingdoms has denied
GOD’S call for justice, mercy and love. This is why each has fallen from power. Jesus
summed it up: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought
to desolation.” Matt.12:25.
In the second description of these four kingdoms (Dan.7) they are illustrated as predatory “beasts:” a lion with eagle’s
wings, a bear with ribs in its mouth, a leopard with four wings and four heads, and lastly a beast not similar to anything
of this world, “diverse from all the beasts that were before
it,” “dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces,
and stamped the residue with the feet of it.” These
beastly descriptions are representative of their character traits. The first three exhibit a predictable
behavior. But the last kingdom has a completely unpredictable nature, where its character is unlike anything
from this world. In this fourth kingdom, stealth, tyranny and hypocrisy rules on the throne of their government
to the intent of imposing their fundamentally immoral authority over all men.
We are living today in the age of
the last sovereign power according to Bible prophecy: the fourth kingdom of Rome. There is no fifth power
to have the lion’s share of wealth, influence or authority over the people of Earth. Solomon summed
up the leading reason for the Vatican’s supremacy over the Earth: “Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is
separated from his neighbour.” Prov.19:4. It has been estimated that the Rothschild bank of the Roman
church secured 50% of the world’s wealth by the 20th Century.
Other compelling evidence GOD has allowed to prove that there are forces outside of our control
deals with the mystical aspects of life. Behold the events of the supernatural recorded in all religions:
visions of Mary, Satan worship, psychics, astrology, fortune-tellers, witchcraft, séances, voodoo, miracles, after-death
experiences, miraculous healings, mediums, and ghosts. These would not have drawn the countless followers
throughout time unless there was evidence: some kind of visual manifestation—something tangible to the senses.
And with the diversity of witnessed occurrences, drawing allegiance from billions of people only proves that there
are controlling forces beyond our ability to control our destiny, drawing us to pay homage to the jurisdiction of these forces.
And whose jurisdiction we choose determines the fate we receive.
1.
Can we know with certainty that GOD exists?
Judges 6:39,40 And
Gideon said unto God…Let me prove Thee, but this once...[v.40] ______ ______ ______ _____ ________
__________...
Jeremiah
33:3 Call unto Me [Creator GOD], and I will answer thee, and show thee ________ _____ ________ _________
which thou knowest not.
Every honest heart who will genuinely inquire of “the LORD” will be granted a revelation from GOD. A basic
principle repeated throughout the Bible teaches that GOD will intervene with gestures of the miraculous, ranging from a marvelous
coincidence to an awesome demonstration of His power.
2.
Why doesn't GOD openly reveal Himself to all men?
Genesis 3:8 And they [Adam and Eve] heard the voice of the
LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife ______ _______________ from ______
______________ of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
A deep-rooted fear of GOD has ruled the hearts of men ever since Adam and Eve violated their own conscience by eating the
one fruit that GOD had warned them would kill them if they ate it. This single act of eating the forbidden fruit permanently
crippled their ability to be entrusted as stewards over the life of Earth. This fear has directed GOD to enact a plan
of restoration that through His gift of moral discernment given to every man, one or more of His means of influence
may reach our hearts and draw from us a desire for His companionship. GOD'S objective is to restore
all that was lost when Adam and Eve chose to sin & die.
3.
How is this fear overcome?
Jeremiah 31:3 The LORD hath appeared of old
unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore _______ ___________________ _______
____ __________ _______.
GOD has placed
a great capacity for love into the heart of man. And it is only through love’s voice that GOD speaks to our hearts.
This, united with His gift of a freewill determines our advancement in—or retreat from—heaven’s love;
for GOD avoids every hint of compulsion in His work of restoring the bond of man's heart to His own. Christ forced the will of no man! This is why the Apostle Paul said: “Every man according as he purposeth
in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” II Cor.9:7.
4. How does GOD restore man's faith in His love?
I
Corinthians 2:11-14 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things
of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. [v.12] Now _____ _______ ____________ not the spirit of the world,
but _____ _________ _________ ____ ____ ______; that we might know the things that are freely
given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth; comparing spiritual things
with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither
can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
GOD'S wisdom has chosen the heart-drawing but unseen power of the Holy Spirit to restore man's ability to love and
to follow Jesus Christ. The recipient is given complete freedom to embrace and nurture their friendship with GOD, or
to even flat-out reject His call on the hearts of men. The “still small voice” of the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts with a gentle decency—He never yells.
5. What is the response GOD hopes to see when His seeds of
love, sown by His Holy Spirit, and His Word are revealed
to
men?
Hebrews
11:1 Now __________ is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of __________ ______ ________.
6.
Why is faith so important to GOD for the salvation of His
children?
I Peter 1:7-9 That the trial of your faith, being much more
precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the
appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with
joy unspeakable and full of glory: [v.9] Receiving the end of your faith, even _____ _______________ _____ _______
________.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved ______________
_________; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.
Hebrews 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but
the word preached _____ _____ _____________ ________, _____ ________ ________ ______
_________ in them that heard it.
7. What other evidence is apparent to everyone that GOD
exists?
Romans
1:20 For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world ______ ___________ ________, being understood
by the things that are made, even His eternal Godhead and power.
Psalm
19:1-3 The heavens declare ______ __________ _____ ______; and the firmament showeth ______
_______________. [v.2] Day unto day uttereth ____________ and night unto night showeth _______________. [v.3] There is no
speech nor language, _________ ________ _________ ____ ______ __________.
The balance of nature exists through symbiosis (the science of established laws promoting benevolence: the mutual
receiving and giving to preserve life). There are multiple examples of symbiotic relationships between
plants and animals. There are certain trees and insects where the insect cannot survive without the tree,
and likewise the tree cannot survive without the insect. Then there is the simple relationship between
bees and flowers where neither can survive without the other! This simple lesson teaches that these relationships had
to have been created in a mature state in the beginning, and could not have evolved through eons of time. Then
there is the biological fact that any mutation from one animal to another is impossible according to the world’s leading
Geneticists, Barney Maddox and Francis Collins. “A genetic mutation of as little as a billionth of an animals genome
is relentlessly fatal.”—Geneticist Barney Maddox, 1992.
The very foundation of evolutionary
theory is disproven by this fact alone.
So, what has preserved the balance of nature throughout time is that there are no bridging species connecting the
different families of life. This is shown in both the living and the fossil record.
Each of the distinctly different families
of life will not allow even the slightest mutation from their unique design and purpose. And thus, the
balance of nature is preserved for future generations. Laws of inheritance are built in each species that
prevent any offspring that does not live up to the standard of its predecessor. This sifting process found
in each step of life's reproduction prevents any mutation, thereby preserving the mutual safety for all life. They
remain separate from one another to serve one another in perpetual balance. This is why “birth defects”
witnessed throughout the animal kingdom are never associated with an improvement of a given species, only its weakening and
death. There is not one example of a birth defect that survived to become the dominant species.
The genetic difference
between man and the chimpanzee (our nearest genetic relative) has been measured to be forty-eight million nucleotides.
Due to the law forbidding “a random change of only three nucleotides” it becomes obvious that a chimpanzee will
forever remain a chimpanzee. This is precisely what GOD teaches through His Word entrusted
to man’s study and care: that the families of life were created in a mature state, in perfect, harmonious balance.
The father of modern evolution, Charles Darwin, returned from his ocean voyage asserting that the dozens of varieties of finches
he discovered on the Galapagos Islands had to have a common ancestor. The Bible agrees: the Scriptures teach it was a finch.
To accomplish this mature balance of nature, our Creator chose a span of six literal days to perform the Creation of Life.
In six rotations of the Earth on its axis the power of GOD’S Word spoke into existence the miracle of life on earth, as it is written, “And God said, Let there be…and
the evening and the morning were the first day…the second day…the third day,” etc. If men of science,
medicine, and even the church had not determined to disprove GOD’S Sacred Word and Holy Law, the godly wisdom made available
through Scripture would have removed all of the needless suffering of life.
In view of the symbiotic law that
directs every galaxy, star, planet and moon to contribute to life’s security, we can now safely ask the question: Just
how complex is our universe? A computation was made by the world's leading astrophysicists, Sir Frederick
Hoyle and Chandra Wickramasinghe to calculate the quantity of information found in both living and non-living matter. The
sum total of the information presently calculated from the non-living material of the universe adds up to 235 EBI (Exponential Bits of Information: the term used for quantifying vast amounts of data).
Now, let us turn
our attention to the complexity of life. Today's science would have us believe that life evolved from
non-living material of the universe. In fact, it is declared that rain, washing over rock, eventually produced
man on the Earth. But modern studies of life’s complexity tell a completely different story, a story
with shattering consequences to the faith of evolution. The simplest non-replicating protein molecule
(the most basic building block of life that does not reproduce) has been measured to have 1500 EBI. This
difference in the complexity between living and non-living matter is so staggering that it teaches a most basic scientific
lesson: no matter what arrangement or combination is made of the non-living elements of the universe, it is impossible to
organize the existence of life from non-living matter.
Now, let us take this a step further. One
microscopic cell in the human body contains an estimated trillion living machines. Each of these little
machines survives because they rely on each other and serve each other. The law of symbiosis rules within the structure of that microscopic cell. Just one simple cell of the human body has
been measured to contain 20,000,000,000 (billion) EBI. Remember, this is comparing the entire lifeless
universe, which spans the vast stretches of space, to that of ONE microscopic cell of life.
This spectacular
difference does not take into account the far greater miracles that many varieties of living cells coexist, having symbiotic
relationships between themselves, and with the vital organs, muscles and skeleton. The creature then exists in an ecosystem
comprising a vast diversity of other creatures; again, relying on symbiotic law to continue their survival. All of these
creatures co-exist in harmonious balance to their habitat, with an inborn strength of adaptability to meet the challenges
of their environment, and this perfectly explains the immense varieties of species within the various families. The
margin of change within the environment is minimal enough to perpetuate all major species of life. And the entire biosphere
of earth is maintained through earth's constant position in its relation to the sun, moon, and planets, which provides
minimal deviation in climate through the four seasons of the earth's orbit around the sun. The constancy of climate
from millennia to millennia is also due to our solar system's constant position in its relation to the stars of our Milky
Way galaxy. Even our galaxy's perfect balance among the estimated 200 billion other galaxies—with a margin
of fluctuation so low that it staggers the imagination.
In summation, the difference in complexity between
living and non-living matter shows that “natural order” had absolutely no contribution to the creation of life.
Sir Frederick Hoyle stated: “The chance that higher forms might have emerged in this way [evolutionary
theory] is comparable to the chance that a tornado sweeping through a junkyard might assemble a Boeing 747 from the materials
therein.” Therefore, it becomes academically obvious that there must exist an Intelligent Creator. A
Creator whose knowledge is as infinite as time and whose power is as infinite as space. And most importantly, because
unselfish love (symbiosis) is the cornerstone of creation's government, GOD must be a GOD of infinite love.
The relationship between GOD and His creation must be founded on the very laws He established: the laws of love, sacrifice
and healing. And for GOD to change or remove any established laws that govern His creation is to remove the sense of
reliance that men need to move forward in their growth in knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.
All who misunderstand
the true origin, dignity, and destiny of man (as ordained by GOD) lose an anchorage of hope and happiness that promises to
offset every trial and temptation. “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed
abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Rom.5:5.
8. What is the pinnacle prophecy of the Holy Bible, proving
it is a book I can trust?
Daniel 9:25 Know therefore and
understand, that from the going forth of ______ ______________ _____ ___________ and ___________ Jerusalem
unto _____________ the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the
wall, even in troublous times.
The “seventy weeks” prophecy in the book of Daniel, 9:24-27 is the pinnacle of proof for the Gospel of salvation
through Jesus Christ. The commandment to restore and build Jerusalem was given in the year 457 B.C. by King Artaxerxes
of Persia (Ref. Thompson Chain Reference Bible, Ezra 7:13-26). He gave the command fulfilling the specifications
of the prophecy as it is written: “I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites,
in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee” (v.13).
There is an important
principle to understand when studying the Bible’s time prophecies in the books of Daniel and Revelation. It’s
the principle of prophetic interpretation where one day is equivalent to one year. GOD had established this principle where
one prophetic day equals one literal year when the children of Israel refused to enter the Promised Land. For
the number of days they spied out the land but refused to enter it they were to spend an equivalent number of years in the
wilderness (Nu.14:34). This principle of Bible prophecy is symbolic of man’s “enmity against
God” (Rom.8:7) and his inherent refusal to believe GOD’S Word. This is why Jesus Christ taught
many of heaven’s lessons in parables: to draw a deeper study into Scripture, which in turn would lead to a saving faith
in Him. In conclusion, the time prophecies of Daniel and Revelation employ the prophetic day equals literal
year principle, as it is written, “I have appointed thee each day for a year” (Nu.14:34; Eze.4:6).
So, from Artaxerxes’ decree in the year 457 B.C. until the coming of “Messiah the Prince” (meaning, the
Anointed Son of GOD) we span “seven weeks,
and three score and two weeks” (which equals 69 prophetic weeks or 483 literal years) bringing us to the year 27 A.D.,
the time when Jesus was baptized and anointed with the Holy Spirit to begin His work and ministry, as it is written, “And
John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him” (Jn.1:32).
Simple arithmetic through which a little child can understand verifies the exact time Jesus Christ began His ministry. Jesus
Himself confirmed the prophecy when He said, “The time is fulfilled [the 69 weeks specified in Daniel 9:25], and the
kingdom of God is at hand [this begins the 70th and week (last seven years) of the prophecy]: repent ye, and believe
the gospel.” Mk.1:15.
To further confirm the prophecy’s
association with Jesus Christ, the prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 decreed the exact year in earth’s history when Jesus would
lay down His life for the sins of the world: a mere 3½ years into His ministry; the time of His crucifixion in the
year 31 A.D. as it is written: “And He [Jesus Christ] shall confirm the covenant [the promise of salvation]
with many [the Jewish nation] for one week [the last seven years of the “seventy
weeks” prophecy]: and in the midst of the week [in the year 31 A.D., three and a half years into His ministry
reconciling man to GOD] He [Jesus Christ] shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease” [the rending
of the temple veil by an unseen hand at the instant of Christ's death fulfilled the obligation of the sacrificial system
first begun with Adam and Eve, and elaborated through the Mosaic law, effecting its end, as it is written, “the veil
of the temple was rent in twain” (Matt.27:51)].
After the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus there still remained three and a half years to finish out the 70th
week. Even after the murder of the Son of GOD, the Jewish leaders were allowed time to repent and receive
salvation. (This perfectly exemplifies the longsuffering of GOD for the salvation of His children.) But
the leaders would not repent and the prophecy ended with the stoning of Stephen in 34 A.D. when he looked up and said, “Behold,
I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.” Acts 7:56. This
was the moment when the Jews as a nation closed the door forever as GOD’S “peculiar treasure” to the world
(Ps.135:4); and the door now opened for the Gentile nations to take up the banner of GOD’S salvation and carry the Gospel
commission to “every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Rev.5:9).
The pinnacle message of the Holy Bible points to
the sacrifice of The Omnipotent Creator, Who stepped down from His Throne in Heaven where hosts of holy angels bowed in adoration
before Him, serving His every beckon call. He left the lavish courts of heaven to become the Supreme Servant of man:
a humble son of a carpenter named Jesus. He did this to not only prevent the extinction of the human race
on Earth but also to restore eternal life and joy for every creature, great and small, that He Himself spoke into existence,
“In the beginning.”
