Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Learn To Love

by Leonard V Johnson


There is a famous quote that has once again made its rounds on social media sites, “People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love” ~ Nelson Mandela.

Indeed, we ── as human beings ── must be taught how to love. We are born with the capacity to love. Yet, how we experience love or hate can profoundly shape us throughout our lives. 

We are told by the LORD God ── through the inspired prophet Job ── “’ Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.’” – Job 14:1.

The LORD God’s (the Elohim; the family of God) Master Plan… From the Beginning involves love. Notice what our Lord Jesus says ──

’ 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. 17) For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.’ – John 3:16-17.

We have the capacity to obtain the same character attributes as our Creator, such as goodness, creativity, and love. These attributes help us to better understand who God is and why God is. And as to why He created what He has created.

We are also told by the apostle Paul ──

“As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no not one; 11) There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God.’ – Romans 3:10-11.

Another quote that comes to my mind is from a book entitled The Help ── “You is kind. You is smart. You is important.” To me, it emphasizes the importance of encouragement from parents to their children in helping shape their character.

YOU ARE IMPORTANT!

YOU MATTER TO THE LORD GOD!

THE LORD GOD WANTS THE VERY BEST FOR YOU – PERSONALLY! And, the LORD GOD DOES HAVE A PLAN FOR YOU – PERSONALLY!

Something that I want us, brethren, to especially think about is that our tests, trials, and tribulations happen because the LORD God loves us immensely ──

“My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor detest His correction; 12) For whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.” – Proverbs 3:11-12.

Notice also the apostle Paul speaks of this ──

“And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:

‘My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6) For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.’

7) If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8) But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9) Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?

10) For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11) Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” – Hebrews 12:5-11.

Yes. As I wrote last January, “I’ve been praying to the LORD God now for a little over a year for the removal of an evil and vile person from my family’s life. “Why?” I ask Father God and our Lord Jesus, “Have You not removed this vile man from our lives?” The answer that I finally received was not the answer I wanted.

Yes. Sometimes we have to endure long and arduous matters to help us in developing love.

Notice what the apostle Peter wrote ── here speaking that we may be partakers of the divine nature ──

“But also for this reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith VIRTUE, to virtue KNOWLEDGE, 6) to knowledge SELF-CONTROL, to self-control PERSEVERANCE, to perseverance GODLINESS, 7) to godliness BROTHERLY KINDNESS, and to brotherly kindness LOVE. 8) For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – 2 Peter 1:5-8.

Perseverance is a sign of love.

“Love suffers long …” – 1 Corinthians 13:4.

While we may be enduring trials, tribulations, and tests, let us consider the following ──

“Delight yourself also in the LORD, … 7) Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; … 9) For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth.” – Psalm 37:4, 7, 9.

Yes, brethren, we will be rewarded for our perseverance.

Our perseverance in waiting patiently towards the LORD God, but also our fellow man.

Patience and Compassion

It’s not just the LORD God we are to love. We are also to love our fellow man ──

“ … ‘Which is the first commandment of all?’ 29) Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. 30) And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31) And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.’ – Mark 12:28, 29-31.

Interestingly, the scribe answered Him ──

“ … ‘Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. 33) And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.’

34) Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ – Mark 12:32, 33-34.

How do you love your neighbor ── even if your neighbor is “an evil and vile person”?

Brethren, we know that even that “evil and vile person” will be given the opportunity (the gift and blessing) from the LORD God ── someday ── to be a part of the glorious family of God.

With this firmly in our minds, we should be determined not to hurt, harm, or pronounce any curse on our neighbors. And we, of course, should never covet ANYTHING they might have. Our Lord Jesus Christ ── who truly gave His commandments to Israel, spiritually magnified His Law in the New Covenant.

As an example ── the Sixth Commandment, “’ You shall not murder.’” – Exodus 20:13.

Sadly, there was a time when I nursed my anger towards this “evil and vile person” I speak of. As spiritually magnified by our Elder Brother, Master, and Savior, this commandment not only means that we are not allowed to physically murder but we also are forbidden to hate our brother. Notice ──

’ You have learned that our forefathers were told, ‘Do not commit murder; anyone who commits murder must be brought to judgment.’ But what I tell you is this: Anyone WHO NURSES ANGER against his brother must be brought to judgment. …’ – Matthew 5:21, 22, NEB.

We are to express love toward our neighbors – cf. Matthew 5:43-48. We must always keep in mind that our neighbors will also ── in due time ── have the potential in the LORD God’s Master Plan.

Another example ── the Seventh Commandment, “’ You shall not commit adultery.’” – Exodus 20:15.

Again, not only are we commanded not to commit physical adultery, but spiritual adultery as well ── the lusting and worship of false gods. Our Lord Jesus also speaks of this ──

’ You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28) But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.’ – Matthew 5:27-28.

Think of this ── how can one lust after their neighbor, when the LORD God will prepare them ── someday ── for the glorious family of God?

The Ten Commandments, spiritually magnified by our Lord Jesus Christ, can be divided into two groups of commandments ── love for God, and love for neighbor.

EVERY HUMAN BEING ── whether they be Jewish, Palestinian, Ukrainian, Russian, Yemenis, or Egyptian ── are our neighbors! Keeping and obeying the Commandments of God hinges on always remembering that every human being will one day have the glorious opportunity to be a member of the family of God!

Our neighbors ── even the one that might have cursed you, or hates you, or who has spitefully used you and tried to assassinate your good character ── were also created in the LORD God’s image, according to the LORD God’s likeness, and they too can become God – cf. Psalm 82:6; John 10:34.

Are you beginning to see and hear what the Spirit has to say concerning the IMPORTANCE that the LORD God places on our relationships between all human beings (the “good, bad, and the ugly”) created in the image and likeness of the LORD God? This should come front and center to our minds in how our Lord Jesus Christ dealt with His “enemies” ── the very ones that tried to repeatedly stone Him, and those that would eventually murder Him. He knew their potential upon their repentance. This too must be the underlying premise upon which we base our every thought and deed toward our neighbors. Our Lord Jesus teaches us, ’ And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.’ – Luke 6:31.

Returning again to 1st Corinthians chapter 13, the apostle Paul writes ──

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5) does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not [easily] provoked, thinks no evil; 6) does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7) bears all things, believes all things [that are truthful], hopes all things, endures all things.

8) Love never fails …

13) And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, 13.

The apostle our Lord Jesus loved also spoke of love ──

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8) He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

And we, in this 21st-century world, cannot help but think of the vicious, vile, and evil Houthis, Hamas, al-Qaeda, ISIS, Hezbollah, the IRGC, and even the Tren de Aragua ── who have no love, therefore DOES NOT KNOW GOD!

9) In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10) In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [the Atonement] for our sins. 11) Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

12) … If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 13) By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. …

20) If someone says, ‘ انا احب لله !,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21) And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.” – 1 John 4:7-11, 12, 20-21. □


Thursday, December 26, 2024

Commentary: Does God Accept Lies?

by Guy C LaMar


’ You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.’” – Exodus 20:16; Deuteronomy 5:20.


Does the LORD God (the family of God, which at this time consists of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ) accept lies!?

NO!

In fact, the LORD God calls “lying lips an abomination to the LORD” – Proverbs 12:22.

So, never think that substituting customs and days that were originally founded by paganism something that the LORD God is going to accept.

Because it is A LIE!

Xmas is A LIE!

It is not the birthday of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

It is, however, the supposed birthday of the Pagan sun god──Mithra.

Substituting a pagan god for our Lord Jesus is an abomination.

It is a rotten stinkin’ lie perpetrated by our physical and spiritual enemy──Satan the Devil.

Now, does the overall majority of our peoples actually care?

NO!

They would rather live according to their traditions than the living truth of the Eternal One!

Thus, whether you believe it or not, in the authority of Jesus Christ, those people have DISQUALIFIED themselves as being true Christians.

Now, a person can surely claim they are a Christian──until they are blue in the face──but, that does not make them a true Christian.

Because they’re NOT FOLLOWING JESUS CHRIST.

They are, however, following “the god of this age” ── Satan the Devil and his deceiving way! – cf. 2 Corinthians 4:4.

Now, should we as true Christians, just sit on our hands and not care what this world does? Or, should we DO WHAT THE LORD GOD’S LIVING WORD SAYS! And, ‘Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up [our voices] like a trumpet; Tell [the LORD God’s] people their transgression, AND THE HOUSE OF JACOB THEIR SINS’!? As the LORD tells us we should do! TELL THE HOUSE OF JACOB THEIR LIES!

Doing anything that is not pleasing to the LORD God disrespects the LORD God!

And it’s especially worse when you’ve been shown the living truth of God, and you outright reject the LORD God’s truth──because you would rather be a part of the Babylonish system and fit in.

Well, did our Lord Jesus Christ “just fit in”!?

Absolutely not!

God’s living word tells us NOT to “be conformed to this world,” ── to the ways of this world. – Romans 12:2.

Because, if we love the ways of this world, the love of God is not in us. – 1 John 2:15.

Thus we are a fraud if we DO NOT obey the LORD God, but rather accept the ways of this world──which is ruled by Satan the Devil.

As for me and my household, we will serve the Eternal One. □




Additional Commentaries to Consider

Do Not DespairWhen week after week things are thrown at our peoples that make them more and more weak─ to the point that they become exceedingly fragile, then it is at that point that they are on the very edge of all things.
The Anointing of ClothsJust after the New Testament Church of God was built, the apostles and the evangelists continued the HEALING OF THE SICK, as well as preaching the true gospel!
Familiar TraditionsPeople are used to holding onto their religious traditions over truth and facts because familiar traditions are comfortable to people - but regardless, it doesn't make it truth.
ReligiosityThe LORD God established the languages that we speak.
The Covenant DayIN accordance with the promises that God gave to Abraham, as recorded in Genesis 15:3-6 and Genesis 22:15-18, our Lord Jesus Christ began the New Covenant on Passover day. Therefore the 14th of the 1st month - Passover day - can rightly be called the Covenant Day.
Conspiracy TheoriesIn this commentary, I’d like to address conspiracy theories – and the largest findings in this area are the politically-based forms of conspiracies.
Some Food For ThoughtHERE is just some food for thought.

Monday, November 4, 2024

Rejoice in Thanksgiving to God!


by Leonard V Johnson


There’s a beautiful hymnal song that comes to mind this year! It’s called “Give Thanks and Offer Praise!” It’s in our hymnal on page 41. It’s based upon Psalm 50──

“The Mighty One, God the LORD, Has spoken and called the earth From the rising sun to its going down.
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God will shine forth.
Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent; A fire shall devour before Him, And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him.
He shall call to the heavens above, And to the earth, that He may judge His people:
‘Gather My saints together to Me, Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.’
Let the heavens declare His righteousness, For God Himself is Judge.
Selah

‘Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you; I am, God, your God!
I will not rebuke you for your sacrifices Or your burnt offerings, Which are continually before Me.
I will not take a bull from your house, Nor goats out of your folds.
For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.
‘If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness.
Will I eat the flesh of bulls, Or drink the blood of goats?
Offer to God thanksgiving, And pay your vows to the Most High.
Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.’

But to the wicked God says: ‘What right have you to declare My statutes, Or take My covenant [even now the New Covenant] in your mouth,
Seeing you hate instruction And cast My words behind you?
When you saw a thief, you consented with him, And have been a partaker with adulterers [even spiritual adultery; the worship of false gods and goddesses].

You give your mouth to evil, And your tongue frames deceit.
You sit and speak against your brother; You slander your own mother’s
son.
These things you have done, and I kept silent; You thought that I was
altogether like you; But I will rebuke you, And set them in order before
your eyes.
‘Now consider this, you who forget God, Lest I tear you in pieces, And
there be none to deliver:
Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct
aright I will show the salvation of God.’
                                                                  ──Psalm 50:1-23.

O’ let us indeed praise always our LORD God – the family of God, which at this present time consists of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ! And, certainly, those of us who do rightly understand God’s Master Plan – From the Beginning, should be THANKFUL for God the Father calling us out of this present evil age! We are reminded to always offer thanksgiving and praise to the LORD God here in the Book of Psalms, as well as the inspired words of the apostle Paul ──

“Rejoice always, 17) pray without ceasing, 18) in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” – 2 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

Our Lord’s living words ── the Holy Bible ── is full of admonitions to give glory, praise, and THANKSGIVING to the LORD God! Here are a few glorious passages ──

“Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.” – Psalm 30:4.

“I will praise the name of God with a song, And I will magnify Him with thanksgiving.” – Psalm 69:30.

“Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. 3) For the LORD is the great God, And the great King above all gods.” – Psalm 95:2-3.

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 5) For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.” – Psalm 100:4-5.

It is the LORD God’s will that you praise God! And, it is good that you praise and thank His holy name ──

“It is good to give thanks to the LORD, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; 2) To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night.” – Psalm 92:1-2.

Notice this from the apostle Paul – again, inspired by the Mighty One, God the LORD ──

“To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
2) Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3) I THANK MY GOD upon every remembrance of you, 4) always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy.” – Philippians 1:1, 2-3.

And I ──THANK THE LORD GOD every morning for Their lovingkindness and mercy, and every evening for Their faithfulness and forgiveness!

Let us always and forever give thanks and praise to the Mighty One, God Most High!

We have a sermon on our YouTube channel entitled “The Love of God.”

Truly, God is love (1 John 4:8, 16). The loving Master Plan ── From the Beginning will come to fruition! □

Friday, September 27, 2024

What Is Sin?


In this THINK ABOUT THIS… let’s talk about sin. What is sin?

Now, certainly, we could write up a whole booklet on this one subject of── sin.

The LORD our God’s living and immutable word says that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” – Romans 3:23.

But, what is the definition of sin according to the LORD our God?

This world believes that sin is: “thinking thoughts you ought not to be thinking about thoughts you ought not to be thinking about things you ought not to be doing while you are thinking the kind of thoughts.” Certainly a word salad straight from Kamala Harris!

Well, it’s not far from the truth── but still, no cigar.

The LORD our God’s definition of sin is──

“Whoever commits sin also commits LAWLESSNESS, and sin is LAWLESSNESS.” – 1 John 3:4.

It is a violation of the TEN COMMANDMENTS!

Now, nearly everyone on planet Earth knows, or has heard of the Ten Commandments! Right!? Let’s go over them──

1) “’ You shall have no other gods before Me.’”
2) “’ You shall not make for yourself a carved image── …’”
3) “’ You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, …’”
4) “’ Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.’”
5) “’ Honor your father and your mother, …’”
6) “’ You shall not murder.’”
7) “’ You shall not commit adultery.’”
8) “’ You shall not steal.’”
9) “’ You shall not bear false witness …’”
10) “’ You shall not covet …’”

Also known as THE LAW OF LOVE!

Our Lord Jesus Christ has said, “ …’ Hear Me everyone, and understand: 15) There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, THOSE are the things that defile a man. 16) If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!’ – Mark 7:14-16.

What did He mean!? His disciples asked Him concerning this parable.

“ …’ Do you not perceive that WHATEVER enters a man from outside CANNOT defile him, 19) because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?’ – vs. 17-19.

Sadly, many Bible critics cite Mark 7:1-15 as a license from our Lord Jesus the Christ (Christ being His title) that all meats are allowed to be eaten. Did our Lord Jesus do away with the prohibition of unclean meats!? Did He say that He had “purged all meats”? The children of Israel’s dietary law was well known by the Jews in the time of Jesus. The self-righteous Pharisees criticized Jesus’ disciples for eating bread without first washing their hands – vs. 2. Our Lord Jesus’ response was to severely reprimand those self-righteous Pharisees for their rejection of God’s Commandments – vs. 6-13. He then summoned the crowd to hear what He was about to say (vs. 14). He told them that whatever goes into a man (into mankind) from the outside cannot defile the man, but what comes out of a man can (vs. 15-23). Now, many read verse 19 and conclude that a person can eat any kind of meat because our Lord Jesus has “purged all meats.” Sadly, most people neither carefully study and read verse 19, or they read past it – and thereby completely miss the entire point of Jesus’ instruction! Even our Lord Jesus’ own disciples did not immediately understand His teaching – vs. 18. The apostle Matthew’s account shows that apostle Peter asked Him to explain it – Matthew 15:15. Our Lord Jesus clearly was emphasizing that it is the evil things which come out of people – from within, out of the mouth and heart – that defiles a man. He went on to explain that to eat with unwashed hands does not spiritually defile anyone (Matthew 15:20; Mark 7:20-23). This entire account was written to address the futility of the Pharisees’ elaborate handwashing before meals! Privately He explained this parable to His disciples, He gave a frank description of the human body’s normal elimination of any accidentally ingested dirt. He said that such dirt “goes out into the draught” – in other words, the sewer. There was NEVER any Old Testament command to avoid eating food with dirty hands! Our Lord Jesus used this occasion to condemn a man-made tradition that had been elevated above the importance of getting rid of evil and rotten attitudes and thoughts that are INSIDE all human beings – thus defiling them! Notice that in Luke 11:38, the Pharisee was astonished that our Lord Jesus sat down to dine without first washing His hands. Our Lord showed that it is much more important to control what words come out of your mouth, and what thoughts come out of your mind than to worry about dirty hands – Mark 7:20-23.

“ …’ What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. 21) For from within, OUT OF THE HEART OF MEN, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22) thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23) All these evil things come from within and defile a man.’ – Mark 7:20-23.

So, it’s the breaking of the TEN COMMANDMENTS!

And, what man── as well as what true brother or sister── has not time and time again struggled against committing sin as described by the apostle Paul!?

“For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20) Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.” – Romans 7:19-20.

All of us── at times── have lost this struggle.

Now, no man or woman can live ABOVE not ever sinning against the LORD God. The Lord our God says──

“ … ‘With men it is impossible, but not with God, for with God all things are possible.’ – Mark 10:27.

Our beloved apostle Paul continued that our ONLY DELIVERANCE from this “body of death” is through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ – Romans 8. CHRIST IN YOU!

“that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do NOT walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” – Romans 8:4.

But, the Spirit is not going to do it for us──we must do our part! And, like our Lord Jesus has said, it all has to do with our HEART.

Repentance. To repent of sin literally means to change one’s heart and mind in respect to the breaking of God’s Commandments, and accepting our Lord Jesus as Savior. For us to be “renewed in the Spirit of your mind, 24) and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” – Ephesians 4:23-24.

Again, CHRIST IN YOU!

The apostle James (a brother to our Lord Jesus) explains to us exactly how sin occurs──

“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15) Then, when desire [the desire WITHIN THE HEART] has CONCEIVED, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth DEATH.” – James 1:14-15.

You are TEMPTED IN YOUR MIND. When you think about something that tempts you── and you allow your mind to dwell upon it── either a desire to go somewhere, to do something, or to have something you know that is WRONG── the thinking about it finally CONCEIVES (it leads to action), and then GIVES BIRTH (you sin).

Truly, if you continue thinking about it, after a while you can’t resist it.

How do you prevent sinning!?

You allow your mind to be filled with God’s Spirit──

“ … seek those things which are above, where Christ is, … 2) set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” – Colossians 3:1, 2.

A spiritually mature begotten child of God should use self-discipline and set his heart on spiritual things. If a TEMPTATION enters your mind, OPEN UP GOD’S LIVING WORD── refocus your mind on a spiritual subject. Pray over it── and ask God the Father and our Lord Jesus to help you. You will begin to rapidly win the victory over temptation and sin! □

Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Are You "Called"?


by Leonard V. Johnson

God’s living word gives us the surprising answer to this so often misunderstood question!



THIS question is misunderstood like no other! And it’s a question that all true Christians should know BEYOND ANY SHADOW OF DOUBT! Because ── unless all doubt is removed ── we may not be able to withstand this growing onslaught of attacks from Satan the Devil within ‘this generation’!

All true Christians are divinely called! This is a living truth from God’s living word – the Holy Bible. Yet, millions upon millions just assume that it is but a matter of “choice.”

Notice what our Lord Jesus Christ said to His disciples then ─ and what He is saying to us brethren today –

“And the disciples came and said to Him, ‘Why do You speak to them in parables?’ 11) He answered and said to them, ‘Because IT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO YOU to know the mysteries of the kingdom [from] heaven, but to them IT HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN. 13) Therefore I speak to them in parables, …’

Par▪a▪ble \ ‘par-ǝ-bǝl \ n [ME, fr. MF, fr. LL parabola, fr. Gk parabolē comparison, fr. paraballein to compare, fr. para- + ballein to throw ─ more at DEVIL] (14c) : EXAMPLE; specif : a usu. short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle. 1

“ … ‘because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14) And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; 15) For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and TURN, so that I should heal them.’ – Matthew 13:10-15.

And, this weekend I was trying to let the LIGHT OF CHRIST show forth before some relatives when I spoke up and told them, “You will get to see your mother once again!” Sadly, their mother died this past week. 

Our Lord Jesus reveals to us here that only a few in number were (and are) being given a true understanding of His living word – the Holy Bible – at this time. It is simply NOT the LORD God’s (the family of God; which at this time consists of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ) intention to convert everyone at this time!

Our Lord Jesus also says, ’ No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; … 65) … Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.’ – John 6:44, 65.

The Apostle Paul – under the inspiration of the Spirit of God – says exactly the same!

“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.” – 1 Corinthians 1:26.

These are but a few biblical examples. But it is plain to see that ONLY A FEW are being called and converted during this present evil age.

As a whole ─ especially in this present evil age (see Galatians 1:4; Revelation 12:12) ─ humanity feels no need for the LORD God. This generation's overall belief ─ this weekend ─ glared brightly in my face! “You’re allowed to believe whatever you want to believe! Just leave me alone!” Sadly, they fail to spiritually see and spiritually hear what is really wrong with this world and just who is to blame! They are spiritually blinded!

Truly understanding the living word of God, the truth of God, and the ultimate Plan of God IS THE RESULT OF BEING CALLED! True Christians ─ those that have been called by Father God, properly repented, properly baptized, and have had hands laid upon them ─ receiving the glorious gift of the Spirit of God ─ have received a DIVINE CALLING!

Calling Alone Is Not Conversion

One of the most difficult things for a human being to admit is that they are wrong. Self-justification is an insidious habit that can lead us down a dark path. It’s a form of lying to yourself, preventing you from growing. 2 Our minds tend to excuse misdeeds and seek “making right” what one knows in our heart is wrong. A great many dangerously assume that since they haven’t been converted, then they haven’t been called. This blindness of responsibility ─ like crossing the street while witnessing someone being beaten up and doing nothing to help ─ is DISOBEYING THE LORD GOD! You’re pretending to only be a bystander! Like Sgt. Schultz on Hogan’s Heroes, “I see nothing! I hear nothing! I know nothing, nothing!

Truly, the calling by Father God doesn’t convert anyone! CONVERSION IS THE RESULT OF HEARING HIS CALL AND ACTING ON THAT CALLING! Not being converted doesn’t mean that you haven’t been called.

God’s living word tells us that every human being has a “carnal mind” and has “enmity against God” until converted. We are called while we are yet unconverted. Conversion is a process ─ a process of growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus and growing in the fruits of the Spirit. Becoming more like the LORD God!

We are all born automatically contrary to the Law of God ─ speaking of the Ten Commandments. “As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no not one; 11) There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. 23) for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.’ – Romans 3:10-11, 23.

So, since we all have been a part of this world, a DIVINE CALLING is necessary to reveal just what sin is! Recall the Apostle Paul – “ … I would not have known sin except through the law …” – Romans 7:7-8. And that we MUST REPENT OF THIS SIN! ─ ’ The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. REPENT, and believe in [obey] the gospel.’ – Mark 1:14. And in the same manner our Lord Jesus says to us – ’ I tell you, no; but unless you REPENT you will all likewise perish.’ – Luke 13:1-5.

Whether or not conversion takes place as a result of our being called out of this world is OUR RESONSIBILITY! We were given free moral agency! Our Lord Jesus says ’ those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13) … For I did not come to call the righteous [in other words, the “self-righteous”], BUT SINNERS, to repentance.’ – Matthew 9:12-13.

True Repentance ─ along with true baptism and the laying on of hands and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit ─ is the FIRST STEP that we must take in heeding God the Father’s call. Then, with and through the power of God’s Spirit, we begin to struggle and overcome the power of Satan the Devil, our human nature, and of this world. We MUST OVERCOME!

Recall again the Apostle Paul –

“Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin LEADING TO DEATH, or of obedience LEADING TO RIGHTEOUSNESS? 17) But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet YOU OBEYED from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18) And having been SET FREE FROM SIN, you became slaves of righteousness.” – Romans 6:16-18.

Let us be renewed daily in the spirit of our mind, and “put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” – Ephesians 4:23-24.

The Apostle Paul, writing to Timothy, speaks of Demas ─ who was called by Father God, been blessed with having knowledge and understanding of God’s living word, truth, and plan ─ yet, TURNED FROM THE LORD GOD! Our Lord Jesus WARNS us – ’ No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’ – Luke 9:62.

The Apostle Peter tells us to give due diligence ─

“Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, …” – 2 Peter 1:10.

And he lists things we should do so that we never stumble ──

“ … add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.” – 2 Peter 1:5-7.

And, once God the Father decides to call an individual, never will the LORD God change Their mind –

“For the gifts and THE CALLING of God are irrevocable.” – Romans 11:29.

But sadly, an individual can “grieve the Spirit.” Our Lord Jesus WARNS us ─

’ Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 32) Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, EITHER IN THIS AGE OR IN THE AGE TO COME.’ – Matthew 12:31-32.

We also receive a stern WARNING from the Apostle Paul ─

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by [which] you were sealed for the day of redemption.” – Ephesians 4:30.

What does it mean to ‘grieve the Holy Spirit”?

Minister Michael C. Garrett ─
… a lot of you have been on job sites, construction sites, maybe in the military, even watching movies, where you hear God’s name ‘taken in vain’ on a regular basis. And yet, speaking profanely against the name of God or Jesus Christ – that is not a sin which cannot be forgiven. Because once you get old enough – mature enough – and to have God’s blessing and God’s calling you will come to understand, ‘Oh, I never should have done that!’ And you will cry out for forgiveness and you will be forgiven. But what is the one sin which cannot be forgiven!? Verse 32 – “ … ‘but whoever speaks [commands] against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.’” Well, what is He talking about!? To ‘blaspheme’ – from the Strongest Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible – their definition is: # 988 - βλασφη μί α, blasphémia, n. GK: 1060 [ → 987]. Blasphemy, slander, malicious talk. The Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines blasphemy: \’blas-f ǝ-mē\ n. pl – mies (13c) 1 a: the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God b: the act of claiming the attributes of deity 2: irreverence toward something considered sacred or inviolable. Now, what is blaspheme against God’s Spirit!? …

Now, a lot of people over the years, I heard say, ‘Oh, I think I’ve committed the unpardonable sin!’ Well, if you are fearful or uncomfortable that maybe you have done something wrong – you have not committed blaspheme against God’s Spirit. Because if you’ve committed blaspheme against God’s Spirit you wouldn’t care. Blaspheme against God’s Spirit is commanding it – driving it out of you – out of your heart and out of your mind. In 1 Thessalonians 5:19, Paul wrote the following – “Do not quench the Spirit.” Don’t restrict it – don’t squeeze it off. Don’t tie off the flow of God’s Spirit.”

(Garrett, M.C, What Is “The Unpardonable Sin”? 8 Nov. 2019 PDF).
If God the Father CALLS US out of this present evil age, we only have one opportunity for eternal salvation. For our Lord Jesus tells us, “ … ‘For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; …’ – Luke 12:48.

How Does God the Father Call?

Does God call with an audible voice!? Does God call by accidents, incidences, or superstitions? Or, does God call when the hairs on your neck stand up!? What is the truth?

God’s living truth is simple.

“ … God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.” – 2 Thessalonians 2:13.

MANY are being called ── but few are chosen!

God the Father through Jesus Christ [who are the Spirit – see 2 Corinthians 3:17) CALLS many individuals hearing our sermons, or reading or listening to our articles. And, perhaps some will be called through our example and witness. Yet, in each case, each individual is called by the LORD God THROUGH SANCTIFICATION BY THE SPIRIT!

What Is “Sanctification by the Spirit”?

“God [speaking of God the Father] FROM THE BEGINNING …” Recall that God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ have known us from before we were in the womb!

In prayer once I was reminded of the time when our Lord Jesus' disciples had asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” And as tears were streaming down my face – the eureka moment when it was revealed to me that the LORD God knew before I was born that I would be born with transposition of the great arteries so that  – like He tells His disciples in this instance, “ … ‘that the works of God should be revealed in him.’ That the LORD God would gift me with sight!

Speaking to the Prophet Jeremiah, our LORD God said ──

“’ Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I SANCTIFIED YOU; …’” – Jeremiah 1:5.

God FIRST sanctifies ── or sets each one apart ── by means of the Holy Spirit.

Also, back to the latter, “and BELIEF IN THE TRUTH.”

The Spirit of the truth; for “it will lead you into all truth because it shall not speak from itself, but whatever it shall hear, it shall speak. And it shall disclose to you the things to come.” – John 16:13, NET. A Faithful Version by Fred. R. Coulter.

The Spirit of God which reveals TRUTH ── which sanctifies an individual to make him or her an heir of salvation.

God’s living word – the Holy Bible – is truth!

Notice –

“On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to HEAR THE WORD OF GOD.” – Acts 13:44.

What were they hearing?

They were hearing the Holy Scriptures!

“Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.” – Acts 13:48.

As in “predestination.”

“Moreover whom He predestined, THESE HE ALSO CALLED; whom He called, these He also justifies; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” – Romans 8:30.

THESE HE ALSO CALLED believe the living word of God!

THERE IS NO DOUBT IN THEIR MINDS! They know the Holy Scriptures are the living words of the LORD God! THE HOLY BIBLE!

Unlike the Book of Mormon which was first published by Joseph Smith in 1830. Also, unlike the Koran which Islamic tradition stipulates Muhammad wrote in 610 BC.

Now, there are a great many reasons today why men do not believe God’s living truth. And why the vast overall majority of professing Christians do not understand the Holy Bible! The LORD God has allowed mankind to be deceived, yet the LORD God has called many and chosen a few. It is the Spirit of God that enables us to comprehend the LORD God’s basic principles of understanding.

Let us Understand These ‘Basic Principles’

This past weekend I was told, “The Bible was written by men, and then transcribed over and over!” That is accurate to a point ── but let us understand it was manifested by and through God’s Spirit working upon and through men’s minds.

FIRST: “ …’ Man shall not live by bread alone, but by EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD.’ – Matthew 4:4.

To truly understand the living word of God it is necessary to LIVE BY EVERY WORD OF GOD ── not just by one passage or one verse, or some tradition or doctrine. Sadly, the overall majority of this world’s Christian churches (except for a relatively small percentage of Bible truths) are walking in ERROR! They DELIBERATLY REJECT all of God’s living word except a small portion which has no effect on their personal lives! THE LORD GOD gives understanding to only those who are willing to LIVE BY EVERY WORD OF GOD!

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

No one can truly believe God’s living word if one feels that a portion of the Bible is uninspired. However, this is exactly what the majority of professing Christians do today!

Here are a few examples ─
’ If you love Me, keep My commandments.’” – John 14:15.
… ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; …’” – John 14:23.
Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth ── ’” – John 5:28.
No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.’” – John 3:13.
’ And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the Law to fail.’” – Luke 16:17.
Meaning – what do the majority of professing Christians do with these (and other) passages!? Do they mark them out with a marker!?

Then there are a great many that only regard the Old Testament that is inspired. Others, only the New Testament! Then there are still others who believe the Book of Revelation is nothing more than the writings of a man who smoked a lot of peyote. Others obsess over the “lost scriptures” that are not in the inspired canon. WHAT HOGSWALLOP!

THIRD: “To the Law and to the testimony [the Word of God!]! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.’” – Isaiah 8:20.

The Law of God and the Testimony of that Law. The revelation of the LORD God by His prophets. Recall – Hebrews 1:2 – “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2) has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, …”

Sadly, the overall majority of mankind has rejected the Law of God! And every conceivable argument has been made in the attempt to do away with God’s Law ─ the Ten Commandments.

FOURTH: …’(and the Scripture CANNOT be broken), …’ – John 10:35. Meaning – God’s living word DOES NOT CONTRADICT ITSELF! And unless you approach God’s living word with this truth, you cannot hope to grasp the full meaning of God’s word.

FIFTH: “knowing this FIRST, that PROPHECY OF SCRIPTURE IS OF ANY PRIVATE INTERPRETATION, 21) for prophecy NEVER came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” – 2 Peter 1:20-21.

Sadly, the overall majority of humanity has not understood God’s living word simply because they will not believe the fourth ‘basic principle.’ They suppose that contradictions occur because men interpret the Bible in whatever way they choose. They do not allow God’s living word to interpret ITSELF! One can rightly understand more difficult passages and verses in the light of other passages and verses. We are told in the Old Testament ─

“For precept [rule] must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.’” – Isaiah 28:10.

These five principles can serve as a guide in enabling you to believe the truth. Sadly, complicated theological theories of men have been substituted for the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus.

Called By the GOSPEL

Notice again ─ “ … God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14) to which He called you BY OUR GOSPEL, …” – 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 14.

Now that our minds and hearts have been changed, the active means that the LORD God uses for us to obtain “the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” is the gospel.

Throughout the world – again, overall – mankind has not grasped the gospel message. Because they have not received the vital ingredient that makes understanding crystal clear – the Holy Spirit. As a result of having been gifted the Holy Spirit, the living word of God becomes a personal message to you. Hearing the TRUE GOSPEL is vital! The gospel message is the “preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, …” – Acts 28:31. It’s not just a message about Jesus the person. It’s a message about the LORD God’s kingdom ─ government ─ which currently is made up of the very family of God! Our Heavenly Father and His Heavenly Son!

And the LORD God calls on all people everywhere to repent!

“Therefore, since WE ARE THE OFFSPRING OF GOD, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. 30) Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, BUT NOW COMMANDS ALL MEN EVERYWHERE TO REPENT.” – Acts 17:29-30.


1) Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition, Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, Springfield, Mass., © 1996, pg. 841.

Friday, December 22, 2023

DOES GOD EXIST?

The Milky Way arching at a high inclination across the night sky.


Leonard V. Johnson




Please click the above PDF icon to view or download the full article in PDF format.


From a child, I had a great passion for understanding. Always wanting to know the “why” about things. At the age of 12, I suddenly became fired up with great excitement to learn what God’s living word – the Holy Bible – actually says. In those young years of my life I came face to face with an important question – and a question I hope that you had – Does God exist? I thought I knew. Also, I desired to know the truth – one way or the other – concerning the theory of evolution. In truth, wanting to know beyond a shadow of a doubt the existence of God is the very starting point for the acquisition of knowledge. I have come to understand that it is the FOUNDATION FOR UNDERSTANDING.

In 1992 I was told by a friend that I had been conformed to Armstrongism. Always an inquisitor, I desired to know whether he was right! He questioned everything I had learned – i.e. the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, angels, life, death, God’s Law, the Sabbath, etc. All the foundational doctrines that I had come to understand in my 3 ½ years of learning. Therefore, I accepted the challenge of a multi-month intense Bible study. Breaking down and methodically going through each doctrine of God’s living word – I truly wanted to understand and to know biblical truth and knowledge and to properly distinguish, differentiate, and discern between biblical truth and biblical error. I needed to erase the chalkboard – but not forget – everything I was taught for those 3 ½ years. I started with the elementary principles of Christ – cf. Hebrews 6:1-2, and began to learn the truth of God as shown to me through God the Father and Jesus Christ as I read, studied, and prayed in connection with God’s living word – Them being my Teacher. Not what some Armstrong said – but through Them!

There are two possibilities of origin – it’s either like what Professor Stephen Hawking hawked, he concluded that the Big Bang was an inevitable consequence of the laws of physics. In his work, The Grand Design, he wrote, “Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing.” Or it’s a special creation by a Creator God. Of course, the former is much more popular. And it has won popular acceptance in science and in higher education.

We Must Know!

I have come to see and understand that the majority of this world’s so-called religious people are only assuming that God exists! Why? Well, it’s simply because they were taught it since childhood – without proving it to themselves. Also, in the circles in which they have lived. In my home, too, growing up, it was unquestionably taught – God exists. I came to understand that I was only assuming that God exists. Very few have actually looked for proof!

How do you look for proof that God exists? Is it the physical things we see all around us – is this proof!? Is it Darwin’s theory of evolution, of which any elementary or junior high school textbook alleged or proposed, theorized, or assumed, of which I was told to accept every bit of it without question!?

This morning I saw a female Lutheran preacher who was proudly proclaiming to be an LGBTQ “identified and affirmed” person at one of their rallies. And when she was confronted by a young man questioning her, she shuts him down! And this struck a chord with me – because we know well that people in general believe only what they are willing to believe. And only what they are willing to accept. In the majority of cases, people feel no compulsion or desire to refuse what is accepted in their social or geographical environment. Most dyed-in-the-wool homosexuals or lesbians will not accept the living truth of God – because of their reluctance or willingness to be corrected. She invited the young man to her church – surely so that she would have a Legion behind her  -  all with the same general belief! The old idiom - there's strength in numbers.

The worldwide Book that is professing to be the very living word of the Creator of the universe – the very One who created all things, “and without Him nothing was made that was made” says unequivocally, “the carnal mind is enmity [hostile] against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be” – Romans 8:7. No facts, positive evidence, rational reasonings, or proof, will induce such a person (a person like that female Lutheran preacher who shuts you down even before listening to you) to accept that against which they are prejudiced. As I’ve said before - prejudism is a strong barrier to growth in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I Personally Found Proof of God’s Existence!

I desired to examine the facts. I restudied the very question of “evolution” rereading large portions of The Origins of Species by Charles Darwin and still was impressed by his command of contemporary studies in geology, botany, and zoology. He was blessed with an insatiable and unbounded appetite to test all kinds of things using science. Though much makes one scratch their head and appears seemingly convincing, when examined under the microscope of God’s living word – his hypothesis, theories, and explanations fall dead.

With the creation and launch of the James Webb telescope, some of the early images received are now questioning the theory of the Big Bang! Yet, some dyed-in-the-wool physicists are insisting, “No, the Big Bang theory is not ‘broken.’”

I recently watched the"Astrum" channel on YouTube (I really like this channel, because he doesn’t try and sell the theory of evolution or the Big Bang theory), in which the James Webb telescope is aiding in studying the recently found massive groups of rogue planets without a star – some are binary planets. In one October 2023 article in Science Alert, “JWST observations of the star-forming heart of the Orion nebula have given us something we've never seen before. There, in the Trapezium cluster, scientists have found dozens of planet-like objects roughly the mass of Jupiter untethered to any star, drifting through the galaxy in gravitationally bound pairs like it's a perfectly normal thing to do. But it isn't. There is no known formation mechanism that can lead to these binary masses – never mind 42 of them.” 1 European Space Agency scientist Samuel Pearson adds, “The main thing that we learn from this is that there is something fundamentally wrong with either our understanding of planet formation, star formation, or both.” 2

There is a vital issue that is unexplained in the standard model of the Big Bang theory. The model does not even address the very moment of creation at all – except for Stephen Hawking's erroneous statement, “Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing.” But like Clara Peller asking, “Where’s the Beef?” – I ask, “Where’s the Proof?” The standard model only begins with the growth of the universe from a preexisting source of energy and matter. This standard model then makes you have to believe that something was created out of nothing!

Even to their chagrin, several scientists agree that there had to be a source of energy and matter before the Big Bang. But, what laws of physics can explain this phenomenon? There are none. To be fair – Hawking’s did not claim to have proven the non-existence of God.

Well, have you thought of this question – with all the energy, matter, and space itself initially concentrated in such a tiny volume, what held everything in place before it was supposedly released in a “Big Bang”!? What force would be strong enough to constrict the entire known universe other than a Creator!? The scientific community just states, “It is entirely possible that there was no previous era. Assuming this is true, it means that matter, energy, space, and time just began abruptly.” 3

Also, there is the question of the four fundamental forces of the universe.

● Gravity. A universal attraction between all forms of mass and energy.
● Strong Forces. In which is needed to hold the nucleus of atoms together.
● Weak Forces. As in acting inside particles of an atom and responsible for some particle reactions along with certain kinds of radioactivity.
● Electromagnetic Forces. A force acting between any charged particles such as electrons and protons within atoms.

Returning again to the quoted article “The science behind the Big Bang theory,” it mentions the fact that scientists believe these fundamental forces did emerge during the first seconds of the supposed “Big Bang.” But, they can’t explain how these forces emerged. Are we also to believe that such fundamental forces just came into being from nothing?

As Einstein’s theory of relativity postulated that time is a part of the physical universe, what existed before?

Well, the LORD God of the Holy Bible claims responsibility for the creation of the universe.

Which God?

Back in April 2022, someone asked me which God I worshiped. “Which God? The God of the Catholics or the God of the Hindus, etc.?”

That’s certainly a fair question. It deserves an answer.

Yes, my friend, I have a God!

Sadly, over the centuries mankind has separated the LORD God of the Bible into a separate God, whom they call “the God of the Hebrews.” I think this gets back to the question I was asked in 2022. “Which God?”

We are told in the living word of God – that the Word brought everything that exists into existence – including all that is falsely called “God.” It was He – the very One we know of as JESUS CHRIST – who created all matter, the fundamental forces and energy! He created LIFE and even endowed some of it with great intelligence.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” – John 1:1.

TWO GREAT CREATIVE BEINGS!

God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ is God [the Hebrew word Elohim, plural in meaning – more than one – the family of God].

SUPERIOR TO ALL ELSE THAT IS CALLED “God.” They alone are God!

Now according to James Frazer, the whole world “progressed from a belief in magic [and I might add, darkness, ignorance, and superstitions] as a means of controlling his environment to religious beliefs, which propitiated” their gods, goddesses, and spirits. The gods of nations have been carved by men’s hands out of wood, gold, or silver. The gods of this world’s false religions have been carved out of human imaginations and faulty human reasonings. There are others who continue to worship the Sun, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, angels, and even the American singer Beyoncé! All these “gods” and “goddesses” are merely the created.

Creation is one PROOF OF GOD!

A Time When Matter DID NOT Exist

The Uranium in existence today has not been in existence long enough to have run its course and changed into lead. For a fairly accurate age of the Earth, we use Uranium. A radioactive element that decays into many sequential daughter isotopes before finally arriving at lead. This means that the proportions of Uranium and lead isotopes can give highly accurate age readings for a given sample of up to 4.5 billion years.

God’s living word does not describe the Earth as ever being a hot molten mass – to the contrary, His word states, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” And, according to His word – “But this fact is hidden from them – they themselves choosing to ignore it – that by the Word of God the heavens existed of old, and the earth came forth out of water and amid water” – 2 Peter 3:5, NET. It was not created as a result of the “Big Bang” theory! Even Reasoanable-Bath-4963 has the common sense to ask, “Uranium turns into lead, but there's still uranium. Why?” Especially since we have been told over and over that the Earth is some 4.50 billion years old! The uranium series from 238 U has a half-life of 4.47 billion years! According to scientific consensus, Uranium formed 6.6 billion years ago. Therefore, there was a definite time of starting. Since radioactive elements such as Uranium, Radium, and Thorium have not existed ALWAYS, there was a time BEFORE when these elements DID NOT EXIST!

What About LIFE?

Where did LIFE come from?

Did life originate from what the likes of Carl Sagan had argued? “That the early atmosphere of the Earth was hydrogen-rich, and that the origin of life occurred before the hydrogen was lost, and that such gases sparked, creating life. That life began in the ocean with temperatures that began to fall and the amino-acids, and the proteins and the nucleotides – and how these different chemicals and the different aspects of this old earth – which condensed out of interstellar gas and dust some 4.5 billion years ago – and how they came together to form the earliest stages of life – a kind of organic soup!?”

Well, LIFE ONLY COMES FROM LIFE!

The late great French microbiologist Louis Pasteur in 1862, tested the validity of a widely held belief in spontaneous generation. For centuries, the general population and naturalists alike believed that a variety of organisms could arise spontaneously. Sound familiar? “The universe can and will create itself from nothing.” Pasteur’s experiments showed that microbes CANNOT arise from nonliving materials. Now, there are those who argue that eons ago conditions on Earth and in the atmosphere were vastly different than they were in Pasteur’s lifetime. Pasteur proved that microorganisms come from the multiplication of parent microorganisms of their own kind. Advocates of this spontaneous generation doctrine continue to argue that some form of the doctrine is true – in the sense that if life did not always exist on Earth it must have been spontaneously generated at some point. And, without even realizing it – turning 360° back to a CREATOR!

Now Darwin was quite clever not to promote this spontaneous generation of life in his work The Origin of Species, but his followers knew all too well what he meant. Especially Thomas Huxley who boldly proclaimed the ability that life can come from non-life.

Now, there’s a plethora of debate and speculation about life arising in many places throughout the universe. But, what does established scientific observations and experiments tell us? We NEVER see evidence of anything remotely looking like some “kind of organic soup”!? Nor any life arising spontaneously! What do we see? We only see living things reproducing “according to its kind” – Genesis 1:20-27. The LORD God – THE LIVING CREATORS – who is LIFE, who has imparted life to all that have it.

A person cannot rationally deny the existence of our God – unless he can successfully demonstrate that life can come from non-life.

Also, there are scientific laws, based on repeated experiments or observations, that describe or predict a range of natural phenomena. Such as the Laws of Physics, Laws of classical mechanics, Laws of gravitation and relativity, Laws of chemistry, Laws of biology, and Laws of Earth Sciences.

Do You Believe That There Is Anything Superior To You?

Find a mirror. Look into that mirror. What do you see? You see you. Do you know of anything that is superior to your mind!? Look at the planets in this solar system. Behold, in all its glorious splendor, the entirety of the known universe, with its galaxies, stars, and black holes – they are inanimate. They have no mind, they have no intelligence. They cannot do what you can do!

Your mind can know, think, reason, plan, and carry out its plans. Your mind can invent, produce, and acquire knowledge of the known observable universe. Certainly, a mind can create spaceships and computers. And, man can now send astronauts to the International Space Station – and beyond that, eventually, certainly, to Mars!

In our home, we have an Amazon Alexa – a virtual assistant. Now, there are times when “she” might appear intelligent – but the intelligence and power required to invent and produce “her” is far superior!

However, what one thing you cannot do? You cannot build, create, or produce anything superior to you!

Supreme Intelligence!

There are many companies and organizations that are building robots. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, unveiled a humanoid robot called Optimus. For someone to suggest to you that they could invent, create, build, and bring into being anything far superior in intelligence to you and your mind – would that not certainly insult you!?

Let me ask you straight forward – do you honestly believe that any power or force of less intelligence than you and your mind – brought you about!?

If you do not believe in my God – the very One whom the apostle Paul proclaimed on the Areopagus, “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth” – then you only have the alternative. That something less intelligent than you and your mind produced YOU! A dumb, UNINTELLIGENCE brought you and your intelligence into being. Surely, you don’t believe that – do you!?

What If YOU Were Creator?

I recall when I was a young boy, lying in bed, fantasizing that I could spontaneously create real-life Hot Wheels cars. I had a collection of some two hundred of those scale model cars! I was too young to drive – but I thought creating real-life cars would be so kool! Suppose you could add to your powers of reasoning, planning, design, and creativity!? – so that you could project your will anywhere to create and produce and bring into being whatever your mind can plan and desire!?

Then suppose that you undertook and designed, fashioned, created, shaped, and set in motion a physical three-dimensional universe – with physical planets, stars, galaxies, nebulae – in all its splendor and glory!

Then suppose, in 2/3 of the way out from the galactic center of a solar system in a relatively large galaxy you reason, plan, design, and create all the physical forms of life that exist in this universe. And like in the Dr. Seuss book “Horton Hears A Who!” – there are worlds within worlds, down to the minutest infinitesimal particles of matter that we cannot see without the aid of the most powerful of microscopes.

Are you still looking at yourself in the mirror? Do you think your mind could invent, create, build, and bring into being this planet we call EARTH!? Be honest.

Because, if you can’t – then it stands to reason that the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE AND ALL MATTER is revealed as the SUPREME INTELLIGENCE! THE ARCHITECT OF THE VAST KNOWN UNIVERSE!

Mankind’s Intelligence vs. the CREATOR

Let’s compare the wisdom and intelligence of man with that of our CREATOR who brought all the marvels into being on this planet and keeps them functioning.

I found it fascinating to have learned that not all of Earth’s oxygen comes from trees. About 80 percent of the oxygen in the atmosphere comes from the ocean - from marine plants and plant-like organisms. The main marine organisms that produce oxygen are oceanic plankton. And I found it equally fascinating that the atmospheric oxygen level stays relatively constant! It is constantly being replenished by photosynthetic organisms, mainly in the oceans.

Here’s where the intelligence comes in. What has mankind been doing to the oceans – where marine plants and plant-like organisms live!? I’ll give you a guess. Mankind is having a very negative effect on Earth’s oceans! From habitat destruction via drilling, mining, dredging, destructive anchoring, the removal of priceless corals, carbon emissions, chemical pollution, oil spills, noise pollution, plastic pollution, and overfishing. As of 2018, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch covers 620,000 square miles - consisting of 45,000–129,000 metric tons of garbage!

What about mankind’s direct attack on the atmosphere itself? The three countries with the highest CO2 emissions are China (with 9.9 billion tons), the United States (with 4.4 billion tons), and India (with 2.3 billion tons). In 2020, global carbon emissions reached 32 billion tons! 4

What about mankind’s direct attack on Earth’s creatures? Animals are dying in droves all around the world! More than 3,400 sea lions sickened and died of the H5N1 variant of avian influenza in Peru this winter and spring. And, as the New Republic reported just this year –

“In the last decade or so, mass mortality events worldwide have included the loss of 450-plus elephants in Botswana, 18,000-plus migratory birds in India’s Sambhar Lake, 350 Magellanic penguins in Argentina, hundreds of emaciated gray whales along the Pacific coast, and 99.9 percent of Spain’s fan mussels. Five thousand dead red-wing blackbirds rained down in Arkansas, and 45,000 flying foxes hung from trees and piled on the ground in Australia. Lightning struck down a huddle of 300 Norwegian reindeer. Billions of starfish melted into goop.” 5

Sadly, like all perfect and beautiful gifts from THE CREATOR, mankind fails to value the priceless perfection of the all-wise LORD God.

Not only is mankind polluting this planet – but mankind is now reaching out and polluting other locations and planets in the solar system! It is estimated that there are 500,000 pounds of trash on the Moon. Some 15,694 pounds of trash on Mars. And circling the Earth – as of November 2022, the US Space Surveillance Network reported 25,857 artificial objects in orbit above the Earth! 6 And it’s only getting worse!

Foods That Are Alive!

Step away from the mirror a moment, and look about you – here on this planet are human beings, composed of certain and specific elements of matter – living and organic matter! In a sense, we are what we eat! Because these elements of life must be supplied and replenished through food, water, and oxygen.

No human being – with all our ingenuity, science, and laboratory doodads CAN CREATE FOOD! In other words, we cannot take inorganic matter and turn it into a living substance which is called food. However, there is a Great and Powerful Creator that did! A process that is far more wonderful and advanced than any human being can even imagine!

And so it is that out of the earth grows “grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit trees that yield fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth; … And God saw that it was good” – Genesis 1:11-12.

And when you take an Avocado seed (as an example) and place it in at least 1 inch of water for a couple of days – a true miracle occurs! It begins to sprout leaves! A process that is too wonderful for any human mind to imitate.

MANKIND, with all of our technology and laboratory doodads, with all of our inventive genius, does not have the power to create an Avocado tree! – to convert inorganic matter into living food. Do you truly believe that it is rational to conclude that there is a power or force that is NOT INTELLIGENT that has been able to create this miracle of food!? Did not a far greater intelligence than mankind design, create, and supply mankind with this wonderous miracle of food!? – and all living food in general!?

Oldest Known Analogue Computer

Some years ago I saw on the History Channel the discovery of the oldest known analogue computer – which is called the Antikythera mechanism. Built-in the 2nd century BC, it was used to predict astronomical positions and eclipses decades in advance. In 2022 researchers proposed its initial calibration date, not construction date, which could have been 23 December 178 BC.

Of course, it no longer works. It stopped working when the Roman cargo ship it was on sank off Point Glyphadia on the Greek island of Antikythera in approximately 70 – 60 BC.

Surely, ever so often, it was calibrated. As noted above, researchers proposed its initial calibration date of December 23rd 178 BC. And it was set by the MASTER CLOCK OF THE UNIVERSE!

But, what about the wristwatch you have on? Even this clock will not keep perfect time. Once or twice a week it needs to be adjusted a second or two by the master clock – the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). But even this master clock, based in the United States of America, is not perfect, either. Occasionally the NIST has to (for the sake of simplicity) combine outputs from cesium beam and hydrogen maser atomic clocks into a single signal. The International System of Units (SI) has defined a second as the period equal to 9,192,631,770 cycles of the radiation, which corresponds to the transition between two energy levels of the ground state of the Cesium-133 atom.

Yes! It is corrected by the Cesium -133 atom. The only stable caesium isotope. Again, a radioactive element with a half-life of about 2.3 million years! Our watches are corrected from an element that was created by the MASTER CLOCK OF THE UNIVERSE! – in physical terms. The understanding being – that the MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE is not bound by time and space. cf. Isaiah 57:15.

Yet, Mr. and Mrs. Skeptic – you look up into the great and awesome night sky at the MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE, and you have the audacity, the unmitigated gall, as you’re wearing a watch that must continually be reset, and you tell the LORD God, “Everything was created out of NOTHING! That there is no MASTER CREATOR! No Master Mind which thought out, designed, planned, and created – and brought into being motion.” In which a type of grand cosmic ballet came to life!

Do you dare say that to the LORD God!?

If you do – then the LORD God says to you – “’ The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God. …’” – Psalm 14:1; 53:1.

My friend, if you can look about you and observe how intelligently designed, planned, created, and executed everything we physically see all around us – except the botched, polluted, and destroyed works of mankind – and yet you say, “There is no God!” Then I will certainly pray for you! – I, like the LORD God, “am not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” and to salvation in the kingdom of God! – cf. 2 Peter 3:9. □

Bibliography:

4) Garrett, C., Most polluted countries in the world: 2022 ranking, Climate Consulting by Selectra, 25, Jan. 2022.
5) Renault, M., Animals Are Dying in Droves. What Are They Telling Us?, The New Republic, 3 May 2023.
6) Orbital Debris Quarterly News, Vol 26, no, 4, NASA - https://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/quarterly-news/pdfs/odqnv26i4.pdf