Re: God's Fountain of Youth - the Messiah
- From: "Noah's Dove" <noahdove7@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2008 10:53:13 -0700 (PDT)
On Sep 9, 8:32 am, "Noah's Dove" <noahdo...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Sep 9, 1:59 am, "B.H. Cramer" <benjis...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:> "Noah's Dove" <noahdo...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in messageThe Bible's predictions about Jesus, written centuries before He was
news:9aca9ec2-382d-46d2-8b53-14571fc93a7e@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Question: "Does God exist? Is there evidence for the existence of
God?"
Answer: Does God exist? I find it interesting that so much attention
is given to this debate. The latest surveys tell us that over 90% of
people in the world today believe in the existence of God or some
higher power. Yet, somehow the responsibility is placed on those who
believe God does exist to somehow prove that He really does exist. To
me, I think it should be the other way around.
However, the existence of God cannot be proven or disproved. The Bible
even says that we must accept by faith the fact that God exists, “And
without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes
to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who
earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). If God so desired, He could simply
appear and prove to the whole world that He exists. But if He did
that, there would be no need for faith. "Then Jesus told him, 'Because
you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not
seen and yet have believed'” (John 20:29).
That does not mean, however, that there is not evidence of God’s
existence. The Bible declares, “The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour
forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no
speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes
out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world” (Psalm
19:1-4). Looking at the stars, understanding the vastness of the
universe, observing the wonders of nature, seeing the beauty of a
sunset – all of these things point to a Creator God. If these were not
enough, there is also evidence of God in our own hearts. Ecclesiastes
3:11 tells us, “…He has also set eternity in the hearts of men…” There
is something deep down in our beings that recognizes that there is
something beyond this life and someone beyond this world. We can deny
this knowledge intellectually, but God’s presence in us and through us
is still there. Despite all of this, the Bible warns us that some will
still deny God’s existence, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no
God.’” (Psalm 14:1). Since over 98% of people throughout history, in
all cultures, in all civilizations, on all continents believe in the
existence of some kind of God – there must be something (or someone)
causing this belief.
In addition to the Biblical arguments for God’s existence, there are
logical arguments. First, there is the ontological argument. The most
popular form of the ontological argument basically uses the concept of
God to prove God’s existence. It begins with the definition of God as
“that than which no greater can be conceived.” It is then argued that
to exist is greater than to not exist, and therefore the greatest
conceivable being must exist. If God did not exist then God would not
be the greatest conceivable being - but that would contradict God's
very definition. A second is the teleological argument. The
teleological argument is that since the universe displays such an
amazing design, there must have been a Divine designer. For example,
if earth were even a few hundred miles closer or further away from the
sun, it would not be capable of supporting much of the life it
currently does. If the elements in our atmosphere were even a few
percentage points different, every living thing on earth would die.
The odds of a single protein molecule forming by chance is 1 in 10243
(that is a 10 followed by 243 0’s). A single cell is comprised of
millions of protein molecules.
A third logical argument for God’s existence is called the
cosmological argument. Every effect must have a cause. This universe
and everything in it is an effect. There must be something that caused
everything to come into existence. Ultimately, there must be something
“un-caused” in order to cause everything else to come into existence.
That “un-caused” something is God. A fourth argument is known as the
moral argument. Every culture throughout history has had some form of
law. Everyone has a sense of right and wrong. Murder, lying, stealing,
and immorality are almost universally rejected. Where did this sense
of right and wrong come from if not from a holy God?
Despite all of this, the Bible tells us that people will reject the
clear and undeniable knowledge of God and instead believe a lie.
Romans 1:25 declares, “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and
worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator - who is
forever praised. Amen.” The Bible also proclaims that people are
without excuse for not believing in God, “For since the creation of
the world God's invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine
nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been
made, so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).
People claim to not believe in God because it is “not scientific” or
“because there is no proof.” The true reason is that once people admit
that there is a God, they also must realize that they are responsible
to God and in need of forgiveness from God (Romans 3:23; 6:23). If God
exists, then we are accountable for our actions to Him. If God does
not exist, then we can do whatever we want without having to worry
about God judging us. I believe that is why evolution is so strongly
clung to by many in our society - to give people an alternative to
believing in a Creator God. God exists and ultimately everyone knows
that He exists. The very fact that some attempt so aggressively to
disprove His existence is in fact an argument for His existence.
Allow me one last argument for God’s existence. How do I know God
exists? I know God exists because I speak to Him every day. I do not
audibly hear Him speaking back to me, but I sense His presence, I feel
His leading, I know His love, I desire His grace. Things have occurred
in my life that have no other possible explanation other than God. God
has so miraculously saved me and changed my life that I cannot help
but to acknowledge and praise His existence. None of these arguments
in and of themselves can persuade anyone who refuses to acknowledge
what is so plainly clear. In the end, God’s existence must be accepted
by faith (Hebrews 11:6). Faith in God is not a blind leap into the
dark, it is safe step into a well-lit room where 90% of people are
already standing.
Recommended Resource: I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist by
Norm Geisler and Frank Turek.
http://www.clarifyingchristianity.com/m_prophecies.shtml
born
What is a Prophecy-and Why Should I Care?
The noun prophecy describes a "prediction of the future, made under
divine inspiration" or a "revelation of God." The act of making a
prophecy is the verb, prophesy. Of the prophecies written in the
Bible
about events that were to have taken place by now, every one was
fulfilled with 100% accuracy. This is a statement that can not be
truthfully made about any other "sacred writing." This is important
because the Bible says God will give us a savior who provides a way
for
us to go to heaven. If the prophecies are 100% accurate, we know it
is
going to happen.
What is a "Messianic" Prophecy?
The Old Testament books in the Bible (all of them written between
1450
BC and 430 BC) contained hundreds of prophecies about an "anointed
one" ("Messiah" in Hebrew) who would arrive in their future. The
Messiah would "deliver" or "save" all the Jewish people,
bringing them to paradise or heaven. These prophecies also stated
that
the Messiah would save all the other people in the world "through the
Jews." For this reason, people who are not Jewish need to learn about
the Messiah, too.
We constructed the table below, listing many important Messianic
Prophecies. We did not attempt to make a complete list-that could be
someone's life work. Still, there are enough prophecies listed to
remove all doubt that the Messiah did indeed appear 2000 years ago in
the person of Jesus Christ. These prophecies are arranged in the
order
in which they appear in the Old Testament, and they are not in order
of
importance nor in chronological order. Since the same fulfilled
prophecy may be described several times in different books, we did
not
list every place a fulfillment occurred. We do list enough examples
to
prove that the prophecy was fulfilled.
A Special Note on Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53
Even a casual reader of the Bible will notice something "different"
about Psalm 22 and Isaiah 52:13 to 53:12. They tell stories that
perfectly parallel events in the life of Christ that took place much
later. Psalm 22 is especially amazing since it predicted 11 separate
things about Jesus' crucifixion about a thousand years before they
happened. We know that David (the author of Psalm 22) lived about
1043-973 BC and Isaiah lived about 740-680 BC. Both passages, written
far ahead of the time of Christ, are strong proof that help you
believe
that the Bible was literally inspired by God.
A Comment on Understanding Prophecy
Some of these prophecies are very clear and easy to understand.
However, if you are new to reading the Bible, other prophecies will
not
be easy to understand. Therefore, we have taken the liberty of
highlighting those prophecies that are easier to understand by a
person
who is not familiar with "prophetic language." This does not imply
that these passages are more important than the others.
As we describe in our page Reading and Understanding the Bible, the
Bible is a library of Books. So, even if you do not understand every
idea or term when you start reading the "library," do not be
discouraged. You just need to learn the language-perhaps in the same
way you learned a "special language" or "way of communicating"
in your job or at school.
Old Testament Scriptures That Describe The Coming Messiah
The Messianic Prophecy (paraphrased) Where the prophecy appears in
the
Old Testament (written between 1450 BC and 430BC) Jesus'
fulfillment
of the prophecy in the New Testament (written between 45 and 95 AD)
The Messiah will be the offspring (descendant) of the woman
(Eve) Genesis 3:15 Galatians 4:4
The Messiah will be a descendant of Abraham, through whom everyone on
earth will be blessed Genesis 12:3; 18:18 Acts 3:25,26
The Messiah will be a descendant of Judah Genesis 49:10
Matthew 1:2 and
Luke 3:33
The Messiah will be a prophet like Moses Deuteronomy
18:15-19 Acts
3:22,23
The Messiah will be the Son of God Psalm 2:7 Matthew 3:17;
Mark 1:11;
Luke 3:22
The Messiah will be raised from the dead (resurrected) Psalm
16:10,11
and 49:15 Matthew 28:5-9; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:4-7; John 20:11-16;
Acts
1:3 and 2:32
The Messiah crucifixion experience Psalm 22 (contains 11
prophecies-not all listed here) Matthew 27:34-50 and John 19:17-30
The Messiah will be sneered at and mocked Psalm 22:7 Luke
23:11,35-39
The Messiah will be pierced through hands and feet Psalm
22:16 Luke
23:33 and 24:36-39;
John 19:18 and 20:19-20,24-27
The Messiah's bones will not be broken (a person's legs were
usually broken after being crucified to speed up their death) Psalm
22:17 and 34:20 John 19:31-33,36
Men Will Gamble for the Messiah's clothing Psalm 22:18
Matthew 27:35;
Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:23,24
The Messiah will accused by false witnesses Psalm 35:11
Matthew
26:59,60 and Mark 14:56,57
The Messiah will be hated without a cause Psalm 35:19 and
69:4 John
15:23-25
The Messiah will be betrayed by a friend Psalm 41:9 John
13:18,21
The Messiah will ascend to heaven (at the right hand of God) Psalm
68:18 Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9; 2:33-35; 3:20-21; 5:31,32; 7:55-56;
Romans
8:34; Ephesians 1:20,21; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3; 8:1; 10:12;
12:2;
1 Pet 3:22 . . . sorry, we got carried away!
The Messiah will be given vinegar and gall to drink Psalm
69:21 Matthew
27:34; Mark 15:23; John 19:29,30
Great kings will pay homage and tribute to the Messiah Psalm
72:10,11 Matthew 2:1-11
The Messiah is a "stone the builders rejected" who will become the
"head cornerstone" Psalm 118:22,23 and Isaiah 28:16 Matthew
21:42,43; Acts 4:11; Ephesians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:6-8
The Messiah will be a descendant of David Psalm 132:11 and
Jeremiah
23:5,6; 33:15,16 Luke 1:32,33
The Messiah will be a born of a virgin Isaiah 7:14 Matthew
1:18-25 and
Luke 1:26-35
The Messiah's first spiritual work will be in Galilee Isaiah
9:1-7 Matthew 4:12-16
The Messiah will make the blind see, the deaf hear, etc.
Isaiah
35:5-6 Many places. Also see Matthew 11:3-6 and John 11:47
The Messiah will be beaten, mocked, and spat upon Isaiah
50:6 Matthew
26:67 and 27:26-31
The "Gospel according to Isaiah" Isaiah 52:13-53:12 Matthew,
Mark,
Luke, John
People will hear and not believe the "arm of the LORD"
(Messiah) Isaiah 53:1 John 12:37,38
The Messiah will be rejected Isaiah 53:3 Matthew 27:20-25;
Mark
15:8-14; Luke 23:18-23; John 19:14,15
The Messiah will be killed Isaiah 53:5-9 Matthew 27:50; Mark
15:37-39;
Luke 23:46; John 19:30
The Messiah will be silent in front of his accusers Isaiah
53:7 Matthew
26:62,63 and 27:12-14
The Messiah will be buried with the rich Isaiah 53:9
Matthew 27:59,60;
Mark 15:46; Luke 23:52,53; John 19:38-42
The Messiah will be crucified with criminals Isaiah 53:12
Matthew
27:38; Mark 15:27; Luke 23:32,33
The Messiah is part of the new and everlasting covenant Isaiah 55:3-4
and Jeremiah 31:31-34 Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20;
Hebrews
8:6-13
The Messiah will be our intercessor (intervene for us and plead on
our
behalf) Isaiah 59:16 Hebrews 9:15
The Messiah has two missions Isaiah 61:1-3 (first mission ends at
".
.. . year of the LORD's favor") First mission: Luke 4:16-21;
Second
mission: to be fulfilled at the end of the world
The Messiah will come at a specific time Daniel 9:25-26
Galatians 4:4
and Ephesians 1:10
The Messiah will be born in Bethlehem Micah 5:2 Matthew 2:1
and Luke
2:4-7
The Messiah will enter Jerusalem riding a donkey Zechariah
9:9 Matthew
21:1-11
The Messiah will be sold for 30 pieces of silver Zechariah
11:12,13 Matthew 26:15 with Matthew 27:3-10
The Messiah will forsaken by His disciples Zechariah 13:7
Matthew
26:31,56
The Messiah will enter the Temple with authority Malachi
3:1 Matthew
21:12 and Luke 19:45
Couldn't Someone Just Write These Down and Pretend They Were Written
Earlier?
Many people who do not believe in the Bible say this. However,
manuscripts have been found that confirm that these various
prophecies
were written down 400-1,000 years before they actually occurred. The
discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls put to rest most of such idle talk.
Were These Originally Intended to Be Messianic Prophecies?
Some of the prophecies occur as part of the text of a story. So, a
natural question would be, "How do you know these are Messianic
prophecies? Couldn't someone have read these texts after Jesus came
along and claimed they are Messianic prophecies?"
The reason we know these texts were intended to be Messianic
prophecies
is because they were recognized (and discussed) by the Jews before
Jesus' birth. For example:
One of the common debates was whether or not "the Messiah" was
actually two people (or twins) since it seemed impossible to them
that
one person could accomplish both of the Messiah's "goals" (Isaiah
61:1-3).
We now know that Jesus accomplished one goal (preaching the "good
news" and becoming the sacrifice that saves us) when He came to
Earth, told everyone God's new plan of salvation, and was crucified.
He will fulfill the other goal (being our Savior and Lord, ruling at
God's right hand, and taking vengeance on the people who do not
follow God) when He comes back to Earth (often called Jesus'
"second coming").
This required being raised from the dead-a possibility the Jews never
considered. When Jesus was raised from the dead, many Jews then
recognized how the Messiah could be "one man."
From that time, more than a billion Jews and non-Jews alike have chosen
to get right with God and become Christians. Many of them made their
decision based on the evidence of these fulfilled Messianic
prophecies.
Couldn't Someone Besides Jesus Fulfill These Prophecies?
The number representing the odds against them all being fulfilled by
anyone would fill this entire website. This makes the fact that Jesus
fulfilled them all a miracle in itself. Still, some questions that
may
come to mind are:
Couldn't anyone else have fulfilled these prophecies if they really
tried?
Even though Jesus fulfilled these prophecies, how do we know He is
the
Messiah. Other religions say they have a Prophet that followed in
Jesus' footsteps and is the real Messiah.
I understand the Jews are still waiting for the Messiah. Isn't it
possible that Jesus happened to fulfill these prophecies and that the
"real" Messiah will still come some day?
You will notice that many of the prophecies are not under human
control. In other words, if someone tried to fulfill all of them, how
would they arrange to be (1) born in Bethlehem (2) with a virgin for
a
mother? Already they would have a problem-and these are only two
prophecies. Even a casual glance through this list reveals that a
person could not fulfill them by their own efforts.
There are many people that have claimed to be the Messiah (or a
similar
title that they gave themselves like "God's Prophet"). Some of
them founded false religions and cults, and have many followers.
Anyone
who has read the Bible expected to see them appear. Two thousand
years
ago, Jesus Himself said there would be many false Messiahs and
prophets
that follow him (Matthew 7:15; Matthew 24:11; Matthew 24:23-25; Mark
13:21-23). Examine these other "prophets" yourself. Was their
appearance clearly predicted in the Bible? Did they fulfill all the
messianic prophecies? The answer is obvious-none of them even came
close.
It is true that the Jews, God's chosen people, are still waiting for
their Messiah. However, not recognizing their own Messiah is part of
God's plan (Romans 11:25-27) that allows everyone else be saved (Joel
2:32; Romans 10:13). The Bible clearly states that "those who are
first will be last" (Matthew 19:30 and 20:16, Mark 10:31, and Luke
13:30). The Jews were the first of God's people, but they are kept
unaware of their own Messiah until everyone on the earth hears about
Jesus Christ. This is good news, since everyone gets a chance to
accept
the Messiah as their Savior and go to heaven. Once that happens, the
remaining followers of Judaism will realize that Jesus was the
Messiah.
At that time, Jesus will return to the earth, bringing those who
accept
Him as their Savior to heaven. Those who do not accept Him will face
God in judgment and be cast into the lake of fire (hell).
There is no question that these many prophecies prove that Jesus is
the
one and only Messiah. Since you now have proof that Jesus is the
promised Messiah who provides a way for us to go to heaven, click on
this sentence to find out how to "get right with God" through
Jesus.
Can we live forever? Can we be forever young and healthy? Is there
a fountain of youth? So far science and medical research has failed
to stop the aging process and death.
Yet there is hope, but this hope in not in man but is what God has
promised. Please take the
time to ponder the following inspirational words and you will see
there is
something to hope for beyond this life and the grave.
Piss orf, ya gormy twat.
There is no god. Of any flavour.
.
- References:
- God's Fountain of Youth - the Messiah
- From: Noah's Dove
- Re: God's Fountain of Youth - the Messiah
- From: B.H. Cramer
- Re: God's Fountain of Youth - the Messiah
- From: Noah's Dove
- God's Fountain of Youth - the Messiah
- Prev by Date: Re: God's Fountain of Youth - the Messiah
- Next by Date: Some funny anti-islamonazi cartoons that the prophet of pedophilia wouldn't approve of
- Previous by thread: Re: God's Fountain of Youth - the Messiah
- Next by thread: Re: God's Fountain of Youth - the Messiah
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
