Monday, May 5, 2008

How Do You Know there is a God?

As a child grows and matures in his thinking, he one day reaches a moment of formulating the most important question he will ever examine within his being.  That question is the topic of this blog.  How do you know there is a God?  In some way the question itself is a proof.  For the created to wonder about its maker is, in a sense, proof of a maker.  Following are some ways to help us know.

First, we must come to an understanding of faith.  Faith is simply knowing and trusting without the tangible facts in hand.  Faith believes what is yet to be seen, but is still known in the spirit and heart of a man.  For instance, one may believe in the wind.  But have you seen the wind?  Nobody has seen the wind but we can see ample results of the wind.  A flag standing straight out on a flagpole is proof of the wind.  The roar in the treetops or the waves on the lake are reasoning for their being wind.  Yet, we can't actually see wind.  God is the same.  He is a spirit (Jn 4:24), and being thus, is not visible to the human eye.  Like the wind, we can see His influence and grand design and know.  (Heb 11:3)

1.  Take a look at the stars on a starry night.  They hang perfectly in place night after night.  Billions of galaxies are out in space and with in each galaxy there are literally billions of stars.  How did they all get there?  What holds them up?  Read: Hebrews 1:2-3  The arrangement of the planets is noteworthy.  If the earth were a bit closer to the sun we would burn up.  If we were a bit further away, we would freeze and life could not exist on this planet.  If you believe this all occurred by coincidence, you are using much more faith to believe there is no God than it takes to believe there is a God.  It is difficult to illustrate how impossible the 'big bang' theory is.  I mean it would be like taking all the components of your computer apart...all the wires, chips, and tiny pieces and then get up on the roof of a ten story building.  Toss all the individual parts at once into the air.  While they are floating (in slow motion) toward the sidewalk let me ask you a question.  What are the chances that those parts will land perfectly assembled as a working computer?  Get it?

2.  Consider the constant cycle of water that serves to provide life for every living thing.  This amazing system was put into place by God.  Water falls in the form of rain, filling the water table, watering the crops etc.  Then, it runs off into the creeks and streams...down to the rivers and finally back to the ocean where, by God's design there is salt (a cleansing agent to kill bacteria) contained in the water.  Next, the water mysteriously evaporates back to the clouds and it just so happens that the atmospheric flows bring it right back over the land and the process begins again.  Now you tell me is that just pure happenstance or is there a Creator, a God who put this all together?

3.  Within the human body are proofs too numerous to mention.  The nervous system recognizes a rock thrown at you and quickly sends a signal to your brain that trouble is coming.  The brain fires a signal back to the body causing the arms to go up, eyes to blink and the torso to duck down in an automatic mechanism of defense.  As your food processes through your intestines the liver washes the food with bile to break it down into a form that can be re-absorbed and used for energy and the remaking of cells.  The human eye is a machine man cannot reproduce.  We initially see upside down but the brain flips the image produced and brought to us by all the intricate parts of the eye.  We inhale air into our lungs.  The oxygen is taken into the blood stream and the carbon dioxide is exhaled as a toxin.  We are fearfully and wonderfully made....not evolved.  Speaking of evolution...if we evolved to this point, why did we stop evolving?  Why haven't we gone on to the next level?  Further, if we evolved where is all the scientific proof?  I mean we have complete skeletons of dinosaurs, but not a single proof of a part man - part amoeba.

4.  Scientific study has proven the Bible to be true.  Archeological digs have unearthed cities, relics, names, etc which have proved the biblical events.  There are over 400 prophecies from the Old Testament which have been proven to be fulfilled.

5.  Jesus is proof there is a God.  All the Old Testament prophets who wrote about Jesus did so thousands or hundreds of years before Christ's birth.  Most of the prophets did not know each other or live in the same time period.  Yet, Jesus fulfilled their prophecies in an exact fashion...including where He would be born, how He would die etc.  One man figured the odds of this happening by pure chance.  He stated, (paraphrased) "Suppose you filled the state of Texas 2 feet deep with silver coins.  (Texas is a big state)  Then you marked one of those coins with a marker.  Next you blind fold a man and ask him to walk anywhere he wants to in Texas covered 2 feet deep in coins, and ask him to pick up the marked coin.  The odds of a man picking up the right coin would be similar to the odds of Jesus randomly fulfilling all of prophecy."

6.  Among many other things, perhaps the greatest proof of God is personal experience.  When man follows the laws of the Bible, his life inherently tracks toward betterment; better life; better health; better rest; better family etc.  The opposite is true as well.  When a person rejects God and His Word, he usually winds his way downward in all areas of life.  To experience peace, love, forgiveness through the power of the Holy Spirit is something words cannot describe.  Through faith you can know!

Through time, study and experiences of life we all should come to acknowledge there is a God and the only way to get to Him is through Jesus Christ.  One day all men will acknowledge and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  Hope this helps.

Have a good one...and wear a safety belt if you try the computer experiment!  ha.

Tim

13 comments:

Christopher(Element) said...

Wow...that's a great post. Very helpful.

I hit this point a couple of years ago. I just kept getting this question popping up in my mind. Shortly after, though, a couple things happened that, beyond a shadow of a doubt, made me believe again.

Anonymous said...

Pastor Tim, you have given such a wonderful, clear answer to such a diverse question. I will not only be able to explain to my children the wonders of God, but i also have a better understanding of God and his love. I pray that everyone that reads this will share in the understanding and be able to open their heart to God and see that he is real. I am so thankful to have you and your family as a part of my life. even though we are so far apart you still find away to let us know that we are still in the hearts of New Life Tabernacle I pray that God sends a special blessing today. thank you and I love you all. novella

Tim Estes said...

Chris - I think we are all challenged in this area at times. The pressure is really on in secular universities where they try, in many cases, to totally eliminate God.

I would love for you to share some of the things you mentioned that helped you place your faith back in God. (If you are comfortable doing that.)

Have a blessed day,

Pastor T

Tim Estes said...

Novella -

You humble me. I appreciate your comments and am glad you are receiving ministry through the podcasts and blog. Trish and I love your family very much. You will always be part of the New Life family.

Pastor T

Anonymous said...

Tim, it's always a really neat thing to slow down, get quiet, sit a spell, and contemplate some of these amazing truths about God. Thanks for pulling up the facts, giving us many things to consider. I love to sit outside at night, look up at the stars, and worship the God who made it all...the God who did ALL THAT and yet still desires to have a relationship with 'little ole' me'. Now that is an amazing thing indeed!!!!:-)

Here's a question for you:
Do you think the speaking of many words does our children (or anyone else) all that much good? I often wonder at this being a mom and all.....Sometimes I feel like I'm filling the air with very much noise--noise that does no good whatsoever.:-) blah, blah, blah.....

I was raised in church hearing all about God, constantly hearing words from the Bible taught both at home and at church. But for some reason, I never had ears to HEAR Truth.... not until I actually encountered Jesus later on in my teens.
(I wonder if it was because I was especially hard-headed or something?:-) LOL! Honestly I think it was more about me not wanting to be fake.... you know, wear something on the outside that wasn't real deep down in my gutt.

After all this time of being a serious follower of Jesus (30 years+), I sometimes wonder at the importance of words.....gaining much knowledge.....etc. I often ponder the verse: "The Lord God commanded the man, saying, "Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil"

I think about that.... how the forbidden tree wasn't just the tree of the knowledge of evil, it was also the tree of the knowledge of GOOD. Whew. Now that's something to think about!

I so want to eat from the Tree of Life--JESUS. But how?

Honestly, I sometimes get very tired of taking in so much knowledge-- whether it be knowledge of the Bible, news, politics, etc. I find that I mostly enjoy the quiet these days. I'm hopeful that maybe I'll be able to hear Jesus if I can just get myself quiet, still-- you know, actually SHUT UP long enough to hear.:-) LOL! We live in a world of constant noise/constant information. I guess all that sound plum wears me out at times.

So in regards to speaking....sharing knowledge of God with another soul.....I mostly try to be sensitive. I try to understand where a person is coming from. I try to actually enter their world, spend time with them and get to know them on the inside. As a result, I guess I'm hopeful to somehow be able to speak a word 'in season' (not just feed them with all my blasted head knowledge;-). LOL! 'Cuz honestly, like I said, I sometimes get very tired of hearing the constant noise....get tired of hearing myself talk....especially in regards to my kids. 'Cuz I'm sure I've spoken enough words to last a lifetime in that regard! LOL! My prayer is that Truth will somehow kick in for my kids-- as it did for me. I pray that Jesus would reveal Himself to them in a way that'll forever change them from the inside/out. I'm not sure saying the same things over and over again....giving them more and more good knowledge....is the way to go. But HEY I'm still processing all this, open to hear from you and other true believers who have ears to hear.

So, here's a question: Once the ground work has been laid, do we really have to keep bombarding each other with more and more knowledge? I know we need to encourage each other as believers.....but it seems to me like the way to do that in truth would be to simply spend more time with each other--gain an understanding of those areas where individuals truly need to be encouraged.

Karen Stone

Tim Estes said...

Karen - Wow! I think we need to reverse this thing and let you do the blog b/c you bring up such great content. I appreciate you and your family's heart for God.

Honestly I think we are talking perhaps about two discussions here. One, in raising children my opinion is we need to reinforce the basics...meaning keep feeding them proper information, especially early on. Reading Deuteronomy 6:6-8, I get the impression it can't be overdone.

That being said, the second part is exactly as you described. There is so much noise and voices (1 Cor 14:10)....and they drive me crazy. Information overload should be the theme for our age. One has to be quite discerning to make it through the day without excess media baggage.

I too love the quiet times. There are not enough of them. Scientists actually did a study a few years ago and concluded that totally quietness on earth had become extinct. Sad. We need times to be still and let the quiet voice of God the Savior speak within.

Finally...I join you in being one of the hard-headed ones.

PS...I enjoyed a quiet morning on your deck with your husband and two other men as we shared and prayed together.

Tim

Christopher(Element) said...

Really, it's been a combination of little prayers that have seemed to make everything just right. I've been really depressed lately when I'm on my own and no one is around to have to hold a reputation. It just always seemed to hit me hard. Since I prayed earnestly about it, I've been more than happy. There are still some moments, but that's caused by ongoing events. It seems that lately when I pray, the answer is so clear that it has to God...it has to be.

Tim Estes said...

Chris - Thanks for sharing. That is one of those personal experience evidences.

Have a great day.

TE

Anonymous said...

Sorry Tim. I suppose I went a little heavy on the speaking of VERY MANY WORDS, eh?;-) and I'm sorry too, that I went off in several different directions all at once. LOL! Please forgive me.:-) My excuse for that last part at least (lame as it may sound) is that 'I am woman'....a woman getting close to age 50. Now if you don't know what I'm talking about, you best read up on the subject matter-- 'cuz it won't be too long till Trish'll be there too.;-) LOL!

>>One, in raising children my opinion is we need to reinforce the basics...meaning keep feeding them proper information, especially early on. Reading Deuteronomy 6:6-8, I get the impression it can't be overdone.

I hear what you're saying.
When I read those verses and the ones proceeding them, I get a picture of something BIG, really BIG.... a language that begins within the heart and translates through ones words as well as through ones actions.
I, along with you, definitely believe the foundations in our children's lives were laid early, in large part through the speaking of Biblical principles.

>>We need times to be still and let the quiet voice of God the Savior speak within.

Can quietness of heart be maintained even in the midst of much noise? Is this what scripture refers to when it speaks of a 'quiet spirit'?
Jesus Himself went off to find quiet places. I tend to believe people (in general) have a hard time dealing with much quiet at all these days. And HEY, I find that fact to be quite alarming and sad. Scary in fact!

Scripture talks about leading a quiet life. Tim what do you think a quiet lifestyle should look like in today's society?
Is it something we can work towards?

>>Finally...I join you in being one of the hard-headed ones.

LOL! Bravo!:-) As I see it, the more the merrier!:-)
Hard-headed....and yet, hopefully soft-hearted all at the same time! Let's hope so anyway!:-)

Speaking of hard-headed/soft-hearted....I've always appreciated Nathanael In John chapter one.

Upon hearing news about Jesus, Nathanael says to Phillip: "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" LOL! Talk about a negative response, eh?! LOL!
What strikes me most about all this is.... skeptic that he was, Nathanael recognized who Jesus was after only a few spoken words. He immediately responded by saying: "Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel."

That, to me, is a beautiful picture of a person who's not caught up in outward appearances, not trying to impress anyone at all. I also think Nathanael is a picture of a person who was able to recognize and touch true spiritual authority the instant he encountered it.

That's what I glean from that story anyway.:-)).

Karen Stone
P.S. I'm thinkin' this may be another long post....so it could be that I may end up apologizing again. LOL!

Tim Estes said...

Karen - You needn't apologize for the length. This thing is to let us all open up and air out our hearts and minds. Communication is good.

I agree that it is scary how little quietness there is in the world and especially the Christian world. Some people are actually afraid of quietness in worship. They equate volume to spirtuality and anointing. Boy, talk about opening a can of worms!!!

We need times of stillness and quietness. In answer to your questions we should strive for a quiet spirit, even in the midst of a chaotic world. I think people will recognize a calm assurance within us, which is perhaps one of our greatest abilities to witness Christ's love.

The number one prescription drug in the world is anti-depressants. The reason? Folks have lost the ability to quiet the storm within without drowning it in the noise of music, drugs, etc. Thank God for the quiet times!!! "Be still and know!"

Tim

Anonymous said...

>>You needn't apologize for the length. This thing is to let us all open up and air out our hearts and minds.

Well that's good. You must sometimes think to yourself: "Karen seems to have an awful lot of air.";-) LOL!

>>I agree that it is scary how little quietness there is in the world and especially the Christian world. Some people are actually afraid of quietness in worship. They equate volume to spirtuality and anointing. Boy, talk about opening a can of worms!!!

I'd like to hear more of your thoughts on this subject Tim.

Ever read the book, "Latent Power of the Soul" by Watchman Nee? No doubt many of our religious activities originate within the realm of the soul, not the spirit. It takes discernment to know the difference.

>>We need times of stillness and quietness. In answer to your questions we should strive for a quiet spirit, even in the midst of a chaotic world. I think people will recognize a calm assurance within us, which is perhaps one of our greatest abilities to witness Christ's love.

The kind of calm assurance you're talking about doesn't originate in the flesh--- so it's not like you can just put it on, wear it, not if you don't truly possess it. No doubt peace from God manifests itself during the more challenging times in our lives, those times when we feel anything but strong. I'm just glad it's a peace which passes all human understanding.

>>The number one prescription drug in the world is anti-depressants. The reason? Folks have lost the ability to quiet the storm within without drowning it in the noise of music, drugs, etc. Thank God for the quiet times!!! "Be still and know!"

I once saw a translation of this verse which read something like: Be still, let go, and know that I am God. (Found this link yesterday: http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Meditations/Be_Still/be_still.html

I think christians often have a hard time with the 'letting go', 'giving up control' part. I often struggle with this part myself. Maybe our lack of knowing how to quiet the storm has somewhat to do with our own lack of personal dealings with Jesus?

I also think christians have a hard time letting each other go to that broken place (the place were we all need to go in order to encounter Jesus in the first place). Maybe instead of allowing each other to experience brokenness, we try extra hard to patch each other up before the proper time comes? before a genuine repentance is ripe and is allowed to run its course? I'm not sure it does much good to avoid some of the harder truths about 'self'. I personally think it's rare these days to find folks who have a healthy 'knowledge of self'. We often rush off to embrace those verses which address, "who I am in Christ Jesus' before we ever actually 'see self' ...before we truly understand how much we need a Savior.

In my opinion, settling for 'the outward religious fix' is comparable to taking a drug. Fact is, God wants to untangle us.... pluck up (by the very root) whatever it is which brings destruction into our lives. Religion and drugs merely dull the senses. Jesus sets us free at the core!:-)

Karen Stone

AskBeans said...

I like this version of Hebrews 11:1:

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."
New International Version

Tim Estes said...

Karen,

Late response from me...sorry. Been out of town w/o my laptop!

I think we are afraid to get too quiet b/c that stillness becomes the path to our broken places. Of course we have to have those area's dealt with before we can truly move forward. Hope all readers of the blog will practice the stillness of God's presence.

Blessings,

TE