Satan’s Lies and The Truths To Debunk Them

Satan is the father of lies. He deceives and distracts. It is helpful to recognize his lies and know the truth to refute them.
Here is a list of the common lies and some powerful truth that can help you push back on those lies.

List of Common Lies  &  Truth To Debunk Them

Lie: “God doesn’t exist.”

Truth:

Psalm 14:1 “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they have done abominable works; there is none who does good.”

Romans 1:20 “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.”

Isaiah 45:5 “I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me.”

Dig deaper on this topic:

My Blog Post: Why Should An Inteligent Person Believe In God?

Lie: “God doesn’t really love you.”

Truth:

John 3:16 “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.”

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

Jeremiah 31:3 “The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.'”

Lie: “God is far away and doesn’t really care about what happens to you.”

Truth:

1 Peter 5:7 “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

Matthew 10:29-31 “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Isaiah 41:10  “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

Lie: “This earthly life is all there is, there is no life after death.”

Truth:

John 3:16 “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.”

John 11:25-26  “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?'”

Ecclesiastes 12:7 “Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it.”

1 Corinthians 15:19-20 “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”

Revelation 21:4 “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Dig Further On This Topic:

My Web Page for resources on Life After Death / Near Death Experiences

My Video Playlist – What Can We Learn From Near Death Experiences

Lie: “Your life has no purpose.”

Truth:

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Jeremiah 29:11  “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Psalm 139:14  “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.”

Colossians 1:16 “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.”

Lie: “The Bible is just a myth, it is all fiction.”

Truth:

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

 2 Peter 1:20-21 “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”

Luke 1:1-3 “Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.”

Dig Further On This Topic:

My Video Playlist: Is the Bible Fact of Fiction? What evidence do we have that the bible is not fiction?

Lie: “Heaven isn’t real.”

Truth:

John 14:2-3 “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

1 Peter 1:4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.”

Revelation 21:4 “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Dig Further On This Topic:

My Web Page Dedicated to resources on Life After Death / Near Death Experiences

The Book – Heaven Is Real – First Hand Experience of Colin Burpo

My Video Playlist – What Can We learn From Near Death Experiences

My Video Playlist – What Can We Learn from Emanual Swedenborg 

Lie: “Hell isn’t real.”

Truth:

Revelation 20:15 “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Matthew 25:46  “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Luke 16:23-24   “And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’”

Dig deeper on this topic:

Howard Storm’s testimony of visiting Hell during His near death experience – story takes a while to develop but it is powerful

Lie: “The devil isn’t real.”

Truth:

1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

John 8:44 “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”

Ephesians 6:11-12 “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Lie: “God is punishing you.”

Truth:

Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

Hebrews 12:6 “For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.”

Jeremiah 29:11  “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Lie: “God won’t provide for you.”

Truth:

Philippians 4:19 “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Matthew 6:31-33 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

 Psalm 37:25 “I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread.”

Lie: “You can’t trust God’s promises.”

Truth:

Numbers 23:19  “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”

Hebrews 10:23  “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

Isaiah 55:11 “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

Lie: “You should be afraid.”

Truth:

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Isaiah 41:13        “For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.'”

Lie: “You are alone in your struggles.”

Truth:

Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

Psalm 23:4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

Matthew 28:20  “Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.”

Lie: “You don’t need God.”

Truth:

John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

Proverbs 3:5-6   “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

Psalm 62:5-8 “My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah”

Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

Lie: “You don’t need to read the Bible or pray.”

Truth:

Matthew 4:4 “But He answered and said, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”‘”

Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing.”

Lie: “Your prayers don’t matter.”

Truth:

James 5:16 “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

Philippians 4:6 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

1 John 5:14-15   “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”

Lie: “You’re defined by your past.”

Truth:

 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

Philippians 3:13-14 “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Isaiah 43:18-19  “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

 Lie: “You are too sinful for God to forgive you.”

Truth:

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Isaiah 55:7 “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”

Isaiah 1:18 “‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ says the Lord, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.'”

Micah 7:18-19    “Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us and will subdue our iniquities.”

Lie: “You can never change.”

Truth:

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

Philippians 1:6   “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Ezekiel 36:26 “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

Lie: “There is no hope for your future.”

Truth:

Jeremiah 29:11  “‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,’ says the Lord, ‘thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.'”

Romans 15:13    “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Psalm 37:23-24  “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand.”

Lie: “You’re better off giving up.”

Truth:

Galatians 6:9 “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

Isaiah 40:31 “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.”

Lie: “Live however you want, Sin has no consequences.”

Truth:

Galatians 6:7-8 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

James 1:15 “Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”

Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.”

Lie: “There is no right or wrong; do what feels good.”

Isaiah 5:20 “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”

 Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”

Galatians 5:19-21 “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Lie: “You should follow your heart above all else.”

Truth:

Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?”

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

Matthew 16:24-25 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.'”

Lie: “You’re in control of your own destiny.”

Truth:

Proverbs 16:9 “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”

Jeremiah 10:23 “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.”

James 4:13-15 “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.'”

Lie: “You can earn your way to heaven, just do more good than evil.”

Truth:

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

Titus 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.”

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'”

 

 

Why Should An Intelligent Person Believe In God?

An intelligent person should follow the available evidence with an open mind wherever it takes them.  They should reach their own conclusion about God with sound logic. If you want to know if God is real, or if you want more confidence in your current belief, the following discussion provides several lines of exploration you can and should pursue.

It Matters

The most important decision of your life is whether to believe God is real and worthy of your worship and devotion, or whether to ignore God and focus all your energy on you and your earthly life. If God is real, this decision has major ramifications for you and those around you, both now in this life and for eternity.  And if God is real, and this decision does have major ramifications, and you risk spending eternity in some lake of burning fire if you don’t get with the program, then it would be appropriate to invest some time and energy to explore the evidence, find out what is going on, and align yourself to avoid such a scenario. If God is not real, none of this really matters and the worst you will have done by exploring this is to waste some unimportant time learning about the most popular and pervasive myth ever concocted by mankind. This is called Pascal’s Wager… are you willing to bet an eternity in hell that it is ok to continue not believing in God.

God Hides, You will find Him only if you truly want to find Him.

God hides himself just enough that you must decide to spend some of your precious energy to pursue Him. If He was obvious and standing right in front of us, we would not require faith to believe in Him. The spiritual world operates on faith, and our free will decisions to pursue and believe. If you want to find reasons not to believe you can, and it is your choice, but beware, there just might be some serious consequences.  Once we decide to explore beyond the physical world in front of us and commit to explore the evidence for God with a truly open mind and open heart, He promises you will find Him.  I am highly confident based on my experience, If you truly want to find Him, You will, and I am happy to help.  

Faith should not be blind

The God of the Christian Bible never asks us to have blind faith. He is very clear that He left ample evidence of His handiwork in creation; The heavens reveal His Glory, his fingerprint can be seen in the world all around us, and He has written Himself in our hearts. He boldly claims that no one has an excuse to be ignorant of Him. He expects us to be able to gather up the evidence, figure it out, and make a sound conclusion. 

We should be able to defend our position

He also asks us to be ready and able to defend that decision with convincing logic any time.  Do you believe in God? What is the basis for your belief? What are your top 3 reasons?

The Evolution of Science

One interesting aspect of mankind’s spiritual journey is the evolution of science. The scientific community spent most of the 20th century trying to prove that we do not need a supernatural God to explain how everything works or how we got here in the first place. Over the last 50 years, scientific discoveries have made that much harder to do at almost every level. Open minded researchers can see that the evidence points more and more towards the existence of a supernatural God.  Those researchers who are committed to a materialist world view, who categorically refuse to consider God as a potential hypothesis, remain hopeful for an alternative explanation to emerge even when the odds are astronomically low and going lower with every new discovery. The interesting thing to understand is that this materialist approach is a new thing born within the scientific community. Science was originally founded out of Christian pursuit to better understand God. Based on His promise in the psalms.

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Psalm 19:1

They expected to learn more about Him by studying his orderly creation. The early scientists were Christians, and the first universities grew out of monasteries. It is fitting that following the science is taking us back to God where it started.

What evidence is available to support a Belief In God, Sometimes Called a God hypothesis?

These are my Top Ten +1 reasons to believe:

  1. The order and design of the universe points to an intelligent source.
  2. Evolution explains adaptation, but it does not explain the explosion of species or how we got here. There is another force at work
  3. Simple Cells are Not so simple. The more we learn, the harder it is to imagine them emerging from a soup of chemicals. None of what happens in a cell is random.
  4. DNA is information telling each aspect of each cell what to do, how to do it, and when. The only known source for information is an intelligent mind. 
  5. Life only comes from life, We have no evidence of life coming from non-life. The chemical building blocks of life are unstable and assembling them into useful structures is not non-random. Life only comes from life.
  6. Every painting has a painter. Everything that has a beginning has a casue outside of it. The big bang happened before space, time and matter, so the cause must be something super powerfull and outside of space, time and mater. 
  7. The Bible is a very remarkable document with powerful wisdom when understood and applied. There is more and more archeological evidence to support the reliability of what has been preserved since it was originally written, and to substantiate the people, places and activities described in its stories.
  8. Jesus was a real person, and the evidence for His crucifixion is remarkable
  9. Superntural experiences such as Nead Death Experiences are more and more well documented and yield very practical insights.  
  10. Personal experience interacting with God, guiding and shaping me along my journey, and working through me to help others
  11. There is an objective morality written on our hearts, an objective morality demands a morality writer.

Lets take each of them in a bit more detail:

1) The order and design of the universe points to an intelligent source.

Everything about the universe is organized and highly tuned to allow life on earth. Astrophysicists have identified dozens and dozens of characteristics of the universe that are critical to life on earth; These include the laws of nature like gravity, the constants of physics like the cosmological constant, and the initial conditions of the big bang like how much energy. In recent years they have learned that these constants and quantities are so precisely tuned that the odds that they came into being randomly are astronomically low. If the universe had more initial mass, it would collapse back into itself. If the physics laws that govern molecules were any different, we would not have developed stable galaxies. If the earth were only slightly closer to the sun we would burn up, if any further away we would freeze. If the mass of the earth were any greater we would be crushed by gravity, if it were less massive we would not have a protective atmosphere.  If Jupiter were not exactly where is, we would have been destroyed by asteroids. These are just a few examples.

Learn more:

Video from J Warner Wallace: (Link)

Video from Dr William Lane Criag Videos – The Fine-Tuning of the Universe (Link)

Video from Stephen Meyer: (Link)

2) Evolution explains adaptation, but not macro evolution

Evolution theory does a wonderful job explaining minor adaptations to environmental conditions. There is no evidence for macro evolution. Darwin’s theory demands incremental changes over time. There is no fossil evidence showing increments of one species gradually becoming another. Instead, the fossil record shows many species emerging very rapidly in explosions of change. The explosion of new species is even more challenging to evolutionists now that we understand how DNA controls animal architecture and cell function, and any new body plans require significant new chunks of DNA to cause the animal to produce the proteins needed ot create the cells for the new features, and then assemble the new cells into tissues and fibers, and then arrange them into structures, then to know how to use the new structures once they arrive. Many species share common characteristics, but rather than evolving randomly over time in a long chain from a common ancestor, these common characteristics could be genetic building blocks used and reused by a creator who intervened with His creation along the way.

Learn more:

Video from Hoover Institute, “Mathematical Challenges to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution” with David Berlinski, David Gelernter, and Stephen Meyer (Link)

Video from Hoover institute ” By Design: Behe, Lennox, and Meyer on the Evidence for a Creator”  (Link)

3) Simple Cells Are Not So simple

Advances in Microbiology now reveal that each cell has a vast array of molecular level machines opertaing to perform the functions encessary to keep it alive, and the cell wall has a multitude of very specific structures and features that allow it to bring in the necessary mix of nutrients and export the necessary wastes so that it can survive and mmultiply. The more we learn about simple cells the harde rit is to imagine that they could emerge randomly from a soup of chemicals. 

Learn more: 

Video from Tomorrow’s World Viewpoint:  Darwin’s Not-So-Simple Cell (Link)

Video from Science Communication Lab – Ron Vale: Molecular Motor Proteins (Link)

Video from  Clockwork: Your Unstoppable Copy Machine|DNA Replication (Link)

4) DNA is information, and information only comes from an intelligent source.

Each living cell has DNA which is basically a computer program for organizing the entire organism and running all the processes in each cell. DNA in each human cell contains approximately 3 million base pairs which represent approximately 1.5Gig of data. The DNA coding includes instructions for controlling replication and repair of itself. DNA is Information, Information is not generated randomly, it is highly specific and very complicated. information only comes from an intelligent source.

Learn more:

What kind of information is in DNA – Stephen Meyer  (Link)

5) Life only comes from life, life never comes from non-life.

Life propagates, it is never created from non-life. The popular story that life was sparked into existence by lightning striking a primordial soup of chemicals is a myth. The building block chemicals for life are naturally unstable and cannot wait around for lightning, and the complex chemical reactions to build chains of amino acids and other necessary complex molecules cannot be executed randomly in nature, these processes must be guided in a very precise way.

Learn more:

Hoover Institute Interview with James Tour and Stephen Meyer: (Link)

Creation Ministries Interview with Dr Stephen Grocott: (Link)

6) Every Painting Has a Painter.

We know from science and practical experience that everything that has a beginning has a cause from outside of it. This is called the Cosmological Argument. Science discovered in 1929 that the universe is expanding. If we run the clock backwards we know that the universe started in a big bang. The big bag was a tremendous release of pure energy before there was matter, space and time. The universe had a beginning so it must have a cause. The cause must be bigger and more powerful than the entire universe and it must be able to operate outside of matter, space, and time. A creator God is the most logical and elegant solution for that cause, and it happens to be consistent with Genesis 1:1 – In the beginning God.

Learn more:

Video From drcraigvideos – The Kalam Cosmological Argument – (Link)

7) The Bible is an Extraordinary Document and A Reliable Source of Wisdom, and History 

The Bible is remarkable in many ways, as the most popular literary work of all time, for the remarkable wisdom it contains, for how well it has been preserved over time, for how acurately it has captured the past, and how well it has predicted the future, and the impact it has had on individuals, nations, and society as a whole.    

Remarkable Literary Work

The bible was created to document the great acts of God over time to redeam and save His people and the world He created. It is the most popular book of all time with over a billion copies published.  It is a collection of 66 different works (Books), inspired by the Holy Spirit and recorded by 40 different authors from various walks of life from kings to soldiers, to prophets and priests. It was compiled over the course of more than 1500 years but has a consistent narrative ark throughout and has a remarkable number of interlinked passages; there are over 63,000 “Hyperlinks” in the bible. The layers of meanings in the bible become more and more significant as you read and re-read them over time. 

Learn More:  

Video from Tim Mackie – Where did the bible come from and why should we care (Link)

Chris Harrison visualization tool for seeing the 64K interlinks (Link)

Jordan Peterson describing how the Bible as the first hyperlinked text (Link), Deeper discussion (Link)

 Video from Mark Ashton at Christ Community Church  – 10 Reasons the bible is extraodinary (Link).

Profound Wisdom

The bible is full of profound wisdom; It is moving, and it has a broad influence on the way we see, think, and act at the individual levle and at the leve of society.  It offers timeless guidance on a wide range of life situations, including morality, relationships, and personal conduct. The biblical teachings have shaped western society with concepts like – we are each individuslly are created in God’s image and are worthy of respect. The bible has several books dedicated specifically to imparting wisdom to those who are willing to learn and apply it: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes.  The other biblical stories often share lessons by example; people following God’s commands and being rewarded or choosing to ignore God, pursue their own agenda and suffer serious consequences. Many of the biblical writings have layers of meaning, The literal story can be informative, but it can also be symbolic of other deeper meanings.  Many of the teachings are done in the form of metaphor and parable, where you must think about the story and figure out how the deeper message applies to your situation, but the deeper meaning is always profound when you figure it out and apply it. The bible reveals God’s nature and purpose.  As you embrace it’s teaching, you can be molded more and more into His image. 

Learn more:

The Bible Project – Wisdom Series Videos (Link),  Intro to Wisdom Literature Podcast (Link)

The HIGHEST Truth Of Them All | Jordan Peterson Deconstructing The BIBLE (Link)

Well Preserved

The bible is the best preserved piece of anchient literature we have. There are over 5,300 copies of the new testament in the original Greek, and hundreds of manuscripts of the old testament. The original writings were propogated by monks using a meticulous process. Detailed analysis of these documents and scrutiny of the variations that propagated allows us to understand when each variation was introduced and which is the most likely original. None of the variations impact the essential message fo Christ’s virgin birth, sinless life, sacrifice by crucifixion, and resurrection on  the 3rd day. The dead sea scrolls discovered in 1947 provided an even earlier copy of old testiment documents dated to 200 BC, and these further confim we have good traceability to the original writings.

Learn more:

Video form Dan Wallace – How can you trust the New Testament when the original manuscripts are different? (Link)

Interview with Deeper discussion – How Reliable Are Our New Testament Manuscripts? Dr. Daniel Wallace (Link)

Historically Accurate

The bible has proven to be reliable source of ancient historic information and even some scientific wisdom. The bible has been used to guide archeology digs and we now have archeological evidence of hundreds of people, places, and events described in the bible stories. For example Sodom and Gomorrah were real cities destroyed by fire from the heavens, A tribe of folks worshipping the God of the bible (YHWH) were indeed wandering the desert in ancient times, There were competing cultures sacrificing babies at alters that were warned to stop and then destroyed after 400 years of ignoring the warnings, There was a King David, There was a temple and it was destroyed, King Davids descendants were held in captivity in Babylon and then released to return and rebuild, Jesus was a real person, etc.

Predicted The Future

The bible was compiled from individual works written over a span of more than 1500 years. Over that time, there were many predicitons made of future events. There were over 2500 prophesies of future events in the bible, 2000 of them have already come true, the remainder are still in the future. Only God can predict the future, and He has demonstrated that capability.

Learn more: Article from Reasons to believe – Fulfilled Prophesy: Evidence for the Reliability of the Bible (Link) 

Remarkable Impact

The Bible is the best selling book of all time. It’s teachings change individual lives; people from around the world share testimony of being freed from substance abuse, destructive lifestyles, immoral behavior, and undesired behaviors due to following biblical principles and their faith in Jesus Chris.  The bibles teachings have transformed the world: Followers of the bible created science because they believed that it was orderly and studying it would reveal knowledge.Followers of the bible lead the abolition of slavery because the bible teaches that all people are created in God’s image and are worthy of respect., Followers of the bible created the entire western world which is the most prosperous of any society in history. Teachings can be corrupted and mis-used, but when applied correctly the reulsts are amazing.

8) Jesus was a Real Person, and There Is Convincing Evidence for His Resurrection 

The entire Christian religion hinges on three events: Jesus virgin birth, His suffering and innocent death on the cross, and His resurreciton on the 3rd day. Many non-believers question if Jesus was a real person, or if He really died on the cross, or if He was actually resurrected, When you review the evidence, there is a pretty convincing case that He was a real person, he did die on a cross at the hands of the romans, he was buried and then raised from the dead on the 3rd day.

    • The Gospels provide 4 eye-witness acounts of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection
    • There are several extra-biblical accounts of Jesus’ life, death, and hoards of followers who believe resurrection
    • There were over 500 eyewitnesses willing to suffer for admitting that they had seen the resurrected Jesus.
    • There was no debate at the time, that Jesus tomb was empty on the 3rd day. The critics of Jesus accused the disciples of stealing His body from the sealed and heavily guarded tomb. 
    • The 11 remaining disciples and Jesus’s brother James were so convinced by their encounters with the risen Jesus, they were willing to devote their remainder of their lives to spreading the word, being pursecuted, and enduring torture to the point of death. People do not take lies to the grave if they know the truth.
    • There is a creed written by the early church within weeks or months or a couple years of Jesus death to capture the essence of the Gospal story for those wanting to understand and believe. This creed is captured by Paul in 1st Corinthians 15.

Learn more:

Video From Lee Strobel – The Case for Christianity in 15 min – (Link)

Video From J Warner Wallace – Cold Case Christianity (Link)

Video Interview of J Warner Wallace – A 10 year Update of Cold Case Christianity (Link)

9) Supernatural Experiences Provide Insights

Near Death Experiences provide compelling evidence for Life After Death, God, Heaven, Purpose, and Accountability for your life.  Millions of people have had experiences during trauma where they leave their physical body, travel to heaven, visit with loved ones, meet angels or God, relive part of their lives, gain insights on their purpose, are sent back to continue their life, and come back a changed person. Analysis of these experiences across diverse cultures shows they are not a random phenomenon, God is real, Heaven is real, We are each here on earth temporarily and we are here for a purpose, the goal of our life is to transform so we flow God’s love through us to the rest of creation using our gifts and talents.

Learn more:

My Web Page on Near Death Experiences (Link)

    • My Web Page on The works of Emanuel Swedenborg (Link)

10) Personal Experience – We Each Can Observe God’s Hand In Our Life

If we open our eyes to the spiritual world, and are willing to invest some of our time and energy, we can see how we are being impacted by it, and then if we engage effectively, how we are impacting it. We can see God’s hand in our life (Providence), We can fele a deep sense of purpose for our lives, We can see God answering our prayers, We can even feel his presence if we draw near to Him. If we are willing to yeild our lives to Him, He will lead us on a wonderful adventure (Lead By The Spirit), and when we accept the authority he delegates to us, we can see the power of the Holy Spirit moving through us and impacting peoples lives.

Providence:

God puts us in just the right spot with just the right person to experience something significant that shapes our earthly journey. These events are often related to how you met your spouse, how you chose what school to go to, or how you got a job. When you look at the scenarios you experienced, the probability that all of those aspects happened randomly is close to zero, and once you recognize that such things have happened more than once in your life, it becomes clear that there is a greater force at work.

Sense of Purpose:

We are each programmed with a sense of purpose deep inside. If we are honest with ourselves and reflect on our lives, we know we are here for a reason, we have a purpose, there is a calling on their life. This purpose is different for each person but it is not random.  Our unique calling aligns with a passion deep in our heart and the gifts and talents we have in our earthly body.

Power of Prayers:

Purposeful and fervent prayer aligned with God’s will is very effective. A simple log of prayers and results seen will reveal that God is real and He is answering your prayers. 

Presence:

When we pursue God and draw near to Him in prayer or worship, we can sense His presence inside us – As sense of connection, inflow, and peace appears in our soul. 

Lead By the Spirit:

God wants to help you grow and mature. He is a Father, Counselor, Teacher and Shepherd. God will engage in an intimate conversation with you if you engage Him with all your heart. He will teach you, coach you, and lead you onto the path He has set before you. His path will enable you to bear fruit in this life and bring Him glory. Pretty wonderful 

Power:

When we align with God’s wil and actively engage others with the authority God grants by praying into some situation they face, you can often feel the holy spirit flow with energy to effect the other person. The effect is sometimes immediately visible, and sometimes delayed, but the sensation of the Holy Spirit moving is very real.

Learn more:

How To Hear His Voice – (Link to My Blog Post)

How To Get A Word Of Wisdom to Guide your path – (Link To My Blog Post),  (My Video)

11) There is a transcendent objective morality.

If we evolved as random accidents driven by propagation of our species, we should be motivated to do whatever it takes to elevate ourselves above others for our own survival and propagation. We should be murdering our competition, stealing their resources, and having sex with as many partners as possible to maximize our propagation. Counter to that agenda however, We know in our heart that murder of an innocent person is wrong, theft of others property is wrong, and that rape, incest and adultery is wrong. These are moral absolutes that suggest each of us has some inherent value as individuals which deserve to be respected and protected. This is consistent with bible teaching that we are created in the image of God with value and purpose, and those objective morals are written on our heart.

Learn more: 

Video from DrCraigVideos – Is There Meaning to Life? (Link)

Video from Jordan Peterson – The Lie of Relative Morality (Link)

Video from Jordan Peterson – The Case Against Moral Relativism (Link)

Video from Stand To Reason – Fatal Flaws of Moral Relativism (Link)

That is a summary of my top 10 +1 reasons to believe in God. Hope you find them helpful.  Post a comment if you agree, or if you disagree with anything I have said. I want to tune up these write ups over time. 

Next up: 

What are the arguments against God? And what are the best counters to those arguments. (Link) 

Why Should You Believe? Is the Bible Fact or Fiction?

The popular belive in modern culture is the Bibile is just ancient myths and legends and that it has been corrupted and manipulated over time. Why should anyone who understnds these facts believe anything it says. Well what if those claims were actually lies?

  • What if theere was aechological evidence for the places, people, and activities described in the Bible? Would that make it more credible?
  • What if there was clear traceability showing only minor changes in the biblical text across thousands of years? Would that make it more reliable?
  • What if the prophesies predicted actually came true? Would that make the other writings more credible?  

Archeological Evidence for Bible Places, People, and Activities

There is substancial archeological evidecne for the Bible stories and for Jesus but it is not widely known.

The following is a list of facts that have been sustantiated with archeological evidence outside of the bible. Each contains a link to either a reference document or a video describing this discovery:

Isrealites / Worshipers of God YEWEH / Wandering in the dessert

  • A hyroglyphic inscription at the temple of Soleb describes a land of the nomadic followers of YAWEH dating from 1500BC (Video)
  • A hyroglyphic inscription on a stele in the Egyptian tomb of Merenptah recognizes a people of Isreal with no king in 1210 BC (Video)
  • Curse tablet from Joshua’s alter in Schecem references YAWEH in ancient Hebrew from 1200 BC (Video)

Unified period – Tabernackle 

  • Shiloh has pottery with Hebrew dated from time of Samuel and the Tabernackle ~1000 BC  (Video)

Sin and Judgement for Sin

  • The Amorites sacrificed babies and children at alters (Video)
  • Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire and brimstone from above. (Video1Video2)
  • Ninevah was controolled by Assyrians, Jonah was sent to address sin and depravity. It is located in Mosul in Iraq (Video)(Article) 

Jerico established, Destruction by Joshua approx 1400BC

  • Location, Colapse of Wall, City burned but not plundered, Abandoned for a period per the curse – approx 1406 BC  (Video)

Omri and Ahab were Kings of Isreal, Moabites and Hittites were real people, Shiloh was a real place

  • Moab stone inscription describes relationships (Video)
  • Tablets document Hittite nation (Video)

King David 

City of David

  • The City of David has been discovered and excavated verifying many details from the bible (Video Tour1, Tour 2, Tour3)
  • Pool of Siloam – 50Mx50M ritual bath for millions of pilgrims visiting 3x per year, and place where the blind man washed Jesus’ mud from his eyes and gained sight
  • Hezekiah’s tunnel to divert water from the single spirng under the city into the Siloam pool (Video)
  • The pilgrimage road up to the temple mount with shops on each side (Tour)
  • Coins minted in the second year of the rebellion against Rome, referencing Solomon’s original temple
  • Destruction in 70AD at the hands of Romans – charred remains, bodies found hiding in tunnels

Temple Mount

  • Mt Moriah,  where Abraham was willing to offer his son in faith before God offered a replacement. This is now the temple mount
  • Origiinl temple mount location established (Video) 

Assyrian Conquest of Israel, Refugees from 10 tribes flee to Judah

  • Nineveh was a real place, created by Assyrians, currently called Mosoul in Iraq. ie Jonah and the wale. (Video)
  • Hezekiah’s wall built in Jeruselum to acccomodate refugees, Assyrians attacked Judah and failed (Video).

Babylonian Conquest of Judah, Exile in Babylon

  • David’s decendants were taken captive by Babylonians and lived in exile (Video).

Cyrus defeat of Babylon, Decendants return to Jeruselum, Babylon never reinhabited

Roman Occupation

  • Harrod built a palace, a dedicated city gate, and it had a courtyard with a raised Judgement Seat (Video)

Jesus Birth in Bethlehem

  • Micah 5 prophesy in 700 BC of Jesus to be born in Bethlehem, a copy dated 125 BC found in dead sea scrolls, (Video)
  • Specific cave identified as birthplace – Archeology, Historical sources, Very early Tradition – Justin Martyr 150AD, Origen 248AD, Constantine 320AD, etc.

Jesus Life / Death

  • Nazereth existed in time of Jesus (Nazareth House Video)
  • Cesar Augustus ordered an empire wide census to begin in 8 BC, Judea was included in this census process
  • Capernaum, Synagog, Peter’s house (Jesus’ home base) estblsihed from time of Jesus (Video)
  • Inscription from ~400 AD in Kursi, Land of Gederenes, identified as locition of Miracle of the Swine  (Article)
  • Jacob’s well at Shechem in Samaria has been recognized since its creation (Video) 
  • Pontius Pilot was Governor (Video)
  • Crucifiction was a real roman punishment (Video showing preserved ankle bones / hand bones / nails used)
  • Jesus was a real person crucified by the Romans

Christians were persecuted from the beginning

  • There were hundreds of followers of Jesus who were convinced enough to accept death in the 1st century AD
  • Christians worshiped in caves  – inscription “Jesus is With Us” in a cave from 200 AD (Video)
  • Dead Sea scrolls hidden by Christians hiding under seige in a cave in 70 AD (Documentary)
  • City of Ephesus in Turkey excavated – Was subject of Ephesians and One of the churches in Revelation – eventually destroyed by fire (Video)

The colleciton of videos talking about this acreaology is available on my youtube playlist: Is the bible Fact of fiction?

Prophesies fulfilled

Lets look at the second item on our list – prophesies fulfilled. Only God can predict the future, so if biblical prophets accurately predicted the arrival of Jesus and the circumstances of his life and death,  that would be pretty amazing. How many prophesies did they make,  2 or 3 ? I found a list of 25. And some claim there are 60.

#1. 4000 B.C. Jesus would have a mother but not father

Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

No mention of an earthly father, unlike the rest of Genesis genealogies

#2. 1400 B.C. Jesus’ family line

Genesis 12:3 “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you [Abraham].”

Genesis 17:19 God said, “…your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him…[not Ishmael]

#3. 700 B.C. Jesus’ virgin mother

Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

#4. 700 B.C. Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem

Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times [eternity].”

#5. 700 B.C. Jesus’ sinless life

Isaiah 53:9 . . . he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

#6. 700 B.C. Jesus’ family fleeing to Egypt

Hosea 11:1 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.”

#7. 400 B.C. Jesus entering the Temple

Malachi 3:1 “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty.

The Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. so this has to be a past event

#8. 700 B.C. Jesus’ way prepared by John the Baptist

Isaiah 40:3 A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.”

#9. 700 B.C. Jesus’ performing miracles

Isaiah 35:5–6 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.

#10. 500 B.C. Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey

Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous & having salvation, gentle & riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

#11. 1000 B.C. Jesus’ betrayal by a friend

Psalm 41:9 Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.

#12. 500 B.C. Jesus’ betrayal for 30 pieces of silver thrown in the Temple

Zechariah 11:12–13 …they paid me 30 pieces of silver. And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they priced me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD to the potter.

The Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. so this has to be a past event

#13. 700 B.C. Jesus beaten and abused

Isaiah 50:6 I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.

#14. 1000 B.C. Jesus’ clothing gambled for

Psalm 22:18 They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.

#15. 700 B.C. Jesus hated and rejected

Isaiah 53:3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, & familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, & we esteemed him not.

#16. 700 B.C. Jesus not defending Himself

Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

#17. 1000 B.C. Jesus’ crucifixion

Psalm 22:16 Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet.

Hundreds of years before the Persians started impaling people around 800 B.C.

#18. 700 B.C. Jesus’ death with sinners

Isaiah 53:12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors.

#19. 1400 B.C., 1000 B.C. Jesus’ bones not broken

Exodus 12:46 “Do not break any of the [Passover lamb’s] bones.”

Psalm 34:20 . . . he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.

#20. 1000 B.C. Jesus forsaken by God

Psalm 22:1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?

#21. 700 B.C. Jesus’ death

Isaiah 53:8b For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.

#22. 700 B.C. Jesus buried with the rich

Isaiah 53:9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

#23. 1000 B.C., 700 B.C. Jesus’ resurrection

Psalm 16:10 …you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

Isaiah 53:10–11 …though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering [death], he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied…

#24. 1000 B.C. Jesus’ ascent into heaven.

Psalm 68:18 When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train.

#25. 1000 B.C. Jesus seated at the Father’s right hand

Psalm 110:1 The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”

 

The Bible : Users’ manual for your life 

How is everything going? Are you thriving? Feeling blessed? Confident in your future? Free from your past?

If yes – Great !!!

If no – Remember, He gave us a users’ manual for this life; The Word of God

The more we focus on it; understand it, internalize it, and apply it, the more He can help us transform ourselves and achieve the purpose He set for us.

You have a choice to find it now and realize your full potential or you can wait until life beats you into desperation and it becomes your last resort.

It has certainly changed my life. Happy to discuss if you wish.

What is it: 

The bible is the word of God

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16)

The word is permanent and unchanging

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”(Matthew 24:35)

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”(Isaiah 40:8)

Why:

God sent his word to help us and guide us

“So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 8:3)

“It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” (Matthew 4:4-6)

He has high expectations for his word to create value in us

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10-11)

How:

The word of God is alive and powerful

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

We must focus on the word; read it, listen to people discuss it, study it until we understand it and believe it in our heart.  

“My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.” (Proverbs 4:22)

We must pay attention, be receptive, and be willing to dig to find understanding

“The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. (Proverbs 18:15)

“…do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

You must dig a bit for meaning – it is an important investment

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matthew 11:15)

“All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable.” Matthew 13:34

“And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.” (Matthew 13:10-13)

There are consequences if you do not understand and follow the word of God

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”(Hosea 4:6)

We must do what it says to receive the promised blessings

“…blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11:28)

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:22)

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24)

If we struggle to understand the meaning, we have a living model of it: Jesus is the word made flesh

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

Jesus took sin to the grave – By his stripes you are healed

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5)

“(He)…who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)

God sent his word to heal you – Focus on his word (Written or in Flesh) and it will Heal you

“He sent His word and healed them” (Psalm 107:20)

Take the initiative – Speak to your mountain

“For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.” (Mark 11:23)

If you have faith and believe, you will receive

“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”  (Mark 11:24)

As it is written, So let it be done

Hope this helps