The Wonders of Worship by Pastor E. A. Adeboye

John 4 v 22-24 Jesus was speaking here to the woman of Samaria, and He said “Ye worship what ye no not what, we know what we worship for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour comet and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the father in Spirit and in Truth, for the father seeketh such to worship Him.” God is a spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Now the greatest wonder of worship of God is that when we are not even sure that prayer will succeed, we know that worship will never fail. This is because the most important ingredients to answered prayer is found in Isaiah 55v 6. It says seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. In other words, there may be a time when you will seek for Him and He may not be found, there is a time you may call on Him and He may not be near. Now the question is: since God is invincible, how do I know when He is near? And when we talk about Him being near, how near is near?

In Proverbs 8 v17 God said I love those who love me, those who seek me early shall find me. Ok , when is early? Is it at midnight, is it 6am, is it 5am? When is early, how early is early? So we have a problem, even in prayer. How do we know whether He is hearing us or not because we don’t know whether He is near or far? But the problem is solved for us by saying if you worship God in spirit and in truth, God Himself will seek you out. It is not a question of me seeking Him now; it will be Him seeking me. And if God is seeking me, there can be no mistakes, because believe it or not God knows your address. If God wants to visit you, He doesn’t need anybody to point out to Him where you come from. He knows where you are born, He knows where you residing, He knows your present address. When He was talking to somebody that He wanted to send to Saul, He said Saul of Tarsus; is in a particular house, at a particular time.

He knows where you are born; He knows your present address, He knows the street, the name of the street was called straight. He said in the house of Simon, not just an ordinary Simon, a particular Simon. God have been numbering houses before you are born, He knows your address, and I am praying for somebody here today that as great as this crowd is God will seek you out. But that is where the beauty lies, For God to seek you out, God who is seated on his throne, for God to pay you a visit, he has to get up from His throne. And Psalm 68 v1-3 says let God arise and His enemies be scattered. So when you worship God and He is coming to pay you a visit, He arises. That is the greatest wonder of all! As soon as God arises, your enemies begin to scatter.

In Judges 15 v 14-15 the Bible tells us the story of how Samson dealt with the Philistines and they became angry and decided to lay a siege on the children of Israel, the children of Israel asked them why are you here? And they replied we want Samson. They said don’t worry we will hand him over to you. And three thousand men went to the rock Etam to go and bind Samson, he said “well just make sure you are not going to kill me because if you attempt that whether we are relatives or not, it is not going to matter”. They said no, we will only bind you and hand you over to the enemy. By the time they were binding him, God said nothing, they brought him down him from the mountain, God remained silent. And then they handed Him over to the enemy and the enemy began to rejoice, then God arose. Every one of you here tonight, and those of you listening to me all over the world, God will arise for you tonight. And as soon as God arose, the enemies of Samson scattered, those who are slow in scattering got killed; just One thousand of them.

It doesn’t matter how many enemies followed you into the month of June, In the name that is above every other name, by the time rises tomorrow they shall be no more. So what is your enemy tonight? Because when we talk about enemies many at times, people are thinking about mother in law, father in law, daughter in law, not necessarily so. Your enemy could be sickness, so if your enemy is sickness, that pain, that ache which is not allowing you to enjoy the abundant life that God has for you, if that is your enemy, all you need to get rid of it is to worship God. Mark 1 v 40-45 the Leper worship God, he was incurable until he worshipped God. The beauty about the story of that leper, is that when he was going down on his knees; he was a leper. But the time he finished worshipping and he got up, he was whole.

Tonight as you worship the Almighty God before the worship is over, you shall be whole in Jesus name. My advice however is that after you have been made whole, keep worshipping God; so that the sickness may never return. I have told you the story of a man who was carried to the headquarters years ago, completely stiff, his hands stiff like iron, his legs like iron. He couldn’t bend his hands by any means; he couldn’t bend down by any means. He came like that, we ask him if he will give his life to Jesus he did, we prayed a simple prayer, immediately everything became normally; he was able to kneel, he was able to raise his hands, he was able to clap, he was able to do everything he wasn’t able to do before. For two weeks he was always ready at the service, singing and praising God and after some time we couldn’t find him again. And so we did a follow up And he said “what is the problem? If you go to the hospital and you get well won’t you come home?” “Is it your church that healed me? I came to your church and I got healed, thank you very much that is all”. He got his healing but he lost it because some month later I saw him as I was driving from the university of Lagos I saw him; this time not only were the hands back the way there were, not only were the legs back the way they were, the mouth is now open and won’t close.

The healing that God will give you tonight shall be permanent in Jesus name. What if your enemy is not sickness suppose it is bondage. And you know that forces of darkness are holding you captive, like one of the brother before me who spoke, the mad man of Gardereans fell on his knees, before the demon could take over his tongue he was already on his knees worshipping God. By the time he was on his feet all the demons were gone. When you find yourself in bondage, worship God. You don’t have to attend a deliverance service if you know how to worship God. You cannot be a good worshipper of God and demons will stay with you, it is not possible. I have told you before that you don’t find me in any of our meetings beginning the service the way some people will do, saying we are about to start this service now devil we bind you etc, you don’t hear me say that, why? Because I have seen people binding the devil in the morning service and then they bind him in the evening service which means he got loose between morning service and evening service.

Now if he is that slippery how do I know that five minutes after I bind him, he won’t be loose? But I have found a better way of dealing with the devil; he doesn’t stay where people are praising God. Because God happens to be his number one enemy and nobody likes to stay where they are praising their enemy. That is why I start my own service by asking you to praise God. May I hear someone shout another halleluiah! If your enemy is bondage, worship Him, and after He has set you free, keep on worshipping Him. You can see me hammering on what He will do after. Because tonight as we worship God, God will do marvelous thing in our lives, and I want your healing to be permanent, I want your deliverance to be permanent.

Again I have told you the story of a man who swallowed a charm to make money. They gave him seven years; seven years. He will be ridiculously rich but after seven years you will die. He said no problem. Seven years of enjoyment is better than a life time of suffering. So he swallowed the charm. But the money didn’t come and what he swallowed began to bite him inside. A few days for seven years to conclude, he ran into the church. We asked him to give his life to Jesus he did, we prayed a simple prayer and he vomited the thing, right there at the headquarters. And of course for some time he was coming and he was praising God. After some time we didn’t see him again. And we did a follow up. And he said thank you very much they told me that I swallowed the first one wrongly. If you don’t continue in the worship of God after deliverance the demons will come back and this time they won’t come back alone, they will come with their friends. I am praying that your deliverance will permanent in Jesus name. So he swallowed it correctly this second time and money began to follow like a river. When it was almost seven years now, he had a brain wave; after all, all this demons are in Africa so if I run to Britain the weather there is cold so they won’t be able to handle that. So he jumped into a plane on his way to London, He died on the plane. The devil will always come for his own pay.

Thank God I belong to Jesus Christ. If you need mental or material breakthrough, worship God, In 2 Chronicle 1 v 6-15 the Bible tells us that Solomon worshipped God by offering a thousand burnt offering to God. It was an act of worship, the kind that the people around him had never seen before. That night God paid him a visit and told him anything you want ask. And the boy said, I want wisdom because he was so dull and he knew he was dull. Give me wisdom; give me knowledge so that I can serve you the way I ought to. The Bible says God gave him wisdom and gave him in addition, that before him there was no one like him and after him there have never been another one.

When you want wisdom this time I’m not only talking to student, I’m talking to all of us, wisdom is the principal thing. Business men needs wisdom, academicians needs wisdom. Even in handling your marital affairs you need wisdom, and if you need wisdom, worship God. He will give you wisdom and when you worship Him in Spirit and in truth and your way that may seems to be securely blocked by the enemy will be forced open. Occasionally as you go through life you find that when you turn to the right it seems to be blocked, you turn to the left it seems to be blocked, front is blocked, it becomes difficult to go back and you don’t even know what to do anymore; worship God! Like somebody mentioned earlier on the children of Israel were securely blocked by the wall of Jericho but when they worshipped God, the wall came down flat. You know among Pentecostal there is praise, they call it “shout down your wall!” In other word if you have a wall blocking your way, shout so loudly that the wall will fall; now it may sound funny but if that shout is not just hoooo! But if it is halleluiah, it will work. Is anybody faced with a blockage to your way tonight; let me hear you shout that blockage down. I told you that all I want to do is to briefly prepare the ground to worship God; we want to do something we haven’t done for a long time.

Daddy says “son, do you believe that I am Unchangeable?” And of cause the answer is “yes Lord”. He said “son do you believe that what I have done before, I can do it again?” I said “yes Lord”. So He asked me to tell you that the God of Joshua is still here today. And the way you shouted casually wasn’t the way He was expecting you to. Is anybody here having an obstacle? Get on your feet and shout a big halleluiah to the Almighty God. I can assure you that it may sound childish but you will testify. The Lord says there is someone here tonight; He said I will lengthen your life so that you can praise me more. Daddy says it is written that the first shall become last, but the last shall become first. He asked me to tell you that the last shall become first shall be your portion.

Whenever you worship God, He responds mightily. Any time you worship God He responds mightily. Let me give you an example, Davis said in Psalm 118 v1 he said my heart is fixed within me, I will praise the Lord, the Almighty God responded in Psalm 23 v 5 David now said thou prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. If you will decide to worship God without changing, whatever may be happening He will prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies. Do you know what that means? Irrespective of what your enemies may try, God will bless you. David said in Psalm 34 v 1 He said I will bless the Lord at all time, His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

You know what God said? “David, since you are going to bless me at all time. Since my praise shall continually be in your mouth, surely goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life.” You make up your mind that you are going to worship Him, He will respond mightily! I expect that fire will fall tonight, so it doesn’t matter what the enemy may do, this is your night because you are going to worship God like you have never done before and He will respond like He has never done before. I told those who were with me in Israel… I said there are two categories of worshippers, there are those who worship God, those who praise Him, after something has happened, after miracle, I called them baby worshipper.

There are those who worship God before their miracles come, they are the adult worshipper, people who will worship God, when the wall is still standing, people who will worship God even when the sickness is still there, people who will worship God when it looks as if they may never have a child. Because it is the adult worshippers, who worshipped God before the miracle, that always get more than they asked for. And tonight, just as David said Thou anoint my head with oil, my cup runneth over. The cup of someone will run over in Jesus name, if you are the one let me hear you shout halleluiah! Now before we move into the session of worship, I need to let you know that according to the word of God when a sinner tries to bring a sacrifice to Him, He doesn’t receive it, the word of God says a sacrifice of a sinner is an abomination to God. So if you are not yet born again, when it gets to the stage where everybody is worshipping God don’t join us, but if you will make up your mind that you will give your life to Jesus Christ right now, He will save your soul and then you will become one of those who qualifies to worship the Almighty God. Because the real meaning of surrendering your life to Jesus is to say from now, you are the One I want to worship.

I won’t worship the devil anymore, I won’t worship the flesh anymore, I won’t worship money anymore, I won’t worship sin anymore. If you want to surrender your life to Jesus Christ I want you to begin to come now …. And as you come begin to talk to God, ask Him to have mercy on you, ask Him to save your soul. Promise Him that you are surrendering to Him tonight. And the rest of us please stretch your hands towards these people and ask the Almighty to have mercy on them and save their souls. Ask that the Almighty God will forgive them of their sins. …In Jesus mighty name we have prayed. Father I want to thank you for all these your children who have come forward tonight to surrender their lives to you; you are the One who promised oh Lord that whosoever will come unto you, you will not cast out, they have come to you now, Father receive them in Jesus name, have mercy on them in Jesus name.

Let your blood wash away their sins tonight in Jesus name, save their souls and write their names in the book of life in Jesus name. Father from now on, as they worship you and call on you, please answer them by fire in Jesus name. Don’t let them go back into the world and let them serve you forever, in Jesus mighty name we have prayed. Now I want to rejoice with those of you who have come forward, I want to promise you that from now on anytime I am praying I will remember you in my prayers and very soon you will be receiving miracles, even miracles you didn’t ask for, so I am going to need your names, your address and your prayer I want you to pay attention, I want to tell you one story before we do what we are about to do tonight, some of you have heard the story before. We were in Abuja for the first Holy Ghost Service; we wanted to start a church so we decided to have an Holy Ghost Service. We were going to be there for three days I was in the hotel where they lodge me and I was praying with all my heart; Almighty God save soul, heal the sick, set the captives free, you know the normal prayer a good pastor should pray. When all of a sudden God spoke to me and said “son shut up” and like I used to say I was happy when He says shut up because at least it means He is listening. He said all that I have done for you when have you thank Me for it? Do this, do that, am I your servant? I said am very sorry Lord. He said for the next three days all I want you to do is worship Me, don’t ask Me for anything just worship Me. Am telling you it was very difficult; I will sing, I will dance, I will worship Him for a while the mind will go to something I need. Then I will say do this, He will say go back to worship. I did it for three days, towards the end of the three days, He said to me “son, because of what you have done, go home, select elders who will go and cement the foundation of the church, He said because all you have seen thus far is addition but now you about to experience multiplication. I won’t tell you how many church we have in the great Abuja but I can tell you this; one minister of Abuja pulled down forty six of our churches in two weeks and it didn’t bother us at all. That will tell you the meaning of multiplication. Tonight you are not going to ask God for anything, all you are going to do is to praise Him, for the next thirty minute or more if the Holy Spirit says we should continue you will just Worship God. If you want to sing, sing, if you want to dance, dance if you want to clap, clap. Just worship Him your own way. If you want to knee, knee down, if you want to lie, lie down. Just begin to worship Him for the next thirty minutes…. In Jesus name we have worship.

Blessed be your name 2ce
Oh Lord! Halleluiah Mighty is your name 2ce
Oh Lord! Halleluiah Holy is your name 2ce
Oh Lord! Halleluiah Jesus is your name 2ce
Oh Lord! Halleluiah Almighty God,
King of kings, Lord of lords,
I Am that I Am, Ancient of days,
the Glorious One, the Powerful One,
the Mighty One, the Loving One,
the Faithful One, glory be to your Holy name.

My father and my God because your children have worshipped you tonight, arise for them. Arise oh Lord; let your enemies be scattered 4ce Arise, oh Lord! Arise. Halleluiah! Arise oh Lord; let your enemies be scattered 4ce Arise, oh Lord! Arise. Halleluiah! Lord of host arise for your children tonight, if their enemies be sickness drive it away in Jesus name, if their enemies be bondage, drive it away in Jesus name. If their enemies be demons scatter them in Jesus name, if their enemies be poverty destroy it in Jesus name, if their enemy be barrenness, remove it tonight in Jesus name, if their enemies be sorrow remove it tonight in Jesus name. Because your children have worshipped you Oh Lord arise for them, give them something to sing about. They have worshipped you Lord, every wall of Jericho in their way bring it down tonight. Thank you my father, glory be to your name. In Jesus mighty name we have worshipped. Let me hear somebody shout a big halleluiah!

FROM RCCG JUNE 2013 HOLY GHOST SERVICE

Peace of Mind through God in an unstable world

We have no idea what the future holds. If it brings hard times, God can be there for us. If it brings easy times, we will still need God to fill that inner void we have and to give our lives meaning.

When all is said and done, what matters most? What really matters is that we are not separated from God. Do we know God? Does he know us? Have we shut him out of our lives? Or have we let him in? Through knowing him, he produces in us a changing perspective and gives us hope. Through being in a relationship with him, we can have peace in the midst of all circumstances.

Why must God be central to our lives? Because there is no real peace or hope apart from knowing him. He is God and we are not. He does not depend on us, but we must depend upon him. He created us to need his presence in our lives. We can try to make life work without him, but it will be futile.

God wants us to seek him. He wants us to know him and to have him involved in our lives. But there is a problem: we've all shut him out. The Bible describes it this way: "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way."14 We've all tried to make our lives work without God. That's what the Bible calls "sin."

Heather, quoted earlier, says concerning sin: "When I entered Stanford, I was not a Christian. The world lay at my feet then, waiting to be revolutionized. I attended political meetings, took classes on racism and social justice, and immersed myself at the community service center. I believed in the power within me to make a significant difference in the world. I tutored underprivileged elementary school kids; I ran the day camp at a homeless shelter; I collected leftover food to feed the hungry. Yet, the more I tried to change the world, the more frustrated I became. I confronted bureaucracy, apathy, and...sin. I began to think that maybe human nature needed a basic overhaul."

Is it not blasphemy to suggest that God would have a Son?

God is spirit. And Jesus is only God's Son in a spiritual sense, not in a physical way.

If someone says, "You are the Son of the Cedars" it means that person is from Lebanon. Or, if from Egypt, "You are the Son of the Nile." To say that Jesus is the Son of God, means that Jesus is from God. It is like a title. When the angel appeared to Mary, the angel said, "the holy One to be born will be called the Son of God." A title. Christians do not believe that God had any sexual relationship with any woman.

Isaiah said, "For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."9

He is God, who became a man, through Mary. He is God and Son at the same time, born of the virgin Mary.

Why do you think God allowed Jesus to be born from a virgin Mary?

To be born of a woman, and not from a man & woman, means he did not take on the sinful nature of Adam and Eve. When Adam and Eve fell into sin, they passed on the sinful nature from one generation to another, through their own children, down to us.

We are all born as sinners. We're all born with a tendency toward doing things our way, instead of God's way. We all sin. That's why the prophet David cried out, "With sin, my mother conceived me." We all were born with sin. We live as sinful people and we all need a redeemer.

But for Jesus to redeem us, he needed to have a different nature. He needed to be from the spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, no sinfulness at all. Isaiah said, "No deceit was found in him." No sin in him.

In Scripture, God took on the form of a burning bush when revealing himself to Moses. He took on the voice of heaven when speaking to Abraham. Who is to say that God is not allowed to take on the form of man in order to reveal himself to us?

What if you had this relationship?

Can we have a relationship with the God who created us? Can we be connected to God? I'm not talking about a God who gives you a list of do's and don'ts. Or a big policeman in the sky ready to bust you at the slightest infraction. I'm talking about a relationship with God that's based on love and truth and freedom and inner peace.

God created you to know Him. In the core of your being you know that. But all of us have rebellious spirits that say to God, "Hey, you go your way, I'll go mine. Don't bother me unless I need you." Some of us have said that. Others just think, If we can ignore the whole "God thing," it will go away. Still others of us say we want a relationship with God, but we want to come to Him our own way -- trying to earn our way. The truth is that none of us can earn or deserve a relationship with a perfect God.

Just as drinking or overeating has consequences, so does rebelling against or ignoring God. You may not even notice the consequences but eventually they'll catch up with you. God says the consequences are eternal separation from Him. You are in college now, hopefully having fun, preparing for your future. It's hard to think in terms of eternity...but you never know. My friend Steve, a 20-year-old guy, may not be alive by the time you read this. He's dying because he got HIV from infected blood. He has no choice but to deal with eternity now.

God has made a way for us to know Him here on earth and forever. He did this by sending Jesus to earth, to walk in our shoes, and live perfectly. But that's not all. We deserved punishment for our sins, but Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself on the cross on our behalf. All we have to do to know God is put our trust in the fact that Jesus paid for the junk in our lives that separated us from a perfect God. You can accept that and place your faith in Him or you can choose to reject him. That's your decision.

When I prayed to God, I told Him that I wanted to know Him and placed my trust in Jesus' death for me. I began a relationship with Him. I was now connected to the God of the universe. When our relationship is tight, my life is different. I don't need to run around trying to find the next thing to satisfy me -- whether it's money, drinking, or overachieving. When I blow Him off, I wander around trying to find that missing ingredient.

I don't know what you're dealing with. I don't know how the symptoms manifest in your life. Maybe it's excessive drinking, sex or drugs. Or being compulsive about exercise. Or killing yourself to get straight A's so you can feel good about yourself. These are all substitutes for our genuine need for connectedness with people and God. We all have that void within us that can only be filled by a relationship with God.

Maybe you would like to start a relationship with God right now. All you have to do is just tell Him. He knows the desire of your heart and is much more concerned with that than He is with your words. You might want to say something like this:

"God, I want to know you. I want to be connected to you. I have tried other things to fill my need for you, and they haven't worked. Forgive me that I didn't come to you first. Thank you that you love me and want me to know you. I accept that you made this relationship possible through Jesus' death. I trust you. Amen."


You'll find a relationship with God fulfilling and satisfying. When you are connected with God you have the foundation to build meaningful, lasting and significant relationships. Quench your real thirst.

Why not view Jesus as a prophet?

There is only one God. Here is what we know is true of God:

God is eternal - has always existed, exists now, and will always exist.
God is holy - without fault, perfect.
God is truth - his word stands always, unchanging, reliably true.
God is present - everywhere, at all times.
God is powerful - no limit to his power.
God is all-knowing - he has full knowledge of everything, always.
God is creator - nothing exists that is not created by him.

There is only one God. And all of the above is true of him. We know this because Scripture reveals this to be true of God. He has chosen to make himself known to humankind, to reveal this about himself to us.

Scripture also reveals that Jesus possesses these exact same characteristics as God. As does the Spirit of God. For example, let's take eternal.

Scripture says of Jesus, "He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him."12

Also, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him."13

But, if there is only one God, how could Jesus also be God?

On earth, we live in a three-dimensional world. Each person has height, width and depth. Two people might look something like each other. They might have similar interests, similar occupations. But a person cannot actually be the same as another person. They are distinct individuals.

God, however, lives without the limitations of a three-dimensional universe. He is spirit. And he is infinitely more complex than we are. That is why Jesus the Son can be different from the Father. And, yet the same.

The Bible clearly speaks of: God the Son, God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit. But it also clearly tells us that there is only ONE God. If we were to use math, it would not be, 1+1+1=3. It would be 1x1x1=1. God is one.

When Isaiah stated, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."14 Immanuel literally means "God with us."

Jesus said that to know him was to know God. To see him was to see God. To believe in him was to believe in God.

To see more about Jesus life and how he proved these statements, please see the article "Beyond Blind Faith."

However, there is something else about God that you should know. He loves you and cares about you.

Jesus tells us, ""As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."15

Jesus invites us, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."16

All of the struggles to try to do enough for God...Jesus offers us a new freedom. We experience his love, and we have a new motivation to please God. It is not out of fear, but out of joy in knowing him.

One of Jesus' followers, Paul, experienced this and commented:

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."17

What does Jesus offer us?

Q: "Why believe in Jesus? What does Jesus offer me?"

our A: Below are some of his statements made while on earth, in their context.

a way out of darkness -- "I have come as light into the world, that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness."1

satisfaction, an end to our inner thirst -- Jesus therefore said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world." They said therefore to Him, "Lord, evermore give us this bread." Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."2

direction in life -- Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life."3

payment for our sin -- "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."4 He was teaching His disciples and telling them, "The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later." But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him.5

abundant life -- Jesus therefore said to them again, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep."6

forgiveness of sin -- Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...' He said to the paralytic, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"7

eternal life -- "All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day."8

Where is God in the Midst of Tragedy

To what degree can we rely on God to be with us? Is He really someone we can turn to at all...in times of crisis as well as times of calm?

Who is God?

God is the Creator of the universe who yearns for us to know Him. That is why we are all here. It is His desire that we rely on and experience His strength, love, justice, holiness and compassion. So He says to all who are willing, "Come to Me."

Unlike us, God knows what will happen tomorrow, next week, next year, the next decade. He says, "I am God, and there is no one like me, declaring the end from the beginning."1 He knows what will happen in the world. More importantly, He knows what will occur in your life and can be there for you, if you've chosen to include Him in your life. He tells us that He can be "our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble."2 But we must make a sincere effort to seek Him. He says, "you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."3

Where Is God in Difficult Times?

That doesn't mean that those who know God will escape difficult times. They won't. When a terrorist attack causes suffering and death, those who know God will be involved in that suffering also. But there is a peace and a strength that God's presence gives. One follower of Jesus Christ put it this way: "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."4 Reality tells us that we will experience problems in life. However, if we go through them while knowing God, we can react to them with a different perspective and with a strength that is not our own. No problem has the capacity to be insurmountable to God. He is bigger than all the problems that can hit us, and we are not left alone to deal with them.

God's Word tells us, "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him."5 And, "The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them."6

Jesus Christ told His followers these comforting words: "Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows."7 If you truly turn to God, He will care for you as no one else does, and in a way that no one else can.

God and Our Free Will

God has created humanity with the ability to choose. This means that we are not forced into a relationship with Him. He allows us to reject Him and to commit other evil acts as well. He could force us to be loving. He could force us to be good. But then what kind of relationship would we have with Him? It would not be a relationship at all, but a forced, absolutely controlled obedience. Instead He gave us the human dignity of free will.

Naturally, we cry from the depths of our souls..."But God, how could You let something of this magnitude happen?"

How would we want God to act? Do we want Him to control the actions of people? In the case of dealing with a terrorist attack, what could possibly be an acceptable number of deaths for God to allow?! Would we feel better if God allowed only the murder of hundreds? Would we rather God allowed only the death of one person? Yet if God would prevent the murder of even one person, there is no longer freedom to choose. People choose to ignore God, to defy God, to go their own way and commit horrible acts against others.

This planet is not a safe place. Someone might shoot us. Or we might be hit by a car. Or we might have to jump from a building attacked by terrorists. Or any number of things that might happen to us in this harsh environment called Earth, the place where God's will is not always followed. Yet, God is not at the mercy of people, but the other way around. We are at His mercy, fortunately. This is God who created the universe with its uncountable stars, simply by speaking the words, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky."8 This is God who says He "reigns over the nations."9 He is unlimited in power and wisdom. Though problems seem insurmountable to us, we have an incredibly capable God who reminds us, "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too hard for Me?"10 Somehow He is able to maintain the freedom of sinful humans, yet still bring about His will. God clearly says, "My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all My purpose."11 And we can draw comfort from that if our lives are submitted to Him. "For God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."12

Where Is God When We Reject Him?

Many of us -- no, all of us -- choose at times to stiff-arm God and His ways. Compared to others, certainly compared to a terrorist, we might consider ourselves to be respectable, loving people. But in the raw honesty of our own hearts, if we were to face God, it would be with the knowledge of our sin. As we begin to address God in prayer, are we not caught short, paused by the sense that God is well aware of our thoughts, actions and self-centeredness? We have...by our lives and actions...distanced ourselves from God. We have often lived like we could run our lives just fine without Him. The Bible says that "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way."13

The consequences? Our sin has separated us from God, and it affects more than this life. The penalty for our sin is death, or eternal separation from God. However, God has provided a way for us to be forgiven and know Him.

God Offers Us His Love

God came to earth to rescue us. "For God so loved the world, that he sent his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him."14

God knows the pain and suffering we encounter in this world. Jesus left the safety and security of His home, and entered the hard environment we live in. Jesus got tired, knew hunger and thirst, battled accusations from others and was ostracized by family and friends. But Jesus experienced far more than daily hardships. Jesus, the Son of God in human form, willingly took all of our sin on Himself and paid our penalty of death. "In this is love, that he laid down his life for us."15 He went through torture, dying a slow, humiliating death of suffocation on a cross, so that we could be forgiven.

Jesus told others ahead of time that He would be crucified. He said that three days after His death He would come back to life, proving that He is God. He didn't say He would reincarnate someday. (Who would know if He actually did it?) He said three days after being buried He would show Himself physically alive to those who saw His crucifixion. On that third day, Jesus' tomb was found empty and many people testified to seeing Him alive.

God Invites Us To Be With Him In Heaven

He now offers us eternal life. We don't earn this. It is a gift from God offered to us, which we receive when we ask Him to enter our lives. "The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus."16 If we repent of our sin and turn back to God, we can have the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. It's pretty simple. "God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life."17 He wants to enter our lives.

What about heaven? The Bible says that God has "set eternity in the hearts of men."18 Maybe that means we know, in our hearts, what a better world would look like. The death of people we love convinces us that there's something very wrong with this life and this world. Somewhere deep down in our souls, we know that there must be a much better place to live, free from heart-wrenching difficulties and pain. To be sure, God does have a better place He offers us. It will be a completely different system in which His will is done all the time. In this world, God will wipe every tear from people's eyes. There will be no more mourning, crying, death or pain.19 And God, by His Spirit, will dwell in people in such a way that they will never sin again.20

The events of a terrorist attack are horrific enough. Refusing an eternal relationship with God, which Jesus offers you, would be worse. Not just in light of eternal life, but there is no relationship which compares to knowing God in this life. He is our purpose in life, our source of comfort, our wisdom in confusing times, our strength and hope. "Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him."21

It has been said by some that God is just a crutch. But it is likely that He is the only reliable one.

Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."22 For those who will rely on Jesus during their lives, He says it is like building your life on a Rock. Whatever crises attack you in this life, He can keep you strong.
Where is God? He Can Come Into Your Life

You can receive Jesus into your life right now. "To all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God."23 It is through Jesus Christ that we can come back to God. Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me."24 Jesus offered, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him."25

Right now you can ask God to enter your life. You can do this through prayer. Prayer means talking honestly with God. At this moment you can call out to God by telling Him something like this in sincerity:

"God, I have turned away from You in my heart, but I want to change that. I want to know You. I want to receive Jesus Christ and His forgiveness into my life. I don't want to be separated from You anymore. Be the God of my life from this day onward. Thank you God."

Have you just now sincerely asked God into your life? If you have, you have a lot to look forward to. God promises to make your present life one of greater satisfaction through knowing Him.26 Where is God? He promises to make His home in you.27 And He gives you eternal life.28

No matter what happens in the world around you, God can be there for you. Though people do not follow God's ways, God is able to take horrible circumstances and bring about His plan anyway. God is ultimately in control over world events. If you are God's, then you can rest on the promise that, "All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose."29

Jesus Christ said, "My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."30 He promises never to fail us or forsake us.31

Why Is Life So Hard?

Why do people get cancer? Why are there earthquakes that destroy entire cities? Why do people have to work so hard just to have enough money to barely feed their families?

Subconsciously, we probably ask ourselves questions like these quite often. But consciously we rarely do. We're so busy living our lives we rarely stop and wonder WHY?

But then something happens to wake us up. Our parents get divorced. The girl down the street gets abducted. A relative gets cancer. That wakes us up for awhile. But then we can often sink back into the denial. That is, until another tragedy hits, another incongruence. Then we're likely to think, Something isn't right here. Something is really, really wrong. This isn't how life's supposed to be!

So, WHY do bad things happen? WHY isn't this world a better place?

There is an answer to the WHY question, found in the Bible. But it's not an answer that most people like to hear: the world is the way it is because it's the world that we, in a sense, have asked for.

Sound strange?

What or who could make this world different than the way it is? What or who could guarantee that life is pain-free, for everyone, all the time?

God could. God could accomplish that. But he doesn't. At least not right now. And we're angry with him as a result. We say, "God can't be all-powerful and all-loving. If he were, this world wouldn't be the way it is!"

We say this hoping that God will then change his position on the matter. Our hope is that putting a guilt trip on him will make him change the way he's doing things.

But he doesn't seem to budge. WHY doesn't he?

God doesn't budge -- he doesn't change things right now -- because he's giving us what we asked for: a world where we get to treat him as though he is absent and unnecessary.

Remember the story of Adam and Eve? They ate the "forbidden fruit." That fruit was the idea that they could ignore what God said or gave them, and strike out on life apart from God. For Adam and Eve sort of hoped that they could become like God, without God. They consumed the notion that there was something more valuable in existence than God himself, something more valuable than having a personal relationship with God. And this world system -- with all of its faults -- came as a result of the choice they made.

Their story is the story of all of us, isn't it? Who hasn't said -- if not audibly at least in their hearts -- God, I think I can do this without you. I'll just go this one alone. But thanks for the offer.

We've all tried to make life work without God. Why do we do that? Probably because we've all bought the notion that there's something more valuable, more important, than God. For different people it's different things, but the mindset is the same: God isn't what's most important in life. In fact, I'd just as soon do it without him altogether.

What is God's response to that?

He allows it. Many people experience the painful results of others' or their own choices that run contrary to God's ways...murder, sexual abuse, greed, lying/fraud, slander, adultery, kidnapping, etc. All of these can be explained by people who have refused to give God access and influence over their lives. They are going about their lives as they see fit, and they and others suffer.

What's God view on all of this? He's not smug. In fact, God could rightly be viewed as leaning forward, compassionate, hoping we will turn to him so that he can bring real life to us. Jesus said, "Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."1 But not all are willing to go to him. Jesus commented on this when he said: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing."2 Again, Jesus brings the issue back to our relationship with him. "I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."3

But what about when life is unfair? What about those horrible circumstances that hit us in life, caused by someone other than ourselves? When we are feeling victimized, it's useful to realize that God himself endured horrendous treatment from others. God more than understands what you are going through.

There is nothing in life that could be more painful than what Jesus endured on our behalf, when he was deserted by his friends, ridiculed by those who would not believe in him, beaten and tortured before his crucifixion, then nailed to a cross, in shameful public display, dying of slow suffocation. He created us, yet allowed humanity the freedom to do this, to fulfill Scripture and to set us free from our sin. This was no surprise to Jesus. He was aware of what was coming, foreknowing all the details, all the pain, all the humiliation. "And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, 'Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day."4

Imagine knowing something that awful was going to happen to you. Jesus understands emotional and psychological anguish. The night that Jesus knew they would arrest him, he went to pray, but took some friends with him. "And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, 'My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here and watch [keep awake] with me. And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, 'My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will but as thou wills."5 Though Jesus confided in his three friends, they didn't understand the depth of his torment, and when Jesus returned from prayer he found them asleep. Jesus understands what it's like going through pain and extreme sadness alone.

Here it is summarized, as John describes in his gospel: "He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God."6 "For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."7

There is no question that there is pain and intense suffering in this world. Some of it is explained by selfish, hateful actions on the part of others. Some of it defies an explanation in this life. But God offers us himself. God gives us the knowledge that he has endured also, and is aware of our pain and needs. Jesus said to his disciples, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."8 There is ample reason to be afraid, troubled, but God can give us his peace, which is greater than the problem before us. He is after all, God, the Creator. The one who has always existed. The one who created a universe on the backstroke.

Yet even in his power, he's also the one who knows us intimately, even the smallest, insignificant details. And if we will trust him with our lives, relying on him, though we encounter difficulties, he will hold us securely. Jesus said, "These things I have spoken to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."9 He went through our ultimate threat -- death -- and overcame it. He can take us through the difficult circumstances of this life, and then bring us into eternal life, if we will trust him.

We can either go through this life with God or without him. Jesus prayed, "O righteous Father, although the world has not known you, yet I have known you; and these have known that you sent me; and I have made your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I in them."10 -->

What's My Purpose in Life?

Consider a hammer. It's designed to hit nails. That's what it was created to do. Now imagine that the hammer never gets used. It just sits in the toolbox. The hammer doesn't care.

But now imagine that same hammer with a soul, a self-consciousness. Days and days go by with him remaining in the toolbox. He feels funny inside, but he's not sure exactly why. Something is missing, but he doesn't know what it is.

Then one day someone pulls him out of the toolbox and uses him to break some branches for the fireplace. The hammer is exhilarated. Being held, being wielded, hitting the branches -- the hammer loves it. At the end of the day, though, he is still unfulfilled. Hitting the branches was fun, but it wasn't enough. Something is still missing.

In the days that follow, he's used often. He reshapes a hubcap, blasts through some sheet rock, knocks a table leg back into place. Still, he's left unfulfilled. So he longs for more action. He wants to be used as much as possible to knock things around, to break things, to blast things, to dent things. He figures that he just hasn't had enough of these events to satisfy him. More of the same, he believes, is the solution to his lack of fulfillment.

Then one day someone uses him on a nail. Suddenly, the lights come on in his hammer soul. He now understands what he was truly designed for. He was meant to hit nails. All the other things he hit pale in comparison. Now he knows what his hammer soul was searching for all along.

We are created in God's image for relationship with him. Being in that relationship is the only thing that will ultimately satisfy our souls. Until we come to know God, we've had many wonderful experiences, but we haven't hit a nail. We've been used for some noble purposes, but not the one we were ultimately designed for, not the one through which we will find the most fulfillment. Augustine summarized it this way: "You [God] have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee."

A relationship with God is the only thing that will quench our soul's longing. Jesus Christ said, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." Until we come to know God, we are hungry and thirsty in life. We try to "eat" and "drink" all kinds of things to satisfy our hunger and thirst, but yet they remain.

We are like the hammer. We don't realize what will end the emptiness, the lack of fulfillment, in our lives. Even in the midst of a Nazi prison camp, Corri Ten Boom found God to be wholly satisfying: "The foundation of our happiness was that we knew ourselves hidden with Christ in God. We could have faith in God's love...our Rock who is stronger than the deepest darkness."

Usually when we keep God out, we try to find fulfillment in something other than God, but we can never get enough of that thing. We keep "eating" or "drinking" more and more, erroneously thinking that 'more' is the answer to the problem, yet we are never ultimately satisfied.

Our greatest desire is to know God, to have a relationship with God. Why? Because that's how we've been designed. Have you hit a nail yet?

Does God exist? Six straight-forward reasons to believe that God is really there

By Marilyn Adamson

Just once wouldn't you love for someone to simply show you the evidence for God's existence? No arm-twisting. No statements of, "You just have to believe." Well, here is an attempt to candidly offer some of the reasons which suggest that God exists.

But first consider this. When it comes to the possibility of God's existence, the Bible says that there are people who have seen sufficient evidence, but they have suppressed the truth about God.

1 On the other hand, for those who want to know God if he is there, he says, "You will seek me and find me; when you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you."

2 Before you look at the facts surrounding God's existence, ask yourself, If God does exist, would I want to know him? Here then, are some reasons to consider...


1. Does God exist? The complexity of our planet points to a deliberate Designer who not only created our universe, but sustains it today.

Many examples showing God's design could be given, possibly with no end. But here are a few:

The Earth...its size is perfect. The Earth's size and corresponding gravity holds a thin layer of mostly nitrogen and oxygen gases, only extending about 50 miles above the Earth's surface. If Earth were smaller, an atmosphere would be impossible, like the planet Mercury. If Earth were larger, its atmosphere would contain free hydrogen, like Jupiter.3 Earth is the only known planet equipped with an atmosphere of the right mixture of gases to sustain plant, animal and human life.

The Earth is located the right distance from the sun. Consider the temperature swings we encounter, roughly -30 degrees to +120 degrees. If the Earth were any further away from the sun, we would all freeze. Any closer and we would burn up. Even a fractional variance in the Earth's position to the sun would make life on Earth impossible. The Earth remains this perfect distance from the sun while it rotates around the sun at a speed of nearly 67,000 mph. It is also rotating on its axis, allowing the entire surface of the Earth to be properly warmed and cooled every day.

And our moon is the perfect size and distance from the Earth for its gravitational pull. The moon creates important ocean tides and movement so ocean waters do not stagnate, and yet our massive oceans are restrained from spilling over across the continents.4

Water...colorless, odorless and without taste, and yet no living thing can survive without it. Plants, animals and human beings consist mostly of water (about two-thirds of the human body is water). You'll see why the characteristics of water are uniquely suited to life:

It has an unusually high boiling point and freezing point. Water allows us to live in an environment of fluctuating temperature changes, while keeping our bodies a steady 98.6 degrees.

Water is a universal solvent. This property of water means that various chemicals, minerals and nutrients can be carried throughout our bodies and into the smallest blood vessels.5

Water is also chemically neutral. Without affecting the makeup of the substances it carries, water enables food, medicines and minerals to be absorbed and used by the body.

Water has a unique surface tension. Water in plants can therefore flow upward against gravity, bringing life-giving water and nutrients to the top of even the tallest trees.

Water freezes from the top down and floats, so fish can live in the winter.

Ninety-seven percent of the Earth's water is in the oceans. But on our Earth, there is a system designed which removes salt from the water and then distributes that water throughout the globe. Evaporation takes the ocean waters, leaving the salt, and forms clouds which are easily moved by the wind to disperse water over the land, for vegetation, animals and people. It is a system of purification and supply that sustains life on this planet, a system of recycled and reused water.6

The human brain...simultaneously processes an amazing amount of information. Your brain takes in all the colors and objects you see, the temperature around you, the pressure of your feet against the floor, the sounds around you, the dryness of your mouth, even the texture of your keyboard. Your brain holds and processes all your emotions, thoughts and memories. At the same time your brain keeps track of the ongoing functions of your body like your breathing pattern, eyelid movement, hunger and movement of the muscles in your hands.

The human brain processes more than a million messages a second.7 Your brain weighs the importance of all this data, filtering out the relatively unimportant. This screening function is what allows you to focus and operate effectively in your world. The brain functions differently than other organs. There is an intelligence to it, the ability to reason, to produce feelings, to dream and plan, to take action, and relate to other people.

The eye...can distinguish among seven million colors. It has automatic focusing and handles an astounding 1.5 million messages -- simultaneously.8 Evolution focuses on mutations and changes from and within existing organisms. Yet evolution alone does not fully explain the initial source of the eye or the brain -- the start of living organisms from nonliving matter.

2. Does God exist? The universe had a start - what caused it?

Scientists are convinced that our universe began with one enormous explosion of energy and light, which we now call the Big Bang. This was the singular start to everything that exists: the beginning of the universe, the start of space, and even the initial start of time itself.

Astrophysicist Robert Jastrow, a self-described agnostic, stated, "The seed of everything that has happened in the Universe was planted in that first instant; every star, every planet and every living creature in the Universe came into being as a result of events that were set in motion in the moment of the cosmic explosion...The Universe flashed into being, and we cannot find out what caused that to happen."9

Steven Weinberg, a Nobel laureate in Physics, said at the moment of this explosion, "the universe was about a hundred thousands million degrees Centigrade...and the universe was filled with light."10

The universe has not always existed. It had a start...what caused that? Scientists have no explanation for the sudden explosion of light and matter.


3. Does God exist? The universe operates by uniform laws of nature. Why does it?

Much of life may seem uncertain, but look at what we can count on day after day: gravity remains consistent, a hot cup of coffee left on a counter will get cold, the earth rotates in the same 24 hours, and the speed of light doesn't change -- on earth or in galaxies far from us.

How is it that we can identify laws of nature that never change? Why is the universe so orderly, so reliable?

"The greatest scientists have been struck by how strange this is. There is no logical necessity for a universe that obeys rules, let alone one that abides by the rules of mathematics. This astonishment springs from the recognition that the universe doesn't have to behave this way. It is easy to imagine a universe in which conditions change unpredictably from instant to instant, or even a universe in which things pop in and out of existence."11

Richard Feynman, a Nobel Prize winner for quantum electrodynamics, said, "Why nature is mathematical is a mystery...The fact that there are rules at all is a kind of miracle."12


4. Does God exist? The DNA code informs, programs a cell's behavior.

All instruction, all teaching, all training comes with intent. Someone who writes an instruction manual does so with purpose. Did you know that in every cell of our bodies there exists a very detailed instruction code, much like a miniature computer program? As you may know, a computer program is made up of ones and zeros, like this: 110010101011000. The way they are arranged tell the computer program what to do. The DNA code in each of our cells is very similar. It's made up of four chemicals that scientists abbreviate as A, T, G, and C. These are arranged in the human cell like this: CGTGTGACTCGCTCCTGAT and so on. There are three billion of these letters in every human cell!!

Well, just like you can program your phone to beep for specific reasons, DNA instructs the cell. DNA is a three-billion-lettered program telling the cell to act in a certain way. It is a full instruction manual.13

Why is this so amazing? One has to ask....how did this information program wind up in each human cell? These are not just chemicals. These are chemicals that instruct, that code in a very detailed way exactly how the person's body should develop.

Natural, biological causes are completely lacking as an explanation when programmed information is involved. You cannot find instruction, precise information like this, without someone intentionally constructing it.


5. Does God exist? We know God exists because he pursues us. He is constantly initiating and seeking for us to come to him.

I was an atheist at one time. And like many atheists, the issue of people believing in God bothered me greatly. What is it about atheists that we would spend so much time, attention, and energy refuting something that we don't believe even exists?! What causes us to do that? When I was an atheist, I attributed my intentions as caring for those poor, delusional people...to help them realize their hope was completely ill-founded. To be honest, I also had another motive. As I challenged those who believed in God, I was deeply curious to see if they could convince me otherwise. Part of my quest was to become free from the question of God. If I could conclusively prove to believers that they were wrong, then the issue is off the table, and I would be free to go about my life.

I didn't realize that the reason the topic of God weighed so heavily on my mind, was because God was pressing the issue. I have come to find out that God wants to be known. He created us with the intention that we would know him. He has surrounded us with evidence of himself and he keeps the question of his existence squarely before us. It was as if I couldn't escape thinking about the possibility of God. In fact, the day I chose to acknowledge God's existence, my prayer began with, "Ok, you win..." It might be that the underlying reason atheists are bothered by people believing in God is because God is actively pursuing them.

I am not the only one who has experienced this. Malcolm Muggeridge, socialist and philosophical author, wrote, "I had a notion that somehow, besides questing, I was being pursued." C.S. Lewis said he remembered, "...night after night, feeling whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet. I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all of England."

Lewis went on to write a book titled, "Surprised by Joy" as a result of knowing God. I too had no expectations other than rightfully admitting God's existence. Yet over the following several months, I became amazed by his love for me.


6. Does God exist? Unlike any other revelation of God, Jesus Christ is the clearest, most specific picture of God revealing himself to us.

Why Jesus? Look throughout the major world religions and you'll find that Buddha, Muhammad, Confucius and Moses all identified themselves as teachers or prophets. None of them ever claimed to be equal to God. Surprisingly, Jesus did. That is what sets Jesus apart from all the others. He said God exists and you're looking at him. Though he talked about his Father in heaven, it was not from the position of separation, but of very close union, unique to all humankind. Jesus said that anyone who had seen Him had seen the Father, anyone who believed in him, believed in the Father.

He said, "I am the light of the world, he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."14 He claimed attributes belonging only to God: to be able to forgive people of their sin, free them from habits of sin, give people a more abundant life and give them eternal life in heaven. Unlike other teachers who focused people on their words, Jesus pointed people to himself. He did not say, "follow my words and you will find truth." He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through me."15

What proof did Jesus give for claiming to be divine? He did what people can't do. Jesus performed miracles. He healed people...blind, crippled, deaf, even raised a couple of people from the dead. He had power over objects...created food out of thin air, enough to feed crowds of several thousand people. He performed miracles over nature...walked on top of a lake, commanding a raging storm to stop for some friends. People everywhere followed Jesus, because he constantly met their needs, doing the miraculous. He said if you do not want to believe what I'm telling you, you should at least believe in me based on the miracles you're seeing.16

Jesus Christ showed God to be gentle, loving, aware of our self-centeredness and shortcomings, yet deeply wanting a relationship with us. Jesus revealed that although God views us as sinners, worthy of his punishment, his love for us ruled and God came up with a different plan. God himself took on the form of man and accepted the punishment for our sin on our behalf. Sounds ludicrous? Perhaps, but many loving fathers would gladly trade places with their child in a cancer ward if they could. The Bible says that the reason we would love God is because he first loved us.

Jesus died in our place so we could be forgiven. Of all the religions known to humanity, only through Jesus will you see God reaching toward humanity, providing a way for us to have a relationship with him. Jesus proves a divine heart of love, meeting our needs, drawing us to himself. Because of Jesus' death and resurrection, he offers us a new life today. We can be forgiven, fully accepted by God and genuinely loved by God. He says, "I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you."17 This is God, in action.

Does God exist? If you want to know, investigate Jesus Christ. We're told that "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."18

God does not force us to believe in him, though he could. Instead, he has provided sufficient proof of his existence for us to willingly respond to him. The earth's perfect distance from the sun, the unique chemical properties of water, the human brain, DNA, the number of people who attest to knowing God, the gnawing in our hearts and minds to determine if God is there, the willingness for God to be known through Jesus Christ. If you need to know more about Jesus and reasons to believe in him,

So, How Can You Experience a Better Marriage?

For a relationship to succeed, teamwork is required and both persons need to deny many of their personal wishes. Self-sacrifice must replace selfishness. Sometimes one person in the marriage can do this reasonably well, but eventually patience runs out. Self-sacrifice is not natural; selfishness is. Why is this so?

If we lived in a world where people were perfect, then their marriages would hum along in total harmony, just the way God wanted marriage to work in the first place. But we don't live in a perfect world. Quite honestly all of us are affected by our tendency toward selfishness and "sin." What is sin? We often choose to do the wrong things not the right things. We can be selfish, mean, hurtful, bitter, arrogant, unwilling to forgive, and so on. It's no wonder husbands and wives struggle to get along.

An I-want-my-needs-met attitude in relationships breaks down a necessary spirit of cooperation. The negative cycle begins and continues until intimacy is lost and a marriage begins to crumble.

Let's face it, we all need help -- some inner strength that enables us to love another person the way we must if a marriage is going to have a chance.

Our selfish, sinful behavior not only separates a husband and a wife, but it also separates us from God -- our greatest source of help. As the Originator and Designer of marriage, He knows how relationships work. He wants us to first have a relationship with Him, and then look to Him for direction.

Not only does God help us with problems and challenges we face on a daily basis, but He also offers healing for scars and wounds we have collected from the past. For instance, He provides complete forgiveness and cleansing from wrong choices we may have made as teenagers in a relationship with the opposite sex. God loves us and wants us to enjoy the benefits of being His child, which include His help in our marriage.

Why I Believe in Jesus

I came to the United States to attend a small state college.

I planned to go on to medical school. My first year of college was perfect. I was getting great grades, and I had a girlfriend and lots of friends. And I was quick to point out to people that I had all of this without relying on anyone but me.

I knew plenty of Christians. In fact, I read the Bible often, just so I could argue with Christians. I wanted to know what they believed so I could break down their reasons for believing. For example, my biophysics professor was a Christian. He would tell me about the miracles in his life, the ways he supposedly saw God's work in the world. But I thought he was way off. I'd argue with him, and try to convince him he was foolish to believe in Jesus. His faith was a joke to me.

It didn't take long for God to change my mind. During my junior year of college, everything in my world started to fall apart. My girlfriend broke up with me, I ran out of money and I had to drop out of school. So much for having it made. I thought about going back to my family in Sri Lanka, but I didn't want to face them when I'd failed so miserably.

One night, I sat in the college library, trying to come up with ways to get out of my situation. The only solution that seemed "reasonable" was suicide. But as I sat there thinking of the best way to kill myself, I heard a voice say, "Have you ever asked me for help?" I looked around and couldn't see anyone. I thought I was going crazy. Then I heard the voice say, "I'm Jesus, and I'm right here next to you."

I know this sounds strange. Believe me, I was pretty freaked out by it, too. But I honestly heard Jesus talking to me. As I listened, I felt something I'd never experienced before.

I felt filled up, not hollow and empty. I knew that what was happening to me was real.

I wanted to talk to someone, but I didn't know who. Suddenly I felt God urging me to go see my biophysics professor. That's right, the same guy I'd been arguing with all year.

I walked across campus to the science building and found him working in his office. As I walked in, he said, "I'm so glad you're here. God has put you on my heart and I've been hoping you'd come and talk to me." We talked a long time. I told him how empty my life had become.

I told him what I'd experienced in the library. As he talked to me about Jesus' power to change lives, I knew I was ready to follow Jesus. He prayed with me. That was the day I became a Christian.

After that, things started to change. God provided just what I needed, like a rent-free place to stay. But it wasn't just my situation, it was my heart that was really changing.

I wasn't worried about the future because I knew the Lord was in control, not me.

The people around me saw the changes too. Before I became a Christian, I was arrogant, selfish and manipulative. I had done things to intentionally turn people away from their Christian faith. But after my conversion, I felt humbled by God's power to change me. I wanted people to see Jesus in my life, not me or my accomplishments. I was almost grateful for my struggles, because I knew God was using them to keep me humble and focused on him. I wanted people to think, "Hey, if God can change the life of someone like Sam, I wonder what he can do in my life."

Why Are Christians So "Serious"?

Comparing sin to sickness isn't something I made up. Jesus used the analogy about 2,000 years ago. He once said he hung around spiritually hurting and morally messed-up people because it's "not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. … For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners" (see Matthew 9:10-12).

The mystery of the Trinity

What exactly is the Trinity? How can God be three people at once? Which one should I pray to? And what role does each of the three play? I'm confused./

Terrific questions! The concept of the Trinity is one of the great mysteries of the Bible. Romans 11:34 says, "Who among us can know the mind of the Lord?" God's character is so enormous that we, with our limited minds, cannot comprehend all that he is.

The Bible is clear that God is three-in-one: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (see Matthew 28:18-20). The three parts are separate personalities. And yet together, they form one being: God.

We can try to explain the Trinity with analogies and illustrations, but even these come up short, because God is so great, no illustration really does him justice.

For instance, look at an egg, and its three separate but equal parts—yolk, white and shell. Each has its own identity and purpose, and yet all three make up something more. Take away one of the three parts, and it's no longer an egg.

Now look at yourself. You probably have three names: a first name, a middle name and a last name. Standing alone, each of those three names represents you, but none of the three names alone represents your whole name. Only all three names together can do that.

Who do you pray to? God the Father. In Matthew 6:6, Jesus says, "But when you pray, … pray to your Father, who is unseen." Then Jesus went on to tell us how to pray, starting out with the words, "Our Father in heaven … "

You also asked about the roles of all three persons of the Trinity. Here's a brief, though not complete, look:
God the Father's role is to generate things. Things originate with him and flow from him. God the Father is equal with the Son and the Holy Spirit, but things start with him. The Father sent both the Son (John 3:16-17) and Holy Spirit (John 14:26) into the world.
God the Son's role is to pay for our sins with his blood, which he did on the cross (Romans 5:9). The Son also acts as a lawyer for us before God, acting as a "mediator" between us and God (1 Timothy 2:5), and speaking "to the Father in our defense" (1 John 2:1).
God the Holy Spirit has many roles. The Spirit helps us pray (Romans 8:26-27). He gives us new life (John 3:3-6). He is our Comforter, and he helps us understand God's word (John 14:26). He lifts up Christ (John 15:26). He convicts us of sin (John 16:7-11). He helps us to live holy lives (Romans 15:16). He gives us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). He helps us share our faith (Acts 1:8). And he lives inside us (Romans 8:11).

These things are just a beginning. We can't fully "define" God, or the Trinity. But that's what's so cool about God. He's so awesome, powerful and inexplicable, that we can't define him. Nor would we want to. He just leaves us looking to him with wonder and awe.

10 Things God Can't Do: He declares the end from the beginning

10 characteristics of God to encourage and strengthen you.

God can't get tired.
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary.
—Isaiah 40:28

God can't take on a job he can't handle.
Ah, Lord God! Behold, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for you.
—Jeremiah 32:17

God can't be unholy.
And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"
—Isaiah 6:3

God can't be prejudiced.
In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears him and works righteousness is accepted by him.
—Acts 10:34-35

God can't break a promise.
My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of my lips.
—Psalm 89:34

God can't remember sins he's chosen to forget.
I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake; and I will not remember your sins.
—Isaiah 43:25

God can't make a loser.
Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ.
—2 Corinthians 2:14

God can't abandon you.
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.
—Deuteronomy 31:6

God can't stop thinking about you.
How precious also are your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with you.
—Psalm 139:17-18

God can't stop loving you.
Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.
—Jeremiah 31:3

"Do you ever feel like nobody likes you? I feel that way sometimes, too."

Do you ever feel like nobody likes you? I feel that way sometimes, too. I think it's natural to want people to like you. I mean, who doesn't want friends? But I struggle with wanting everyone to like me. And when they don't, it's easy for me to feel bad about myself.

I have this big group of friends, and in that group, there's one girl who hangs out mostly with the guys. Now I was raised with brothers, and I usually feel more comfortable hanging around with guys than with girls. And most of the time, guys feel comfortable hanging out with me, too. So I was starting to feel kind of hurt that the guys were hanging out with this other girl and not with me.

One day, it really started to bother me. I crawled in my bed and just started crying. I was like, "What's wrong with me? Why doesn't everyone want to be around me? Am I just not sweet enough? Am I just not likable?" I came up with all these reasons why people wouldn't want to hang out with me. For instance, I have a strong personality, and I can be very intense. I'm also very honest, and I'll say what's on my mind. That's not always the best thing. Honesty is good, but sometimes I'd be better off keeping my mouth shut. I figured if I changed my personality, people might like me better.

The day after my crying session, I decided I would try to be sweet and quiet—to be the girl everyone would love. But that just wasn't me. And I thought, This is dumb. It finally came to me that this whole thing wasn't about me. People want to be with who they want to be with. Those guy friends of mine weren't choosing to not be around me. They didn't hate me. They were just hanging out with another person. That's the way life works.

I guess what I've learned is that not everyone is going to love me. Not everyone is going to want to be around me all the time. It doesn't mean there's anything wrong with me. And it doesn't mean there's anything wrong with them. People are just different. Sure there are things about me that I need to work on. But I don't have to try to be everyone's best friend. I only need to be the person God made me to be.

Amazing! Child Kidnapped Two Years Ago From Winners Chapel Has Been Found

A little girl kidnapped from the Children department of the Living Faith Church in Ota, Ogun State, has been found. The girl was brought to church this morning by her parents. The girl now around four years was reportedly sold to a woman in Kano. The girl known as Praise was taken away from the woman after the man who kidnapped her confessed to the crime. The kidnapper said he was struck with a strange disease after kidnapping Praise and also became blind.

In addition, he said he always saw the founder of the church, Bishop David Oyedepo, pursuing him with a sword in his dream, hence his decision to confess his sin.

The Bishop said the self-confessed kidnapper was taken to a branch of Winners chapel by his wife.

This is nothing but the hand of God. Don't you most definitely agree?

What about "Unanswered" Prayer?

Certainly people get sick, even die; financial problems are real, and all sorts of very difficult situations can come up. What then?

God tells us to give our concerns to him. Even as the situation remains dismal, "Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you."12 The circumstances may look out of control, but they aren't. When the whole world seems to be falling apart, God can keep us together. This is when a person can be very grateful that they know God. "The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."13 God may provide solutions, resolutions to the problem WAY beyond what you imagined possible. Probably any Christian could list examples like this in their own lives. But if the circumstances do not improve, God can still give us his peace in the midst of it. Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful."14

It is at this point (when circumstances are still tough) that God asks us to continue to trust him -- to "walk by faith, not by sight" the Bible says. But it's not blind faith. It is based on the very character of God. A car traveling on the Golden Gate Bridge is fully supported by the integrity of the bridge. It doesn't matter what the driver may be feeling, or thinking about, or discussing with someone in the passenger seat. What gets the car safely to the other side is the integrity of the bridge, which the driver was willing to trust.

In the same way, God asks us to trust his integrity, his character...his compassion, love, wisdom, righteousness on our behalf. He says, "I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you."15 "Trust in him at all times, O people. Pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us."16