My Life and My Faith...
Last week just flew by and I really haven’t had much time to blog, so I guess just briefly share about last week. Basically, last week went by really fast as I was busy doing lots of stuff and going out quite a bit since it was my sister’s last week of holiday here in Singapore before returning back overseas to continue here university term. You could say that last week began with the whole family back together and ended with everyone leaving for their various things, coz like my sis, went with my bro and father overseas, since Friday and my other bro went overseas for a chess tournament, since Wednesday last week. The week was fun in that I did some shopping mall hopping with my dad and sis, and I’ve been busy trying to set up my online shop and edit my blog, practise sketching using the guide books i bought on product design and of course practise my chess...and towards the end of the week, rest. As for my thoughts for last week, it has like spilled over into this week but oh wells, they are about my faith and the existence of God, fellowship in terms of family, friends and God, worship and forgiveness. And, my thoughts about my life and where I’m hoping for more.
A summary first of my week last week...
Monday: My dad, sis and I went to Bugis and Iluma in the late afternoon, after I had spend my time complete my daily “ritual” of reading the Bible (ok, to be clear not exactly a ritual, I do so because I want to learn Gods word and grow, and it helps strengthen faith and I do it every day coz I’m on a reading plan), doing my chess, checking my email and facebook, do sketching and etc... Except that I didn’t go swim. Actually haven’t actually been to iluma before, so it was interesting checking it out, like the cool look of the building and the minimalistic look inside especially at the lifts. Other than that though shops aren’t cheap there at all, the sell some unique stuff and that is about it.
Tuesday: We went to Raffles City to just walk about in the afternoon, after completing my usual morning to do list. This particular day was a little strange coz like my dad took us out although he was rather tired, nearly got us into trouble, but thankfully turned out fine. We barely walked much actually, so nothing much really happened.
Wednesday: After watching the channel U broadcast of the solar eclipse, went with my dad and sis to see off my bro at the airport, as he was going overseas to play chess. Later that afternoon, we parked at taka and went to check out Ion Orchard. Well, my take on it is that the structure is nice even if at first it look odd, and in fact it is quite modern and classy, inside the big brands are there, including many new fashion brands. The interiors are glamorous looking as you can expect with the marble flooring. But, it is surprisingly cramp looking on the inside, although the stores are huge. Well, cool to check out but not my kind of place...wait like who’s kind of place is this? (Expensive place). Then, anw had lunch back at taka, and we bought some household stuff and went back after checking out a few stores.
Thursday and Friday: basically so, we slowed down on the shopping trips for the next two days, as my dad, sis and bro prepared to go overseas (well, maybe not exactly), and I was beginning to feel unwell, which I can tell you now I’m still feeling but it’s certainly not swine flu, I got a headache and minor sore throat, both are separate symptoms. So, i just did my usual stuff, had my chess lesson, spend a lot of time on setting up my blog and online shop, and doing sketching, and of course resting. And, of course, Friday, they left.
Then, on Saturday, went for the Asean Para Games briefing, and yes saw all the other athletes who have representing Singapore before. And, in the afternoon I had chess squad training, where i lost my training game again...sigh. And, on Sunday, went for church service and went home straight after coz I wasn’t feeling well again. The only other highlight was, the Singapore vs Liverpool match which i watched from home. It was a fun match to watch i feel as much as I’m not a Liverpool fan.
So that wraps up the events of last week I guess...
Well, now then my thoughts for last week which some of which are still on my mind. Last week, was kind of like an emotional roller coaster it was like a high and then a low, just really up and down i guess. And, i began last week feeling very passionate and happy about my life especially that I’ve been working toward the plan of doing industrial design next year and setting up a online shop, but in the middle of last week my rhythm was messed up a little and a became a little less passionate as many concerns came up, in the end though, I guess i get through it and I’m back to normal i guess. The thought i was grappling with was about forgiveness. Somehow, this question dawned on me, like how does accepting and trusting in Jesus Christ lead to positional forgiveness, that is where God forgives us for our sins past, present and future and saves us from eternal death and brings us into eternal life. Of course, being baptised already and being in the faith, I have had to understand what it means to accept Jesus as my personal Lord and Saviour. But, i just sort of took that for granted in that I didn’t really think about the reason for certain things, I just knew it as you know, we accept and believe in God, and ask for forgiveness for our sins, and ask God into our lives, and then because Jesus died on the cross, our sins are forgiven and baptism symbolises the death of the old and birth of the new. So, as much as it sounds concerning, i think it is safe to say I understood my decision to be baptised and was ready. But, i think earlier on I sort of had a struggle in that I made mistakes and I felt that I wasn’t good enough because like I felt like as a Christian, how could it be that I still sinned? But, i’m not sure even how i understood that as a Christian, i should be no longer a slave to sin. But, i knew that we are saved by faith alone, it’s just that, to claim to have faith but continue to sin, makes it questionable. The thing is that I didn’t realise at first that, sanctification is a process, and that as a Christian it is impossible to be sinless in this lifetime, but sometime before i was baptised, I read about this topic and realised the fact that as Christians we desire to do what is right but sometimes we fall to our human nature. So really i wondered how true it is to my life at that point, but i realised that since I know I believe surely what I’m experiencing is only the desire to do right but stumbling at times.
Now then to answer the questions, the reason why as a Christian it is unthinkable to still be in sin because, sin is what brings eternal death and the reason Jesus died on the cross, to pay the penalty for our sins so that if we will believe in Him, we are saved from eternal death and brought into eternal life. As for positional forgiveness, by accepting Jesus Christ we are forgiven past, present and future, in other words we are called righteous, this is because by accepting Jesus Christ, we believe Jesus died on the cross for our sins and paid the price, and so therefore we are accepting the fact that Jesus died for our sins, so we no longer face the penalty, and thus we are forgiven for sins, past, present and future, since by faith we are accepting this gift of life, and faith is credited as righteousness by the grace of God. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us, so by His grace we are saved and forgiven. But, one thing to make clear, is that we still need to ask God for forgiveness when we sin, because it affects our relationship with God, like how a strain relationship between a father and child. Anw, really, it is no harm asking these fundamental questions, i understood enough to make an informed decision to place my faith in Christ, but now understand I it deeper, I accepted and then ask the underlying reasons.
The next thoughts were on fellowship, I was by some disagreements at home at times, in this case last week, prompted me to think about how do we live with people when we disagree about things. In fact, from the xanga subscription I received in my email, one person blogged about tolerance and how people deal with it if their friends do certain things they don’t like, for example like if someone speaks arrogantly and does something we are not comfortable with. How do you be friends if there are so many differences in thinking, I mean how do we accept one another. And, i guess, it was somewhere on the lines of if we are supposed to love every one, then, you know how do we cope with differences in values, and how to love the person and hate the sin in the extreme case. And, very often, we say we need to look beyond our differences and accept others for who they, but where do we draw the line, like I mean everyone makes mistakes, so are to accept the person for his mistakes and sins. I mean and for Christians, we are not sinless, so how do we deal with a Christian fellow who in some way did something wrong that hurt someone else. This is really confusing stuff, so I tried to make sense of it.
I guess basically, turning to the section in The Purpose Driven Life about fellowship, and specifically the part on restoring broken fellowship. These are the words from the book I found relevant, that relationships are worth restoring because life is all about learning how to love and God wants us to value relationships and make the effort to maintain them instead of discarding them whenever there is a rift, hurt or conflict. It says that we talk to God first, sympathise and confess that face the problem and reconcile. But, the part i want to focus on is the fact that it is impossible for everyone to agree about everything but we can still re-establish a relationship even being unable to resolve the differences, God expects unity not uniformity, and of course an effort to find a resolution is sometimes necessary. And, for conflict between brothers and sisters in Christ, God’s solution is for us to tell of our hurt to the person and work it out between each other, if he listens, good you’ve made a friend, but if he does not get witnesses and as a last resort go to the church. I believe these several lines answer most of my questions. Basically, i think we have to be very clear between what is just a matter of opinion, and what is a matter of values, Christian values that is.
In church we can generally assume among Christians that are values should not really clash since our values all are based on the ones Christ has set for us, but there are times really when someone slips up, and I guess our duty is to tell the person and help the person to pick himself up again. In the sense because values are based on an absolute truth, it seems a little inflexible, so basically, if there is a clash of values one party or both may need to re-evaluate their values and seek clarification of what is right and wrong, then make the necessary changes. As for opinions i think we can’t step in and force others, but we can agree to disagree and continue to be friends, since there is nothing wrong. As for the situation between friends and people outside of church it is a little trickier, especially when dealing with friendships with non-believers. Again, opinions we can live with different opinions, i mean that is what friends are they accept one another’s opinions and personality traits and yea, when they make mistakes, you forgive them, tell the other what is right, but still love one another.
But, when values clash, basically, i think we should be careful not to get into the wrong company and get led astray, but on the other hand, we should love and befriend other people, whether Christian or non-Christian, just being wary to stay out of trouble or bad things. We should love them and try to lead them to do the right thing and of course to bring others to Christ wherever possible. If they won’t listen, there is really nothing much you can do but be a friend and try to advice them, and i think you can still be friends, unless it reaches a point where it jeopardises your faith. The things is that people often argue that everyone has a right to choose whether they want to do what is right or wrong, but really there is actually only one absolute truth and that is God and the law He created. So we should try to change them, not by our strength but by God’s strength and if it be in God’s will, the person will turn around, but if he or she doesn’t that is as far as we can go, you can try to force a person but in the end it is a person’s choice, and so it is not wrong to try to force that on others in that sense.
And, i think as family members in our own families this same kind of unity is required, we are to accept one another’s differences but again, sometimes certain values are important to hold on to, the most important thing though is that love be the aim as, we seek God’s guidance in loving people but hating sin. As for our relationship with God, it is the most important thing in life, and we need to continue to grow that relationship daily, and of course in this case there is no arguing with God for is the very one who enabled us to even argue. As a thing we can learn about fellowship with God it is that He is a sovereign God, and we should have a trusting relationship in Him, to love and follow Him all the days of our lives and as we know Him (God) more, He will through His great power, give us all we need to live a very good life.
Now then, someone made a statement last week on my blog that was sadly completely away from the truth about the existence of God. So I just want to share the reason that we have a great and mighty God, who created the universe, man and all things, and send His son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life, and who is coming again, He is the king of kings and Lord of Lords.
Below is from gotquestions.org...
Question: "Does God exist? Is there evidence for the existence of God?"
Answer: The existence of God cannot be proved or disproved. The Bible says that we must accept by faith the fact that God exists: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). If God so desired, He could simply appear and prove to the whole world that He exists. But if He did that, there would be no need for faith. “Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed’” (John 20:29).
That does not mean, however, that there is no evidence of God’s existence. The Bible states, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world” (Psalm 19:1-4). Looking at the stars, understanding the vastness of the universe, observing the wonders of nature, seeing the beauty of a sunset—all of these things point to a Creator God. If these were not enough, there is also evidence of God in our own hearts. Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us, “…He has also set eternity in the hearts of men.” Deep within us is the recognition that there is something beyond this life and someone beyond this world. We can deny this knowledge intellectually, but God’s presence in us and all around us is still obvious. Despite this, the Bible warns that some will still deny God’s existence: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1). Since the vast majority of people throughout history, in all cultures, in all civilizations, and on all continents believe in the existence of some kind of God, there must be something (or someone) causing this belief.In addition to the biblical arguments for God’s existence, there are logical arguments.
First, there is the ontological argument. The most popular form of the ontological argument uses the concept of God to prove God’s existence. It begins with the definition of God as “a being than which no greater can be conceived.” It is then argued that to exist is greater than to not exist, and therefore the greatest conceivable being must exist. If God did not exist, then God would not be the greatest conceivable being, and that would contradict the very definition of God.
A second argument is the teleological argument.The teleological argument states that since the universe displays such an amazing design, there must have been a divine Designer. For example, if the Earth were even a few hundred miles closer or farther away from the sun, it would not be capable of supporting much of the life it currently does. If the elements in our atmosphere were even a few percentage points different, nearly every living thing on earth would die. The odds of a single protein molecule forming by chance is 1 in 10243 (that is a 10 followed by 243 zeros). A single cell is comprised of millions of protein molecules.
A third logical argument for God’s existence is called the cosmological argument. Every effect must have a cause. This universe and everything in it is an effect. There must be something that caused everything to come into existence. Ultimately, there must be something “un-caused” in order to cause everything else to come into existence. That “un-caused” cause is God.
A fourth argument is known as the moral argument. Every culture throughout history has had some form of law. Everyone has a sense of right and wrong. Murder, lying, stealing, and immorality are almost universally rejected. Where did this sense of right and wrong come from if not from a holy God?Despite all of this, the Bible tells us that people will reject the clear and undeniable knowledge of God and believe a lie instead. Romans 1:25 declares, “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.” The Bible also proclaims that people are without excuse for not believing in God: “For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).
People claim to reject God’s existence because it is “not scientific” or “because there is no proof.” The true reason is that once they admit that there is a God, they also must realize that they are responsible to God and in need of forgiveness from Him (Romans 3:23, 6:23). If God exists, then we are accountable to Him for our actions. If God does not exist, then we can do whatever we want without having to worry about God judging us. That is why many of those who deny the existence of God cling strongly to the theory of naturalistic evolution—it gives them an alternative to believing in a Creator God. God exists and ultimately everyone knows that He exists. The very fact that some attempt so aggressively to disprove His existence is in fact an argument for His existence.
How do we know God exists? As Christians, we know God exists because we speak to Him every day. We do not audibly hear Him speaking to us, but we sense His presence, we feel His leading, we know His love, we desire His grace. Things have occurred in our lives that have no possible explanation other than God. God has so miraculously saved us and changed our lives that we cannot help but acknowledge and praise His existence. None of these arguments can persuade anyone who refuses to acknowledge what is already obvious. In the end, God’s existence must be accepted by faith (Hebrews 11:6). Faith in God is not a blind leap into the dark; it is safe step into a well-lit room where the vast majority of people are already standing.
I must say that in looking at this, I was prompted to look at my own faith and ask myself the question how do I know God exists. In the past, and even now i can feel the work of God’s hands in my life, like in my last post, i mentioned how God has opened a path for me to do my passion when all hope seemed lost at first. We may not always feel God’s presence but at times we can feel it, however God is always with us. And, my troubles in life, the good things the Lord has done for me, my mistakes, the people in my life, the things that have happened to me, my passion for life and my desire for meaning in life has ultimately always led me to God alone. That is why I believe in God.
Finally, one last thought I had for last week was with regards to my life right now. I just feel like there are things in life which i have missed out on and I feel like I I’ve been so alone with and haven’t been part of any group of friends. Well, I’m just trying to live my life as fully as possible, and I’m trusting that the Lord has a plan for me that will allow to take the next step in my life to be more actively involved in activities and to learn to grow wide to reach out to others and find a group of friends in His time. But, i guess i need to remind myself also though that God’s glory is my aim in life, and i will have to do whatever it takes, even if it means not having all the things i think i want coz I know God has a plan for me that is best for me and greater than I can imagine. And, really with all the Lord has done for me, how can i feel any other but that I will live my most amazing life, and that i can praise God each and every day of my life, good or bad. Look I’ve got so much to look forward to, my life is good, I have most things i want, I’m representing my country and I’m going to do my passion. And, my passion at the end of this week feel as strong as ever again, and I am spiritually back to being full of praise and worship for God as it should be.
To end, this is my life and my faith, and with great joy no matter the circumstances good or bad, I can say that there is absolutely nothing that I should be worried about or afraid of for, in Christ I know that I am living my best life and have the eternal hope of salvation, so I just celebrate each day.
A summary first of my week last week...
Monday: My dad, sis and I went to Bugis and Iluma in the late afternoon, after I had spend my time complete my daily “ritual” of reading the Bible (ok, to be clear not exactly a ritual, I do so because I want to learn Gods word and grow, and it helps strengthen faith and I do it every day coz I’m on a reading plan), doing my chess, checking my email and facebook, do sketching and etc... Except that I didn’t go swim. Actually haven’t actually been to iluma before, so it was interesting checking it out, like the cool look of the building and the minimalistic look inside especially at the lifts. Other than that though shops aren’t cheap there at all, the sell some unique stuff and that is about it.
Tuesday: We went to Raffles City to just walk about in the afternoon, after completing my usual morning to do list. This particular day was a little strange coz like my dad took us out although he was rather tired, nearly got us into trouble, but thankfully turned out fine. We barely walked much actually, so nothing much really happened.
Wednesday: After watching the channel U broadcast of the solar eclipse, went with my dad and sis to see off my bro at the airport, as he was going overseas to play chess. Later that afternoon, we parked at taka and went to check out Ion Orchard. Well, my take on it is that the structure is nice even if at first it look odd, and in fact it is quite modern and classy, inside the big brands are there, including many new fashion brands. The interiors are glamorous looking as you can expect with the marble flooring. But, it is surprisingly cramp looking on the inside, although the stores are huge. Well, cool to check out but not my kind of place...wait like who’s kind of place is this? (Expensive place). Then, anw had lunch back at taka, and we bought some household stuff and went back after checking out a few stores.
Thursday and Friday: basically so, we slowed down on the shopping trips for the next two days, as my dad, sis and bro prepared to go overseas (well, maybe not exactly), and I was beginning to feel unwell, which I can tell you now I’m still feeling but it’s certainly not swine flu, I got a headache and minor sore throat, both are separate symptoms. So, i just did my usual stuff, had my chess lesson, spend a lot of time on setting up my blog and online shop, and doing sketching, and of course resting. And, of course, Friday, they left.
Then, on Saturday, went for the Asean Para Games briefing, and yes saw all the other athletes who have representing Singapore before. And, in the afternoon I had chess squad training, where i lost my training game again...sigh. And, on Sunday, went for church service and went home straight after coz I wasn’t feeling well again. The only other highlight was, the Singapore vs Liverpool match which i watched from home. It was a fun match to watch i feel as much as I’m not a Liverpool fan.
So that wraps up the events of last week I guess...
Well, now then my thoughts for last week which some of which are still on my mind. Last week, was kind of like an emotional roller coaster it was like a high and then a low, just really up and down i guess. And, i began last week feeling very passionate and happy about my life especially that I’ve been working toward the plan of doing industrial design next year and setting up a online shop, but in the middle of last week my rhythm was messed up a little and a became a little less passionate as many concerns came up, in the end though, I guess i get through it and I’m back to normal i guess. The thought i was grappling with was about forgiveness. Somehow, this question dawned on me, like how does accepting and trusting in Jesus Christ lead to positional forgiveness, that is where God forgives us for our sins past, present and future and saves us from eternal death and brings us into eternal life. Of course, being baptised already and being in the faith, I have had to understand what it means to accept Jesus as my personal Lord and Saviour. But, i just sort of took that for granted in that I didn’t really think about the reason for certain things, I just knew it as you know, we accept and believe in God, and ask for forgiveness for our sins, and ask God into our lives, and then because Jesus died on the cross, our sins are forgiven and baptism symbolises the death of the old and birth of the new. So, as much as it sounds concerning, i think it is safe to say I understood my decision to be baptised and was ready. But, i think earlier on I sort of had a struggle in that I made mistakes and I felt that I wasn’t good enough because like I felt like as a Christian, how could it be that I still sinned? But, i’m not sure even how i understood that as a Christian, i should be no longer a slave to sin. But, i knew that we are saved by faith alone, it’s just that, to claim to have faith but continue to sin, makes it questionable. The thing is that I didn’t realise at first that, sanctification is a process, and that as a Christian it is impossible to be sinless in this lifetime, but sometime before i was baptised, I read about this topic and realised the fact that as Christians we desire to do what is right but sometimes we fall to our human nature. So really i wondered how true it is to my life at that point, but i realised that since I know I believe surely what I’m experiencing is only the desire to do right but stumbling at times.
Now then to answer the questions, the reason why as a Christian it is unthinkable to still be in sin because, sin is what brings eternal death and the reason Jesus died on the cross, to pay the penalty for our sins so that if we will believe in Him, we are saved from eternal death and brought into eternal life. As for positional forgiveness, by accepting Jesus Christ we are forgiven past, present and future, in other words we are called righteous, this is because by accepting Jesus Christ, we believe Jesus died on the cross for our sins and paid the price, and so therefore we are accepting the fact that Jesus died for our sins, so we no longer face the penalty, and thus we are forgiven for sins, past, present and future, since by faith we are accepting this gift of life, and faith is credited as righteousness by the grace of God. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us, so by His grace we are saved and forgiven. But, one thing to make clear, is that we still need to ask God for forgiveness when we sin, because it affects our relationship with God, like how a strain relationship between a father and child. Anw, really, it is no harm asking these fundamental questions, i understood enough to make an informed decision to place my faith in Christ, but now understand I it deeper, I accepted and then ask the underlying reasons.
The next thoughts were on fellowship, I was by some disagreements at home at times, in this case last week, prompted me to think about how do we live with people when we disagree about things. In fact, from the xanga subscription I received in my email, one person blogged about tolerance and how people deal with it if their friends do certain things they don’t like, for example like if someone speaks arrogantly and does something we are not comfortable with. How do you be friends if there are so many differences in thinking, I mean how do we accept one another. And, i guess, it was somewhere on the lines of if we are supposed to love every one, then, you know how do we cope with differences in values, and how to love the person and hate the sin in the extreme case. And, very often, we say we need to look beyond our differences and accept others for who they, but where do we draw the line, like I mean everyone makes mistakes, so are to accept the person for his mistakes and sins. I mean and for Christians, we are not sinless, so how do we deal with a Christian fellow who in some way did something wrong that hurt someone else. This is really confusing stuff, so I tried to make sense of it.
I guess basically, turning to the section in The Purpose Driven Life about fellowship, and specifically the part on restoring broken fellowship. These are the words from the book I found relevant, that relationships are worth restoring because life is all about learning how to love and God wants us to value relationships and make the effort to maintain them instead of discarding them whenever there is a rift, hurt or conflict. It says that we talk to God first, sympathise and confess that face the problem and reconcile. But, the part i want to focus on is the fact that it is impossible for everyone to agree about everything but we can still re-establish a relationship even being unable to resolve the differences, God expects unity not uniformity, and of course an effort to find a resolution is sometimes necessary. And, for conflict between brothers and sisters in Christ, God’s solution is for us to tell of our hurt to the person and work it out between each other, if he listens, good you’ve made a friend, but if he does not get witnesses and as a last resort go to the church. I believe these several lines answer most of my questions. Basically, i think we have to be very clear between what is just a matter of opinion, and what is a matter of values, Christian values that is.
In church we can generally assume among Christians that are values should not really clash since our values all are based on the ones Christ has set for us, but there are times really when someone slips up, and I guess our duty is to tell the person and help the person to pick himself up again. In the sense because values are based on an absolute truth, it seems a little inflexible, so basically, if there is a clash of values one party or both may need to re-evaluate their values and seek clarification of what is right and wrong, then make the necessary changes. As for opinions i think we can’t step in and force others, but we can agree to disagree and continue to be friends, since there is nothing wrong. As for the situation between friends and people outside of church it is a little trickier, especially when dealing with friendships with non-believers. Again, opinions we can live with different opinions, i mean that is what friends are they accept one another’s opinions and personality traits and yea, when they make mistakes, you forgive them, tell the other what is right, but still love one another.
But, when values clash, basically, i think we should be careful not to get into the wrong company and get led astray, but on the other hand, we should love and befriend other people, whether Christian or non-Christian, just being wary to stay out of trouble or bad things. We should love them and try to lead them to do the right thing and of course to bring others to Christ wherever possible. If they won’t listen, there is really nothing much you can do but be a friend and try to advice them, and i think you can still be friends, unless it reaches a point where it jeopardises your faith. The things is that people often argue that everyone has a right to choose whether they want to do what is right or wrong, but really there is actually only one absolute truth and that is God and the law He created. So we should try to change them, not by our strength but by God’s strength and if it be in God’s will, the person will turn around, but if he or she doesn’t that is as far as we can go, you can try to force a person but in the end it is a person’s choice, and so it is not wrong to try to force that on others in that sense.
And, i think as family members in our own families this same kind of unity is required, we are to accept one another’s differences but again, sometimes certain values are important to hold on to, the most important thing though is that love be the aim as, we seek God’s guidance in loving people but hating sin. As for our relationship with God, it is the most important thing in life, and we need to continue to grow that relationship daily, and of course in this case there is no arguing with God for is the very one who enabled us to even argue. As a thing we can learn about fellowship with God it is that He is a sovereign God, and we should have a trusting relationship in Him, to love and follow Him all the days of our lives and as we know Him (God) more, He will through His great power, give us all we need to live a very good life.
Now then, someone made a statement last week on my blog that was sadly completely away from the truth about the existence of God. So I just want to share the reason that we have a great and mighty God, who created the universe, man and all things, and send His son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life, and who is coming again, He is the king of kings and Lord of Lords.
Below is from gotquestions.org...
Question: "Does God exist? Is there evidence for the existence of God?"
Answer: The existence of God cannot be proved or disproved. The Bible says that we must accept by faith the fact that God exists: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). If God so desired, He could simply appear and prove to the whole world that He exists. But if He did that, there would be no need for faith. “Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed’” (John 20:29).
That does not mean, however, that there is no evidence of God’s existence. The Bible states, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world” (Psalm 19:1-4). Looking at the stars, understanding the vastness of the universe, observing the wonders of nature, seeing the beauty of a sunset—all of these things point to a Creator God. If these were not enough, there is also evidence of God in our own hearts. Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us, “…He has also set eternity in the hearts of men.” Deep within us is the recognition that there is something beyond this life and someone beyond this world. We can deny this knowledge intellectually, but God’s presence in us and all around us is still obvious. Despite this, the Bible warns that some will still deny God’s existence: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1). Since the vast majority of people throughout history, in all cultures, in all civilizations, and on all continents believe in the existence of some kind of God, there must be something (or someone) causing this belief.In addition to the biblical arguments for God’s existence, there are logical arguments.
First, there is the ontological argument. The most popular form of the ontological argument uses the concept of God to prove God’s existence. It begins with the definition of God as “a being than which no greater can be conceived.” It is then argued that to exist is greater than to not exist, and therefore the greatest conceivable being must exist. If God did not exist, then God would not be the greatest conceivable being, and that would contradict the very definition of God.
A second argument is the teleological argument.The teleological argument states that since the universe displays such an amazing design, there must have been a divine Designer. For example, if the Earth were even a few hundred miles closer or farther away from the sun, it would not be capable of supporting much of the life it currently does. If the elements in our atmosphere were even a few percentage points different, nearly every living thing on earth would die. The odds of a single protein molecule forming by chance is 1 in 10243 (that is a 10 followed by 243 zeros). A single cell is comprised of millions of protein molecules.
A third logical argument for God’s existence is called the cosmological argument. Every effect must have a cause. This universe and everything in it is an effect. There must be something that caused everything to come into existence. Ultimately, there must be something “un-caused” in order to cause everything else to come into existence. That “un-caused” cause is God.
A fourth argument is known as the moral argument. Every culture throughout history has had some form of law. Everyone has a sense of right and wrong. Murder, lying, stealing, and immorality are almost universally rejected. Where did this sense of right and wrong come from if not from a holy God?Despite all of this, the Bible tells us that people will reject the clear and undeniable knowledge of God and believe a lie instead. Romans 1:25 declares, “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.” The Bible also proclaims that people are without excuse for not believing in God: “For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).
People claim to reject God’s existence because it is “not scientific” or “because there is no proof.” The true reason is that once they admit that there is a God, they also must realize that they are responsible to God and in need of forgiveness from Him (Romans 3:23, 6:23). If God exists, then we are accountable to Him for our actions. If God does not exist, then we can do whatever we want without having to worry about God judging us. That is why many of those who deny the existence of God cling strongly to the theory of naturalistic evolution—it gives them an alternative to believing in a Creator God. God exists and ultimately everyone knows that He exists. The very fact that some attempt so aggressively to disprove His existence is in fact an argument for His existence.
How do we know God exists? As Christians, we know God exists because we speak to Him every day. We do not audibly hear Him speaking to us, but we sense His presence, we feel His leading, we know His love, we desire His grace. Things have occurred in our lives that have no possible explanation other than God. God has so miraculously saved us and changed our lives that we cannot help but acknowledge and praise His existence. None of these arguments can persuade anyone who refuses to acknowledge what is already obvious. In the end, God’s existence must be accepted by faith (Hebrews 11:6). Faith in God is not a blind leap into the dark; it is safe step into a well-lit room where the vast majority of people are already standing.
I must say that in looking at this, I was prompted to look at my own faith and ask myself the question how do I know God exists. In the past, and even now i can feel the work of God’s hands in my life, like in my last post, i mentioned how God has opened a path for me to do my passion when all hope seemed lost at first. We may not always feel God’s presence but at times we can feel it, however God is always with us. And, my troubles in life, the good things the Lord has done for me, my mistakes, the people in my life, the things that have happened to me, my passion for life and my desire for meaning in life has ultimately always led me to God alone. That is why I believe in God.
Finally, one last thought I had for last week was with regards to my life right now. I just feel like there are things in life which i have missed out on and I feel like I I’ve been so alone with and haven’t been part of any group of friends. Well, I’m just trying to live my life as fully as possible, and I’m trusting that the Lord has a plan for me that will allow to take the next step in my life to be more actively involved in activities and to learn to grow wide to reach out to others and find a group of friends in His time. But, i guess i need to remind myself also though that God’s glory is my aim in life, and i will have to do whatever it takes, even if it means not having all the things i think i want coz I know God has a plan for me that is best for me and greater than I can imagine. And, really with all the Lord has done for me, how can i feel any other but that I will live my most amazing life, and that i can praise God each and every day of my life, good or bad. Look I’ve got so much to look forward to, my life is good, I have most things i want, I’m representing my country and I’m going to do my passion. And, my passion at the end of this week feel as strong as ever again, and I am spiritually back to being full of praise and worship for God as it should be.
To end, this is my life and my faith, and with great joy no matter the circumstances good or bad, I can say that there is absolutely nothing that I should be worried about or afraid of for, in Christ I know that I am living my best life and have the eternal hope of salvation, so I just celebrate each day.
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