Does God exist? The following offers honest, straight-forward reasons to believe in God...
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 offer some of the reasons which suggest that God exists.
But first consider this. If a person opposes even the possibility of there being a God, then any evidence can be rationalised or explained away. It is like if someone refuses to believe that people have walked on the moon, then no amount of information is going to change their thinking. Photographs of astronauts walking on the moon, interviews with the astronauts, moon rocks...all the evidence would be worthless, because the person has already concluded that people cannot go to the moon.
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. 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." 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.
2. Does God exist? The human brain's complexity shows a higher intelligence behind it.
3. Does God exist? "Chance" or "natural causes" are insufficient explanations.
4. Does God exist? To state with certainty that there is no God, a person has to ignore the passion of an enormously vast number of people who are convinced that there is a God.
5. Does God exist? We know God exists because he pursues us. He is constantly initiating and seeking for us to come to him.
6. Does God exist? Unlike any other revelation of God, Jesus Christ is the clearest, most specific picture of God pursuing us.
to be continued and elaborated on at http://everystudent.com/sg/features/isthere.html...
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Who is Jesus? A quick summary on the life of Jesus Christ - and reasons to believe in him...
By Paul E. Little
It is impossible for us to know conclusively whether God exists and what He is like unless He takes the initiative and reveals Himself. We must know what He is like and His attitude toward us. Suppose we knew He existed, but that He was like Adolf Hitler--capricious, vicious, prejudiced, and cruel. What a horrible realisation that would be!
We must scan the horizon of history to see if there is any clue to God's revelation. There is one clear clue. In an obscure village in Palestine, almost 2,000 years ago, a Child was born in a stable. Today the entire world is still celebrating the birth of Jesus.
He lived in obscurity until He was thirty, and then began a public ministry that lasted three years. It was destined to change the course of history. He was a kindly person and we're told that "the common people heard Him gladly." And, "He taught as One who had authority, and not as their teachers of the Law" (Matthew 7:29).
It soon became apparent, however, that He was making shocking and startling statements about Himself. He began to identify Himself as far more than a remarkable teacher or prophet. He began to say clearly that He was God. ...
Jesus Christ - the Son of God?
As we face the claims of Christ, there are only four possibilities. He was either a liar, a lunatic, a legend, or the Truth. If we say He is not the Truth, we are automatically affirming one of the other three alternatives, whether we realise it or not.
(1) One possibility is that Jesus lied when He said He was God--that He knew He was not God, but deliberately deceived His hearers to lend authority to His teaching. Few, if any, seriously hold this position. Even those who deny His deity affirm that He was a great moral teacher. They fail to realise those two statements are a contradiction. Jesus could hardly be a great moral teacher if, on the most crucial point of His teaching--His identity--He was a deliberate liar.
(2) A kinder, though no less shocking possibility, is that He was sincere but self-deceived. We have a name for a person today who thinks he is God. That name is lunatic, and it certainly would apply to Christ if He were deceived on this all-important issue. But as we look at the life of Christ, we see no evidence of the abnormality and imbalance we find in a deranged person. Rather, we find the greatest composure under pressure.
(3) The third alternative is that all of the talk about His claiming to be God is a legend--that what actually happened was that His enthusiastic followers, in the third and fourth centuries, put words into His mouth He would have been shocked to hear. Were He to return, He would immediately repudiate them.
The legend theory has been significantly refuted by many discoveries of modern archaeology. These have conclusively shown that the four biographies of Christ were written within the lifetime of contemporaries of Christ. Some time ago Dr. William F. Albright, world-famous archaeologist now retired from Johns Hopkins University, said that there was no reason to believe that any of the Gospels were written later than A.D. 70. For a mere legend about Christ, in the form of the Gospel, to have gained the circulation and to have had the impact it had, without one shred of basis in fact, is incredible.
For this to have happened would be as fantastic as for someone in our own time to write a biography of the late John F. Kennedy and in it say he claimed to be God, to forgive people's sins, and to have risen from the dead. Such a story is so wild it would never get off the ground because there are still too many people around who knew Kennedy. The legend theory does not hold water in the light of the early date of the Gospel manuscripts.
(4) The only other alternative is that Jesus spoke the truth. From one point of view, however, claims don't mean much. Talk is cheap. Anyone can make claims. ...
Evidence from the Life of Jesus
First, His moral character coincided with His claims.
Second, Christ demonstrated a power over natural forces which could belong only to God, the Maker of these forces.
Third, Jesus demonstrated the Creator's power over sickness and disease.
Fourth, Jesus' supreme credential to authenticate His claim to deity was His resurrection from the dead.
Was Jesus' Resurrection Just a Story?
find out more at http://everystudent.com/sg/features/faith.html...
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More questions and answers.
Why is there so much suffering?
If God is good why does he allow so much suffering?
Why
Why do people get cancer? Why is there tragedy and death?
Is God a Good Director?
Is God directing this world very well? Questions to consider...
What Will Heaven Be Like?
Is it all just strumming harps and sitting on clouds?
Reincarnation, Karma & Life after Death
The problems of reincarnation and the law of karma.
Life after Death
How good do you have to be to get to heaven?
Why do I need God to be happy?
"I have found happiness in my life. Why do I need to derive a sense of purpose and happiness from the concept of a 'divine being'?"
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Is Faith Factor Dead?
Is Faith Factor Dead?
I love this headline! It sounds similar to a DC comic headline I’ve once read – Is Superman Dead?
It is indeed a serious question. Is Faith Factor dead? How can it be revived? Is it alive in the first place? An answer must be found. And I propose everyone who have a stake in Faith Factor to come this Saturday to YLTC. We CAN and MUST trust God even if we cannot trust ourselves.
Desiree, thanks for raising the alarm!
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Something's not right. Faith Factor is dead. It shouldn't be dead. It has always been full of fun and a passion to know God. The other key thing that defined us was the influx of newcomers. All that seems to have gone. Why? Why are we burning out?
Kias, we really really need to pray constantly. Every day. For people to see the urgent need for revival and for more lost souls to be saved. And we must examine our own lives.. Tonight God reminded me of something I heard from the Hillsong United DVD I was watching some time ago: "The new song ends when it becomes about the new song." The realisation hit me, and I knew that, at least for myself, I'm hitting this wall because my focus was totally off. Our focus cannot be making Faith Factor grow in number so that we have a huge Youth Ministry to be proud of, but it should be to save lives and bring God's love to youth out there who need it so much. Our ministry ends when it becomes about the ministry itself, instead of about proclaiming this God who makes our ministry even possible.
So I've repented and got my purpose and focus right. How about the rest of you kias?
What if the armies of the LordPicked up and dusted off their swordsVowed to set the captive freeAnd not let Satan have one moreWhat if the church for heaven's sakeFinally stepped up to the plateTook a stand upon God's promiseAnd stormed hell's rusty gatesWhat if His people prayedAnd those who bear His NameWould humbly seek His faceAnd turn from their own way
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Creation vs. evolution. Creation wins hands down.
As we've learnt in the recent Leadership Conference, one of the enemies of the church is the lack of knowledge. Have you guys ever had to defend the fact that God created the universe and earth and man and everything? How often has someone used "scientific evidence" against you to "prove" evolution and discredit creation? It's time we armed ourselves with the necessary knowledge and fought back against the world with their own weapon: Science.
http://creationontheweb.com/With this website, discover that creation is actually
more scientific than all the evolutionist theories man has come up with. Who says science contradicts religion? It in fact supports and reinforces it. Read articles about how polonium traces in granite show that the Earth is not billions of years old as evolutionist scientists have claimed
[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/5017/], how geological findings are evidence of Noah's Flood [
http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/4869/], and how a study of cosmology and the laws of physics make the big bang theory thouroughly inconsistent with itself and the Biblical account of God being the cause of all existence much more credible [
http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/4790/].
The website also includes highly technical and informative articles on the irreducible complexities (complicated mechanisms and parts that cannot have emerged step-by-step, but must have been all there from the start in order for it to function) of the eye and the flagellum (propellers) of bacteria.
http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3287We must realise that "the Bible is not only a source of salvation to satisfy our souls, it is a goldmine of intellectual understanding to satisfy our minds" (quoted from the abovementioned website). Ours is not a blind faith but a faith based on knowledge and reasoning. So equip yourselves, that you may be able to give an account of your faith and defend it against the world's attacks.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
The Pursuit of Happiness
Yo guys, if you want to know what's
poverty, what's
hoping against hope, what's
love, what's
determination, what's
happiness - must watch this one. Will Smith is incredible in his performance. This show inspired me to be more serious about this life that God gives me!
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
http://www.24-7prayer.com/cm/resources/1Awesome.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
The Third Generation
Lock-in night was brilliantly planned I must say. Save for a few minor hiccups here and there, the event had great ideas, great food and great fun. I'm sure our invited guests and youths alike enjoyed themselves a lot, thanks to the efforts of the planning committee, comprising of mostly younger youths. Of course, all glory goes to God for making this event a success. =)
It really encourages me to see how God has raised up such talented young leaders among the youths in recent times. In the past, it used to be the older ones taking the initiative, organising programmes and galvanising the necessary financial, prayer and manpower support, but now it's the other way round. The older youths and young adults have moved on, no not into semi-reitrement, but as advisors and mentors, ready to help out when needed (e.g. safety coverage). At the same time, we'd stand by the periphery, allowing the younger leaders to develop and grow. Yes, our time has come to pass (if you might want to put it that way), but personally, I am none to glad to handover, and to see such potential develop, by the grace of God.
It hasn't always been like that. At the end of 2005 (before Pastor Kuo Yung officially started his work as our youth pastor), we were still wondering and debating the future of the Youth leadership. I had just ended my first year as the Youth Chairman (
not a
very fantastic one at that!), and in light of my upcoming enlistment, we were thinking of how we could pass on the baton. Justin was supposed to assume leadership sometime later in the year, but with he and many of the other 18-year olds taking their A Levels that year, we weren't really sure if things could work out. There were many questions, even doubts and confusion.
So after some five years of various youth committees, we were in sort of a leadership crisis. There weren't many youths to begin with, and not many of those already serving were ready to assume positions of increased responsibility, citing lack of experience or a heavy schedule. They were indeed geniune concerns. Far too long had the old guard been running the show, and many of the younger ones hadn't had the experience of playing important roles in the ministry. After a year of renewed enthusiasm and vigour, some of the first and second generation of youth leaders were in danger of losing steam and burning out.
Then Pastor Kuo Yung revamped the structure of the leadership, employing the older youths in positions such as advisors and mentors, where they could use their experience and spiritual maturity to help others, while the younger ones were gradually involved in larger-scale event planning and other forms of responsibility. Of course there was and still is YLTC, where youths with a heart to serve God get trained and groomed for such a calling. Slowly but surely, this third generation of youth leaders is rising to the situation. Their learning curve has also been shortened. While the first two generations learnt mostly by trial and error, the new youth leaders have the advantage of having more mentors/advisors to help out and through the various leadership courses and conferences we have now, from time to time.
Today, we have 15, 16 & 17-year olds organising activities and caring for groups of other youths on a scale that their "seniors" can only dream of. Shows how little faith I had, back in 2005, both in God's ability to provide, as well as faith in our own people to innovate and improvise. Indeed, God works in amazing ways, and if we continue to put our trust in Him and walk closely with Him through obeying His Word and praying, I'm sure we'd be able to continute nuturing these bright young minds and find others williing to serve, all for the glory of God.
It's exciting isn't it? I can't wait to see how things'll turn out in the next few years! =)
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Prisonbreak!
Publicity for Lock-in Night/Prisonbreak starts NOW:
Friday 8pm to Saturday 8am. 12 hours of non-stop fun and crazy activities, all based on the theme of the popular TV series Prisonbreak. There will be cells. There will be locked gates. There will be guards. And YOU, the people who are coming, will have to escape it all, by going through specially-designed obstacle courses. And once you do, you will have to survive on whatever food you can find. Which means.. another Makan at the Crossroads! The adventure will end with a (hopefully) brilliant sunrise at East Coast. But wait, it doesn't really end. In fact, if all you Faith Factor kias out there
BRING YOUR NON-BELIEVER FRIENDS, the big adventure of them getting to know us and, most importantly,
know Christ, will have only just begun.
Steps to success in inviting friends:
- Call them, don't SMS or email. At the very least, talk to them online. Personal contact is VITAL, because then
they can't run away. I don't know about you all but I tend to ignore messages sometimes.
- Ask them in a group. Ask at least 5 people, so that the chances of one or two going will be higher. If necessary, ask a fellow Christian to come along to accompany another non-believer friend. This is because Christian friends usually are more willing to come for these activities. That way, when you ask other friends, you can say "so-and-so is coming, you'll have company".
- Keep trying. Don't restrict yourself to asking certain people. You never know who might agree to come if only you'd just ASK.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
nightmare
I had a strange and frightening dream last night. It was so very real that I could actually tangibly feel the strong emotions of sorrow and fear, and these feelings lingered on for at least a minute after I woke up. In fact, I had to realign myself with reality and take some time to think it through and realise that it was just a dream. The dream, or should I say nightmare, was about Faith Factor closing down, something happening to Ps LKY (can't remember what) and the whole KPC Youth just falling into ruin. Never.. never should this come true. Reject any possibility of it in Jesus' Name. Hmm. Maybe it was triggered off by the planning of Friday's Lock-in Night, and LKY asking the exco how hard up we are for Faith Factor to grow.. and I know my answer clearer than ever now. This Youth Ministry must and will flourish or I will just.. die, perhaps (don't worry la, not literally).
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
DID YOU FEEL THE BUILDINGS TREMBLE?
DID YOU HEAR THE TEACHERS ROAR?
I was having GP just now, when the school started shaking. It's like you're really dizzy. It lasted quite a number of seconds. We were all rather alarmed, and then we began talking about how cool it was. My friends and I suspected an earthquake, probably in Indonesia, but they didn't care much. Everyone was just talking how cool it was. Yes, it was exciting. There were people who were even saying that they wanted another one, and I realized that yeah, it'd be cool to experience another one, and then I felt ashamed.
Anyway there was an evacuation, and the teachers were roaring at us to get into our classes for assembly. Then we got sent back to class. After the second tremor, there was another evacuationa and a Channel News Asis tv crew filming and stuff, and the principal made us wait a while in the sun before going indoors to talk over the PA system. She said some things that made me feel really ashamed of myself and my classmates. While we were cheering because there were no lessons, there was an earthquake in Sumatra. In earthquakes, people die.The whole school was cheering because there were no more lessons for the day after the second evacuation, but lives were lost at the expense of us getting an afternoon home. I didn't really care that lessons ended early, it was nice, but not needed. I would end school at 3 and I just got to leave about half an hour earlier only anyway.
When I came home, I turned on the news, and the more I watched, I started to cry, because it's just so sad. I don't know why people suffer, or why God allowed it to happen, but I guess there's a reason, but I was grieving inside for all those people who lost their lives, lost their families, or houses.
Let's pray for those who experienced the earthquakes (not the aftershocks in Singapore)
1. That they can experience comfort, particularly for those who lost relatives or friends.
2. That normal life can resume soon.
3. Effectiveness of the government in mitigating (minimizing; controlling) the impact of the earthquakes.
4. Effective bureaucracy in providing for the people's needs. In particularly, that corrupt officials will not take advantage of the situation, and that there won't be looters who rob houses while they're empty.
5. People will be able to cope.
God is perfect, we are sinful, so there is a great gap between us. We may try to feel better through work, relationships, sport or religion. But all our attempts fail, because we have ignored the real problem - turning our back on God.
Jesus took the consequences of our self-centredness by giving up his life on the cross. He proved he had broken sin's destructive power by rising from the dead. Jesus offers us freedom from guilt and a bridge back to God.
