Studying the Evidence for God's Existence: The Telescope, The Microscope, History, and Ancient Manuscripts

“My father’s life was changed right before my eyes [when he trusted Christ]. It was like someone reached down and switched on a light inside him. He touched alcohol only once after that. He got the drink only as far as his lips and that was it—after forty years of drinking! He didn’t need it any more. Fourteen months later, he died from complications of his alcoholism. But in that fourteen-month period over a hundred people in the area around my tiny hometown committed their lives to Jesus Christ because of the change they saw in the town drunk, my dad.”
–Josh McDowell, The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict, xxvii.

One of the most powerful evidences for God’s existence is the testimonies of the people around us, whose lives have been changed by the God they claim saved them.

And I know many of us here have those testimonies ourselves, we heard from God, we saw God move, and thus it built our faith.

Our topic for today is exploring the evidences for God’s existence. But really underneath that, it’s about building our trust in God and His word.

We know ultimately that Jesus said, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. And Jesus said, my words bring God’s life giving spirit (John 6:63).

But there is another practice that helps build our faith, and Paul made use of this form of teaching when he spoke to the Greeks at the Mars Hill meeting place in the book of Acts. He gave an explanation for the Christian faith, an apologetic, a reasoned explanation. And it was powerful, it led to people getting saved that day.

We also see in the book of Romans, that the evidence that God is real, is all around us.

“18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 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 people are without excuse.” -Romans 1:18-20

The evidence of God is so overwhelming when simply viewing the natural world around us and the skies above us.

Unfortunately as Romans 1 says, humanity suppresses that truth. We hide it. We ignore it. We don’t talk about it. But suppose you were walking along a beach, and you discovered letters written in the sand, what would you think? As Professor John Lennox wrote…

"We have only to see a few letters of the alphabet spelling our name in the sand to recognize at once the work of an intelligent agent. How much more likely, then is the existence of an intelligent Creator behind human DNA, the colossal biological database that contains no fewer than 3.5 billion "letters" - the longest "word" yet discovered?" –John Lennox, God and Stephen Hawking: Whose Design Is It Anyway?, p. 75.

This message today is going to center on Psalm 19, which is a Psalm that celebrates and points to the fact that God is evidenced and glorified through his creation.

And we’re going to explore different evidences for God’s existence based on science and reason, we’re going to explore evidences for the historical Jesus, and we’ll look at manuscript evidence for the biblical documents.

The goal being: To build your faith. In the healing journey, we’ve all suffered, and for some of us, it’s left us with doubts, making us wonder if God is really there. The goal of this message is to arm you with truths that will guard and protect your faith in God.

Psalm 19:1 says, “1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

The heavens are making a statement. They are declaring something, something about the nature of reality itself.

Last Sunday Chelsey and I were sitting on a bench up on a hill that overlooks part of the city. It was about 8 at night, and we had the amazing opportunity to watch the full moon rise above the city.

One need only look up and a question comes to mind: Where did all this come from?

For many years scientists believed that perhaps the universe itself was infinite, that it had always been there. And this would mean there would be no need for a creator.

But, this possibility was quashed by Edwin Hubble who observed the red shift of galaxies in his telescope. There were numerous other observations by scientists like Arvind Borde, Alan Guth, and Alexander Vilenkin that confirmed that our universe has a definite starting point. This is how the big bang theory was developed.

One of the most powerful evidences that God is really real, is the cosmological argument, which says:

1. Everything that begins to exist has a cause.

2. The universe began to exist

3. Therefore the universe must have a cause

This cause can’t be itself, the universe can’t create itself that illogical, therefore it must be spaceless, timeless, immaterial, uncaused, and incredibly powerful.

Do you know who fits that description? God.

When you look up at the sky, when you look at photos from the Hubble telescope, or the James Web telescope, it reminds us that there is an incredibly complex universe of stars and galaxies out there. It reminds us that these things haven’t always been there, because they are diminishing in energy, so where did it all come from? What’s the original unmoved mover for the entire universe in which we inhabit? Where did it come from?

Many make the case that the big bang, banged from nothing into something. How can nothing become something? It’s not logical.

The most logical explanation of the existence of our universe, is that God designed it and created it.

When talking to someone who doesn’t believe in God, you can always ask them the question, where do you think the universe came from?

Let’s keep going, verse 2, “Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.”

We don’t have to just look at the starting point, to see evidence of God’s handiwork. We can see it throughout the system, not just at it's genesis. I tend to appreciate this evidence for God’s existence even more, because there’s just so much evidence here it’s nearly endless.

You can look into the telescope, and look into the universe again and find what many call examples of the fine tuning of the universe to allow for life.

One of these examples is the gravitation constant, in other words, gravity. That’s the most common, it is tuned to a specific reading that allows for life in our universe, if it was tuned just a little differently, slightly less gravity, slightly more, no life would exist in the universe.

Here is list of twelve of these finely tuned functions of our universe:

Strong nuclear force constant

Weak nuclear force constant

Gravitational force constant

Electromagnetic force constant

Ratio of electromagnetic force constant to gravitational force constant

Ratio of proton to electron mass

Ratio of number of protons to number of electrons

Ratio of proton to electron charge

Expansion rate of the universe

Mass density of the universe

Baryon (proton and neutron) density of the universe

Space energy or dark energy density of the universe

That’s twelve of them, there are actually 140 that we’re aware of.

That’s one angle, through the telescope looking outward at the universe.



A second angle is looking downward through the microscope at DNA. DNA is so incredibly complex, and functions as a code of information within every life form on planet Earth.

It would be like looking at every computer system on our planet and seeing the binary code that was used. Binary is 1s and 0s. That’s it. Of course we know it was designed by humans.

In DNA we find four letters, adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T). A coding system, incredibly more complex than our computer systems, written into our own bodies and every life form on Earth, storing untold amounts of information.

The DNA coding system within all life is such a powerful evidence for God’s existence. When we see all this complexity, we have to inevitably assume, that it was designed.

Next, verses 3-4: (Referring to the heavens still…)
“3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.”

The evidence around us isn’t actually speaking to us in English saying look God exists, yet, it does speak in another language, the language of logic. If this humming bird exists, who made it? Where did it come from? If that star exists where did it come from?

But there is another language being spoken in the world constantly. Again it’s not necessarily a language like English or French, but it is something we all instinctually understand, everyone everywhere.

It is the language of morals and principles. And here we find another key explanation of God’s existence.

If we find in the world a universal moral law, things that are always right and always wrong, then we can infer certain things about reality. What do we mean by an objective morality? For example, to kill a child is always wrong. Racism is always wrong. Rape is always wrong.

We all know this in our hearts and in our minds, that we live in a moral universe, where there is right and wrong.

If there is an objective moral law, there must be a moral law giver.

If God does not exist, there is no basis for an objective moral law. Anything goes. Nothing is right or wrong. It's all subjective.

Without God all we have is one person or another persons random view point. But we all know instinctually that moral precepts do exist, they are not subjective but object, whenever we say, “hey that’s not fair!” we are affirming our belief in object right and wrong.

The Moral argument for God’s existence goes like this: If God does not exist, objective moral values and duties do not exist.

Objective moral values and duties do exist.

Therefore, God exists.

Otherwise, there’s no basis for objective morals, without a creator to give them.

Next, Psalm 19: 4-6: “In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. 5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth.”

Just as the sun in the sky is something we don’t even think about each day, but it’s up there, and without it we couldn’t see a thing…Similarly, Jesus Christ, the son of God, the word says, holds the universe together by his mighty power.

Jesus during his earthly ministry was a champion rejoicing to run his course. And so we want to look to that course, because it’s little help to simply prove that God exists. Because it doesn’t prove that it’s actually the God of the bible.

So another form of evidence we have to consider is the historical evidence for Jesus Christ of Nazareth.



Every historian aside from those far on the fringes believe that Jesus of Nazareth existed, lived, was a Jewish rabbi, and was crucified. Anyone who tells you that Jesus never existed knows nothing about history. There are 40 historical sources that cite Jesus of Nazareth in some form or fashion, sources include the Babylonian Talmud, Tacitus, Josephus, Pliny the Younger, Thallus, Phlegon, on and on the list goes. These are non-Christian sources.

The emperor of Rome at the time of Jesus was Augustus, but he is only mentioned by 10 historical sources. Jesus is listed by 40.

So it’s historically irrefutable that Jesus lived, was a Jewish rabbi, and died by crucifixion. But the real question is, did Jesus really rise from the dead? If he did, then Christianity is true. Without a doubt.

We know from history that Jesus’ tomb was found to be empty 3 days after he died. We know that Christianity from that moment, rocketed out in the next three hundred years to become the most important religion in the Roman empire. We know that the 12 disciples of Jesus, all faced martyrdom for their declaration that Jesus was alive. And we know that all of them aside from John who was exiled, gave up their lives without ever changing their minds. Why would they die for a lie? If they were lying that Jesus rose from the grave, wouldn’t they admit it to avoid being killed? But none of them changed their story. They were killed for their testimony that Jesus was alive.

The Apostle Paul is also an astonishing case, a man who went from pursuing and arresting Christians, to becoming a leader of the Christians, because he encountered the risen Jesus. Same with Jesus’ brother James, who went from rejecting his brother’s ministry, to a leader of the church, because he encountered the risen Jesus.

We have clear historical evidence from the testimony of history, from biblical and non-biblical sources that tell us Jesus certainly existed, certainly died by crucifixion, and there is clear evidence that he also rose from the dead.

When I learned all this, through many presentations and books and speakers, I was angry. I was angry because the public education system, the university system, and our entire media driven society had conspired to keep this information away from me. Not because there was some underhanded conspiracy necessarily, but, because we as humans suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because we don’t like where it leads.

Lastly, verse 7, “The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.” 

We’ve seen how fine tuning and the first cause explanation prove that God is real. We’ve seen how the historical Jesus is a reality, and the evidence indicates that he really did rise from the dead. Lastly we come to the Bible itself.

Can we trust the Bible? Are the documents reliable? Or have they been changed over time? Here we get so many conspiracy theories, they suggest that certain books of the bible were removed by the catholic church, or that the bible was changed over time, or that the bible is based on pagan myths, all sorts of theories that honestly have very little if any evidence.

So let us look briefly at the manuscript evidence for the Bible, and the attestation of the dead sea scrolls.

Manuscript evidence as a discipline is based around different factors, like how many ancient copies we have of historical documents, and how closely they are dated to the time when the events actually took place. Let’s look at some examples of other ancient manuscripts and then compare them to the Bible.

For Tacitus’s annals we have 36 manuscript copies, dated to about 700 years after the events.

For Plato’s Tetralogies, we have 210 manuscript copies, dated to about 1200 years after the events.

For Homer’s Iliad, we have 643 manuscript copies, dated to about 400 years after Homer lived.

For the New Testament of the Bible, 5,800 manuscripts in Greek, and another 19,000 in other languages, some of the manuscripts within 30-60 years of the actual events. For the Old Testament we have about 14,000 in the Hebrew or Aramaic, and about 17,000 if you count other languages (Greek Septuagint, Latin Vulgate, Syriac Peshitta) as well. 

When considering ancient historical documents, there is no other document with as much manuscript evidence, so close to the actual events, as the Bible. It’s not even close. The Bible is an astonishing document, there is no other document like it in history.

But what if the documents were changed? Since we have manuscripts from within 30-60 years of the actual events of Jesus life, it’s unlikely that they’ve been changed. The reason for that is those involved in the events would've still been alive and could verify the events that took place. Paul mentioned this in 1st Corinthians 15 sharing that a crowd of 500 people had seen Jesus risen from the grave, and many were still alive. He even encouraged those in Corinth to interview the witnesses if they wanted. 

We also have the dead sea scrolls. These sat in a cave for two thousand years. And when they were discovered in 1947, we compared them to the old testament we have now, and it matched. Nothing had been changed. 

We have the ancient manuscripts. We have documents that prove the Old Testament wasn’t changed. The new testament is dated within 30-60 years of the events themselves. The case is clear: The bible can be trusted.

In conclusion today, let all these facts fuel your faith. When you’re tempted to doubt, remember yourself that all of these facts cumulatively built together prove that Christianity is true beyond a reasonable doubt.

And we have just barely scratched the surface as well friends, there are numerous other evidences in archaeology, personal testimonies, fulfilled prophecies, and so much more.

How will all of this help in your healing journey? That’s an excellent question. One of the biggest problems we have in the church is unbelief. We don’t really believe God’s word like we should. We are so surrounded by other influences we struggle to see the world from a biblical perspective. But, when we see the evidence for Christianity, it builds our faith. We begin to see the entire world as an expression of God’s presence and power. And when we start to really believe, we start to really trust. And when we believe God’s word, it becomes activated in our lives. And when it becomes activated and we really believe it, it changes us, and we find healing.

Review of Main Points:
1. Humanity has suppressed the truth in unrighteousness - we must search for it

2. The Cosmological Argument - proves the universe needs a creator at the beginning

3. The Fine Tuning Argument - the evidence for God in DNA and the design of the universe is ongoing evidence He is real

4. The Moral Argument - objective morals is proof God exists

5. The Historical Jesus - 40 sources confirm the historical Jesus

6. Manuscript Evidence - thousands of sources confirm the biblical documents

7. All of this leads to Deep Faith - we can intelligently believe that our God is real and His word is true

Dead Sea Scrolls Isaiah copy

Dead Sea Scrolls in the cave

Is there Life after Death? The Empty Tomb of Jesus Examined

“When Corrie Ten Boom of The Hiding Place was a little girl in Holland, her first realization of death came after a visit to the home of a neighbor who had died. It impressed her that some day her parents would also die. Corrie's father comforted her with words of wisdom. "Corrie, when you and I go to Amsterdam, when do I give you your ticket?" "Why, just before we get on the train," she replied. "Exactly," her father said, "and our wise Father in heaven knows when we're going to need things too. Don't run out ahead of Him, Corrie. When the time comes that some of us will have to die, you will look into your heart and find the strength you need--just in time." -Today in the Word, MBI, October, 1991, p. 30.

Will you have the strength when the day comes for you to move from this world to another? We can trust the Father, that he will give us the strength we need in the moment, just like Corrie ten boom was taught by her dad.

That’s why it’s unwise to look into the future and worry about what might come. Sometimes I’ll be very tired after a long week, and I’ll sit and worry about the next week: How can I make it? But the next morning I wake up with the strength I need for that day. Then the next day, same thing. And on and on it goes. He gives us the strength we need for the moment. But don’t think about the future and stress, you have not strength yet for that, yet, in time, it will come.

Can a human live beyond the grave? That is the question we consider today. Many in our world today believe after death, there is nothing, life is simply over. People live that way. They expect no life after death. So they live how they please in this life. They do whatever they want, betting on the fact that there is nothing coming later.

They live in fear of death. In fact, the word of God says, from Hebrews 2:14-15, “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”

Jesus Christ is the way to life beyond the grave. He frees those who are held in slavery to the fear of death.

I don’t fear death anymore. I know where I’m going. I know that there is life after the grave.

Why? Because it all started with Jesus Christ, the first man to rise from the dead. He showed us he could do it, so he showed us he can and will make it happen for us as well.

We scope in to Mark chapter 16, we’ve just seen Jesus betrayed and crucified. He was shown to be dead. And Joseph of Arimathea requested his body, to give him a proper burial.

Joseph of Arimathea had placed Jesus in his own tomb and the stone had been rolled in front of the entry to the tomb.

Many have wondered where Jesus’ tomb is in Israel. Many believe Jesus’ tomb is located at the site of the holy church of the sepulche, the church built around what was believed to be the site of the tomb where Jesus was laid. It was first discovered in about the 4th century AD by Constantine the emperor of Rome who ordered that the location be found.

But there are other sites where Jesus tomb could’ve been. Some believe it’s the garden tomb in Jerusalem. Still others believe it was the Talpiot tomb in the old city. W

We see in Mark 16 it says this, verses 1-3: “When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

Jesus had been crucified on a Friday. It was the “day of preparation.” On Saturday the jews would practice the sabbath. And now it’s Sunday, the first day of the week.

It’s very early in the morning, just after sunrise. Three women, the women most important to Jesus’ ministry, his mom Mary, Mary Magdalene, the woman who was a prostitute but became a devout follower of Jesus, and Salome, who was the mother of James and John two of Jesus followers.

They are detail oriented. The men are hiding away somewhere trembling for fear of the roman and jewish authorities. The women are concerned with anointing the body of Jesus.

That’s how women are, they see something that needs to be done and they go do it. They aren’t worried about getting in trouble for loving Jesus, they’re too loyal for that.

But they do realize quickly, who is going to role the stone away?

Next, it says in verses 4-5…

"But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed."

The women are surprised to find that the stone blocking the entrance to the tomb has been rolled away. It’s very early in the morning. They aren’t expecting anyone to be there.

And I think we have to understand the grief the women are feeling right now. They’ve lost their savior, their lord, their dearest friend. They are grieving and struggling to understand what is happening. They are hurting and depressed and broken and filled with sorrow.

They don’t know what to do next. So they are going to care for the body. But God is about to completely flip the script on them.

They see this young man, in a white robe sitting there in the tomb. But this is no mere man. This guy is actually an angel, a messenger of God, coming to give them some very specific instructions.

The events become supernatural here. God is able to break the laws of nature. He does so regularly. He made the laws of nature after all is it any wonder that he can break them when he desires to do so?

Is it any wonder the God who made the universe made other life forms as well, like animals, and angels?

Don’t let that word “angel” scare you, it’s filled with a lot of old ideas and things from media. But the word means messenger, or envoy, a diplomatic agent of God, one who is sent.

And here we come to the key scripture of Mark 16, the breakthrough moment:

It says in verse 6: “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.”

He has risen from the dead. Essentially this messenger of God tells them, Jesus is alive right now. He is not in fact dead. And very importantly: See the place where they laid him.

He was saying to them, inspect the evidence yourself. You are now eye witnesses to what is happening in human history at this moment. Your testimony matters. Remember this moment.

Jesus is not dead. And the entire world changes for these three women. The entire world changes for the disciples, though they don’t know it yet. The entire world changes for you and me, because Jesus does not stay dead. He is alive. And we find out, there is in fact, life after death, if it’s for Jesus, who is our brother in the faith, it can be for us too today.

We can live forever too. That is the great question, answered, can we live after death? If we’re in Christ, the answer is yes. We can have eternal life. We don’t have to suffer eternal death.

You’ve found the fountain of youth. The meaning of life. The truth about everything. The answer to the nagging question about death, can we survive death? The answer is yes. Through Jesus Christ.

Why then does the world seem so perplexed about this question? Because they don’t want to have to come through Jesus. They are busy with technology, medical science, and DNA manipulation among other things, busily trying desperately to find a way to overcome death through bio-technology, to find some way to stop the flesh of the human from failing. But it’ll never work.

God decreed that humans would live and die, and then face judgment. And no amount of Elon Musk technology, or Yuval Noah Harari’s protestations about giving humans god-like powers will ever succeed in overcoming what God has ordained.

Only through Jesus Christ can we find eternal life. It’s so simple we just can’t quite face it. We want it to be more complicated. We want to use science and technology and medical knowledge and computer coding and DNA manipulation, but we can’t quite grapple with an intelligent designer of the universe who loves us and made us for a purpose. That offends our modern sensibilities too much. It makes us cringe. So we avoid it. But we shouldn’t, because there’s something there if we’ll allow ourselves to see it.

Next, we get the instructions from the agent of God.

In verse 7, “But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”

Go and tell the disciples, and Peter, their leader, everything you’ve seen and heard. Spread the word. Be the eye witnesses and report what you’ve seen.

We have that same calling today, to be the eye witnesses for what Jesus Christ has done in our lives. We are to describe it to others so they can see our witness and think to themselves, “Maybe God is real. Maybe Jesus really is real. Maybe God can help me the way they helped this person!”

We have all encountered Jesus Christ. We haven’t encountered him in the flesh, but in the Spirit. And we all know he’s done a real, genuine work within us. It’s not a myth, it’s not a mind game, it’s something solid, tangible, real, something we can’t explain, but has fundamentally changed us into different people than we were before.

Finally in verse 8, we see how the women respond: “Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.”

So at first the women are so shocked by what they’ve just seen, they are full of fear, bewildered, and they run for their lives away from the situation.

Here’s where it gets a bit confusing. Because chapter 16 actually includes another 11 verses, verses 9 through 20. But, you may notice that depending on your Bible translation, it may be in italics in your Bible. That’s because the oldest manuscripts of the Bible don’t include verses 9-20.

But, many ancient translations do include verses 9 through 20, so there is some debate among scholars, should we include verses 9-20? Some manuscripts say that 1-8 is the short ending, while 9-20 is the long ending.

In any case verses 9-20 don’t change the content of the Bible at all, everything mentioned in 9-20 is mentioned in the other gospels, Matthew, Luke and John. So it all lines up. But I chose for this sermon and our focus on Mark’s gospel to mainly focus on verses 1-8.

Some manuscripts also include this statement between verses 8-9, which says, “Then they quickly reported all these instructions to those around Peter. After this, Jesus himself also sent out through them from east to west the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation. Amen.”

But in most manuscripts, including in our modern Bibles, you’ll see this portion, which I will read for you now. It says this…

"When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. 11 When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.

12 Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. 13 These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.

14 Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it."

Can humans live beyond the grave? The answer to that question is yes. The gospel of Mark has displayed for us, chapter by chapter, that this Jesus is really the son of God, come to Earth in human form. And Mark shows us why Jesus came, so that humans in the ugliest sins, the most filthy sins, can be reconciled to God, right relationship can be restored between God and sinful humans. And that is done through a mediator, Jesus Christ.

For most of Mark’s gospel we see present effects of what Jesus does, he heals someone of sickness, he teaches a parable, he gives wisdom, he confronts the authorities, he tells us about sin and righteousness, but in the end, we see the final and most important gift Jesus gives us: Life after the grave.

A way to heaven for sinful humanity. Eternal life. And then after receiving that gift we’re told, now share it with everyone you can, as Jesus said, go into all the world and proclaim the message.

That’s our mission today, as we live, to spread the message everywhere.

So we return to the beginning, like Corrie Ten Boom wonders, will we have the strength in the moment? I often wonder that, will I believe to the very end? In the Pilgrim’s progress before they enter the gates of heaven they must travel through deep waters, where their faith is tested one last time, you could call that death, the last test, will your faith remain through the test of death itself, and I believe for you and for me, when that time comes, not before, but when it does come, we will find we have the strength we need from God to stand that test of death, through which we will find eternal life on the other side.

Only by Remembering our Past can we Face the Future: The Woman who Anointed Jesus

It’s so incredibly important that we remember our history, our heritage, and who we are. If we don’t know who we are, the history of our people, our nation, our faith, our religion, our family, our state, our city, all of these things, then we’re liable to believe anything that we’re fed, and to be manipulated by the forces in the world around us that are trying to promote their various ideological agendas.

I want to talk to you about the history of Israel, in particular this morning, which as Christians is part of our story:

Long, long ago the nation of Israel was only one man and his family, it was Abraham, and his wife Sarah. And their children and extended family. Abraham would have two children, Isaac, from Sarah, and Ishmael from Hagar, his wife’s servant girl. Ishmael according to tradition would go on to found the modern Arab nations, including many who are part of modern day Islam.

Isaac and his wife Rebecca would have children, and one their children’s children Joseph, would save his family from a terrible famine that had come across the land. That is what led Israel to live in Egypt. Joseph became a leader in Egypt and helped shelter his family in a place called Goshen in Egypt.

God blessed the Israelites and they became numerous. But the Egyptians began to fear them because of their great numbers, so they enslaved them.

They had been slaves for 400 years, building the wealth of Egypt. But God was at work. He began working through a man named Moses, to bring Israel out of slavery in Egypt, and into the promised land, the land that would be called Israel. And it’s capital, the city of Jerusalem, which means, “city of peace.” A place of peace between God and man.

Moses died, and Joshua succeeded Moses as leader of Israel, and led them into the promised land. The nation was founded, amongst their enemies.

But once God brought them into the land, he gave them detailed instructions in the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, on how to celebrate festivals each year to remember everything God did for them.

That is our first point today, a single word: Remember.

If we don’t remember, we’re liable to forget, as they say.

It was very important that Israel remember what it was like to live as slaves in Egypt, and what it was like to travel through the wilderness.

Why would that be important? None of the generations born after the journey through the wilderness and out of Egypt were even there? Why does it matter if they remember it?

Because it’s part of their history. It’s part of their identity under God.

It was the most important festival of the year, Israel was celebrating, the Passover festival, and the festival of unleavened bread. These two festivals celebrated first, the Passover lamb, that the blood of the Passover lamb was slaughtered and the blood was wiped on their door posts, and this protected them from the wrath of God against the nation of Egypt.

Secondly, they would celebrate for seven days after, the festival of unleaven bread, to celebrate their deliverance from Egypt and into the wilderness.

Jews to this day celebrate these festivals each year. The purpose is to remind them what God has done for them.

What happens when we stop reminding ourselves what God has done for us? We forget what God has done for us. We start to drift away. We start to think we don’t need God. We stop coming to church. We go back into the world of sin. And we end up shipwrecked once again.

I’ve seen many people come in the church and learn and grow, and then leave. They slowly seem to forget all that God had done for them, and they go back to the world of sin. This is a very sad and tragic thing so, don’t let that be you. Always remember.

Set a pattern in your life. Remember the day you received salvation through Jesus Christ. Celebrate that day. Rejoice. Remember the day of your birth, the day God gave you life. Celebrate Christmas, that Jesus was born. Celebrate Resurrection Sunday, that Jesus is alive.

The reason we so carefully come ot church each Sunday, and attend bible study, and celebrate holidays, and to consistently remind and re-remind ourselves of all God has done for us, so we never forget, and so that we always remain grateful, and joyous, and focused on God.

We as sheep are prone to wander, the Shepherd Jesus helps us to stay on course, but we ought to try not to wander, but to stay close to the shepherd.

All of that to explain, that in Mark chapter 14 today, in verses 1-26, Jesus and the twelve disciples were all preparing for the festival of Passover and unleavened bread.

It says in Mark 14:1-2: “Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. 2 “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”

The leaders in Jerusalem are plotting to kill Jesus, but they want to avoid a riot because of the festival.

Meanwhile Jesus is about 2 miles away at Bethany, and we see a very beautiful event take place.

It says in verse 3: While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.”

This woman takes some very expensive perfume and anoints Jesus head with it. The woman was really saying, “this is how important Jesus is to me.” The nard was worth a great deal of money, we’re talking worth about $30,000 dollars, or as the Bible says, a year’s wages. And she uses it as an act of worship to Jesus her Lord. It’s beautiful. It’s a statement of understanding, just how important Jesus is. And I think sometimes we miss that. We’re focused on work, paychecks, retirements, cars, family, friendships, coffee, vacations, and we forget that Jesus Christ is worth more than every cent we’ve ever had or will have.

I know deep down I don’t fully realize just how valuable Jesus Christ is, and how much I need Him every moment. I don’t feel see it right at this moment. I may not ever until I see him face to face. But I want to know the truth.

That’s our second point today, hunger for the truth. Maybe you realize right now, I don’t see Jesus the way the woman does, who poured out the nard on Jesus’ head. But you can want to know. You can say to yourself, and to God, “Lord, I want to know you like that.

Be hungry for the truth. Want to know. Then ask God to show you.

It continues in verses 4-5: Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages[a] and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.”

This is Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples who rebukes the woman. And I just have to smile when I see this. Because we see the same thing today in the news quite a bit.

When a big corporation buys something, or when we talk about money in politics, or when Elon Musk bought twitter, you had all these keyboard warriors, on social media, crying out that for the price Musk paid you could solve world hunger. And you see that a lot.

But this isn’t just something that happens to big corporations or social media. Your mom or dad probably told you growing up when you didn’t want to finish your peas or beans, “there are children starving in third world countries.” And you probably thought to yourself, well, if I don’t eat it, it’s not like it’s going to appear suddenly in another country.

Let’s see what Jesus says to this statement by Judas. In verses 6-7: “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me.”

Don’t worry about the poor right now, says Jesus, how insensitive right? Wrong. Jesus is absolutely right. It was beautiful what this woman did. Don’t worry about the approximate value of the nard.

The Lord continues in verses 8-9: “She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9 Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

Jesus here foreshadows his own death which he knows is rapidly approaching. It’s only a few days away. He says this perfume is preparing for his burial. Then he gives this beautiful picture for us today, wherever the gospel is preached around the whole world, people will talk about what this woman did.

Now I’ll tell you this, I looked it up, the distance from Bethany, Israel to Owosso, Michigan is 6,003 miles. So we do qualify I think when Jesus talks about being “throughout the world.”

Jesus doesn’t say this about many other people around him who did great things. But he says that this woman’s act of anointing him, will be remembered, in memory of her.

And that brings back to our first point today, “Remember.” Are you beginning to see how important it is to remember? We must have memorials in our lives. We do that with loved ones we lost. We visit their grave. We keep their memory alive. How much more so should we keep our entire calendar year centered around our relationship with the God who made us?

And if you’re truly hungry for the truth, our second point today, you’ll “remember” and by “remembering” you’ll stay hungry for the truth. Do you see how it all fits together? As we remove pieces and parts from Christianity, like a car engine, eventually the car will start running badly as we remove parts, and eventually it will break down all together.

Jesus has just rebuked Judas. Now let’s see what happens next.

In verses 10-11, “Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.”

With some people in the body of Christ, you can just tell, as you watch them, that they are watching and looking for something to get mad about, they are on guard for something they don’t entirely agree with. And they are like pregnant with controversy and they are on the edge of their seat waiting for a disagreement. And then at last you say something that offends them and off they go to another church.

That’s one variety of what you might call “church hoppers” they bounce from church to church to church. Which is very unhealthy. And every time they have a conflict of any kind, they bounce to the next one. But instead, we should look to work out the disagreement, sit down and figure it out. It’s awkward, it’s sometimes uncomfortable, but it’s worth it, to work it out, instead of running. I remember I told someone a few years back who was upset, if you keep storming off and leaving every time you have a disagreement, you’re going to be running your whole life. It will never end. You have to put an end to that pattern, with whatever it may take, conflict management books, anger management with a counselor, something to break that toxic pattern.

But as you can see here Judas gets upset, he’s pregnant with evil, and he heads off to the chief authorities to betray Jesus to them for money.

We know from other gospels that the chief priests offer Judas 30 pieces of silver, which is not very much, it’s the cost of purchasing a slave, one slave. But he takes them up on the offer.

It’s a crazy moment because as we go through the entire gospel of Mark, there’s no thought to the possibility that Jesus’ closest disciples would ever totally betray him. Sure they struggle to understand what he’s saying, they make mistakes, they struggle with unbelief, they argue amongst themselves but you get the sense that they all have true hearts of devotion despite their failings.

But suddenly we see Judas, and off he goes, to betray the son of God.

Consequently that’s our third point today, “break the toxic pattern.” We all have toxic patterns in our lives, things that repeat. I’ve known people who were cleptos, they couldn’t stop stealing. Others like we talked about have anger issues. Others always seem to be in the middle of drama. Others it’s drinking, drugs, cigarettes, gambling or pornography. Those are the obvious ones. But what about manipulating people for your own benefit? For your own pleasure? What about refusing to forgive someone that hurt us in the past? What about stealing from your employer, or cheating on your taxes, or bad mouthing people behind their back? What about excluding people you know you should try to include in your “in group”? All those things are just as toxic as obvious things like drugs or stealing.

Judas was caught in a mindset of wealth, money, influence, power, and he lost sight of who Jesus really was to him. And off he went, pregnant with evil.

Now if we “remember” point one, we will know our history, our past and all God has done for us. And if we remember, then we’ll hunger for truth, because we’ll know the truth from our past enough to want it badly, And if we remember the past, and then we hunger for the truth, then we’ll have the courage, and devotion, and grit, to point three, break toxic patterns.

But if we don’t remember, then we won’t hunger for truth because we won’t know it, and if we don’t hunger for truth we won’t have the grit and courage and devotion to break toxic patterns in our lives. It all fits together.



Next we see in verses 12-16, “On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

13 So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.”

16 The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.”

It’s now earlier in the day on the festival of Passover, on the first day of the unleavened bread festivals 7 days. The disciples go make all their preparations and Jesus makes sure everything is ready for them. It’s a good reminder that someone has to set the table, but don’t worry, Jesus will provide a good venue. And he certainly does.

So then they all gather there in the room Jesus has provided for them.

Then it says in verses 17-21: “When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. 18 While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.”

19 They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely you don’t mean me?”

20 “It is one of the Twelve,” he replied, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me. 21 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

Here we have each of the disciples asking Jesus, is it me, am I the one who is going to betray you? They are all worried and concerned. They rightly understand that the chief issue with a follower of Jesus is within ourselves. They don’t trust their own actions. They are afraid that they will fall away in the future. Which all of them will aside from John, but Peter would rally them afterwards, and they would be restored.

Point number four, Check Yourself. Each of the disciples ask the question, “Is it I Lord?” They are checking their own heart. They are judging and evaluating themselves, and then bringing it to Jesus. That is wisdom. Check yourself, in other words, guard your heart.

It’s shocking though, the statement Jesus makes, that it would be better for Judas Iscariot after betraying the son of God, that it would be better if he’d never been born at all. I think this implies the punishment he will receive in hell for all eternity, it must be particularly terrible. And in the court of God’s justice, it should be. As sad as it is, justice requires it.

I’ve heard some well meaning Christians try to make the case that Judas is in heaven. Honestly I don’t know how backwards you have to be in your theology, and think basically everyone just goes to heaven no matter what, to think that. It’s ludicrous. Would Jesus make this statement about Judas if he was in heaven? Of course not.

Lastly, we see verses 22-26: While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.”

23 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

24 “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them. 25 “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

26 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”

Jesus says, this is my body, this is my blood. Jesus would of course soon be giving his own body over to death, to cover our sins. Jesus would become our Passover lamb. As the doorpost was painted with the blood of the Passover lamb in Egypt, and the angel of death did not harm those who were in that home, so we are painted in the blood of Jesus, our sins are covered over by his sacrifice, and then we are given a clean slate before God, all our sins are forgiven.

Yet Jesus also affirms that he would not drink again the fruit of the vine until he was alive again in the kingdom of God. So Jesus knew, though he would die, he would be raised from the dead, and would be in the kingdom of God forever, in heaven.

Point five today, rest in the love of Christ. As you remember the past and keep in touch with your mindset, you hunger for truth and pursue it, then by the leading of the Holy Spirit you are active in finding healing for toxic patterns, and you’re also checking yourself, evaluating your actions and your heart, so lastly, you’re walking the Christian lifestyle faithfully, now the goal is to find the mindset of rejoicing in the restful love of Christ.

But pastor you told me all this stuff I need to do, remember, hunger, heal, evaluate, and yes that’s all true, but at the same time, that’s not how you get saved. That’s how you build your walk with Christ and guard the danger of falling away. But since you’re there. You can rest in the love of Christ. Remember you are working from acceptance, not for acceptance. You’re guarding against falling away, you haven’t already fallen away. You’re safe and secure in the love of Christ.

Lastly, I do want to point your attention to verse 26 which mentions that they sang a hymn before leaving for the mount of olives.

I can only imagine what this night was like, but it was a time of celebration, yet also a time of angst for the disciples, they knew Jesus was saying he was about to be betrayed and killed. And yet after all this, they sang a hymn together.

And we’re pretty sure we know what song they sang, it was traditional for Jews as part of the Passover ceremony to sing Psalms 116 through Psalm 118. This was called the Hallel, part of it would be sung before the meal, then part of it after, generally it was Psalms 113 through 118. With the last 2-3 being sang after. But it’s astonishing that in psalm 118:20-24 it says, “

20 This is the gate of the Lord;
the righteous shall enter through it.
21 I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.[d]
23 This is the Lord's doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Main Points:
1. Remember

2. Hunger for Truth

3. Break Toxic Patterns

4. Check Yourself

5. Rest in Christ’s Love

Origen's approach to interpreting scripture

Origen's approach to interpreting scripture is quite a unique and interesting approach.  I can't say I've ever read anything quite like his approach to scripture, though Origen was known for having some rather odd perspectives on the scriptures, the universe, and the cycle of time, to name a few.

Origen quotes Proverb 22:20-21 (KJV) referencing a threefold approach to wisdom given by King Solomon. What's interesting is that if you look at a more accurate translation, such as the NIV, the "threefold" is translated "thirty."  The ESV also renders it thirty.  In any case, Origen is at least correct in that scripture tends to divide the person up into three main areas, body, soul, and spirit (Kerr, p. 47). So Origen regards the scriptures in the same way, to be properly considered as threefold, body, soul, and spirit.  He considers the body of the scriptures to be the plain basic truths in the scriptures.  He considers the soul to be the medium level truths of the scriptures, that which are deeper.  And he regards the spirit of the scriptures to be those hidden truths that are discerned properly by the perfect believer. 

As a wesleyan holiness theology advocate, I certainly appreciate the reference to Christian perfection.  And I think there is at least some merit to the idea of basic truths, and deeper truths discerned from the scriptures.  It brings to mind Jesus' statement that he spoke in parables so that some would perceive the deeper reality and others would find it to be a stumbling block.  Origen mentions that he believes certain fantastical elements, or impossibilities are included in the scriptures for the simple purpose of being stumbling blocks to the haughty.  Once again, I find this an appealing concept.  I tend to see something similar, when I read certain passages in the scriptures, I have this sneaking suspicion that God may have placed these accounts that seem so fantastical for the simple purpose of being a stumbling block to the proud.  Of course that's just an idea, I can't really prove it. 

The intellectual framework of Christianity is absolutely vital to Origen because he is dealing with arguments from attackers like Celsus that suggest Christians are ignorant and stupid.  How incredibly ironic, as we read the great minds of church history, and how incredibly brilliant they were.  And as I think of so many great modern Christian minds, to think that people like Celsus, and to today, Richard Dawkins, and many others, so often regard Christians as ignorant rubes, is indeed, quite ironic. The memes never die over the centuries, do they? The Satan has no new attacks, only ancient ones.

Elijah the Mighty Man of God

If you want to talk about one of the greatest heroes to ever walk the earth. If you want to talk about someone who God really did incredible miracles through, if you want to talk about someone who walked hand in hand with the living God, if you want to talk about someone who changed the world forever, then you’ve gotta talk about one man, his name was Elijah.

And Elijah would one day be followed up his apprentice, a man named Elisha.

So we recall from last week, after the death of Solomon, the kingdom of Israel was split between Jeroboam in the north and Rehoboam in the south. This takes us through one of the darkest times for Israel, the time of 1st and 2nd kings. These books of the Bible walk us through all these various kings that ruled in the north and the south. And for the most part, they simply went from bad to worse. Today we focus in on the northern kingdom, also called Samaria. This is where Jeroboam reigned. But now there is a new king, and his name is Ahab. And his queen is a wicked woman named Jezebel. Two really bad people.

It’s at this point, that Elijah, the prophet of God, came on the scene. Elijah is serving as prophet, to speak the word of the Lord to King Ahab. God is going to deal with Ahab’s evil. So God tells Elijah, there is going to be a long drought in the land.

This is a big deal. Without rain, you don’t have any crops. People start to starve to death. So Elijah goes to Ahab and speaks to him.

From 1st Kings 17:1-7 “Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” 2 And the word of the Lord came to him: 3 “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4 You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” 5 So he went and did according to the word of the Lord. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. 6 And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. 7 And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.”

The drought goes on for many years. But God cares for Elijah during the drought. He tell Elijah to go live by a stream in Cherith. You know growing up we used to go out to Aniwa, where my grandparents owned land. And on that land there was a little brook. We used to stand on the bridge over the brook and just enjoy the beautiful waters and the sound of the water passing by. I loved it as a kid. So Elijah lives by this brook, and he’s fed by the Lord. But eventually the brook itself dries up because of the drought.

We have to understand that if we are true servants of God. I mean really all in for the Lord, not nominally Christian, but 100% real Christian, God is going to care for us through every difficulty we face.

You see people out there who were storing up toilet paper during covid, or food during covid, now people are storing up gasoline, me, as a Christian, I don’t have to worry. I don’t need to store up food. I know God will provide for my needs. The same is true for you. Trust God. He’ll make sure you have what you need.

1st Kings 18:1-2 “After many days the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth.” 2 So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria.”

Elijah proposes to Ahab to gather all the people together. Ahab and Jezebel have promoted the worship of Baal in the land. And it’s destroyed everything. It’s the reason the drought is happening. They’ve turned far from the Lord. But Elijah is here to make a stand for God. He says lets gather everyone together and we’re gonna decide once and for all, who is really God, Baal or the Lord.

1st Kings 18:20-46 ”So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel. 21 And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word. 22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal's prophets are 450 men. 23 Let two bulls be given to us, and let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. And I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood and put no fire to it. 24 And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, he is God.” And all the people answered, “It is well spoken.” 25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your god, but put no fire to it.” 26 And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made. 27 And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” 28 And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. 29 And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.

30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, “Israel shall be your name,” 32 and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two seahs[a] of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” 34 And he said, “Do it a second time.” And they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time.” And they did it a third time. 35 And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water.

36 And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. 37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.” 40 And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.” And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there.”

This is the great moment of victory for the Lord. And God does it through Elijah. It’s been revealed once and for all, Baal is false, and God is real. And that moment will often come in our own lives.

We’ll face down false prophets, and people will attack us and mock us and rebel. And people will be led astray. But then God will reveal himself, and show the truth plainly to all. God reveals to all he is the true God. God has the final word, not our enemies, not the lies. Lies will always break to the truth. You can’t stop the truth from coming out.

After this great moment, finally rain returns to the land. The drought is over. God is revealed to be true, and Baal is revealed to be false.

So Ahab goes back and tells Jezebel what happened.

From 1st Kings 19:1-8 “Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” 3 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.”

So what’s happening here? Elijah has dealt with worse things than threats from Jezebel. Yet he runs for his life.

Sometimes when we’ve gone through a bunch of stuff, some hard times, it just takes one more thing to hit us, and it completely knocks us over. You expended all your energy in the hard time, and then Satan hits you with something small, but it’s the last straw, and you run. The enemy loves to hit us after we’ve done a great thing. He knows our energies are expended. And we’re weak. Watch out for sneak attacks after great victories.

So Elijah is on the run.

It says, “4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” 5 And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” 8 And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.”

God met Elijah as he ran. Elijah is so upset. He’s at rock bottom. He’s saying take my life Lord. This is it. I can’t take anymore. I’ve had moments like that in my life. Where I’ve just thought… I can’t take anymore. I’ve had enough. Have you ever felt that way?

God has Elijah eat. He encourages him. Gives him rest. And slowly Elijah heals. Elijah continued onward, on this journey, and came to a cave.

1st Kings 19:9-11, “There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.””

So now we get this mysterious moment, where God reveals himself to Elijah, we have all these elements, first it gets super windy, then theres an earthquake, then theres fire, and after the fire.. .a gentle blowing. And he saw God’s presence at that moment. And it changed him forever ,in that moment, something divine happened. He felt God, sensed God, saw God’s glory.

God reminds Elijah, that though it seems like everyone is against the Lord, that the Lord has kept 7,000 in Israel set apart for him. And then God sends Elijah back, to anoint a new king, Jehu. And to commission a new prophet, Elisha.

1st Kings 19:19 “Elijah left and found Elisha plowing with a team of oxen; there were eleven teams ahead of him, and he was plowing with the last one. Elijah took off his cloak and put it on Elisha.”

Meanwhile Syria begins attacking Israel. And during the war King Ahab is killed. But not before Ahab did more evil deeds, like having a man named Naboth killed so he could steal his vineyard.

For a while Elijah mentors Elisha, and then one day, Elijah is set to leave.

2nd Kings 2:9-12 There, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what you want me to do for you before I am taken away.”

“Let me receive a double portion of your anointing, that will make me your successor,”[a] Elisha answered.

10 “That is a difficult request to grant,” Elijah replied. “But you will receive it if you see me as I am being taken away from you; if you don't see me, you won't receive it.”

11 They kept talking as they walked on; then suddenly a chariot of fire pulled by horses of fire came between them, and Elijah was taken up to heaven by a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw it and cried out to Elijah, “My father, my father! Mighty defender of Israel! You are gone!” And he never saw Elijah again.”

That’s pretty amazing. That doesn’t happen for just anyone! Most biblical figures die and are buried, but not Elijah, he was so special, so loved by God, that he is taken to heaven in a chariot of fire.

So if you recall Elijah anointed Jehu to be the new king of Israel. And Jehu is set to deal with Jezebel.

So it says in 2nd Kings 9:30-37, “Jehu arrived in Jezreel. Jezebel, having heard what had happened, put on eye shadow, arranged her hair, and stood looking down at the street from a window in the palace. 31 As Jehu came through the gate, she called out, “You Zimri! You assassin! Why are you here?”

32 Jehu looked up and shouted, “Who is on my side?” Two or three palace officials looked down at him from a window, 33 and Jehu said to them, “Throw her down!” They threw her down, and her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses. Jehu drove his horses and chariot over her body, 34 entered the palace, and had a meal. Only then did he say, “Take that cursed woman and bury her; after all, she is a king's daughter.” 35 But the men who went out to bury her found nothing except her skull and the bones of her hands and feet. 36 When they reported this to Jehu, he said, “This is what the Lord said would happen, when he spoke through his servant Elijah: ‘Dogs will eat Jezebel's body in the territory of Jezreel. 37 Her remains will be scattered there like dung, so that no one will be able to identify them.’”

So the new king Jehu dealt with Jezebel, and Ahab was killed in war in Syria. Elijah was taken to heaven by a chariot, and Elisha was the new prophet of the northern kingdom. Eventually things do work out. Those who practice evil are destroyed, and those who serve the Lord are honored and blessed. Sometimes it takes a long time for that to happen. And we wonder why evil people get away with their schemes. Never-the-less in the end we know that God’s people will receive salvation, and our enemies will receive eternal damnation.

But despite these bright moments, we’ll see next week that God will have to deal with the northern kingdom.

Could God actually be Real?

Hubble Revisits the Veil Nebula

I was raised in a Catholic household, and growing up I considered the possibility of a God. But once into school, studying science and so on, I rejected the God hypothesis as a backward remnant of a bygone era. Perhaps your experience was similar to mine? Perhaps you also jettisoned the concept of God, as one which ought to be rejected along with the Easter bunny and the tooth fairy?

If so, I'm glad you are here. We are all communicated information in various forms, by our parents, in school, and by the culture and media of our world. What often emerges in our mindsets are prevailing narratives about what reality is and isn't. These narratives in my upbringing included ideas like post-modernism, the idea that nothing is objectively true, the idea of science's conquest over religion, the rejection of all religion as myth, and so on and so forth.

This was my worldview. This was the direction of my life, and I lived out the entailments of such ideologies through promiscuity, wayward living, addiction, and endless pondering. But in the pondering and in the emptiness I began a journey of exploration. I began to explore the concept of spirituality. I began to explore the idea of God.

Jump forward to today, and I look back and realize that the various cultural narratives I had believed, that science was burying God, that Jesus maybe never even existed, that Christianity was the same as the tooth fairy, had all been bills of goods I'd been sold very carefully, through catch-phrases and one-liners. And as I explored the real evidence, the narratives that had been hidden, I began to realize the truth. As you embark on a similar journey, I would encourage you: Ruthlessly seek out the truth. Allow no bias. And you may just find that the bill of goods sold to you, was indeed, not all that it claimed to be.

“The Bible encourages people to put their faith in God. Unfortunately, many people equate faith with a blind leap in the dark or wishful thinking. But the faith that the Bible requires is intelligent faith. It is neither blind nor irrational. Biblical faith is a committing trust with an object (God) who is worthy of our faith. No one is asked to sacrifice his intellect when he puts his faith in the God of the Bible.” –Don Stewart, The Ten Wonders of the Bible, 1990, p. 13.

“The Christian faith does not call for us to put our minds on the shelf, to fly in the face of common sense and history, or to make a leap of faith into the dark. The rational person, fully apprised of the evidence, can confidently believe.” –William Lane Craig

“There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance—that principle is contempt prior to investigation.” -Herbert Spencer

Christianity: The Facts
A: Does God exist? The existence of God is not 100% provable. But one does not necessarily need absolute evidence. In a court of law, evidence beyond a reasonable doubt is acceptable when considering a verdict. In the same way, when considering a first cause one may view all the evidence and make a reasonable conclusion that God does indeed exist. There are many compelling arguments, such as the cosmological argument, moral argument, ontological argument, and teleological argument.  lays out in clear terms: Anything that has a beginning has a cause. That's certainly true. Second, the universe began to exist. Given the evidence, the red shift observed by Hubble in the early 1900s, that seems quite likely. Since the universe needs a cause, that cause must be immaterial, beyond space and time, and infinitely powerful. In other words, God. Can one prove evolution 100%? Absolutely not. Naturalism is a presupposition, or a worldview based on an interpretation of the available evidence. So is Christianity. Though evolution and Christianity are not necessarily at odds. Dr. Francis Collins a noted scientist has done lectures and wrote a book called "The Language of God" which lays out excellent arguments along those lines. In addition, Dr. Stephen Meyer has written several books on "Intelligent Design Theory" the view that an architect of the universe is supported by perceived design in cellular biology. Check out his books as well, most notably: "Signature in the Cell" and "Darwin's Doubt."

B: Did Jesus really exist historically? The evidence indicates that yes, Jesus Christ of Nazareth did exist. He was a real person in the history of the middle east. History is gleaned by manuscript evidence, historical account by witnesses cross referenced with official documents of governments and empires. The manuscript evidence for the historical existence of a man named Jesus Christ of Nazareth is better than for most historical persons.

But was Jesus Christ really God come to Earth? Now that is the point of real questioning. There have been several notable books on this topic, most notably "The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel. And if Jesus Christ was really who he claimed to be, did he really rise? The point of contention is: Did Jesus Christ rise from the dead? The evidence of the powerful witness of the apostles, the early church, and the willingness of all the early disciples save one being willing to die for their faith indicates that yes it is likely Jesus is risen from the grave. Watch the presentation below by Gary Habermas to learn more about this line of inquiry.

“Do you believe in the existence of Socrates? Alexander the Great? Julius Caesar? If historicity is established by written records in multiple copies that date originally from near contemporaneous sources, there is far more proof for Christ’s existence than for any of theirs.” –Dinesh D’Souza, What’s So Great About Christianity, p. 296.

“It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference. Scores of archaeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or exact detail historical statements in the Bible. And, by the same token, proper evaluation of Biblical descriptions has often led to amazing discoveries.” –Nelson Glueck

The Bible when compared with recorded history is 99.7% accurate. Archaeology and historical records support the events of the Bible as described in books of the Old and New Testament. This is an important beginning in establishing the credibility of the historical Jesus and the manuscripts of the Christian Bible.

C: The Philosophy and truth within Christianity can withstand the most powerful intellectual probing. I would recommend "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis which walks the reader step by step through the issues of the idea of belief in God. I would also highly recommend "Orthodoxy" by G.K. Chesterton a man who converted to Christianity after reading all the arguments for the atheist worldview and being thoroughly unimpressed, began to search out belief in a higher power, arriving eventually at the cross of Christ Jesus. If you're a highly analytical individual, William Lane Craig has done some excellent writing and speaking on the reason for God. Check out "Reasonable Faith" by William Lane Craig. Two more books I would recommend are "Beyond Opinion" and "I don't have enough faith to be an Atheist." Others of notable mention are Frank Turek, Norm Geisler, Hugh Ross, Lee Strobel and Tim Keller.

Expert Testimony
We the people of western civilization tend to prefer to get our information from the experts. We look to authoritative individuals and groups to help us understand life and existence. Many of the greatest minds of human history have been dedicated Christians. The following links lead to quotations from great thinkers surrounding the topic of Christianity, science, math, worldview, and many others.

1. Expert Testimony: The Existence of God, the Problem of Evil
2. Expert Testimony: The Anthropic Principle, Anthropology
3. Expert Testimony: Intelligent Design, Archaeology 
4. Expert Testimony: the Demise of Evolution, Complex in DNA

Websites for further Study of the Christian Worldview

1. Cross Examined
2. Reasonable Faith
3. Evolution News
4. Stand to Reason
5. Answers in Genesis
6. The Poached Egg
7. The Veritas Forum
8. Socrates in the City
9. Always Be Ready