For Those Trying to Prove God Exists

Don’t over complicate things

Too many people waste years trying to analyze God. They try to put Him under a microscope... to prove he exists. It doesn’t work that way. We don’t have the capacity to analyze God, the Creator of the Universe, like a common science project or mathematical problem.

If we could, it would give an unfair advantage to people shrewd enough to complete this deep analysis. Ordinary people could be left out, not enough mental energy or firepower to figure things out like the geniuses. All the dummies might go to Hell. 

Does that make sense? 
Of course not. Also it would rule out any requirement for faith. You wouldn’t need faith, you would KNOW—but that’s not how it works. The Bible says without faith it is impossible to please God. It says, if you would approach God it must be on the basis of faith because humans can’t see, analyze or begin to understand the mysteries of God. Faith in His revealed life and word is the key.

It’s not a secret, He has revealed Himself in many ways.
The Bible says the Heavens declare the Glory of God. He is revealed in nature, in His creation. He reveals Himself in His written word…the Bible. He revealed Himself in His Son, who He sent to earth, to live the perfect life, to suffer and die on the cross for our sins and to be raised from the dead.

The only person who has trouble seeing God is someone who is belittling, ignoring or discounting all these things…wanting God to reveal Himself to them on terms they have decided upon. Don’t expect Him to do that. If you turn your back on all He has done to reveal Himself to you for centuries, you would still be stubborn and refuse to believe, even if He showed Himself to you according to your little ideas. He knows this, and if you are honest, you will admit you do too.

Stop trying to prove He exists
He exists. Inside you know it’s true. The issue is that you don’t want to acknowledge it. You aren’t convinced you need to know Him. You think you can make it just fine through life without His help. You want to keep Him at arm’s length and to be left alone.

I advise you to keep doing that because that’s what you are going to do anyway. You do what you want. You have free will. But realize things may change. You may come to a point in the future where you think differently. If that happens, and you realize something is missing, that something is wrong in your life and you want to make it right, then that is the time to put your pride aside and come to the Lord in faith. He loves you and wants to bring you into a permanent eternal relationship with Him and give you spiritual life.

But you have free will. 
He will not force you. You must of your own decision come to Him in faith, and when you do, it won’t be because you proved anything or did anything, it will be because you believed in HIM and His saving Grace. 

He will save you. He does it. Your faith just makes it possible because you freely, on your own, decide to place your faith in Him.

The Real Hall of Fame

What some call "God’s All Star Team"

In Hebrews 11:1–12:3, we see God and how He evaluates human performance. It becomes obvious that it’s not great personal effort and achievement that impresses him, but faith. It's those who realize and accept that they are not capable and as a result turn to Him. God wants to be active in our lives. He knows we are inadequate for the challenges we face yet He can only get involved if we operate from a position of trusting in Him to work through us.  Every time we try to “help” we interfere and shut His power down.  

He’s not looking for help He’s looking for our faith.
The normal challenges of life can be overwhelming by themselves; however God has specific purposes that he wants to accomplish through each of our lives. He wants to be able to accomplish things that are so far beyond our natural abilities that it will be obvious to all that they could have only been done if He was involved. If we trust Him and let him work through us He’s free to do what he wants, when he wants, the way wants. 

It takes a definite commitment to trust him and to keep trusting Him.
The people throughout history who have done this have been used to accomplish some amazing things and there are a lot more amazing things that can be done in the future.  As a result, Hebrews 11 gives us examples of these heroes to inspire us in our walk of faith.  Do you have overwhelming challenges in your life?  

Then trust the Lord to work through you His way, on His timetable, and prepare to be amazed at what happens.  

Hebrews 11 The Triumphs of Faith

¹ Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. ² This is what the ancients were commended for. 

 ³ By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. 

 ⁴ By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. 

 ⁵ By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”^[a] For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. 

 ⁷ By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. 

 ⁸ By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. ⁹ By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. ¹⁰ For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. ¹¹ And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she^[b] considered him faithful who had made the promise. ¹² And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. 

 ¹³ All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. ¹⁴ People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. ¹⁵ If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. 

 ¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, ¹⁸ even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”^{[c] 19} Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. 

 ²⁰ By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. 

 ²¹ By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. 

 ²² By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones. 

 ²³ By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 

 ²⁴ By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. ²⁵ He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. ²⁶ He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. ²⁷ By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. ²⁸ By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. 

 ²⁹ By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. 

 ³⁰ By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days. 

 ³¹ By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.^[d] 

 ³² And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, ³³ who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, ³⁴ quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. ³⁵ Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. ³⁶ Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. ³⁷ They were put to death by stoning;^[e] they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— ³⁸ the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. 

 ³⁹ These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, ⁴⁰ since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. 

Hebrews 12:1-3 — Jesus, The Example

¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

You Cannot Live in Two Worlds at the Same Time

The point: There’s no need to be frustrated in your Christian life. There is a way forward. 

Many Christians are frustrated that they aren’t moving forward in their Christian maturity. The answer can be found in the following verse.

“Not I, but Christ." (Galatians 2:20)

Any true spiritual progress that lasts must be based upon our taking sides with God against our old life. Why is this the case? 

“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." (Romans 8:7)

"Enmity" knows no reconciliation; crucifixion is the only alternative!

The life of Christ is the holiness of Christ. 
The reason we so often fail in the pursuit of holiness is that the old life, the flesh, in its own strength seeks for holiness as a beautiful garment to wear and enter heaven with. It is the daily death to self out of which the life of Christ rises up. -A.W.T.

This victory can only be obtained by faith in the word of God. 
By faith we daily “crucify’ and deny the power of our of natural self and reckon ourselves alive to God. We trust the life of Christ in us to produce the growth. Daily we consciously deny ourselves and trust God to work in us. 

A tragic mistake made by thousands
In receiving Christ we receive the divine-human life, a life that is death to the life of fallen nature, which finds its fruit in sin and self. The tragic mistake of thousands of believers is in trying to live in two worlds at the same time in nature and in God, in self and in Christ, in the flesh and in the Spirit, by faith and in independence, by abiding and by effort. To have life is not enough: the life of the Lord Jesus demands the death of the flesh, if that life is to be fully developed and become fruitful in us. Here is the crux of the whole matter.

“That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering, being made conformable unto His death." (Philippians 3:10)

Our Growth comes from our constant trust in Him and not ourselves.

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Feedback: Have you experienced frustration described here in your Christian life? Has this post helped clarify the way forward for you?

Adapted from Miles Stanford’s 1-30 Spiritual Balance.

Confusion Is No Excuse

We’re supposed to “Grow” in Christ but how?

The Bible gives us instruction about how to move forward in our Christian lives.  Here’s one key verse…

 “I have not yet been made perfect. But I move on to take hold of what Christ Jesus took hold of me for (Philippians 3:12) 

Here’s the Apostle Paul’s comment on his walk of faith. Even the Apostle Paul didn’t know it all about the Christian life. But he knew he needed to “move on” even though he was not sure how it all would unfold.

“We walk by faith, not by sight.” Corinthians 5:7

However he knew a lot.
He knew that it was a process. He knew that it was a “walk” of faith. One step at a time. He also knew the end result, and that is that “Christ would be fully formed in him” (Paul). At that point it would be… 

“Not I, but Christ.” Galatians 2:20.

Paul knew that he had to press on.
He knew that he could not be casual or passive about growing in Christ.  Why do we have to grow?  It’s our new nature, we have a new life.  Like a seed put into the ground it’s not a big effort, it’s what will happen if we stay in the right environment.  That’s why he says, 

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” John 15:3-5

There is a plan and process for our Spiritual Growth
We don’t grow because we have now decided that we’re really going to follow the our Boy Scout and Girl Scout pledge of do’s and don’ts.  No, we grow step by step. Day by day, step by step, we abide in him, we keep our faith in him, and we grow, we learn, we change.

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

This is also confusing
We have been given much guidance in the bible and especially in the New Testament in the writings of the apostle Paul about this new life.  God will always keep us in the dark while we’re here on Earth to keep us honest and to keep us trusting Him for guidance and strength.  

“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” Corinthians 1:12

If he showed us our future and what He has planned for us to do and achieve, he knows our nature would be to immediately fall back and try to do it on our own power and then we would fail miserably. It’s for our own good he keeps us in the dark.  He tells us where we’re headed but regarding our path He usually only shows us enough so we can make a step forward.  As he gives us more light and clarity we take steps forward.  When the light is not there we wait, we pause, we pray, until he sheds more light. We keep our eyes looking up and looking forward…

“Press On to the High Calling of God." Philippians 3:13 

Don’t be surprised when you’re confused.
We all get confused. We all get discouraged. We all question things. Even the apostle Paul felt that way at times, but that’s no excuse for not trusting. That’s no excuse for not moving forward and taking the steps that we do know we need to take. Don’t be surprised because that’s the way God operates. He has to do it that way so we will continue to remain dependent on Him.

We need to have the faith of Ann Frank’s father
When Ann Frank pestered her father constantly asking, 'Where are tickets?  We’re supposed to catch the train and leave and escape, but we don’t have tickets. Have you bought the tickets? Where can we get the tickets?' Her father looked at her and said “Ann, when it comes time to step on the train… the tickets will be there, God will provide.” We know we need many things in the future things we don’t have now. It’s not our job to figure out how to get them on our own power, it’s our job to trust God to provide for at the proper time.  

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

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Photo credit used under Creative Commons

Tim Tebow: What the Analysts Miss

Tim Tebow is one of the biggest sensations in the NFL right now.

The Denver Broncos were 1 and 4 when he was installed at quarterback. The analysts and critics howled. He can’t throw. He is inaccurate. He has a long wind up and release. It takes too long. He can’t make the professional throws. He doesn’t have the skills to lead a team to the Super Bowl. No team has ever won running the option attack that best suits his strengths.

There was an explosion of criticism unlike any that’s ever occurred over a first round draft pick. The verdict seemed to be unanimous—he would fail, he wouldn’t last.

Set up to fail
The team was depressed. There’s nothing worse than being in a losing locker room. They had just lost 4 out of 5 games with Tebow installed as quarterback, in spite of the fact that they have mediocre talent and almost no receivers who can catch a pass because they had even traded away Brandon Lloyd who was their best receiver one a week before Tebow took the starting job. It seemed like Tebow was set up to fail. 

Then something shocking happened
When Tebow went in he asked the team just one thing, “all I ask is that you believe in me.” They were energized by his excitement and intensity. They became filled with hope and their spirits renewed. They started playing inspired ball and 5 out of the next 6 games which gave the Tebow Era a 5 and 1 record. A dramatic and immediate turnaround, once Tebow took over at quarter back.

It was astounding because they won on the road—the toughest place to win. They did the unthinkable; they beat every one of their division opponents in their own stadiums. That almost never happens, certainly not with a rookie quarterback in his first start. 

What the analysts missed
They missed the fact that a players impact and performance goes way beyond his skill set. It has to do with how few errors he makes. Does he throw interceptions? Does he fumble the ball? Does he make stupid decisions?

It also has to do with sprit and inspiration. Does he energize his team? Do they play better because he’s in the game and they believe in him? Do they feel like as long as he’s in the game they have a chance to win? And also how does he play in the clutch when the intensity and anxiety is in the highest? Does he fall apart or does he rise to the occasion? You can be a picture perfect passer of the ball, but if you panic during the game, you’re useless. 

Tebow excels at all the intangibles
What the critics have underestimated are Tebow's strengths. Just take a look at his stats. He makes great decisions plus he’s turning out to be one of the greatest running quarterbacks the NFL has ever seen. He’s so dangerous and smart about his running that it has opened up the line for the other running backs to have huge games.

And in crunch time his passes are deadly accurate. The Denver Broncos have become very dangerous for the senses to face. And the other thing is he’s just now getting his first chance to play regularly and he’s improving every game.

That’s what the inexperienced players do. They improve when they’re given a chance. You can’t learn how to play and perform as an NFL quarterback until you get a chance to get experience in the game. Tebow is getting that now and is developing rapidly. But all of these things seem to fly right over the radar of the expert analysts. Maybe they’re not so expert after all. 

The lesson for me and you 
Don’t give up your dreams because you might not be as talented as someone else. You can win anyway. You can improve. There are a lot of ingredients that go into winning and talent is just one—and talent will only take you so far.

A willingness to compete, a love of the “game” and a determination to improve and win is what really takes you to the top. If you’re driven you can do amazing things in your life and… like Tim Tebow you can astound your critics as well!

Winner's Book Club Selection of the Week: Called to Coach

What are his Winner Credentials?

Having coached young men in seven decades, Bobby Bowden is the second-winningest coach in major college football history. Bowden guided Florida State University to more than three hundred victories, two national championships, twelve Atlantic Coast Conference titles, finishing in the top five in the country in fourteen straight seasons, and he also led the Seminoles to Bowl Games in twenty-eight consecutive seasons during his thirty-four-year tenure. The patriarch of college football’s most famous coaching family, Bowden remains heavily involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, annually awarding The National Bobby Bowden Award to a student-athlete for achievement on and off the field, including his conduct as a faith model in the community. Bowden was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

Reviews

This book comes highly recommended by Nick Saban, Head Coach, University of Alabama; Mack Brown, Head Coach, University of Texas; Lou Holtz, Former Coach, College Football Analyst, ESPN; President Jimmy Carter; Kenny Chesney and many others. Whether or not you're a fan of Florida State—or even football—you'll enjoy this book about faith, family values and a truly inspirational leader. >>Read more reviews at Amazon>>

How Your Faith Grows Strong

There is a plan for spiritual growth.

The Lord is in charge. He will establish you. 

"But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil." (2 Thessalonians 3:3).

Though we receive our faith from Him, it must be developed in us by Him. Undeveloped faith never progresses beyond the babe-in-Christ, milk-of-the-Word stage. 

"But solid food is for adults that is, for those who through constant practice have their spiritual faculties carefully trained to distinguish good from evil. Therefore leaving elementary instruction about the Christ, let us advance to mature manhood" (Hebrews 5:14-6:1, Weymouth).

You will never learn faith in comfortable surroundings.

God gives us promises in a quiet hour; He seals our covenants with great and gracious words. Then He steps back and waits while we believe; then He lets the tempter come, and the test seems to contradict all that He has spoken. It is then that faith wins its crown. Then is the time to look into His face and say, 'I believe, Lord, that it shall be done as it was told me.'"

"Without trials of faith we should all be ruined. These trials give us opportunities of linking on to the mighty promises of God and finding through the trials come blessing that wonderfully glorifies Him, or else, missing God, turns the blessing into a burden that fills the heart with weariness and pain." -G.W.

Trust Him. His Love for you will pull you closer to Him and mature your faith. Just like physical growth, it happens over time. 

Adapted from Miles Stanford